ENGLISH

KUMARBHARATI
STANDARD TEN

B§J«Or Hw$‘ma^maVr B¶ËVm Xhmdr (B§J«Or ‘mܶ‘)

MAHARASHTRA STATE BUREAU OF TEXTBOOK PRODUCTION AND CURRICULUM RESEARCH, PUNE.

B§J«Or Hw$‘ma^maVr B¶ËVm Xhmdr (B§J«Or ‘mܶ‘) 73.00

A
 First Edition : 2018 © Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook Production and
Second Reprint : 2020 Curriculum Research, Pune - 411 004.

The Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook Production
and Curriculum Research reserves all rights relating to
the book. No part of this book should be reproduced
Chief co-ordinator : without the written permission of the Director, Maharashtra
Smt. Prachi Ravindra Sathe State Bureau of Textbook Production and Curriculum
Research, ‘Balbharati’, Senapati Bapat Marg, Pune 411004.

English Language Committee :

English Language Study Group :
Dr Prabha Sampath, Chairman
Dr Manjushree Sardeshpande, Member Shri. Akhil Bhosale
Dr Rohit Kawale, Member Dr Jyotimani Rocque Dr Gajendra Mugale
Dr Muktaja Mathkari, Member Smt. Manjusha Sagrolikar Dr Juee Kulkarni
Dr Lalita Vartak, Member Shri. Nilkantheshwar Patil Shri. Mahesh Dudhankar
Dr Shruti Chaudhary, Member
Shri. Pundalik Kaviraj Shri. Nadeem Khan
Shri. Shridhar Nagargoje, Member
Smt. Renu Dhotre Shri. Rajiv Sangpal
Shri. Nilesh Kedare, Member
Shri. Santosh Pawar, Smt. Saraswathi Suram Shri. Raju Korde
Member-Secretary Shri. Sharad Pandhare Shri. Rakesh Jadhav
Smt. Smita Pore
Cover  : Shri. Vivekanand Patil Shri. Santosh Gaikwad
Illustrations : Ashana Advani Shri. Amol Kamble
Anupriya Joshi Shri. Anil Petkar Invitee Experts :
Shri. Ashok Gaikwad Smt. Samannaz Irani
Shri. Mohan Bapat Shri. S. B. Mahajan
Co-ordination :
Santosh J. Pawar Shri. Balkrishna Shinde Shri. Pravin Mulay
Assistant Special Officer, English Shri. Bhuvnesh Kumbhar Dr. Dipak Damodare

Production :
Sachchitanand Aphale Publisher :
Vivek Uttam Gosavi
Chief Production Officer Typesetting :
Controller
Rajendra Chindarkar DTP Section (Languages)
Maharashtra State
Production Officer Textbook Bureau, Pune. Textbook Bureau,
Rajendra Pandloskar Printer : Prabhadevi,
Assistant Production Mumbai - 400 025.
Officer
Print Order No. :
Paper :
70 GSM Creamwove
C
D
 Preface
Dear Students,
A most warm welcome to Std X. We are delighted to place this textbook
‘English Kumarbharati’ in your hands.
English has been a part of your studies since Std I. So far, you have learnt
to use English for communication in most situations. You have enjoyed some
interesting stories and passages in the previous textbooks. You have completed
many projects. You have read the works of many well-known writers. Now that
you are in Std X, you will do all this and also learn to use English with a better
understanding of the language and the way it is used. What is more, you will
enjoy the flavour of English literature, as well.
English is not just a subject in your curriculum. It is the medium through
which you learn all other subjects. A good command over the language will
make it easier for you to study other subjects, too. Our main aim is to help you
use English with confidence. We would like you to be able to confidently ask
questions, gain knowledge and use new skills, perfect your oral and written
communication skill, be creative and spend your free time joyfully. That is
why, we urge you to take part in all the activities and exercises in the ‘Warming
up’ and ‘English Workshop’ sections, with zest and enthusiasm. Talk to your
teacher freely about the problems and difficulties you face while studying this
textbook. Many of the activities are designed to show you ways of thinking and
learning on your own. The more you use them, the better you will learn.
We have focussed upon linguistic items in the Language Study (Grammar
and Vocubulary) activities. The textbook also aims to help students to attain a
proficiency level in English, whereby you can directly 'think' in English rather
than think in your mother tounge and translate your thoughts into English. This
proficiency is indispensible, especially when you are reading between lines,
understanding ideas, contemplating, figuring out your responses to activities
and planning your write-ups.
English language has been accepted as the lingua franca of the world. In
times of increasing globalisation, knowledge, understanding and use of English
in oral and written communication has become the need of the hour. As such,
this textbook offers you an opportunity to reach out to the world.

E
 Useful audio - video teaching - learning material given in each relevant lesson will
be available through the Q. R. Code and through the medium of App for additional
information. It will be definitely useful for your study.
We will be happy if you share your feelings about the contents of this book with
us. We hope you enjoy studying it throughout the year.
Wish you all the best in your studies !

(Dr Sunil Magar)

Director
Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook
Production and Curriculum Research, Pune.

F
 Statement of Competencies : First Language
The student should be able to -
Listening
• Enjoy listening to English •
Discuss personal, social issues in
programmes. appropriate language.
• Predict the next part of a narration, • Describe something in a certain way to
conversation, description. achieve a certain effect.
• Think critically about the information • Interpret lines from a literary piece.
being presented.
•
Use quotations, idioms, proverbs
• Note the difficult/unfamiliar bits while appropriately.
listening so as to ask questions later.
• Appreciate different aspects of a literary
• Summarize a story, conversation, play, text.
informative speech, debate etc.
• Make efforts to use stylistic devices and
• Appreciate an effective presentation, figures of speech in his/her own presentation.
understand the features that make it
effective.
Reading
• Analyse and evaluate the content/argument
• Read literature for pleasure.
being presented.
• Read silently and fluently.
• Understand different interpretations of a
literary piece. • Read patiently till the end of the piece.

• Respond independently to literary and non- • Understand the writer’s intention.

literary presentations. • Understand the overall structure of a literary
piece : stanzas and refrain in a song, stanzas
Speaking and rhyme scheme in a verse, the various
threads in a story/play, etc.
• Speak clearly and confidently.
• Understand the literal as well as the
• Use acceptable pronunciation. suggested/implied meaning.
• Contribute meaningfully to conversations. • Understand the nature of the piece of writing
• Talk politely about one’s opinion or point – informative, emotional (appealing),
of view. imaginative, persuasive, argumentative,
etc.
Describe things, people, situations,
•
emotions, etc. in minute detail. • Appreciate precision, clarity, transparency
in writing.
• Narrate an event, a show, a short story, an
anecdote or an experience, etc. • Understand and appreciate use of literary
devices, figures of speech, etc.
• Sum up/paraphrase a given text.
• Understand/empathise with other’s points
• Articulate one’s ideas cogently.
of view.
• Communicate pleasure/displeasure,
• Understand and appreciate wit and humour
agreement/disagreement, difference of
in writing.
opinion support politely but firmly.
• Relate and evaluate the information against • Attempt using different styles of writing
one’s previous knowledge and develop and different literary devices.
further insight. • Attempt creative writing in different forms
• Judge/find the authenticity/source of a piece – stories, poems, skits, dialogues, cartoons,
of writing. jokes, playlets, etc.

• Learn new words, phrases, collocations,

idiomatic expressions and enrich his/her Study Skills
vocabulary through reading.
• Paraphrase a word/phrase.
• Develop a habit of reading news-papers,
magazines and other authentic sources to • Compile lists of useful words, expressions,
obtain required information. idioms, definitions, formulas, etc.

• Learn about other cultures and develop a • Remember and recall necessary information
liberal mindset. (and the way it is organized) with the help
of personal notes.
• Develop respect for one’s identity as an
Indian. • Make notes for personal references while
listening/reading.
Writing • Revise increasingly larger chunks of
• Write correctly. (Avoiding mistakes in information mentally.
spelling, grammar, etc.) • Identify and correct if necessary, the
• Review and if necessary correct his/her influence of mother tongue on his/her
own work as a matter of habit. English.

• Transform the text/information as directed. • Use resources from other languages while
speaking/writing in English.
• Write responses/answers in the given form,
following the given word-limit. • Compile data in a convenient form.

• Report an event/happening using an • Frame probing questions to find additional

appropriate format – a news item, a information, to find precise answers to
personal observation (diary), etc. one’s query.

• Write formal letters / applications / e-mails. • Present information in a concise, lucid

manner, choose appropriate graphics to do
• Explain a concept / an idea in short. so.
• Expand on a theme. • Use facilities like online applications, know
• Paraphrase a text. how to make online payments, etc.

• Express one’s own thoughts and ideas • Be aware of proper and responsible use of
coherently and effectively. social media.

• Review a book/a film/a TV programme/a • Use the computer/internet for the purpose
play, etc. of obtaining information, translation /
transcription.
• Write independently and creatively, using
themes, formats of his/her own choice. • Appreciate and/or critically examine
programmes, films, etc. available through
• Attempt using different techniques to make mass media/internet, etc.
his/her writing more effective.

H
• Identify which learning strategies work
numerals * degrees of comparison –
best for oneself and use them.
positive, comparative, superlative
• Use of internet for learning purposes.
• Sentence structure : * types of
sentences – statements (affirmative/
Language Study negative), commands, questions,
exclamations
* subject and predicate * subject, object
Language Study (English Medium) (direct/indirect), complement, adverbial

In the years from Std VI to X, * phrases and clauses * co-ordination

the following grammar and vocabulary and subordination (simple, compound
items will be covered in a graded, step- and complex sentences) * subject and
by-step and age-appropriate manner. verb agreement (person, number)
They will be introduced and discussed * transformation of sentences (forming
in the context of appropriate passages questions, negatives, voice, reported
in the textbook. Also, enough scope will speech, joining sentences)
be provided for revision and practice. A
list of the items covered in each standard • Vocabulary and word-building :
will be given separately in the textbook. * synonyms, antonyms, homonyms,
It is expected that by the end of register * root word, prefix, suffix
Std X, students should be familiar with * compound words * minor processes of
these terms which are commonly used in word-building : reduplicatives, clipping,
dictionaries, reference materials and also blends, acronyms
in classroom instruction. This knowledge
• Punctuation : full stop, comma,
should help the children to correct and
question mark, exclamation mark,
improve their own work and also to
hyphen, dash, quotation marks,
handle different resources to get their
apostrophe, brackets, colon, semicolon,
doubts/queries clarified.
use of capitals
***
• Speech : pronunciation, syllables,
• The alphabet : letter, sound, consonant, stress, intonation, rhyme, rhythm, some
vowel, alphabetical order, phonetic prosodic features
symbols
• Figures of Speech and stylistic
• Parts of speech : * nouns (types
devices: simile, metaphor, personification,
of nouns – countable/uncountable,
apostrophe, hyperbole, euphemism,
singular/plural/irregular, common/proper,
antithesis, irony, pun, onomatopoeia,
concrete/abstract) * verbs (main/
alliteration, consonance, etc.
auxiliary/modal, transitive/intransitive),
finite verbs and infinitives, gerund, • Idioms and proverbs, usage.
participles; time, tense and aspect,
singular and plural forms, phrasal verbs
* pronouns and their types * adjectives
* adverbs *  prepositions *  conjunctions • Note : For explanation of concepts in
* interjections * determiners – articles, Language Study, please refer to English
demonstratives, possessives, quantifiers, Kumarbharati Standard Nine. (Pages 109 to
120)
 Contents

Unit One
1.1 Where the Mind is Without Fear... 2
1.2 The Thief’s Story 7
1.3 On Wings of Courage 14
1.4 All the World’s a Stage 23
1.5 Joan of Arc 28
1.6 The Alchemy of Nature 37

Unit Two
2.1 Animals 44
2.2 Three Questions 50
2.3 Connecting the Dots 61
2.4 The Pulley 69
2.5 Let’s March 76
2.6 Science and Spirituality 89

Unit Three
3.1 Night of the Scorpion 100
3.2 The Night I Met Einstein 107
3.3 Stephen Hawking 114
3.4 The Will to Win 122
3.5 Unbeatable Super Mom-Mary Kom 128
3.6 The Concert 137

Unit Four
4.1 A Thing of Beauty is a Joy For Ever 145
4.2 The Luncheon   150
4.3 World Hertiage   157
4.4 The Height of the Ridiculous 169
4.5 The Old Man and The Sea : Book Review 174
4.6 The Gift of the Magi 179
1. Guess the proverb. 3. Let’s Head the lines.
Divide the class into groups. Give each group an
old, but full newspaper with all pages, equal in
number. Ask each group to study the headlines
only. Using words from separate headlines the
students must frame two headlines of their own
in 15 minutes. Underline the words used in the
old newspaper.
Each group leader should write down their two
newly created headlines on a slip of paper, with
the group number mentioned above. Submit
the same to the teacher with the respective
newspaper.
The teacher can judge the new headlines on the
2. Read and enjoy the poem and underline basis of appeal and accuracy, after making sure
the words having inconsistency in that every word has occured in the old newspaper.
spellings and pronunciation :
Enjoy this Conflict !!
Let me teach you in my verse
Sounds like, corps, corpse and worse.
Suzy, I shall keep you busy
Make your head, with heat, go dizzy.
Just compare heart, beard, heard,
Dies and diet, lord and word.
Now, surely, I will not plague you New headline- Winter Best For Tourism: Shows
Study
With words such as vague and argue.
4. Some Figures of Speech are hidden in the
Blood and flood are not like food below word grid horizontally, vertically,
Nor is mould like should or would. diagonally and in reverse order. Trace
them out with your pencil.
River, rival, tomb, bomb, comb
Doll and roll and some and home.
Monkey, donkey , clerk and jerk,
Asp, grasp, wasp and fork and work.
Finally, what rhymes with ‘enough’?
Though or through, plough or cough
‘Hiccough’ ends with sound of ‘cup’ .
My advice is - Just give it up !
(Adapted from ‘The Chaos’ by G. Nolste Trenite)

1
 1.1 Where the Mind is Without Fear...
Unit One

Warming Up !

1. Pair up with your partner and match the terms with their given meanings.

Column ‘A’ Column ‘B’

(1) Humanism (a) Concern about and action aimed at

protecting the environment.

(2) Patriotism (b) Holding liberal views.

(3) Internationalism (c) Quality of being patriotic  : vigorous

support for one’s country.

(4) Liberalism (d) State or process of being international.

(5) Environmentalism (e) A rationalistic outlook towards humans

rather than a divine or supernatural one.

2. Poems in English are of different types.

l Sonnet l Epic
l Limerick l Lyric
l Ballad l Humorous
l Elegy l Idyll
l Free verse
Taking the help of a dictionary/internet guess and write the type of poem against
its description.
(i) A long story-poem, often mythical
(ii) A short story poem with a message
(iii) A poem of 14 lines
(iv) A song-like poem
(v) A poem with no uniformity of rhyme, rhythm etc.
(vi) A poem set in picturesque, rustic background
(vii) A sad poem, lamenting death of a loved one
(viii) A 5-line short funny poem with rhyme-scheme aabba.
(ix) A poem written, just to create humour

2
 Where the Mind is Without Fear...

Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) was the author of

Gitanjali and its ‘profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful
verse’. He became the first non-European to win the
Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913.
This poem is one of his vastly read and discussed
poems. It was originally composed in Bengali and later
he himself translated it into English. This poem is from
his Nobel Prize winning anthology ‘Gitanjali’.
Tagore lived during the time when India was ruled by
the British. In this poem, besides political freedom from
British, Tagore also appeals to God for social, educational
and economic freedom for the people of India.

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments u What does the poet
pray to the Almighty
By narrow domestic walls for ?
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
u What are ‘reason’ and
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way ‘dead habit’ compared
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit to?

Where the mind is led forward by Thee u What does the poet
wish for ?
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
- Rabindranath Tagore

l narrow domestic walls : division on l dead habit : old traditional rituals

the basis of religion, caste, class and and customs that are harmful
colour in societies and between l ever-widening : forever broadening
countries of the world one’s outlook
l tireless striving : continuous efforts l heaven of freedom : condition of
and struggle total freedom of good thoughts,
l stretches its arm : aims at achieving good words and good deeds, while
a goal respecting those of others
3
 ENGLISH WORKSHOP

1. In your notebook write down lines from the poem as a proof for the following.
(a) Tagore wishes for a nation where people are truthful.
(b) The poet would like everyone to work hard to reach their goal and in the long run
to reach perfection.
(c) The poet wishes that everyone in his country holds his head high in dignity.
(d) The poet dreams of a nation where knowledge should be free to all.
(e) The poem is a ‘prayer’.
2. Read the columns carefully and match the expressions with their meanings.
No Column A Column B

(1) The head is held high (a) A fearless person

(2) Narrow domestic walls (b) Sincerity of heart
(3) Knowledge is free (c) A person with self respect and proud of
possessing it

(4) Depth of truth (d) Narrow mindedness

(5) Mind is without fear (e) Education is given to all
(6) Stretches its arms (f) Dried up, infertile land of sands
(7) Clear stream of reason (g) Clear thinking
(8) Dead habits (h) Aim at perfection
(9) Ever widening thought and (i) Broadening the outlook and attitude
action
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9)
3. (A) Answer the following questions in your own words.
(a) How is the world broken into fragments?
(b) Explain what the ‘tireless striving’ should, be for.
(c) ‘Where words come out from the depth of truth.’ Explain in your own words.
(d) Who is ‘Thee’ in the poem ? What does the poet appeal to ‘Thee’ to do ?
(e) What qualities does the poet wish to inculcate in his countrymen ?
(B) Write in your notebook your own response and justify, where needed.
(a) Is the poem a prayer for India alone?
(b) What should the words we speak reflect?
(c) What should people keep on widening? How can it be done?
(d) From what darkness of night should our nation awake?
(e) What attributes of Rabindranath Tagore does the poem (prayer) reflect?
(f) What effect does the repetition of the word ‘where’ at the begining of
each line?
4
4. Read the poem carefully and complete the table after the discussion in pairs. One is
done for you.
Concepts in the poem Present situation Expected/ideal situation
(1) mind mind is full of fear fearless mind
(2) head
(3) knowledge
(4) words
(5) habit
(6) thought and action

5. (A) Complete the following sentences using your own interpretation.

(a) When the mind is without fear and head unbowed, we enjoy
freedom.
(b) When knowledge is free, every citizen enjoys the right to and .
(c) We can prevent injustice when we pull down discriminatory walls of
caste, class, religion etc.
(d) Constant effort and strife leads to .
(e) Logical thinking and reasoning can put a stop to .
(f) Tagore appeals to God to make his country a .
(B) Fill in the blanks.
(a) Students should keep themselves aloof from .
(b) When everyone will be literate.
(c) It is a social duty of every student of modern world to uproot from
societies.
(d) Students must develop outlook and attitudes.
(e) In the world of sycophancy, students must .
6. Find out the examples of ‘Metaphor’ from the poem.
7. Almost every line of the poem begins with the word ‘Where’ and it expects an
idealistic country and countrymen. Now work in a group of six students and compose
your poem regarding ‘Ideal School’. Begin your lines with the word ‘Where’ . . . . .
8. Read the poem. Write an Appreciation of the poem in about 12 to 15
sentences with the help of the following points. Use a paragraph format.
Points
l Title

l Poet

l Rhyme scheme

5
 l Favourite line
l Theme/Central idea

l Figures of speech

l Special features - Type of the poem, language, tone, implied meaning, etc.

l Why I like/ dislike the poem

9. Imagine that you have to deliver a speech on the occasion of ‘Independence

Day’ or the ‘Republic Day’ in the school assembly. Prepare a speech to deliver
on ‘India of my dreams’
Use the following steps :
l Greeting and salutation
l Self Introduction
l Introduction of the topic
l Elaboration of the topic with examples
l Conclusion
l Thanking audience
10. Read the short story written by Rabindranath Tagore ‘The Kabuliwala’ or ‘The
Home Coming.’
Visit the website and collect more information about Rabindranath Tagore’s life and
work.

² 
 
 
²  
 
²  
 
²

6
 1.2 The Thief’s Story

Warming Up !

1. Read the following incident.

Lokesh had always been a class-topper in tests and examinations. However,
invariably, he used foul means during exams to gain those high marks.
Once, on the day of History examination, Lokesh realized that his classmate and
friend Farhan came all prepared for Maths instead of History. Farhan had become
desperate. So Lokesh offered to let him copy from his answer-sheet, since Farhan
sat just behind him.
Farhan refused. He said, ‘‘It’s all right even if I get a zero, but I can call it
my own zero. I do not want to score a single mark, unearned. Cheating in exams
is for cowards. Not me!’’
These words were a turning point in Lokesh’s life. He gave up cheating for ever.
He worked hard for what he desired and never, ever used false measures to acquire
anything.
(a) In the given story, which words/phrases can be replaced by the following
ones?
(i) became aware
(ii) always
(iii) very upset and helpless
(iv) cheating
(v) without working for it
(vi) a sudden change
(vii) gain/achieve
(b) Summarize the incident in 6 to 8 lines making Lokesh, the narrator :
Begin with : ‘I was always a class topper.

7
 The Thief’s Story

Ruskin Bond (1934) is an Indian author of British

descent. He lives with his adopted family in Landour in
Mussoorie, India, The Indian Council for Child Education
has recognised his role in the growth of children’s literature
in India. He got the Sahitya Academy Award in 1992
for ‘Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra’, for his published
work in English. He was awarded the ‘Padmashri’ in
1999 and ‘Padmabhushan’ in 2014.

u What is the narrator I was still a thief when I met Anil. And though
quite successful  at? only 15, I was an experienced and fairly successful
u Who does ‘I’ refer to hand.
in this story ? Anil was watching a wrestling match when I
approached him. He was about 25 — a tall, lean
fellow — and he looked easy-going, kind and simple
enough for my purpose. I hadn’t had much luck of
late and thought I might be able to get into the young
man’s confidence.
“You look a bit of a wrestler yourself,” I said. A
l flattery : insincere little flattery helps in making friends.
praise “So do you,” he replied, which put me off for a
moment because at that time I was rather thin.
l modestly : without “Well,” I said modestly, “I do wrestle a bit.”
boasting, in a humble “What’s your name?”
way
“Hari Singh,” I lied. I took a new name every
u Why did the narrator month. That kept me ahead of the police and my
change his name former employers.
every month ? After this introduction, Anil talked about the well-
l grunting : making oiled wrestlers who were grunting, lifting and throwing
low guttural sounds each other about. I didn’t have much to say. Anil
walked away. I followed casually.
“Hello again,” he said.
l appealing : I gave him my most appealing smile. “I want to
attention-getting work for you,” I said.
attractive “But I can’t pay you.”
I thought that over for a minute. Perhaps I had
misjudged my man.

8
 I asked, “Can you feed me?”
“Can you cook?”
“I can cook,” I lied again.
“If you can cook, then may be I can feed you.”
He took me to his room over the Jumna Sweet
Shop and told me I could sleep on the balcony. But
the meal I cooked that night must have been terrible
because Anil gave it to a stray dog and told me to
be off. But I just hung around, smiling in my most
appealing way, and he couldn’t help laughing.
Later, he patted me on the head and said never
mind, he’d teach me to cook. He also taught me to
write my name and said he would soon teach me
to write whole sentences and to add numbers. I was u What favours did Anil
grateful. I knew that once I could write like an educated do for the narrator?
man there would be no limit to what I could achieve.
It was quite pleasant working for Anil. I made
the tea in the morning and then would take my time
buying the day’s supplies, usually making a profit of
about a rupee a day. I think he knew I made a little
money this way but he did not seem to mind.
Anil made money by fits and starts. He would l by fits and
borrow one week, lend the next. He kept worrying about starts : in short
his next cheque, but as soon as it arrived he would go irregular intervals
out and celebrate. It seems he wrote for magazines — u What proves that the
a queer way to make a living! narrator still practised
One evening he came home with a small bundle of deceit?
notes, saying he had just sold a book to a publisher.
At night, I saw him tuck the money under the mattress.
I had been working for Anil for almost a month
and, apart from cheating on the shopping, had not done
anything in my line of work. I had every opportunity
for doing so. Anil had given me a key to the door,
and I could come and go as I pleased. He was the
most trusting person I had ever met.
And that is why it was so difficult to rob him. It’s
easy to rob a greedy man, because he can afford to
be robbed; but it’s difficult to rob a careless man —
sometimes he doesn’t even notice he’s been robbed and
that takes all the pleasure out of the work.
Well, it’s time I did some real work, I told myself;
I’m out of practice. And if I don’t take the money,
9
 he’ll only waste it on his friends. After all, he doesn’t
even pay me.
Anil was asleep. A beam of moonlight stepped
over the balcony and fell on the bed. I sat up on the
floor, considering the situation. If I took the money,
I could catch the 10.30 Express to Lucknow. Slipping
out of the blanket, I crept up to the bed. Anil was
l unlined : showing sleeping peacefully. His face was clear and unlined;
no sign of worry or even I had more marks on my face, though mine were
anxiety mostly scars.
My hand slid under the mattress, searching for the
u What could have notes. When I found them, I drew them out without a
caused the scars on sound. Anil sighed in his sleep and turned on his side,
Hari’s face? towards me. I was startled and quickly crawled out of
the room.
When I was on the road, I began to run. I had
the notes at my waist, held there by the string of my
pyjamas. I slowed down to a walk and counted the
notes: 600 rupees in fifties! I could live like an oil-rich
u Why did Hari hesitate Arab for a week or two.
to board the train?
When I reached the station I did not stop at the
ticket office (I had never bought a ticket in my life.) but
dashed straight to the platform. The Lucknow Express
was just moving out. The train had still to pick up
speed and I should have been able to jump into one
of the carriages, but I hesitated — for some reason I
u Why does Hari believe can’t explain — and I lost the chance to get away.
that friends were When the train had gone, I found myself standing
more trouble than alone on the deserted platform. I had no idea where to
help? spend the night. I had no friends, believing that friends
were more trouble than help. And I did not want to
make anyone curious by staying at one of the small
hotels near the station. The only person I knew really
well was the man I had robbed. Leaving the station,
u What is face reading ? I walked slowly through the bazaar.
In my short career as a thief, I had made a study
of men’s faces when they had lost their goods. The
greedy man showed fear; the rich man showed anger;
the poor man showed acceptance. But I knew that
Anil’s face, when he discovered the theft, would show
only a touch of sadness. Not for the loss of money,
but for the loss of trust.

10
 I found myself in the maidan and sat down on a
bench. The night was chilly — it was early November
— and a light drizzle added to my discomfort. Soon it
was raining quite heavily. My shirt and pyjamas stuck
to my skin, and a cold wind blew the rain across my
face.
I went back to the bazaar and sat down in the
shelter of the clock tower. The clock showed midnight.
I felt for the notes. They were damp from the rain. What
u 
 
  were Hari’s
Anil’s money. In the morning he would probably regrets as he
have given me two or three rupees to go to the cinema, pondered over his
but now I had it all. I couldn’t cook his meals, run to theft?
the bazaar or learn to write whole sentences any more.
I had forgotten about them in the excitement of the
theft. Whole sentences, I knew, could one day bring
Why
u 
 
  did Hari feel
me more than a few hundred rupees. It was a simple
nervous ?
matter to steal — and sometimes just as simple to
be caught. But to be a really big man, a clever and
respected man, was something else. I should go back to u Does Anil realise that
Anil, I told myself, if only to learn to read and write. he has been robbed ?
I hurried back to the room feeling very nervous, for
it is much easier to steal something than to return it
undetected. I opened the door quietly, then stood in the
doorway, in clouded moonlight. Anil was still asleep.
I crept to the head of the bed, and my hand came up
with the notes. I felt his breath on my hand. I remained
still for a minute. Then my hand found the edge of the
mattress, and slipped under it with the notes.
I awoke late next morning to find that Anil had
already made the tea. He stretched out his hand towards
me. There was a fifty-rupee note between his fingers.
My heart sank. I thought I had been discovered. l heart sank : felt
“I made some money yesterday,” he explained. depressed
“Now you’ll be paid regularly.”
My spirits rose. But when I took the note, I saw l spirits rose :
it was still wet from the night’s rain. became very
“Today we’ll start writing sentences,” he said. hopeful
He knew. But neither his lips nor his eyes showed u Why did Hari give
anything. I smiled at Anil in my most appealing way. a genuine appealing
And the smile came by itself, without any effort. smile?
- Ruskin Bond

11
 ENGLISH WORKSHOP

1. Complete the web diagram.

Anil’s virtues Hari’s vices

2. Insert the appropriate word/phrase given below, in the sentences that follow.
(flattery, appealing, by fits and starts, dashed to, undetected, spirits rose )
(a) I the school gate when I heard the school-bell ring.
(b) After the death of my pet dog, my when dad got me a new pup.
(c) Do not stoop to just to gain something from someone.
(d) The artist completes his paintings .
(e) The crime went for 11 years.
(f) When the baby saw its mother it gave an smile.
3. (a) Find from the text the collocation for the following.
(i) dog
that
(ii) man
n t s a ware ords are
tude nd w in
(iii) ticket k e o f the s d compou to use them
Ma an m
(iv) slowly o l l o c ations ourage the
c n c
ent. E
(v) drizzle differ riting.
w
their
(vi) sentences
(vii) spirits.
(b) Complete the compound words from the story.
(i) oil (ii) fifty
(iii) easy (iv) tower
(v) moon
(c) Pick out from the story 3 or 4 examples of Code-mixing (Indian words
used in English).
4. Read the story carefully and complete the table.
Total no. of Names Age Physical Earned Qualities
characters appearance money by

12
5. Complete the given sentences.
(a) Anil kept Hari as a cook because
(b) Hari was grateful
(c) Hari continued making money
(d) Anil didn’t hand Hari over to the police
(e) The moral of the story is
6. Think and write in your own words, in your notebook.
(a) Why did Anil employ Hari as a cook, although he could not afford to pay him?
(b) What did Hari learn from Anil in the beginning?
(c) Why didn’t Anil hand over Hari to the police? What effect would it have had
on Hari?
(d) Do you feel Anil’s way of handling a thief like Hari was effective?
Justify your answer.
(e) What tact had Anil used to change Hari’s dishonest ways?
(f) ‘And the smile came by itself without any effort.’ Say why. When do people
give fake smiles?
7. Write a character sketch of ‘Hari Singh’ with the help of the following points,
using the paragraph format.

Hari Singh’s background

His dishonesty
His aspirations
His courage to change
himself.

8. Frame ‘Wh’ questions to get the answers underlined below. (Change the first
person pronouns to the second person where necessary.)
(a) I hurried back to the room.
(b) I had made a study of men’s faces.
(c) I drew them out, without a sound.
(d) The poor man showed acceptance.
(e) I made tea in the morning.
9. Imagine that Anil catches Hari red-handed when Hari is
stealing the money from under the mattress. Compose a short
dialogue between the two, which reflects Anil’s shock and
Hari’s repeated apologies.
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13
 1.3 On Wings of Courage

Warming Up !

1. The ranks of officers in Indian Army, Navy and Air Force are jumbled up.
Discuss with your group and put them in the appropriate boxes.

Commander, Brigadier, Wing-Commander, Vice-Admiral, Squadron-Leader, Major,

Colonel, Field Marshal, Air Marshal, Admiral of Fleet, Lieutenant-General, Flying
Officer, Commodore, Rear Admiral, Air-Commodore

ARMY NAVY AIR FORCE

2. Homophones/ Homographs
(A) Make sentences to bring out the difference between-
(1) (a) wear
(b) ware
(2) (a) here
(b) hear
(3) (a) there
(b) their
(4) (a) cell
(b) sell
(B) Write what the underlined Homographs in the following sentences mean.
(1) (a) A bear is an omnivorous animal.
(b) She could not bear the injustice.
(2) (a) A bat is the only bird which is a mammal.
(b) His bat broke as it struck the ball.
(3) (a) He had to pay a fine for breaking the traffic signal.
(b) Use a fine cloth for the baby’s clothes.
(4) (a) We enjoyed a lot at the temple fair.
(b) She has a fair complexion.

14
 On Wings of Courage

Air Force Marshal Arjan Singh, an icon of India’s

military history, will always be remembered as a war
u Why is Air Force
hero who had successfully led a young IAF during the
Marshal Arjan
1965 Indo-Pak war.
Singh considered an
The only officer to attain the highest post of outstanding military
Marshal, the Air Force equivalent to the Army’s five personality?
star field marshal, Singh was a fearless and exceptional
pilot who had flown more than 60 different types of
aircraft.
He played a major role in transforming the IAF
into one of the most potent air forces globally and l potent : powerful
the fourth biggest in the world. “His contribution to and effective
the Indian Air Force is monumental to the least. The l monumental : of
IAF grew with him. He was the epitome of military great importance,
leadership in classical sense and it is, therefore, not enormous.
surprising that he was honoured with the rank of Air l epitome : a perfect
Force Marshal,” former Vice Chief of IAF Kapil Kak example
said.
Singh was honoured with the rank of Marshal
on the Republic Day in 2002. Sam Hormusji Framji
u What personality traits
Jamshedji Manekshaw and K M Cariappa were the
of Arjan Singh are
only two army generals honoured with the rank of
mentioned here ?
Field Marshal.
Known as a man of few words, Singh was not
only a fearless pilot but also had profound knowledge
about air power and applied it in a wide spectrum of
areas. Singh had assiduously led the IAF during the l assiduously :
1965 war and denied success to Pakistani Air Force working hard and
though it was better equipped with American support. showing careful
“His most outstanding contribution was during that attention to details
war,” said Kak.
Commending his role in the war, Y B Chavan, the l commending :
then Defence Minister had written: “Air Marshal Arjan officially praising
Singh is a jewel of a person, quite efficient and firm;
unexcitable but a very able leader.”
In 1944, the Marshal had led a squadron against
the Japanese during the Arakan Campaign, flying
close air support missions during the crucial Imphal
Campaign and later assisted the advance of the Allied
Forces to Yangoon (formerly Rangoon).
15
 In recognition of his feat, he was awarded the
Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) on the spot by the
Supreme Allied Commander of South East Asia, the
u What enabled Arjan
first Indian pilot to have received it. Singh was selected
Singh to win the
for the Empire Pilot training course at Royal Air Force
(RAF) Cranwell in 1938 when he was 19 years old.
DFC award ?
He retired from service in 1969.
u At what age did Singh was born on April 15, 1919, in Lyalpur
Arjan Singh become a (now Faislabad, Pakistan), and completed his education
Squadron Leader? at Montgomery (now Sahiwal, Pakistan). His first
assignment on being commissioned was to fly Westland
Wapiti biplanes in the North-Western Frontier Province
l biplane : old type of as a member of the No.1 RIAF Squadron.
aircraft having two After a brief stint with the newly formed No. 2
pairs of wings one RIAF Squadron where the Marshal flew against the
above the other tribal forces, he later moved back to No.1 Sqn as a
l a brief stint : a Flying Officer to fly the Hawker Hurricane. He was
short period of work promoted to the rank of Squadron Leader in 1944.
For his role in successfully leading the squadron in
combat, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
(DFC) in 1944. On August 15, 1947, he achieved the
l a fly-past : a unique honour of leading a fly-past of over a hundred
ceremonial flight of IAF aircraft over the Red Fort in Delhi.
an aircraft passing After his promotion to the rank of Wing Commander,
over a place he attended the Royal Staff College at the UK.
Immediately after Indian independence, he commanded
Ambala in the rank of Group Captain. In 1949, he was
promoted to the rank of Air Commodore and took over
u For how long did as Air Officer Commanding (AOC) of an operational
Arjun Singh hold the command, which later came to be known as Western
post of AOC ? Air Command.
Singh had the distinction of having the longest
tenure as AOC of an operational base, initially from
1949-1952 and then again from 1957-1961. After his
promotion to the rank of Air Vice Marshal, he was
l AOC-in-C : Air appointed as the AOC-in-C of an operational command.
Officer Commanding- Towards the end of the 1962 war, he was appointed
in- Chief as the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff and he became the
Vice Chief of the Air Staff in 1963. He was the overall
commander of the joint air training exercise “Shiksha”
held between IAF, RAF (Royal Air Force) and RAAF
(Royal Australian Air Force).

16
 On August 1, 1964, in the rank of Air Marshal,
the Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh took over l took over reins :
reins of IAF, at a time when it was still rebuilding took over control
itself and was gearing up to meet new challenges. l gearing up : getting

Singh was the first Air Chief to keep his flying ready
currency till his CAS rank. Having flown over 60 l flying currency : up
different types of aircraft from pre-World War II - to - date skills and
era biplanes to the more contemporary Gnats and experience of flying
Vampires, he has also flown in transport aircraft like aircraft
the Super Constellation. l contemporary : of
In 1965, when Pakistan launched its Operation present times
Grand Slam, with an armoured thrust targeted at the
vital town of Akhnoor, Singh led IAF through the war
with courage, determination and professional skill. He
inspired IAF to victory, despite the constraints imposed l constraints :
on the full-scale use of Air Force combat power. restrictions
Singh was awarded Padma Vibhushan for his astute l astute : sharp and
leadership of the Air Force during the war. Subsequently, intelligent
in recognition of the Air Force’s contribution during the
What
u    uphill task did
war, the rank of the CAS was upgraded and Arjan
Singh face when he
Singh became the first Air Chief Marshal of the Indian
took over as Air
Air Force.
Marshal?
He remained a flyer to the end of his tenure in
l CAS : Chief of the
IAF, visiting forward bases and units and flying with
Air Staff
the squadrons. He retired in August 1969, thereupon
l forward bases :
accepting Ambassadorship to Switzerland. He was
a secured, forward
Lieutenant Governor of Delhi from December 1989 to
operating military
December 1990.
position

Having been a source of inspiration to all the What

u    other important
personnel of Armed Forces through the years, the positions did Arjan
government conferred the rank of the Marshal of the Singh hold after his
Air Force upon Arjan Singh in January 2002, making retirement ?
him the first and the only ‘Five Star’ rank officer with
Indian Air Force.
17
 ENGLISH WORKSHOP

1. Read the text and fill in the flow chart of the promotions received by Arjan
Singh.
Member of
No. I RIAF

Marshal of
the Air Force

2. With the help of facts given in the text prepare a Fact file of Air Marshal Arjan
Singh.
(a) Date of Birth
(b) Place of Birth
(c) Education
(d) First Assignments
(e) Important posts held (a) In Air Force
(b) After retirement
(f) Awards
(g) Most outstanding
contribution in IAF
(h) Retirement
3. Fill in the web.

Brave
Qualities
of Arjan
Singh

18
4. Say what actions preceded the following promotions of Arjan Singh in his
career in the IAF.
(a) Selected for Empire Pilot training course at RAF

(b) Promoted to Squadron Leader

(c) Leader of a flypast of over 100 aircrafts at Red Fort, Delhi

(d) Awarded Padma Vibhushan

(e) First Air Chief Marshal of Indian Air Force

5. Replace the underlined words/phrases with the appropriate ones, to retain the
proper meaning.
(be the epitome of, gear up, a brief stint, play a major role, in recognition of, take
over reins)
(a) He contributed notably in bringing up the school.
(b) Our school cricket team got ready for the final match against P. Q. R. High
School.
(c) After a short period of working as a lecturer, Ravi took up an important post
in a multi-national company.
(d) Our class monitor is a perfect symbol of duty and discipline.
(e) Accepting the great value of his research; they awarded him with a Ph.D. (degree)
(f) After the murder of King Duncan, Macbeth took over the control of Scotland.
6. Build the word wall with the words related to ‘Military’.

Military

19
7. (A) State the different meanings of the following pairs of Homophones and
make sentences of your own with each of them.
Word Meaning Sentence
(a) led
lead
(b) role
roll
(c) air
heir
oom
l d a classr ut the
(d) feat Ho abo
ssion ones
discu t Homoph .
e n s
feet differ ir meaning
h e
and t
(e) reign
rein
rain

(B) The following Homographs have the same spelling and pronunciation; but can
have different meanings. Make sentences of your own to show the difference.

(a) firm

(b) train

(c) type

(d) post

(e) current

8. Glance through the text and prepare notes from the information that you get.
Take only relevant points. Don’t use sentences. Arrange the points in the same
order. You may use symbols or short forms. Present the points sequentially. Use
highlighting techniques.

20
9. Develop a story suitable to the conclusion/end given below. Suggest a suitable
title.
(Title)

and so, with tears of joy and pride, the 10

year old Sanyogita More received the National Bravery Award from the Prime
Minister.

10. You wish to join any one of the Indian Armed Forces. Fill in the following
application form.

To
The Advertiser
N/AF Recruitment Service Affix recent
Purangaon - 456 789 passport size
photograph
APPLICATION FOR RECRUITMENT
Rect notice No 1234
1. Post applied for
2. Name and surname of Candidate (in Block letters)

3. Father’s Name l Mother’s Name

4. Date of Birth

DD MM YY

21
5. Contact details :
Tel. No. (Res) Mobile No.
Email ID
6. Permanent Address :
House No./Street/Village
Post Office
District State
Pincode
7. Educational Qualifications :
Serial Qualification Name of Name of Board/ Percentage
Number School/College University obtained

8. Whether registered at any employment exchange Yes/ No

(If yes, mention registration number and the name of the Employment Exchange.)
9. Outstanding achievements in extra-curricular activities/ sports/ games, etc.

10. Why you wish to join Armed Forces.

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22
 1.4 All the World’s a Stage

Warming Up !
1. Pair work
l Talk to your friend about all the things related to ‘Seven.’
For example : Seven wonders of the world.
l Pair up with your partner and name those given below all of the under :
(a) The seven wonders of the world

(b) The seven continents

(c) The seven colours of the rainbow

(d) The seven notes of the music

(e) The seven seas of the world

2. Life is often compared to many things. Write down 7 things that life can be
compared to and justify the comparison. For example,
(a) Life is a keyboard, because if you press the right keys you have typed a
good destiny.
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
3. Match the approximate ages with the stages.
No. Age-group Stages
1 Birth to 2 years a teenage/adolescence
2 3 years to 12 years b old age/second childhood
3 13 years to 17 years c middle-age
4 18 years to about 44 years d babyhood/infancy
5 About 45 years to 60 years e senior citizen/elderly person
6 65 years up to 75 to 80 f adulthood
years
7 Above 80 years g childhood
23
 All the World’s a Stage

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was an English

poet, playwright and actor, widely regarded as the
greatest writer in the English language and the world’s
prominent dramatist. He is often called England’s
national poet and the “Bard of Avon”.
This poem is taken from his play ‘As You Like
It’. Here, he compares the world to a stage where
the drama of human life is enacted.

All the world’s a stage,

l players : actors And all the men and women merely players;
u What do ‘exits’ and They have their exits and their entrances,
‘entrances’ refer to? And one man in his time plays many parts,
l puking : throwing His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant,
up, vomitting Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms.
l satchel : school bag Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel
l woeful ballad : sad And shining morning face, creeping like snail
poem/song Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
l pard : poetical short Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
form of ‘leopard’
Made to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier,
u Why is reputation like
a bubble? Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
l cannon’s mouth :
Seeking the bubble reputation
facing great danger
to life Even in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice,
l with good capon In fair round belly with good capon lined,
lined : with excess With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
fat from careless Full of wise saws and modern instances;
eating habits
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
l saws : sayings
Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
l youthful hose : His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
closefitting covering For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice,
for legs.
l shank : legs (knee to
ankle)

24
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all, u What is the
That ends this strange eventful history, major differernce
noticed in the 5th
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
and 6th stage of
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything. life ?
- William Shakespeare

l treble : (here) three times weaker l oblivion : the state of being unaware
than or unconscious of surroundings and
l second childishness : a return to the happenings
helpless, ignorant state of a child l sans : without

ENGLISH WORKSHOP

1. Read the words in given clouds. Match them with what they signify.

Stage Birth
Characters Situations/Incidents
Script Story of Life
Dialogues Death
Entry Conversation
Exit Roles played by human
beings
Life
2. Read the poem carefully and complete the following table.
Ages of Man Role Qualities/Actions
1.
1
2.
1.
2
2.
1.
3
2.
1.
4
2.
1.
5
2.
1.
6
2.
1.
7
2.

25
3. Write down in your own words the differences between the following stages of
a man’s life.
2nd stage and 4th stage

3rd stage and 5th stage

1st stage and 7th (last) stage

4. Pick out lines that contain Imagery (a picture created in the mind by using
words) of the following people.
(a) School boy
(2nd stage)
(b) Soldier
(4th stage)
(c) Judge
(5th stage)
(d) Senior citizen
(6th stage)
5. You will notice that there is no Rhyme-scheme in the poem. It appears similar
to the poem 1.1 ‘Where the Mind is Without Fear’ by Tagore.
However Tagore’s poem has no steady rhythm/meter either it is called Free
Verse. Shakespeare uses lines with a steady rhythm of 5 beats in each. It is termed
as Blank Verse. (No rhyme-scheme but uniformity in rhythm)
Copy the lines from “Ánd all the men and women merely players” to “sudden and
quick in quarrel”. Put a stress mark on each of the syllables stressed in the lines as -
for example, And all the men and women merely players;
6. Think and write on your own.
(a) What is the theme/central idea of this poem ?
(b) Which two stages of man, described by Shakespeare sound humorous ? Say why.
(c) The last (7th) stage of life sounds very sad and miserable. How can you make
old age also cheerful and happy ?
7. (A) The poem is entirely metaphorical. Pick out the comparisons from the poem.
(a) world
(b) actors
(c) birth and death
26
 (d) school boy
(e) the lover’s sigh
(f) spotted leopard
(g) last stage (old age)
(B) Pick out from the poem two examples of each.
(a) Simile (1)
(2)
(b) Onomatopoeia (1)
(2)
(c) Alliteration (1)
(2)
(d) Metaphor (1)
(2)
(e) Inversion (1)
(2)
(f) Transferred Epithet (1)
(2)
8. Read the summary of the play ‘As You Like It’ by William Shakespeare
using the Internet. Find out which character has narrated the above poem
and on what occasion. Also, make a list of all the characters of the play.
9. Read the poem again and write an appreciation of the poem in a paragraph
format. (Refer to page no. 5)

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27
 1.5 Joan of Arc

Warming Up !
1. Discuss in groups/pairs and make a list of the weapons used in the old times
and in the present times.
Weapons used in the past Weapons used nowadays

2. Imagine that you are the captain of your school Kabaddi team. Your final
match is against a very strong team. Your team members are sure that you
will lose. How will you boost their morale? Work in groups and prepare a
short list of what can encourage the team.
3. Adding different prepositions to the same action verb changes the meaning of
the phrases, thus formed.
For example, call out - announce
call at - visit
call for - summon
call up - make a telephonic call
call off - cancel
Guess the difference in meanings of the underlined phrases.
(1) (a) He promised to look into the matter.
(b) He asked me to look for his lost book.
(c) I shall look forward to your arrival.
(2) (a) An epidemic of cholera broke out in the village.
(b) The thieves broke into the locked house.
(c) They broke up their friendship.
(3) (a) You must carry out your duty faithfully.
(b) Please carry on with your work.
(c) They carried off the trophy in the football matches.
(d) Carry forward the remaining balance to the next page.
lain
h o u l d exp
er s h
Phrasal verbs : A phrasal verb is a verb that is made up of Teach verbs wit
a l
a main verb together with an adverb or preposition phras es.
pl
or both. exam

28
 Joan of Arc

George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) was an Irish

playwright and critic. He wrote more than sixty plays during his
lifetime including major works such as Man and Superman
(1902), Pygmalion (1912) and Saint Joan (1923). He was the
leading dramatist of his time. He was awarded the Nobel Prize
in Literature in 1925.

(The war fought between England and France from

1337 to 1453 has come to be known as the Hundred Years
War. Joan was a peasant girl born in eastern France, who
led the French army to several victories during this war.
This play begins at the time when all of northern
France and some parts of the south-west were under
foreign control. The English controlled some parts and
the Burgundians controlled the others. The city of New
Orleans, one of the few remaining French cities was
held by the English. The year is 1429. Captain Robert
de Baudricourt, a military officer is seated at the table.
His steward stands facing him).
Robert : I told you to throw the girl out. You
have fifty armed soldiers and dozens of
strong servants to carry out my orders.
Are they afraid of her ?
Steward : No sir, we are afraid of you, but she
puts courage in us. She really doesn’t
seem to be afraid of anything. Perhaps
you could frighten her, sir.
Robert : (grimly) Perhaps, where is she now ? l grimly : seriously
Steward : Down in the courtyard, sir.
(Robert goes to the window and asks
the soldiers to send the girl up.)
l squire : a person of
(The girl enters. She is a well-built, high rank
strong country girl of 17 to 18 years. l armour : protective
The squire’s glare neither frightens her clothing of metal
nor stops her. She speaks confidently.) or leather worn in
Joan : Good morning, Captain Squire. You battles by soldiers in
are to give me a horse and armour former times
and some soldiers, and send me to the
Dauphin.
29
 Robert : This girl is mad. Why didn’t you tell
me so, you blockhead ?
Steward : Sir, do not anger her. Give her what
l blockhead : a stupid she wants.
person Robert : I shall send you back to your father
ö Why had Joan wanted with orders to put you under lock and
to meet Captain key.
squire ? Joan : You think you will, squire. But it won’t
happen that way. You said you would
not see me. But here I am.
l assuming : taking for Robert : So, you are assuming that I’ll give you
granted what you want.
Joan : Yes, squire. (Continues busily) A horse
will cost sixteen francs. It is a big
amount of money. But I can save it
on the armour. I don’t need beautiful
armour made to my measure. I can find
a soldier’s armour that will fit me well
enough. I shall not want many soldiers.
l Dauphin : the oldest The Dauphin will give me, all I need,
son of the King of to free Orleans.
France, the one who Robert : (Shocked) To free Orleans !
would become the Joan : (Simply) Yes, squire. Three men will be
king after his father enough for you to send with me. Polly
and Jack have promised to come with
me.
l Monsieur : French Robert : You mean Monsieur de Poulengey ?
word for Mr. Joan : Yes, Squire Jack will come willingly.
He is a very kind gentleman, and gives
me money to give to the poor. I think
John Godsave will come, and Dick
ö Name the persons the Archer, and their servants, John of
who Joan needed to Honecourt and Julian. There will be no
free Orleans. trouble for you, squire. I have arranged
it all. You have only to give the order.
Robert : (To the steward) Is this true about
Monsieur de Poulengey ?
Steward : (Eagerly) Yes, sir, and about Monsieur
de Metz too. They both want to go with
her.
Robert : (Goes to the window, and shouts into
the court-yard.) Send Monseiur de
Poulengey to me, will you ? (He turns
30
 to Joan) Get out and wait in the yard.
Joan : (Smiling brightly at him) Right, squire.
(She goes out).
Robert : (To the steward) Go with her. Stay
within call and keep your eye on her.
I shall have her up here again.
(The steward retreats hastily. Bertrand l retreats hastily :
de Poulengey, a French guard, enters, moves away in a
salutes and stands waiting.) hurry
Robert : She says you, Jack and Dick have
offered to go with her. What for ? Do
you take her crazy idea of going to the
Dauphin seriously ?
Poulengey : (Slowly) There is something about her.
It may be worth trying. ö Was the Dauphin fit
Robert : Oh, come on Polly ! You must be out to be a Prince and
of your mind ! heir ?

Poulengey : (Unmoved) What is wrong with it ? The

Dauphin is in Chinon, like a rat in a l Chinon : one of the
corner, except that he won’t fight. The cities in France where
English will take Orleans. He’ll not be Royal family resided.
able to stop them. During the Hundred
Robert : He beat the English the year before last Years War, the
at Montargis. I was with him. Dauphin took refuge
Poulengey : But his men are cowed and now he in Chinon.
can’t work miracles. And I tell you that l cowed : frightened
nothing can save our side now but a
miracle.
Robert : Miracles are alright, Polly. The only
difficulty about them is that they don’t
happen nowadays. ö What was the
Poulengey : I used to think so. I’m not so sure now. squire’s opinion about
There is something about her. I think miracles ?
the girl herself is a bit of a miracle.
Anyhow, this is our last chance. Let’s
see what she can do.
Robert : (Wavering) You really think that ? l wavering : hesitating
Poulengey : (Turning) Is there anything else left for
us to think ? Let’s take a chance. Her l have put fire into
words have put fire into me. me : have inspired or
Robert : (Giving up) Whew ! You’re as mad as motivated
she is.
31
 Poulengey : (Obstinately) We want a few mad
people now. See where the same ones
have landed us !
Robert : I feel like a fool. Still, if you feel
l obstinately : in a sure... ?
stubborn and firm Poulengey : I feel sure enough to take her to Chinon
manner unless you stop me.
ö What did Robert
Robert : Do you think I ought to have another
accuse Poulengey of ?
talk with her ?
Poulengey : (Going to the window) Yes ! Joan, come
up.
(Joan enters)
l gravely : seriously Poulengey : (Gravely) Be seated, Joan.
Robert : What is your name ?
Joan : They always called me Jenny in
Lorraine. Here in France, I am Joan.
The soldiers call me the Maid.
ö What shows Joan is
a person of immense Robert : How old are you ?
faith ? Joan : Seventeen, so they tell me. It might be
nineteen. I don’t remember.
l raising a siege : Robert : I suppose you think raising a siege
surround from all is as easy as chasing a cow out of
sides and attack a meadow. You think soldiering is
removing the forces anybody’s job ?
surrounding a place Joan : I don’t think it can be very difficult if
God is on your side.
Robert : (Grimly) Have you ever seen English
soldiers fighting ? Have you ever seen
l plundering : looting them plundering, burning, turning the
countryside into a desert  ? Have you
ö Why were the French heard no tales of their prince who is
soldiers always the devil himself, or of the English
beaten ? king’s father ?
Joan : You do not understand, squire. Our
soldiers are always beaten because they
l to save their are fighting only to save their skins
skins : to save their and the shortest way to save your skin
lives is to run away. But I will teach them
all to fight for France. Then, they will
drive the soldiers before them like
sheep. You and Polly will live to see
the day when there will not be a single
32
 English soldier on the soil of France.
Robert : (To Poulengey) This may all be
nonsense, Polly. But the troops might
just be inspired by it though nothing
that we say seems to put any fire into
them. Even the Dauphin might believe
it. And if she can put some fight into
him, she can put it into anybody.
Robert : (Turning to Joan) Now you, listen to
me and don’t cut in before I have time
to think. Your orders are that you are
to go to Chinon under the escort of this
gentleman and three of his friends.
Joan : (Radiant, clasping her hands) Oh, thank
you, squire !
Poulengey : How is she to get into the royal
presence ?
Robert : I don’t know. How did she get into my
presence ? I will send her to Chinon and
she can say I sent her. Then, let come l let come what
what may. I can do no more. may : let anything
Joan : And the dress ? I may have a soldier’s happen
dress, squire ?
ö What dress did Joan
Robert : Take what you please. I wash my want ?
hands off it.
l wash one’s hands
Joan : (Wildly excited by her success) Come, off it : not take any
Polly. (She dashes out.) responsibility for it.
Robert : (Shaking Poulengey’s hand) Goodbye,
old man, I am taking a big chance.
Few other men would have done it. But
as you say, there is something about ö What made Robert
her. finally agree to the
Poulengey : Yes, there is something about her. plan ?
Goodbye.
- George Bernard Shaw

33
 ENGLISH WORKSHOP

1. Read the extract from G. B. Shaw’s play on Joan of Arc and fill in the Tree
diagram.
Joan of Arc

Setting Scene of Characters Main Plot

the given
Period Location play

2. (A) Pick out from the extract of the play two lines that provide evidence for
each of the following.
Joan of Arc
(a) Her confidence (1)
(2)
(b) Her courage (1)
(2)
(c) Her optimism (1)
(2)
(d) Her determination (1)
(2)
(e) Her patriotism (1)
(2)
(B) Using the above points, frame a character-sketch of Joan of Arc, in your
own words and write it in your notebook. Suggest an attractive title for
the same.
3. From the extract, find what the following are compared to and why:
(a) as easy as

(b) as mad as

(c) The Dauphin in Chinon is like

(d) The (enemy) soldiers will be driven away like

34
 (e) Joan of Arc is a bit of

4. Say WHY? Write it in your notebook.

(a) Joan wanted to meet Captain Squire.
(b) Joan did not ask for many soldiers from the Captain Squire.
(c) Poulengey, Jack and Dick had offered to accompany Joan.
(d) French soldiers were always beaten in war.
(e) Captain Squire Robert said, “I wash my hands off it.”
5. Using a dictionary, find the difference between the following pairs of phrases.
Make sentences of your own with each of them.
Phrases Meaning Own Sentences
1. cut in
  cut out
2. be held by
  be held up
3. run away
  run for
4. be known as
  be known for
5. go with
  go after
6. put fire into
  put fire out
6. From an Indian History Book or Internet find out information about Indian
Women (queens) who led battles. (For example, Rani of Jhansi and Rani
Karnawati of Mewad). Write 3 points of similarity and 3 points of contrast
between any one of the above Indian Queens and Joan of Arc. Write in your
own words.
Similarities Contrast
(a) (i)
(b) (ii)
(c) (iii)
7. Read the script from :
Joan (Girl) : Good morning, Captain
Squire
up to
Joan : (simply)
Polly and Jack have promised to come with me.
Write a summary of that part of the script (in the indirect speech) in 15 to 20
lines. Do it in your notebook.
35
8. (A) Make the following sentences Affirmative without change of meaning.
(a) Negative : I am not so sure, now.
Affirmative :
(b) Negative : He will not be able to stop them.
Affirmative :
(c) Negative : I don’t remember.
Affirmative :
(d) Negative : I can do no more.
Affirmative :
(e) Negative : Sir, do not anger her.
Affirmative :
(f) Negative : I shall not want many soldiers.
Affirmative :
(B) Fill in the gaps in the table.
WORD-FORMS
Noun Verb Adjective Adverb
1. success succeed successful successfully
2. inspire
3. safe
4. harm
5. thought
6. brightly
7. courage
8. hastily age
u l d e ncour e
er sho th
ange e
Teach ners to ch m
ar om i
t
the le f words fr m in
o e
forms and use th ritten
i m e an w
d
to t oken
i r s p
the
ties.
activi

² 
 
 
²  
 
²  
 
²

36
 1.6 The Alchemy of Nature

Warming Up !

1. Rearrange the good qualities in each set, so that the first letter of each of the
words should make a meaningful word. Join the sets and get message.
Set 1 Understanding/Adaptable/Tolerant/Neat/Encouraging Resourceful.
- The word is
Set 2 Selfless/Inspiring
- The word is
Set 3 Youthful/Modest
- The word is
Set 4 Affectionate/Compassionate/Empathetic/Earnest/Honest/Reliable/Trustworthy
- The word is
- The message is

2. Various aspects of Nature have special features that make them differ from one
another.
For example, Birds :- appearance, shape, colour, size, food habits, habitat, sound etc.
l Write such special features of each of the following.
Land
Water
Trees
Animals
Insects
3. Make a list of living creatures in the alphabetical order. You can write more than
one beginning with the same letter.
A K U
B L V
C M W
D N Y
E O Z
F P
G Q
H R
I S
J T

37
 Alchemy of Nature

To see a world in a grain of sand

And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour
- William Blake

Something, as tiny as a grain of sand, can

spark off an idea or imagination of a huge
significance to the world. One can witness and
experience the beauty of Heaven in something as
small as wild flower and derive joy forever. Only
one should have the eyes and time to see it.
Infinity is endless space; but your small palm
can hold the destiny of earth through your efforts.
Eternity is endless time; but just an hour in
your life can make a difference to the world
forever.
ö How does the (Great deeds can surpass the limits of time
Hibiscus flower make and space. They never die.)
the most of its short
life span ?
l instinctively : by a We instinctively turn to outdoor activities and
natural instinct nature as a way of relaxing and enhancing our well
l enhancing : enriching being. Nature soothes and nurtures. Nature fulfils and
ö What role does nature motivates. Nature whispers and commands.
play in our lives? Are you listening ?
l awe : great wonder When I do, it leaves me in complete awe.
and amazement We have a hibiscus plant in our garden. Every
fortnight a flower blooms on it - big, bright and tender.
Through the day it smiles with the sun and dances
with the wind, but as evening approaches, it starts
l wilting : drying and wilting. The morning after, it withers completely and
drooping by evening it falls and becomes one with the earth
l withers : dries and again. The flower comes to life only for a day, yet it
decays does so in full splendour. What if we too lived our
Guess the life, however short, to its fullest ?
meaning of :
We went to a rocky beach and saw the spread of
l splendour
the majestic ocean and the rocks alongside, carved,
sculpted and shaped by the water. Water is so gentle,
38
rock so hard, yet, as the water flows over it every day,
ö Who is stronger- water
for years, the rock gives in. It takes the shape that the
or rocks? Justify your
water commands. Our problems are so colossal and we response .
are so small, yet if we persist...
l colossal : huge,
We saw small bits of grass peeping through the massive
small cracks in a concrete pavement. It left us thinking
: however impossible things may look, there is always ö What teaches us that
an opening... hard times do not last
forever? How?
We saw a tree bare of all leaves in the cold winter
months. We thought its chapter was over. But three l chapter was over :
months passed, spring set in and the tree was back to dead
its green majesty once again, full of leaves, flowers,
birds and life. What if we too had the conviction that, l conviction : strong,
however difficult things are right now, it will not firm belief
remain so for ever. Remember, this too shall pass.
We saw an army of ants lugging a fly which was l lugging : pulling with
at least ten times the ant’s size. The ants organized great difficulty
themselves around the fly, lifted it on frail feelers and l frail feelers : weak
carried it to quite a distance. Their teamwork and legs
perseverance were impressive. What if we too are l perseverance :
consistent, organized, focused...Spider webs are delicate, constant efforts
yet very strong. A rainbow colours the entire sky. inspite of obstacle
Oysters take in a grain of sand they open up with a l consistent : steady
pearl. Innumerable stars shine across the infinite sky.
Clouds take new shapes with every passing moment.
The wind makes trees dance with unhindered passion. l unhindered : without
Water, without hint of ego, changes its form according disturbance
to the dictates of the sun and the wind. When we see
a caterpillar turn into a butterfly, a flower turn into a
fruit, we experience the alchemy of nature... we touch l alchemy : mysterious
it and become gold ourselves. power or magic that
- Raksha Bharadia
can change things

ALCHEMY
An ancient forerunner of Chemistry, about
attempts to convert base metals into gold. (Here, it refers
to a mysterious, magical process of transforming things.)

39
 ENGLISH WORKSHOP

1. What things in nature teach us the following :

(a) Nothing is impossible to achieve
(b) Problems are not permanent
(c) Be humble and adjust
(d) Make the best use of time and opportunity
(e) Be persistent
(f) Many hands make work light
(g) Delicate structures are not a sign of weakness
2. Read the questions from the lesson. What do they imply?
(a) Are you listening?

(b) What if we too lived our lives, however short, to its fullest?

(c) What if we too are consistent, organised, focused . . . ?

3. Go through the lesson again and complete the flow-chart that highlights the life
of a ‘hibiscus’ flower.
1 2 3

4. Fill in the web.

motivates

What does Nature do

for human beings ?

40
5. The writer explains the contrasting features of ‘water’ and ‘rock’ in the lesson.
Write all the features of both water and rock in the given table.
Water Rock
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
4. 4.
6. The writer has very positively described the different things in nature. Discuss
with your partner the special features of each one of them. Add on the list.
Part of Nature Special feature Value learnt
1. Rainbow
2. Caterpillar
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

7. Think and answer in your own words.

(a) How should you deal with difficulties and problems?
(b) ‘An oyster turns a grain of sand into a pearl.’ What can we learn from this
example?
(c) How does nature succeed in its ‘Alchemy’? What can it turn a small person
into?
(d) Which two aspects of nature teach us to accept change and adjust according
to the situation?
(e) Why does the writer begin by quoting the lines from William Blake’s poem
(Auguries of Innocence)?
8. (A) Pick out from the lesson 10 examples of each.
l Concrete Nouns (that you can touch or see)
For example, sand
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
41
 (8)
(9)
(10)
l Abstract Nouns (that which you cannot touch or see)
For example, infinity
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
(10)
(B) Underline the verbs in the sentences below and say whether they are
Transitive (needing an Object) or Intransitive (need not have an Object).
(1) One can witness and experience the beauty of Heaven.
(2) It leaves me in complete awe.
(3) Nature soothes and nurtures.
(4) It withers completely.
(5) The flower comes to life only for a day.
(6) A rainbow colours the entire sky.
(7) It smiles and dances.
9. (A) Compose about 8 to 10 sets of imaginary dialogues between a bird, a tree
and its fruit regarding the effects of environmental changes. Write it in
your notebook.
(B) Prepare a Fact file of any of the following plants/trees, using the points given.
[coconut / neem / basil / cactus / apple]
l Name of Plant/Tree
l Scientific name
l Region and climate
l Features
l Growth
l Size, shape and colour
l Uses
l Any special feature
42
10. ‘Impossible’ itself says ‘I M possible’. Do you agree ? Justify your answer by
citing something that you have experienced or heard from someone.
11. You have an environment protection week celebration in your school. You have
invited an environmentalist. Your friend interviews him/her about how to save
the environment. Frame suitable Interview Questions.
12. Write a News Report on the ‘Environment Day’ celebrated in your school.
13. Just For Laughs! Enjoy!
l Divide the class into two groups. On 12 to 15 slips of paper, Group A writes
12 to 15 conditional clauses beginning with ‘If’.
(For example, If I work very hard, )
Group B writes 12 to 15 main clauses.)
(For example, I would/shall have a pizza.)
Now, one student from Group ‘A’ reads the first conditional clause (possibility) and
one student from Group ‘B’ reads the first main clause. It forms crazy sentences,
just for laughter and fun. ENJOY !

² 
 
 
²  
 
²  
 
²

43
 2.1 Animals
Unit Two

Warming Up !

1. Get into pairs and attempt the following :

“The more I learn about people, the more I like my dog.”- Mark Twain.
- Discuss with your partner what Mark Twain means from the above quote.
Write in your own words.

2. Put the following attributes/ abilities given below in the proper circles.
(a) self-control (b) communicates
(c) love and care (d) cooks
(e) good manners (f) has 3600 vision
(g) shows gratitude (h) lives for more than 150 years
(i) swims (j) learns computing
(k) worships god (l) sleeps in standing position
(m) stands up immediately after birth (n) brings up children
(o) belongs to various species

Human Animal

Common
to
both

44
3. At times, especially when you are frustrated, you wish you were an animal/ a
bird/ a fish/ a butterfly and not a human being.
Say which of the above you would choose to transform to and give 3 or 4
reasons for your choice.
I wish I could be a

4. We come across many animals in our vicinity. We have also read about different
animals in books. Make a list of all animals that fall under various categories.
One is given for you.

Amphibians Mammals Wild Animals Acquatic Pet Animals

Animals
frog cow lion octopus cat

d/use
n t s t o rea ete
stude ompl
c o u rage terial to c
En a
nce m
refere ivity.
ct
the a

45
 Animals

Walt Whitman (1819-1892) : A major figure in early

American poetry. In an age when all poetry was rhymed
and metrical, Whitman made a break with tradition and
wrote a revolutionary new kind of poetry in free verse.
He was a nonconformist in all respects, including his
social life.
The poet tells us that he feels more at home with
animals than humans, whom he finds complicated and false.
l turn : (here,)
transform I think I could turn and live with animals, they are
l placid : not easily so placid and self-contain’d
upset I stand and look at them long and long.
l self-contain’d : self- They do not sweat and whine about their condition,
sufficient They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins,
l make me sick : They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God,
disgust me Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with
l demented : mad the mania of owning things.
l mania : craze Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that
lived thousands of years ago,
l respectable : (here,)
Not one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth.
too happy and
satisfied So they show their relations to me and I accept them,
l evince : show
They bring me tokens of myself, they evince
them plainly in their possession
l tokens : (here,) I wonder where they get those tokens,
virtues like innocence Did I pass that way huge times ago and negligently drop
simplicity, contentment them?
etc.
- Walt Whitman
u What craze do animals
never display ?

u What could have

happened to the
tokens of the poet’s
self ?

46
 ENGLISH WORKSHOP

1. (A) Match the words given in table A with their meanings in table B.
No A B
Words Meaning
(i) whine (a) an offence against religious or moral law
(ii) sin (b) complain in an annoying way
(iii) evince (c) craze
(iv) mania (d) failing to take proper care
(v) negligent (e) show
(B) Find adjectives from the poem which refer to positive and negative
thinking.
Positive Negative
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.

2. Complete the following.

(a) The poet wishes he could
(b) Animals do not complain about
(c) Animals do not merely discuss
(d) Animals are not crazy about
3. State whether the following statements are true or false.
(a) Animals are self-reliant.
(b) Animals quarrel for their possessions.
(c) Animals do not worship other animals.
(d) Humans have given up many good qualities.
(e) Animals suffer humiliation.
(f) The poet has retained all his natural virtues.
4. With the help of the poem find the differences between animals and
human beings.
Human beings Animals
l Always complain about their l Never complain about anything
condition

47
5. Read the text again, and complete the web, highlighting the good values/habits which
we can learn from animals.

They are placid

and
self-contained.
Good values
and
Good habits
that can be learnt
from animals

6. Find out lines from the poem that are examples of following Figures of Speech.

Figures of Speech Lines

l Repetition
l Alliteration
l Hyperbole

7. Identify the Figures of Speech in the following lines.

(a) I stand and look at them long and long.

(b) They do not sweat and whine about their condition.

(c) They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God.

(d) ...... not one is demented with the mania of owning things.

(e) They bring me tokens of myself.

(f) No one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth.

8. Read the poem again and write an appreciation of the poem in a paragraph
format with the help of given points. (Refer to page no. 5)

48
9. Divide the class into two groups. One group should offer points in favour of
(views) and the other against (counterviews) the topic ‘Life of an animal is better
than that of a human being.’
Later use the points to express your own views/ counterviews in paragraph
format in your notebook.

on
i s c u s sion d
y d an
a health Encourage cept
Hold en topic. o ac
e g i v s t u d ents t ct.
th e pe
ate th ith res
habitu opinion, w
’
others

² 
 
 
²  
 
²  
 
²

49
 2.2 Three Questions

Warming Up !
1. Expressions in English classified under different heads.
Pair up with your partner, guess and match the columns. (Use a dictionary.)

A B

(1) Principle (a) a generally accepted, evident, truth

(2) Quotation (b) short striking messages for the public

(3) Moral (c) a short witty remark stating truth

(4) Idioms (d) a popular, well-known truth

(5) Slogans (e) established expressions which do not convey

exactly the same as individual words

(6) One-liners (f) words cited from a speech/text of a famous person

(7) Maxims (g) a lesson derived from a story or experience

(8) Proverb (h) a rule to govern one’s behaviour

2. Read the polite requests/suggestions and complete the gaps in the responses.
Make sure they are polite and not repeated.

Could you lend me Accept (1)

your dictionary ? Refuse (2)

Can you please

Accept (1)
pass
the salad ? Refuse (2)

50
 May I know the
Accept (1)
exact time
? Refuse (2)

Shall we plan a
Agree (1)
class-picnic
? Refuse (2)

Do you need
Accept (1)
help ?
Refuse (2)

Is it alright if I use Accept (1)

your laptop ? Refuse (2)

3. Let’s see if you remember a nursery rhyme you must have sung, as a kid :

Fill in the missing words :

‘The time to be happy is
The to be happy is here.
And the way to be , is to someone
happy And have a little right here !’
(happy, make, heaven, now, place)
(You can listen to this song on the internet.)

51
 2.2 The Three Questions

Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) was a Russian writer who is

regarded as one of the greatest authors of all time. He
first achieved literary acclaim in his twenties with his semi-
autobiographical trilogy Childhood, Boyhood and Youth.
A parable is a short story with a moral lesson. A
parable usually has human characters. This parable concerns
a king who wants to find the answers to what he considers
to be the three most important questions in life.

Once a certain king had an idea. If he always

knew the right time to begin everything, if he knew
who were the right people to listen to and who to avoid
the most important thing to do, he would never fail in
anything that he would undertake and above all, if he
always knew what was the most undertake. Since he
u proclamation : an
was convinced that he was right in thinking this way,
official announcement
in public
he had a proclamation made in his kingdom. He would
give a great reward to anyone who would teach him
what the right time was for every action, who the most
necessary people were, and how he might know the
most important thing to do.
u What is the right Many learned people came to the court but they all
time according to gave different answers. In reply to the first question,
you ? some said that to know the right time for every action,
one must draw up in advance a table of days, months
and years, and must live strictly according to it. Others
declared that it was impossible to decide beforehand the
right time for every action; but that, not letting oneself
be absorbed in idle pastimes, one should always attend
to all that was going on, and then do that which was
u What final suggestion most essential. Yet others said that it was impossible
did the last group of for one man to decide correctly the right time for every
learned men offer, action and that the king should, instead, have a council
regarding the best of wise people, who would help him to fix the proper
time ? time for everything.
Equally varied were the answers to the second
question. Some said, the people, the king most needed,
were his councillors; others the priests; others the doctors
while some said the warriors were the most necessary.
52
 To the third question about what was the most
important occupation, some replied that the most
important thing in the world was science. Others said
it was skill in warfare; and others, again, that it was
religious worship. The king was convinced by none of
these answers and gave the reward to none.
He decided, instead to go to a hermit who was
widely renowned for his wisdom. The hermit lived in
a small hut in a forest which he never left. He spoke
only to common folk. So the king put on simple clothes
and approaching the hermit’s cell, dismounted his horse u Why did the king
and left his bodyguard behind. go to the hermit  in
When the king arrived, the hermit was digging the disguise?
ground in front of his hut. He greeted the king but went
u frail : delicate
on digging. The hermit was frail and weak, and each
time he struck the ground with the spade and turned
over a little earth, he breathed heavily. The king went
up to him and said, “I have come to you, wise hermit,
to ask you to answer three questions-How can I learn
to do the right thing at the right time ? Who are the
people I most need, and to whom should I, therefore,
pay most attention  ? And what affairs are the most
important and need my first attention ?”
The hermit listened to the king but said nothing.
u resumed : continued
He just spat on his hand and resumed digging. The
after a pause
king watched in silence for a while. Then, feeling
sorry for the hermit, he said, “You are tired, let me
take the spade and work a while for you.” The hermit u How did the hermit
silently handed over the spade and sat down on the respond to the king’s
ground. When he had dug two beds, the king stopped questions ?
and repeated his questions. The hermit again gave no
answer, but rose, stretched out his hand for the spade,
and said, “Now rest a while and let me work a bit”.
But the king did not give him the spade and continued
to dig.
One hour passed and another. The sun began to
sink behind the trees and the king at last stuck the
spade into the ground and said, “I came to you, wise
one, for an answer to my questions. If you can give
me none, please say so, and I will go home”. “Here
comes someone running,” said the hermit, “let us see
who it is.”
The king turned round and saw a bearded man
come running out of the forest. The man held his hands
53
 pressed against his stomach, and blood was flowing
from under them. When he reached the king, he fainted
and fell to the ground, moaning feebly. The king and
the hermit unfastened the man’s clothing. There was
a large wound in his stomach. The king washed it as
well as he could, and bandaged it with his handkerchief
and a towel the hermit had. But the blood would not
stop flowing, and the king again and again removed
the bandage soaked with warm blood and washed and
u In what state was rebandaged the wound. When at last the blood stopped
the bearded man, flowing, the man revived and asked for something to
when he arrived ? drink. The king brought some fresh water and gave it
to him.
Meanwhile the sun had set and it had become
cool. So the king, with the hermit’s help, carried the
wounded man into the hut. The man lay there quietly
with his eyes closed. By now, the king was so tired
after his walk and the work he had done, that he lay
down himself and also fell asleep. When he awoke
in the morning, it took him some time to remember
where he was and who was the strange bearded man
l intently : very lying by his side and gazing intently at him. “Forgive
attentively, eagerly. me !” said the bearded man in a weak voice, when he
saw that the king was awake and was looking at him.
‘‘I do not know you, and I’ve nothing to forgive you
for,” said the king.
u Why had the wounded
man asked for the “You do not know me, but I know you. I am
king’s pardon ? that enemy of yours who swore to revenge himself on
you because you executed his brother and seized his
property. I knew you had gone alone to see the hermit,
and I resolved to kill you on your way back. But the
day passed and you did not return. So I came out of
l ambush : place of my ambush to find you. Your bodyguards recognised
hiding before attack me and wounded me. I escaped from them but would
have bled to death had you not dressed my wound.
I wished to kill you but you have saved my life. Now
if I live, and if you wish it, I’ll serve you all my life.”
u What qualities of the The king was very glad to have made peace with
king stand out as he an enemy so easily and to have gained him for a
forgave his enemy ? friend. He not only forgave him but said he would send
his men and his own physician to attend to him. The
king then took leave of him and went out of the hut
to look for the hermit. Before going away he wished
once more to beg for an answer to the questions he had
54
asked. The hermit was outside, on his knees, sowing
seeds in the beds that had been dug the day before.
The king approached him and said, “For the last
time, I pray you to answer my questions, wise man.”
“You have already been answered !” said the hermit
still crouching on his thin legs and looking up at the l crouching : bending
king who stood before him.
“What do you mean?” asked the king.
“Do you not see ?” replied the hermit. “If you’d
not pitied my weakness yesterday and stayed to dig How
u 
 
  did the hermit
these beds for me, you would have gone back and finally point out the
been killed by that man. So the most important time answers to the king’s
was when you were digging the beds, and I was the questions ?
most important man and to do me good was your most
important business. Afterwards, the most important
time was when you were attending to that man, for
if you’d not bound his wounds, he would have died
without having made peace with you. So he was the
most important man and what you did for him was
your most important business. Remember then, there is
only one time that is important-now ! It is the most
important time because it’s the only time when we
have any power. The most necessary person is the one
with whom you are, for you do not know whether you
will ever have dealings with anyone else; and the most
important thing is to do this person good, because for
that purpose alone were you sent into this life !”
- Leo Tolstoy

ENGLISH WORKSHOP

1. Read the story and answer whether the following statements are true or false.
(a) The people convinced the King to make a proclamation.
(b) The hermit spoke usually to everyone.
(c) The King received all answers from the hermit.
(d) The person the King saved and helped was his enemy.
(e) To do good to people is the purpose of our life.

55
2. Match the titles with the contents of the proper paragraph.
1 Once a certain king . . . a King gains a friend.
important to do.
2 Many learned people . . . b The wounded stranger
time for everything.
3 Equally varied . . . gave the c King helps the hermit.
reward to none.
4 When the King arrived, . . . d The stranger begs for pardon.
my first attention.
5 The hermit listened . . . e The hermit points out answers.
continued to dig.
6 The King turned round . . . f Stranger’s vicious intention
gave it to him.
7 Meanwhile the sun . . . said g Questions remain unanswered.
the King.
8 “You do not know . . . all h The king received various answers.
my life.
9 The King was very glad . . . i King’s announcement.
the day before.
10 “Do you not see?” . . . sent j The King meets the hermit.
into this life!”

(1) (2) (3) (4)

(5) (6) (7) (8)
(9) (10)
3. The character traits of the king and hermit are mixed up. Sort them out in the
right box.

helpful enlightened
feeble
impatient
eager to succeed
patient wise
convincing
forgiving compassionate

KING HERMIT

56
4. Complete the Tree diagrams associated with the happenings in the story.
(A)
Reward winning questions
1. 2. 3.

Who were the

most necessary
people ?

(B) Different responses to first question

1. 2. 3.
Impossible for
one man to decide
correctly the right
time for every
action, so have a
council of wise
people.

(C)
Most necessary people needed by the king
1. 2. 3.

(D)
Most important occupations
1. 2. 3.

57
5. Write down in your notebook two points for each of the following. How do you
know . . .
(a) the learned advisers who came to the court confused the king.
(b) the king was humble.
(c) the king’s enemy was repentant.
(d) the hermit was truly wise.
6. Choose the correct answer and fill in the blanks.
(a) “Varied” (Paragraph-3) means .
(i) different (ii) unnecessary (iii) unequal (iv) unimportant.
(b) Many learned people came to the court and gave .
(i) The same answers (ii) correct answers (iii) different answers (iv) wrong answers.
(c) The synonym of ‘convinced’ is
(i) persuaded (ii) happy (iii) unhappy (iv) angry.
(d) The King wanted to know the time to begin everything.
(i) right (ii) exact (iii) proper (iv) good.
(e) ‘‘I pray you to answer my question.’’ Here ‘pray’ means .
(i) plead to God (ii) request (iii) order (iv) suggest.
(f) Choose an adverb that collocates with “breathed .
(i) hurriedly (ii) heavily (iii) hardly (iv) calmly.
7. Answer the following questions.
(a) The learned people were sometimes divided in their opinions, different persons
giving quite different answers; at other times, none of them gave an answer.
They all suggested ways to look for an answer. Point out one example of each .
(b) Though the hermit did not say anything to the king for some time, he did not
ignore the king or treat him rudely in any way. Do you agree ? What evidence
of his politeness can you point out ? What shows that he listened and responded
to the king’s words ?
(c) The hermit ‘spoke only to common people’; so the king ‘put on simple clothes’.
Do you think the king hoped to be mistaken for a common man, or was he just
showing that he was a humble person ? What shows that the hermit knew him
to be the king?
(d) Did the king behave as an ordinary person, rather than as a ruler, at the hermit’s
hut ? What shows it ? Did he also act as a good, kind person ? When did he do
so ?
(e) Do you think the hermit knew, beforehand, not only about the king’s arrival but
about the ambush by his enemy ? Think a little about this and say what you
really feel.

58
8. Consider this list of the different things that happened and rearrange them in
the order of time, that is, what happened first, what happened next and so on.
Read the related paragraph again if you are uncertain.
(a) The bearded man resolved to kill the king.
(b) The king went alone to see the hermit.
(c) The king executed the bearded man’s brother.
(d) The king spent the night at the hermit’s hut.
(e) The bearded man laid an ambush to kill the king.
(f) The king’s bodyguards recognised and wounded the bearded man.
(g) The bearded man came out of the ambush.
9. Read the story in your own language, summarize the following aspects of the
story in 4 to 5 lines each in your own language. Write it in your notebook.
(a) King’s problem :
(b) Attempts made to find a solution :
(c) Climax :
(d) Solution :
(e) Message :
10. (A) The following compound words from the story are spelt in a jumbled
order. Rearrange the letters to make them meaningful.
(1) a r e e t u k d n =
(2) y o n n a e =
(3) s t a p s i e m =
(4) d u b g y r o a d =
(5) f r a w e r a =
(6) h e e d a r f o n b =
(7) h e i l n e w a m =
(8) n e v h i g r e t y =
(B) From the story, find the collocations of the following.
(1) important. (2) intently
(3) frail and (4) widely
(5) time (6) blood
(7) simple (8) closed
(9) asleep (10) peace
11. Say whether the Verbs underlined in the sentences are finite (limited by the
number or person of the subject) or non-finite (not governed by the subject,
number or person).
(1) He decides to go to a hermit.
59
 (2) I have come to you, wise hermit.
(3) He gave the reward to none.
(4) The hermit was digging the ground.
(5) I pray you to answer my questions.
(6) ‘‘Forgive me.’’
(7) The sun began to sink.
12. Narrate an experience of your own that has helped you to realise that ‘Patience is
bitter, but its fruit is sweet.’ Write it in your notebook, in about 20 lines.
13. After reading this story, develop a dialogue with 2 of your classmates about the
characters in the story. Besides the tactful introduction to the conversation
and write 8 to 10 sets of dialogues.
14. From the library or Internet, read the story ‘How much land does a man need?’
by Leo Tolstoy and write a review of the same, covering the following points.
l Background of the story
l Characters If ne
ce
can r ssary, the
l Plot/Theme ead t stude
two h n
or th e same st ts
l Climax under ree ory
stand ti
all th mes to
l Message/Moral e poin
ts.

² 
 
 
²  
 
²  
 
²

60
 2.3 Connecting the Dots

Warming Up !

1. (A) Connect the dots to get what means a lot to you.

I Y B N
A Z O F M J
K
B X
G N H W
Q
S U I
P N C P A
R E T N
D
N V

The word is .
(B) With your benchmate, use the letters given above to make a word
register of ‘computers’. Set a time -limit of 5 minutes and compare your
 

list with that of other classmates.

2. You are quite familiar with computer, especially the personal computer. Form
pairs and make a list of famous computer manufacturing companies. One is
given to you.
(a) Apple (b) (c) (d)
3. Complete the web by filling the various benefits of computers.

Benefits
of
Computers

4. (A) Expand the following into their full forms.

(a) that’s (b) didn’t (c) here’s
(d) can’t (e) I’ve
(B) Write the shortened forms of the following.
(a) You have (g) will not
(b) I would (h) shall not
(c) It is (i) are not
(d) You are (j) need not
(e) He will (k) must not
(f) I had (l) ought not
61
 Connecting the Dots

Steve Jobs (1955-2011) was an American

entrepreneur, business magnate, inventor and industrial
designer. He was the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer
and co-founder of Apple Inc. He is widely recognized
as one of the pioneers of the microcomputer revolution
of the 1970s and 1980s.

Today I want to tell you three stories from my

life. That’s it. Just three stories. The first story is about
l dropped out of : connecting the dots. I dropped out of Reed College
discountinued, left after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a
l drop in : visitor drop-in for another 18 months before I really quit.
u What did Steve Jobs Looking back, it was one of the best decisions I ever
do for two years
made. I could stop taking the required classes that
after he joined Reed
didn’t interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones
College?
that looked interesting.
l dorm : dormitory I didn’t have a dorm room, so I slept on the
floor in friends’ rooms. I returned Coke bottles for the
l cent : a coin worth 5 cent deposits to buy food with, and I would walk
one hundredth of the seven miles across town every Sunday night to get one
US Dollar good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved
u What hardships did it. And much of what I stumbled into by following
Jobs face? my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless
later on. Here’s one example : Reed College offered
l typography : the perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country.
appearance of Because I had to take a calligraphy class, I learned
printed matter about serif and san serif typefaces, about what makes
l Mac : Macintosh
great typography great.
computer
u What basic course in Ten years later, when we were designing the first
Reed College helped Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we
Jobs while designing designed it all into the Mac. If I had never dropped in
the Mac? on that course in college the Mac would have never had
l connect the dots : multiple typefaces or for that matter even proportionally
associate one idea spaced fonts.
(previous to another
And since Windows just copied Mac, it’s likely
(next) to find/create a
new big picture. no personal computer would have them. Of course it
was impossible to connect the dots looking forward

62
when I was in college. But it was very clear looking
backwards 10 years later.
You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you
can only connect them looking backwards. So you have
to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your
future. You have to trust in some things  - your gut, l gut : courage and
destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never determination
let me down, and it has made all the difference in my
life.
My second story is about love and loss. I found
what I loved to do early in life. Woz (Steve Wozniak)
and I started Apple when I was 20. In 10 years Apple
had grown from just the two of us in a garage into
a $2 billion company. And then I got fired. It was l got fired : lost
devastating. the job
But something slowly began to dawn on me -  I l devastating : causing
severe shock, distress
still loved what I did. And so I decided to start over.
and grief
The heaviness of being successful was replaced by l began to dawn on
the lightness of being a beginner again. It freed me to : began to become
enter one of the most creative periods of my life. clear to.
During the next five years, I started a company What
u 
 
  setback did Jobs
Next, another company named Pixar, and fell in love suffer when he was
with an amazing woman who would become my wife. thirty?
Pixar is now the world’s most successful animation
studio, Apple bought Next. I returned to Apple and
the technology we developed at Next is at the heart of
Apple’s current renaissance. And Laurene and I have l renaissance : rebirth,
a wonderful family together. revival

Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. l hits you in the
Don’t lose faith. The only way to do great work is to head with a brick
: give a great shock
love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep
suddenly.
looking. Don’t settle.
My third story is about death. u What does the second
About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. story of Jobs convey
My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs to you?
in order, which is doctor’s code for ‘prepare to die’.
I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening
I had a biopsy. It turned out to be a very rare form
of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had
the surgery and I’m fine now.

63
 This was the closest I’ve been to facing death, and
u What does Jobs warn I hope it’s the closest I get for a few more decades.
you about life and Having lived through it, I can now say this to you :
dogma? Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone
else’s life.
l dogma : belief or Don’t be trapped by dogma  - which is living with
a set of beliefs the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise
held by a group or of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice.
organisation which
And most important, have the courage to follow
others are expected
to accept without your heart and intuition. They somehow already know
argument. what you truly want to become.
l drown out : be When I was young, there was an amazing publication
louder than another called The Whole Earth Catalogue. In the final issue,
sound and prevent it on the back cover they put a photograph of an early
being heard. morning country road. Beneath it were the words : Stay
l intuition : Hungry, Stay Foolish. It was their farewell message as
understanding they signed off. I have always wished that for myself.
instinctively And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that
for you. Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish.
u How does Jobs close
- Steve Jobs
his address to the
Here is a list of twenty amazing life lessons we can all learn from
graduate students? Steve Jobs :
l anew : in a new or (1) Don’t wait.
different way (2) Make your own reality.
l Stay Hungry : (3) Control everything you can.
Always keep (4) Own your mistakes.
wanting something (5) Know yourself.
more, something (6) Leave the door open for the fantastic.
new. (7) Don’t hold back.
(8) Surround yourself with brilliance.
l Stay Foolish : (9) Build a team of ‘A’ players.
Always keep an (10) Be yourself.
open mind. Never (11) Be persuasive.
think you know (12) Show others the way.
everything. (13) Trust your instincts.
(14) Take risks.
(15) Follow Great with Great.
(16) Make tough decisions.
(17) Presentation can make a world of
difference.
(18) Find a way to balance your intensity.
(19) Live for today.
(20) Share your wisdom.

64
 ENGLISH WORKSHOP

1. (A) Rearrange the incidents in the life of Steve Jobs in chronological order.
(a) Steve Jobs started Next.
(b) Jobs underwent a surgery.
(c) Jobs learned about serif and sans serif type faces.
(d) Jobs returned to Apple Inc.
(e) Jobs married Laurene.
(f) Jobs was diagnosed with cancer.
(g) Jobs dropped out of Reed College.
(B) Read the third story again. Complete the flow-chart given below.
2 3
Diagnosed with
cancer

6 5 4

7 8 9

10
Stay hungry,
stay foolish.

2. Read the lesson. Refer to a dictionary and match the words in column ‘A’ with their
meanings in column ‘B’.
No ‘A’ ‘B’
(a) diagnosis (i) the power believed to control events
(b) devastating (ii) complete list of items especially in a special order
and description.
(c) intuition (iii) act of identifying the nature of a problem or illness.
(d) calligraphy (iv) power of understadning situations or people’s
feelings before hand.
(e) destiny (v) causing great destruction
(f) catalogue (vi) beautiful handwriting done with a special pen or
brush.

65
3. Go through all the three stories. Identify some qualities of Steve Jobs and complete the
webchart.

curiosity
Steve Jobs

4. Complete the following table.

‘The Three Stories in the Life of Steve Jobs’
About Setbacks Reactions Achievements
and benefits
First story
Second story
Third story

5. Say HOW?
l the calligraphy classes helped Steve Jobs after 10 years.

l You can connect dots.

l Jobs reacted later on, after the shock of being fired from Apple.

l Jobs was cured of a rare cancer.

l Jobs acquired the famous words ‘Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish’

6. Besides those given at the end of the talk by Steve Jobs, pick out other pieces of advice
that Jobs gives in his speech.
(a)
(b)
(c)
7. (A) Use the following idioms/phrases in sentences of your own.
— drop it — drop out
— stumble on — look backwards
— look forward — let (someone) down
— sign off — begin anew

66
 (B) Fill in the gaps choosing the appropriate idioms.
(drown out, hits in the head with a brick, get one’s affairs in order, connect the dots,
begin to dawn, stay hungry)
(a) The wealthy landlord made a will before he could die.
(b) Those who aspire for success should always to learn more.
(c) If you you will realise that crime ultimately leads to poverty.
(d) The siren of the ambulance all other traffic noise.
(e) When the father learned about his son’s misdeeds, it .
(f) On reading exactly same essays in both answer sheets, it the
examiner, that the students had cheated during exams.
8. (A) Name the Tense of the Verbs underlined to include Time (Past/Present/Future)
and Aspect (Simple/Continuous/Perfect/Perfect Continuous)
(1) I slept on the floor.
(2) You haven’t found it.
(3) We were designing the first Macintosh computer.
(4) It had made all the difference.
(5) I am fine, now.
(6) I have been facing death.
(7) I shall be telling you three stories.
(B) Change the Tense as instructed.
(1) I got fired. (Future Perfect)

(2) Life hits you in the head. (Present Perfect Continuous)

(3) The dots will somehow connect. (Past Perfect)

(4) I started a company. (Present Continuous)

(5) My doctor advised me. (Past Perfect Continuous)

9. Read the News item and write an application for a suitable job in the same company.
Attach a seperate CV/Resume.
May 19, 2016
Apple Opens Development Office in Hyderabad
(A) The new office in Hyderabad will focus on development of maps, Apple products,
like iPhone, iPad, Mac. etc. This will create upto 4000 jobs - - - - -
(B) Imagine you are already working as an Engineer in Apple Development Office,
Hyderabad. Write an application for 2 weeks leave to the HR Manager as you have to
undergo an urgent surgery.
(Follow all steps of formal letter writing for both the above letters.)

67
10. Prepare a speech on the title “The Will to Win” to be delivered before the class during
a competition.
Hints -
l Title

l Introduction

l Objective and Illustrations

l Specific examples

l Purpose of the title.

l Sources/Resourses for implementation.

l Usefulness/Benefits

l Conclusion.

11. Project :
Collect more information about Steve Jobs with the help of Internet. Complete it with
images into a file.
12. Do you remember doing some activities in your childhood that you didn’t like it. Form
pairs and make a list of all those activities. Do you think, any one of these activities
have helped you in solving your problems ? Share your experience with the class.

² 
 
 
²  
 
²  
 
²

68
 2.4 The Pulley

Warming Up !
1. Go through the following images and try to link them with our lives. For example,
Storm - Hardships that we face in our life.

Sorrowful moments

Determination

Strength

Life

Honour

Hope

Wisdom

Beauty

69
2. You may have often indulged in talking to yourself audibly.
For example,
l “Oh, dear ! Why didin’t I get up sooner?”
l “Let me finish this quickly and then I’ll be free”.
l “How silly of me! Why didn’t I think of it before?”
Such expressions are called Dramatic Monologues.
Imagine and write Monologues suitable in the following situations.
l It’s your birthday next week.

l You have been waiting long at the city bus-stop.

l Your final exam results are to be declared tomorrow.

l Your mother has been chatting for very long on the telephone.

3. ‘The Pulley’ is a mechanical device.

Try and write down places where it can be used, and for what purpose.

70
 The Pulley

George Herbert (1593-1633) was a Welsh poet. He was a priest

by profession. He wrote religious poems with a lot of imagery and
conceits. The poem exhibits a strange but two way relationship between
God and his worshippers. Though He has showered  / 
bestowed upon His
worshipper with all His blessings, somewhere He holds them up with a
pulley drawn, to be grateful to Him in all their endeavours.
God gives so many precious gifts to the devotee but at the same
time God also expects something in return ! What does He expect ? Why
does He withhold ?
“The Pulley” shows how God lifts man towards Himself with the
pulley of restlessness. What is distinctly metaphysical about the poem is
that a religious notion is conveyed through a secular scientific image.
l riches : wealth
When God at first made Man, bounties
Having a glass of blessings standing by;
l dispersed : scattered
Let us (said He) “pour on him all we can:”
Let the worlds riches, which dispersed lie, l contract : collect
Contract into a span. together
l span : small space
So strength first made a way;
l perceiving : noticing,
Then beauty flow’d, then wisdom, honour, pleasure:
becoming conscious
When almost all was out, God made a stay,
of
Perceiving that alone of all His treasures l bestow on : give as
Rest in the bottom lay. a gift to
For if I should (said He) l jewel : precious
Bestow this jewel also on my creature, valuable thing, (here)
He would adore my gifts instead of me, contentment (rest)
And rest in Nature, not the God of Nature. l adore : love very
So both should losers be. much
Yet let him keep the rest, l repining restlessness
But keep them with repining restlessness: : continuous anxiety
Let him be rich and weary, that at last, due to dissatisfaction
If goodness lead him not, yet weariness l weary : very tired
May toss him to my breast. l toss : (here) bring,
- George Herbert throw close

u What did God’s glass of blessings u What would the human being do if
contain ? God gifted him with ‘Rest’ ?

71
 ENGLISH WORKSHOP

1. With the help of the clues, pick out words containing the letter ‘a’ from the
poem and build a word - pyramid.
(a) an article
(b) a preposition
(c) past tense of ‘lie’
(d) maximum length of your open palm a
a
(e) make much of
a
(f) loveliness
a
(g) in place of a
(h) a collection of priceless valuables a
(i) restlessness and discontent
2. Choose the correct alternative from the following.
(a) Herbert’s poem ‘The Pulley’ displays . . . . . . . . as the two main themes.
(i) Origin of Morality/Spirituality
(ii) Origin of species
(iii) Origin of the universe/galaxy
(iv) Origin of the earth/space
(b) The theme of the poem ‘The Pulley’ is
(Find two correct statements from the given alternatives.)
(i) to focus on the mechanical operation of a pulley.
(ii) to teach a lesson to a creation (man) by the Creator (God)
(iii) to know the different gifts bestowed on man by God.
(iv) to remind man about his creator in his exhaustion.
(v) God pulled man towards Him by making him restless and weary.
(c) In the poem, ‘The Pulley’ is considered
(i) a mechanical device.
(ii) a gift to mankind
(iii) an image to lift objects.
(iv) an image by which God compels people to become devout.
(d) . . . . . . . . is an example of Pun from the poem.
(i) Rest in the bottom lay.
(ii) So strength first made a way.

72
 (iii) Having a glass of blessings . . . . . .
(iv) So both should losers be
(e) . . . . . . . . is an example of Paradox from the poem.
(i) And rest in Nature, not the God of Nature.
(ii) He would adore my gifts instead of me.
(iii) Let him be rich and weary.
(iv) When God at first made man.
(f) . . . . . . is an example of Synecdoche from the poem.
(i) So both should losers be.
(ii) Then beauty flowed.
(iii) “Let us” said he “pour on him.”
(iv) May toss him to my breast.
(g) . . . . . . is an example of Alliteration from the poem.
(i) made a way
(ii) bottom lay.
(iii) repining restlessness
(iv) keep the rest.
(h) . . . . . . is an example of Inversion from the poem.
(i) Contract into a span.
(ii) So both should losers be.
(iii) Bestow this jewel.
(iv) And rest in nature.
(i) The rhyme scheme of the poem is . . . . . .
(i) a a b b c
(ii) a b c b c
(iii) a b c c b
(iv) a b a b a
3. Discuss and answer in your own words, and write in your notebook.
(a) The poet has used the word REST thrice in the poem. Write what the word
implies in each of the three lines it occurs.
(b) What does God want in return from man, for the gifts He has bestowed upon
him ?
(c) Why did God withhold the gift of ‘Rest’ from man ?
(d) Besides those given in the poem, what other gifts has God blessed mankind with
above his other creations ? Enlist them.
73
 (e) When does man generally turn to God 
? Give one example to support your
response.
4. (A) Discuss with your group and justify the title of the poem ‘The Pulley’ in
your own words.

(B) Pick out 3 lines that contain Monologues of God.

5. (A) Pick out two lines that contain the following figures of speech.
(a) Antithesis 1.
2.
(b) Alliteration 1.
2.
(c) Inversion 1.
2.
(B) Explain the Figures of Speech in the following lines.
(a) Rest in the bottom lay - PUN because

(b) Bestow this jewel also on my creature-METAPHOR because

(c) And rest in nature, not the God of Nature-REPETITION because

6. Write Critical Appreciation of the poem in a paragraph format.

(Refer to page no. 5)
7. ‘Pun’ can be defined as play on words based on their different meanings.
Example : ‘Writing with a broken pencil is pointless.’ In this poem there is an
example of Pun. Find and make a sentence of your own. Share a joke with the
class where the use of ‘Pun’ creates humour.

74
8. Write a paragraph on the points in each block given below to get a summary on each
of the four stanzas of the poem.

God

Created man
I
Best creations

Offered Blessings/Gifts

God gifted man

II Beauty, wisdom, honour,etc.

Did not give ‘Rest’

Man

If happy/contented
III
Forgets God

Instead worships Gifts

Man needs to be reminded

of the Giver

God made his life

IV discontented

So man is lifted with a

Pulley
towards HIM.

² 
 
 
²  
 
²  
 
²

75
 2.5 Let’s March

Warming Up !

1. Observe the pictures and answer.

(a) Main difference between the two images

(b) Change required

(c) Your contribution as a student to help and make a difference to needy children.

2. Put a P or O
A good speech delivered requires the following characteristics.
(1) Well planned and thoughts well-organized.
(2) Delivered softly and in a low voice.
(3) Speaker need not greet the dignitaries and audience.
(4) Language used should be suitable to the audience.
(5) Speech should be of a proper duration.
(6) Speaker should be passive, and have no facial expressions.
(7) Speech should be supported by good examples/episodes/
visual aids. (where possible)
(8) Speaker should switch over from one language to another.

76
3. Read the expressions and insert them in the proper columns. Put the proper
expression numbers in the right column.
Greeting/ Introduction Body of the Conclusion Thanking the
Salutation Speech Audience

Expressions
(1) Imagine ! After ten years, what will happen?
(2) Let me begin, today, by sharing my own experience.
(3) Honourable Chief Guest , eminent dignitaries, ladies and gentlemen.
(4) I don’t understand why we accept this issue so passively.
(5) I am Adarsh Birajdar, (designation) standing before you
(6) A renowned personality (name) says “ ”
(7) Good morning, to one and all present today.
(8) I express my deep gratitude to the organisers of this event/function
(9) Let me give you an example
(10) Thank you all for a patient listening and your interest in my talk.
(11) You must have noticed that
(12) Before I conclude, I would like you to think over the fact that

4. With the help of your teacher and classmates make a list of as many Indian
Nobel Laureates as you can. (You can use Internet or school library.)

Name Nobel Prize for

77
 Let’s March

Kailash Satyarthi (1954) is an Indian children’s

rights and education advocate and an activist against
child labour. He founded the Bachpan Bachao Andolan
in 1980 and has acted to protect the rights of more
than 83,000 children across 144 countries.
He has been honoured with many awards including
‘Nobel Peace Prize’ of 2014. He had addressed this
speech on the eve of Nobel Prize Distribution ceremony.

Part I
My dear children of the world ... Your Majesties,
Your Royal Highnesses, Excellencies, distinguished
members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, dear
brother Tom Harkin, brothers and sisters, and my
dear daughter Malala.
From this podium of peace and humanity, I am
deeply honoured to recite a mantra from the ancient
texts of wisdom, Vedas. This mantra carries a prayer,
l aspiration : an an aspiration and a resolve that has the potential to
ardent wish or liberate humanity from all man-made crises.
desire Let’s walk together. In the pursuit of global
progress, not a single person should be left out or
left behind in any corner of the world, from East to
West, from South to North.
Let’s speak together, let our minds come together!
Learning from the experiences of our ancestors, let
us together create knowledge for all that benefits all.
I bow to my late parents, to my motherland
India, and to the mother earth.
With a warm heart I recall how thousands of
times, I have been liberated, each time I have freed
a child from slavery. In the first smile of freedom
on their beautiful faces, I see the Gods smiling.
I give the biggest credit of this honour to my
movement’s Kaalu Kumar, Dhoom Das and Adarsh
Kishore from India and Iqbal Masih from Pakistan
who made the supreme sacrifice for protecting the

78
freedom and dignity of children. I humbly accept l dignity : self - respect
this award on behalf of all such martyrs, my fellow
activists across the world and my countrymen.
My journey from the great land of Lord Buddha,
Guru Nanak and Mahatma Gandhi; India to Norway
is a connect between the two centres of global peace
and brotherhood, ancient and modern.
Friends, the Nobel Committee has generously
invited me to present a “lecture.” Respectfully, I am
unable to do that. Because, I am representing here
l the sound of silence :
- the sound of silence. The cry of innocence. And,
unheard plea of the
the face of invisibility. I represent millions of those deprived
children who are left behind and that’s why I have
l face of invisibility :
kept an empty chair here as a reminder.
unnoticed suffering of
I have come here only to share the voices and the poor and innocent
dreams of our children - because they are all our
children - (gesture to everyone in the audience). I
have looked into their frightened and exhausted eyes. ö What does Satyarthi
I have held their injured bodies and felt their broken refuse to accept ?
spirits.
Twenty years ago, in the foothills of the
Himalayas, I met a small, skinny child labourer. He
asked me: “Is the world so poor that it cannot give
me a toy and a book, instead of forcing me to take
a gun or a tool?”
I met with a Sudanese child-soldier. He was
kidnapped by an extremist militia. As his first training
lesson, he was forced to kill his friends and family.
He asked me: “What is my fault?”
Friends, all the great religions teach us to care
for our children. Jesus said: “Let the children come
to me; do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God
belongs to them.” The Holy Quran says: “Kill not
your children because of poverty.”
Friends! There is no greater violence than to deny
the dreams of our children. Therefore ... I refuse to
accept that all the temples and mosques and churches
and prayer houses have no place for the dreams of
our children.
I refuse to accept that the world is so poor, when
just one week of global military expenditure can bring
79
79
 all the children to classrooms.
I refuse to accept that all the laws and
l shackles : chains that constitutions, police and judges are unable to protect
bind our children.
I refuse to accept that the shackles of slavery
can ever be stronger than the quest for freedom. I
ö What is the only aim
REFUSE TO ACCEPT here.
in life for Kailash
Satyarthi ? My only aim in life is that every child is free
to be a child,
- free to grow and develop,
- free to eat, sleep, and see daylight,
- free to laugh and cry,
- free to play and learn,
- free to go to school, and above all,
- free to dream.
I have the privilege of working with many
courageous people who have the same aim. We have
never given up against any threat or attack and we
never will.
We have made progress in the last couple of
decades. We have reduced the number of out-of-
school children by half. We have reduced the number
of child labourers by a third. We have reduced child
mortality and malnutrition, and we have prevented
millions of child deaths.
But, let us make no mistake, great challenges
still remain.
Friends! The biggest challenge or biggest crisis
knocking on the doors of humankind is fear and
intolerance.
We have utterly failed our children in imparting
ö culminate : reach an education. An education that gives the meaning
the highest level and objective of life. An education that gives a sense
of global citizenship among the youth.
ö unprecedented :
I am afraid that the day is not very far away
never known or
experienced before
when the cumulative result of this failure, will
culminate in an unprecedented violence, and that
will be suicidal for humankind.

80
 Rights, security, hope can only be restored through
education.
Young people like Malala ... I’ve started calling
her my daughter Malala not just Malala ... So my
daughter Malala and other daughters including
Kayanat.. in fact.. two Kayanats, and Shazia, and
the daughters from Africa, and from all over the
world. They are rising up and choosing peace over
violence, tolerance over extremism, and courage over
fear. ö deliberations :
The solutions are emerging. But these solutions long discussion after
cannot be found in the deliberations in conferences careful thinking
alone, and cannot be found in prescriptions from a
distance.
They lie in small groups and local organisations
and individuals, who are confronting with the ö confronting : facing
problem every day. Even if they remain and attacking
unacknowledged, unrecognised and unknown to the
world the solutions are with them.
Part II
We can do it ...
You may ask that - what can one person do? I
would recall a story of my childhood: A heavy fire
had broken out in the forest. All the animals were
running away, including lion, the king of the forest.
Suddenly, then he saw a tiny bird rushing towards
the fire. He asked the bird, “What are you doing?”
To the lion’s surprise, the bird replied “I am going
to extinguish the fire.” The lion laughed and said,
“How can you do it keeping just one drop of water,
in your beak?” The bird was adamant, and she said,
“I am doing my bit.”
ö What did millions of
Eighteen years ago, millions of individuals
individuals demand
marched across the globe. And demanded a new
eighteen years ago ?
international law for the abolition of worst form of
child labour, and it has happened, we did it, millions
of individuals did it.
Friends! We live in an age of rapid globalisation.
We are connected through high-speed Internet. We

81
 exchange our goods and services in one single
global market. Thousands of flights every day connect
l compassion : pity us from one corner to another corner of the globe.
and concern for those But there is one serious disconnect and there is a lack
suffering of compassion. Let us inculcate and transform these
l inculcate : develop individuals’ compassion into a global compassion.
by instructing Let us globalise compassion.
Mahatma Gandhi said, “If we are to teach real
peace in this world... we shall have to begin with the
children.” I humbly add, let us unite the world through
the compassion for our children.
I ask - Whose children are they who stitch
footballs, yet never played with one?
Whose children are they who harvest cocoa, yet
have never tasted chocolate?
Whose children are they who are dying of Ebola?
Whose children are they who are kidnapped and
held hostage?
They are all our children.
I remember an eight-year-old girl we rescued
ö intergenerational : from intergenerational forced labour from stone
involving several quarries. When she was sitting in my car right after
generations her rescue, she asked me: “Why did you not come
ö 
 
 
Why does the eight
earlier?”
year old girl’s question Her angry question still shakes me – and has the
shake Mr.Satyarthi ? power to shake the whole world. Her question is for
all of us. What are we doing? What are we waiting
ö 
What matters
  for? How many girls will we allow to go without
according to rescue?
Satyarthi ? Children are questioning our inaction and watching
ö 
 
 
What does Satyarthi our actions.
challenge ? We need collective actions with a sense of
urgency.
Every single minute matters, every single child
matters, every single childhood matters.
ö passivity : no action Therefore, I challenge the passivity and pessimism
taken surrounding our children. I challenge this culture of
ö neutrality : not silence and this culture of passivity, this culture of
supporting or helping neutrality.

82
 Part III
I call upon all the governments, intergovernmental
agencies, businesses, faith leaders, workers, teachers
and NGOs, and each one of us, to put an end to all
forms of violence against children. Slavery, trafficking,
child marriages, child labour, sexual abuse, and
illiteracy these things have no place in any civilised
society.
Friends, we can do this. Governments must make
child-friendly policies, and invest in education and l innovative : having
young people. Businesses must be more responsible, new advanced ideas
accountable and open to innovative partnerships. or methods
Intergovernmental agencies must work together to l fragmented: split up
accelerate action. Global civil society must rise above or disunified
the business-as-usual and fragmented agendas. Faith
leaders and institutions, and all of us must stand with l agenda: a plan of
our children. things to be done to
solve a problem
We must be bold, we must be ambitious, and
we must have the will. We must keep our promises. ö What was the
Over fifty years ago, on the first day of my response of the boy’s
school, I met a cobbler boy my age sitting outside father ? What was
the gate of my school. I asked my teachers: “Why Satyarthi’s reaction to
is he working outside? Why is he not with us in the it ?
school?” My teachers had no answer. One day, I
ö What was
gathered the courage to ask the boy's father. He said:
Mr.Satyarthi’s
“Sir, I have never thought about it. We are born to
vision as a child ?
work.”
His answer made me angry. It still makes me
angry. ö What is your vision
As a child, I had a vision of tomorrow. A vision of tomorrow ?
of that cobbler boy sitting with me in my classroom.
ö What rights should
Now, that tomorrow has become TODAY.
every child have, in
I am TODAY, and you are TODAY. TODAY it our times ?
is time for every child to have a right to life, right
to freedom, right to health, right to education, right
to safety, right to dignity, right to equality, and right
to peace.
TODAY, beyond the darkness, I see the smiling
faces of our children in the blinking stars. TODAY,
in every wave of every ocean, I see my children are
playing and dancing. TODAY, in every plant, in
83
 every tree, and mountain, I see our children
growing freely with dignity.
Friends, I want you to see and feel this
TODAY inside you.
ö What does My dear sisters and brothers, as I said
Mr.Satyarthi request
many interesting things are happening today. May I
the listeners ?
please request you to put your hand close to your
heart - close your eyes and feel the child inside
you?
ö According to I am sure you can - Now, listen to that child.
Mr.Satyarthi, who Listen please.
are calling for us ? Today, I see thousands of Mahatma Gandhis,
Nelson Mandelas and Martin Luther Kings calling
on us.
l democratise : make Let us democratise knowledge. Let us universalise
democratic justice. Together, let us globalise compassion!
I call upon you in this room, and all across the
l exploitation : take world. I call for a march from exploitation to
undue advantage of education, I call for a march from poverty to shared
prosperity, a march from slavery to liberty, and a
march from violence to peace.
Let us march from ignorance to awakening. Let
us march from darkness to light. Let us march from
mortality to divinity.
Let us march!
- (Nobel Acceptance Speech by Kailash Satyarthi)

ENGLISH WORKSHOP

1. Name the following.

(a) The persons to whom Kailash Satyarthi gives the highest credit of his honour -
(b) The greatest personalities from the land of Buddha -
(c) So called daughters of Kailash Satyarthi -
(d) The foreign activists of equal rights, mentioned in the speech -

2. Mention the social issues highlighted by Kailash Satyarthi in his speech. One
social issue is given for you.
(a) Child labour (b)
(c) (d)
(e) (f)
84
3. Complete the following diagram/chart.
to

to

to
The aim in life of Kailash
Satyarthi is that every child to
should be free ......
to

to

to
4. Complete the following web-chart.
Let us Let us
What
Kailash Satyarthi
appeals
Let us Let us

Let us

5. Think and give your own response.

(a) How can education help the deprived children and child labourers?
(b) Name any other social activist who has worked/is working earnestly for
child-welfare. Write about his/her activities.
(c) What message does the little bird’s story of the forest fire convey to us? Explain.
(d) Besides the political freedom that our nation enjoys, what other freedom should
it strive for? Say why.
(e) What is your impression of the acceptance speech given by Kailash Satyarthi,
when he received the Nobel Prize? Write in 3 to 4 sentences.
6. Choose the correct option and write in front of the given word, to convey the
exact meaning.
(a) divinity :
(i) goodness (ii) godliness (iii) god - fearing
(b) extremist :
(i) militant (ii) robber (iii) spy
(c) culminate :
(i) destroy (ii) succeed (iii) rise to a peak
(d) exploitation :
(i) explosion (ii) misuse (iii) employment
(e) mortality :
(i) death (ii) virtues (iii) starvation
(f) dignity :
(i) self-pride (ii) self-support (iii) self-esteem
85
7. Pick out from the lesson the-
(A) Noun forms of the following words-
(a) dignified (b) pacify
(c) pursue (d) ignore
(e) poor (f) divine
(B) Verb forms of-
(a) democracy (b) global
(c) hindrance (d) resolution
(e) liberty (f) service
8. (A) Use the following words as a noun as well as a verb and make meaningful
sentences with each set, in your notebook.
march, honour, credit, stitch
(B) Write minimum 4 hidden words of more than 4 letters from - intergovernmental
(C) Make meaningful sentences by using the following phrases, in your notebook.
(a) in the pursuit of (b) be afraid of (c) give up
(D) Pick from the lesson the antonyms of
l ignorance Î l immortality Î

l deny Î l violence Î
l well - known Î l slavery Î
9. (A) What will you do in the following situations ?
(a) If you see a child working in a restaurant.
.
(b) If you find a child working at a construction site.
.
(c) If you find a child working at a brickwork site.
.
(d) If you come across a beggar child.
.
(B) Write any 2 efforts that you can make to enrol deprived children/ out of
school children into a school. One is given for you.
(a) I will persuade parents of such children to send them to school.
(b)
(c)
10.(A) Types of Sentence
A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete idea. Sentences can
be classified in various ways. The following is a classification of sentences.
(i) Assertive sentence (Statement) : A sentence that makes a statement or
assertion is a sentence.
For example, ‘There are many villages in India.’
(ii) Interrogative sentence : It is a sentence that asks a question. It is of
two sub-types.
Yes/no interrogative sentence :
It generally begins with a helping verb or an auxiliary verb and
can be answered by saying ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. For example, ‘Are you
86
 coming with us?’
Wh-interrogative sentence : It begins with a wh - word, such as
‘who’ and ‘why’ and cannot be answered by saying ‘yes’ or ‘no’. For
example, ‘What is the time?’
(iii) Imperative sentence : It expresses commands, requests etc. It
generally begins with a verb. For example, ‘Open your books’.
(iv) Exclamatory sentence : It expresses a strong feeling.
For example, ‘How wonderful the river looks !’ ‘What a shame !’
(B) Say whether the following sentences are Assertive (Statements),
Imperative (Commands, Requests, etc.), Interrogative (Questions) or
Exclamatory (Exclamations).
(1) The Mantra carries a prayer.
(2) Is the world so poor?
(3) Kill not your children because of poverty.
(4) Let's walk together.
(5) What can one person do?
(6) We have made progress.
(7) How utterly we have failed our children!
(8) What a big challenge it is!
(C) Rewrite the following sentences as Assertive (statements).
(1) Why didn't you come earlier?
(2) How frightened their eyes look!
(3) How angry it makes me!
(4) Should I accept such shackles of slavery?
(5) What can one person do?
11. (A) Observe the following underlined phrases. Here ‘have / has’ are followed
by the past participle form of the verb. This construction indicates the
present perfect tense. Find more such sentences from the text.
(1) We have made progress in the last couple of decades.
(2) We have prevented millions of child deaths.
(3) It has happened.
(4)
(5)
(B) In the following sentences the underlined words are called infinitives. Find
such examples from the speech and underline the infinitives.
(1) Every child is free to grow.
(2) I refuse to accept that all the laws and constitutions, police and judges
are unable to protect our children.
(3)
(4)
(5)

87
 (C) Complete the following sentences with the help of the sentence given below.
(a) The biggest challenge knocking on the doors of human kind is fear and
intolerance.
(i) No other challenge knocking
as big as
(ii) Fear and intolerance are bigger
(b) The Nobel Prize is one of the greatest honours in the world.
(i) Very few honours
(ii) The Nobel Prize is greater than
12. (A) Match the sentences given in part ‘A’ with the sentences given in part ‘B’.
Note the differences in structure.
‘A’ Part ‘B’ Part
(1) He was kidnapped by an extremist (a) They forced the child to kill his
militia. friends and family.
(2) The child was forced to kill his
(b) We can do this.
friends and family.
(c) An extremist militia kidnapped
(3) This can be done by us.
him.
(B) You might have observed that -
The sentences in Part A are in the passive voice while the sentences in
Part B are in the active voice. Now change the following sentences into
the passive voice.
1. We can do it.
2. Her angry question still shakes me.
3. Governments must make child-friendly policies.
4. His answer made me angry.
13. Imagine your school invites Malala to preside over ‘Children’s Day’ celebration
programme. Draft a welcome speech for this guest of honour. Gather information
about her from Internet or your school library. While drafting a speech the
following points should be kept in mind.
(1) Greeting and salutation
(2) Self introduction and introduction of the topic
(3) A catchy thought/piece of news/short episode, to start with
(4) Body of the speech supported with related examples and episodes
(5) Conclusion

² 
 
 
²  
 
²  
 
²

88
 2.6 Science and Spirituality

Warming Up !
1. Get into pairs/groups and match the columns :
‘A’ ‘B’
(1) Science The study of the basic nature of knowledge, reality and
existence, especially as an academic subject.
(2) Religion The study of nature of God and religious belief.
(3) Spirituality The intellectual and practical activities in a systematic
study of structure and behaviour of the natural world
through experiment and observation.
(4) Philosophy The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling
power God.
(5) Theology The quality of being more concerned with the human
spirit as opposed to material or physical things.
2. Given below are some incomplete Quotes. Complete them choosing from the
words SCIENCE / RELIGION / SPIRITUAL and make them meaningful :
l without religion is lame; without science is blind.
l has outrun our power, we have guided missiles, but
misguided man.
l On a journey, we all have the same destination.
l is meant to awaken man’s love for his Source - God !
l provides a means of with the Creator of Heaven and Earth, in the
language of your heart and soul.
l is a beautiful gift to humanity; we should not distort it.
3. What’s the difference between science and technology ? Discuss in pairs and tell
your answer to the class.
4. Do you think that science and faith are both important in our lives ? Why ?
Discuss in your group and give a small presentation in front of the class.
5. We need science

to understand latest technology

We need faith

to enable our spirit to soar high.

6. Refer to a dictionary to find out the meanings of the following words.

Spirit - a person’s mind or feelings or soul.
l Spiritual l Spirituality l Spiritualism l Spiritualist

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 Science and Spirituality

Part I
We often witness conflict between two groups of
people - one that believes in science and the other
that believes in religion.
Dr Kalam was a great scientist - this is indisputable.
But he was also convinced that fact and faith can,
together, create a better planet. He once told me,
‘Science and faith must coexist for the human good.
Science provides focus - focus helps us solve questions,
discover the truth and conceive inventions. Faith provides
l perspective : view, perspective - perspective helps us see how our creations
particular attitude and discoveries go on to impact a combination vital for
towards something the success of societies. Science accelerates progress
l curbs : controls, and faith curbs it within reasonable limitations. If the
keeps something two function true to their roles, they will work together
within limit for the betterment of humanity.’
Dr Kalam’s own life was nourished by multiple
u Why do science and faiths.
faith have to go hand His father, a boatman, also served as an imam at
in hand ? their local mosque, and his two best friends were from
two different religions - one was a Hindu and the other
was a Christian. Pakshi Lakshmana Shastrigal was
the head priest of the famous Rameswara temple and
a Vedic scholar, and the Reverend Father Bodal had
built the first church on Rameswara Island. Dr Kalam
recalled how ‘All three of them, in the unique attire of
their religion, used to sit and discuss the community’s
problems and find solutions. Throughout the nation and
the world, the need to have a frank dialogue among
cultures, religions and civilizations is felt now more
than ever.’
When asked where he got his humility from Dr
Kalam would always attribute it to his father. In him,
he saw how simplicity and divinity could go together.
Even though his father was a boatman and Dr Kalam
went on to become the President of India, they shared
the same values in life. Both believed that if one leads
a spiritual life then that spirituality can lift them out
of any kind of confusion misery or failure.

90
 Part II
In the 1960, when Dr Kalam joined ISRO, it was
just a fledgling organization. His interactions with l fledgling : new and
the great scientist Professor Vikram Sarabhai and the inexperienced
Reverend Peter Bernard Pereira, shaped his thoughts
on religion. It was here that he learnt about the true u Why was the site in
meanning of religious service. Professor Sarabhai and Thumba selected for
his team had selected a site in Thumba, Kerala, to set building the space
up their space research facility. It was an ideal site research centre ?
due to its proximity to the magnetic equator. But there
was a major roadblock in getting possession of the site
as it was the fishing grounds of Thumba’s fishermen.
Moreover, it had an old church of St Mary Magdalene,
a bishop’s house and a school, which was under the
administration of the church. Government officials
predicted that it would be impossible to relocate so
many people from the site and destroy religious
institutions for the sake of a space research centre.
But upon Dr Sarabhai’s persistence, it was suggested u What shaped
that they approach the only person who could help Dr Kalam’s thoughts
them in this situation - Father Pereira, the then bishop on religion ?
of the region.
Dr Sarabhai and Dr Kalam approached Father
u What was the major
Pereira on a Saturday evening. The Reverend said,
obstacle in getting
‘Oh Vikram, you are asking me for my children’s
possession of the
abode, for my abode, and for God’s abode. How is
site ?
it possible?’ Father Pereira then invited the party to
visit the church on a Sunday morning. Dr Sarabhai, his
team, and the forever - inquisitive disciple, Dr Kalam,
took up the offer.
At church the next Sunday, the Reverend invited
Dr Sarabhai up to the dais after the prayer service.
Turning to everyone present, he said, ‘Dear children,
here is a scientist, Dr Vikram Sarabhai. What does
science do for us ? We benefit from the devices that
science has developed to light up our homes. I am able
to talk to you using this mic, thanks to technological l mic : microphone,
advancement. Medical science allows doctors to diagnose mike
and treat patients. Science and technology enhance the
u Who helped to solve
overall comfort and quality of human life. And what do
the problem of
I do as a preacher ? I pray for you, for your well-being,
acquiring the site?
and for your peace. In short, Vikram and I are doing
the same job. Both science and spirituality seek the
Almighty’s blessings for the prosperity of the human
91
 mind and body.
u How did the people ‘Dear children, Dr Vikram says that, within a year,
respond to the he wants to build scientific facilities near the sea coast,
appeal made by Rev. replacing all the settlements that now stand there. Now,
Pereria ? Would you can you give up your abode? Can I give up my abode ?
 

have given the same Can we give up God’s abode for such a great scientific
response ? mission ?’ Dr Kalam recalled how he witnessed ‘a pin-
drop silence for a long moment’. Then everyone got up,
l reverberated : and the whole church reverberated with the deafening
echoed loudly noise of a collective ‘amen’.
And so work on the research centre was soon under
way. But not without alternate accomodation being
offered to the affected fishermen, the church and the
Reverend Pereira.
Part III
A few years later, in the early 1980s, Professor
Satish Dhawan, the Director of ISRO, under whom Dr
Kalam had made his first unsuccessful launch in 1970
and then a successful one in 1980, had provided him
with more soul - shaping wisdom.
u How can we lead a One day in 2012, we were discussing the number of
pure life? Ph.Ds Dr Kalam had received. He said to me, ‘Srijan,
Professor Dhawan had so many master’s degrees - all
from the best institutions, no less  - 
so I asked him
how one can become so academically accomplished.
He responded saying that academic brilliance is no
different from the brilliance of a mirror, which can be
diminished by a coating of dust. Only when the dust
is removed, does the mirror shine and the reflection
l obscuring : making becomes clear. We can remove the impurities obscuring
unclear our souls by living pure and ethical lives, and by
serving humanity. And then God will shine through
u Whose philosophy us.’ These words took me back to my meeting with
actually had an Dr Kalam after my graduation from IIMA, in 2009. At
impact on the writer ? the time, he had advised me to use my degree and gold
medal to transform the society I lived in. Back in the
present moment, it suddenly struck me that Dr Kalam’s
l resonated : echoed, advice had, in fact, directly resonated from Professor
resounded Dhawan’s beliefs. The more I lived and worked with
Dr Kalam, the more I realized that through his words
u What advice did
of wisdom I was getting to learn from countless great
Dr Kalam give the
minds.
narrator after his
graduation ?  In April 2009, Dr Kalam was invited to attend

92
the 102nd birthday celebrations of His Holiness Dr Sri
Sri Shivakumara Mahaswamiji in the Tumkur district
of Karnataka. Mahaswamiji is a remarkable person,
who has dedicated his life to the service of humanity.
His greatest contribution is the establishment of a u What was
free residential education system for more than nine Mahaswamiji’s
tremendous
thousand children in the ashram. The most astonishing
contribution ?
aspect of the entire event of his birthday was that the
102 year old Swamiji stood on his feet without any
support ! He looked as steady and alert as any other
youngster present there. This display of inner strength
touched Dr Kalam deeply. u What was unique
A couple of days later, we were discussing this about Mahaswamiji ?
unusual birthday party. I said to him, ‘Sir, do you
know, only four out of 1 lakh people cross the age of
100 ?’ I had googled the subject beforehand. He replied,
‘But how many of these four would be able to stand
tall for half an hour, give a wise discourse, and then l discourse : a formal
go on to feed thousands of children ?’ Of course nobody talk including a
could know the exact answer to his question but the debate.
question itself led to many other relevant queries. ‘I
l queries : questions
wonder what powers Mahaswamiji possesses that keep
him so strong at such an advanced age ? Maybe it’s
a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle, or perhaps it’s Guess the meaning
genetics ?’ I asked. of :
Dr Kalam sat contemplating deeply. genetics
He recollected the tenet of goodness of action u What was the secret
from Pramukh Swamiji. Then, perhaps swimming in of Mahaswamiji’s
silence to the shores of Mahapragyaji, he gathered the fitness even at the
sands of conscience to be our guide, our best friend. age of 102 years ?
Deeper down in the space-time of memory, he must
have heard Professor Brahma Prakash’s words about l tenet : a principle
the need of living a pure and ethical life, and Father or belief
Pereira’s and Dr Sarabhai’s lesson of selflessness in
service. Eventually his thoughts would have settled on
Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh, in whom he saw great
l tranquility : peace,
tranquility, and finally they must have come full circle
calmness
with the memory of the life of simplicity of his father,
l espoused : gave
who always espoused the value of giving back.
support to
At long last, he spoke. ‘It is the very spirit of l ethos : characteristic
What Can I Give.’ He elaborated, ‘Mahaswamiji lives spirit of a culture or
with the beliefs and ethos of our mission. He gives and era
gives - education to famished minds, food to famished
bodies. In giving so much, he becomes strong. His
93
 munificence fuels his strength. That is what keeps him
standing tall and active in life. The essence of a happy
life and a peaceful society lies in one sentence - What
can I give?’
l munificence : ‘Turning to me, he asked, ‘What is the reverse of
generosity “What can I give ?”
l circumspectly : Circumspectly I replied, ‘What can I...take ?’
cautiously ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘and that is the thought which is
responsible for all the wrong we see around us. We
u What makes society think that we can take from the environment and
corrupt and unfair ? destroy it indiscriminately; we think of what we can
take from other humans, leading us to corruption
l inequity : injustice and inequity. This attitude of taking and taking even
destroys families. To keep this planet liveable and the
human race thriving, we have to replace this attitude
of ‘what can I take’ with the goodness of ‘what can
I give’.
The gravity of the message struck me. This
u Which question challenge became my silent motivation.
inspires Three years later, in 2012, this idea became a reality
humanitarianism? as our What Can I Give movement, through which
Dr Kalam tried to combat corruption, environmental
degradation and social evils.
It is important that we ask ourselves this question
for in the answer lies the truth of humanity. So go
ahead and question yourself.
What can I give ?
l astounding : amazing, The answers will be astounding.
surprisingly impressive - Adapted from the ‘What Can I Give’ by Srijan Pal Singh

ENGLISH WORKSHOP

1. (A) Read ‘Part I’ and match the words in Column ‘A’ with associating words given in
Column ‘B’.
No 'A' 'B'
(i) Science and faith (a) Created by fact and faith
(ii) Science (b) Success of societies
(iii) Better Planet (c) Betterment of humanity
(iv) Creations and (d) Believers of science and religions
Discoveries
(v) Conflict (e) Solves questions, discovers truth, conceives
inventions
(i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v)
94
 (B) Read ‘Part II’. Go through the given statements and say whether you agree or
disagree to each of them.
(a) The Space Research set up facility was planned at Allapi, Kerala -
(b) The person who could help and can be contacted was the Bishop -
(c) It was quite easy to relocate so many people and destroy religious institutions for space-
research centre -
(d) Dr. Kalam joined ISRO in 1970 -
(e) Science and spirituality seeks prosperity of the human life
(C) Go through ‘Part III’ and complete the following statements.
(a) The essence of a happy life and a peaceful society lies in one sentence - .
(b) To keep this planet liveable and the human race thriving, we have to .
(c) Mahaswamiji’s greatest contribution is the .
(d) We can remove the impurities obscuring our souls by .
(e) The narrator, Srijan, realised that through Dr. Kalam’s words of wisdom .
(f) Mahaswamiji possesses powers that kept him so strong were or
.
2. Choose the correct alternative for the given statements.
(A) Dr. Kalam’s father was an .
(a) teacher
(b) scientist
(c) farmer
(d) imam.
(B) Dr. Kalam’s friends discussed on .
(a) science and technology
(b) discoveries and inventions.
(c) science and spirituality
(d) community’s problems and solutions.
(C) According to Dr. Kalam, the need that is felt more than ever is .
(a) a laboratory to conduct experiments.
(b) a new technology to find results.
(c) a dialogue among cultures, religions and civilizations.
(d) a dialogue between people of different professions.
(D) Dr. Kalam’s father was a symbol of .
(a) trust and faith.
(b) simplicity and divinity
(c) teacher and disciple.
(d) father and friend.
(E) Spirituality takes care of .
(a) education, teaching and learning.
(b) science, technology and sci-fi.

95
 (c) confusion, misery or failure.
(d) crime, illiteracy and child labour.
(F) How can academic brilliance diminish ?
(a) by disturbance and frustration.
(b) by going off track
(c) by a coating of dust.
(d) by losing focus and seriousness.
(G) What was most astonishing about 102 year old Swamiji?
(a) He was a great speaker and orator.
(b) He was a great scientist.
(c) He was a great admirer of technology.
(d) He looked as steady and alert as any other youngster.
(H) What Dr. Kalam gathered while swimming in silence at the shores of Mahapragyaji ?
(a) beautiful sea shores
(b) tree lined beaches
(c) sands of conscience
(d) beautiful sun-set.
3. Among the three parts, there are people who touched and influenced the life of
Dr. A. P. J. Kalam in one or the other ways. Complete the web chart by writing the
names of such people.
Father Bodal
P.L. Shastrigal

4. Write the significance of the following years, as given in the text.

1960
1970
1980
2009
2012
5. Who said to whom and when ?
(a) “Can we give up God’s abode for such a great scientific mission ?”

(b) “And then God will shine through us.”

(c) “I wonder what power Mahaswamiji possesses, that keeps him so strong.”

96
6. Answer the following in your own words, and write in your notebook.
(a) What makes Dr Kalam a humble personality ?
(b) How were different virtues inculcated in Dr Kalam ?
(c) How did the Reverend relate and compare the work that he and Dr Sarabhai
did for people ?
(d) What was so remarkable about Dr Sri Sri Shivakumar Mahaswamiji ?
(e) Why is there an urgent need to replace ‘What can I take’ with ‘What can I give ?
7. In your note book, write a short paragraph on each of the following covering
up their profession and personality traits with examples.
(a) Rev. Peter Bernard Pereira
(b) Dr Sri Sri Shivakumar Mahaswamiji
(c) Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
8. Write in your own simple words what the following expressions convey in the
context they occur in the text.
(a) Faith and fact can, together, create a better planet.

(b) Dr Kalam’s own life was nourished by multiple faiths.

(c) But there was a major roadblock.

(d) Only when the dust is removed, does the mirror shine and the reflection becomes
clear.
(e) Through his (Kalam’s) words of wisdom, I was getting to learn from countless great
minds.
(f) He gathered the sands of conscience to be our guide, our best friend.

(g) ‘What can I take ?’ is the thought which is responsible for all the wrong, seen
around us.

9. (A) From the lesson, pick out one word for each of the following.
(a) increase the speed
(b) point of view
(c) nearness in space
(d) a place of residence
(e) eager to know everything
(f) echoed loudly
(g) giving away much to the needy
(h) without making a difference
97
 (B) Arrange the following words in the alphabetical order.
inventions, indisputable, interactions, inequity, institutions, inquisitive,
indiscriminately
(C) Find from the lesson the noun forms of -
1. combine 5. advance
2. solve 6. tranquil
3. simple 7. liveable
4. divine 8. strong
10. Match the word connectors with reference to part I, II, III respectively. Make
sentences of each of these connectors.
No Word Connector
1. government (a) person
2. betterment of (b) curbs
3. pure and ethical (c) degradation
4. community's (d) launch
5. religions (e) dialogue
6. astonishing (f) silence
7. technological (g) motivation
8. frank (h) aspect
9. social (i) life
10. faith (j) centre
11. inquisitive (k) officials
12. academic (l) problems
13. environmental (m) humanity
14. pin-drop (n) service
15. alternate (o) bodies
16. remarkable (p) evils
17. silent (q) advancement
18. famished (r) brilliance
19. unsuccessful (s) accommodation
20. space-research (t) discipline

11. Simple sentence : subject + verb + object/complement/adverbial: Analysing

a simple sentence is done by separating the subject and the predicate. The
predicate is further analysed into -
(1) verb + object as in ‘A doctor treats patients’./ ‘He greeted the teacher.’
(2) verb + complement as in ‘They are very tired.’ / ‘I have a cold.’

98
 (3) verb + adverbial as in (He walks slowly. / Raj arrived late. / The thief is
hiding there.)
l Say whether the predicates in the following sentences have an object/
a complement/an adverbial.
(1) There was silence.
(2) Alexander Bell invented the telephone.
(3) They have a holiday.
(4) The dancer danced gracefully.
(5) The milkman comes daily.
(6) The hostess served tea.
(7) The kite soared upwards.
12. (A) Punctuate the following sentences to make them meaningful.
(1) dinesh took a bus that stopped at nanded railway station after crossing somvar peth
(2) dr a p j abdul kalam was the past president of india by the way he was a great
scientist orator and a humanitarian
(3) nouns are of different types common proper abstract concrete material
(4) what a lot of noise you all make said the teacher cant you keep quiet for a while
(5) wow how lovely that cake looks they said we cant wait to eat it
(B) Copy the first paragraph on page 92 in your notebook, carefully. Encircle all the
puctuation marks with a coloured pencil/pen.
“Dear children ...................... ‘amen’.
13. Project :
Read Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s very renowned books ‘Wings of Fire’; and ‘Ignited Minds’,
to find the following :
(a) Subject of the book
(b) Special features of the book
(c) Teachings/learnings/moral/message from the book
(d) Your own opinion/idea/comment on the book
14. (A) Draft a speech that you would give at your School Assembly convincing junior
students that the secret of true happiness lies in Giving and Sharing more than in
Receiving and Taking.
Write it with the appropriate steps in your notebook.

(B) Divide your class in two groups and have a Debate

on the topic ‘Science and Spirituality can go hand in
hand’.

² 
 
 
²  
 
²  
 
²

99
 3.1 Night of the Scorpion
Unit Three

Warming Up !

1. Get into pairs and discuss the following with your partners and complete
the table.
Many people are superstitious. This means that they have belief for which they
have no logical reason.
An example of superstition is that - walking under a ladder brings bad luck.
In pairs, list any superstitions that you know of.
Superstition What it implies

(1) Smashing a mirror Brings seven years of bad luck.

(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)

2. Brainstorm what you know about Scorpions. Use the points given below.

How they attack

Where they live Scorpions Their appearance

Any more information about them

100
 Night of the Scorpion

Nissim Ezekiel (1924-2004) was an Indian Jewish poet, actor, playwright,

editor and art-critic. He was a foundational figure in post-colonial India’s
literary history, specifically for Indian writings of a wider range.
The poem depicts the selfless love of a mother, who is stung by a
scorpion.
I remember the night my mother
was stung by a scorpion. Ten hours
of steady rain had driven him
u What forced the
to crawl beneath a sack of rice.
scorpion to take
shelter in the poet’s
Parting with his poison - flash
house ?
of diabolic tail in the dark room -
he risked the rain again. l diabolic : having the
qualities of devil or
The peasants came like swarms of flies wicked
and buzzed the name of God a hundred times
to paralyse the Evil One. l paralyse : to stop an
activity
With candles and with lanterns What
u 
 
  does the phrase
throwing giant scorpion shadows ‘to paralyse the evil
on the mud-baked walls mean in stanza 3 ?
they searched for him: he was not found.
They clicked their tongues. Who
u 
 
  are ‘they’ in
With every movement that the scorpion made his poison stanza 4 ?
moved in Mother’s blood, they said.
Who
u 
 
  does the word
May he sit still, they said ‘him’ refer to in line
May the sins of your previous birth no.3 ?
be burned away tonight, they said.
May your suffering decrease
the misfortunes of your next birth, they said.
May the sum of all evil Why
u 
 
  does the poem
balanced in this unreal world begin with the poet’s
against the sum of good remembering the
become diminished by your pain. night ?
May the poison purify your flesh
of desire, and your spirit of ambition, l diminished : to
they said, and they sat around lessen; reduce
on the floor with my mother in the centre,
the peace of understanding on each face.
101
 More candles, more lanterns, more neighbours,
u When did the Mother more insects, and the endless rain.
find relief  ? My mother twisted through and through,
l groaning : a groaning on a mat.
mournful sound My father, sceptic, rationalist,
conveying pain or trying every curse and blessing,
grief powder, mixture, herb and hybrid.
l sceptic : one who He even poured a little paraffin
doubts general beliefs upon the bitten toe and put a match to it.
I watched the flame feeding on my mother.
l rationalist : a person
I watched the holy man perform his rites to tame the
who believes in
poison with an incantation.
reason and knowledge
After twenty hours
than opinion and
it lost its sting.
belief
l incantation : the
chanting of words My mother only said
that claim to have Thank God the scorpion picked on me
magical power And spared my children.

- Nissim Ezekiel

ENGLISH WORKSHOP

1. After reading the poem, complete the following. What happens ?

There are three main parts of the poem. Do you know what they are about ?
The first one is done for you.
Lines What is happening ?
1-7 The scorpion comes into the home to escape the
rain and stings the poet’s mother.
8-33
34-48

102
2. Complete the following tables.
(A) Background/setting of the poem
Type Evidence
(Quote lines from the poem)
Rural/Urban

(B) Scorpion
Many images of the scorpion contrast in the opening lines of the poem.
Find examples of each and add them to the columns below.
Timid Dangerous
(1) hides (i) Diabolic
(2) back (ii)

(C) Imagery
Look at the description of the village peasants.
What does the imagery suggest about them?
The Images What images suggest
They came like swarms of flies.
They buzzed the name of God.
They threw giant scorpion shadows
on the mud-baked walls.
They clicked their tongues.
3. Choose the correct alternative.
1. The child is afraid but admires
(a) the initiative of the peasants.
(b) his father trying every way to cure.
(c) the bravery of his mother.
2. His father and the villagers panic and hastily suggest .
(a) to take her to the hospital.
(b) ayurvedic treatment.
(c) religious remedies to help.
3. The poet seems to see the villagers as impractical and almost irritating which
suggests that
(a) the poet is critical of caste
(b) the poet is critical of religion
(c) the poet is critical of tradition.

103
 4. This is a poem as it tells a story.
(a) reflective
(b) imaginative
(c) narrative
5. Using the first person gives the feeling that it is told from
(a) personal experience
(b) public experience
(c) private experience
6. ‘The scorpion picked on me. And spared my children’ depicts
(a) mother’s bravery
(b) mother’s endurance
(c) selfless and unconditional love of mother.
7. The poem does not have a rhyme scheme, which means the poem is a perfect
example of a
(a) Ballad
(b) Sonnet
(c) Free verse
8. The poem is titled ‘Night of the Scorpion’, for, the major part of the poem,

(a) the mother remains triumphant at the end.

(b) the scorpion is the victor.
(c) the father succeeds in curing the mother.
9. The peasants chant the name of God to
(a) nullify the stinging experience
(b) praise God.
(c) appease God.
10. The click of tongues reflects their to the predicament.
(a) individual response
(b) collective response
(c) group response
4. From the poem provide evidence for the following :
Stages Evidence (lines from the poem)

(a) the attempts by the peasants to help

alleviate the mother’s pain.
(b) the action of these same peasants to
kill the scorpion
(c) the reaction of the rational father.
(d) the various superstitions versus the
‘scientific’
(e) evil versus good.

104
5. Read the poem and complete the table showing the qualities of the father and
mother giving sufficient evidences from the poem.
Qualities
Father Mother

6. (A) Match the Figures of Speech with the correct definition.

Poetic Devices
Figure Definition
(1) Metaphor (a) The use of the same sound at the
beginning of words
(2) Alliteration (b) An implied comparison.
(3) Onomatopoeia (c) A comparison between two different
things, especially a phrase, containing
the words ‘like’ or ‘as’
(4) Simile
(d) A word which resembles the sound
it represents.

(B) Find examples from the poem that contain :

Similie :
Metaphor :
Onomatopoeia :
7. Expand the flow-chart in writing a paragraph in your own words.

Mother

Agony

Fights the venom (of scorpion)

Unable to utter, but groans

Thanks God

Survives

105
8. The poet has used various kinds of imagery to create an image which appeal to
our senses. Pick out various kinds of imagery and complete the table.
Visual imagery Tactile imagery Sound imagery Internal
appealing to eyes (sense of touch) sensations,
feelings and
emotions
(1) Scropion crawling (1) (1) buzzed the name (1) fear
beneath a sack of God
of rice
(2) (2) Father pouring (2)
paraffin on the (2)
toe
9. Write an appreciation of the poem in a paragraph format.
(Refer to page no. 5.)
10. Project
Prepare a Presentation (on paper or on a PC) as a piece of reference to other
students. Make use of the following points.
(1) Title page
(2) Introduction of the poet
Narrative poem/
(3) The Complete poem
first person/ Poet’s role-
(All 48 lines)
(4) Learning objectives lines of irregular length/
(5) Style of writing Absence of rhyme and metre
(6) Scorpion lines (1-7) Enjambement
(7) The peasants Free style/colloquial
(8) The poet’s father Repeated use of indirect speech
(10) The poet’s mother Repeated imagery/Use of similes,
(11) Vocabulary metaphors, alliteration, repetition
and onomatopoeia.
(12) Credits (positive aspects)

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106
 3.2 The Night I Met Einstein

Warming Up !
1. With your bench-mate prepare a profile of Albert Einstein.
ALBERT EINSTEIN
l Profession :
l Field of Science :
l World famous theory proposed :
l Awards :
l Disability in childhood :
l Books written :
2. Look at the picures of musical instruments and write their names; what the
player of the instrument is called and a famous player of the instrument.

Instrument Name of the instrument One who plays is A famous

called player

Ustad Bismillah
Khan
Pianist

3. Separate the words in the columns they belong to.

(chorus, ballet, melody, swar, kathak, raga, salsa, symphony, mudra, serenade,
choreography, tune, audience, tango, allegro, duet, odissi, choir, concert,
performance, hip-hop )
Music Common to both arts Dance

107
 The Night I Met Einstein

Jerome Weidman (1913-1998) was an American playwright and

novelist.
In 1960 he won the Pulitzer Prize for his work - a musical
(drama) titled ‘Fiorello’. He collaborated with George Abbot, Jerry
Bocjk and Sheldon Harnick for its music and lyrics.
His book ‘I Can Get It For You Wholesale’ has also been
used for a movie of the same name.
l dine : have dinner When I was a very young man, I was invited to
l hostess : a woman dine at the house of a philanthropist. After a wonderful
who invites guest to
dinner, our hostess took us to a large drawing room.
a social event
Chairs were being arranged. “I’m arranging the chairs
l concert :
for a concert”, my hostess said, “We’re going to listen
performance of
to a very good pianist.”
music by players or
singers Though everyone else was very happy, I was not.
l pianist : someone I did not understand classical music. I thought I was
who plays the piano tone-deaf. I sat down so that I would not be impolite
l tone-deaf : and waited for the concert to begin. I did not pay
unable to hear the attention to the music after it began.
difference between After a while, I heard everyone clapping, so I
high and low notes realised that the piece was over. Just then I heard a
of music gentle, but firm voice saying, “You’re fond of Bach ?”
l Bach : Johann I knew as much about Bach as I did about nuclear
Sebastian Bach, a
physics. I was going to say something ordinary so that
German organist and
composer of the 17th
I could get out of the situation. I turned in order to
century. look at my neighbour and I saw a very famous face.
u What was the It was someone with a shock of white hair and a pipe.
entertainment I knew that I must tell this man the truth. He
arranged for by the looked at me as if my answer was very important.
hostess ? “I do not know anything about Bach”, I said, “I
u What was the writer’s have never heard any of his music.” He looked
reaction to classical surprised.
music ? “You have never heard of Bach ?” he asked.
He made it sound as if I had said that I had never
taken a bath !
“I’d like to understand music so that I could
understand Bach,” I said, “but I’m not able to. I’m
tone-deaf.”
108
 The old man got up.
“You will come up with me  ?” he asked. I just
remained seated. “I’m requesting you to come with
me”, he said again.
So I went up with him. He took me to a room
which had a gramophone in it and asked, “What kind l gramophone :
of music do you like ?” machine for playing
“Well,” I answered, “I like songs that have words, recorded music.
and the kind of music where I can follow the tune.”

u What do you learn

from Einstein’s
treatment to the
young man ?
u Do you think the
comparison between
music and arithmetic
was a good one ? In
what ways ?

He smiled and nodded, obviously pleased. “You l nodded : moved

can give me an example, perhaps ?” head up and down to
indicate agreement
I told him I like anything by Bing Crosby. At
once, I could hear Bing Crosby’s voice filling the room. l Bing Crosby :
American singer and
“Now, can you please tell me what you just
actor
heard?”, he said.
The simplest answer seemed to be to sing the lines.
So I sang it back to him.
He smiled. “You’re not tone-deaf,” he said.
I told him this was one of my favourite songs,
something I had heard hundreds of times, so it didn’t u As far as listening
really prove anything. is concerned, what
“Nonsense !” said Einstein. “It proves everything ! difference do you
Do you remember your first arithmetic lesson in school ? notice between the
Suppose, at your very first contact with numbers, your writer and Einstein?
teacher had ordered you to work out a problem in, say,
long division or fractions. Could you have done it ?”
109
 “No, of course not.”
“Exactly ! It’s like learning maths. You have to
learn addition and subtraction in order to do
multiplication and division. Now I’m playing something
u How did Einstein a little more advanced.”
help the narrator It was John McCormack singing The Trumpeter.
appreciate music ? “Sing that back”, he ordered.
And we went on from level to higher level until
he was playing just music without words. I was amazed
that this great man was paying complete attention to
me so that I could learn something new. It was as if
I was the most important person in his world. Suddenly,
he got up and turned off the gramophone.
“Now young man”, he said, “We’re ready to listen
to Bach.”
We went down and sat in the hall. “Just allow
yourself to listen”, he said, “that’s all there is to it.”
I have heard that piece many times since that day.
But I am never alone. I am sitting beside a small man
with a shock of untidy hair and a pipe in his mouth.
He has eyes that are unusually warm. When the concert
ended, I too was able to clap-sincerely. Our hostess
came towards us. We both stood up.
“I’m so sorry, Dr Einstein”, she said, giving me a
cold look, “that you missed so much.”
u What does the last “I’m sorry too”, he said, “My young friend here
line tell you about and I, however, were engaged in the greatest activity
Einstein? of which a human being is capable.”
She looked puzzled. “Really?” she said. “And what
is that ?”
Einstein smiled and put his arm across my shoulders.
“Opening up the frontiers of beauty.”

ENGLISH WORKSHOP

1. Complete the following sentences.

(a) The narrator was not happy about the concert because .
(b) When the narrator turned to look at his neighbour, he .
(c) Einstein was surprised to hear that .
(d) The narrator’s memory has an image of Einstein as .
(e) The greatest act towards human beings is .

110
2. Who said to whom?
Statement Who To whom Effect on the listener
“We are going to listen
to a very good pianist.”

“I do not know anything

about Bach.”

“You are not tone-deaf.”

“Just allow yourself to

listen that's all there is
to it”

3. List all the words from the story related to ‘Music’.

4. Rewrite the following sentences inserting the appropriate phrases in their

proper form.
(to get out of, to come up, to turn on, to give in, to get into, to come down, to
work out, to turn off, to give off, to give out, to work in)
(a) He bed and the living room, to see if the door was closed.
(b) To enjoy the music and relax, he the music and the lights.
(c) Smita to her desire and her favourite toys to the poor.
(d) You should Mathematics so that you can problem.
5. (A) Give two points of difference between :
Instrumental Music Vocal Music
(1)
(2)
(B)
Light music Classical music Folk music

6. Prepare a word list of occupations in alphabetical order from the letters A upto
T. (You may skip ‘K’ and ‘Q’)
Actor, Banker, Carpenter, D E

F
G H I J
L M N O P

R S T
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7. Rewrite the following in indirect narration.
(a) ‘‘You are not tone-deaf’’, he said to me.
(b) ‘‘Could you have done it?’’, said Einstein.
(c) ‘‘Sing that back’’, he ordered me.
(d) He said, ‘‘What kind of music do you like?’’
(e) ‘‘I’m so sorry, Dr. Einstein’’, she said.
8. (A) Degrees of Comparison (Positive / Comparative / Superlative)
Insert the appropriate expressions, choosing from those given after each
sentences, for the positive degree.
(1) I am not my friend.
(taller than/ more taller/just as tall as)
(2) They are their neighbours.
(as helpful as/most helpful/more helpful)
(3) No other desert in Africa is the Sahara Desert.
(biggest of all/nearly so big as/bigger as)
(4) Very few animals in the wild are an elephant.
(exactly huger than/exactly as huge as/hugest than)
(5) Some snacks are a pizza.
(at least as tasty as/tastier as/most tasty as)
(B) Change the Degree of Comparision, as directed and rewrite without
changing the meaning.
(1) No one in the class is as brilliant as Tanvi. (Superlative)

(2) A diamond is one of the most precious of all stones. (Comparative)

(3) Her handwriting is better than that of her sister. (Positive)

(4) Jupiter is the largest of all planets. (Comparative)

(5) He is not the greatest of all leaders. (Positive)

(6) This painting is better than any other painting in the palace. (Superlative)

9. Prepare a word chain.

Pianist t............... end danger

............... rich ..............

yellow ............... ...............

112
10. Pick out words that refer to the following:
(1) A musical performance in public
(2) A lady who invites and looks after guests
(3) A device used to play recorded music
(4) One who is poor at deciphering musical notes
(5) Boundaries or limits of a field
11. ‘Music is the medicine of the mind’. Narrate an experience that leads to the
above conclusion. Write it in your own words, in your notebook.
12. You will come across many famous personalities in the story. Go to library or search
on internet the following names and write a few lines about the personalities given
below.
(a) Albert Einstein (c) Bing Crosby
(b) Johann S. Bach (d) John McCormack
13. Imagine you are the monitor of the class. You are asked to conduct an interview of a
famous scientist who is in your city/village. Frame 8 to 10 interview questions with the
help of the following points.
(1) Early life and education
(2) Interest for this particular field
(3) Any inspirational incident that occurred in his/her life
(4) Guru or mentor
(5) Inventions and awards
(6) Future plans
(7) Advice/Message to youngsters
14. Project :
Divide the class into four groups. Collect pictures or draw images of
various musical instruments, of the following categories.
(a) Stringed Instruments (Guitar)
(b) Wind Instruments (Flute)
(c) Percussion Instruments (Tabla)
(d) Solid Metal Instruments (Cymbals)
Paste and decorate pictures on separate sheets of paper. Give proper headings
and names. Compile into a file with a cover and suitable file-title.
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 3.3 Stephen Hawking

Warming Up !
1. Get into pairs and match the prominent personalities with the disabilities
they had :
‘A’ ‘B’

(1) John Milton The great German composer and musician who
became deaf at the age of 28 years.
(2) Beethoven The great English poet who became blind at the
age of 43 years.
(3) Stephen Hawking An American enterpreneur, animator, voice actor,
had learning disability.
(4) Walt Disney Famous scientist of the 20th century who was
paralyzed.
(5) Albert Einstein Great inventor who has over 1000 patents had
learning disability and became deaf.
(6) Thomas Edison Great 20th Century scientist and noted physicist who
had learning disability.
(7) Hellen Keller Dancer whose leg had to be amputated because of
an accident.
(8) Sudha Chandran Was blind and deaf.
(9) Tanay Grey-Thompson Had polio and was elected as the President of the
United States for four terms.
(10) Franklin Roosevelt Is a wheelchair racer.
2. Word Building.
(a) Reduplication : The root/stem of a word is repeated exactly the same or with
a slight change.
For example, tweet-tweet, pitter-patter, chit-chat, bang-bang, riff-raff.
(b) Blending : Parts of two or more words combine to form a new one.
For example, l breakfast + lunch = brunch
l smoke + fog = smog
l motor + hotel = motel
(c) Clipping : Reducing a word to one of its syllables or a part of it.
For example, l Mathematics - Maths
l Advertisement - Ad
l Laboratory - Lab
(d) Acronym : Words formed from the first letter of each of the words
involved.
For example, l radar, scuba, Unicef, Nasa
l BBC, CID, USA, ATM, VIP
l DOB, KYC, PM, GN, TY etc.
In your notebook, write five examples of each of the above types of word-building
devices. (You may take the help of a Dictionary/Internet)
114
 Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking (8th January 1942 - 14th March 2018) : He was an

English theoretical physicist, cosmologist, author and Director of Research
at the centre of theoretical cosmology within the Cambridge University.
Hawking was the first to set out a theory of cosmology explained by a
union of the general theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. Hawking
was an honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA), a lifetime
member of the Portificial Academy of Sciences, and a recipient of the
Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the US.
This lesson gives us an insight into the great scientist, his life and
his works.

Stephen Hawking (born January 8, 1942) is a

British scientist, professor and author who has done
groundbreaking work in physics and cosmology, and l cosmology : the
whose books have helped to make science accessible to science of the origin
everyone. At the age of 21, while studying cosmology and development of
at the University of Cambridge, he was diagnosed with the universe.
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Part of his life
story was depicted in the 2014 film ‘The Theory of
Everything.’
Over the years, Stephen Hawking has written or
co-written a total of 15 books. A few of the most
noteworthy include: The Grand Design, The Universe
in a Nutshell, The Theory of Everything. l catapulted : launched
In 1988 Hawking catapulted to international
prominence with the publication of A Brief History of
Time. The short, informative book became an account
of cosmology for the masses and offered an overview
of space and time, the existence of God and the future.
The work was an instant success, spending more than
four years atop the ‘London Sunday Times’ best-
seller list. Since its publication, it has sold millions of
copies worldwide and been translated into more than
40 languages.
‘A Brief History of Time’ also wasn’t as easy to
understand as some had hoped. So in 2001, Hawking
followed up his book with ‘The Universe in a Nutshell,’
which offered a more illustrated guide to cosmology’s
big theories.
115
 In 2005, Hawking authored the even more accessible
‘A Briefer History of Time,’ which further simplified
the original work’s core concepts and touched upon
l core : central, basic
the newest developments in the field like String theory.

Together these three books, along with Hawking’s

own research and papers, articulate the physicist’s
personal search for science’s Holy Grail: a single
l holy grail : (here) unifying theory that can combine cosmology (the study
a thing which is of the big) with quantum mechanics (the study of the
eagerly pursued or small) to explain how the universe began. It’s this kind
sought after of ambitious thinking that has allowed Hawking, who
claims he can think in 11 dimensions, to lay out some
l dimensions : aspects, big possibilities for humankind. He’s convinced that
features, facts time travel is possible, and that humans may indeed
colonize other planets in the future.
In September 2010, Hawking spoke against the idea
that God could have created the universe in his book
u What was Hawking
The Grand Design. Hawking previously argued that
convinced of ?
belief in a creator could be compatible with modern
scientific theories. His new work, however, concluded
that the Big Bang was the inevitable consequence of
the laws of physics and nothing more. “Because there
is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will
create itself from nothing,” Hawking said. “Spontaneous
creation is the reason there is something rather than
nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist.”
The Grand Design was Hawking’s first major
publication in almost a decade. Within his new work,
Hawking set out to challenge Sir Isaac Newton’s belief
that the universe had to have been designed by God,
simply because it could not have been born from chaos.
116
“It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue
touch paper and set the universe going,” Hawking said.
At the age of 21, Stephen Hawking was diagnosed u When did Hawking
with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou first notice his health
Gehrig’s disease). In a very simple sense, the nerves problems ?
that controlled his muscles were shutting down. At the
time, doctors gave him two and a half years to live.
Hawking first began to notice problems with his
physical health while he was at Oxford - on occasion
he would trip and fall, or slur his speech - he didn’t
look into the problem until 1963, during his first year
at Cambridge. For the most part, Hawking had kept
these symptoms to himself. But when his father took
notice of the condition, he took Hawking to see a
doctor. For the next two weeks, the 21-year-old college
student made his home at a medical clinic, where he
underwent a series of tests.
“They took a muscle sample from my arm, stuck l multiple sclerosis :
electrodes into me, and injected some radio-opaque fluid abnormal hardening
into my spine, and watched it going up and down with of body tissue
X-rays, as they tilted the bed,” he once said. “After
all that, they didn’t tell me what I had, except that it l atypical : very
unusual
was not multiple sclerosis, and that I was an atypical
l diagnose : detection
case.”
of a medical condition
Eventually, however, doctors did diagnose Hawking l devastating : causing
with the early stages of ALS. It was devastating news a severe shock
for him and his family, but a few events prevented
him from becoming completely despondent. The first
of these came while Hawking was still in the hospital.
There, he shared a room with a boy suffering from l leukemia : a
leukemia. Relative to what his roommate was going malignant progressive
through, Hawking later reflected, his situation seemed disease in which the
more tolerable. Not long after he was released from bone marrow and the
the hospital, Hawking had a dream that he was going other blood forming
to be executed. He said this dream made him realize organs produce
that there were still things to do with his life. increased numbers of
abnormal white blood
In a sense, Hawking’s disease helped him become
cells
the noted scientist he is today. Before the diagnosis,
Hawking hadn’t always focused on his studies. “Before
my condition was diagnosed, I had been very bored
with life,” he said. “There had not seemed to be
anything worth doing.” With the sudden realization that
he might not even live long enough to earn his Ph.D,
117
 Hawking poured himself into his work and research.
As physical control over his body diminished (he’d
be forced to use a wheelchair by 1969), the effects of
his disease started to slow down. Over time, however,
Hawking’s ever-expanding career was accompanied by
u In the mid 1970’s an ever-worsening physical state. By the mid-1970s,
what did the the Hawking family had taken in one of Hawking’s
Hawking’s family do ? graduate students to help manage his care and work.
He could still feed himself and get out of bed, but
u Why was Hawking virtually everything else required assistance. In addition,
forced to use a his speech had become increasingly slurred, so that
wheelchair ? only those who knew him well could understand
him. In 1985 he lost his voice for good following a
l tracheotomy : tracheotomy. The resulting situation required 24-hour
an incision in the nursing care for the acclaimed physicist.
windpipe made to It also put in peril Hawking’s ability to do his
relieve an obstruction work. The predicament caught the attention of a
to breathing. California computer programmer, who had developed
l peril : serious and a speaking program that could be directed by head
immediate danger or eye movement. The invention allowed Hawking
Guess the meaning to select words on a computer screen that were then
of : passed through a speech synthesizer. At the time of its
predicament : introduction, Hawking, who still had use of his fingers,
selected his words with a handheld clicker. Today, with
virtually all control of his body gone, Hawking directs
the program through a cheek muscle attached to a
l sensor : a device sensor.
which detects or Through the program, and the help of assistants,
measures a physical Stephen Hawking has continued to write at a prolific
property and records, rate. His work has included numerous scientific papers,
indicates or otherwise of course, but also information for the non-scientific
responds to it.
community.
Hawking’s health, of course, remains a constant
concern - a worry that was heightened in 2009
u What do Stephen when he failed to appear at a conference in Arizona
Hawking works because of a chest infection. In April, Hawking, who
include ? had already announced he was retiring after 30 years
from the post of Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at
u What remains a Cambridge, was rushed to the hospital for being what
constant anxiety? university officials described as “gravely ill.” It was
later announced that he was expected to make a full
recovery.
(He passed away on 14th March, 2018.)
118
 ENGLISH WORKSHOP

1. Observe the time line and search the occurances according to it. Prepare a chart.
January 8, 1942
1969 forced to use wheel chair
1970
1988

year 2001 2005 2009 2010 2014

2. Make a list of books written by Stephen Hawking.

Name of the book What’s in it ? His contribution to the
(topics covered) world
1. (a)
2. (b)
3. (c)
4. (d)
3. Make a list of Hawking’s physical inabilities after 1963.
(a) (d)
(b) (e)
(c) (f)
4. Shape your mind. Complete the network of cluster diagram with the name of
great personalities and their contribution.

Fine
art

Literature Field of
Mathematics
Excellence

Science

119
5. Complete the following web.

Became world famous

after publication of ‘A
Brief History of Time.’

Stephen Hawking’s
Achievements

6. Explain how the life of Stephen Hawking proves the proverb ‘Every cloud has
a silver lining’. Write it down in your notebook.
7. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements ? Justify your stand/
answer by quoting a line from the text.
(a) Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
(b) Hawking believed that man cannot live on other planets in the future.
(c) Though Hawking lost control over his body, he writes with a prolific rate with the help
of assistants.
(d) Hawking has written or co-written more than 25 books.
8. Following incidents in Stephen Hawking’s life are given in jumbled order. Arrange
the incidents in proper sequence as per their order of occurrence in Hawking’s life.
(a) Hawking’s book ‘The Universe in a Nutshell’ offered illustrated guide to
cosmology’s big theories.
(b) Hawking published the book ‘A Brief History of Time’ that offered an overview of
space and time.
(c) Hawking was unable to attend a conference in Arizona.
(d) Hawking was diagnosed with ALS while studying cosmology at the University of
Cambridge.
(e) Hawking published ‘A Brief History of Time’ that contained the newest development.
9. Fill in the blanks with the proper form of the Verbs as per the Subject :
(1) Mother a good meal. (cook/cooks)
(2) Mother and her daughter a good meal. (cook/cooks)
(3) The rise and fall of the Empire recorded in History. (is/are)
(4) Neither Ritesh nor Alok well. (play/plays)
(5) Either of the two guilty. (is/are)
120
 (6) Everyone mistakes. (make/makes)
(7) That news published today. (is/are)
(8) Eight lakh rupees a big amount. (was/were)
(9) The Committee approved of it. (has/have)
(10) The cost of all the goods risen. (has/have)
10. From the following sentences, underline the Nouns and encircle their Determiners
that specify the noun in a noun phrase.
(articles/possessive pronouns/demonstratives or quantifiers)
(1) He lost his voice for good.
(2) Over the years, Hawking has written 15 books.
(3) These three books articulate his search for science’s Holy Grail.
(4) A few events prevented him from despondency.
(5) That dream made him realize it.
11. Complete the information from following graphic organiser and prepare
summary.
Summary Maker
Title of the text :
(a) Name of the personality :

(b)
Age :
(c) Books (As Author) :

(d) Field of Excellence :

(e)
Achievements :
12. You have come to know from the text that ‘The Theory of Everything’ is a film
describing the life and work of Stephen Hawking. Watch the film on internet
and write a complete review of it. You can take help of the following points
while writing the review of the film.
(1) Title
(2) Characters
(3) Story
(4) Dialogues
(5) Picturisation
(6) Music
(7) Special features (if any)
(8) Opinion / Views
(9) Message/Moral values.
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121
 3.4 The Will to Win

Warming Up !

1. Get into pairs, discuss and tick the most appropriate answer :
(a) You may have lost the match; but
(i) It is important that you start fighting with your opponent.
(ii) It is important to have the will to win.
(iii) It is important that you blame the organizers for the rough ground.
(b) Success is always measured by :
(i) Ability to pounce upon at the opponent and fight with full force.
(ii) Match fixing before the match begins.
(iii) Ability to bounce back after a fall.
(c) For attaining success; we need to :
(i) Sleep day in and day out and dream about success.
(ii) Scheme out things to make the opponent fall.
(iii) Work hard day and night for it.
2. How can we achieve success in life? Complete the boxes by filling the
essential qualities required for achieving success. H
ar
d
w
or
k

Requirements for
SUCCESS

122
3. Discuss and write 5 proverbs/quotations related to the importance of having a
strong will-power.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
4. Complete the following table.
Make a list of great personalities of present and past who have achieved success in
different walks of life. You can take help of your school library or search on the
internet.
Politics Social work Sports Music

123
 The Will to Win

Berton Braley was born in Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A. He inherited

his father’s talent in writing and had shown his talent at a young age
of eleven, when he published his first work - a fairy tale called “Why
the grass is green”. Braley was considered a person who was always
optimistic and held the belief that everything is possible. Braley had
written around 4,000 verses and several hundred short stories making
him one of the most widely read American poets of his era.
In this poem, the poet teaches us to have the will to win, come
what may.

If you want a thing bad enough

to go out and fight for it,
work day and night for it,
give up your time and your peace and your sleep for it
l scheme - plan If all that you dream
and scheme is about it and life
l fret : worry, be seems useless and worthless without it
anxious
If you gladly sweat for, fret for and plan for it and lose
l sagacity : wisdom all your terror of the opposition for it.
and good judgement
l pertinacity : If you simply go after that thing that you want with all
constant determination of your capacity, strength and sagacity, faith, hope and
l famished : extremely confidence and stern pertinacity.
hungry If neither cold or poverty, famished or gaunt
l gaunt : very thin or sickness or pain
especially from of body and brain
disease, hunger or
can keep you away from the thing that you want,
cold
If dogged and grim you besiege and beset it,
l grim : serious, with the help of GOD you’ll get it!
unhappy
- Berton Braley

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 ENGLISH WORKSHOP

1. (A) In order to achieve success the poet wants us to

(a)
(b)
(c)
(B) Write as many phrases as you can using ‘enough’ and use them in your
sentences.
Example : good enough
(C) What does the word ‘Scheme’ mean here ? Choose the correct alternative
from the following.
(a) Housing colony
(b) Goal in life
(c) Rhyme pattern
(d) Plan of action
(D) Do you think the line ‘Give up your time and your peace and your sleep
for it’ means that one should be ‘desperate’ or restless’ to achieve one’s
goal. Explain your opinion, in your notebook.
(E) Following lines are given to you. Find their appropriate meanings after discussing
with your partner.
(a) To go out and fight for it.
(b) If you gladly sweat for, fret for and plan for it.
(c) Lose all your terror of opposition for it.
(d) With all your capacity, strength and sagacity.
(F) Read the poem again and complete the web showing all those things that can
turn one away from ones efforts towards a goal.

Things that can turn

you away from goals

(G) Find the lines from the poem which mean-

(a) become crazy for the goal
(b) toil hard happily
(c) get rid of all fears
125
 (d) make efforts continuously
(e) extremely poor condition
2. The poet has mentioned some hurdles in the poem that keep us away from
achieving our goal in our life. Discuss with your partner and make a list of all
the hurdles mentioned in the poem.
l sickness
l

3. The poem explicitly describes some strengths and weaknesses with the help of
some words and phrases. The poet wants us to possess all the strengths and
keep away from all the weaknesses. Make a list of all the words and phrases
showing Strengths in table A and Weaknesses in table B. One is done for you.
A B
Strengths Weaknesses
l Work day and night l Sickness
l l

l l

l l

4. Listen to the poem carefully and state whether the following statements are true
or false. Correct the false statements.
(a) If you want a thing you should not give up your sleep.
(b) You should be afraid of your opposition.
(c) Cold or poverty cannot keep you away from achieving your goal.
(d) You can achieve your goal with the help of God.
(e) Life will not seem useless and worthless without achieving your goal.
5. Form pairs and complete the web with suitable responses. Tell the class what all
things the poet wants us to do to win.

give up our sleep

The poet wants

us to

126
6. Match the phrases in table A with lines of the poem given in table B.
Phrases Lines
(1) Toil hard (a) If you want a thing bad enough...
(2) Get rid of all (b) If neither cold or poverty, famished ...
(3) Extremely poor condition (c) To work day and night for it.
(4) Need desperately (d) Lose all your terror of the opposition for it.

7. Every stanza begins with word ‘if’. How does it add to the effectiveness of the
poem ?
8. (A) In poetry, when words/ideas are arranged in an ascending order of
importance, the figure of speech used is called ‘Climax’.
For example, Man should work for his family, his country, but most of all
for God.
l Pick out two examples of ‘Climax’ from the poem.
(B) When some words, in the line of the poem, express the same idea in
different ways, the figure of speech used is ‘Tautology’.
For example, . . . happy and joyful.
. . . motionless and still.
l Pick out two examples of ‘Tautology’ from the poem.
(C) Pick out one example of the following Figures of Speech.
(1) Antithesis :
(2) Alliteration :
(3) Repetition:
9. Work in group and prepare and present a speech on ‘How to Achieve Success.’
(You may take help of the poem).
10. Read the poem again and write an appreciation of the poem ‘The Will to
Win’ in a paragraph format. (Refer to page no. 5)
11. Project :
Make a list of Berton Braley’s collection of selected poems. You can take
help of your teacher, library or search on internet. Recite Braley’s any one
poem in front of the class.

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127
 3.5 Unbeatable Super Mom - Mary Kom

Warming Up !

1. Discuss and find out the jobs which were done only by men in the past but
nowadays women too have started doing them.

2. Complete the following web of India’s winning medals in Olympics.

boxing

Olympic
Abhinav
Medal Bindra

The text is about a famous female boxer, Mary Kom, who has brought laurels to our
country by winning many national and international boxing championships. Make a list
of famous men and women boxers across the world. You can take help of internet or your
school library to get this information to complete the table.
Name of boxer Gender Country
1. Mary Kom Female India

2.

3.

4.

5.

128
 Unbeatable Super Mom - Mary Kom

Mary Kom : Chungneijang Mary Kom was born on 24th November, 1982.
Better known as Mary Kom, she is an Olympic Indian boxer hailing from the Kom
tribe in Manipur. She is a six time World Amateur Boxing Champion, and the only
woman boxer to have won a medal in each one of the six world championships.
Nicknamed ‘Magnificent Mary’, she is the only Indian woman boxer to
have qualified for the summer 2012 Olympics competing in the flyweight (51 Kg)
category and winning the bronze medal.

There had to be one successful story if Indians ö What was Mary

were to survive in sports and we have that story now. Kom’s exceptional
achievement ?
Enough has been said about this great warrior who
conquered the world. This warrior is none other than ö What has added to
Mary Mangte Kom - the Komqueror and the Komrade. her greatness as a
She is famed as a five times World Boxing Champion boxing champion ?
and the only boxer to win a medal in every one of
the six world championships. In the 2012 Olympics,
she became the first Indian woman boxer to qualify ö How did Kom’s
and win a bronze medal in the 51 Kg flyweight parents make a
category of Boxing. living ?
Kom was born in Kangthei village, Moirang
Lamkhai in Churachandpur district of rural Manipur in
eastern India. She came from a poor family. Her
parents, Mangte Tonpa Kom and Mangte Akham Kom
were tenant farmers who worked in jhum fields. Kom l jhum : farming,
grew up in humble surroundings, helping her parents shifting cultivation
with farm related chores, going to school and learning
l humble
athletics initially and later boxing simultaneously. Her surroundings : simple
father was a keen wrestler in his younger age. and poor conditions
She had an eager interest in athletics since
childhood and the success of Dingko Singh a fellow
Manipuri, who returned from the 1998 Bangkok Asian
games with a gold medal, Kom recollects, had inspired
many youngsters in Manipur to try boxing and she too
thought of giving it a try.
Mary Kom’s career started in 2000 after her
victory in the Manipur State Women’s Boxing
Championship and the regional championship in West
Bengal. In 2001, she started competing at international

129
 level. She was only 18 years old when she made her
l debut : first public international debut at the first AIBA Women’s World
appearance or Boxing Championship in United States, winning a silver
performance medal in the 48 kg weight category. Her greatness is
l reinforced : reinforced by the way she apologised to the whole
strengthened nation for not being able to win the Gold. She is a
l a legend : one who legend for sure and an idol for all the sportswomen to
makes history look up to.
AN INTERVIEW
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda
correspondent Taruka Srivastava, Olympic Bronze
medalist Mary Kom talked about her preparation for
l elation : great joy the Olympics and her elation at winning a medal.
Interviewer : First things first - 
you’re the first
Indian female boxer to win an Olympics medal for
l sunk in : realize and India. Has the feeling completely sunk in ?
accept Mary Kom : I am really happy with my
achievement and yes it is yet to sink in. I am just so
l exhilarated : very exhilarated.
thrilled Interviewer : You were the only female
representative from India in boxing. Did that put
additional pressure on you?
Mary Kom : No, not at all. I was pretty confident
about myself. I knew.
Interviewer : Your coach Charles Atkinson was
ö What failed to not allowed to accompany you to the Olympics. How
pressurize Mary Kom did that affect your preparations ?
during the Olympics ?
Mary Kom : Well, I did miss him there but
thankfully, we had already done our homework and I
was well prepared.
Interviewer : During your preparations for the
Olympics, you sparred with the male boxers of the
l sparring : motions Indian contingent. Who was your favourite sparring
of boxing during partner ?
training, without Mary Kom : (Laughs) Well, I trained hard in
landing actual blows
Pune and the male boxers were kind enough to practise
with me whenever I required them. To name a favourite
would be unfair.
Interviewer : You were quoted saying “Adams
was very clever, a counter - puncher but, although she
130
carried power, she wasn’t very tactical. I was scoring l tactical : planned
but the judges were not pressing the buttons.” Do you actions to gain
think dodgy judging was part of the reason for your victory
loss in the semi - finals? l dodgy : unjust/partial
Mary Kom : Yes, I think some of the decisions
were unfortunate and did not work to my benefit.
Interviewer : India managed just 6 medals in the
2012 Olympics even though we are a nation of 1:3
billion people. Where do you think a change is required
to help us win medals that are proportionate with our
population ?
Mary Kom : I think more and more people should
take up sports as a full - time career if we want more
gold medals. More corporates should come in and l corporates :
sponsor players so that the players don’t have any companies or
financial pressure and can just focus on their games. industries
l sponsor :
Interviewer : Do you think interest in boxing in
organization that pays
India will ever go beyond the Olympics ?
or aids sportsmen or
Mary Kom : Yes, I am sure that in a few years a sports event
boxing will be very popular among everyone in India, ö What can help
all the year round. Indian Sportsmen to
Interviewer : How aware are Indian women of their win more Olympic
nutritional requirements ? Diet and nutrition must’ve been Medals ?
a key factor in your conditioning for the Olympics. Do l conditioning :
you think nutrition is a neglected area in Indian sports ? becoming fit
Mary Kom : The awareness is growing now among
the female athletes when it comes to nutritional
ö How did Mary Kom
requirements. Nutrition has definitely been a neglected increase her weight ?
area in Indian sports. I had to gain 3 kgs since I had
to fight in the 51kg event instead of the usual 48kgs
that I fight in. So I had to focus on what to eat. I
gained weight by eating the right kind of healthy food
rather than bad saturated fats. l saturated fats :
Interviewer : How big a role did OGQ play in unhealthy fats
shaping the boxing scene in India for the better ? l OGQ : Olympic
Mary Kom : OGQ really played an important part Gold Quest
in my success. They helped me out whenever I needed ö What did OGQ do for
something. They took care of everything, which helped Mary Kom ?
me focus on my boxing and kept me stress - free.
Interviewer : What’s your opinion on the future
of Indian boxing ?
131
 Mary Kom : The future is very bright and I am
sure many more boxers will get medals for us.
Interviewer : Do you find it difficult to convince
your children not to fight when they watch you go out
and do it in style all the time ?
Mary Kom : Well, I have twins and yes, sometimes
it becomes really difficult to keep them under control.
Interviewer : Will you train your kids to become
boxers as well ?
Mary Kom : I haven’t really thought about it. As
of now, just let their mother box !
Interviewer : You have broken several stereotypes
about the women in India by showing that women can
l stereotype : a fixed
compete with men in any field. But how good are you
idea held as a
common standard
at the ‘traditional’ feminine activities like cooking ?
Mary Kom : Well, I am good at cooking and other
household work too.
Interviewer : Would you be interested in coaching
ö Is Mary Kom more Indian women in boxing one day ?
proud of -being a
Mary Kom : Let’s see. In the future, may be yes.
boxer or a mother ?
Interviewer : What do you prefer being
called - Super Mom or Super Boxer ?
Mary Kom : I love being a mom. That’s the best
thing that has ever happened to me.
***
ons
Awards and recogniti
ing) in 2003
• Arjuna Award (Box
rts) in 2006
• Padma Shree (Spo 2007
r fo r Ra jiv Ga nd hi Khel Ratna Award in
• Contende rds in 2007
op le of th e Ye ar - 
  Limca Book of Reco
• Pe ard in 2008
an d Re lia nc e In du stries Real Heroes Aw
• CNN-IBN
AIBA in 2008
• Pepsi MTV Youth,
, AIBA in 2008
• ‘Magnificent Mary’ n (Z SF ) at New Lamka YPA
Hall in
i Student’s Fe de ra tio
• Felicitation by Zom
2008
Ratna award in 2009
• Rajiv Gandhi Khel ba ss ad or for Women’s Boxing
in 2009
Associa tio n’ s Am
• International Boxing d in 2010
e ye ar , Sahara Sports Awar es.
• Sportsw om an of th
n Go ld at th e 20 18 Commonwealth Gam
oman Boxer to wi
• The first Indian W
132
 ENGLISH WORKSHOP

1. Choose the correct alternative and underline it.

(a) What is included in the text?
(i) story (ii) speech (iii) interview (iv) poem
(b) Which State does Mary Kom belong to ?
(i) Maharashtra (ii) Tamil Nadu (iii) Kerala (iv) Manipur
(c) Who inspired Mary Kom and other youngsters in Manipur to choose boxing as
a career ?
(i) Dingko Singh (ii) Charles Atkinson (iii) Mangte Tonpa Kom (iv) Adams
(d) What does Mary Kom prefer being called ?
(i) Super mom (ii) Super boxer (iii) Super woman (iv) Super being
2. Go through the text again and find out the name of cities and their importance
in Mary Kom’s life. One is given for you.
(a) Kangthei - Mary Kom’s birth place
(b)
(c)
(d)
3. Go through the text again and complete the following sentences.
1. Mary Kom helped her parents with .
2. The success of Dingko Singh inspired .
3. Mary Kom made her debut at .
4. We can get more gold medals if .
5. Mary Kom was able to increase her weight by .
6. Mary Kom is good at .
7. Mary Kom loves to be .
8. Mary Kom apologised the nation for .
9. Kom’s parents were Her father was .
10. Kom was the first woman boxer to .
4. You will find some Acronyms (short forms) in the text. Go to the library or
search the internet to find their full forms. Discuss with your partner. One is
given for you.
(a) OGQ - Olympic Gold Quest
(b) IBN -
(c) MTV -
(d) YPA -
(e) AIBA -
(f) CNN -
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5. Fill in the factfile of Mary Kom.
(a) Full name : (f) Coach :
(b) Native of : (g) Early achievements :
(c) Early life and interests : (h) International achievements :
(d) Special sports taken up : (i) Her passion :
(e) Inspired by : (j) Future plans :
6. Glance through the text and find the special qualities of Mary Kom. Complete
the web by putting different qualities of Mary Kom in the boxes.

humble

Qualities of
Mary Kom

7. ‘Super Mom’ refers to an excellent mother. Give three reasons why ‘super’ has
been added to the word ‘mom’ as in the title.
1.
2.
3.
8. Answer the following questions in your own words.
(a) What makes the writer call Mary Kom ‘a legend’ ?
(b) What prime quality did Mary Kom display during her first attempt in Olympic
games ? What was her bad luck ?
(c) What does Mary Kom suggest, for India to win more Olympic Gold Medals ?
9. Rearrange the facts below in their proper order, as per the text.
(a) Mary Kom made her first appearance at international level.
(b) She sparred with male boxers in Pune.
(c) Mary Kom won the Manipur State’s Women’s Boxing Championship.
(d) She won a bronze medal in the 2012 Olympics.
(e) Mary Kom decided to take up boxing.
10. Mary Kom prepared rigorously to win many championships. Read the text again and
make a list of various things done by Kom regarding her preparations.
l Variety of preparations

l Diet

l Focus
134
11. Make sentences of your own using the following words.
(a) debut l

(b) elation l
l

(c) sponsor l
l

(d) reinforced l
l

(e) humble surroundings l

l

12. Find antonyms of the following words from the text.

(a) Arrogant Ð (b) Finally Ð 
 
(c) Depressed Ð (d) Disqualify Ð
(e) Diffident Ð (f) Float Ð 
 
13. Underline the subordinate clauses and state their kind.
(a) Enough has been said about this great warrior, who conqured the world.
(Subordinate clause)
(b) The male boxers kindly practised with me whenever I required them.
(c) I think that more people should take up sports as a full - time career
(d) Do you think nutrition is a neglected area in Indian sports ?
(e) That’s the best thing, that has happened to me.
(f) India managed just 6 medals in 2012 Olympics even though we are a nation
of 1.3 billion people.
14. (A) Pick out from the lesson the Verb forms of :
(a) qualification (d) decisions
(b) negligence (e) practice
(c) company (f) birth
(B) Pick out the Noun forms of :
(a) represent (d) achieve
(b) change (e) aware
(c) prepare (f) succeed
(C) Pick out the Adjective forms of :
(a) favour (d) nutrition
(b) proportion (e) female
(c) finance (f) addition

135
15. Imagine that you are the Captain of your team. A famous cricketer is going
to visit your school. You are assigned the task to conduct an interview of that
famous cricketer. Frame a set of 10 questions that you will ask the cricketer.
Take help of the points given below.
(a) Early life
(b) Interest in this field
(c) Inspiration
(d) Coaching and guidance
(e) Achievements/ Records
(f) Future plans
(g) Advice to youngsters
16. Write a short paragraph describing the life and work of Mary Kom. Take
help of the points given below. You can take help of the factfile that you have
prepared earlier (Activity 5).
(a) Early life (b) Training
(c) Achievements (d) Future Plans
17. ‘What men can do, women can do better.’
Divide your class in 2 groups. Let one group offer points ‘For the topic’ and
the other, ‘Against the topic.’ Note down the points in your note books and
expand the points in two separate write- ups, as views and counterviews. Suggest
suitable titles for each.
18. Two famous proverbs - ‘Actions speak louder than words’ and ‘Fortune favours
the brave’ are best suited to the personality of Mary Kom. Form two groups in the
class. Each group should write a paragraph on one proverb with reference to the life
and achievements of Mary Kom.

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136
 3.6 The Concert

Warming Up !

1. Pair up with your partner and ask and answer the following questions.
(a) Do you like music ?
(b) What does a concert mean ?
(c) Have you ever attended any live concert ?
(d) Have you seen a concert on Television ?
(e) Whose concert would you love to attend ?

2. Look at the web diagram given below and study the traits of a good concert
organizer.
Professionalism
Motivator Patience
Respectfulness
Self-awareness

10 Essential qualities of a
concert organizer An open mind
Decisiveness

Strong and Big picture view

effective Ability to entrust
communication responsibilty to
the right person

137
 The Concert

Shanta Rao (1930-2007) was a notable dancer from India. She was
exponent of Bharatnatyam and also studied Kathakali and Kuchipudi.
She was recipient of Padmashri and Sangeet Natak Academy Award
and Kalidas Sanman for Music, dance and drama.
This is a true story, but all the names except Pandit Ravishankar’s
and Ustad Allah Rakha’s have been changed.

One morning in a small apartment in Bombay a

girl of about sixteen looked up from the newspaper
u Why was Smita and said excitedly, ‘Pandit Ravi Shankar is playing
excited ? tomorrow at the Shanmukhananda auditorium.’
‘Sh-sh,’ said her mother pointing to the figure
Note : Bombay was
sleeping on the bed. ‘You’ll wake him up. You know
the official name of
Mumbai until 1995.
he needs all the sleep and rest he can get.’
But the boy on the bed was not asleep. ‘Pandit
Ravi Shankar!’ he said. ‘Pandit Ravi Shankar, the
sitar maestro? He raised himself up on his elbows for
l maestro : a one second, then fell back. But his eyes were shining.
prominent conductor ‘We mustn’t miss the chance,’ he said. ‘I’ve - ‘I’ve –
or performer of always wanted to hear him and see him…’
classical music. ‘Lie down son, lie down.’ His mother sprang to
his side. ‘He actually raised himself up without help,’
l murmur : quietly she murmured with a catch in her throat and her eyes
spoken words turned to the idols on a corner shelf. The prayer, which
she uttered endlessly, came unbidden to her lips.
‘I must hear him and see him,’ the boy repeated.
u What was the chance
‘It’s the chance of a lifetime.’ Then he began to cough
of a lifetime for
Anant ?
and gasp for breath and had to be given oxygen from
the cylinder that stood under the bed. But his large
eyes were fixed on his sister.
Smita bit her lip in self-reproach. She had been
u Why did Smita become so excited at seeing the announcement, that she had
nervous ? not remembered that her brother was very ill. She had
seen how the doctors had shaken their heads gravely
and spoken words that neither she nor even her parents
could understand. But somewhere deep inside Smita had
known the frightening truth – that Anant was going to
die. The word cancer had hung in the air – her brother
138
was dying of cancer even though she pretended that
all would be well and they would return together, a
small family of four, to their home in Gaganpur. And
he was only fifteen and the best table-tennis player in
the school and the fastest runner. He was learning to u Why was everyone
play the sitar ; they were both taking sitar lessons, but from the family trying
Anant was better than her as in many other things. to keep Anant happy ?
He was already able to compose his own tunes to the
astonishment of their guru. Then cancer had struck and
they had come to Bombay so that he could be treated
at the cancer hospital in the city.
Whenever they came to Bombay they stayed with
Aunt Sushila. Her apartment was not big but there was
always room for them.
They had come with high hopes in the miracles u Why was Smita not
of modern science. They told themselves that Anant ready to go for the
would be cured at the hospital and he would again concert ?
walk and run and even take part in the forthcoming
table-tennis tournament. And, he would play the sitar-
perhaps be a great sitarist one day. But his condition
grew worse with each passing day and the doctors at
the cancer hospital said, ‘Take him home. Give him the
thing he likes, indulge him,’ and they knew then that l indulge : to allow to
the boy had not many days to live. But they did not enjoy the pleasure of
voice their fears. They laughed and smiled and talked something
and surrounded Anant with whatever made him happy.
They fulfilled his every need and gave him whatever
he asked for. And now he was asking to go to the
concert. ‘The chance of a lifetime,’ he was saying.
‘When you are better,’ his mother said. ‘This is
not the last time they are going to play.’
Smita stood at the window looking at the traffic,
her eyes wet with tears. Her mother whispered, ‘But
you Smita, you must go. Your father will take you.’
When she was alone with Aunt Sushila, Smita
cried out in a choked voice, ‘No, how can I? We’ve
always done things together, Anant and I.’
‘A walk in the park might make you feel better,’
said Aunt Sushila and Smita was grateful for her
suggestion.
In the park, people were walking, running, playing
ball, doing yogic exercises, feeding the ducks and eating

139
 roasted gram and peanuts, Smita felt alone in their
midst. She was lost in her thoughts.
Suddenly a daring thought came to her and as she
hurried home she said to herself. ‘Why not? There’s no
harm in trying it.’
‘It would be nice to go to the concert. I don’t know
when we’ll get another opportunity to hear Pandit Ravi
Shankar,’ she said to her mother later. And her father
agreed to get the tickets.
The next day as Smita and her father were leaving
for the concert, her brother smiled and said, ‘Enjoy
yourself,’ though the words came out in painful gasps.
‘Lucky you!’
Sitting besides her father in the gallery, Smita heard
as in a dream the thundering welcome the audience
gave the great master. Then the first notes came over
the air and Smita felt as if the gates of a land of
enchantment and wonder were opening. Spellbound,
l plaintive : sad she listened to the unfolding ragas, the slow plaintive
notes, the fast twinkling ones, but all the while the
plan she had decided on the evening before remained
firmly in her mind. ‘The chance of a lifetime.’ She
heard Anant’s voice in every beat of the tabla.
The concert came to an end, the audience gave the
u How did Smita enjoy artistes a standing ovation.
the concert ? A large moustachioed man having a long moustache,
made a long boring speech. Then came the presentation
of bouquets. Then more applause and the curtain came
down. The people began to move towards the exits.
Now was the time. Smita wriggled her way through
the crowds towards the stage. Then she went up the
steps that led to the wings, her heart beating loudly.
Discuss and Share: In the wings a small crowd had gathered to talk about
u Have you ever the evening concert, to help carry bouquets and teacups
attended any concert ? and instruments.
How was your
He was there, standing with the man who played
experience there ?
the tabla for him, the great wizard of music, Ustad
Allah Rakha. Her knees felt weak, her tongue dry.
But she went up and standing before them, her hands
folded, ‘Oh sir,’ she burst out.
‘Yes?’ he asked questioningly but kindly. And her
story came pouring out, the story of her brother who
140
lay sick at home and of how he longed to hear him
and the Ustad play.
‘Will you come to Aunt Sushila’s house and play
for him?’ she asked at the end breathlessly. ‘Please,’
she begged, ‘Please come.’
‘Little girl,’ said the moustachioed man who had
made the long speech. ‘Panditji is a busy man. You
must not bother him with such requests.’
But Pandit Ravi Shankar smiled and motioned him
to be quiet. He turned to Ustad Sahib and said, ‘What
shall we do, Ustad Sahib?’
The Ustad moved the wad of paan from one cheek
to another. ‘Tomorrow morning we perform for the boy
- Yes?’ he said.
‘Yes,’ Panditji replied. ‘It’s settled then.’
It was a very excited Smita who came home late
that night. Anant was awake, breathing the oxygen u What was Smita’s
from the cylinder. plan ?
‘Did you - did you hear him?’ he whispered.
‘I did,’ she replied, ‘and I spoke to him and he’ll
come tomorrow morning with the tabla Ustad and u Why were the
they’ll play for you.’ neighbours surprised ?
And the following morning Aunt Sushila’s
neighbours saw two men get out of a taxi which pulled u Music can calm
up outside their block… they could not believe their the minds. What is
eyes. ‘Is it… It’s not possible?’ they said. your opinion about
Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Allah Rakha went it. Share with your
up the wooden staircase and knocked softly on the door partner.
of Aunt Sushila’s apartment. They went in, sat down
on the divan by the window and played for the boy,
surrounding him with a great and beautiful happiness
as life went out of him gently, very gently.
-Shanta Rao

141
 ENGLISH WORKSHOP

1. Who said to whom ?

(a) “We mustn’t miss the chance.”
(b) “This is not the last time they are going to play.”
(c) “A walk in the park might make you feel better.”
(d) “Tomorrow morning we perform for the boy - Yes ?”
2. Read the following sentences and write which emotions are revealed from these
sentences.
(a) Pandit Ravi Shankar is playing tomorrow at Shanmukhananda auditorium.
(b) It’s the chance of a lifetime.
(c) Will you come to Aunt Sushila’s house and play for him ?
(d) Did you...did you hear him ?
(e) Is it...It’s not possible ?
3. Read the text carefully, you will find some words describing a particular speciality of
the individuals/personalities in the text. Explain the meaning of the following words
given in the table with reference to the particular personality mentioned in the text.
Speciality Personality Explanation
Maestro
Pandit Ravi Shankar
Ustad
Moustachioed a person having a large or
bushy moustache.

4. Describe the condition of Smita when she was going towards the stage. Read the text
again and complete the boxes given below. One is done for you.

Her heart was

beating loudly.

Smita’s
condition

5. The whole story revolves around Anant. Write a short paragraph on Anant. Take help
of the following points to develop the paragraph.
1. Health 2. Disease 3. Early interests
4. Intense desire/wish 5. Fulfillment of desire/wish.

142
6. The story has three important characters - Anant, Smita and Aunt Sushila. Go through
the story again and complete the following table that highlights their special traits of
character. You can put X mark if that trait is not mentioned in the text.
Special traits Smita Anant Aunt Sushila

Strength

Weaknesses

Dreams

Motivation

7. The two contradictory pictures are depicted in the story. Discuss in pairs and
describe them in your words in front of the class.
8. The text has a big collection of Indian words in it. Using words from another
language in a write up is called Code-mixing. Make a list of all the Indian
words in table A and their meanings in table B. One is done for you.
‘A’ Indian word ‘B’ Meaning

1. Raga (a) piece of Indian classical music based on one of

the six basic musical modes.
2. (b)
3. (c)
4. (d)
5. (e)
6. (f)
7. (g)
8. (h)
9. (i)
9. (A) Choose the appropriate Adverb or Adjective form to fill in the gaps.
(1) She spoke in an tone. (excited / excitedly)
(2) Smita accepted the suggestion . (grateful / gratefully)
(3) They gave him whatever made him . (happy/ happily)
(4) He ran very . (fast / fastly)
(5) He would become a sitarist some day. (great / greatly)
(6) Life went out of him (gentle / gently)
143
 (B) Rewrite in Indirect speech
1. “Please”, she begged him, “Please come”.

2. He said, “What shall we do, Ustad Sahib ?”

3. Her brother said, “Enjoy yourself”. He added, “Lucky you!”

4. ‘Yes’ Panditji replied. “It’s settled then. Tomorrow morning we shall

perform, for the boy.”

10. The text mentions names of stalwarts like Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad
Allah Rakha. Both have earned world wide name and fame for their outstanding
contribution to the field of music. Form groups of 5 students each and write a brief
note on other stalwarts in this (music) field. You can take help of your school library
or search the relevant information on the internet.
Take help of the following points.
1. Name :
2. Field : Music
3. Specialisation : Tabla/Sitar/Violin etc.
4. Guru :
5. Early life :
6. Education :
7. Early success :
8. Contribution to the field and world :
9. Awards:
10. Any special incident that has occurred in his/her life :
11. Imagine you are the monitor of your class. You are assigned the task to invite a
classical singer as a chief guest for the Annual Day Programme. Write a letter of
invitation to a famous classical singer. Take help of the following points.
Write in short -
1. About your school.
2. About the Annual Day Programme
3. Interest and love of students for music.
4. Motivation.

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144
 4.1 A Thing of Beauty is a Joy For Ever
Unit Four
Warming Up !
1. (A) Fill in the Acrostic with names of things related to Nature.
B
E
A
U
T
Y
(B) Make a list of 10 words related to the word ‘joy’, for example, happiness.
1. 6.
2. 7.
3. 8.
4. 9.
5. 10.
2. Recollect a picnic or a trip to a spot of natural beauty (a hill station/ a beach/forest area
etc.) when you were younger.
Write four beautiful unforgettable scenes that left a deep impact on you.
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
3. ‘Meter’ in poetry is a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in lines of a poem. It
gives rhythm to the poem.
Read the poem below aloud and with any coloured pen/ pencil put stress-marks ( ) on
those syllables that are stressed in the words of the poetic lines.

THE steadfast coursing of the stars,

The waves that ripple to the shore,
The vigorous trees which year by year
Spread upwards more and more ;
The jewel forming in the mine,
The snow that falls so soft and light,
The rising and the setting sun,
The growing glooms of night,
All natural things both live and move
In natural peace that is their own ;
Only in our disordered life
Almost is she unknown.

145
4. Consonance and Assonance
Consonance : Repetition of consonant sounds within a word, phrase or a short sentence.
For example : pitter-patter/ chuckle-fickle/ sick-duck/ Betty bought some bitter butter
Assonance : Repetition of vowel sounds within a word/ phrase/ sentence.
For example : Jack had a bag.
Men sell metal- kettle.
Let the engineer steer without fear.
(Note : Here, the focus is on pronunciation and not on the spellings of words.)
From the above poem pick out examples of consonance and of assonance within words/
phrases.

146
 A Thing of Beauty is a Joy For Ever

John Keats (1795-1821) an English poet was one of

the most popular of all British Romantic Poets. His poems
are characterised by imagery from nature, that appealed
to one’s senses.
The present poem is the first stanza of a longer poem
‘Endymion’ based on Greek Mythology.’ The first line has
become proverbial. The poem was first published in 1818.

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever : l bower : a pleasant

Its loveliness increases; it will never shady place under trees
or climbing plants
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep l morrow : the following
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep day
l wreathing : (here,)
Full of sweet dreams, and health and quiet breathing. weaving with flowers
Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing
A flowery band to bind us to the earth, l spite of despondence :
in spite of despair
Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth
Of noble natures, of the gloomy days, l dearth : shortage
Of all the unhealthy and o’er-darkened ways l pall : a sheet spread
over the dead
Made for our searching : yes, in spite of all, l boon : gift
Some shape of beauty moves away the pall l rills : streams
From our dark spirits. Such the sun, the moon,
Trees old, and young, sprouting a shady boon u List the things of
For simple sheep ; and such are daffodils beauty mentioned in the
poem.
With the green world they live in ; and clear rills u List the things that
That for themselves a cooling covert make cause suffering and pain.
l covert : (here,) shade
‘Gainst the hot season ; the mid forest brake,
Rich with a sprinkling of fair musk-rose blooms : l brake (Archaic) :
And such too is the grandeur of the dooms ferns
l dooms : last day of
We have imagined for the mighty dead; existence known or
All lovely tales that we have heard or read : displayed
An endless fountain of immortal drink l brink : edge

Pouring unto us from the heaven’s brink.

147
 Nor do we merely feel these essences
For one short hour ; no, even as the trees
That whisper round a temple become soon
Dear as the temple’s self, so does the moon,
l poesy : poetry The passion poesy, glories infinite,
Haunt us till they become a cheering light
Unto our souls, and bound to us so fast,
l o’ercast : spread That, whether there be shine, or gloom o’ercast
above They always must be with us, or we die.
- John Keats

ENGLISH WORKSHOP

1. Read the poem and fill in the table.

Sr. Expressions of Beauty (joy) Expressions of sorrow
No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
2. Answer in your own words.
(a) What is the impact of a beautiful thing on us?
(b) What does a thing of beauty keep in store, for us?
(c) Who are the mighty dead? Why are they attributed with ‘grandeur’?
(d) How does the memory of a beautiful visual scene become a joy forever?
3. Pick out and rewrite 5 lines that contain Imagery.
For example : (a) we are wreathing a flowery band...
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
4. Choose the correct Figure of speech that occurs in the following lines. Justify
your choice.
(a) but still we keep a bower quiet for us .
(i) Simile (ii) Irony (iii) Metaphor
148
 (b) Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
(i) Personification (ii) Alliteration (iii) Hyperbole
(c) A thing of beauty is a joy for ever
(i) Epigram (ii) Antithesis (iii) Climax
(d) Trees old and young, sprouting a shady boon.
(i) Exclamation (ii) Personification (iii) Antithesis
5. From the poem pick out words that we do not use often in modern times. They
should match the meanings given below.
(a) gift (f) edge
(b) the next day (g) depression
(c) a protective spot (h) cover for the dead
(for animals)
(d) a cool shady spot (i) streams
under tall trees
(e) ferns (j) poetry
6. Copy the first 8 lines and mark the stressed syllables using a coloured pen.
7. Read the poem and write -
(a) The rhyme scheme of the following lines.
Lines 1 to 8
Last stanza
(b) (i) The number of stressed syllables (Rhythm) in the line.
A thing of beauty is a joy forever.
(ii) Does the poem retain a steady rhythm throughout?
(c) Give four examples of each. Pick the lines from the poem.
(i) Consonance :
(1) (2)
(3) (4)
(ii) Assonance :
(1) (2)
(3) (4)
8. Go through the poem again and write in your notebook an appreciation of the
poem in the paragraph format. (Refer to page no. 5 )
9. Project :
Collect from various sources proverbs or maxims related
to ‘beauty of nature.’ Make a chart/ poster with the
same. Decorate it with images, drawings, pictures and
put it up by turns in your class.
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149
 4.2 The Luncheon

Warming Up !

1. Talk with your partner and discuss the following questions :

(a) Have you ever been invited to lunch, at any hotel, by your friend ?
(b) What was the occasion ?
(c) Did you enjoy the lunch ? Why ?
2. Discuss in pairs :
People with foibles are often not conscious of them. Do you agree or disagree? Why?

3. As you know, every country has its own currency. Find out the currency of at
least 6 countries alongwith their current exchange rate in India, with the help
of the internet. One is done for you.
For example, Switzerland: franc; 1 franc = 66.73 INR

Country Currency Exchange Rate in Indian

Currency

150
 The Luncheon

William Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) was a distinguished

British playwright, novelist and short story writer. He was among the
most popular writers of his era and reputedly the highest paid author
during the 1930s. His work is characterized by a clear unadorned style,
cosmopolitan settings, and a shrewd understanding of human nature.
A most delightfully humourous narative ‘The Luncheon’ is a Slice
of Life story about Maugham’s luncheon date proposed to him by a
woman who he hopes is a supporter of his art.

I caught sight of her at the play and in answer to

her call. I went over during the interval and sat down What
u 
 
  is the profession
beside her. It was long since I had last seen her and, of the narrator ?
if someone had not mentioned her name, I hardly think
I would have recognised her. She addressd me brightly.
“Well, it’s many years since we first met. How
time does fly ! We’re none of us getting any younger.
Do you remember the first time I saw you ? You asked When
u 
 
  was the lady
me to luncheon.” free ?
Did I remember ?
It was twenty years ago and I was living in Paris. I
had a tiny apartment and I was earning barely enough
money. She had read a book of mine and had written to
me about it. I answered, thanking her, and presently, I
received from her another letter saying she was passing
through Paris and would like to have a chat with me.
But her time was limited and the only free moment she
had was on the following Thursday and would I give
her a little luncheon at Foyot’s afterwards ? Foyot’s Where
u 
 
  and when did
is a restaurant and it was so far beyond my means they decide to have
that I had never even thought of going there. I had luncheon ?
eighty francs (gold francs) to last me the rest of the l far beyond one’s
month and a modest luncheon should not cost more means : not
than fifteen. If I cut out coffee for the next two weeks, affordable
I could manage well enough.
I answered that I would meet my friend at Foyot’s l imposing : grand
on Thursday at half-past twelve. She was, in appearance, or impressive
imposing rather than attractive and she gave me the
impression of having more teeth, white and large and
even, than were necessary for any practical purpose.
151
 She was talkative, but since she seemed to want to talk
about me, I was prepared to be an attentive listener.
I was startled when the menu was brought, for the
prices were a great deal higher than I had thought. But
u What do you think the she reassured me.
woman reassured the “I never eat anything for luncheon,” she said.
narrator about ?
“Oh, don’t say that !” I answered generously.
“I never eat more than one thing. I think people
eat far too much nowadays. A little fish, perhaps. I
u ‘I never eat anything wonder if they have any salmon.”
for luncheon’. Explain Well, it was early in the year for salmon and it was
the irony in this line. not on the menu, but I asked the waiter if there was
any. Yes, a beautiful salmon had just come in - it was
the first they had had. I ordered it for my guest. The
waiter asked her if she would have something while it
l caviar : an was being cooked. “No,” she answered, “I never eat
expensive dish made more than one thing. Unless you had a little caviar. I
of eggs of a fish, never mind caviar.”
sturgeon I knew I could not afford caviar, but I could not
very well tell her that. For myself, I chose the cheapest
dish on the menu and that was a mutton chop.
“I think you’re unwise to eat meat,” she said. “I
don’t believe in overloading my stomach.”
She ate the caviar and she ate the salmon. She
talked gaily of art and literature and music. But I
wondered what the bill would come to. When my
mutton chop arrived, she took me quite seriously to
task.
“I see that you’re in the habit of eating a heavy
luncheon. I’m sure it’s a mistake. Why don’t you
u What does the use follow my example and just eat one thing ? I couldn’t
of the word ‘sank’ possibly eat anything more unless they had some of
suggest about the those giant asparagus. I should be sorry to leave Paris
narrator’s feelings ? without having some of them.”
My heart sank. I had seen them in the shops and
I knew that they were horribly expensive. My mouth
had often watered at the sight of them.
“I’m not in the least hungry,” my guest sighed, “but
if you insist, I don’t mind having some asparagus.” I
ordered them.
“Aren’t you going to have any ?”
“No, I never eat asparagus.”
152
 We waited for the asparagus to be cooked. Panic
seized me. It was not a question now of how much
money I should have left over for the rest of the month,
but whether I had enough to pay the bill. It would
be mortifying to find myself ten francs short and be
obliged to borrow from my guest. I knew exactly how l mortifying : feeling
much I had and if the bill came to more. I made ashamed and
up my mind that I would put my hand in my pocket
embarrassed
and with a dramatic cry, start up and say it had been
picked. Of course, it would be awkward if she had not
money enough either to pay the bill. Then, the only
thing would be to leave my watch and say I would
come back and pay later.
The asparagus appeared. I watched her thrust
them down her throat in large mouthfuls. At last, she
finished.
u ‘I was past caring
“Coffee ?” I said.
now.’ In your view,
“Yes, just an ice cream and coffee,” she answered. explain why the
I was past caring now, so I ordered coffee for myself narrator feels this
and an ice cream and coffee for her. way.
“You know, there’s one thing I thoroughly believe
in,” she said, as she ate the ice cream. “One should
always get up from a meal feeling one could eat a ‘Then
u 
 
  a terrible thing
little more.” happened.’ Describe
“Are you still hungry ?” I asked faintly. the narrator’s
“Oh, no, I’m not hungry. You see, I don’t eat emotion at this point
luncheon. I have a cup of coffee in the morning and in the story. Why
then dinner, but I never eat more than one thing for does he express this
luncheon. I was speaking for you.” emotion ?
“Oh, I see.” Then a terrible thing happened. While
we were waiting for the coffee, the head waiter came
up to us bearing a large basket full of huge peaches.
But surely peaches were not in season then ? Lord knew
what they cost  ! I knew a little later, for my guest
going on with her conversation, absent-mindedly took
one.
“You see, you’ve filled your stomach with a lot
of meat,” my one miserable little chop “and you can’t
eat any more. But I’ve just had a snack and I shall
enjoy a peach.”
The bill came and when I paid it I found that I l inadequate : not
had only enough for a quite inadequate tip. Her eyes sufficient
rested for an instant on the three francs I left for the
153
 waiter and I knew that she thought me mean. But when
I walked out of the restaurant I had the whole month
l retorted : replied before me and not a penny in my pocket.
quickly with anger
“Follow my example,” she said as we shook hands,
“and never eat more than one thing for luncheon.”
u How many things did
“I’ll do better than that,” I retorted, “I’ll eat
the guest eat in all ?
nothing for dinner tonight.”
l vindictive : “Humorist !” she cried gaily, jumping into a cab.
revengeful “You’re quite a humorist !”
But I have had my revenge at last. I do not believe
l stone : a unit of that I am a vindictive man, but when the gods take a
weight equal to 14 hand in the matter it is understandable to observe the
pounds. result with satisfaction. Today, she weighs twenty - one
stone.

ENGLISH WORKSHOP

1. Choose the correct option from the bracket and fill in the blanks given below.
(addressed, luncheon, generously, unwise, insist)
(a) The chief guest the students.
(b) The crow was to sing.
(c) I invited my relatives to
(d) Parents always on children to be allrounders.
(e) The king decided to donate his wealth among his subjects
2. Go through the story again and find out various instances which create humour
in ‘The Luncheon’. Complete the table by picking up various humorous instances
and the particular line from the story. One is done for you.
Humorous Instance Line from the story
l The woman is a voracious ‘‘ Follow my example, and never eat more
eater than one thing for luncheon.’’

3. Who said these words/sentences? Under what circumstances?

Words/Sentences Who said? Under what
circumstances?
1. I never eat anything for luncheon.
2. It’s many years since we first met.
3. Are you still hungry?
4. I don’t believe in overloading my
stomach.
5. I’ll eat nothing for dinner tonight.

154
4. Answer in your own words.
(a) Although the author was not a vindictive man, he was very happy to see her
weigh twenty one stone and had finally had his revenge. What makes him
say this? Explain.
(b) There are quite a few places where the author uses the expressions ‘My heart
sank, panic seized’etc. What was the reason for this ? Explain.
(c) What are the instances which create humour in “The Luncheon”?
(d) Describe the use of irony and humour in “The Luncheon”.
5. Pick out the words and phrases in the story that indicate that the author was
not financially well off. One is done for you.
Words not afford
Phrases beyond my means
6. After reading the story, put the following events into correct order :
(a) She gave me her last kind advice how to improve my eating habits.
(b) I met her in the theatre after many years and I could hardly recognize her.
(c) Twenty years ago, I lived in Paris and earned just enough money to get by.
(d) I was really scared what could happen when I would pay the bill.
(e) “I never eat anything for luncheon.”
(f) I ordered a mutton chop for myself.
(g) She had read a book of mine.
(h) She ordered asparagus.
(i) She suggested him to invite her to a famous and expensive restaurant.
(j) I didn’t have dinner for the rest of the month.
7. Irony is the expression of meaning through the use of language signifying the
opposite. Describe the use of irony in ‘The Luncheon’. Pick the sentences from
the story that are examples of irony. Fill in the table ‘A’ the general direct
meaning while in table ‘B’ its hidden meaning or the opposite meaning intended
by the speaker. One is done for you.
Sentence Direct meaning Hidden meaning
* If I cut out coffee for * to stop drinking coffee * to stop spending money
the next two days, in order to save money
for some purpose.

8. Fill in the blank a word or a phrase given in the brackets in their appropriate
forms. (startle, catch sight of, overload, water, pass)
1. “I never my stomach”, she said.
2. I was when the menu was brought.
3. The author the guest at the play.
4. I had seen asparagus in the shops, my mouth often at the sight of them.
5. The author’s guest was through Paris.
155
9. Use appropriate articles.
1. I have just had snack.
2. I have cup of coffee in the morning.
3. I want just ice cream and coffee.
4. Author and his guest gave order and then waited for asparagus to
be cooked.
10. Classify the following words in the given table appropriately.
(modest, luncheon, generously, rank, restaurant, appearance, large, expensive, watch,
coffee, brought, afford, practical, apartment, moment, brightly, started, thoroughly)
Noun Verb Adjective Adverb

11. Study the different uses of ‘could’. Identify what it indicates.

(a) Lack of rain could cause draught. (possibility/condition)
(b) Abhi could perform well in his school days. (suggestion/past ability)
(c) Instead of playing computer games you could play real games with friends.
(past ability/suggestion)
(d) Could I use your computer for surfing net ? (possibility/request)
(e) We could go on an excursion, if we didn’t have exam. (suggestion/condition)
12. Fill in the gaps with appropriate Prepositions to make the passage meaningful.
I waited the airport Atlanta. My old school-mate was going to arrive
New Airlines Mumbai, 21st March the year 2018. We
had not met 40 years 1978. She was going to stay a week
me Atlanta 21st 27th March, 2018.
My joy knew no bounds, when I saw her 40 years. home, I introduced
her my family. Then I took her a big mall shopping. It was just
my house. We went the street and climbed using the elevator,
the staircase.
13. On the occasion of Diwali, write a letter to your friend to invite him/her to
celebrate the festival in an innovative way. Use the following hints.

time and place other friends are also invited
special dish is prepared post lunch fun programmes,
innovative activity
14. Further reading :
(a) “The Phantom Luncheon” by Saki.
(b) “The Ant and the Grasshopper” by William Somerset
Maugham.
Form 4 groups of the class. Every group will visit the school’s
library or use internet to read both the creations of Saki and W.
S. Maugham. After reading them, every group will summarise
both the creations and later read out in the class.

156
 4.3 World Heritage

Warming Up !

1. Pair up with your partner and answer the following questions.

(a) Do you like to travel ?
(b) Where have you travelled ?
(c) Have you heard about the wonders of the world ?
(d) Have you heard about UNESCO ?
(e) What does UNESCO stand for ?
(f) What is meant by Heritage ?
(g) Do you know of any Heritage building in your own city ?
2. Your teacher will explain the ‘Heritage Cycle’.
à By understanding (cultural heritage) people value it.
à By valuing it people want to care for it.
à By caring for it, it will help people enjoy it.
à From enjoying it, comes a thirst to understand.
à By understanding it

Heritage Cycle

By understanding

comes a
thirst to they will
from
understand value it
enjoying
it will they will By
help want to valuing
people care for it
enjoy it.

By caring

3. Do you know the difference between :

(a) World Heritage
(b) Cultural Heritage
Refer to a dictionary/encyclopedia/reference book/the internet to get the
detailed meaning.

157
4. With the help of your partner complete the information in the table.
Tourist spot Favourite Why?

Park

Mountain

Beach

Sea

Forest

Countryside/Rural site

5. Heritage Sites - Rank these with your partner. Put the best at the top.
l Great Barrier Reef
l Mount Fuji
l Grand Canyon
l The Pyramids
l Panda Sanctuaries
l Machu Picchu
l Vatican City
l Great Wall of China

158
 World Heritage

A World Heritage Site is a site determined by the

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural ö 
 
 
What significant
Organization (UNESCO) to have significant cultural or aspects should a
natural importance to humanity. As such the sites are world heritage site
have ?
protected and maintained by the International World
Heritage Programme which is administered by the
UNESCO World Heritage Committee. Because World l heritage : that which
Heritage Sites are places that are significant culturally is valued because
and naturally, they vary in type but include forests, of historical/natural/
lakes, monuments, buildings and cities. cultural importance

World Heritage Sites can also be a combination of ö 

 
 
What do world
both cultural and natural areas. For example, Mount heritage sites include ?
Huangshan in China is a site with significance to
human culture because it played a role in historical
Chinese art and literature. The mountain is also
significant because of its physical landscape
characteristics. l characteristics :
HISTORY OF WORLD HERITAGE SITES distinguishing features
or qualities
Although the idea of protecting cultural and natural
heritage sites around the world began in the early
twentieth century, momentum for its actual creation
was not until the 1950s. In 1954, Egypt started plans
to build the Aswan High Dam to collect and control
water from the Nile River. The initial plan for the
159
 dam’s construction would have flooded the valley
l scores of : plenty of, containing the Abu Simbel Temples and scores of
many of ancient Egyptian artefacts. To protect the temples and
l artefacts : any artefacts, UNESCO launched an international campaign
objects made by a in 1959 that called for the dismantling and movement
human being
of the temples to higher ground. The project cost an
l dismantling : estimated US $80 million, $40 million of which came
disassembling, pulling from 50 different countries. Because of the project’s
down
success, UNESCO and the International Council on
l initiated : began, Monuments and Sites initiated a draft convention to
started create an international organization responsible for
Why did UNESCO
ö 
 
protecting cultural heritage.
launch an
international campaign Shortly thereafter in 1965, a White House Conference
in 1959 ? in the United States called for a “World Heritage Trust”
Why
ö 
 
  did a White to protect historic and cultural sites but to also protect
House Conference in the world’s significant natural and scenic sites. Finally,
the United States call in 1968, the International Union for Conservation of
for a ‘World Heritage Nature developed similar goals and presented them at
Trust’ ? the United Nations conference on Human Environment
in Stockholm, Sweden in 1972. Following the presentation
ö 
 
What does the World of these goals, the Convention concerning the Protection
Heritage Committee of World Cultural and Natural Heritage was adopted
consist of ? by UNESCO’s General Conference on November 16,
1972.
What
ö   is the World  THE WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE
Heritage Committee Today, the World Heritage Committee is the main
responsible for?
group responsible for establishing which sites will be
listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The
Committee meets once a year and consists of
representatives from 21 State Parties that are elected
for six year terms by the World Heritage Center’s
ö 
 
When was the General Assembly. The State Parties are then responsible
convention concerning for identifying and nominating new sites within their
the protection of
territory to be considered for inclusion on the World
World Cultural and
Heritage list.
Natural Heritage
adopted and by BECOMING A WORLD HERITAGE SITE
whom ? There are five steps in becoming a World Heritage
l inventory : a Site, the first of which is for a country or State Party
detailed list to take an inventory of its significant cultural and
160
natural sites. This is called the Tentative List and it is
important because nominations to the World Heritage
List will not be considered unless the nominated site
was first included on the Tentative List. Next, countries
are then able to select sites from their Tentative Lists Who
ö   makes
to be included on a Nomination File. The third step is recommendations to
a review of the Nomination File by two Advisory the World Heritage
Bodies consisting of the International Council on Committee?
Monuments and Sites and the World Conservation
Union, who then make recommendations to the World l recommendations :
Heritage Committee. The World Heritage Committee suggestions, proposals
meets once a year to review these recommendations
and decide which sites will be added to the World
Heritage List. The final step in becoming a World
Heritage Site is determining whether or not a nominated
l criteria : fixed basis
site meets at least one of the ten selection criteria. If to judge
the site meets these criteria, it can then be inscribed
l to inscribe : to print,
on the World Heritage List. Once a site goes through to write or to engrave
this process and is chosen, it remains the property of
the country on whose territory it sits, but it also l territory : region
becomes considered within the international community.
TYPES OF WORLD HERITAGE SITES
As of 2009, there are 890 World Heritage Sites
that are located in 148 countries (map). 689 of these
sites are cultural and include places like the Sydney
Opera House in Australia and the Historic Center of
Vienna in Austria. 176 are natural and feature such
locations as the U.S.’s Yellowstone and Grand Canyon What
ö   is Peru’s Machu
National Parks. 25 of the World Heritage Sites are Picchu example of ?
considered mixed i.e. natural and cultural Peru’s Machu
Picchu is one of these. Italy has the highest number of
World Heritage Sites with 44. India has 36 (28 cultural,
7 natural and 1 mixed) World Heritage Sites. The
World Heritage Committee has divided the world’s
countries into five geographic zones which include
(1) Africa, (2) Arab States, (3) Asia Pacific (including
Australia and Oceania), (4) Europe and North America
and (5) Latin America and the Caribbean.

161
 WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN DANGER
Like many natural, historic and cultural sites around
the world, many World Heritage Sites are in danger of
being destroyed or lost due to war, poaching, natural
l urbanization : disasters like earthquakes, uncontrolled urbanization,
include more areas heavy tourist traffic and environmental factors like air
in cities, expand city pollution and acid rain. World Heritage Sites that are
area.
in danger are inscribed on a separate List of World
Heritage Sites in Danger which allows the World
l allocate : assign Heritage Committee to allocate resources from the
World Heritage Fund to that site. In addition, different
plans are put into place to protect and/or restore the
site. If however, a site loses the characteristics which
allowed for it to be originally included on the World
Heritage List, the World Heritage Committee can
choose to delete the site from the list. To learn more
about World Heritage Sites, visit the World Heritage
Centre’s website at whc.unesco.org.

ENGLISH WORKSHOP

1. Answer the following questions.

(a) What do heritage sites  in the world include?
(b) What kind of sites are protected and maintained by the International World
Heritage Programme?
(c) How many world Heritage sites were there around the world ?
(d) What is the role of World Heritage Committees ?
(e) What is the tennure of World Heritage Committee ?
(f) What are our duties towards preservation /conservation of any historical site ?
(g) Why should we preserve the World Heritage Sites ?
(h) What is the role of World Heritage Sites in developing tourism in any country ?
2. Complete the following .
Year Establishment Role
1954
1959
1965
1968
1972

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3. Complete the following by giving reasons why World Heritage Sites are in danger.

World
War Heritage Sites
are
in danger.

4. Choose the correct alternative and complete the given sentences.

(a) Mount Huangshan is situated in .
(i) Japan
(ii) China
(iii) Phillipines
(b) The famous dam situated in Egypt on River Nile is .
(i) Buzwaa High Dam
(ii) Rizwa High Dam
(iii) Aswan High Dam
(c) The conference based on Human Environment was held at .
(i) Athens, Greece
(ii) Mascow, Russia
(iii) Stockholm, Sweden
(d) The highest number of world Heritage Sites are located in .
(i) France
(ii) Italy
(iii) Germany
(e) can delete/exclude a site from World Heritage list.
(i) World Heritage Committee
(ii) World Peace Committee
(iii) World Health Committee.
(f) The tenure of World Heritage Committee is years.
(i) Four
(ii) Five
(ii) Six.
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5. Match the pairs to define different roles of the World Heritage Sites.
A B

(i) Identify cultural and natural a green, local based, stable and decent
sites jobs.
(ii) Identify sites of b of outstanding universal value across
countries.
(iii) Identify sites that represent c preserve outstanding sites and natural
resources.
(iv) UNESCO seeks to d tourism.

(v) World Heritage Sites should e an asset for economic development

have and investment.
(vi) World Heritage Sites should f protect these sites.
(vii) World Heritage Sites serve as g best examples of world’s cultural
and/or natural heritage.
(viii) World Heritage Sites should h special importance for everyone.
ensure
(ix) It should at large develop i relevant development plan policies.

6. Look at the words and their meanings. Choose the correct alternative.
(a) determine : (i) think over
(ii) decide
(iii) ask for
(iv) look over
(b) monument : (i) statue
(ii) pillar
(iii) memorial
(iv) fort
(c) significant : (i) clever
(ii) effective
(iii) systematic
(iv) important
(d) disaster : (i) problem
(ii) incident
(iii) calamity
(iv) accident
7. Find from the text minimun 8 words related to cultural heritage and make a
word register. Arrange them in alphabetical order.
164
8. Complete the following information from the text.
Tasks Activities to
(a) preservation of any historical site (Duties) i)
ii)
(b) Preserving World Heritage sites (Reasons)i)
ii)
(c) Promoting tourism (Role) i)
ii)

9. Write a report on any tourist place/historical place/World Heritage Site you

recently visited using the points given below.
(i) Title
(ii) Place/Location
(iii) Background/History
(iv) Features/Specialities
(v) Security policies
(vi) Sign boards and discipline
(vii) Overall scenario.
10.(A) Use ‘not only but also’ in the following sentences.
(a) UNESCO and the International Council on monuments initiated a draft
convention to create an international organisation responsible for protecting
cultural heritage.
(b) The state parties are responsible for identifying and nominating new sites.
(c) Opera House in Australia and the Historic Center of Vienna in Austria are
cultural sites of World Heritage.
(d) World Heritage Sites can also be a combination of both cultural and
natural areas.
(B) Rewrite the following sentences replacing ‘as soon as’ by ‘No sooner than’
(Note : The phrase, ‘No sooner’ must always be followed by an auxiliary
(helping verb).)
For example : As soon as he came, they all gave an applause.
No sooner did he come, than they all gave an applause.
(a) As soon as the Bill is passed, it will become an Act.
(b) As soon as the thief escaped, the family informed the police.
(c) As soon as you have finished, you can submit your answer - papers.
(d) As soon as they can manage, they should change their house.
(e) As soon as the bell rings, the School Assembly will start.

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11. Identify whether the following sentences are Simple (One Subject + One Predicate
or Complex (One Main Clause + One or more Dependent Clauses) or Compound
(Combination of 2 or more Independent/ Co-ordinate Clauses).
(1) They vary in type but they include forests, monuments etc.

(2) The mountain is significant because of its characteristics.

(3) To protect the temples and artefacts, UNESCO launched an international

campaign.

(4) If the site meets with this criteria, it can be inscribed on the World Heritage
List.

(5) There are 890 World Heritage Sites that are located in 148 countries.

(6) The project cost about US $ 80 million and $ 40 million came from 50
different countries.

12. Following are the ways to preserve ‘World Heritage Sites.’ Transfer these points
into a small paragraph. Suggest a title.
l Practical conservation of posterity
l Human/animal trespassing to be prohibited
l Monitored/controlled/restricted access
l Threat of local administrative negligence to be removed
13. Read the points given in column ‘A’ specifying Dos towards prevention of any
historical site. Write Don’ts in column ‘B’ specifying things that should not be
done.

Dos Don’ts

(i) Obey rules and regulations.

(ii) Maintain discipline and order.

(iii) Maintain cleanliness.

(iv) Use dustbins and garbage bags.

(v) Observe silence.

(vi) Maintain environmental safety.

(vii) Protect our country’s heritage.

166
14. Complete the following flow chart by choosing the option given below to show
how any site of any country can become a World Heritage Site.

Take an inventory

Options :
1. Inclusion of the name of site from tentative list to the nomination file.
2. Name of the site is inscribed on the World Heritage List after meeting the criteria.
3. Inclusion of the name of site for the nomination in a tentative list after an
inventory in country or State.
4. Decision of the World Heritage Committee after review of the nominated file.
5. A review of the included file by the advisory bodies.
15. Projects :
(a) Make a list of sites from our State which are included in the World Heritage
Sites. Try to visit one of them. Write the importance of this World Heritage
Site. Also write your impression of it in your notebook.
(b) Write a ‘tourism leaflet’ on any one of the following :
(i) Your home town
(ii) A historical place
(iii) A place of natural beauty
(iv) A place of pilgrimage
l Make use of the following points :
(i) How to reach there ?
(ii) Accommodation facilities
(iii) What to see and visit ?/Attractions of the place
(iv) Places of interest nearby
(v) Best time to visit
(vi) Shopping Attractions
Add your own points.
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(c) Vocabulary Extension - Choose several words from the text. Use a dictionary or
internet to build up more associations/collocations of each word.
(d) World Heritage Sites - Make a poster about World Heritage Sites, specifying
some details and specialities about each of them.
(e) Letter - Write a letter to an expert on the environment. Ask him/her five questions
about your concern/doubts about World Heritage sites. Give him/her three ideas
on how to protect them.
(f) Article - Write an article for a magazine about the World Heritage sites at risk.
Include imaginary interviews with people who are trying to save them. Read
your article in front of your class.

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168
 4.4 The Height of the Ridiculous

Warming Up !
Individual activity
1. The teacher writes incomplete sentences on the board. He/She asks the students
to complete them in their notebooks.
(a) Today, I am happy because .
(b) Today after the class, I wish .
(c) Tomorrow, I feel that .
(d) I want to laugh because .
(e) Today, the class seems to be cheerful about .
(The teacher asks every student to answer.)
2. The teacher writes an incomplete sentence and asks the students to complete it
in a funny way.
For example, (1) Mother gave me cheese but the cat ate it.
(2) I went to the market and bought an elephant.
(The teacher can add her own sentences.)
3. Give the words related to:

Humourous

Syllable
A syllable is a unit of spoken language made up of a single uninterrupted sound
formed by a vowel and consonants. For example, single syllable : ant, two syllables
- water, three syllables : Inferno.
4. Pick out the word from the given box and write it in the correct columns below.
jump, narrow, cable, live, queen, butter, tree, kitten, van, yellow, dale, happy,
night, printer, star, sober, paper, cloud, pearl, within, bike, began, slender.

Here the focus is not on the spellings but the pronunciation of the words.
Words with one syllable Words with two syllables

169
5. Count the syllables and circle the appropriate number in the box.

elephant mirror bus kangaroo rough

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

insect telephone monkey bucket biscuit

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

6. Write the names of any five of your friends and mention the number of
syllables in each name.

170
 The Height of the Ridiculous
I wrote some lines once on a time l Ridiculous : Too
funny to believe
In wondrous merry mood,
l wondrous : delightful
And thought, as usual, men would say
They were exceeding good.

They were so queer, so very queer,

I laughed as I would die;
Albeit, in the general way, l Ableit : though

A sober man am I. l sober : clear headed,

serious
I called my servant, and he came; In what frame of
ö  
mind did the poet
How kind it was of him
write some lines?
To mind a slender man like me,
What
ö   was the
He of the mighty limb. contrast in the
narrator and his
“These to the printer,” I exclaimed, servant?
And, in my humorous way, l trifling jest : a small
simple joke, of no
I added (as a trifling jest,) importance
“There’ll be the devil to pay.” When did the servant
ö  
grin?
He took the paper, and I watched,
And saw him peep within When
ö   was the
chuckling noise
At the first line he read, his face
heard?
Was all upon the grin Which
ö   line suggests
that servant was
He read the next; the grin grew broad
totally out of control?
And shot from ear to ear;
He read the third; a chuckling noise
I now began to hear.
The fourth; he broke into a roar;
The fifth; his waistband split;
The sixth; he burst five buttons off,
And tumbled in a fit.

171
 Ten days and nights, with sleepless eye,
l wretched : (here) in I watched that wretched man,
a helpless condition
and since, I never dare to write
What
ö   was the impact
As funny as I can.
of this experience, on
- Oliver Wendell Holmes
the poet?
(1809-1894)

ENGLISH WORKSHOP

1. Find out expressions from the poem that indicate funny moments.
For example, I laughed as I would die.

2. Order of sequence : Arrange the following reactions in their proper order, as

per the poem.
(a) His waistband split
(b) The grin grew broad.
(c) Sleepless eye.
(d) Was all upon the grin.
(e) He broke into a roar.
(f) He burst five buttons off.
3. Form pairs and find out the various rhyming words in the poem and two of
your own. Complete the following table.
Words Rhyming words

From the poem More of your own

1. ear
2. within
3. man
4. split
5. way
6. him
7. die
8. mood

172
4. Match the lines with the Figures of Speech.
Lines Figures of Speech
1. In wondrous merry mood Tautology
2. They were so queer, so very queer. Alliteration
3. And saw him peep within Onomatopoeia
4. The grin grew broad. Repetition
5. And shot from ear to ear. Hyperbole
6. He broke into a roar. Repetition
7. Ten days and nights with sleepless eye Transferred Epithet
5. Copy any two stanzas of the poem in the lines below. Using a coloured pen
underline the stressed syllables in each line and put a stress-mark ( ) over each.
6. Complete the lines of the poem by choosing proper pairs of rhyming words and
make it meaningful.
- We returned home late, one ,
In the window, there glowed a .
Burglars !! was our very first ;
For defence, sticks 'n stones we .
''Let's grab the loot and ,"
was uttered soft, by .
The door we softly ,
And then we were truly .
Oops! Before, outside, we'd ,
The television had been left .
(run, shocked, gone, night, sought, on, someone, thought, light, unlocked)
7. Form goups in your class and together compose a short humorous poem. Use
jokes, experiences, etc. and convert it to a poetic form. Write and decorate it
on chart-paper and put it up in your class, in turns.
8. Go through the poem and write an appreciation of the poem in a paragraph
format. (Refer to page no. 5)
9. Project :
Reading a poem.
Arrange the poetry reading competition. Select the poem of your choice.
l Read the poem silently.
l Repeat the reading of the poem.
l Focus on the pauses, stresses, intonation etc.
l Pay attention to the proper pronunciations.

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173
 4.5 The Old Man and The Sea : Book Review

Warming Up !

1. Pair up with your partner and answer the following questions :

(a) Which animal would you relate yourself to and why ?
(b) Do you have a hero or a role model to look up to ? Who is he/she ?
(c) Do you have a passion you would fight for? Why ?
(d) What is meant by a review ?
(e) Have you ever read any book review ? If yes, which one ? If no, make it a
point to read one.
2. Make a list of famous novels of Ernest Hemingway. Two are given to you.
(1) A Farewell to Arms
(2) For Whom the Bell Tolls.
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
3. Ernest Miller Hemingway was a famous American novelist, short story writer
and journalist. Make a list of other famous American novelists. Complete the
web filling the boxes with the names of famous American novelists.

Ernest Hemingway

Famous
American
novelists

174
 The Old Man and The Sea : Book Review

An old and experienced Cuban fisherman has a

run of terrible bad luck and is unable to catch any
fish for eighty-four days. His young and devoted
apprentice, Manolin, has been forced by his parents l apprentice : a
to start working with another fisherman. The old man person who works for
resolves to sail out farther than all the other fishermen another in order to
and attempt to catch the really big fish. On the eighty- learn a trade
fifth day he succeeds in hooking a marlin with his bait
but the marlin is too strong for him and starts pulling l marlin : a large
the boat. ‘The Old Man and the Sea’ is the story of saltwater fish with an
the old man’s struggle with the marlin and his later elongated body and a
battle against sharks. spear-like snout
Social/Historical context:
Hemingway’s novel is based on real events and it
also draws heavily on his own life. He had experience
of fishing in the Cuban waters and like the old man
he was also a fan of baseball. He worked for the Red
Cross during the First World War and was injured by l shrapnel : small
shrapnel when he was in Italy. Hemingway always pieces of metal
talks about the need to struggle against defeat or death that fly during an
and how determination and endurance can help one to explosion of a bomb/
win in this struggle. The old man is at the end of the weapon to hurt
novel very near death, but we know that the story of people.
his suffering and loss will live on in the memories of
the people of his village. Ultimately, his story becomes
one of triumph because the tales of his life will live
on even after his death. The novel was published in
1952, when people were trying to recover from the
175
 mass destruction wrought by the two world wars, and
this tale of endurance and ultimate triumph immediately
struck a chord with the readers.
Writing Style:
l wrought : brought
about Hemingway’s language is simple and pithy. He
mostly writes in short and straight-forward sentences
l pithy : brief, full of and practises an extreme economy in his use of words.
vigour This simplicity is deceptive and a reader can read his
work again and again and find new layers of meaning
every time.
My Thoughts:
I first read this novel years ago, when I did not
understand it at all and was left unimpressed. In spite
of this a vivid image remained with me – an old
man holding on to his fishing line with the last of
his strength. Recently I read this book again and was
l formidable : causing extremely moved. The formidable strength of the old
fear man’s character, the quiet devotion of the empathetic
Manolin and the relationship between the two are heart-
warming. Hemingway’s descriptions of the sea and the
creatures of the water are beautiful. The marlin fights
for its life desperately and it’s hard to know whether
our sympathies should lie with the old man or with the
marlin. But as the novel progresses the old man and
the marlin are inseparably linked because both stand
for the same ideal, that is, a noble struggle against
destruction.

ENGLISH WORKSHOP

1. Read the passage and name the following.

(a) Young and devoted apprentice
(b) The place where Hemingway had experience of fishing
(c) That which Hemingway was injured by, during First World War
(d) Language of the novel
(e) In his first reading, the review writer was left
2. Correct the following sentences using facts from the review.
(a) Manolin’s parents insisted on his working with the same old fisherman.
(b) This novel is pure fiction.
(c) Hemigway’s style of writing does not unfold the hidden meaning.
(d) The relationship between the old man and Manolin is coarse.

176
3. Compare the points that you would use for a book review with those of the
review of a play and write in your notebook.
4. The line - ‘I first read this novel years ago, when I did not understand it at
all and was left unimpressed.’ tells us about the book reviewer’s opinion about
the book. Complete the following sentences using the expressions.
(1) In my opinion, every hard working person achieves success in life.
(2) I strongly feel that
(3) I wish I could
(4) As far as I know you
(5) I think
5. The review describes the struggle between the old man with the marlin and
sharks, Ernest Hemingway’s struggle against defeat or death and noble struggle
against destruction. Find all the words from the text that are related to the
word ‘brave’ or ‘courage’.
l strength l l l l

6. The review mentions struggles of both the writer, Ernest Hemingway and the
old man. Fill the incidents of struggle of Hemingway in table A and those of
the old man in table B.
Table A Table B
Ernest Hemingway Old man
l

l
l

7. Read the text again. You will find that the text contains many phrases. Match
the phrases in ‘A’ and their meanings in ‘B’. After matching their meanings,
make sentences of your own.
‘A’ Phrases ‘B’ Meanings
1. run of terrible bad luck a. hit on a topic
2. draws heavily on b. without being affected by a particular factor
3. struck a chord c. endure in difficult circumstances
4. in spite of d. a period of time when bad things happen
5. holding on e. makes use of
8. (A) Rewrite as directed, without change of meaning, in your notebook.
(1) Hemingway’s novel is based on real events. (Convert the underlined
adjective to an Adjectival Clause)
(2) He hooks a marlin but the marlin is too strong for him. (Rewrite
beginning with ‘Although’)

177
 (3) The reader can read his work again and again and find new layers of
menaing. (Begin the sentence with ‘On reading’)
(4) As the novel progresses, the old man and the marlin are inseparably
linked. (Rewrite using ‘progress’ as a Noun)
(5) Being strong, the marlin starts pulling the boat. (Rewrite inserting ‘and’
as a Co-ordinator)
(6) When I first read this novel, I was unimpressed. (Rewrite using ‘but’ as
a Co-ordinator)
(B) Write the ‘root-word’ after dropping the prefix or suffix or both.
(1) unable (2) heavily
(3) determination (4) endurance
(5) unimpressed (6) relationship
(7) inseparably (8) empathetic
(9) beautiful (10) simplicity
9. Write a book review on any book of your choice with the help of the following
points.
l   
Story line l Social/Historical content l Writing style l My thought
10. You know the essential points required for a book review. Now form pairs and
find essential points required for a play review and film review. You can take
help of your teacher, library or the internet.
Book Review Play Review Film Review
-
-
-
-

11. Project
Classroom Library :
Ask all your classmates to donate a book each to the class. In this way everyone
will have a book of his/her own to read. Read the book in a week or two.
After reading it, exchange your book with your classmate. Keep exchanging and
reading books for the whole year. Every fortnight give the book review of the
book that you have read recently in the form of presentation.

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178
 4.6 The Gift of the Magi

Warming Up !

1. The moment you hear the word ‘Gift’, what feelings do you experience? Complete
the web with those feelings.

Gifts

2. ‘Gifts’ need not be material gifts. They can be abstract and yet priceless. For
example, favours, kindness, help in times of need etc.
Think of and enlist such unforgettable gifts given to you by :
(1) Parents/ Grand parents :
(2) Siblings/ relatives :
(3) Friends :
(4) Strangers :
3. Say whether the words underlined are infinitives/ participles or gerunds.
(1) The athletes wanted to take part in the running race.
(a) (b)
(2) Would you like to eat at the dinning table?
(a) (b)
(3) Reading is good for the mind and soul. So take up reading books.
(a) (b)
(4) I like to eat fruits rather than eating sweets.
(a) (b)
(5) Listening and speaking sharpen your language skills.
(a) (b)

179
 The Gift of the Magi

O Henry (1862 - 1910) William Sydney Porter, better

known by his pen name, O Henry, was an American short
story writer. He was famous for his art, and his stories
which had surprise endings. ‘The Gift of the Magi’ is
a story of an impoverished young couple, who have no
money, yet wish to buy each other Christmas gifts.

Why
u 
 
  do you think
Della counted the One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all.
money thrice? And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved
l bulldozing :
one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and
pressurizing
the vegetable man and the butcher until one’s cheeks
l cheeks burned : felt
burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that
embarrassed such close dealing implied. Three times Della counted
it. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day
l imputation :
would be Christmas.
associative action to There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on
some person the shabby little couch and howl. So Della did it which
l parsimony : instigates the moral reflection that life is made up of
unwillingness to spend sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating.
money While the mistress of the home is gradually
l instigates : provokes
subsiding from the first stage to the second, take a
look at the home. A furnished flat at $8 per week. It
did not exactly beggar description, but it certainly had
that word on the look out for the mendicancy squad.
l mendicancy squad :
police who arrest In the vestibule below was a letter-box into which
beggars and the no letter would go, and an electric button from which
homeless no mortal finger could coax a ring. Also appertaining
l coax : urge
there unto was a card bearing the name “Mr. James
Dillingham Young.”
l appertaining :
concerning The “Dillingham” had been flung to the breeze
during a former period of prosperity when its possessor
u  What signs indicate
that Della was very was being paid $30 per week. Now, when the income
poor ? was shrunk to $20, though, they were thinking seriously
of contracting to a modest and unassuming D. But
l unassuming : simple whenever Mr. James DillinghamYoung came home and
and humble reached his flat above he was called ‘‘Jim” and greatly
hugged by Mrs. James Dillingham Young, already
introduced to you as Della which is all very good.

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 Della finished her cry and attended to her cheeks
with the powder rag. She stood by the window and
looked out dully at a gray cat walking a gray fence
in a gray backyard.Tomorrow would be Christmas
Day, and she had only $1.87 with which to buy Jim
a present. She had been saving every penny she could
for months, with this result. Twenty dollars a week
doesn’t go far. Expenses had been greater than she
had calculated. They always are. Only $1.87 to buy a
present for Jim. Her Jim. Many a happy hour she had
spent planning for something nice for him. Something
fine and rare and sterling - something just a little bit
near to being worthy of the honour of being owned
by Jim.
There was a pier-glass between the windows of the
room. Perhaps you have seen a pier-glass in an $8 flat. l agile : quick and
A very thin and very agile person may, by observing light-footed
his reflection in a rapid sequence of longitudinal strips,
obtain a fairly accurate conception of his looks. Della, l accurate : correct/
being slender, had mastered the art. precise
Suddenly she whirled from the window and stood
u What was the cause
before the glass. Her eyes were shining brilliantly, but of Della’s disturbed
her face had lost its colour within twenty seconds. mind?
Rapidly she pulled down her hair and let it fall to its
full length.
Now, there were two possessions of James
Dillingham Young in which they both took a mighty
pride. One was Jim’s gold watch that had been his u What were the
father’s and his grandfather’s.The other was Della’s couple’s prized
hair. Had the queen of Sheba lived in the flat across possessions?
the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out l depreciate :
the window some day to dry just to depreciate Her gradually diminish
Majesty’s jewels and gifts. Had King Solomon been the in value
janitor, with all his treasures piled up in the basement, l basement : the floor
Jim would have pulled out his watch every time he of a building which
passed, just to see him pluck at his beard from envy. is partly or entirely
below ground level.
So now Della’s beautiful hair fell about her rippling
l cascade :a small
and shining like a cascade of brown waters. It reached
waterfall
below her knee and made itself almost a garment
l garment : clothing
for her. And then she did it up again nervously and
quickly. Once she faltered for a minute and stood still
while a tear or two splashed on the worn red carpet.
On went her old brown jacket; on went her old
brown hat. With a whirl of skirts and with the brilliant
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 sparkle still in her eyes, she fluttered out the door and
l fluttered : danced/
down the stairs to the street.
hovered
Where she stopped the sign read: “Mne. Sofronie.
Hair Goods of All Kinds.” One flight up Della ran, and
collected herself, panting. Madame, large, too white,
chilly, hardly looked the “Sofronie.”
“Will you buy my hair?” asked Della.
“I buy hair,” said Madame. “Take yer hat off and
let’s have a sight at the looks of it.”
Down rippled the brown cascade.
“Twenty dollars,” said Madame, lifting the mass
with a practiced hand.
“Give it to me quick,” said Della.
Oh, and the next two hours tripped by on rosy
wings. Forget the hashed metaphor. She was ransacking
the stores for Jim’s present.
She found it at last. It surely had been made for
Jim and no one else. There was no other like it in any
of the stores, and she had turned all of them inside
l platinum : a precious out. It was a platinum fobchain simple and chaste
silvery-white metal in design, properly proclaiming its value by substance
alone and not by meretricious ornamentation—as all
u What made Della good things should do. It was even worthy of The
look at her reflection Watch. As soon as she saw it she knew that it must
critically ? be Jim’s. It was like him. Quietness and value—the
description applied to both. Twenty-one dollars they
l cents : a monetary took from her for it, and she hurried home with the
unit in various 87 cents. With that chain on his watch Jim might be
countries equal to one properly anxious about the time in any company. Grand
hundredth of a dollar, as the watch was, he sometimes looked at it on the
Euro or other decimal sly on account of the old leather strap that he used in
currency unit. place of a chain.
l gave way :
When Della reached home her intoxication gave
submitted, yielded
l prudence : quality of way a little to prudence and reason. She got out her
being wise. curling irons and lighted the gas and went to work
l tremendous : very
repairing the ravages made by generosity added to love
great amount which is always a tremendous task, dear friends--a
mammoth task.
l mammoth : huge
Within forty minutes her head was covered with
tiny, close-lying curls that made her look wonderfully
like a truant schoolboy. She looked at her reflection in
the mirror-long, carefully, and critically.

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 “If Jim doesn’t kill me,” she said to herself, “before
he takes a second look at me, he’ll say I look like a
Coney Island chorus girl. But what could I do—oh!
what could I do with a dollar and eighty seven cents?”
At 7 o’clock the coffee was made and the frying-
u What good habits
pan was on the back of the stove hot and ready to
did Della have ?
cook the chops.
Jim was never late. Della doubled the fob chain in
her hand and sat on the corner of the table near the
door that he always entered. Then she heard his step on
the stair away down on the first flight, and she turned
white for just a moment. She had a habit of saying
little silent prayer about the simplest everyday things,
and now she whispered: “Please God, make him think l whispered : spoke
I am still pretty.” very softly
The door opened and Jim stepped in and closed it.
He looked thin and very serious. Poor fellow, he was
only twenty-two—and to be burdened with a family!
He needed a new overcoat and he was without gloves.
Jim stopped inside the door, as immovable as a u Why did Jim stare at
setter at the scent of quail. His eyes were fixed upon Della ?
Della, and there was an expression in them that she
could not read, and it terrified her. It was not anger,
nor surprise, nor disapproval, nor horror, nor any of the l disapproval :
sentiments that she had been prepared for. He simply disagreement
stared at her fixedly with that peculiar expression on
his face.
Della wriggled off the table and went for him.
“Jim,” she cried, “don’t look at me that way. I
had my hair cut off and sold because I couldn’t have
lived through Christmas without giving you a present.
It’ll grow out again—you won’t mind, will you? I just
had to do it. My hair grows awfully fast. Say `Merry
Christmas!’ Jim, and let’s be happy. You don’t know
what a nice—what a beautiful, nice gift I’ve got for
you.”
“You’ve cut off your hair?” asked Jim, laboriously,
as if he had not arrived at that patent fact yet even l patent : obvious
after the hardest mental labour.
“Cut it off and sold it,” said Della. “Don’t you
like me just as well, anyhow? I’m me without my hair,
ain’t I?”

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l curiously : eagerly Jim looked about the room curiously.
“You say your hair is gone?” he said, with an air
l idiocy : foolishness almost of idiocy.
“You needn’t look for it,” said Della. “It’s sold, I
tell you—sold and gone, too. It’s Christmas Eve, boy.
Be good to me, for it went for you. Maybe the hairs
of my head were numbered,” she went on with sudden
serious sweetness, “but nobody could ever count my
l trance : half- love for you. Shall I put the chops on, Jim?”
conscious state Out of his trance Jim seemed quickly to wake.
l inconsequential : For ten seconds let us regard with discreet scrutiny
unimportant some inconsequential object in the other direction.
Eight dollars a week or a million a year—what is the
difference? A mathematician or a wit would give you
the wrong answer. The magi brought valuable gifts, but
that was not among them. This dark assertion will be
u What gift had Jim illuminated later on.
brought for Della ? Jim drew a package from his overcoat pocket and
threw it upon the table.
“Don’t make any mistake, Dell,” he said, “about
me. I don’t think there’s anything in the way of a
u Why did the beautiful
haircut or a shave or a shampoo that could make me
present flash ?
like my girl any less. But if you’ll unwrap that package
you may see why you had me going a while at first.”
White fingers and nimble tore at the string and
u Why are Jim and paper. And then an ecstatic scream of joy; and then,
Della referred to as alas! a quick feminine change to hysterical tears and
the magi ? wails, necessitating the immediate employment of all
the comforting powers of the lord of the flat.
For there lay The Combs—the set of combs,
side and back, that Della had worshipped long in
a Broadway window. Beautiful combs, pure tortoise
shell, with jeweled rims—just the shade to wear in the
beautiful vanished hair. They were expensive combs,
she knew, and her heart had simply craved and yearned
over them without the least hope of possession. And
l coveted : sought after now, they were hers, but the tresses that should have
adorned the coveted adornments were gone.
But she hugged them to her bosom, and at length
she was able to look up with dim eyes and a smile
and say: “My hair grows so fast, Jim!”
And then Della leaped up like a little singed cat
and cried, “Oh, oh!”
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 Jim had not yet seen his beautiful present. She held
it out to him eagerly upon her open palm. The dull
precious metal seemed to flash with a reflection of her
bright and ardent spirit.
“Isn’t it a dandy, Jim? I hunted all over town to
find it. You’ll have to look at the time a hundred times
a day now. Give me your watch. I want to see how
it looks on it.”
Instead of obeying, Jim tumbled down on the couch
and put his hands under the back of his head and
smiled.
“Dell,” said he, “let’s put our Christmas presents
away and keep ‘em a while. They’re too nice to use
just at present. I sold the watch to get the money to
buy your combs. And now suppose you put the chops
on.” l the magi : the
The magi, as you know, were wise men— Biblical Magi, also
wonderfully wise men—who brought gifts to the Babe in referred to do the
the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas wise men or kings,
presents. Being wise, their gifts were, no doubt, wise who visited Jesus
ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case after his birth,
of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you bearing gifts of gold
the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a frankincense and
flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the myrrh.
greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word l treasures : a quantity
to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who of precious/valuable
give gifts, these two were the wisest. Of all who give objects
and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere
they are wisest. They are the magi.
- O Henry

ENGLISH WORKSHOP

1. Complete the following.

(a) Della had saved
(b) Della wanted to buy
(c) Della’s beautiful hair tell about
2. Answer the following questions:
(a) How much did Della save for Christmas ? What does it show ?
(b) Why did Della take pride in the beauty of her hair?  

(c) Why and how did Della sell her hair ? Do you think she did well ?
(d) Why did Jim sell his gold watch ? Do you think he did well ?
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 (e) Why did Jim and Della want to present the gifts ?
(f) Why did Della feel sad on losing her hair ?
(g) What did Jim bring out from his coat ? Describe the scene.
(h) How beautiful was the gold watch chain ? Would you have liked to own it ?
(i) How did the Magi want to celebrate their Christmas (OR) Who were the first
people to give Christmas gifts ?
(j) What is the moral of the story ?
3. Complete the following activity :
Map the problems and solutions in “The Gift of the Magi” on the diagram
below. Two problems have already been filled in.

Problem : Della doesn’t have Problem : Jim doesn’t have

enough money to buy Jim a enough money to buy a Christmas
present for Christmas. gift for Della.

1. Her solution : 2. His solution :

3. Their new problem :

4. Their new solution :

4. Read the following and answer.

(A) Say WHAT
(a) troubled Della on Christmas Eve?
(b) was the current family income?
(c) could have outshone Queen of Sheba’s jewels?
(d) was the cost of the fob chain?
(e) sent Jim into a trance, on his return?
(B) Say WHY
(a) did Della sell her lovely long hair ?
(b) was Della a bit apprehensive after she had sold her hair ?
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 (c) did Jim avoid checking the time in his gold watch, in a public place?
(d) did Della’s scream of joy change to loud wails ?
(e) in the end, did Jim ask Della to put the chops on?
(C) Say WHEN
(a)................ had Jim added ‘Dillingham’ as his middle name ?
(b) ................did a tear or two drop on the old red carpet ?
(c) ............... did Della go through goods in the stores ?
(d) ...............did Della say a silent prayer to God ?
(e)................ did Jim try to divert their attention for ten seconds, at least?
5. Complete : Use the chart below to explain situational irony in ‘The Gift of the
Magi’. For each character, identify what is expected to happen and what actually
happens.

SITUATIONAL IRONY

What Della plans : What actually happens

What Jim plans : What actually happens :

6. Complete the following activity.

Word List :
agile cascade coveted
instigate prudence assertion
chronicle inconsequential predominating
subside gobbling
Fill in each set of blanks with the correct word from the word list. The boxed letters
will spell out something that Della receives.

1. A small waterfall - - - - - -

2. You wished greedily for something. - - - - - -

3. This describes something important. - - - - -  - - - - - - -

4. You hope a loud siren will do this. - - - - - -

5. Troublemakers do this. - - - - - - - -

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7. Complete the following basic plot diagram :

Rising
Action

Conflict

Opening Inciting Moment Resolution

Exposition

8. Pick out from the story words that mean the following.
Against each consumer write (N) if it is a Noun (V) for Verb and (Adj) for Adjective.
(1) reluctance to spend money ()
(2) relating to ()
(3) urge ()
(4) reduce in value ()
(5) wisdom ()
(6) very huge ()
(7) foolishness ()
9. Think and answer on your own in a few sentences, in your notebook.
(a) What would you do if you ran short of money, to buy a birthday gift for one of your
parents/ siblings ?
(b) Think of two alternatives that could have prevented Della as well as Jim from selling
their most precious possessions.
(c) Justify the title of the story, ‘The Gift of the Magi’.
(d) Gifts that you buy have fixed prices/ rates. How can the buyer increase the value of a
gift bought for someone very dear in the family ?
(e) What situation is the climax of the story ? How does it end up as an Anti-climax ?
(f) If you share this story with some friends in a junior class, how would they react in the
end ?
(g) Who were the very first people to give Christmas gifts ? What had inspired them to do
so ?
(h) At the end of the story, O Henry remarks that of all who give gifts, Della and Jim were
the wisest. Think and explain this paradoxial remark.
10. Pick out and rewrite the exact sentence which indirectly imply the following :
(a) Della was not too happy about bargaining for grocery etc.

(b) The flat was in a dilapidated condition.

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 (c) King Soloman would express his jealousy of Jim.

(d) Della spent a joyful time, for two hours.

(e) Della’s elated mood underwent a change as she opened her gift.

(f) The weekly income amount does not matter.

(g) Let us set aside our gifts and get ready for dinner.

11. Frame wh-questions to get the underlined answers.

(1) Life is made up of sobs, sniffles and smiles.

(2) Many a happy hour she had spent planning for something nice for him.

(3) Her hair reached below her knee.

(4) She was ransacking the stores for Jim’s present.

(5) At 7 o’clock the coffee was made.

(6) The magi were wise men.

12. (A) Add appropriate question tags.

(1) Della leaped up, .........................?
(2) You’ll have to look at the time, ......................?
(3) They were expensive combs, ....................?
(4) I just had to do it, ..........................?
(5) I am still pretty, .............................?
(6) Give it to me quick , .....................?
(7) There was clearly nothing to do,..............?
(8) My hair grows so fast, .....................?
(9) Let’s put our Christmas presents away, ......................?
(10) She had a habit for saying a silent prayer, ....................... ?
(B) Supply short answers (Pronoun + Auxiliary Verb)
Questions Answers
(1) Don’t you like me ? Yes, ....................
(2) Have you cut off your hair ? Yes, ....................
(3) Shall I put the chops on ? Yes, ....................

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 (4) Isn’t it a dandy ? Yes, ....................
(5) Does it make difference ? No, ....................
(6) Will you buy my hair ? No, ....................
(7) Can you afford it ? No, ....................
(8) Are you fooling me ? No, ....................
13. Pick out the infinitives/ gerunds/ participles from the following sentences and
state what each one is.
(1) I want to see how it looks.

(2) I don’t like frightening stories.

(3) We decided to settle in Pune.

(4) Playing sitar is Arjun’s hobby.

(5) It was a horrifying experience for all of us.

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