English Core XI (NOTES) Code No. 301 Class XI (2021-22) Term Wise Syllabus

English Core XI (NOTES)
Code No. 301

Class XI (2021-22)
Term Wise Syllabus
SECTION TERM I WEIGHTAGE TERM II WEIGHTAGE

(IN MARKS) (IN MARKS)
A Reading Comprehension: Reading Comprehension:

 Unseen passage (factual, 8  Unseen passage (factual, 8
descriptive or literary/ discursive or + descriptive or literary /discursive or +
persuasive) 5 persuasive) 5
 Case Based Unseen (Factual) = 13  Unseen passage for Note Making = 13
Passage and Summarising
B Creative Writing Skills and Grammar: Creative Writing Skills and Grammar:
Short Writing Tasks Short Writing Tasks

 Notice Writing 3  Posters 3
Long Writing Tasks + Long Writing Tasks +

 Business or Official Letters( Making  Official Letters: e.g. to
enquiries, registering complaints, asking 5 school/college authorities 5
for or giving information, placing orders (regarding admissions,
and sending replies) + school issues, +
 Speech requirements / suitability
of courses)
Grammar 4  Debate
Grammar 4
 Determiners
 Tenses = 12  Determiners
= 12
 Re-ordering of Sentences  Tenses
 Re-ordering of Sentences
{MCQs on Gap filling/ Transformation of
{MCQs on Gap filling/ Transformation of
Sentences }
Sentences}
C Literature: Literature:
Literary-prose/poetry extracts ( seen- texts ) 9 Marks for Questions based on extracts/texts to assess 9 Marks for
comprehension and appreciation. (Two Hornbill + 6 comprehension and appreciation, analysis, Hornbill + 6
Extracts) Marks for inference, extrapolation Marks for
Questions Based on Texts to assess Snapshots = Snapshots =
comprehension and appreciation, analysis, 15 Marks 15 Marks
inference, extrapolation Book-Hornbill:
 The Voice of the Rain
Book-Hornbill : (Poem)
 The Portrait of a Lady (Prose)  The Ailing Planet: The Green
 A Photograph (Poem) Movement’s Role (Prose)
 “We’re Not Afraid to Die… if We  The Browning Version( Play)
Can All Be Together” (Prose)  Childhood (Poem)
 Discovering Tut: the Saga Continues  Silk Road (Prose)
 The Laburnum Top (Poem)
 Landscape of the Soul (Prose) Book-Snapshots:
Book-Snapshots:  Albert Einstein at School (Prose)
 The Summer of the Beautiful White  Mother’s Day (Play)
Horse(Prose)  Birth ( Prose)
 The Address (Prose)
 Ranga’s Marriage (Prose)
TOTAL 40 TOTAL 40
ASL 10 ASL 10
GRAND TOTAL 40+10=50 GRAND TOTAL 40+10=50

MARKS MARKS
1.UNSEEN COMPREHENSION
Read the passage given below and answer the questions:
(1) Have you ever failed at something so miserably that the thought of attempting do it again was the last thing on
your mind?
(2) If your answer is yes, then you should understand that you are not a robot. Unlike robots, we human beings have
feelings, emotions, and dreams. We are all meant to grow despite our circumstances and limitations. Flourishing and
trying to make our dreams come true feels great when life goes our way. But what happens when it does not? What
happens when you fail despite all your hard work? Do you stay down and accept defeat or do you get up again? If
you tend to persevere and keep going, you have what experts call ‘grit’.
(3) Falling down or failing is one of the most agonising, embarrassing, and scary human experiences. But it is also
one of the most educational, empowering, and essential parts of living a successful and fulfilling life. Did you know
that perseverance (grit) is one of the seven qualities that has been described as the key to personal success and
betterment in society? The other six are curiosity, gratitude, optimism, self-control, social intelligence, and zest.
Thomas Edison is an example of grit for trying more than 1,000 times to invent the light bulb. If you are reading this
with the lights on in your room, you will realise the importance of his success. When asked why he kept going
despite hundreds of failures, he merely stated that they had not been failures, they were hundreds of attempts towards
creating the light bulb. This statement not only revealed his grit but also his optimism for looking at the bright side.
4) Grit can be learnt to help you become more successful. One of the techniques that help is mindfulness.
Mindfulness is a practice that makes an individual stay at the moment by bringing awareness of his or her experience
without judgement. This practice has been used to quieten the noise of fears and doubts. Through this simple practice
of mindfulness, individuals have the ability to stop the self-sabotaging downward spiral of hopelessness, despair, and
frustration.
5) What did you do to overcome the negative and self-sabotaging feelings of failure? Reflect on what you did, and try
to use those same powerful resources to help you today.
On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer any ten questions from the twelve that follow: 1
× 10 = 10
A) The reason why you are not a robot is that:

(a) You fail miserably at tasks
(b) Failure and success can affect your emotions
(c) You work hard
(d) You have limitations
B) Choose the option that best captures the central idea of the passage
from the given quotes.
(a) Option (1)

(b) Option (2)
(c) Option (3)
(d) Option (4)
C) What is the tone of the following context: “Falling down or failing is one of the most…
educational, empowering, and essential parts of living a successful and fulfilling life.”?
a) Humorous
(b) Optimistic
(c) Horrifying
(d) Solemn
D) Which of the following is relevant for the title of the passage.

(a) Dreams Always Come True
(b) Failure and Grit Go Hand in Hand
(c) Humans vs Robots
(d) Falling Down and Getting Up
(E) ……………… was created after many attempts.

(a) electricity
(b) light bulb
(c) current
(d) tube light
(F) Which of the following sentences makes the correct use of “grit”, as used in the passage?
(a) Get rid of that grit in your shoes.
(b) She had a bit of grit in her eye.
(c) The road had been covered with grit.
(d) Her grit never made her give up.
(G) To develop perseverance one must:

(a) become more aware
(b) work hard
(c) be in the moment and be aware without judgement
(d) seek guidance
(H) How does mindfulness help?

(a) It creates awareness
(b) It quietens the noise of fears and doubts
(c) It helps one become successful
(d) It helps develop focus
(I) What do you understand from this line, “Falling down or failing is one of the most agonising,
embarrassing, and scary human experiences.”?
(a) Falling down makes us angry.
(b) Failure can deeply affect our emotions
(c) Stay positive and be optimistic
(d) Self-control is empowering
(J) Choose the option that correctly states the meaning of ‘social intelligence’ as implied in the
passage:
(a) Knowing others
(b) Knowing oneself and others
(c) Knowing oneself
(d) Knowing one’s surroundings
(K) The importance of perseverance and optimism for a successful and fulfilling life is explained
using the example of?
(a) Thomas Edison
(b) Flourishing
(c) Grit
(d) Limitations
(L) What is the message conveyed in the last paragraph of the passage?

(a) Always aim for the best
(b) Live life king size
(c) Through mindfulness we can overcome the negative impact of failure
(d) Social intelligence is crucial for a successful life
(2). Read the passage given below and answer the questions
1.Life on our planet earth began with the sea; it is the birth place of life on the earth. The earth is the only
planet of the solar system so far known which contains plenty of water and this water has made our earth
colourful, pulsating with life of a vast variety.
2. At present sea occupies about 70 percent of the earth’s surface. In the southern hemisphere it occupies
more area than that in the northern. About 97 per cent of the total water on the surface of the earth is found
in the seas and the remaining three per cent, which is generally fresh, in lakes, rivers, ponds, etc.
3. Sea has given food and shelter to countless creatures. It is a potential source of protein. In 1900 the world
population was only 150 crore (1500 million), now it is more than 560 crore and it is increasing at a very
fast rate. As a result there is a terrible hunger in many parts of the world. In Africa, Asia and South
America, millions of people do not get enough to eat. Many die of malnutrition. Sea, if used scientifically
and judiciously, can meet most of our demands.
4. Plankton or algae mostly constitutes the plant life. Some are tiny microbes which cannot be seen by the
naked eye but they are found in abundance in the sea.
5. These marine plankton form the basis of entire sea life. Like plant plankton there are also animal
plankton, the smallest living creatures of the sea. These animal plankton feed on plant plankton and small
fish. Thus, there is an unbroken chain of life in the sea. Arctic and Antarctic seas abound in plankton and
algae and so in fish also. Blue whales, the largest living creatures of the world, are also found here in great
number.
6. Some countries have developed sea farming to a great extent. The Japanese and Hawaiians relish eating
sea plants but it is not in other countries though some use them to feed their cattle or as manure in their
fields. The fact is that sea plants contain rich nutrients not found in other vegetarian food. It is good that
even in our country some scientists have developed some recipes for curries, jams etc to be made from
algae.
7. But we must remember one thing that sea is not to be exploited indiscriminately. For example, man in his
greed has hunted whales and some other sea creatures so recklessly that some of their species have either
become extinct or are on the verge of extinction. Now nations of the world have realized their folly and
have taken some joint decisions. For example, one such decisions is that the size of the holes in fishing nets
should be big enough to let baby fish escape through. Otherwise, killing of large quantities of very young
fish would have an adverse effect on the fish population. In the same way, another decision is for the
protection of blue whales.
Answer the following questions choosing the appropriate option.

(1)Freshwater refers to the water of
(a) Sea
(b)Lakes, rivers, ponds etc
(c) Rainwater
(d)Processed water
(2) There is a terrible hunger in many parts of the world due to
(a)Overpopulation
(b)High pollution level
(c)Global warming
(d) Industrialization
(3) Blue whale, the largest living creatures of the world, are found in great number in
(a) Indian Ocean
(b)Pacific Ocean
(c) Mediterranean Sea
(d)Arctic and Antarctic Sea
(4)The countries which have developed sea farming to a great extent are
(a) Japan and Hawaii
(b)China and India
(c) Malaysia and Singapore
(d)Sri Lanka and Bangladesh
(5) The size of the holes in fishing nets should be big enough to let __
(a) Big fish stay in
(b)Water flow out
(c) Baby fish escape through
(d)More fish enter
(6)Sea plants contain rich nutrients not found in __

(a)Other plants
(b)Other vegetarian food
(c)Non vegetarian food
(d)Milk and milk products
3. Read the passage given below and answer the questions given below.
1. Fear of failure is an attitude problem. All of us postpone things. We procrastinate. We rationalize. We

make excuses. We foolishly believe that to be creative and to have a positive attitude and to simply do
things, we have to have all kinds of preconditions.
2. You can find several excuses for waiting to be more creative. But scratch the surface of these smooth and
logical rationalizations, and if you are honest, you will see the face of a little demon, the fear of failure,
hiding there.
3. Zig Ziglar reminds us that this is nothing but an attitude problem: „The future can be depressing or
magnificent – it is not correlated to the present or the past, past failures or past successes. It is only our
attitude towards these failures or successes which determines our future.‟ You can change yourself by
changing your attitude without fear of error.
4. Problems cause stress and stress reduces our effectiveness. So it is very logical that once we solve our
problems, we should be able to increase our efficiency and effectiveness. Incidentally, we can‟t eliminate
problems unless we have the final exit – the very thought of this itself is very stressful.
5. What causes our problems? Well, roughly speaking one-third of our problems are there because we are
alive and kicking. Another one-third of our problems are created by ourselves; and the remaining one-third
of our problems exist because of greed and ego.
6. When too many problems are causing you enormous stress and strain, do the following: (i) Think …
there must be a better way to solve these problems. It helps to remember the crow and jug story! Recall
similar stories and incidents. (ii) Ask, ask, ask…from yourself and from others, how to do things in better
ways. May be certain things should not be done at all or should be clubbed with other activities! Don’t
forget that even stupid questions will get your intelligent and common sense answers. (iii) Do it now! Start
doing it. Don’t forget that the first step towards solving a problem is to begin. The first step is the most
difficult one, but taking it will kill procrastination—a disease or a problem in itself. Do not forget to
prioritise your problems first. Those which are “C” category jobs should be delegated to others, but do not
forget to check and recheck till these get done.
7. There is always a silver lining in any gloomy situation, provided you starve the problems and feed the
opportunities. For every problem, there could be several solutions, and solutions point towards
opportunities.
8. Apply the MISER concept to solve problems. MISER … where M stands for Merge, I for Improve, S for
Simplify, E for Eliminate and R for Reduce. MISER is an excellent conceptual sieve that helps in reducing
many problems to a very few ones.
A. Read the questions given below and write the option you consider the most appropriate in your answer
sheet:
i Most people procrastinate because …………………..
a) They are not creative
b) They adopt a wrong attitude
c) They are too lazy to do anything
d) They wait for better opportunity
ii. Our future is determined by ………………………

a) past failure
b) success in the present
c) efforts in future
d) attitude towards past failures or success.
iii. Our effectiveness gets reduced as …………………….

a) problems multiply
b) depressing time is painful
c) stress is caused by problems
d) problems dishearten us
iv. We cannot eliminate problems because ……………………..

a) we are alive and kicking
b) we are inactive
c) we are afraid of final exit
d) we postpone actions
v. The best way to tackle a proble m is …………………………

a) to defer it for some time
b) to seek help of a friend
c) to think of an easy solution
d) to begin at once
vi. The word „procrastinate‟ in para 1 means ………………………

a) obtain with difficulty
b) natural tendency to do something bad
c) delay or postpone action
d) start a court case
Case based study unseen comprehension passage:
4. Read the passage and answer the questions given below.
. Food on the table is a very warm sight, but only few take preparation of the same as an art. That’s why the
last room in the darkest corner of the house has always been reserved for the kitchen. Most of the time,
compared to other rooms, kitchens would be smaller in size and least furnished. Kitchens used to be
women’s space, especially in traditional households where the joint family system was the order of the
family structure, the women in the houses are supposed to cook and bring the food to the dining area where
men and guests usually eat. In some of the cases, women are implicitly expected to have their food in the
kitchen itself.
. At least 86% of the newly built houses even in urban areas have smaller kitchens than master bedrooms.
The percentage of people preferring a well ventilated kitchen over a well ventilated bedroom is less than
25%. In rural areas at least 50% of the old generation houses and not less than 30% of the newly built
houses have no kitchens inside the walled areas or the preliminary construction. Statistics also show that
not even 10% of the people invest in furnishing their kitchens the way they do with their drawing rooms.
. As changes happened in all walks of life and gender roles changed elsewhere, in the kitchen as well men’s
participation increased. In the present world, our greatest chefs are men; this has a whole socio-cultural
explication but quite interesting is how architecture and our sense of space management got meddled in,
especially in households.
Image 1
. In earlier days, when the joint family system used to be the order, there used to be a lot of people in the
house that at the same time when somebody is cooking, there will be enough people to engage the guests as
well. And not accidently, the people in the front used to be men and people in the kitchens used to be
women.
Image 2
. Now in the modern nuclear family days, there aren’t enough people to allocate to kitchen works and guest
entertaining duties separately in individual houses, so the only option is for the same people to do both. For
this, either one has to take the guest to the kitchen or bring the kitchen to the guest. The second option gets
its material form when in modern day architecture, the kitchen is integrated to dining space. The traditional
gender roles also got transgressed at some point. When in earlier days cooking remained a women’s job and
entertaining the guest was the men’s job, these days participation is equal from the side of men and women
for these activities.
On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer ANY TEN questions from the eleven that
follow. (1x10 = 10)
i. What is the most appropriate premise on which the above passage could be constructed?
a. Kitchens are always a priority when it comes to house construction.

b. Women are demanding for more equality in housekeeping, the way they do this is by restructuring the
kitchen.
c. There is a connection between architecture, food culture and gender.
d. Even if the kitchen is placed in the middle of the house, traditional gender roles are never going to
change.
ii. Pick the option that lists statements that are NOT TRUE according to the passage.
1. More people prefer larger kitchens than bedrooms in their houses.

2. A lot of people take preparation of food as an art.
3. Over the course of time, men’s participation in the kitchen has increased.
4. Kitchen is integrated into the dining space in modern day architecture.
a. 1 & 2
b. 3 & 4
c. 2 & 3
d. 1 & 4
iii. Which word has the same meaning as ‘intervene’, in paragraph 3?
a. Change
b. Participate
c. Explicate
d. Meddle
iv. Based on the cartoon (Image 1) with the quote “Oh! I can tell from that look, you are never going to let
this go”, which of the following statements is correct?
a. The cartoon is trying to establish that women are unforgiving.

b. The cartoon is trying to establish that men are generally bad at cooking.
c. The cartoon is trying to establish that cooking is dangerous and it must be done carefully.
d. The cartoon is trying to establish that we shouldn’t trust untrained people with cooking whether it’s a
man or a woman.
v. “... in modern day architecture, the kitchen is integrated to dining space.” What is the root reason for
this?
a. In individual nuclear families there aren’t enough members to separately manage guests and kitchen
works.
b. The traditional gender roles also got transgressed at some point, so women started revolting for kitchen
centered architecture.
c. Participation in household works became naturally equal as time passed.
d. It happened as a result of architectural innovations which happened in the modern era.
vi. Image 2 shows the search result of “richest celebrity chefs in the world”. Which paragraph makes a
statement that corresponds to this search result?
a. Paragraph 1
b. Paragraph 4
c. Paragraph 2
d. Paragraph 3
vii. Based on the data given in para 2, which combination given below is right?
1. Only 14 % of the newly built houses in urban areas have bigger kitchens than master bedrooms.
2. More than 30% of the newly built houses in rural and urban areas have no kitchens inside the walled
areas
3. 90% of the people invest in furnishing their kitchens the way they do with their drawing rooms.
4. The percentage of people preferring a well ventilated kitchen over a well ventilated bedroom is less than
25%
a. 1 & 2
b. 3 & 4
c. 1 & 4
d. 2 & 4
viii. “In the present world, our greatest chefs are men.” What assumption is NOT FALSE based on this
statement?
a) When it comes to professionalism, men are superior to women, even in doing women's jobs.
b) This has nothing to do with gender. It must have happened due to preferences of individuals and other
favourable situations.
c) When it comes to doing things at larger levels, women fail to excel.
d) This is clearly because the world favours men over women, even though any woman can cook food
better than any man.
ix. Which of the following statements is not true based on the passage?
a. There is a change in perspective as time progresses regarding the position of the kitchen in a household.
b. In the modern times there is no place for assuming that cooking at professional level is a game for
women.
c. Changes in family structure from joint family system to nuclear family didn’t much influence the kitchen
architectural innovations.
d. Even today in rural areas, kitchens are not given that importance while constructing a new house.
x. Which of the pie charts given below is correct in reference to the presence of kitchens inside walled areas
for newly constructed houses in rural areas?
a. Option 1
b. Option 2
c. Option 3
d. Option 4
xi. According to the passage, arrange the given statements in descending order of importance when they are
taken as reasons for changing the modern day architecture of households.
1. Men and women started participating in kitchen work equally.

2. Transition of family structure from joint family system to nuclear family.
3. Transgression of the traditional gender roles in society.
4. Easy to entertain guests with even minimum members in the household.
a. 1, 3, 4, 2
b. 3, 2, 1, 4
c. 2, 4, 3, 1
d. 4, 1, 2, 3
FORMAT (Notice)
Name of the institution (Issuing authority)
NOTICE Date
Heading
Content : What, where, when,purpose
Signature
Name of the issuing authority
Designation
How to begin notice : It is hereby to inform you that ----------------
Ending : Those who are interested to participate can give their names to the concerned teacher. For more
details contact undersigned.
K V Avikanagar
NOTICE
Debate Competition
April 3, 2021
All the students are hereby informed that English Debate Competition of Zonal Level will be held in our
school as per the details given below:
Date: 21 Sept. 2020 Time: 8.30 a.m.

Venue: School auditorium
Topic: Utility of Mega Events for Common Man.
Time limit: 3-4 min.
Those who are interested to participate can give their names to the concerned teacher. For more details
contact undersigned.
Rachna
(Head Girl)
Letter Writing
For First Term 2021-22

A letter is a written message that can be handwritten or printed on paper. It is usually sent to the
recipient via mail or post in an envelope, although this is not a requirement as such. Any such
message that is transferred via post is a letter, a written conversation between two parties.
KINDS OF LETTERS
Letter-writing can be divided into two main kinds:
(a) Formal Letters

(b) Informal Letters
Formal Letters include business letters, applications for jobs, letters to editors, letters to
Principal/Officers and letters of complaints to authorities.
Informal Letters are written to friends, relatives, acquaintances and teachers. These include private
and personal matters such as condolences, congratulations, invitations, etc.
Formal Letter: These letters follow a certain pattern and formality. They are strictly kept
professional in nature, and directly address the issues concerned. Any type of business letter or letter
to authorities falls within this given category.
Format of Formal Letter
1.Address of the sender
2.Date
3.Address of the receiver
4.Salutation – Dear Sir/Ma’am (address the person with the name if you know it)
5.Subject –
6.Body of the letter
7. Complimentary close
8.Signature
9. Name
10. Designation
Enclosures(if any)
1. Beginning for letter to editor

Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I wish to draw the attention of one and all towards the
problem of -----------
Ending : we request the concerned authority through the medium of your newspaper to look into this
matter seriously and do the needful immediately.
Letter Of enquiry
An inquiry letter is usually written to gain some information from the recipient. While writing an inquiry
letter it is important to provide some information about yourself so that the recipient can authenticate the
source of the inquiry.
Suggestions to write an inquiry letter:
 Give a brief introduction about yourself. Your organisation.

 Provide the details about the thing or subject of inquiry.
 If you require a detailed information, write your questions accordingly.
 If you require the information by a particular date, then do mention in the letter.
 Thank them for their time and consideration at the end.
Question 1.
You are Anshul/Anshika, a student of class X and resident of 56 D, Ring Road, ITO, New Delhi, and wants
to be a choreographer. Write a leter to the director, National Institute of Choreography, Noida, seeking
information about their course, admission procedure, eligibility criteria and other necessary detail.
Answer:
56 D, Ring Road, ITO
New Delhi 1100XX
1 July 20XX
The Director
National Institute of Choreography
Sector 16, Noida 102XXX
Dear Sir
Subject: Inquiry regarding course in choreography
Refer to your advertisement regarding the courses in choreography offered by your reputable institute, I
want to state that I am currently in X class and preparing for my final exam. I am very much interested in
dancing and want to take it as a career. I am also given to understand that this institute is by far the best so
far as choreography is concerned and I would very much like to be part of it. Kindly send me the prospectus
and the application form. I would be highly grateful if you could provide me with the following
information:
 The department and programme faculty

 Funding opportunities
 Scholarships available
 Admission procedure
 Eligibility criteria
 Hostel facilities
Kindly send me, the brochure along with the enrolment form at the earliest so that I could register myself
for the course.
Yours faithfully
2.You are interested in a short–term course in computer graphics during the holidays. Write a letter to the
Director, Fortune Graphics Computers, inquiring about their short–term courses and asking for all the
necessary details. You are Anuj/Anju of 28 A, Uttam Nagar, New Delhi.
Answer:
28 A, Uttam Nagar
New Delhi 1100XX
12 July 20XX
The Director
Fortune Graphics Computers
Laxmi Nagar
New Delhi 1100XX
Dear Sir/Madam
Subject: Inquiry about the short–term courses in computers
I came across your advertisement in the Times of India dated 11th July. I would like to know in detail about
the courses offered by your institute. The advertisement was a comprehensive one and offered a variety of
courses. Since it’s the age of technology, my interest is in line with it. I am a class X student and wish to
pursue a course in computer graphics during the summer vacation after my board exams. Kindly send all
necessary details, including the courses offered, its duration, fee structure, etc. at the above address. The
payment for the brochure shall be made at the time of the delivery. Thanking you in anticipation.
Yours faithfully
Anuj
Letter of Complaint
(1). B6/12 Phase I
Ashok Vihar
Delhi 110052
3 March 20XX
The Commissioner of Police
Delhi Police
Police Headquarters
ITO
New Delhi 110002
Dear Sir
Sub: Crime Against the Aged
Through the letter, I want to raise the issue of the rising crime and violence against the aged. Every other
day, we hear of the murder or robbing of the elderly. There have been even some cases of the old women
living alone being raped.
I feel police can do a lot to make the aged feel secure in their homes. Beat constables should be instructed
to visit the old and the aged single people from time to time. There can be a special phone number at every
police station for the use of the aged. The police officers and constables should be given special training to
be sensitive to the needs of the aged.
I hope the police department will take some effective measures soon to prevent crime against the aged.
Thanking you
Yours faithfully Aanchal
2. Write a letter to the Chief Post Master, General Post Officer, Lucknow complaining of late delivery of
letters causing a lot of inconvenience to you. You are Meena/Mohit of 21, Babuganj, Lucknow.
Answer:
21, Babuganj
Lucknow 2260XX
12 January 20XX
The Chief Post Master

General Post Office
Lucknow 2260XX
Dear Sir
Subject: Late delivery of letters
I am writing to you in great anguish on a subject which should be treated on top priority by you and your
department.
I am suffering a lot of inconvenience due to the late delivery of letters for no fault of mine. Letters reach me
as late as a month from the date of receipt at Lucknow post office. I lost a job opportunity as the interview
call was received a week after it was held.
I have earlier complained to the Post Master, Babuganj, but to no avail. I now request you to look into the
matter and remedy the situation.
Yours faithfully
Meena
Asking for information
1.You are Ashwini Meena of C-23, Chitra Park, Jaipur. Write a letter to M/s Full Marks (Pvt) Ltd,
Daryaganj, New Delhi asking for a catalogue of books, terms and conditions of supply and mode of
payment etc.
Answer:
C-23 Chitra Park
Jaipur
25 May 20XX
M/s Full Marks Pvt Ltd

Daiyaganj
New Delhi
Sub : Request for Catalogue

Sir,
I am interested in purchasing a few of your publications on spoken English by V.P.P. I shall be very
grateful if you could send me the latest catalogue on these books. Please specify if any audio/video
cassettes are also available along with the books. I am enclosing a self-addressed envelope for prompt
despatch.
I am also interested in knowing your terms and conditions regarding the payment, time and mode of
delivery, etc.
Hoping you would look into my request on priority.
Yours faithfully,
– Ashwini Meena
2. You are Vivek / Varsha Malhotra, Head Boy / Girl of Zenith Public School, Ashok Vihar, New Delhi.
You have to organise short tours to Agra, Jaipur and Chandigarh. Write a letter to Globe Tours and Travels,
235, Nehru Place, New Delhi, enquiring about their terms for conducted tours by deluxe buses. Also ask
about the fare, boarding and lodging charges and arrangements, total time of the trip and mode of payment.
Answer:
Zenith Public School
Ashok Vihar
New Delhi
16 July 20XX
M/s Globe Tours and Travels
235 Nehru Place
New Delhi
Sub : Enquiry about conducted tours

Sir,
We organise short educational tours to places of social and historical interest during the autumn/winter
break. The likely places of visit this year are Agra, Jaipur and Chandigarh. Please let me know your terms
for conducted tours by deluxe buses to places mentioned above. The rates should include lodging/boarding
charges, fare per km per bus.
I would like to know the kind of boarding and lodging facilities provided by you, the duration of journey
and halting charges, if any.
Please let me know if group discount and student discount are admissible if we charter a bus.
Expecting early response.
Yours faithfully,
Vivek Malhotra
Head Boy
Placing Order
1.Write a letter to Delhi Sports, Daryaganj, New Delhi, placing an order for sports articles like footballs,
cricket balls, Tennis balls and cricket bats to be supplied to your school. Sign as Ravi/Raveena, Sports
Secretary.
Answer:
Happy Time Public School
Bhajan pura
New Delhi 1100XX
19 January 20XX
The Manager
Delhi Sports, Darya Ganj
New Delhi 1100XX
Dear Sir
Subject: Placement of sports goods
This has reference to the quotation dated 19 December 20XX. Kindly send the following items at the above
address.
Name of the Items No. of Items Remarks
Football 10 Sparton
Cricket balls 10 Leather
Tennis balls 20 Vicky (brand)
Cricket bats 10 SS
All the items should be in good condition, well bound and packed properly and delivered within a week.
The payment will be made by cash once the items reach us. Any damage during transportation would be
your responsibility. Though in the past, you have never given us any opportunity to complain and – the
goods have always reached us well on time, and in excellent condition as per our specifications, we do
expect the same delivery this time as well.
Yours faithfully
Raveena
(Secretary)
2. As head of the music department of your school, write a letter to Hyderabad Music House, placing an
order for some music instruments like Sitar, Harmonium, Tabla, Tanpura and Guitar. You are Anvita/Anil
of DIPS School, Rohini, New Delhi.
Answer:
DIPS School
Rohini New
Delhi 1100XX
20 January 20XX
The proprietor
Hyderabad Music House
New Delhi 1100XX
Dear Sir
Subject: Placement of order for musical instruments
This is to inform you that our school management has decided to place an order with your
company for the supply of music instruments; the list is given below. The price quotation
submitted by your agents has been approved and the institutional discount of 10 per cent offered
by you has been accepted. Kindly make it convenient to send the delivery within 15 days. I am
sure proper packing of the instruments will be taken care of and the responsibility of any damage
caused during transportation, shall rest with you. I hope future repairs and maintenance of the
pieces will be provided by you promptly and satisfactorily. The payment will be made through a
crossed cheque to your agent just after the delivery.
List of Items No; of pieces
Sitar 5
Harmonium 10
Tabla 4
Tanpura 6
Guitar 2
Yours faithfully
Anvita
Head of Dept (Music)
Sending reply:
1.Write a reply to an enquiry sent to you earlier :

Maveli Homeo Mission
PB. 1015
Pattom
Thiruvanthapuram 695004
20 March 20XX
Asha Rai
49, S Block
Model Town
Allahabad 21100X
Uttar Pradesh 2110XX
Dear Madam
Thanks for your letter dated March 9, 20XX, and the interest you have taken in the courses offered by us.
The complete course of a full medical degree is of three years duration. The total charges are 120,000
payable in three installments. The first installment is of ₹ 10,000 and the subsequent of ₹ 5,000 each.
The three contact programmes will be held for a month each year. You will be expected to read the study
material and submit the assignments before the contact programme begins.
As desired By you, I am enclosing a prospectus. For any additional enquiries, please contact us at any time.
With best wishes,
R.G.K. Menon
(Director)
Enel. Prospectus
Speech Writing
Format:
(a) Address the gathering, e.g., Respected Principal, teachers, students, Good Morning.
(b) Speech in three or four paragraphs.
(c) A speech ends with Thank you. The speaker thanks the listeners for their patient hearing. Content:
♦ Content:
According to the occasion, you may include quotations. Organise the speech into introduction, main points
and conclusion.
Question 1.
You are Mukesh/Mukta of Saket. You have been reading the news items on Nithari killings. Write a speech
in 150-200 words to be given in the morning assembly, stressing the need of keeping a close vigil on the
anti-social elements of the locality and taking care of young children of the area so that they don’t fall prey
to bad characters.
Answer:
Crimes Against Children

by Mukta (XIA)
Respected Principal, teachers and dear friends. Good Morning. I am Mukta of Class XI. Today I would like
to share my views with you on crimes against children. It is a horrifying reality with which we have to
contend.
Some recent tragic events have opened our eyes to the magnitude of crimes against children. Mostly,
children are kidnapped for ransom if they are from rich families, or for begging and stealing if they are
from ordinary families. Cases of child abuse are growing in alarming prop The most disgusting and
horrifying of these cases was the one discovered at Noida, where the owner- servant team carried out
dastardly crimes against children behind closed doors. Investigations are unveiling horrible acts.
In such a scenario, it is imperative that parents take good care of their children. Children should be trained
not to trust strangers.
The security of a neighbourhood depends on the alertness of the citizens. We have a tremendous
responsibility towards our youngsters.
I hope my words will make you think about the matter.

Thank you
Question 2.
Children usually come to school without taking breakfast in the morning and eat junk food from the school
canteen. This habit affects adversely the performance of students in academics and sports. Write a speech in
150-200 words to be given in your school assembly about ‘How Health is Affected by Lifestyle’.
Answer:
How Health is Affected by Lifestyle
Respected Principal, teachers and dear friends,
Good morning, I am Mamta of XI A, and I wish to speak to you on a very important matter. I wish to speak
to you on how our health is affected by our lifestyle.
Yesterday, a class VI student fainted in the assembly. The reason was that she had not taken her breakfast
of porridge, fruit and milk. She wanted noodles only with coffee!
Friends, the breakfast her mother had prepared was nutritious, it would have given her energy for the whole
day. If we fill our stomach, meal after meal, with junk food, how shall we grow tall and strong? How will
we get the energy for mental work?
Like food, rest is an important part of our lifestyle. My friend Roshan was unable to answer his English
paper in the unit test; he was feeling sleepy. He had studied till 3 a.m. because he thought English could be
studied in a few hours. Had he been regular in work and study, he would have done well, for he is very
intelligent.
My last word is for my obese friends who form almost 30% of our student body. Exercise, exercise and
regular exercise is the answer to your problems.
I sincerely hope you will improve your lifestyle to be healthier and stronger.
Thank You.
Determiners
Determiners are words which come before nouns. They contain several classes of words, including
pronouns and adjectives.
Study the sentences given below:
I saw a juggler yesterday.
My uncle is an officer in the army.
This car is very comfortable.
Some pictures are really fine.
Have you any complaint against me?
She is blind in one eye.
In the above sentences, a, an, the, this, my, some, any, and one are words which mark the subsequent arrival
of a noun. Each of them modifies the noun which follows it. Such words are called Determiners or Fixing
words as they fix the Nouns that follow them.
Here is a tentative list of the most frequently used Determiners:

(a) a, an, the (Article Determiners)
(b) this, that, these, those (Demonstrative Determiners)
(c) my, our, your, his, her, its, their, one’s (Possessive Determiners)
(d) one, two, three, etc. (Definite Numerical Determiners)
(e) some, any, no; all, both; much, many; few, less, several, little (Indefinite Numeral Determiners)
(f) each, every, either, neither (Distributive Numeral Determiners)
USE OF SOME COMMON DETERMINERS
(a) A, An, The [Article Determiners]
‘A’ and ‘an’ are used before countable singular nouns. A’ is used before a word beginning with a
consonant sound, while ‘an’ is used before words with a vowel sound as
A hen laid an egg yesterday.

An elephant killed a boy.
She wants to be a painter.
I saw a boy reading a book.
It is not a crow. It is an owl.
‘The’ is a weakened form of ‘that’.
‘The’ is used to particularize a person or a thing as—
Call the boy (who is) waiting outside.

The apples in that basket are quite fresh.
Bring me the purse I gave you.
I reached the school late.
The girl who stood first was given a prize.
(b) This, That, These, Those [Demonstrative Determiners]
I. That (in case of plural, those)

(a) It is used to avoid the repetition of the preceding noun(s). e.g.
 My bat is better than that of my friend.

 Our soldiers are better equipped than those of Pakistan.
(b) It refers to person(s) or thing(s) far from the speaker, e.g.

 Get that dog out of here.
 Those houses are for sale.
II. This (in case of plural, these)

(a) It refers to persons or thing(s) near the speaker, e.g.
 This book is very interesting.

 These flowers are very beautiful.
(c) My, Our, Your, His, Her, Its, Their, One’s [Possessive Determiners]
These are Possessive forms of Pronouns. They are used before Singular and Plural Nouns to indicate
relationship/possession; as—
My mother is a teacher.
Our school has fifty rooms.
Your father is calling you.
His bag contains many objects.
Her books lie scattered in the room.
Their house is double-storeyed.
One must do one’s duty.
(d) One, Two, Three, etc. [Definite Numeral Determiners]
These indicate a definite number of objects/persons; as—

The beggar is blind of one eye.
She has two daughters
Five boys are sitting on that bench.
Note. ‘Ordinal numbers’ like ‘first’, ‘second’, “third’, … etc. refer to the position of something in a series;
as—
The girl in the third row is my cousin.
The man in the first room is our warden.
(e) (i) Some, Any and No [Indefinite Numeral Determiners]
Some is generally used in affirmative sentences.

No, and Any are used in negative and interrogative sentences; as—
There is no post office in this colony.

I have no friends in our class.
We have invited some T.V. anchors to the show.
There is still some milk in the jug.
There isn’t any sugar in the pot.
Have you any books on western music?
Study the use of some’ and ‘Any’ in the following contexts: ‘Some’ may be used in questions indicating
request or invitation; as—
Will you have some tea?
Will you spend some days with us?
Won’t you spare some time for me?
Didn’t I lend you some money yesterday?
‘Any’ is used in interrogative sentences to make an inquiry, as—
Is there any news?

Has the postman brought any letters for me?
Didn’t you buy anything from the general store?
Note:
1. We use ‘any’ after ‘hardly’, ‘barely’ and ‘scarcely’ (adverbs with negative meanings); as—
He has hardly any money on him.
There is hardly any sugar in the house.
She has barely any beautiful dress.
He has scarcely any friend in this new city.
2. In case there is Some doubt, we use ‘any’ after ‘ if ’; as—
If you need any help, press this button.
If you face any difficulty, don’t hesitate to seek my help.
3. ‘Some’ with a countable plural noun indicates an unknown or indefinite number while with an
uncountable noun, some means an indefinite quantity; as—
Some boys were hurt in the bus accident (number)
Some persons always speak ill of others. (number)
I bought a note-book and some paper. (quantity)
He wants a pen and some ink. (quantity)
(e) (ii) All and Both [Indefinite Numeral Determiners]
‘All’ denotes the total of many units together while ‘Both’ shows the total of two units together; as—
She gave me all the apples.
All the boys are playing now.
Both Ajay and Vijay are fine cricketers.
Both father and mother are at home.
Note:
1. ‘The’ is used after ‘All’ and ‘Both’ but ‘before’ ‘whole’

All the girls are present in the class.
Both friends refused to part.
The whole village was ruined in the fire.
2. ‘All’ is used with both countable and uncountable nouns; as—
All my books have been tom.
All the milk turned sour.
(e) (iii) Much and Many [Indefinite Numeral Determiners]

‘Many’ shows the number and is used
1. In interrogative and negative sentences:

Did you see many persons at dinner?
She has not solved many sums.
2. as the subject or part of the subject:
Many have been respected and admired.
Many of us went to see a famous actor.
3. In the expressions—a good many, a great many, so many, too many, how many, as many, many a; as
—
I have known her for a great many years.
Even if one person is hurt that is one too many.
Many a good man has been destroyed by drink.
In all other cases, replace many by ‘a lot of ‘a great number’, ‘ plenty of ’; as—
Have you read many books?
Yes, I have read a lot of books.
No, I haven’t read a great number of books.
Much’ shows quantity and is used in the same way as ‘many’. ‘Much’ can be replaced by ‘a lot of’ ‘a great
deal of and ‘plenty of’; as—
Does your cow give much milk?
Yes, she gives a lot of milk.
No, she doesn’t give a great deal of milk.
Note:
Many is followed by a plural number while, many a takes singular number after it.
The verb agrees with the noun placed before it; as—
Many Problems have come up suddenly.
Many a flower is born to blush unseen.
(e) (iv) Few, Less and Several [Indefinite Numeral Determiners]
“Few’ is the opposite of ‘Many’ and ‘Less’ is the opposite of ‘Much’. Few denotes a number, while ‘Less’
denotes quantity. ‘Several’ means ‘more than two but not many.’
We have few holidays during this term.
A few persons attended the meeting.
She pays less attention to her children.
Several letters arrived this morning.
They said goodbye and went their several ways. (different)
(e) (v) Little and Few [Indefinite Numeral Determiners]
‘Little’ means not much, hardly any.

‘Few’ means not many, hardly any.
1. In other words, ‘Little’ and ‘Few’ mean practically nothing. ‘Little’ is used with singular countable
nouns while ‘Few’ is used with plural countable nouns; as—
There is little water in the pot. (hardly any)
There are few buses running.
He had little money.
I have few friends.
There was little hope of her recovery.
Few women can keep a secret.
2. ‘A little’ and ‘A few’ make a positive sense, A little means some quantity though not much, while ‘A
few’ indicates a certain number, though not many; as—
I shall return the money in a few days. (= some)
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. (some but not much)
She has a little money left. (some, but small amount)
He has a few books of his own. (some, but not many)
The little’ and ‘The few’ imply two statements—One negative and the other affirmative.
She wasted the little money she had.
We lost the little hope of her recovery.
I have read the few books I had.
She spent the few rupees her mother gave her.
(f) Each, Every, Either and Neither [Distributive Numerals]
‘Each’ is used for two or more persons (definite) while ‘every’ is used for more than two persons or things,
(indefinite). ‘Either’ means ‘anyone of the two’, ‘Neither’ means ‘not any one of the two’; as—
Each student has a book of his own.

Each person must take his turn.
I play hockey every day.
India expects every man to do his best.
Either book will do.
I have two pens. You may have either.
Take either road whichever you prefer.
Neither statement is true.
Neither party was willing to quit.
EXERCISE 1
(Solved)
Study the following sentences and check whether ‘a’, ‘an’ or ‘the’ are properly used or not. Write ‘no error’
for the correct sentences and suggest corrections for the incorrect sentences.
1. I have two sisters and a brother; my brother has the son; that makes me an uncle.
2. Would you like orange? Or would you prefer a banana? We also have strawberries.
3. Let’s go and see the movie. It’s an adventure film that I have really been wanting to see.
4. Is there an Internet cafe around here? I need to send an important e-mail.
5. My parents took an amazing trip to Manali last year-they even climbed a mountain near Kulu.
Answers:
1. I have two sisters and a brother; my brother has a son; that makes me an unc|e.
2. Would you like an orange? Or would you prefer a banana? We also have strawberries.
3. No error
4. Is there an Internet cafe around here? I need to send an important e-mail.
5. My parents took an amazing trip to Manali last year – they even climbed a mountain near Kulu.
EXERCISE 2
(Solved)
Fill in the blanks using this, that, these, or those.
1. ………….. is my wife.
2. Could you bring me a book ……………. I left in the garden?
3. Many parents complain about their childhood days.
4. The jeans you have bought today are better than you bought last month.
Answer:
1. This
2. that
3. these
4. those
TENSE
Read the following sentences carefully:

1. I play tennis every day.
2. We played a match yesterday.
3. They will play with us tomorrow.
In sentence 1, the verb play refers to present time.
In sentence 2, the verb played refers to past time.
In sentence 3, the verb will play refers to future time.
Thus verb may refer to
1. Present Time
2. Past Time or
3. Future Time.
Since three main time divisions are: present, past and future, they may be represented by three main blocks
of tenses:
1. The Present Tense

2. The Past Tense
3. The Future Tense
Depending on the interest and attitude of the speaker indicated by them, tenses are divided as
1. indefinite or simple,
2. continuous or progressive,
3. perfect, and
4. perfect continuous.
This classification takes into account both form and function.

These four sub-divisions of each tense clearly indicate the stage of action:
e.g.
1. The Simple form simply states am action. It does not say anything about the completion of the
action—whether it is complete or not.
2. The Continuous form indicates that the action is in progress. It is still going on.
3. The Perfect form indicates that the action has been completed.
4. The Perfect Continuous form shows that the action which began sometime before, is still in
progress.
Thus, the tense of a verb shows not only the time of an action or event, but also the state of an action.
In other words, we may say that tense is the form of a verb which shows the time at which an event occurs
and the degree of completeness / incompleteness of the event.
Read the following sentences:
1. I write a letter (Simple Present)

2. I am writing a letter. (Present Continuous)
3. I have written a letter. (Present Perfect)
4. I have been writing a letter since 7 a.m. (Present Perfect Continuous)
The verbs in the above sentences refer to present time. Therefore, these sentences are in the present tense.
The Past Tense also has the following four forms:
1. I wrote a letter yesterday. (Simple Past)

2. I was writing a letter at that moment. (Past Continuous)
3. I had written before you came. (Past Perfect)
4. I had been writing letters all day yesterday. (Past Perfect Continuous)
Similarly, the Future Tense has the following four forms:
1. I shall write to you tomorrow. (Simple Future)

2. I shall be writing on reaching home. (Future Continuous)
3. I shall have written a letter by evening. (Future Perfect Tense)
4. I shall have been writing for an hour before you arrive. (Future Perfect Continuous)
Now study, the following tense chart giving the forms of the verb ‘write’:
TENSE CHART
Tense Simple Continuous Perfect Perfect Continuous
write am writing is writing has written

Present writes are writing have written has been writing have been writing
was writing were

Past wrote writing had written had been writing
shall have
shall write shall be writing will be written will
Future will write writing have written shall have been writing will have been writing
Reordering of sentences (Jumbled words)

1. the/ on/ forests/ the/ industry/ oil/ depends
2. do/ get/ the/ forests/ from/ what/ we/ products/?
3. the/Indian/English/exploited/the/farmers
4. pay/the/had to/poor farmers/high taxes/very
Answer
1. The oil industry depends on the forests.
2. What products do we get from the forests?
3. The English exploited the Indian farmers.
4. The poor farmers had to pay very high taxes.
Q. Rearrange the following words or phrases to make meaningful sentences:
1. a/ lover/ is/ animal/ passionate/ he

2. campaigned/ birds/ he/ caged/ free/ to
3. to/ her/ first/ Sudha/ stand/ hard/ class/ is/ studying/ in
4. healthy/ takes/ keep/ himself/ everyday/ exercise/ Kamal/ to
Answer
1. He is a passionate animal lover.
2. He campaigned to free caged birds.
3. Sudha is studying hard to stand first in her class.
4. Kamal takes exercise everyday to keep himself healthy.
Hornbill Text Book
1.The Portrait of a Lady
Khushwant Singh (1915-2014) was an Indian author, lawyer, diplomat, journalist and politician. He was
educated at the Government College, Lahore and at King's College, Cambridge University, He practiced
law at the Lahore High Court for several years before joining the Indian Ministry of External Affairs in
1947. He began a distinguished career as a journalist with the All India Radio in 1951. Since then he has
been founder-editor of Yojana (1951-1953),editor of The Hindustan Times (1980-1983),etc. His Saturday
column "With Malice Towards One and All" in The Hindustan Times is by far one of the most popular
columns of the day. In July 2000, he was conferred the "Honest Man of the Year Award for his courage and
honesty in his "brilliant incisive writing." He was a member of the Rajya Sabha (upper house of the Indian
Parliament) from 1980 to 1986. Among other honors, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1974 by the
President of India (he returned the decoration in 1984 in protest against the Union Government's siege of
the Golden Temple in Amritsar). His beloved grandmother, Lakshmi Bai had given him the name Khushal
Singh and his pet name was “Shalee”. His grandfather name was Sujan Singh. He chose Khushwant as his
first name to rhyme with that of Bhagwant, his elder brother. Singh was married to Kawal Malik who was a
childhood friend of his. They had two children, Rahul Singh and Mala Singh.
His experience in the 1947 Partition of India inspired him to write Train to Pakistan in 1956, which
became his most well-known novel.
Theme: In The Portrait of a Lady we have the theme of innocence, friendship, love, connection, kindness,
selflessness, respect and acceptance. We see the struggle of old age and a peaceful acceptance of solitude.
The old lady does not express her feelings and is always contented with everything that happens in her life.
It highlights the change in relationship with the passage of time, every thing in world is to be faced with
courage. The basic theme is the unconditional love of grandmother.
Moral: The story puts light on the need of companionship and friendship felt by our elders. It also shows
how love and emotion is experienced not only by human beings but animals and birds too.
Expression Meaning
The thought was almost revolting Difficult to believe
an expanse of pure white serenity White and calm looks of a person
a turning-point Significant change, A major change
accepted her seclusion with resignation Accepted loneliness without objection
a veritable bedlam of chirruping A real uproar of sound of birds
frivolous rebukes Superficial scolding
the sagging skins of the dilapidated drum Loose skin of an old drum
Brief summary :
“The Portrait of a Lady” is a heart-warming pen picture of Khushwant Singh's grandmother who brought
him up. The author describes his association with his grandmother and the changes that came about in their
relationship with the passage of time. Her simplicity and beauty left an indelible imprint on the poet's mind.
Khushwant Singh’s grandmother was short, old and slightly bent, and hobbled around the house telling the
beads on her rosary. He had seen her look the same for twenty years and to him it seemed that she was
really old and could not grow older. It was difficult for him to conceptualise that she could have been
young and . pretty; to believe that she had had a husband. His grandfather’s portrait hung on the wall of the
drawing room. He too looked very old arid very grandfatherly. Looking at his portrait one could visualise
that he had many grandc hildren but one could not imagine him in his youth with his wife and children.
When Khushwant Singh was still young, his parents left for the city leaving him to the care of his
grandmother.
They were good friends. She woke him up each morning, bathed him, dressed him, plastered his wooden
slate, gave him breakfast—a stale, buttered chapatti with sugar sprinkled on it and walked him to school.
The school was attached to a temple. While Khushwant Singh and the other children sat in the veranda
learning the alphabets and morning prayers, his grandmother sat inside the temple reading scriptures. After
they had both finished, they would head back home. On their way, she fed the dogs each day with the stale
chapattis that she carried with her. When the writer’s parents had settled in the city, they sent for them. This
proved to be a turning point in their relationship. The only thing that remained unchanged was their
common bedroom.
She could not accompany him to school as he went by the school bus. Now, he went to an English school
where they taught science. She could not understand English and did not believe in science. The fact that
they were not taught about god made her unhappy. Khushwant Singh’s learning music in school made her
unhappier as she felt it was not meant for gentle folk. Her communication with him deteriorated further.
But it was when he went to the university and got a separate room that even this link was snapped.
When the writer was going abroad, she went to the railway station to see him off but did not speak a word,
only kissed his forehead. The writer believed this was their last physical contact as he was going away for
five years. But she was there when he returned and was delighted to see him back. In the evening she
collected women from the neighbourhood and beat the drum and sang for hours of the homecoming of
warriors. For the first time she missed her prayers.
She was then taken slightly ill. The doctors reassured the family that there was nothing to worry but she
stopped talking. She said her end was near. She began to tell the beads of her rosary and her lips moved in a
silent prayer before she died.
After her death, her body was laid on the floor, covered in a red shawl. Thousands of sparrows came and sat
quietly all around her body. The writer’s mother threw breadcrumbs but the sparrows took no notice of
them.
After her cremation they flew away without touching the crumbs.
The three phases of the author’s relationship with his grandmother
1.childhood – when he went to the village school and the grandmother helped him to get ready and went to
school with him.
2.boyhood – when he went to the city school in a bus. He shared a room with his grandmother but she
could no longer help him in his studies.
3.early youth – when he went to the university and was given a room of his own. The common link of
friendship was snapped.
Three reasons why the author’s grandmother was disturbed
1.She hated western Science and learning.

2.She was pained to know that there was no teaching of God and the scriptures there.
3.She was allergic to music. She thought it was not meant for decent people and gentlefolk. It was the
monopoly of prostitutes and beggars.
Three ways in which the author's grandmother spent her days
1.She lived alone in her room as she had accepted her loneliness quietly.
2.She sat at her spinning wheel reciting prayers.
3.In the afternoon, she would feed the sparrows for half an hour.
Friendship got snapped

When he went up to university he was given a room of his own. The common link of their friendship was
snapped. His grandmother accepted her seclusion with resignation.
Turning point in their friendship

The turning point in the narrator's and his grandmother's friendship came when the author was called to the
city by his parents. In the village, he and his grandmother had been going together to the school.
QUESTION ANSWER
Question 1:
The three phases of the author’s relationship with his grandmother before lie left else country to study
abroad.
Answer:
The three phases of the author’s relationship with his grandmother before he left the country to study
abroad are:
1. childhood – when he went to the village school and the grandmother helped him to get ready and
went to school with him.
2. boyhood – when he went to the city school in a bus. He shared a room with grandmother but she
could no longer help him in his studies.
3. early youth – when he went to the university and was given a room of him own. The common link of
friendship was snapped.
Question 2:
Three reasons why the author’s grandmother was disturbed when m started going to the city school.
Answer:
The three reasons why the author’s grandmother was disturbed when he started going to the city school are:
1. She hated western Science and learning.

2. She was pained to know that there was no teaching of God and the scriptures there.
3. She was allergic to music. She thought it was not meant for decent people and gentlefolk. It was the
monopoly of prostitutes and beggars.
Question 3:
Three ways in which the author’s grandmother spent her days after he grew up.
Answer:
The three ways in which the author’s grandmother spent her days after he grew up are:
 She lived alone in her room as she had accepted her loneliness quietly.
 She sat at her spinning wheel reciting prayers.
 In the afternoon, she would feed the sparrows for half an hour.
Question 4:
The odd ways in which the author’s grandmother behaved just before she died.
Answer:
Just before her death, the author’s grandmother refused to talk to them. Since she
had omitted to pray the previous night while she was singing songs of homecoming and beating the drum,
she was not going to waste any more time. She ignored their protests. She lay peacefully in bed praying and
telling beads.
Question 5:
The way in which the sparrows expressed their sorrow when the author’s grandmother died.
Answer:
Thousands of sparrows sat silently surrounding the dead body of the author’s grandmother. There was no
chirruping. The author’s mother threw some crumbs of bread to them. They took no notice of them. As
soon as the grandmother’s corpse was carried off, they flew away quietly. Thus the sparrows expressed
their sorrow.
Talking About the Text
Talk to your partner about the following:

Question 1:
The author’s grandmother was a religious person. What are the different ways in which we come to know
this?
Answer:
The author’s grandmother was a deeply religious lady. We come to know this through the different ways of
her behaviour. She visited the temple every morning and read scriptures. At home she always mumbled
inaudible prayer and kept telling the beads of rosary. She would repeat prayers in a sing-song manner while
getting the writer ready for school. She hoped that he would learn it by heart. She didn’t like English school
as there was no teaching of God and scriptures.
Even while spinning at her spinning-wheel she would recite prayers. Perhaps it was only once that she
forgot to say her prayers. It was on the evening prior to her death when she felt over excited while
celebrating the arrival of her grandson with songs and beatings of drum. She continued praying and telling
beads of her rosary till her last breath.
Question 2:
Describe the changing relationship between the author and his grandmother. Did their feelings for each
other change?
Answer:
During his boyhood, the author was completely dependent on his grandmother. She was a part of his life.
The turning point in their friendship came when they went to city. She could no longer accompany him to
school as he went there by bus. They shared the same room but she could not help him in his studies. She
would ask him what the teachers had taught. She did not believe in the things that were taught at school.
She was distressed that there was no teaching about God and the scriptures. She felt offended that music
was also being taught. She expressed her disapproval silently. After this she rarely talked to him. When he
went to university, he was given a room of his own. The common link of friendship was snapped.
However their feelings for each other did not change. They still loved each other deeply. She went to see
the author off at the railway station when he was going abroad for higher studies. She showed no emotion
but kissed his forehead silently. The author valued this as perhaps the last sign of physical contact between
them. When the author returned after five years, she received him at the station. She clasped him in her
arms. In the evening she celebrated his homecoming by singing songs and beating an old drum.
Question 3:
Would you agree that the author’s grandmother was a person strong in character? If yes, give instances that
show this.
Answer:
Yes, I agree that the author’s grandmother was a person strong in character. She was a strong woman with
strong beliefs. Although she was not formally educated, she was serious about the author’s education. She
could not adjust herself to the western way of life, Science and English education. She hated music and
disapproved of its teaching in school.
She was a deeply religious lady. Her lips were always moving in a silent prayer. She was always telling the
beads of her rosary. She went to temple daily and read the scriptures. She was distressed to know that there
was no teaching about God and holy books at Khushwant’s new English school.
She was a kind lady She used to feed dogs in the village. In the city she took to feeding sparrows. Although
old in years and weak in body she had strength of mind. Just before her death, she refused to talk to the
members of the family as she did not want to waste her time. She wanted to make up for the time last
evening when she had not prayed to God. She lay peacefully in bed saying prayers and telling the beads of
her rosary till she breathed her last.
Question 4:
Have you known someone like the author’s grandmother? Do you feel the same sense of loss with regard to
someone whom you have loved and lost?
Answer:
Yes, I have known my grandfather, who loved me deeply and looked after me. He had served in the army
before he retired as a colonel 20 years ago. When I was a school going kid, he was still active and smart. He
was fond of walking, jogging and playing outdoor games. He inspired us to get up early in the morning. He
believed that a healthy mind lives in a healthy body. He used to give us good physical exercises followed
by milk and nourishing food and then asked us to study for a while before going to school. In the afternoon,
he would enquire what we had been taught at the school. He would help us in our home task and supervise
our reading, writing and doing sums. He was gentle but firm. He laid stress on good habits and character
building. He passed away when I had gone abroad for higher studies. I miss him a lot. A sense of loss fills
me whenever I see his portrait on the wall. But his cheerful looks remind me to take heart and fight the
struggle of life.
1. Who is the author of ‘The Portrait of a Lady’?

A. Ruskin Bond
B. Kushwant Singh
C. Naipaul
D. Vikram Bhatt

2. Who is the main character of the chapter ‘The Portrait of a Lady’?
A. Mother
B. Sister
C. Grandmother
D. Daughter

3. How did the grandfather in the portrait hung on the wall look like?
A. Old, long white beard, worn big turban
B. Old, skinny, wrinkly
C. Young, Handsome, Well-Built
D. Old, Well-Built

4. How did the grandmother look?
A. Old, Fat, Long
B. Long, Fat, Slightly Bent
C. Old, Short, Slightly Bent, Fat
D. Slightly Bent, Fat

5. When did the author’s parents leave him with his grandmother?
A. When he was a kid
B. When he was an infant
C. When he became a teenager
D. When he failed and became a teenager

6. Which animal did the grandmother used to feed in the village?
A .Dogs
B. Cows
C. Sparrows
D. Cats

7. What did the author eat for breakfast?
A. thick and stale chapatis with a little butter and sugar spread in it
B. thick bread with butter
C. upma
D. rice and curd

8. Why would grandmother accompany the author to his school?
A. to keep an eye on him
B. to wait for him to take him back to home
C. because of the temple attached to school
D. she wanted to meet villagers

9. Where were the parents of the author?
A. Abroad
B. City
C. Other Village
D. Other state

10. What would the grandmother do in the temple on a daily basis?
A. Meditation
B. Read Scriptures
C. Sing religious prayers
D. teach other kids religious prayers

11. What was the turning point of the friendship between grandmother and author?
A. When he became an adult
B. When his parents called them both to the city
C. When he left her to live in the city with his parents
D. When they stopped talking

12. Where did the author go to study in the city?
A. English School in motor bus
B. by walking down to nearby school
C. Hindi School
D. Nowhere

13. What made the grandmother unhappy about the author’s new English School?
A. the fact that she could no longer help him with the lessons
B. Because they were in city
C. Because she didn’t understand English
D. Because she didn’t understand English and could no longer help him with the lessons

14. Why didn’t the grandmother like music?
A. It was the monopoly of harlots and beggars and not meant for gentlefolk
B. She liked only religious prayers
C. She liked the traditional folk music
D. She thought it would distract him from studies

15. How did the grandmother spend her time in the city?
A. feedings dogs
B. reading scriptures
C. spinning the wheel
D. talking to neighbours

16. How did the grandmother spend her afternoon everyday?
A. by feeding hundred of sparrows
B. by taking a nap
C. by talking to author’s mother
D. by going to temple

17. What happened when the author moved abroad to study for five years?
A. grandmother bid goodbye by silently kissing his forehead
B. No one came to see him
C. Grandmother moved back to village
D. Parents moved with him

18. What change came in the grandmother’s evening schedule?
A. She collected the women of the neighbourhood
B. She would go for a walk
C. She would sleep early
D. She would talk to his parents

19. What happened when the grandmother didn’t pray for the first time?
A. She fell ill the next day
B. She made this her routine
C. She took a break and went to the village
D. None of the above

20. How did the grandmother react to her illness?
A. She said her end was near
B. She ignored her health
C. She took care of her
D. She was admitted to the hospital

21. What did the grandmother do in her final hours?
A. Talked to everyone in the house
B. worried about everyone
C. Silently praying and telling her beads
D. Went to temple

22. How did the grandmother die?
A. during telling beads laying on the bed
B. In the hospital
C. While sleeping

23. How did the sparrows express their sorrow at the death of their grandmother?
A. They didn’t come that day
B. they came and sat silently in the verandah
C.They ate the bread crumbs
D. they chirruped a lot

24. What happened when they took the grandmother’s corpse away?
A. Neighbours visited them to pay condolences
B. they mourned her death in her room
C. birds flew away quietly
D. Nothing happened

25. How do you feel about the character of the grandmother in the chapter?
A. Emotional
B. Strong
C. Selfless
D. Loving

26. Where was the author’s grandfather’s portrait placed?
A. on a shelf
B. hung above the mantelpiece
C. put on the mantelpiece
D. on a table

27. Did the author bother to learn the morning prayers that his grandmother recited?
A. yes
B. he listened but did not bother to learn
C. he could not learn
D. no

28. When was their common link of friendship snapped?
A. when he went to college
B. When he went to the university, they were given separate rooms
C. when he started working
D. When he went abroad

29. What was grandmother’s reaction when the author was going abroad?
A. Happy
B. sad
C. not even sentimental
D. Sentimental

30. What was her reaction when he came back after 5 years?
A. Overwhelmed
B. clasped the author in her arms and said prayers
C. happy
D. sentimental
1. A Photograph (poem)
Introduction :
The poem ‘A Photograph’ is written by Shirley Toulson. In this poem, she recalls her mother and her
memories while looking at a childhood photograph when her mother was twelve years old or so. She has
been deceased twelve years ago and she cannot explain her grief on her mother’s loss. There is the
bitterness of loss, the sweet memories of the past, the realization of the brevity of human life, and the
inability to justify death.
Theme: The most prominent are loss/mourning and memories. The entire poem is centered around the
speaker's recollections from her own life and her recollections of her mother's memories. The theme of the
poem revolves around the loss, mortality and separation.
A Photograph Summary
The poem is a tribute to the poet’s mother. She is looking at an old photograph of her mother which has a
frame of cardboard. The picture has three girls in which the middle one is the oldest and tallest.
It is her mother when she was twelve years old or so. Beside her, on both sides are her two cousins, Betty
and Dolly, who are holding her hands and are younger than her. They went for paddling on a beach holiday.
Her uncle took the photograph then. The poet could not help but notice her mother’s sweet face. The sea
touched her terribly transient feet which depicted that she changed over the years and the sea remained the
same.
After twenty-thirty years, her mother would laugh at the photograph. She would make the poet look at the
photograph and tell her how their parents would dress them up for the beach holiday. The beach holiday
was her mother’s favourite past memories while her laugh was the poet’s favourite memory. Both of them
lost something which they cherished a lot and yet cannot live that moment again.
Those sweet moments were memories now.
Now, the poet’s mother had been dead for the past twelve years, which is the same number as of her age
when the photograph was taken back then. She cannot express the grief that she has from her mother’s
absence. Death is an unavoidable circumstance. As soon as man is born, he is also condemned to a death
sentence. We are all aware of this theoretically. Yet when we see someone close to us dies, we feel that
God has been unjust to us. This is exactly what the poet feels. However, she is unable to vocalize what
effect her mother’s death has had on her own. She only says that it has left her speechless.
A Photograph Poem Line to Line Explanation

Line 1 – 4:
The cardboard shows me how it was

When the two girl cousins went paddling,
Each one holding one of my mother’s hands,
And she the big girl — some twelve years or so
Paddling – walking

In these lines, the poet is looking at an old photo album which is made up of cardboard. In the picture, there
are three girls who are walking on the beach holding each other’s hands. The girl in the middle is the tallest
and oldest, the other two girls on each side are younger than her. The girl in the middle is the poet’s mother.
She is around twelve years old when the picture was taken.

Line 5 – 9:
All three stood still to smile through their hair

At the uncle with the camera. A sweet face,
My mother’s, that was before I was born.
And the sea, which appears to have changed less,
Washed their terribly transient feet

Transient – short-term; temporary

In the above lines, the poet describes how the photograph was taken. Her mother’s uncle took the
photograph and told them to stop and pose. All three of them left their wet hair open and smiled at the
camera. The poet’s attention is drawn towards his mother’s face which is described as a ‘sweet face’. The
photograph was taken long before the poet was born. The poet calls their feet ‘terrible transient’ as they
were so young by then and now they had grown older. On the other hand, the sea which touched their feet
has changed less.

Line 10 – 13:
Some twenty — thirty — years later

She’d laugh at the snapshot.
“See Betty And Dolly,” she’d say, “and look how they
Dressed us for the beach.” The sea holiday

After twenty-thirty years later, she would laugh at the photograph. She would tell me to look at her cousins,
Betty and Dolly and how their parents would dress all three of them up for the beach. They would have
planned to take a photograph beforehand.

Line 14 – 15:
Was her past, mine is her laughter. Both wry

With the laboured ease of loss.
Wry – ironic; mocking

The poet recalls the sea holiday was her mother’s favourite moment from the past. While the poet’s
favouritemoment from the past was her mother’s laughter. Both the women would think about those past
memories which they cannot live again. They tried their best to adjust to what they lost.

Line 16 – 19:
Now she’s been dead nearly as many years
As that girl lived. And of this circumstance
There is nothing to say at all.
Its silence silences.

Silences – a complete absence of sound

In the above lines, the poet says that her mother died twelve years ago, the same age her mother was in the
photograph. Whenever the poet thinks of her mother’s death, she cannot explain what effect she has of her
mother’s death. Death has silenced her mother which has also left her speechless.
Literary Devices used in the Poem:
Allusion: An allusion is a reference or an incidental mention of something, either directly or by

implication. An example of allusion in this poem is ‘cardboard’ which actually refers to the photograph.
Transferred Epithet: A transferred epithet is a description that refers to a character or event but is used to
describe a different situation or character. ‘Transient feet’ is an example of the transferred epithet in the
poem. It refers to human feet but it is used to describe the lack of permanence of human life.
Oxymoron: In this literary device, there are two opposite ideas that are joined to create an effect.
‘Laboured ease’ in the poem is an example of an oxymoron. Laboured meaning with ‘great difficulty’ and
ease means ‘comfortably’. Both words have opposite meanings but here they are clubbed together.
Personification: The example is ‘Its silence silences.’ The situation has been given the human quality of
silence.
Alliteration – repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of two or more consecutive words. The
instances of alliteration in the poem are as follows-

Stood still
Through their
My mother’s
Terribly transient
Silence silences

Epithet – a phrase expressing a quality of a person or something
Terribly transient
Rhetorical devices:
Synecdoche: This rhetorical device is used in many ways to represent one thing with the help of an entirely
different one. In this poem, the poet uses the device of synecdoche in the form of part for whole in the
9th line. She writes the word “feet,” but she means the whole body, for the bodies of her mother and
younger cousins are not immortal but only alive for a short time on earth.
Personification: This rhetorical device is used to bestow human qualities on something that is not human.
In this poem, the poet uses the device of personification in the 19th line when she gives ‘silence’ the ability
to stop the poet from speaking.
A Photograph: Theme
Contrast between planned past and unknown future: In this poem, the photograph represents a planned past.
The contrast between the joyful past and the scary future is, therefore, a wide one and provides for much of
the sadness that the poet exudes towards the end of this poem.
Central Idea of the Poem
'A Photograph' is a loving tribute to her mother. It also compares the internal state of nature and the
momentary state of humans.
A Photograph: Tone
The tone of this poem undergoes a great change from the beginning of the poem to its end. At first, the tone
is both nostalgic and joyful as the poet looks at an old photograph of her mother in her girlhood. The spirit
of nostalgia continues as she recounts how her mother would often look at the photograph and reminisce
about the day when it was taken. A tone of sadness creeps in when the poet compares the unchanging sea
with the brevity of human life. At the very end of the poem, she becomes silent as she cannot vocalize how
sad her mother’s death has made her.
Paddling’ means ‘wading’ or ‘rowing’ a boat.

‘Transient’ means temporary.
Dictionary meanings:
‘Paddling’ means ‘walking or standing with barefeet in shallow water’.
‘Went paddling’ means ‘swam with short movements of hands or feet up and down’.
‘Transient’ means ‘staying in a place for only short time’.
QUESTION ANSWER:
Question 1:
What does the word ‘cardboard’ denote in the poem? Why has this word been used?
Answer:
The word cardboard denotes the photograph pasted on a hard thick paper. This word has been used to refer
to a practice in the past when photographs were pasted on cardboard and framed with glass front to
preserve them.
Question 2:
What has the camera captured?
Answer:
The camera has captured the three girls—the poet’s mother and her two cousins, Betty and Dolly, in their
swimming dresses with the poet’s mother in the middle and the two cousins on either side holding her
hands and walking v feet in sea
water.
Question 3:
What has not changed over the years? Does this suggest something to you?
Answer:
The sea has not changed over the years. Its waves are as fresh, shining and tireless
as they were years ago. The changelessness of sea reminds us of the changes in human face with advancing
age.
Question 4:
The poetess’s mother laughed at the snapshot? What did this laugh indicate?
Answer:
This laugh’ indicated her joy at remembering an incident connected with her past
life, when she was quite young and free from the tensions and worries of life.
Question 5:
What is the meaning of the line “Both wry with the laboured ease of loss”.
Answer:
The sea holiday and the laughter of the poet’s mother are incidents of the past.
There is a sense of loss associated with them. Both are amusing yet disappointing as the state of feeling
comfortable or relaxed is unnatural or forced one. This sense of loss is quite painful to bear.
Question 6:
What does ‘this circumstance’ refer to?
Answer:
This circumstance refers to the death of the poet’s mother.
Question 7:
The three stanzas depict three different phases. Name them.
Answer:
1. The girlhood of the poet’s mother—the period before the birth of the poet.
2. Her middle age—the period during the childhood of the poet
3. Period after the death of the poet’s mother.
MCQ
1. Who is the poet/poetess of the poem ‘A Photograph’?

A. Shirley Toulson
B. Rudyard Kipling
C. Elizabeth Jennings
D. Markus Natten

2. What is the poem ‘A Photograph’ about?
A. About poet’s childhood memories
B. tribute to the poet’s mother
C. Poet’s photograph
D. Poet’s father

3. What was the age of the poet’s mother when the photograph was taken?
A. eleven years old
B. thirteen years old
C. twelve years old
D. fourteen year old

4. When did her mother die ?
A. two years ago
B. five years ago
C. thirteen years ago
D. twelve years ago

5. How many people were in the photograph?
A. two girls
B. three girls
C. two girls and one boy
D. only her mother

6. Which material was the frame of the photograph made of?
A. Cardboard
B. Wood
C. Steel
D. Plastic

7. Who are on both sides of her mother?
A. Cousins, Betty and Dolly
B. Parents
C. Cousins, Dolly and Adam
D. Friends

8. What are the three of them doing in the photograph?
A. playing
B. standing beside house
C. holding hands
D. holding hands and went for paddling

9. Who took the photograph of her mother with her cousin?
A. Her grandfather
B. Her uncle
C. Her mother’s friend
D. Her grandmother

10. What does ‘Terribly Transient Feet’ mean in the poem?
A. her feet represent the mother, who changed with time while the sea remained the same
B. temporary situation
C. age is temporary

11. After how many years did her mother laugh on seeing the photograph?
A. twenty-one
B. twenty-three
C. twelve
D. twenty-five

12. What was the favourite memory of her mother?
A. beach holidays
B. school memories
C. vacations

13. What was the favourite memory of the poet?
A. her mother’s memories
B. her mother’s laughter
C. her own vacation memories
D. her childhood memories

14. What would the mother show to her daughter while showing her the photograph?
A. how her parents dressed her for the beach
B. her cousins
C. her own childhood photograph
D. the background

15. What is the meaning of the word ‘wry’?
A. ironic
B. cry
C. sad

16. What Oxymoron literary device was used in the poem?
A. Terribly transient
B. Through their
C. Both wry
D. Laboured ease

17. What Epithet literary device was used in the poem?
A. Terribly transient
B. Through their
C. Both wry
D. Laboured ease

18. How many phases were depicted in the poem by the poet?
A. one
B. two
C. three
D. four

19. What was the last phase in the poem?
A. after her mother died
B. after she grown up
C. after her mother grown up

20. What does she feel in the last phase?
A. pain and grief
B. happy and nostalgic
C. sad and nostalgic
D. pain and nostalgic
2.Summer of the beautiful white horse

White Horse " symbolizes beauty, freedom and wealth; all things that Aram and his cousin Mourad do not
have. They "let the horse run as long as it felt like running," demonstrating the freedom that the boys. Here,
in our story, the horse becomes a symbol of the innocence of the boys as well as their uncaptivated spirits.
The moral of William Saroyan's "The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse" is that compassion in the face
of conflict yields both room for growth and fair compromise. The basic morality is that one should never
steal. Through the imagery of Mourad stealing the horse, the author tries to portray the macrocosmic effect
(at large-scale) of stealing.
In "The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse," the irony lies in the fact that Mourad, a member of the
Garoghlanian family, steals a white horse. This is ironic because the family is locally renowned for its
honesty.
One of the major themes of “The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse” by William Saroyan
is honor. Another is the inevitability of change that challenges traditions and long established beliefs. The
Garoghlanian tribe was always known for its honesty and still the older generations of the impoverished
tribe uphold their trademark honesty but the new ones are no more ready to pretend.
The primary message of the story, The Summer of the Beautiful Horse, is that despite social or economic
challenges, there are some truths which are absolute and should be practised under and all conditioned.
Characters
Aram. Aram is nine-year-old Armenian boy,also the narrator of the short story. ...
Mourad. Mourad is Aram's thirteen-year-old cousin. ...
Uncle Khosrove. Khosrove is Aram and Mourad's “crazy” uncle. ...
John Byro. John Byro is an Assyrian farmer and a friend of the Garoghlanian family.
Garoghlanian – an Armenian tribe
Garoghlanian tribe is referring to the cultural setting of Saroyan's short story, "The Summer of the
Beautiful White Horse."The Garoghlanian family was living in the most amazing poverty. Even they found
it difficult to buy food for themselves. For the last eleven centuries they were famous for their integrity and
honesty. They were proud of their honesty. The Garoghlanian tribe is a group that operates in this modern
predicament while keeping in mind the values of the past of their native Armenia. They were proud of their
family. They had certain morals and did not go astray from them. They were very clear of the rights and
wrongs and stayed within their boundaries. They also enjoyed being "alive" and "living" even though they
were poor and faced many problems.
The Summary of the Beautiful White Horse Introduction

The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse is written by William Saroyan. The story is about two Armenian
boys – Aram and Mourad who belong to the Garoghlanaian family. Their tribe is known for their honesty.
They are poor and can hardly earn money for food. They both long to ride a horse. Mourad had stolen a
horse from a farmer a month ago. One early morning, he brought it to the window of Aram and asked him
to come along for a ride. They rode the horse for many days. When Aram gets to know the horse is stolen,
he gets shocked but discounts the stealing in his mind. One day the owner of the horse, John Byro, comes to
his house to complain about his missing horse to Uncle Khosrove.
One day on their way back to hide the horse on the deserted vineyard, they meet the owner and feel guilty
at the end. The next morning, they returned the horse back to the owner’s barn.
Summary
In “The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse,” William Saroyan tells the story of two cousins who dream
of riding a horse. When the opportunity arises to do so, however, it is under morally ambiguous
circumstances. Mourad shows up at Aram’s house early in the morning riding a beautiful white horse and
offers him a ride. Though he knows Mourad stole the horse, Aram lets his desire to ride the horse override
his reason and makes justifications for why they aren’t technically stealing. Aram admires his older cousin
Mourad, though he is aware that Mourad has a reputation for being “crazy.” Aram longs to be able to ride
the white horse as his older cousin does, which leads him to ask Mourad to keep the horse long enough for
him to learn to ride it.
Mourad’s irrational nature is emphasized through both his resemblance in spirit to his “crazy” uncle and his
connections with nature: he is said repeatedly to “have a way with” animals, whether horses, birds, or dogs.
Like these animals, Mourad tends to rely on feelings and impulses as opposed to reason. Though Aram
does not “have a way with” animals, as exemplified by his inability to ride the horse by himself, he is
drawn into Mourad’s reliance on feeling instead of rationality.
The cousins come from a life of extreme poverty, and Aram has dreamed of riding a horse all his life. They
allow their desire to ride the horse to cloud their judgment: though Mourad has had the horse for a full
month and its owner needs it, they don’t consider themselves to be stealing. Knowing that they must remain
honest because of their family’s reputation, they justify their actions through faulty logic. Aram and
Mourad’s actions are repeatedly shaped by beliefs that seem absurd to the reader: Aram, for example,
believes that they are only stealing if they try to sell the horse, and Mourad believes that keeping the horse
for a year is stealing, while keeping it for six months is permissible.
Saroyan emphasizes the importance of character and community harmony through the attitude and actions
of John Byro, the horse’s real owner. The Garoghlanian family’s honest reputation saves the boys in the
end: whether he knows the boys have stolen his horse or not, Byro doesn’t force them to return it by taking
the case up with their parents and instead gives them the opportunity to make the decision themselves.
Though they initially misstepped and “borrowed” the horse for many weeks, the boys feel guilty when Byro
expresses his faith in them. They ultimately prove the Garoghlanian honesty to be true and return the horse.
MCQ
Q1. Who is the author of “The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse”?
A. AJ Cronin
B. William Wordsworth
C. William Shakespeare
D. William Saroyan
Q2. What were the hallmarks of the Garoghlanian tribe?
A. Trust
B. Honesty
C. Both (A) and (B)
Q3. “The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse” is a story of two _________ boys.
A. Armenian
B. Arabian
C. Assyrian
D. African
Q4. Mourad enjoyed being _______ more than anybody else.

A. crazy
B. alive
C. funny

Q5. What according to Aram, was his first longing?
A. To own a horse
B. To become rich
C. To ride a horse
D. To visit a vineyard

Q6. Why couldn’t Aram believe when he saw Mourad with the horse?
A. Because Mourad was crazy
B. Because they were poor to afford a horse
C. Because he was sleepy
D. Because he was dreaming

Q7. Where did Aram live?
A. In the centre of the town
B. In the country
C. Olive Avenue
D. At the edge of town on Walnut Avenue

Q8. How does Aram describe the horse?
A. Magnificent & lovely
B. Beautiful white horse
C. Both (A) and (B)

Q9. No member of the Garoghlanian family could be _______.
A. poor
B. rich
C. a thief
D. crazy

Q10. Mourad was considered the natural descendant of his _________.
A. father
B. uncle
C. grandfather
D. great-grandfather

Q11. How would you describe uncle Khosrove?
A. Hot tempered
B. Irritable
C. Impatient
D. All of the above

Q12. What did uncle Khosrove do to stop anyone from talking?
A. By beating them
B. By walking away
C. By shouting at them
D. By ignoring them

Q13. What was uncle Khosrove’s customary line?
A. Ignore it; pay no attention.
B. Forget it.
C. It is harmless; ignore it.
D. It is no harm; pay no attention to it.

Q14. When Aram rode the horse alone, it ran down the road to the _________.
A. vineyard
B. irrigation ditch
C. field
D. countryside

Q15. Mourad had been hiding the horse _________.
A. in a stable
B. in a barn of a vineyard
C. at a secret place of his house

Q16. What was the behaviour of the horse initially?
A. It wanted to be trained
B. It wanted to rest
C. It wanted to run wild
D. All of the above

Q17. What sort of an understanding did Mourad mention with the horse?
A. Mature
B. Simple and honest
C. Complicated
D. Difficult

Q18. John Byro learned to speak Armenian out of ________.
A. necessity
B. fun
C. eagerness
D. loneliness

Q19. Who was the true knower of the horse?
A. John Byro
B. Fetvajian
C. Dikran Halabian
D. Zorab

Q20. For how long did Mourad have the horse before Aram got to know about it?
A. One day
B. One year
C. One month
A. One week

Q21. At what time did Aram and Mourad ride the horse?
A. Late night
B. Early morning
C. Evening
D. Afternoon hours

Q22. “I have a way with farmers.” Who says it to whom?
A. Aram to Mourad
B. Mourad to John Byro
C. Aram to John Byro
D. Mourad to Aram

Q23. John Byro said, “A suspicious man would believe his eyes instead of his heart.” What does it tell
about him?
A. He believed in the honesty of Garoghlanian family
B. He was impractical
C. He was foolish

Q24. Why did the horse’s owner refuse to believe that the boys had stolen his horse?
A. Because he didn’t examine the horse carefully
B. Because their family was known for honesty
C. Because he had found his horse elsewhere
D. Because his horse had a twin

Q25. When did the boys return the horse?
A. After Aram learned to ride it
B. After an year
C. After six months
D. After they ran into John Byro

Q26. Why did the boys return the white horse to its owner?
A. Because they were conscience stricken
B. Because they were afraid
C. Because they found it difficult to hide the horse
D. Because they were accused of theft

Q27. After the horse was stolen and returned, it became ______.
A. rougher
A. sick & ill
B. stronger & better-tempered
C. Both (A) and (C)

Q28. “Quiet, man, quiet. Your horse has been returned.” Who said this?
A. Mourad
B. Aram
C. Uncle Khosrove
D. Not mentioned in the story

Q29. Who is the narrator of the story “The Summer of a Beautiful White Horse”?
A. William Saroyan
B. Aram
C. John Byro
D. Mourad

Q30. What idea/theme does “The Summer of a Beautiful White Horse” entails?
A. Honesty
B. Honour
C. Trust
D. All of the above
QUS-ANS
Question 1:
You will probably agree that this story does not have breathless adventure and exciting action. Then what
in your opinion makes it interesting?
Answer:
The story ‘The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse’ is a tale told from the viewpoint of a nine-year old
boy. At that age, imagination is rich and one can romanticise even insignificant actions. To such a person
the world is full of excellence and glory and life is delightful and a mysterious dream. For the young poor
boy, a ride on a beautiful white horse is a dream fulfilled. He had been always longing to ride and his
cherished dream is realised when his cousin Mourad offers him a chance to ride on horseback—first with
him and then alone. Riding the stolen horse and hiding it safely are great feats of adventure for the two
boys.
Though the story line is thin, we eagerly follow the course of action taken by the boys till they return the
horse to its rightful owner. The story provides us a peep into child psychology. For boys who are crazy
about horses, stealing a horse for a ride is not stealing. Though they enjoy the thrill of riding, they are
conscious of their family pride. The Garoghlanian family is well-known for honesty and trust. They would
neither steal nor take advantage of anybody in the world. Another point of interest is characterization. The
delineation of the common traits of uncle Khosrove and cousin Mourad is superb. The story also contains
many purple passages full of pictorial description. All these heighten its appeal to the reader.
Question 2:
Did the boys return the horse because they were conscience-stricken or because they were afraid?
Answer:
The story gives no indication that the boys were afraid of anyone or anything. Hence the return of the horse
was not directed by fear. Secondly, they were not at all conscience-stricken. They did not feel any pangs of
repentance or remorse at their action of stealing a horse solely for the purpose of riding it. The narrator
makes it amply clear when he asserts that stealing a horse for a ride was not the same thing as stealing
something else, such as money. For him, it wasn’t stealing at all as he and Mourad were so crazy about
horses. In his opinion, it would become stealing only when they offered to sell the horse, which he knew
they would never do.
Question 3:
“One day back there in the good old days when I was nine and the world was full of every imaginable kind
of magnificence, and life was still a delightful and mysterious dream……..”. The story begins in a mood of
nostalgia. Can you narrate some incident from your childhood that might make an interesting story?
Answer:
I had just completed my primary education when I visited my uncle. He was a forest ranger in Dehradun. In
those days there was a thick forest in the vicinity of the city and all sorts of wild animals prowled there.
Uncle had advised us not to enter the deep forest, but forbidden fruit is sweet; My cousin Varun, a couple
of his friends and I decided to explore the southern range. We had the kits of scouts and were fully
prepared.
In our boyish enthusiasm, we went deep into the jungle and reached a gorge. We were amazed to see a
lioness with her cubs. One of us, perhaps, Mohit clicked his camera. The flashlight scared the lioness and
she roared and leaped. Fortunately there was a big ditch and she fell into it. Meanwhile, we lit our torches,
collected dry leaves and twigs and set them on fire. Momentarily, we got respite from our attackers. Then
we threw some green leaves on fire to give smoke signal. A patrol party noticed it and rescued us. I shudder
whenever I think of this adventure when we were close to death.
Question 4:
The story revolves around characters who belong to tribe in Armenia. Mourad and Aram are members of
the Garoghlanian family. Now locate Armenia and Assyria on the atlas and prepare a write-up on the
Garoghlanian tribes. You may write about people, their names, traits, geographical and economic features
as suggested in the story.
Answer:
The Garoghlanian Tribes
The Garoghlanian family was an Armenian tribe. Eleven centuries ago it was the wealthiest family in that
part of the world. However, now every branch of the Garoghlanian tribe was living in the most amazing
and comical poverty in the world. These poor people had no money. Nobody could understand where they
ever got money enough to keep them with food in their bellies. The Garoghlanian tribes were famous for
their honesty.
It had been the hallmark of the tribe for many centuries. They were proud of their family. Honesty came
next and then they believed in right and wrong. None of them would take advantage of anybody in the
world. No member of the Garoghlanian family could be a thief. The elders felt pained to remember that
they had lost their homeland. These people shifted their residence from one place to the other. The narrator
says, “That year we lived at the edge of the town, on Walnut Avenue.” They loved countryside having
vineyards, orchards, olives and Walnuts. The names of the people are semi- Arabic: Mourad, Aram,
Khosrove etc.
The Address :
The Address Introduction

The story is about the human predicament that follows the pre-War and Post-War periods. Mrs. S who was
a Jews was a rich lady. Whereas, Mrs. Dorling was a non-Jews. The girl, daughter of Mrs. S, had lost her
house and her mother during the war and now she had decided to come back to take her possessions from
Mrs. Dorling, an acquaintance whose address was given by her mother years ago. When she reached the
house, the woman treated her with a cold reception and didn’t let her into the house. She decided to go back
anyway and then she met her daughter who let her in and told her to wait inside. When she saw all the
possessions in front of her, she couldn’t connect with them and decided to leave the house.
The Address by Marga Minco revolves around the theme of crisis that we as an individual encounter in our
daily life. War brings destruction, pain, and loss of lives which impact humans in various ways. The story
beautifully delineates the pain, anguish, and mental torture of the survivors of war.
The Address teaches us two important lessons: We should be careful about the intentions of the people,
who we are trusting with our valuable possessions and should not take any decisions without thinking
twice. We should not be an emotional fool.
The Address Summary

After ringing the doorbell of Mrs. Dorling who lived at Number 46, Marconi Street, the protagonist was
given a cold reception and Mrs Dorling took much time to recognize her. Mrs Dorling had thought
everyone in the protanogist’s family was dead and asked if anyone else had come along with her. Mrs
Dorling refused to let the protagonist inside her home and told her to come back sometime later. The
protagonist recognized her mother’s green cardigan which Mrs Dorling was wearing. She decided to go
back to the train station and thought about her mother and how she told her about Mrs. Dorling who was an
acquaintance of hers. During the war, Mrs Dorling would visit their house and take their possessions with
her as she didn’t want them to get lost if they ever left the place. Mrs. Dorling had a broad back.

The protagonist decided to go to Mrs Dorling’s home to get back their belongings. When she rang the bell,
Mrs. Dorling’s daughter answered the door. She let her in and asked her to wait in the living room. When
they were crossing the passage, the protagonist noticed their Hanukkah candle stand that they had never
used because it had been unmanageable. When she reached the living room, she was horrified as she saw
all her mother’s things that were arranged in a tasteless manner. The furniture was ugly and the room had a
muggy smell and it made her disinterested and she wanted to leave the place. Mrs. Dorling’s daughter
offered her a cup of tea and the protagonist noticed the old table cloth that had a burn mark on it. When the
girl was showing her the silver fork and spoons that actually belonged to the protagonist, she jumped up
and walked out of the house. She decided not to visit the place again as it brought back memories of the
past and hence, she decided to forget the address.
The Address Question Answers

1. ‘Have you come back?’ said the woman. ‘I thought that no one had come back.’ Does this
statement give some clue about the story? If yes, what is it?
Ans: The quoted statement gives us a clue about the story. It means that the two families were
acquaintances who knew each other and stayed nearby. During the war, many families left the land to take
refuge in another place while some of the families stayed back at the same place. Mrs. Dorling thought that
the family of Mrs. S died during the war and that is why she gave such a cold reaction to the girl who came
to visit her.

2. The story is divided into pre-War and post-War times. What hardships do you think the girl
underwent during these times?
Ans: The story is based on the pre-War and post-War period. The family of the girl was rich before the war
and they had valuable possessions in their house. When the war started, Mrs. Dorling established contact
with them and started visiting them again. She started taking the possessions with her whenever she would
visit as she believed if they would leave the place, such things should not be wasted. The girl suffered a lot,
her mother died and she had to live in a rented place. She found it really difficult to go back to the place
where her childhood was spent and she wanted her belongings back. When she went to meet Mrs. Dorling,
she noticed how the things were arranged in a tasteless manner. She could no longer connect to them and
she lost her interest in them and partly she was afraid. The girl finally decided to leave the house and forget
the address.

3. Why did the narrator of the story want to forget the address?
Ans: Mrs. Dorling kept the valuable items in her house until the war was over as she didn’t want them to
lose during the war in case they decided to leave the place. Her mother gave her the address of Mrs.
Dorling ’46, Marconi Street’. She remembered the address and decided to visit her anyway. She was afraid
to visit the place again as it brought back many past memories. When she saw all the possessions, they were
arranged in a tasteless manner and she lost interest in them. She could not connect with the things and
thought that she would not stay at the house any longer, she would destroy the good memories she had with
those items. She finally decided to forget the address and not to go back to that place.

4. ‘The Address’ is a story of human predicament that follows war. Comment.
Ans: The war always brings a lot of suffering to human beings. It brings them both destruction and death.
‘The Address’ is based on the same theme. During the war, all the belongings were taken by Mrs. Dorling
who promised to keep them safe. The mother of the protagonist died and all the possessions were left with
the acquaintance. Years later the girl decided to visit the house whose address was given by her mother
years ago. The woman showed no sympathy to her and took the time to even recognize her. She thought
everyone in her family had died. The girl wanted to take back her belongings. She didn’t allow the girl to
enter the house. She seemed like a woman who didn’t have any human emotions. So, the war leaves the
world desolated and it cannot be healed.
Q1. How did Mrs. Dorling treat the author when the author visited her?
A. Warm & welcoming
B. Cold & inhospitable
C. Overjoyed
D. Both (A) and (C)

Q2. “Her face gave absolutely no sign of recognition.” Who is her?
A. Mrs. S
B. Mrs. Dorling’s daughter
C. Mrs. Dorling
D. Mrs. S’s daughter

Q3. In what attire did the author find Mrs. Dorling?
A. Author’s mother’s green knitted cardigan
B. Author’s green knitted cardigan
C. Author is unable to recognise it
A. Not mentioned in the story

Q4. “I thought that no one had come back.” Why does Mrs. Dorling say this?
A. Because she was happy to see the protagonist
B. Because she had been waiting for the protagonist for a long time
C. Because she thought everyone in the protagonist’s family were dead

Q5. What was the address that the author’s mother asked her to remember?
A. Number 50, Marconi Street
B. Number 46, Baker Street
C. Number 54, Marconi Street
D. Number 46, Marconi Street

Q6. Mrs. Dorling’s was _________ of Mrs. S.
A. a sister
B. an old acquaintance
C. an old friend
D. a relative

Q7. Mrs. Dorling took the possessions of the things on the pretence of __________.
A. using them
B. selling them
C. keeping them safe
D. Both (A) and (B)

Q8. Was the author convinced with her mother’s idea of letting Mrs. Dorling take away their things?
A. Absolutely
B. Partially
C. Not at all
D. Not mentioned in the story

Q9. How does the author describe Mrs. Dorling when she saw her the first time during the war?
A. A woman with a broad back
B. A woman with a round back
C. A woman with a straight back

Q10. Why did the author wait for such a long time before visiting “The Address”?
A. Because she was not interested
B. Because she was afraid to confront her mother’s belongings
C. Both (A) and (B)

Q11. Why had the author come to visit Mrs. Dorling?
A. Because Mrs. Dorling had belongings of author’s mother
B. Because Mrs. Dorling called her
C. Because she missed Mrs. Dorling

Q12. Who opened the door upon the author’s second visit to Mrs. Dorling’s house?
A. Mrs. Dorling
B. Mrs. Dorling’s daughter
C. Mrs. Dorling’s husband
D. No one opened the door

Q13. Unlike Mrs. Dorling, her daughter was __________ towards the author.
A. rude
B. mature
C. hospitable
D. mean

Q14. What was the protagonist’s reaction when she entered the living-room?
A. Thrilled
B. Emotional
C. Nervous
D. Horrified

Q15. “I was in a room I knew and did not know.” What does author mean by this?
A. She saw familiar things but in unfamiliar surroundings
B. She saw unfamiliar things but in familiar surroundings
C. She did not recognize the things she saw
D. She did not want to remember anything

Q16. How does the author describe the living room?
A. Muggy smell
B. Strange atmosphere
C. Sophisticated
D. Both (A) and (B)

Q17. In what condition did the author find the living room?
A. Haphazard
B. Well arranged
C. Empty
D. Old fashioned

Q18. The author remembered that the woollen table-cloth had _________.
A. an ink-mark
B. a defect
C. a burn mark

Q19. According to the author, when do we notice the things in the house?
A. When they are out of our sight
B. When they are used
C. When they are shown
D. All of the above

Q20. What was the ‘silver’ that the author was once asked to clean by her mother?
A. Jewellery
B. Cutlery
C. Sculptures
D. Stones
Ranga’s Marriage:
Introduction
The story revolves around Ranga, the accountant’s son who got the opportunity to go out of the village to
study. The narrator takes you through a journey where he changes Ranga’s perception about marriage, how
he staged their union with the help of a Shastri and what role English has played in their village. The entire
story involves funny instances and references for the narrator has made sure your mind stays occupied with
the story.
Main theme of the story is the conflict between tradition and modernity. The conflict occurs when Ranga,
against his rationality, falls in love with Ratna, an eleven-year-old girl and finally gets married to her.
Message 1)the age long cultural conflict inevitable.

2)need to bring about a reconciliation between the old and new.
3) similar reconciliation is needed in the attitude of the older and the younger generation.
Ranga’s Marriage Summary
It all begins when Ranga, the accountant’s son comes back to his village Hosahalli after six months. He had
gone to Bangalore to pursue his studies, which to mention, not many in the village get this opportunity. The
whole village gets excited to see Ranga and thus, they gather around his home only to see how he would
have changed.
The narrator has beautifully elaborated about their village Hosahalli and how every authority responsible
forgot to mention it in the maps. Moving on, he admires Ranga and wants to get him married but to his
dismay, Ranga has very different views about marriage at that point. The Narrator stages the entire union of
Ranga and Ratna, Rama Rao’s eleven-year-old niece.
The girl has a very sweet voice and can play Veena and harmonium. At first, the narrator tells him that she
is married to see how it affects Ranga. As expected, Ranga was disappointed. The narrator then
manipulated the village Shastri to say things in his favor.
He then took Ranga to visit him where he predicted that Ranga has a girl on his mind and her name
resembles something found in the ocean. Shyama, the narrator guesses her name to be Ratna but again, she
is married. On their way back, they confirmed that Ratna is not married only to find Ranga happy and full
of hope.
On the other hand, the Shastri disagreed on having staged anything predetermined. He claims to have said
whatever his predictions showed. However, at the end, Ranga and Ratna are happily married with a three-
year old son named after the narrator. Ratna is also pregnant with another child. To conclude, the narrator
makes sure that he didn’t bore his readers.
Ranga’s Marriage Question Answers

Reading with Insight
1. Comment on the influence of English — the language and the way of life — on Indian life as
reflected in the story. What is the narrator’s attitude to English?
A. The story talks about the influence English language had decades ago in his village. Not many people in
the village at that time could understand or talk in English. Only a few courageous people would send their
children to study in cities like the village accountant sent Ranga to Bangalore. When Ranga came back to
the village, everyone was keen on seeing how their culture had transformed him.
As far as cultural influence is concerned, the story mentions how Ranga wanted to marry a girl who was
mature, someone who understands him and is compatible with him. This is completely in opposition to the
arranged marriages that were widely prevalent in those times.
The narrator finds it disgraceful when people mix Kannada language with English. He recounts how one
day a lady delivered firewood to Rama Rao’s place and he told her to come the next morning because he
had no “change”. The lady did not know what “change” meant and left while muttering to herself. The
narrator confesses that he too did not know what it meant until he asked Rama Rao.

2. Astrologers’ perceptions are based more on hearsay and conjecture than what they learn from the
study of the stars. Comment with reference to the story.
A.The story throws light upon how Shastri predicted what was going on in Ranga’s mind. He did it using
two sheets of paper, some cowries and a book of palmyra leaves in the form of his paraphernalia. He even
revealed that Ranga has some girl on his mind whose name related to something that belonged to the ocean.
All this made Ranga believe in the power of Astrology.
While in reality, it was our narrator Shyama, who had tutored Shastri to say so in a meeting prior to the one
with Ranga. Shastri made it seem like no big deal when Ranga left and Shyama called it “his marvellous
shastra”. He said he could have guessed it with his numbers even if Shyama had not staged it for him.
Hence, the story portrays Astrologer’s perceptions to be based more on hearsay and conjecture than what
they learn from the stars.

3. Indian society has moved a long way from the way the marriage is arranged in the story. Discuss.
A.It is true that Indian society has moved a long way from the way the marriage is arranged in the story.
Earlier, there was no concept of love marriage and only arranged marriages took place like the one being
talked about in the story. Ranga’s marriage was arranged by his uncle Shyama. In present times, the bride
and the groom have a say in the matter unlike decades ago where even their consent was not considered
important.
Our society has come a long way since then, especially when it comes to the rights of females.
Earlier, the bride’s families were pressurized into paying dowry which has been illegalised now. It is also
against the law to marry individuals who have not yet attained a specific age; 18 in case of girls and 21 in
case of boys.

4. What kind of a person do you think the narrator is?
A.The narrator is a man of his land as he introduces his village with such enthusiasm that every reader
would want to visit it at least once. His hospitality can also be appreciated as he promises to take good care
of his readers. He is someone who believes in maintaining the authenticity of his culture that is why, he
thinks it’s a disgrace to mix Kannada with English.
He is a man with good judgement of character. He knew what type of man Ranga was and that Rama Rao’s
niece Ratna would be a perfect partner for him. Shyama seemed like someone who knows how to make his
own way. The whole set-up he staged with the village Shastri in order to get Ranga and Ratna married, pose
as evidence for that. He is also funny by way of which he teased the village Shastri. Although clever, he
seems to be a man with best intentions at heart.
1. What is the writing style of the author?
. Persuasive
. Rambling
. Technical
. None of the above

Q2. The story “Ranga’s Marriage” is set in a village of _________.
. Madurai
. Banglore
. Mysore
. Bhubaneswar

Q3. What is the name of the narrator’s village?
. Hosahalli
. Panchavalli
. Hadinaru
. None of the above

Q4. How does the narrator speak of his village?
. Passively
. Vividly
. Inadequately
. Both (A) and (C)
Q5. What does the narrator mention as a ‘priceless commodity’?
. To his native language
. To mangoes of his village
. To flowers of his village
. To English language

Q6. Who was Ranga?
. The narrator’s son
. The accountant’s son
. The doctor’s son
. None of the above

Q7. Why was Ranga’s homecoming a big event?
. Because he brought gifts for everyone
. Because he was new in the village
. Because he returned from Bangalore after studying there for six months
. All of the above

Q8. An old lady checked for Ranga’s ___________.
. birthmark
. sacred piercing
. sacred tattoo
. sacred thread

Q9. After knowing that Ranga was the same, the crowd was __________.
. disappointed
. happy
. angry
. irritated

Q10. How does the narrator speak of Ranga’s character?
. Poorly
. Highly
. Manipulatively
. Does not speaks of his character

Q11. “As for his namaskara to me, he did not do it like any present-day boy…” What does it tell
about Ranga?
. He was well mannered
. He was disrespectful
. He was forgetful
. He changed his caste

Q12. What was Ranga’s initial take on marriage?
. He wanted to marry immediately
. He wanted to marry a girl chosen by his parents
. He wanted to remain a bachelor
. He wanted an arranged marriage

Q13. According to Ranga, what type of girl should one marry?
. Mature
. Admirable
. Both (A) and (B)
. Not mentioned in the story

Q14. According to the narrator, who would make a suitable bride for Ranga?
. Narrator’s own daughter
. Rama Rao’s niece
. Narrator’s niece
. Rama Rao’s daughter

Q15. How does the narrator describe Ratna?
. Pretty girl of eleven
. From a big town
. Disrespectful
. Both (A) and (B)

“We’re Not Afraid to Die… if We Can All Be Together”
Introduction:
We are not Afraid to Die Written by Gordan Cook and Alan East, the story is about a 37 year old
businessman who is the narrator of the story. He has a wife named Mary and two children, Jonathan, aged 6
and Suzanne, aged 7. He and his wife both dream of a voyage around the world on their ship ‘Wave
walker’ which is a 23 meter long, 30 ton wooden-hulled, just like that of the famous Captain James Cook.
The whole family started sailing from Plymouth, England on July 1976. The initial phase of the three-year-
long journey was from Africa to Cape Town. It was pleasant. While heading east, along with two newly
hired crewmen, strong waves hit them and their survival became a question. The story tells us about how
they fought each day and survived till the end.
Message convyed by the poet is that The story is about the positive attitude and endurance shown by the
courageous family of the author in the face of the storm that had endangered their survival.
Theme. The story represents how courage can help you overcome any situation. The various lessons that
can be learnt from the story are the spirit of never giving up, courage, ambition and unity. Such experiences
explain the potential of bravery, tolerance, ambiton and perseverance.
Summary:
The narrator and his wife plan a voyage around the world just like famous Captain James Cook. They have
been preparing and perfecting their seafaring skills for the past 16 years. They get a ship which is 23 meters
long and weighs 30 tons wooden-hulled, named Wave Walker. They test it in the rough weather for
months.
In July 1976, they all start their journey from Plymouth, England. They sail from Africa to Cape Town
which was quite a pleasant journey. Before heading East, the narrator hired two crewmen, Larry Vigil, and
Herb Seigler, to help them tackle one of the roughest sea – the Southern Indian Ocean.
They encounter strong and alarming waves during the second day. By December 25, they all manage to
reach 35,000 kilometers east of Cape Town. The family, somehow, manages to surpass the bad weather and
celebrates Christmas together.
The weather changes for the worse and on January 2, the big waves hit them. They try to slow the ship
down by dropping storm jib and hit a heavy mooring rope in a loop across a stern but it doesn’t help much.
They carry their life-raft drill, attach lifelines, don life jackets and oilskins.
Later, in the evening, a vertical and huge wave strikes the ship and the narrator is thrown off from the ship.
He accepts his ‘approaching death’ and starts losing consciousness. When the ship is about to overturn, a
huge wave hit again and turns it right back. He suffers injuries in ribs and mouth. He grabs the guard rail
and sails into the ship’s main boom.
He instructs his wife Mary to guard the wheel as he realizes that the ship has water in the lower parts. His
crewman starts pumping out the water. The narrator goes to his children’s cabin and checks on them. His
daughter, Sue, informs him about a bump on her head which he ignores because his major concern is to
save the ship.
The narrator does water-proofing on the gaping holes. This makes water to deviate on the right side. The
hand pump gets blocked due to debris and electric-pump gets short-circuited. However, he later finds a
spare electric pump and connects it to drain the water. They all keep pumping the water all night long.
Their Mayday calls are not answered as they are in the remotest corner of the world.
Sue, on the other hand, has now a swollen black eye and a deep cut in her arm. On being asked by her
father about her injuries, she tells him she didn’t want him to worry as he was trying to save them. After 15
hours the situation gets under control. The narrator decides to work in rotation and rests. The water levels
are controlled but the leaks were still there, below the waterline.
The ship is in bad shape now. It is not in a condition to reach Australia, and so, they decide to reach the
nearest island, lle Amsterdam, a French Scientific base. As their supporting engines were also damaged, the
chances of the ship to reach the destination are low.
After pumping the water out continuously for 36 hours, they took a sigh of relief. Only a few centimeters of
water was left to be pumped out of the boat. They hoisted the storm jib as the main mast was destroyed.
They ate their first meal in two days, some corned beef and crackers. The weather soon started changing
and again the black clouds took over by the morning of January 5. His son, Jonathan, told him that he didn’t
fear death as long as they were all together. This filled him with determination to fight the sea.

The struggle continued and the narrator tried his best to protect the weakened starboard side. The same
evening, the narrator and his wife sat together holding hands, thinking that their end was near. His children
continuously supported him which gave him moral support to keep going.
The Wavewalker sailed through the storm and made it. The narrator then calculated their exact position by
working on the wind speed. While he was brainstorming, Sue, gave him a card that she had made
expressing her love and gratitude towards the family.
He instructed Larry to steer the course to 185 degrees. He said that if they were lucky, they could hope to
find an island by 5 pm. He dozed off and suddenly got up around 6 pm. He believed that they didn’t make it
and was disappointed. His son came and informed him about how they reached the lle Amsterdam Island
and he called him ‘best daddy’ and ‘best captain’.
They reached the island with little struggle and with the help of inhabitants. The whole team, the family and
two crew members, never stopped trying. Their struggle and hard work finally saved them.
We are not Afraid to Die Question Answers

Understanding the Text
1. List the steps taken by the captain
(i) to protect the ship when rough weather began.
(ii) to check the flooding of the water in the ship.
Ans: (i) the narrator decided to slow down the ship to protect it from bad and stormy weather. He dropped
the storm jib and lashed heavy mooring rope across the stern of the ship. Then, they double – lashed
everything. They carried their life-raft drill, attached lifelines, donned life jackets and oilskins.
(ii) to check the flooding of the water, the narrator put waterproof hatch which covered the gaping holes.
This diverted the water flow to the side. His hand pumps were blocked due to debris and his one electric
pump was short-circuited. He found a hand pump and a spare electric pump. He connected the electric
pump to the out pipe and started it.

2. Describe the mental condition of the voyagers on 4 and 5 January.
Ans: On January 4, the voyagers felt relieved as they were continuously pumping out water for the past 36
hours and only a few centimetres of water was left. They had their first meal in two days. Mary found some
corned beef and cracker biscuits.
Later, around 4 pm, the weather changed as black clouds marched towards them. The wind was now 40
knots and the sea was getting higher. The weather got worse and by the early morning of January 5, the
situation was bad. This gave them mental stress.

3. Describe the shifts in the narration of the events as indicated in the three sections of the text. Give
a subtitle to each section.
Ans:
The first section: Beginning of the Round – the – Voyage
The first section was cheerful and full of hope as the family began their planned voyage just like the one
done 200 years ago by the famous Captain James Cook. They had perfected their seafaring skills for 16
years. They built a ship ‘Wavewalker’ professionally which was a 23 metres long, 30 tons wooden-hulled
ship. They celebrated Christmas on the ship despite the bad weather.
The Second Section: the struggle with the big attack
This section changed from cheerful to intense. The family was under great pressure to survive the
oncoming waves and bad weather conditions. A giant wave created chaos and the ship was about to
overturn. The narrator was thrown off into the water and he almost drowned and got injured. Along with
two hired crewmen, the narrator pumped out the water from the ship for a continuous 36 hours. He also
tried repairing the parts of the ship. He almost lost his hope and believed they would die. But his children
were fearless and courageous enough which gave him the determination to fight back.
The third section: Victory
With the support of his children, the narrator kept trying to save the ship in order to reach the two small
islands, lle Amsterdam. They finally reached the destination and got help from the inhabitants of the island.
His son called him the best daddy and best captain.

Talking about the Text
1. What difference did you notice between the reaction of the adults and the children when faced with
danger?
Ans: There was a huge difference between the reaction of the adults and the children. The adults lose their
hope at the end and wait for their fate of death. On the other hand, the children were hopeful and gave the
narrator moral support. With the support of his children, Jonathan and Suzanne, he decided to make it to the
island at any cost. The children showed maturity. His son expressed courage as to how he wasn’t afraid to
die if they all were together. His daughter made him a card expressing her love and affection towards her
parents and wrote a beautiful message. She was injured still, she didn’t let it become a hurdle for her
parents who were trying to save the ship.

2. How does the story suggest that optimism helps to endure “the direst stress”?
Ans: Optimism is the determination to overcome any challenges. Without optimism, it is impossible to face
difficulties and solve problems. The family fought with the sea with great optimism and determination
which ultimately saved them. Again and again, on being attacked by the sea, they didn’t stop trying which
helped them get to the shore of the lle Amsterdam island.
When the son of the narrator told him,” we aren’t afraid of dying if we can all be together — you and
Mummy, Sue and I”. This showed the maturity of the children and how they played an important role in
motivating the narrator who had almost lost hope. Sue, his daughter who made him a card showed how she
was proud of her parents and didn’t make a big deal of her injuries which were in a bad condition. With the
struggles and efforts, they finally made it to the destination.

3. What lessons do we learn from such hazardous experiences when we are face-to-face with death?
Ans: Life is never about being happy all the time. We are constantly tested and how we tackle every
problem and rise through it is the ultimate lesson. Such hazardous situations teach us how we should react
towards them. We must never lose hope and keep trying as it will lead to success. In certain situations, one
must keep calm and think logically. No matter how bad the situation is, there is always a way to get out of
it. The significance of being extra cautious and to make sure that the situation doesn’t get worse is required
at such moments.

4. Why do you think people undertake such adventurous expeditions in spite of the risks involved?
Ans: The willingness to accept challenges drives people to take such adventurous expeditions in spite of
the risk involved. People like to try different elements of nature and some do it as a passion. Surely people
already know of the risks involved in such activities, but still, they do not hesitate to try it out.
1. From where did the ship sail for the voyage?
A. America
B. Mexico
C. Germany
D. Plymouth, England

2. Why did the author decide to go for a round-the-world voyage?
A.to duplicate the voyage made 200 years ago by Captain James Cook
B. to see the world
C. to settle down in different country
D. to show his children the world through ship

3. What was the occupation of the author?
A. Businessman
B. Sailor
C. Teacher

4. What was the name of the ship of the author?
A. Amazon
B. Wavewalker
C. Waveship
D. Sailorship

5. What part of the journey was pleasant for them?
A. First leg – from England to Cape town
B. Last part of the journey
C. First few months
D. Never

6. What were the names of the two crewmen whom the author hired?
A. Shelly and Cabil
B. Larry Vigil and Herb Seigler
C. Herb Seigler and Shelly Cooper
D. Larry Vigil and Adam Moore

7. Why did the author hire the two crewmen?
A. to take rest from long the voyage
B. to help tackle one of the world’s roughest seas, the southern Indian Ocean
C. because he could no longer sail the ship
D. he wanted to spend some time with his family

8. When did the waves start getting gigantic?
A. December 25
B. January 2
C. November 30
D. December 31

9. What did they do to slow down the boat in the storm?
A. Stopped sailing
B. dropped the storm jib and lashed a heavy mooring rope
C. just dropped the storm jib
D. did nothing and waited for storm to calm down

10. What was the first indication of disaster?
A. around 6 pm when winds dropped and sky grew darker
B. next morning when the ship started creaking
C. when it started raining
D. when winds were strong

11. What happened after the first indication of the disaster?
A. a wave appeared vertical and almost twice the height of other waves
B. it broke the ship from inside
C. the ship turned upside down
D. it didn’t affect the ship

12. How did the explosion affect the ship?
A. A torrent of green and white water broke over the ship
B. the ship started sinking
C. the ship turned upside down

13. Why did the author accept his approaching death?
A Pirates had attacked the ship
B because he was injured by the explosion
C he was thrown in the sea
D he was stabbed

14. What did the author see when his head popped out of the water?
A. the ship was sinking
B. the ship was nowhere to be seen
C. the ship was near capsizing, her masts almost horizontal
D. it was still standing

15. What happened to the author’s body when he managed to reach the deck?
A. his head smashed again
B. his left ribs cracked;mouth filled with blood and broken teeth
C. he broke his leg
D. his broke his left hand

16. Who said, “We’re sinking!” ?
A. His crewmen
B. Mary
C. His daughter
D. His son

Discovering Tut the Saga Continues
The title 'Discovering Tut-The Saga Continues' is justified by the fact that the legacy of the young pharaoh
who died early under mysterious circumstances has continued to flourish even after thousands of years.
Introduction of the Lesson
King Tut: The last heir of a powerful family that had ruled Egypt and its empire for centuries. His
preserved body was the first to be scanned.
Howard Carter: The British archaeologist who in 1922 discovered King Tut’s tomb. His search caused
great damage to the King’s preserved body.
Zahi Hawass: The Secretary General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. He scanned King Tut’s
mummy for an accurate forensic reconstruction.
Amenhotep III: King Tut’s father or grandfather, was’a powerful ruler who ruled for almost four decades
Amenhotep IV: He promoted the worship of Aten and changed his name to Akhenaten. He outraged the
country by attacking Amun, a major God, by smashing his images and closing his temples.
Written by A.R. Williams, this chapter is about the last heir of the powerful Pharaoh Dynasty,
Tutankhamun, who died when he was a teenager after ruling for nine years. He died in a mysterious way,
this chapter throws light over all the possible mysteries – the curse, where his tomb lies, his life and
ultimately death. Egyptians believe that there is life after death and that is the reason why the Pharaohs
were buried with wealth and everyday use items.
Discovering Tut the Saga Continues Summary

Discovering Tut: the Saga Continues is a chapter that gives us an in-depth insight of Tutankhamun, the last
ruler of the powerful Pharaoh Dynasty in Egypt. He was a teenager when he died and his death was a
mystery. Some speculated that he was murdered.
He ruled in Egypt and its empire for centuries. In 1922, his tomb was discovered by Howard Carter, a
British Archaeologist. After 80 years, he was taken from his resting place for CT scan which offers to solve
the mystery of his life and death by creating a forensic reconstruction.
Tut’s father or grandfather, Amenhotep III, was a very powerful Pharaoh who ruled over a period of forty
years. His son, Amenhotep IV, thrived him and began the strangest period in the history of Egypt.
He promoted the worship of Aten (the sun disk). He changed his name to Akhenaten meaning servant of the
Atens. He also moved the religious capital from Thebes to the new city of Akhenaten, called Amarna.
Further, he attacked Amun, a god, smashed his images, and closed his temples. Another mysterious ruler
succeeded him who died soon. Next, Tutankhamun, also known as Tut, sat on the throne and ruled for nine
years. He worshipped god Amun in the old ways. However, he died mysteriously.
When Tut’s mummified body was discovered, he was laid with lots of gold, wealth and everyday items like
a bronze razor, games, clothes, cases of food and wine. Carter discovered him after searching for many
years.
After researching on the treasures, he decided to investigate his three nested coffins. Some parts of the
Tut’s treasures in the tomb were already looted.
His tomb was rock-cut, 26 feet underground, which had wall paintings. On the outer coffin, Tut’s face was
gilded. In the first coffin, he found the garlands of olives, lotus petals, and cornflowers. It showed that he
was buried in the months of March or April. The third and final coffin put Carter into trouble.
The resins used to cement Tut to the bottom of the solid gold coffin was hardened enough making it
impossible to move. He put the coffin in the sun for several hours in hope for the resins to loosen up but it
didn’t work. Finally, he removed the resins with the help of chisel and hammer.
Carter felt he didn’t have any other choice as to if he hadn’t cut the mummy from limb to limb, thieves
would have looted the gold. His men first removed his head, then they cut off every joint. After removing
the body parts, they placed it on the layer of sand in a wooden box and put it at the original place.
In 1968, the mummy was X-rayed by an anatomy professor, revealed few facts – his breast bone and front
ribs were missing.
Later, on January 05 2009, Tut was taken for CT (Computed Tomography) scan which takes hundreds of
X-Rays and creates a three-dimensional image. The night of the scan, the workmen carried his body from
the tomb in a box.
They climbed ramp and stairs and lifted it on a hydraulic trailer that held the scanner. The scanner stopped
working which paused the procedure. After using a pair of spare fans, the scan was finally done. After
three-hours, his body was taken back to his tomb where his body is resting in peace.
Discovering Tut: the Saga Continues Question and Answers

1. Give reasons for the following.
(i) King Tut’s body has been subjected to repeated scrutiny.
Ans: King Tut’s body has been subjected to repeated scrutiny because of his history, his treasures which he
was buried with and to know the reason behind his death.

(ii) Howard Carter’s investigation was resented.
Ans: Howard Carter’s investigation was resented because of his unscientific methods to cut off his body
from the tomb. He also focused more on Tut’s wealth and less on to solve the mystery of Tut’s life and
death.

(iii) Carter had to chisel away the solidified resins to raise the king’s remains.
Ans: Carter had to chisel away the solidified resins to raise the king’s remains because the body was
cemented to the bottom of the solid gold coffin as the resins had hardened. No force could move the body
away and keeping the body in the sun, under 149 degrees Fahrenheit also did not help.

(iv) Tut’s body was buried along with gilded treasures.
Ans: Tut’s body was buried along with gilded treasures as the ancient Egyptian royals were extremely
wealthy. They also believed that the royalty would take all the treasures with them in their afterlife.

(v) The boy king changed his name from Tutankhaten to Tutankhamun.
Ans: Tutankhamun means ‘Living image of Amun’. Amun was a major god of ancient Egypt. Amenhotep
III smashed and closed his temples, later Tut restored his temples and beliefs back in his empire. That is
why he changed his name from Tutankhaten to Tutankhamun to choose his belief in the god.

2. (i) List the deeds that led Ray Johnson to describe Akhenaten as “wacky”.
Ans: According to Ray Johnson, the Akhenaten was wacky because of the following reasons:
. · He smashed and closed Amun’s images.
. · He worshipped Aten, sun’s disk
. · He moved the religious capital from the city of Thebes to the new city of Akhenaten, called Amarna
. · He changed his name to Akhenaten

(ii) What were the results of the CT scan?
Ans: The results of the CT scan were astonishing which was 1700 digital X-rays cross-sectioning each
other to make a three-dimensional image. A grey head appeared and his vertebrae were shown. The images
of the hand, ribcage, and skull were shown which were so clear.

(iii) List the advances in technology that have improved forensic analysis.
Ans: With the advancement in technology, it has been made possible for many scientific tests to be carried
out in a more accurate way to determine the cause of a crime. X-Ray, CT scan, Post mortem, biopsy, and
autopsy are now possible.

(iv) Explain the statement, “King Tut is one of the first mummies to be scanned — in death, as in
life…”
Ans: Tut’s mummy was the first one to be X-rayed in 1968 and later, in 2005, the first to be scanned
through Computing Tomography (CT). CT scan revealed new three dimensional images of his body which
answered many questions.

Discuss the following in groups of two pairs, each pair in a group taking opposite points of view.
1. Scientific intervention is necessary to unearth buried mysteries.
Ans: For:
To understand the mysteries and history of the past, it is necessary to unearth certain buried mysteries. It
can help get the answers to the questions and gives us an idea about past lives and how they used to live.
Example – the scientific intervention of Indus Civilization.
Against:
There is no doubt that scientific intervention can be useful but it exploits with the valuable assets of the
buried. We can utilize the money involved in the investigation of the mummies to help develop the
resources.

2. Advanced technology gives us conclusive evidence of past events.
Ans: For:
With the advanced technology, it helps us to know about the past and those who were involved. Such as
through CT scan, it was possible to get an idea about King Tut and his body. It helped solve mysteries
about death. It provides data for forensic reconstruction and satellite images help find burial sites. Through
different software, date and time of an event occurred in the past can be calculated.
Against:
After CT scan result images of Tut, still, no conclusion could be drawn. Instead of focusing and using the
time and money on past events, the government should focus on the present and future.

3. Traditions, rituals and funerary practices must be respected.
Ans:
For:
Every religion has its own tradition, rituals and funerary practices which must be respected. It should not be
disturbed as Carter did with King Tut’s tomb.
Against:
There are many speculations made for ancient history, traditions, rituals and funerary practices which
should be cleared in order to know the truth. The people living in modern time should follow anything
which can danger their lives or make the conflict between communities.

4. Knowledge about the past is useful to complete our knowledge of the world we live in.
Ans: For:
Knowledge of past events and important personalities help us understand where our roots are from. It helps
us to know how our modern world was formed gradually. From past experiences and lessons, we learn not
to commit the same mistake or we are gradually more alert. Knowing about King Tut’s life and getting
answers to the questions helped us understand Pharaoh Dynasty and the Egypt Empire.
Against:
Always digging the past doesn’t help as it only wastes the time and resources. No one can change the past
and we cannot change what already has happened. So, we should focus on what present and future will
bring for us and we must work to make our tomorrow better. Ranting about what happened yesterday
cannot help us.
MCQ
1. Who was Tutankhamun?

A. A Geologist
B. A Scientist
C. An Egyptian king
D. A historian

2. When did Tut die?
A. When he was a teenager
B. When he was old
C. When he was in middle age
D. When he was a child

3. Who discovered Tut’s tomb and when?
A. Adam Cooper in 1901
B. Howard Carter in 1922
C. Howard Carter in 1930
D. Sam Shaw in 1890

4. When was Tut’s body taken for CT scan after being found?
A. After 1 year
B. After 80 years
C. After 50 years
D. After 30 years

5. For how many years did Amenhotep III rule Egypt?
A. 5 years
B. 20 years
C. 10 years
D. 40 years

6. Who promoted the worship of Aten (the sun disk) ?
A. Tutankhamun
B. Amenhotep III
C. Amenhotep IV

7. What name did Amenhotep IV change to?
A. Amarna
B. Atul
C. Akhenaten
D. Amenhotep III

8. For how many years did Tutankhamun rule Egypt?
A. Nine
B. Eleven
C. Two
D. Five

9. What was found with Tutankhamun’s body?
A. Gold
B. Egyptian Gold Coin
C. Nothing as such
D. gold, wealth, bronze razor, games, clothes, cases of food and wine

10. How would you describe Tut’s tomb?
A. gold-plated
B. rock-cut
C. wall paintings with gold-plate
D. rock-cut, 26 feet underground, which had wall paintings

11. What was in the first coffin?
A. garlands of olives, lotus petals, and cornflowers
B. flowers and coins
C. gold, wealth, bronze razor, games, clothes, cases of food and wine
D. It was empty

12. Why did the third coffin put Carter in trouble?
A. It was empty
B. The resins used to cement Tut to the bottom of the solid gold coffin which was hardened enough
C. The material found inside was already looted

13. How did Carter remove the resins?
A. with the help of chisel and hammer
B. with the help of chemicals
C. with the help of machinery
D. with the help of man power

14. How did Carter cut the body of Tut?
A. First head and then every limb
B. first leg and then head
C. first legs, head and then limbs
D. limb, hand only

15. What did Carter and his men do after cutting down his body?
A. they sent it for X-Ray
B. they examined them carefully
C. they placed it on the layer of sand in a wooden box
D. they clicked photographs

The Laburnum Top:

Introduction
The poem ‘The Laburnum Top’ is written by Ted Hughes. It is about a repaying relationship between the
Laburnum tree and the Goldfinch bird. The tree is yellow, silent and death-like and is made alive by the
bird and her young ones. The yellow bird has her shelter on the tree where she feeds her young ones. But as
soon as the bird leaves to fly in the sky, the tree becomes silent and death-like again.
The poem Laburnum Top by Ted Hudges revolves around a Laburnum Tree and a Goldfinch bird. The
theme of the poem is the symbiotic relationship between the two. This poem symbolizes the ''HARDSHIPS
IN LIFE''. The main theme of the poem is “mutual benefit”. The tree which is still in its position comes to
life by the chirping and swift movement of bird and its chicks. On the other hand, the bird and her young
ones get space to live in.
The Laburnum Top Summary
The poem starts with a description of the Laburnum tree whose top was still and silent. Its leaves had
turned yellow and seeds had fallen down. It was a daytime in the month of September when the tree was
standing still and death-like.
The life-less tree becomes alive by the arrival of the Goldfinch bird. She came to feed her younger ones
who are on the thickness of the branch. The tree is her shelter. She arrives at the end of the branch with the
chirping sound. She further moves to the other side of the branch with rapid and precautionary movement
like a lizard. As soon as she arrives, her younger ones start chirping like a machine and vibrating and
flapping their wings. The death-like tree becomes alive and it trembles and shakes.
After feeding them, she flies to the other side of the branch. Her dark coloured face with the yellow body
was barely visible as she vanished behind the yellow leaves. She flew away in the sky, leaving the tree
death-like again.
Goldfinch – a small singing birds with yellow feathers on its wings

Twitching – sudden jerk movement
Chirrup – a bird making repeated high pitched sounds
Startlement – feeling or showing sudden shock
Abrupt – rapid
Chitterings – to make a chattering sound
Tremor of wings – involuntary vibration of the wings
Trillings – to produce a chirruping sound
Trembles – to shake
Thrills – a sudden feeling of excitement
Flirts out – lead on to

Stokes – to add fuel to the engine
Barred – stripy
Eerie – weird and strange
Whistle-chirrup – gentle whisper like the chirping of the bird
Subsides – diminishes
The Laburnum Top Literary Devices
1. Alliteration – repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of two or more consecutive words. The
instances of alliteration in the poem are as follows-
September sunlight
tree trembles

2. Simile – comparison between two things using like or as.
Sleek as a lizard

3. Metaphor – an indirect comparison between two things. Generally, a quality is compared.
“She enters the thickness, and a machine starts up” – the noise created by the movement of the birds is
compared to the machine’s noise
“It is the engine of her family.”
“Showing her barred face identity mask”

4. Personification – the attribution of personal nature characteristics to something non-human
The whole tree trembles and thrills.

5. Transferred Epithet – the figure of speech where the adverb is transferred to another noun
her barred face identity mask

The Laburnum Top Question and Answers
1. What laburnum is called in your language?

Ans: In the Hindi language, the laburnum tree is called ‘Amaltaas’.

2. Which local bird is like the goldfinch?
Ans: Indian Lutino Ringneck is like the goldfinch.

Think it out
1. What do you notice about the beginning and the ending of the poem?
Ans: At the beginning and the ending of the poem, the laburnum tree was standing still and silent just like
death-like.

2. To what is the bird’s movement compared? What is the basis for the comparison?
Ans: The goldfinch’s movement is compared to that of the lizard because she was abrupt, sleek and alert.
The same movements were observed when she arrived at the tree and moved to the thickness side of the
branch to feed her young ones.

3. Why is the image of the engine evoked by the poet?
Ans: As the engine is the source to run the machine. The bird is compared to the engine as she is the feeder
of her family. As a machine cannot work without an engine, her family can’t last without her.

4. What do you like most about the poem?
Ans: I liked the comparison of the state of the tree before and after the goldfinch bird arrives and it makes
the death-like tree alive.

5. What does the phrase “her barred face identity mask” mean?
Ans: The phrase “her barred face identity mask” means that the bird’s face became her identity and symbol
of recognition.
Note down
1. the sound words
2. the movement words
3. the dominant colour in the poem.
Ans:
. Twitching, chirrup, chitterings, trillings, whispering
. Comes, enters, starts up, flirts out, launches away, tremble, subside
. Yellow
List the following
1. Words which describe ‘sleek’, ‘alert’ and ‘abrupt’.
2. Words with the sound ‘ch’ as in ‘chart’ and ‘tr’ as in ‘trembles’ in
the poem.
3. Other sounds that occur frequently in the poem.
Ans:
. Lizard, machine, and suddenness
. Goldfinch, branch, chitterings, chirrup, trillings, twitching, tremors
. ‘ing’ sound in words like twitching, chitterings, wings, trillings, whisperings
1. How did the poet describe the top of the Laburnum tree in the poem ‘The Laburnum Top’?
A. Still and Silent
B. Moving and Angry like
C. Silent and Motionless

2. What happened to the leaves of the Laburnum tree?
A. they were green
B. turned yellow
C. fallen down
D. new leaves growing

3. How was the tree standing in the month of September?
A. still and death-like
B. alive
C. green and happy
D. still and green

4. When did the death-like tree become alive?
A. in the month of March
B. by the arrival monsoon season
C. by the arrival of the Goldfinch bird
D. by the arrival of sparrows

5. Why did the Goldfinch bird came towards the tree?
A. to feed her younger ones
B. to make a nest
C. to rest

6. Where are the young ones of the Goldfinch bird?
A. On the thickness of the branch
B. On the top of the tree
C. on other tree
D. they were never there

7. What role does the tree play for the Goldfinch bird?
A. As a shelter
B. as a supporter
C. as a means to feed her family
D. as a resting place

8. How did the bird move to the other side of the branch?
A. Like a lizard
B. Slowly
C. Smoothly
D. by flying

9. How did the bird arrive at the other branch of the tree?
A. with a chirping sound
B. silently
C. never arrived at other branch
D. flew away and then arrived at the branch

10. What happened after she fed her young ones?
A. she flew away
B. she flew to the other side of the branch
C. she stayed there
D. she took some rest in the nest

11. Why was Goldfinch’s body barely visible?
A. due to her dark coloured yellow body
B. because she was small
C. because of the height of the tree
D. because she was brown in colour

12. Where did the bird vanish after feeding her young ones?
A. to the other branch
B. to the top of the tree
C. to her nest
D. behind the yellow leaves

13. What happened to the bird in the end of the poem?
A. she flew away
B. she stayed at the tree
C. she went to other tree
D. she went to bring some food for her younger ones

14. How was the tree in the end when the bird flew away?
A. It was still alive
B. Nothing changed in the looks
C. it was death-like again

15. What instance of Alliteration has been used in the poem ‘The Laburnum Top’ out of the
following options?
A. engine of her family
B. her barred face
C. Sleek as a lizard
D. September sunlight
Landscape of the Soul:
Landscape of the Soul Written by Nathalie Trouveroy, the chapter is about how different the Chinese Art
form is, from the European art form. The writer uses two stories to make a contrast. European art is about
reproducing an actual view whereas Chinese art is about not creating a real landscape.
The main theme of the chapter is about arts. It revolves around the art of painting told through the help of
various stories. In this story Landscape of the Soul, the author presents two instances of paintings to show
the beauty and difference in the perception of painters. ... As the story proceeds, it conveys that the
Emperor may rule within the kingdom but the artist is the only one who knows his painting within.
The Chinese story conveys the idea that the Emperor could only rule over his territory, and not
understand the spirit of art. Only the artist knows the way within. He alone can enter the spirit of the
universe.
Landscape of the Soul Summary
In this chapter, the writer contrasts two forms of art – Chinese art and European art by using two different
stories. In China during the eighth century, the Tang emperor Xuanzong commissioned a painter Wu Daozi
to decorate a wall in the palace.
Upon seeing the wall painting, the Emperor started noticing the outer appearance of the painting but the
painter drew his attention to a cave at the foot of the mountain. The painter told the Emperor that he would
take him inside.
The painter entered the cave and the entrance closed behind him. As soon as the painter clapped his hand,
the painting on the wall was gone and so was the painter.
In another story, a painter wouldn’t draw an eye of a dragon as he feared that the dragon would fly out of
the painting. In another story to represent a European art form, a master Blacksmith falls in love with a
painter’s daughter. The father didn’t approve of him because of his profession. The blacksmith sneaked into
his painting studio and painted a fly on the painter’s latest panel.
The fly seemed so real that the painter tried to hit it first before realizing it was in the painting. The painter
accepted him as a trainee in his studio. The blacksmith married the painter’s daughter and later became one
of the famous painters of his time.
These stories revealed as to how art form is believed to be followed in two different regions in the world. In
Europe, an artist wants the viewer to see a real viewpoint by borrowing his eyes. The art must be perfect
and must be illusion likeness.
Whereas, in China, the artist doesn’t paint a real one but uses his inner and spiritual voice to create an
abstract piece. The viewer can enter the painting from any point and can travel according to his own
imagination. The artist wants the viewer to enter his mind and create a path of its own.
This concept is called ‘Shanshui’ which means ‘mountain water’. When they are used together, they make
the word ‘landscape’.
Landscape of the Soul Lesson and Explanation
A WONDERFUL old tale is told about the painter Wu Daozi, who lived in the eighth century. His last
painting was a landscape commissioned by the Tang Emperor Xuanzong, to decorate a palace wall. The
master had hidden his work behind a screen, so only the Emperor would see it.
For a long while, the Emperor admired the wonderful scene, discovering forests, high mountains,
waterfalls, clouds floating in an immense sky, men on hilly paths, birds in flight. “Look, Sire”, said the
painter, “in this cave, at the foot of the mountain, dwells a spirit.”
The painter clapped his hands, and the entrance to the cave opened. “The inside is splendid, beyond
anything words can convey. Please let me show Your Majesty the way.” The painter entered the cave; but
the entrance closed behind him, and before the astonished Emperor could move or utter a word, the painting
had vanished from the wall. Not a trace of Wu Daozi’s brush was left — and the artist was never seen again
in this world.
A painter named Wu Daozi who lived in the eighth century was assigned to decorate a Palace wall by the
Tang Emperor Xuanzong. It was his last painting. The painter hid his work behind the screen so the only
emperor would see it. The Emperor upon looking at the painting admired many things into that painting
like discovering forests, high mountains, waterfalls, floating clouds, men on hilly paths and birds in flight.
The painter then made him look at a cave in the painting which was at the foot of the mountain and
compared it with a living spirit. As the painter clapped his hands, the entrance of the cave opened and he let
the emperor know how beautiful the inside of the cave was and he asked him to show all this to him. The
painter entered the cave and the entrance closed behind him. The Emperor couldn’t enter the cave, as the
Emperor was greatly surprised, the painting vanished from the wall. After that, the painter was never seen
again .Such stories played an important part in China’s classical education. The books of Confucius and
Zhuangzi are full of them; they helped the master to guide his disciple in the right direction. Beyond the
anecdote, they are deeply revealing of the spirit in which art was considered. Contrast this story — or
another famous one about a painter who wouldn’t draw the eye of a dragon he had painted, for fear it would
fly out of the painting — with an old story from my native Flanders that I find most representative of
Western painting.
These stories played an important role in classical education in China. Similarly, like the books of
Confucius and Zhuangzi are full of such stories as they help the master to help and guide his followers in
the right direction. These stories were considered to be deeply revealing of the spirit just like the art. There
was another famous story, in contrast to the previous one, where the painter wouldn’t paint the eye of a
dragon. He feared that the dragon would fly out from the painting. It was one of the stories from many
others which came from a medieval country in Western Europe.
In fifteenth century Antwerp, a master blacksmith called Quinten Metsys fell in love with a painter’s
daughter. The father would not accept a son-in-law in such a profession. So Quinten sneaked into the
painter’s studio and painted a fly on his latest panel, with such delicate realism that the master tried to swat
it away before he realised what had happened. Quinten was immediately admitted as an apprentice into his
studio. He married his beloved and went on to become one of the most famous painters of his age. These
two stories illustrate what each form of art is trying to achieve: a perfect, illusionistic likeness in Europe,
the essence of inner life and spirit in Asia.
During the fifteenth century in Antwerp, a master blacksmith named Quinten Metsys falls in love with a
painter’s daughter. Since the father was not accepting their relationship because of his profession, the
blacksmith sneaked into the painter’s studio and painted a fly on his latest panel. The painting was so real
that the master tried to hit the fly away, before he realized that it was just a painting. The blacksmith
wasaccepted into the studio as a trainee. He married the painter’s daughter and later became one of the
famous painters of his age. The two stories told above are trying to illustrate the form of art in two different
regions. In Europe, the art is perfect and like an illusion which resembles something; In Asia, the art gives
an essence of inner life and spirit.
In the Chinese story, the Emperor commissions a painting and appreciates its outer appearance. But the
artist reveals to him the true meaning of his work. The Emperor may rule over the territory he has
conquered, but only the artist knows the way within. “Let me show the Way”, the ‘Dao’, a word that means
both the path or the method, and the mysterious works of the Universe. The painting is gone, but the artist
has reached his goal — beyond any material appearance.
As in the Chinese story, the artist reveals the true meaning of his work to the Emperor who rules over his
territory but didn’t know the way within. The Emperor only saw the outer appearance of the wall painting.
The work was mysterious and ‘Dao’ which means something which has both paths is what the artist did. As
the painting was gone after the artist reached the caves, the motive was fulfilled that some work is beyond
material appearance.
A classical Chinese landscape is not meant to reproduce an actual view, as would a Western figurative
painting. Whereas the European painter wants you to borrow his eyes and look at a particular landscape
exactly as he saw it, from a specific angle, the Chinese painter does not choose a single viewpoint. His
landscape is not a ‘real’ one, and you can enter it from any point, then travel in it; the artist creates a path
for your eyes to travel up and down, then back again, in a leisurely movement. This is even more true in the
case of the horizontal scroll, in which the action of slowly opening one section of the painting, then rolling
it up to move on to the other, adds a dimension of time which is unknown in any other form of painting. It
also requires the active participation of the viewer, who decides at what pace he will travel through the
painting — a participation which is physical as well as mental. The Chinese painter does not want you to
borrow his eyes; he wants you to enter his mind.
The Chinese landscape painting is not made with a real viewpoint but it is a representation of the artist’s
thoughts. The western painting in Europe is a figurative art form. The European painter paints a landscape
to show you a specific scene of the landscape whereas the Chinese painter doesn’t choose a real viewpoint.
You can enter the painting from any point and can travel anywhere where your thoughts and imagination
take you. The Chinese artist wants you to travel by creating your own path and then come out in a relaxed
movement. In China, this mode of seeing a painting is more enjoyable. A horizontal scroll is a form where
one section of the painting is opened one by one by rolling it up to move on the other side. It creates a
dimension which is not practiced in any other form of artwork. It requires both mental and physical
participation of the viewer. The Chinese painter wants you to enter his mind and see the painting from his
thoughts. The landscape created by Chinese artists is spiritual, inner and of conceptual or abstract space.
This concept is expressed as shanshui, literally ‘mountainwater’ which used together represent the word
‘landscape’. More than two elements of an image, these represent two complementary poles, reflecting the
Daoist view of the universe. The mountain is Yang — reaching vertically towards Heaven, stable, warm,
and dry in the sun, while the water is Yin — horizontal and resting on the earth, fluid, moist and cool. The
interaction of Yin, the receptive, feminine aspect of universal energy, and its counterpart Yang, active and
masculine, is of course a fundamental notion of Daoism.
What is often overlooked is an essential third element, the Middle Void where their interaction takes place.
This can be compared with the yogic practice of pranayama; breathe in, retain, breathe out — the
suspension of breath is the Void where meditation occurs. The Middle Void is essential — nothing can
happen without it; hence the importance of the white, unpainted space in Chinese landscape.
The Chinese concept of art is also expressed as ‘Shanshui’ which also means mountain water. It is used
together to represent the word ‘landscape’. The two complementary poles of an image reflect the Daoist
view. The mountain in the landscape is Yang which means to reach vertically towards heaven, stable, warm
and dry in the sun. Whereas the water is the Yin, which is receptive and feminine aspect of universal
energy. The Yang is active and masculine, and the opposite of Yin. There is a third essential element which
is a Middle Void which is the place where they interact. This middle void can be compared to Pranayama
which means to breathe in, retain and breathe out. Here, the suspension of the breath is the void in this
meditation process. It is an essential part as nothing can happen without it. Hence the white unpainted space
in Chinese landscape is equally important.
This is also where Man finds a fundamental role. In that space between Heaven and Earth, he becomes the
conduit of communication between both poles of the Universe. His presence is essential, even if it’s only
suggested; far from being lost or oppressed by the lofty peaks, he is, in Francois Cheng’s wonderful
expression, “the eye of the landscape”.
The middle void is where a man finds an important role. Man is the channel of communication in the space
between Heaven and Earth which are the two poles of the universe. Man’s presence is essential. It is not
being lost or suppressed due to high peaks but he is the eye of the landscape.
Questions and Answers

1. (i) Contrast the Chinese view of art with the European view with examples.
Ans: The Chinese form of art is based on imagination and shows inner and spiritual approach of the artist.
Whereas, the European art form is real and reproduces an actual view of the object from the landscape.
(ii) Explain the concept of shanshui.
Ans: Shanshui is a Chinese concept of art which means ‘mountain water’. It is used together to represent
the word ‘landscape’. The two complementary poles (yin and yang) of an image reflect the Daoist view.
2. (i) What do you understand by the terms ‘outsider art’ and ‘art brut’ or ‘raw art’?
Ans: ‘Outsider Art’ is the art made by untrained artists, for example children or mentally ill person. ‘Art
Brut’ or ‘Raw Art’ is a type of art made by people who are not professionals but they create an art piece
with their own depth and understanding and not from the stereotypical form of classical or fashionable art.
(ii) Who was the “untutored genius who created a paradise” and what is the nature of his
contribution to art?
Ans: “Untutored genius who created a paradise” was Nek Chand. He was an eighty year old creator –
director who made the world famous Rock Garden in Chandigarh. He used everything from a tin to sink or
anything which he felt as an art form. One of his famous creations are ‘Women by the Waterfall’.
1. Discuss “The Emperor may rule over the territory he has conquered, but only the artist knows the
way within.”
Ans: The statement means that the Emperor rules over the territory which he has conquered and have the
power but the artist knows the path and mysterious work of the universe. The artist can go beyond the
materialistic appearance of objects. No matter how powerful the Emperor was, the artist’s true art form can
be seen the way he wants to show them.
2. Discuss “The landscape is an inner one, a spiritual and conceptual space.”

Ans: The statement ‘The landscape is an inner one, a spiritual and conceptual space’ means that a Chinese
artist wants the viewer to enter his mind rather than borrowing his eyes to view his art piece.
This requires both physical and mental participation. Viewer can enter the painting from any point and
travel from one point to another point. As it is not a real one, it is an inner, spiritual and abstract space of
the artist.
MCQ

1. What two forms of art did the author contrast in this chapter?
A. Indian Ancient Art and Chinese Art
B. Chinese art and European art
C. American Art ad European Art
D. European Art and Greek Art

2. Who did the Tang emperor Xuanzong commission to decorate a wall in the palace?
A. Axi Xiami
B. Viu Quizi
C. Wu Daozi
D. Wu Shawmi

3. Who was the Chinese Emperor during the Eighth Century?
A. Tang Emperor Xuanzong
B. Yongle Emperor Zhu Di
C. Jianwen Emperor Zhu Yunwen
D. Tiacheng Emperor Zhu Changluo

4. Where did the painter draw the attention in the painting?
A. Sun
B. Palace
C. Birds
D. a cave at the foot of the mountain

5. What happened when the painter entered the cave?
A. the entrance closed behind him
B. the painting vanished
C. Nothing happened
D. It was only a dream

6. What happened when the painter clapped his hands?
A. the painting on the wall was gone and so was the painter
B. the emperor entered the cave
C. painter falls
D. the wall collapsed

7. Why didn’t the painter want to draw an eye of a dragon?
A. he feared that the painting would not look good
B. he feared that the dragon would fly out of the painting
C. he feared that dragon will seem real
D. because he didn’t wanted to work

8. What do the books of Confucius and Zhuangzi teach?
A. to guide his disciple in the right direction
B. to not fear the superiors
C. to not to suppress your thoughts

9. What was the name of the blacksmith in the fifteenth century Antwerp?
A. Adam Mulch
B. Sadern Metsys
C. Lori Adam
D. Quinten Metsys

10. Why didn’t the father approve of the love of his daughter and the blacksmith?
A. due to his profession
B. due to his caste
C. due to his appearance

11. What did Quinten do to get into apprenticeship into his master’s studio?
A. asked him to admit him too
B. drew a fly on his latest panel that looked real
C. gave an interview
D. drew a dragon

12. What did the two forms of art depict?
A. a perfect, illusionistic likeness in Europe, the essence of inner life and spirit in Asia
B. a perfect, illusionistic likeness in Asia, the essence of inner life and spirit in Euorpe
C. perfect art form in Asia and realness in Europe
D. It depicted nothing

13. What does the word ‘Dao’ mean?
A. perfection
B. both the path or the method, and the mysterious works of the Universe
C. mystery
D. royal

14. What does the Chinese Landscape depict?
A. They are not real and one can enter from any viewpoint
B. they produce an actual viewpoint
C. they are not imaginery

15. What does ‘Leisurely movement’ mean?
A. relaxed movement
B. hurried action
C. pleasure action
---------------------------------XXXXXXXXXXXX--------------------------------------------------

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English Core XI (NOTES)

Code No. 301

SECTION TERM I WEIGHTAGE TERM II WEIGHTAGE

A Reading Comprehension: Reading Comprehension:

Short Writing Tasks Short Writing Tasks

Long Writing Tasks + Long Writing Tasks +

GRAND TOTAL 40+10=50 GRAND TOTAL 40+10=50

Read the passage given below and answer the questions:

A) The reason why you are not a robot is that:

(a) Option (1)

D) Which of the following is relevant for the title of the passage.

(E) ……………… was created after many attempts.

(G) To develop perseverance one must:

(H) How does mindfulness help?

(L) What is the message conveyed in the last paragraph of the passage?

Answer the following questions choosing the appropriate option.

(6)Sea plants contain rich nutrients not found in __

1. Fear of failure is an attitude problem. All of us postpone things. We procrastinate. We rationalize. We

ii. Our future is determined by ………………………

iii. Our effectiveness gets reduced as …………………….

iv. We cannot eliminate problems because ……………………..

v. The best way to tackle a proble m is …………………………

vi. The word „procrastinate‟ in para 1 means ………………………

4. Read the passage and answer the questions given below.

a. Kitchens are always a priority when it comes to house construction.

1. More people prefer larger kitchens than bedrooms in their houses.

iii. Which word has the same meaning as ‘intervene’, in paragraph 3?

a. The cartoon is trying to establish that women are unforgiving.

1. Men and women started participating in kitchen work equally.

Date: 21 Sept. 2020 Time: 8.30 a.m.

For First Term 2021-22

(a) Formal Letters

Format of Formal Letter

1.Address of the sender

3.Address of the receiver

6.Body of the letter

1. Beginning for letter to editor

Suggestions to write an inquiry letter:

 Give a brief introduction about yourself. Your organisation.

 The department and programme faculty

Sub: Crime Against the Aged

Yours faithfully Aanchal

The Chief Post Master

Subject: Late delivery of letters

Asking for information

M/s Full Marks Pvt Ltd

Sub : Request for Catalogue

Sub : Enquiry about conducted tours

Name of the Items No. of Items Remarks

Tennis balls 20 Vicky (brand)

1.Write a reply to an enquiry sent to you earlier :

With best wishes,

Crimes Against Children

I hope my words will make you think about the matter.

How Health is Affected by Lifestyle

Respected Principal, teachers and dear friends,

Here is a tentative list of the most frequently used Determiners:

USE OF SOME COMMON DETERMINERS

(a) A, An, The [Article Determiners]