Literature Section
Literature Section
Literature Section
This section will have variety of assessment items including Multiple Choice
Questions, Objective Type Questions, Short Answer Type Questions and Long
7. One Poetry extract out of two, from the book Flamingo, to assess comprehension,
8. One Prose extract out of two, from the book Vistas, to assess comprehension,
9. One prose extract out of two from the book Flamingo, to assess comprehension,
10. Short answer type questions (from Prose and Poetry from the book Flamingo), to
through critical thinking. Five questions out of the six given are to be answered.
(5x2=10 Marks)
11. Short answer type questions, from Prose (Vistas), to be answered in 40- 50 words
each. Questions should elicit inferential responses through critical thinking. Any two
12. One Long answer type question, from Prose/Poetry (Flamingo), to be answered in
13. One Long answer type question, based on the chapters from the book Vistas, to be
answered in 120-150 words, to assess global comprehension and extrapolation
beyond the text. Questions to provide analytical and evaluative responses using
incidents, events, themes, as reference points. Any one out of two questions to be done.
(1x5=5 Marks)
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1. THE LAST LESSON (PROSE)
Answer in about 120-150 words: (5 marks)
1. The last lesson reflects the flaws in human character that led to the sad light
of people in Alsace. Substantiate your answer with evidences from the text.
Answer the following in about 40-50 words each (2 marks)
1. Why was M. Hamel dressed in formal clothes in school?
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
LONG ANSWER TYPES (120-150 WORDS)
1. Though tempted by the bright day, Franz stated that he had “the strength to resist,
and hurried off to school.” As the story progresses, the reader realizes that Franz,
M. Hamel and the villagers would perhaps need “the strength to resist” much larger
forces.
Discuss how the story provides strategies for resistance and protection of One’s
identity and community through its events and characters. Provide relevant textual
details to support your argument.
2. On the day of the last lesson, Franz felt that the “whole school was strange”.
Throughout the story, the reader encounters Franz’ account of how school usually
was, and what it was like on the last day of class with M. Hamel. This contrast
comes across through events, and the actions and viewpoints of various characters.
• Does Franz’ description of school life resonate with your own experience?
• Do you think the story might also provide advice on what good education
entails? Substantiate your argument with relevant instances from the text.
Dear Franz,
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2. LOST SPRING (PROSE)
Answer the following in about 120-150 words each (5 marks)
1. Firozabad presents a strange paradox the beauty of the glass bangles and the
misery of the people who make bangles. Discuss.
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow. (4 marks)
"I sometimes find a rupee, even a ten rupee note". Saheb says, his eyes lighting up
when you can find a silver coin in a heap of garbage, you don't stop scrounging, for
there is hope of finding more. It seems has a moaning different from what it means to
their parents. For the children it is wrapped in wonder, for the elders it is a means of
survival. One winter morning I see Saheb standing by the fenced gate of the
neighbourhood club, watching two young men dressed in white, playing tennis. "I like
the game", he hums, content to watch it standing behind the fence. "I go inside when no
one is around" he admits. "The gate keeper lets me use the swing."
(ii) Which emotion of Saheb is revealed in the phrase 'his eyes lighting up’?
(iii) For the elders garbage is ______________ and for children it is _____________.
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IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
• How can we change this? Suggest some ways to tackle this issue.
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3. DEEP WATER (PROSE)
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow: (6 Marks)
The next I remember I was lying on my stomach beside the pool, vomiting. The chap that
threw me in was saying, "But I was only fooling." Someone said, "The kid nearly died. Be
all right now. Let's carry him to the locker room." Several hours later, I walked home. I was
weak and trembling. I shook and cried when I lay on my bed. I couldn't eat that night. For
days a haunting fear was in my heart. The slightest exertion upset me, making me wobbly
in the knees and sick to my stomach.
I never went back to the pool. I feared water. I avoided it whenever I could.
(b) he had just been rescued from nearly drowning in the pool.
(ii) Rewrite the sentence by replacing the underlined phrase with its inference.
(iii) On the basis of the extract, choose the correct option with reference to the two
statements given below:
(iv) Identify the textual clue that allows the reader to infer that the chap threw the boy
into the pool just for fun (clue: a phrase)
(v) Complete the sentence with an appropriate explanation as per the extract.
(vi) Replace the underlined word with its synonym from the extract.
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Answer the following in about 40-50 words each (2 marks)
1. What handicap did Doughlas suffer from? How did he overcome that?
2. Why did Douglas decide to go to the YMCA pool to learn swimming?
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
Sir
This is with reference to the incident of near fatal drowning of my son, William on your
premises. We were…
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4. THE RATTRAP (PROSE)
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow: 6x1=6
“I am thinking of this stranger here,” said Edla “He walks and walks
the whole year long, and there is probably not a single place in the
whole country where he is welcome and can feel at home. Wherever
he turns he is chased away. Always he is afraid of being arrested and
cross-examined. I should like to have him enjoy a day of peace with
us here-just one in the whole year.”
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Answer the following in about 120-150 words: (5 Marks)
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
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4. What might be the significance of setting the story’s events during Christmas?
Justify your opinion.
5.
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5. INDIGO (PROSE)
Answer the following in about 120-150 words: (5 Marks)
1. Why is the Champaran episode considered as the beginning of the Indian struggle for
independence?
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
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6. POETS AND PANCACKES (PROSE)
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow: 6x1=6
1. Then the poet spoke. He couldn't have addressed a more dazed and silent
audience - no one knew what he was talking about and his accent defeated any
attempt to understand what he was saying. The whole thing lasted about an
hour; then the poet left and we all dispersed in utter bafflement-what are we
doing ? What is an English poet doing in a film studio which makes Tamil films
for the simplest sort of people? People whose lives least afforded them the
possibility of cultivating a taste for English poetry? The poet looked pretty
baffled too, for he too must have felt the sheer incongruity of his talk about the
thrills and travails of an English poet. His visit remained an unexplained
mystery.
(i) Choose the appropriate option with reference to the extract. The audience
were dazed' because
(a) they were not accustomed to0 listening to poetry.
(b) they had never before seen an Englishman.
(c) they failed to comprehend what the poet was speaking.
(d) they were already bored.
(ii) Complete the sentence with reference to the extract:
The English poet was _______________ when he was addressing the
dazed audience.
(iii) Where did the talk take place?
Choose the correct option.
(a) The Main Mall
(b) Story Writing Department
(c) Film studio
(d) Subbu's office
(iv) The English poet's visit is an 'unexplained mystery because __________.
(v) Complete the analogy with a word from the extract
noisy silent: : assembled: __________
(vi) Explain the following phrase with reference to the extract:
The poet felt ‘the sheer incongruity of his talk’.
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IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
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7. THE INTERVIEW (PROSE)
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow: 6x1=6
Others, usually celebrities who see themselves as its victims, might despise the
interview as an unwarranted intrusion into their lives, or feel that it somehow
diminishes them, just as in some primitive cultures it is believed that if one takes a
photographic portrait of somebody then one is stealing that person's soul. V.S. Naipaul
feels that some people are wounded by interviews and lose a part of themselves, Lewis
Carroll, the creator of Alice in Wonderland, was said to have had a just horror of the
interviewer and he never consented to be interviewed.
(i) Choose the appropriate option with reference to the given extract:
(iv) From the given extract, we know that ________ never agreed to be interviewed.
(v) In the given extract, the word 'diminish' most nearly means
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(vi) In the given extract, the writer indicates that most people ___________ interviews.
(a) celebrated
(b) read
(c) gave
(d) despised
(v) Rudyard Kipling uses the phrase ‘it is a crime because he feels it is
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IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
1. Why do you think Christopher Silvester describes the viewpoints of other writers and
authors when discussing the concept of an interview? Support your opinion with
reference to any one writer cited.
2. How would you evaluate Mukund Padmanabhan as an interviewer? Mention at least
two qualities he displays in his interview, supported by textual evidence.
3. Christopher Silvester shares authors’ reservations about interviewing. Bearing that in
mind, would you interview a writer of your choice? If so, what would you pay
particular attention to in interviewing the said writer?
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8. GOING PLACES (PROSE)
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow. (6 marks)
"Or an actress. Now there's real money in that. Yes, and I could may be have the
boutique on the side. Actresses don't work full time, do they? Anyway, that or a fashion
designer. You know -something a bit sophisticated". And she turned in through the
open street door leaving Jansie standing in the rain. "If I ever come into money I'll buy
a boutique". "Huh, if you ever come into money… if you ever come into money you'll
buy us a blessed decent house to live in, thank you very much.’’
"Sophie's father was scooping shepherd's pie into his mouth as hard as he could go, his
plump face still grimy and sweat - marked from the day.
"She thinks money grows on trees, don't she Dad? Said little Derek.
hanging on the back of his father's chair.
Their mother sighed.
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IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
I cannot get myself to stand with father in his tirade against Sophie. Sure, she is not the
most…
2. Imagine Sophie meets Danny Casey after several years. Write a dialogue exchange
between them where Sophie explains what that meeting means to her.
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1. MY MOTHER AT SIXTY-SIX (POERTY)
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow: (6x1=6)
I saw my mother,
beside me,
pain
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(v) The sight of the trees and the children helped the poet__________ .
(vi) In the given extract, the phrase 'realised with pain' indicates the poet's
(a) anxiety
(b) desperation
(d) ill-health
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(d) grey geese in the green field
(iv) The phrase 'she realized with pain' indicates the poet's
(a) anxiety of missing the flight.
(b) fear of losing her mother.
(c) fear of illness.
(d) anxiety of taking her mother on the flight.
(v) On the basis of the extract, study the two statements, I and II given below:
I. The poet was in a hurry to reach the airport.
II. The poet did not want to think about her mother growing old and infirm.
Choose the most appropriate option
(a) I is correct, but II is incorrect
(b) Both I and II are correct
(c) Both I and II are incorrect
(d) II is correct, but I is incorrect
(vi) What does the phrase 'sprinting trees' symbolize
(a) youthfulness and forgetfulness
(b) vitality and youthfulness
(c) energy and casualness
(d) pallor and exuberance
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
22 August ‘60
My dear Kamala
I am writing to you because when you left me at the airport, I felt something wasn’t
right. Judging by how little you spoke that day ……………………….
………………………………………(continue)…………………………………
With love
Amma
2. Imagine you are the poet’s friend.
Write a dialogue exchange between yourself and the poet where the latter confides in
you about her fears and asks for your advice.
What would your advice be –to face her fears, to ignore them or something else?
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SHORT ANSWER TYPES (40-50 words)
1. The pain of separation is expressed both literally and metaphorically in this poem.
Elucidate.
2. Comment on the tone of the poem with references to “My Mother at Sixty- Six”.
3. Imagery was an effective literary device to bring out the contrast between the
“merry children” and mother. Comment.
4. The poet does not directly mention the fear of her mother’s death and yet she is
successfully able to convey the same through different poetic techniques. Discuss.
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2. KEEPING QUIET (POERTY)
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow (6x1=6)
1. Now we will count to twelve
and we will all keep still.
For once on the face of the Earth
let's not speak in any language
let's stop for one second,
and not move our arms so much.
It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines,
we would all be together in a sudden strangeness.
(i) Significance of counting up to twelve is
(a) it is time to start the race.
(b) it is symbolic of life.
(c) it is a measure of time
(d) that time does not wait for anyone.
(ii) The word ___________ in the extract means unusual and exciting.
(iii) Excessive activity would create an atmosphere of
(a) productivity.
(b) mechanisation.
(c) confusion.
(d) competition.
(iv) one poet would want to create all of the following EXCEPT
(a) a peaceful environment.
(b) a harmonious world.
(c) an atmosphere for introspection.
(d) a world full of hustle and bustle.
(v) Complete the following analogy correctly
face of the Earth :___________ : : sudden strangeness : alliteration
(vi) On the basis of the extract, study the two statements, I and II given below:
I. People must keep silent at twelve everyday.
II. Introspection will lead to peaceful coexistence.
Choose the most appropriate option:
(a) I is false, but II is true
(b) Both I and II are false
(c) Both I and II are true
(d) I is true, but II is false
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Answer the following in about 40-50 words each (2 marks)
1. What according to Pablo Neruda in the poem 'Keeping Quiet' is the lesson that we
should learn from mother earth?
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
• Thinking differently about your decisions with reference to Neruda’s ‘Keeping Quiet’.
1. In a world that is constantly running after ‘more’ chasing the next new thing, would it
be fair to think of Neruda’s call as merely a fanciful idea?
2. The world has become a global village, and people across boundaries, nationalities and
communities are now connected to one another. With the advancement of technology,
and the advent of social media, do you think that the task of keeping quiet, as
envisaged by Neruda, has become easier or more complicated? Justify your stance.
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3. A THING OF BEAUTY(POERTY)
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow: (6x1=6)
and breathing.
(a) transient
(b) eternal
(c) illusionary
(ii) ‘will keep a bower quiet for us' means all of the following EXCEPT
iii) On the basis of the extract, choose the correct reference to the two statements
given below:
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2. Beauty is everchanging.
(v) Complete the analogy. Do not repeat from used example flowery band: metaphor ::
______________ : alliteration
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
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your blog giving vivid descriptions of the natural beauty of this place. Supplement
your writing with Keats’ ideas about beauty.
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4. A ROADSIDE STAND (POERTY)
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow: (6x1=6)
But for some of the money, the cash, whose flow supports
(a) optimistic
(b) resigned
(c) sympathetic
(d) indifferent
(ii) With reference to the given extract, what harm has been caused by the
'artless paint" ?
(a) a landscape
(c) a flower
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(d) well maintained.
(v) What type of expectations do the stand owners have from the city dwellers
who come there?
(vi) Complete the analogy with a word from the given extract.
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
23 January ‘XX
Dear mom
I have been thinking about the roadside stall lately. Now that I find myself surrounded
by city-people all the time, I think……………………………………..
With love
Jennifer
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SHORT ANSWER TYPES (40-50 words)
1. Though money holds the same value everywhere, the poet draws a distinction
between city money and country money. Elaborate.
2. The roadside stand and the moving cars are a contrast around which the entire poem
is woven. Expound.
3. Comment on the significance of the symbol of the car in the poem.
4. Does the poet reach a conclusive solution for the issue at hand? Discuss.
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5. AUNT JENNIFER’S TIGERS (POERTY)
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow: (6x1=6)
(ii) Choose the option that displays the same poetic device as used
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(3) the embroidered tunic (4) the cage
1. Why did Aunt Jennifer create tigers so different from her own character?
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
- Adrienne Rich
3. Would you say that the poem ends on a note of hope? Justify your opinion.
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1. THE THIRD LEVEL (VISTAS)
1. Describe briefly the Third Level. How did it differ from the Second Level?
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow: 4x1=4
Galesburg, Illinois
Charley
I got to wishing that you were right. Then I got to believing you were right. And,
Charley, it's true; I found the third level ! I've been here two weeks, and right now,
down the street at the Daly's, someone is playing a piano, and they're all out on the
front porch singing 'Seeing Nelly Home'. And I'm invited over for lemonade. Come on
back, Charley and Louisa. Keep looking till you find the third level! It's worth it, believe
me!
The note is signed Sam.
(i) What was the feeling of Sam as conveyed in the letter? Choose the appropriate
option in the context of the extract.
(ii) What was Sam Weiner's reaction when Charley told him about the third level?
(iii) The phrase 'Charley, it's true' in the context of the extract implies which of the
given options?
I. Sam is relaxed
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(a) I and II (b) II and IV
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow: (4x1=4)
To make sure, I walked over the newsboy and glanced at the stack of papers at
his feet. It was The World and The World hasn't been published for years. The
lead story said something about President Cleveland. I've found that front page
since, in the Public library files, and it was printed June 11, 1894.
I turned toward the ticket windows knowing that here on the third level at
Grand Central - I could buy tickets that would take Louisa and me anywhere in
the United States we wanted to go. In the year 1894 And I wanted two tickets to
Galesburg, Illinois.
(i) The newspaper that covered the lead story about President Cleveland was
(iii) Which of the following in the extract most nearly means the opposite of 'stare'?
1. What do you learn about Galesburg, Illinois during 1894 from the lesson
"The Third Level’?
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IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
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2. THE TIGER KING (VISTAS)
1. What was the Maharaja's mission? How did he resolve to overcome the
obstacles in the fulfilment of his mission?
1. Which problem did the Maharaja face after killing seventy tigers when he had
vowed to kill 100 tigers?
2. What was the hidden agenda behind the Tiger King's marriage with the
princess in the neighbouring state?
3. Who was the Tiger King? How did he get the name Tiger King?
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
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3. JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE EARTH (VISTAS)
Answer the following in about 120-150 words: (5 Marks)
1. What makes the author say, "The world's geological history is trapped in
Antarctica"?
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
With love
___________
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3. Based on the chapter, elucidate any three consequences that global warming will
have on Antarctica.
4. Antarctica is unlike any other place on Earth. Justify the statement.
5. Students on Ice is a programme that prepares global citizens. Discuss.
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4. THE ENEMY (VISTAS)
Answer in about 120-150 words: (5 marks)
1. Dr. Sadao emerges as a saviour of humanity. Substantiate your answer with
evidence from the text.
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow (4 marks)
1. “You are to come to the palace," the man said. "The old General is in pain again."
Oh," Hana breathed, "Is that all ?"
"All ?" the messenger exclaimed. "Is it not enough ?"
"Indeed it is," she replied, "I am very sorry.”
When Sadao came to say goodbye, she was in the kitchen, but
doing nothing. The children were asleep and she sat merely
resting for a moment, more exhausted from her fright than from work.
(i) Seeing the messenger, Hana was apprehensive of _________.
(ii) The summons for Dr. Sadao were because
(a) the servants had reported.
(b) there was a medical emergency.
(c) the General wanted to express his admiration.
(d) the prisoner of war had escaped.
(iii) Which of the following summarizes Hana's reason for resting momentarily?
(a) Her physical exhaustion
(b) Her fear
(c) Her infirmity
(d) Her sadness
(iv) Complete the analogy correctly with a word from the extract.
asleep: awake:: rejuvenated:_________.
Answer the following in about 40-50 words each (2 marks)
1. Why was Dr. Sadao not sent abroad with the troops?
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
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2. You were impressed with the dedication, compassion and professional ethics of
this doctor. Write an article for an e-zine expressing the need for more such
people in the world to serve selflessly.
3. Imagine Tom reaches home safely. He has fully recovered and the war has now
come to an end. He owes his life to Sadao and Hana and is forever indebted to
them. Years later, he has been invited on a radio show as a war hero where he
recounts his tribulations and the experience of being granted a new life by a
Japanese couple.
As Tom, write down that narration.
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5. ON THE FACE OF IT (VISTAS)
Answer in about 120-150 words: (5 marks)
1. Mr. Lamb stands as a symbol of optimism and hope. Support your answer with
examples from the text.
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow: (4 Marks)
Mr. Lamb: Sit in the sun. Read books, Ah, you thought it was an empty house, but
inside, it's full. Books and other things. Full.
Mr. Lamb: I'm not fond of curtains, shutting things out, shutting things in. I like the
light and the darkness, and the windows open, to hear the wind.
(i) The description of the house indicates that Mr. Lamb _________.
(ii) The expression 'does not like shutting things out, shutting things in'
suggests Mr. Lamb's
I. reading books
(a) I and IV
(c) I and II
(iv) On the basis of the extract, study the two statements, I and II given
below:
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I. Mr. Lamb liked meeting people.
(ii) Which of the following best describes Derry's tone when he says "We're
not the same" ?
(iii) Mr. Lamb brings out the contrast between flowers and weeds in order to
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(iv) What word from the above extract most nearly means the opposite of
'difference'
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
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3. Do you think Derry’s mother is protective of him? Justify your opinion with textual
evidence.
4. Why did Derry go back to Mr. Lamb’s garden even after opposition?
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6. MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD (VISTAS)
THE CUTTING OF MY LONG HAIR
WE TOO ARE HUMAN BEINGS
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow: (4x1=4)
1. When I was studying in the third class, I hadn't yet heard people speak openly of
untouchability. But I had already seen, felt/do experienced and been humiliated by
what it is. I was walking home from school one day, an old bag hanging from my
shoulder. It was actually possible to walk the distance in ten minutes. But usually it
would take me from half an hour to an hour to dawdle along watching all the fun
and games that were going on, all the entertaining novelties and oddities in the
streets, the shops and the bazaar.
(iii) On the basis of the extract, choose the correct option with reference to the two
statements given below:
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IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
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