GRADE – XI

English
Specimen Copy
Year – 2021-2022

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 INDEX
Sr. No Chapter Name
1. Ch 1. The Portrait of A Lady (Prose)
Poem 1. A Photograph
L- 1. The Summer of The Beautiful White Horse (SR)
2. Ch 2. We’re Not Afraid to Die…If We Can All Be Together
Ch 3. Discovering Tut….The Saga Continues
3. Ch 4. Landscape of The Soul (Prose)
Poem 2. The Laburnum Top
L-2. The Address
4. Poem 3. The Voice Of The Rain
L- Ranga’s Marriage

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 Chapter 1.The Portrait Of A Lady
Author: Khushwant Singh

 SUMMARY

The Portrait of a Lady deals with an account of the author’s old grandmother. She was very
old and wrinkled. She was fat, short and bent. She moved about the house with her rosary in
her hand. She was always dressed in white. Her hair was white. Her lips always moved in
prayer. She would wake up the author and prepare him for school. She went with him to
school. The school was attached to the temple. While children learnt alphabet, she sat inside
and read religious books. After school they came back together. She gave bread to village
dogs. After sometime they went to the city. The author was now in an English school. The
grandmother could not help him with his lessons. She was not contented with what he learnt
there. The writer told her that he was taught music. The grandmother did not like it. For her,
music was meant for prostitutes. She was unhappy because there was no religious teaching at
that school. There were no stray dogs. She took to feeding sparrows.
The author then left for England for further studies. She did not feel upset. She went to the
station to see him off. At the time of parting, she kissed the author. When he returned after five
years, she came to the railway station to receive him. She did not look even a day older. Even
now she was saying her prayer. In the evening she did not pray. She brought a drum. She
called women from her neighbourhood. She sang songs to celebrate the return of her grandson.
The next morning she fell ill. She lay peacefully in her bed praying. She died peacefully. Her
death affected even the sparrows. They did not chirp. They ignored the crumbs thrown to
them.

 NEW VOCABULARY

1. Mantelpiece
2. Absurd
3. Undignified
4. Hobbled
5. Locks
6. Puckered
7. Serenity
8. Monotonous
9. Harlots
10. Seclusion
11. Frivolous
12. Dilapidated

 WORD MEANINGS

1. Portrait – true picture

2. Mantelpiece – shelf above a fireplace
3. Absurd – ridiculous
4. Hobbled – walked with difficulty
5. Stoop – bent body due to old age
6. Rosary – a string of beads used for counting prayers as they are chanted
7. Puckered – wrinkled
8. Lewd – indecent

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 9. Harlots – prostitutes
10. Bedlam – confusion
11. Thumped – beat hard
12. Dilapidated – in a state of despair or ruin
13. Pallor – pale colouring of the face
14. Shroud – a piece of cloth used to cover a dead body before cremation
15. Serenity – the state of being peaceful and calm

 EXTRACT BASED QUESTIONS

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow by choosing from
the given alternatives.

EB 1
I would tell her English words and little things of western science and learning, the law of
gravity, Archimedes’ Principle, the world being round, etc. This made her unhappy. She
could not help me with my lessons. She did not believe in the things they taught at the
English school and was distressed that there was no teaching about God and the scriptures.

i. Why grandmother of author could not help author with his lessons?
a. She did not want to.
b. She did not know the subjects.
c. Author did not want her to help him
d. Author did not talk to her.
ii. According to the extract, which of the following were not told by the author to his
grandmother
1. English Words
2. French Words
3. Law of gravity
4. World being flat
5. Energy conservation principles
a. 2,4 and 5
b. 1,3 and 6
c. 2,5 and 6
d. 1,4 and 6
iii. Grandmother was unhappy with school because of
a. No teaching about God
b. No teaching about scriptures
c. Both a and b
d. None of the above
iv. According to the extract, what was the medium of instructions in the school?
a. Hindi
b. Tamil
c. English
d. Malayalam
v. Which word in the extract is synonym of ‘coached’?
a. Learning
b. Distressed
c. Believe
d. Taught

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 EB 2
All over the verandah and in her room right up to where she lay dead and stiff wrapped in
the red shroud, thousands of sparrows sat scattered on the floor. There was no chirruping. We
felt sorry for the birds and my mother fetched some bread for them. She broke it into little
crumbs, the way my grandmother used to, and threw it to them. The sparrows took no notice
of the bread.
i. Why birds were not chirruping?
a. They were dumb
b. Author had ordered them
c. There was no sound in the room
d. They had understood the grandmother was dead.
ii. What was the colour of the cloth with which grandmother was covered?
a. Green
b. Yellow
c. Red
d. Purple
iii. In your opinion, why did author’s mother brought some bread?
a. She thought birds had come to eat.
b. She had some extra bread in the house.
c. She wanted to pay homage to grandmother.
d. She had done it without any thinking.
iv. Which word in the extract is synonym of ‘spread’?
a. Threw
b. Scattered
c. Wrapped
d. Fetched
v. Which of the following rightly explains the phrase ‘took no notice of’ used in the
extract?
a. Did not write notice
b. Did not give any direction
c. Did not pay any attention.
d. Did not worry.

 ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN 30-40 WORDS.

1. What stories of grandmother did the author treat as fables of the prophets? Why?
Ans: The author treated the stories of grandmother’s youth and beauty as fables as he had
always seen her old and he found it hard to accept that she could once be pretty and young.

2. What is the significance of sparrows in grandmother’s life?

Ans: When grandmother shifted to the city, she spent half an hour every day feeding the
sparrows. The birds became friendly with her and came every day in the verandah of her
house. It was the happiest hour of the day. When she died after short illness, thousands of
sparrows flew in the verandah and sat near her body. They were quiet and not chirping. They
even ignored the bread crumbs given by author’s mother. In this way they expressed their
bonding with the grandmother.

3. Grand mother never complained about anything. Her patience was beyond any
measure. Mention any two instances.

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 Ans: Two instances that show the grandmother’s patience are:
i) when she fed the sparrows the birds sat on her head but she never shooed them away
ii) she did not become upset when the author went abroad for higher education. She accepted
the decision in a calm and composed manner.

4. “That was a turning point in our friendship.” What was that turning point?
Ans: The turning point in their friendship came when the author’s parents called the author and
his grandmother to the city. They shared one room But grandmother could not come with him
to the school nor could she assist him in his studies.

5. Everybody including the sparrows mourned the grandmother’s death. Elaborate.

Ans: When the grandmother died, thousands of sparrows collected and sat in the courtyard.
There was no chirruping. When the author’s mother threw some breadcrumbs for them, they
took no notice of the breadcrumbs. They were full of grief at her death and flew away quietly
after the cremation.

 ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN 100-120 WORDS.

1. Draw a character sketch of Khushwant Singh’s grandmother as portrayed by him in

the lesson ‘The Portrait of a Lady”.
Ans: The narrator’s grandmother was a true picture of love, affection and care. She had all
those virtues which grandmother’s generally have for their grandsons. She was highly
religious but a conservative lady.
The grandmother presented a picture of peace and contentment. Her spotless white dress and
her silver white hair gave her spiritual beauty. The grandmother was not physically very
attractive. She had deep love and affection for her grandson. She got him ready for the school
and came back home with him.
She was a very religious lady. She was always telling the beads of her rosary. She had
compassion even for animals and birds. She fed the village dogs. She took to feeding the
sparrows in the city. But the grandmother was a conservative lady. She didn’t like the English
language and Science. She hated music. She associated music with prostitutes and beggars.

2. The grandmother herself was not formally educated but was serious about the
author’s education. How does the text support this?
Ans: The grandmother was not formally educated but was serious about the author’s
education. She could read the scriptures. She realized the value of education and did not let the
author miss school. She woke him up each morning, bathed him, dressed him, plastered his
wooden slate, gave him breakfast and walked him to school where he was taught the alphabet
and morning prayers. While he sat in the veranda learning, the grandmother read her
scriptures.
In the city, she could not accompany him to school as he went by the school bus. He was now
in 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 music lessons in school upset her over its lewd associations. She took an interest in the
author’s education.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiAEID3Z7wE

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 VALUE BASED QUESTIONS

1. Aged people should not be left behind and every effort should be made that they live
with their children and grandchildren. This will inculcate a proper understanding
between the old and the new generation. Write your views.
Ans. The aged people feel the need for physical. Moral, financial and emotional support from
their children. they are left alone by their children quite often to lead a lonely life. Even their
virtues become major vices.
When the aged are left alone, a fathomless gap appears between them and their children. the
temporary separation which may be the outcome of circumstances is good as it enhances love
and respect. The elderly live in their own world and it is difficult to change their lifestyle.
They want nothing from the new generation except love and respect.
It is true that our new generation has its priorities but they must not become indifferent to the
needs of the aged. When the aged live with their children, there comes a change in their
outlook. Being experienced they try to adapt themselves to the new environment. A solution of
old age problems lies not in building old age homes but giving them a little care, affection and
love. We must remember that we, too, will be like them one day. A thorough change of
attitude is needed. The new generation can enrich itself by listening to the experiences of the
elderly and they, in turn, can learn a lot about modern gadgets and things from the young. This
will help in bridging the generation gap and give away to a healthy and happy society.

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 Chapter2. “We’re not afraid to die… if we can all be together”
Author: Gordan Cook and Alan East

 SUMMARY

The story, ‘We’re Not afraid to Die-if We Can All Be Together’ is a story of extreme courage
and skill exhibited by Gordon Cook, his family and crewmen in a war with water and waves
for survival. In July 197 6, the narrator, his wife Mary, son Jonathan and daughter Suzanne set
sail from Plymouth, England to duplicate the round-the world voyage made 200 years earlier
by Captain James Cook. They took the voyage in their professionally built ship, the
Wavewalker, accompanied by two experienced sailors – Larry Vigil, an American and Herb
Seigler, a Swiss, to tackle one of the world’s roughest seas – the Southern Indian Ocean.
The first part of the journey, that is, about 105,000 kilometres up to Cape Town passed off
very, pleasantly. On the second day out of Cape Town, -they began to encounter strong gales.
Gales did not worry the narrator. But the size of the waves was alarming – up to 15 metres, as
high as the main mast. On 25th December, the writer’s ship was in the southern Indian Ocean,
3500 kilometres to the east of Cape Town. The family celebrated their new year on board the
ship.
At dawn on January 2, the waves were gigantic. Unfriendly weather and gigantic waves
compelled the sailors to slow their speed, drop storm jib and take other precautions. The
danger was so obvious that the sailors completed life-raft drill, attached lifelines and life
jackets.
Suddenly at 6 pm, a tremendous explosion shook the Wavewalker and the author was thrown
overboard. The ship was about to capsize when another gigantic wave hit it tossing it upright
once again. The author was thrown back onto the deck, his head and ribs smashing against the
walls. In spite of his injuries, the narrator took charge of the situation. Somehow he found the
wheel, lined up the stem for the next wave and hung on till Mary appeared and took charge of
the wheel. Larry and Herb started pumping out water like madmen. The whole starboard side
bulged inwards. The narrator managed to cover canvas across the gaps to prevent water from
entering the ship. Then came more problems. Their hand pumps stopped working and electric
pumps short-circuited. Fortunately, the narrator found a spare electric pump under the
chartroom that worked. The entire night was spent in pumping, steering, repairing and sending
radio signals. The narrator checked charts and calculated that He Amsterdam, a French
scientific base was their only hope.
Sue and Jon were injured but they said that they were not afraid to die if they could all be
together. Sue’s head was swollen and she had a deep injury. The narrator became more
determined seeing his children’s courage. Finally, they reached lie Amsterdam, a volcanic
island where they were welcomed by 28 inhabitants. Thus, the collective strength and never
failing optimism of the sailors made it possible for them to come out of the jaws of death.
Though Jonathan and Suzanne did not do anything to save Wavewalker but their courage,
forbearance, faith and optimism gave extra strength and persistence to the narrator and his
team. The bravery of the strong-willed children is noteworthy in the story.

 NEW VOCABULARY

1. Atrocious
2. Mooring
3. Voyage
4. Ominous
5. Capsizing

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 6. Scrambled
7. Sloshed

 WORD MEANINGS

1. Voyage – journey over the sea

2. Honing – improving
3. Storm jib – small sail used at the time of a storm
4. Impending – approaching
5. Oilskins – waterproof clothing
6. Dinghies – small open boats used for emergencies
7. Sextant – instrument measuring angles and distances used for calculating position of a boat
8. Atrocious – very unpleasant

 EXTRACT BASED QUESTIONS

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow by choosing from
the given alternatives.

EB 1
The first indication of impending disaster came at about 6 p.m., with an
ominous silence. The wind dropped, and the sky immediately grew dark.
Then came a growing roar, and an enormous cloud towered aft of the ship.
With horror, I realised that it was not a cloud, but a wave like no other I
had ever seen. It appeared perfectly vertical and almost twice the height of
the other waves, with a frightful breaking crest.

i. Which word in the extract means ‘forthcoming’?

a. Growing
b. Roaring
c. Impending
d. Ominous
ii. What is ‘the wind dropped’?
a. Wind fell down
b. Wind slipped out the hands of author
c. Speed of wind greatly reduced
d. Wind started coming from below the ship
iii. Why the sky had become dark?
a. A cloud was approaching ship
b. Night was approaching
c. A wave was approaching ship
d. Lights of the ship were switched off
iv. Why was author horrified?
a. Such big wave he had never seen
b. The wave was perfectly vertical
c. The wave was almost twice the size of normal waves
d. All the above

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 v. Which words as used in passage are similar to ‘fear’?
a. Frightful
b. Horror
c. Growing
d. Both a and b
vi. Which of the following was not a sign of impending disaster?
a. Ominous silence
b. Wind dropped
c. A growing roar
d. Clock struck 6 PM

EB 2
But unless the wind and seas abated so we could hoist sail, our chances would be slim
indeed. The great wave had put our auxiliary engine out of action. On January 4, after 36
hours of continuous pumping, we reached the last few centimetres of water. Now, we had
only to keep pace with the water still coming in.

i. What does the word ‘seas’ mean in above extract?

a. Depth of sea
b. Width of sea
c. Waves
d. Colour of sea
ii. Which word in the extract is synonym of ‘bleak’?
a. Continuous
b. Pace
c. Action
d. Slim
iii. For how many hours of continuous pumping, water in the ship was brought under
control?
a. 4 hours
b. 40 hours
c. 36 hours
d. 26 hours
iv. Which word in the extract mean ‘even now’?
a. Abated
b. Still
c. Unless
d. Only
v. The ‘last few centimeters’ represents
a. Depth of water
b. Length of water
c. Width of water
d. Volume of water

 ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN 30-40 WORDS.

1. What preparation did the author and his wife make for their round-the-world sea
voyage?
Ans. The narrator planned to go on a round-the-world sea voyage on the same pattern as

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Captain James Cook had done 200 years earlier. For the past 16 years, he and his wife had
spent all their leisure time developing and improving their skills with work related to travel on
the sea. They had tested their boat ‘Wavewalker’ in the roughest weather also.

2. How did the Suzanne try to lighten the gloomy atmosphere?

Ans. Wavewalker was hit by a huge wave. As a consequence Suzanne got injury on her
forehead. Yet she was not sacred. She prepared a funny card showing caricatures of her
loving and hard working parents. She just wanted to lighten the gloomy atmosphere.

3. Explain the title, “We are not afraid to die-if we can all be together”. What lesson
does it teach?
Ans. The title means that if they all can be together, they are never afraid to die. The
narrator and his party face the worst times of their life. But they face it boldly and come
out successfully. The lesson is clear : we must face the odds of life with courage and they
won’t harm us.

4. How did Sue suffer when the wave struck the ship?
Ans. Sue had received a bump above her eyes. It kept hurting and swelled alarmingly, leading
to two enormous black eyes. She even had a deep cut in her arm, but remained stoic because
she did not want to worry her parents.

5. ‘Our only hope was to reach these pinpricks in the vast ocean.’ To what is the author
referring to ?
Ans. The author checked the charts and calculated that there were two small islands as few
hundred kilometres to the east. One of them, Ile Amsterdam, was a French scientific base. The
author is referring to these islands.

 ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN 100-120 WORDS.

1. Describe the boat ‘Wavewalker’ which set sail from Plymouth, England in July 1976
for going round the world.
Ans. The narrator had dreamt of sailing in the wake of Captain James Cook, the famous
explorer 200 years earlier. Captain Cook had made the round-the-world voyage. The
narrator wanted to duplicate the voyage of Captain James Cook. For this purpose he had made
his boat Wavewalker. It was a 23 meter, 30 ton wooden hulled beauty, which was
professionally built. They had spent months fitting it out and testing it in the roughest weather.
As regards the seafaring skills the narrator had spent all his leisure time for the past 16 years in
knowing those skills. So he set sail in July 1976 with his wife Mary, son Jonathan, 6 and
daughter Suzanne, 7 in his Wavewalker.

2. Everyone on board did contribute to save Wavewalker. Justify.

Ans. Coming out of a challenging assignment can be done only if every member of team
works for his or her best cause. Same happened when Wavewalker which was struck hard with
a huge wave in the Southern Indian Ocean. The narrator was thrown out by giant wave but he
managed to get back to Wavewalker and started rescue work. While he was trying to block
water from pouring in, Mary, his wife took over to wheel and steered the ship bravely without
getting panicked about safety of her children. Larry Vigil and Herbert Seigler worked hard and
continued pumping out water till all leaking gaps were plugged, repaired or covered. Little

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Jonathan and Suzanne who were on upper bank also got injured but they did not create any
panic rather they bore isolation and pain in such a manner that their parents and other two
sailors had no problem in and best efforts of all on board to save the Wavewalker.

 VALUE BASED QUESTIONS

1. The lesson ‘We’re not afraid to die…… if we can all be together’ depicts a grand
lesson ‘United we stand, divided we fall’. Explain the idea.
Ans. The proverb ‘United we stand, divided we fall’ holds true in the family as well as in
national interest. History is full of examples where kings and emperors have been defeated
owing to lack of unity. India became a slave due to the lack of unity among various rulers. Our
first war of freedom in 1857 did not bear fruit as there was no unity. The British could rule
following the policy of divide and rule. Unity and cooperation lead to success and progress.
Adverse forces cannot harm when stand united. Gandhiji brought the whole nation under one
flag and the result was the success of the freedom movement.
Where there is unity, there is coordination and cooperation. Unity ushers in peace, strength and
progress and very adverse conditions pave way for success. Unity gives an aim and all the
members work towards achieving that aim. When people are united they give no importance to
their personal problems. United efforts create favourable circumstances and the boat of life
reaches the coast, all safe and sound and undamaged. Even death fails to frighten the people
who stand united and they strive selflessly to reach the destination. How the narrator and his
companions face the turbulent ocean for ten days and how they work together to survive
against all odds, is an appropriate example of this dictum. And in the end, they manage to
defeat death and reach their destination.

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 Chapter3. Discovering Tut: The Saga Continues
Author: A.R. Williams

 SUMMARY

Discovering Tut: the Saga Continues’ gives an insight into the mystery surrounding the life
and death of Tutankhamun, the last teenage ruler of the powerful Pharaoh dynasty that had
ruled Egypt for centuries. He was the last of his family’s line, and his funeral brought an end
to this powerful dynasty. Not much is known about his family. Tut’s father or grandfather,
Amenhotep III was a powerful pharaoh who ruled for about four decades during the dynasty’s
golden age.
His son, Amenhotep IV shocked the country by attacking Amun, a major God, smashing his
images and closing all his temples. He changed his name to Akhenaten and promoted the
worship of Aten or the sun disk. After his death, a mysterious ruler, Smenkhkare appeared
briefly and exited with hardly a trace. When Tut took over, he changed his name from
Tutankhaten to Tutankhamun and restored the old ways. However, Tut ruled for nine years
and then died mysteriously and unexpectedly. In order to unravel the mystery of his death,
King Tut’s mummy was scanned after a thousand years, thus opening new perceptions
regarding the cause of his death. In 1922, his tomb was discovered by Howard Carter who
used all kinds of means to remove Tut’s mummy from the coffin. The ritual resins had
hardened, thereby cementing Tut to the bottom of his solid gold coffin.
Carter finally had to chisel the mummy away having no other option. Every major joint was
severed. In 1968 an anatomy professor X-rayed the mummy and revealed that Tut’s
breastbone and front ribs were missing. Such a revelation would not have been possible
without technological precision. This fact gives us a clue that Tut, in all likelihood did not die
a natural death. Tut’s mummy was scanned in 2005 under the supervision of Zahi Hawass,
Secretary General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. The Computed Tomography
Scan couldn’t solve the mysterious death of Tut but gave us clues for sure.
The lesson also provides a comprehensive awareness of ancient Egyptian culture. The ancient
Egyptians believed that there was life after death. That is why the Pharaohs were buried with
the tremendous amount of wealth including things of daily use so that they could use them in
their life after death. It was also believed that gold would guarantee their resurrection.

 NEW VOCABULARY

1. Forensic
2. Pharaoh
3. Antiquities
4. Resurrection
5. Amulets
6. Sheaths
7. Adornments
8. Tomography

 WORD MEANINGS

1. Murals – paintings on the wall

2. Gilded – thinly covered with gold
3. Antiquities – very old objects
4. Resurrection – rebirth

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 5. Shroud – cover of the dead body
6. Adornments – items used for decoration and make-up
7. Amulets – ornaments worn round the neck
8. Pallbearers – those who carry coffins

 EXTRACT BASED QUESTIONS

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow by choosing from
the given alternatives.

EB 1
The world’s most famous mummy glided head first into a CT scanner brought here to
probe the lingering medical mysteries of this little understood young ruler who died more
than 3,300 years ago. All afternoon the usual line of tourists from around the world had
descended into the cramped, rock-cut tomb some 26 feet underground to pay their respects.

i. Which part of the mummy was first put into the CT scanner?
a. Hand
b. Head
c. Legs
d. None of the above
ii. Which word as used in the extract means ‘investigate’?
a. Lingering
b. Descended
c. Probe
d. Understood
iii. The tomb was constructed in
a. Earth
b. Wood
c. Gold
d. Rock
iv. To whom is ‘younger ruler’ being referred to in the above extract?
a. A king
b. Tut
c. A new scale
d. The operator of CT scanner
v. How deep was the tomb?
a. 3300 years
b. 26 feet
c. About 26 feet
d. None of the above

EB 2
The boy king soon changed his name to Tutankhamun, ‘living image of Amun,’ and oversaw a
restoration of the old ways. He reigned for about nine years — and then died unexpectedly.
Regardless of his fame and the speculations about his fate, Tut is one mummy among many in
Egypt. How many? No one knows. The Egyptian Mummy Project, which began an inventory
in late 2003, has recorded almost 600 so far and is still counting.
i. Why the phrase ‘boy king’ has been used for Tut?
a. He awarded every boy of his kingdom

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 b. He was very young when he became king
c. Boys of his kingdom liked him
d. All of the above
ii. For how many years Tut ruled?
a. Less than nine years
b. More than nine years
c. Nine years
d. About nine years
iii. How many mummies are there in Egypt?
a. About 600
b. More than 1000
c. No one knows exact number
d. Numbers are confidential
iv. When was Egyptian Mummy Project started?
a. 1992
b. 2003
c. 1999
d. 2002
v. Which of the following was not done by Tut
a. He changed his name to Tutankhamun
b. He restored old ways
c. He ruled for far more than nine years
d. All of the above

 ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN 30-40 WORDS.

1. Who was King Tut? Why was a CT scan done on him?

Ans. King Tut was a boy King of Egypt who was the last heir of its powerful family. This
family ruled it for centuries. His tomb was discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter. A CT scan
was done on his mummy to get new clues about his life and death.

2. How had King Tut been lavished the royals when he was buried?
Ans. King Tut had been lavished with glittering goods. These were precious collars, necklaces,
bracelets, rings, amulets, a ceremonial apron, sandals, sheaths, etc. All these things
including the coffin were made of pure gold. It was believed that he would take them with him
in his journey beyond after death.

3. What effect did Tut’s demise have dynasty?

Ans. King Tutankhamun was the last pharaoh of his dynasty that ruled Egypt for decade. The
dynasty rattled down after the demise of king Tut.

4. What problem did Carter face when he reached the mummy of King Tut? How
did he find a way out?
Ans. King Tut’s mummy was stuck to the bottom of the coffin because the resins had melted
and hardened Carter decided to chisel the hardened resin from beneath the mummy.

5. How was king Hit’s mummy scanned by the portable CT scanner?

Ans. King Tut’s mummy was scanned on 5 January 2005. It was a historic archaeological
event. The mummy was brought out of the burial chamber at 6 p.m. for about three hours and a
CT scan was carried out.

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 ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN 100-120 WORDS.

1. “He was the last of his family line.” What do you learn about Tut’s dynasty from the
extract ‘Discovering Tut: The Saga Continues’?
Ans. Tut’s grandfather, Amenhotep III was a powerful Pharaoh who ruled for almost four
decades at the height of the dynasty’s golden age. His son Amenhotep IV promoted the
worship of the Aten, the sun disk. He changed his name to Akhenaten. He further shocked the
country by attacking Amun, a major God, breaking his images and closing his temples. Thus,
the wacky King started one of the strongest periods in the history of ancient Egypt.
After Akhenaten’s death a mysterious ruler named Smenkhare appeared briefly and departed
without leaving any sign. Then a very young Tutankhaten took the throne. He is widely known
today as King Tut. The boy King soon changed his name to Tutankhamun ‘living image of
Amun’. He supervised the restoration of the old ways. Tutankhamun ruled for about nine years
and then died unexpectedly. The details of his passing away are not available. The modern
world has speculated about what happened to him. How did he die and how old was he at the
time of his death are two unanswered questions.

2. How has Tut’s mummy fascinated the scientists and commoners alike over the
previous decades?
Ans. King Tutankhamun was the last Pharaoh left of his line. His funeral marked the end of a
dynasty. He was laid to rest laden with gold as the royals in Tut’s time were extremely wealthy
and thought they could take their riches with them. His tomb was discovered by Howard
Carter, an English archaeologist in 1922, more than 3000 years after his death. The rich royal
collection of jewellery and golden artifacts fascinated Carter. Visitors thronged the boy King’s
tomb. The breastbone and front ribs of Tut were missing. On 5th January, 2005 a CT scan was
done to obtain precise data for an accurate forensic reconstruction of King Tut. It was hoped
that it would offer new clues about his life and death. Thus Tut’s mummy has been the centre
of fascination throughout the previous decades.

 VALUE BASED QUESTION

1. In 1922 Tut’s tomb was discovered. Much of the treasure buried in the tomb had
already been plundered. The materialistic attitude of a man does not allow even the
dead to sleep in peace. Will there be any end to this attitude? Discuss.
Ans. For a handful of gold, man can go to any extent. Tut’s mummy was buried deep in the
desert with a lot of gold and other things believing that the dead Pharaoh would need those
things in the afterlife. It was a matter of faith. When Tut’s tomb was discovered, much of
treasure had already been looted. The thieves did it being driven by the mad force of
materialism. Materialistic attitude attaches no importance to beliefs, religious sentiments and
social rites and rituals. But when Carter finally succeeded in discovering Tut’s tomb, he found
the richest royal collection-all made of solid gold-in the tomb. Even the coffin was made of
gold. In order to remove Tut from his coffin, Carter had to cut the body from its joints. So,
man doesn’t allow even the dead to sleep in peace.

16
 Grade 11. English (Hornbill)
Chapter 4. Landscape of The Soul
Author: Nathalie Trouveroy

 SUMMARY

This chapter divides into two parts, each telling us about art and its history through various
stories. In the part taken from ‘Landscape of the Soul: Ethics and Spirituality in Chinese
Painting’, we learn about the art of painting through two stories. The first one is about a very
popular Chinese painter, Wu Daozi. It is about the eighth century when he was hired by the
Tang Emperor Xuanzong to adorn a wall of the palace.
Wu painted beautiful scenery with mountains, waterfalls, forests as well as clouds and blue
skies with people living harmoniously in a happy environment. However, he painted a cave at
the foot of a mountain that was inhabited by a spirit. When the painter was showing his work
to the emperor, he claps his hands and an entrance to the cave opens where he gets in and
vanishes.
Thus, after disappearing, the author says that denotes the knowledge of the mystical inner
world. Thus, it says that only the masters are aware of the way within and can go yonder any
material form. Similarly, there is another story about another popular Chinese painter who did
not draw a dragon’s eye fearing it would become real and fly out of his painting.
Next, we have the third one about a master blacksmith, Quinten Metsys, who falls in love with
the daughter of a painter. As the father was not accepting of his son-in-law belonging to such a
profession, he still did so. He accepted Quinten because he painted a fly on his board. It had
such gentle realism that it resembled a real one. Further, the author also talks about Chinese
philosophy, Shanshui, meaning mountain water.
Finally, the second part of ‘Getting Inside ‘Outsider Art’ by Brinda Suri talks about the
concept of ‘art brut’. Art Brut translates to the art of the ones who have ‘no right’ to be artists.
It is because they lack any formal training yet somehow possess artistic talent and insight. She
refers to them as the ones who think outside the box and defy the normal standards. People
refer to their work as ‘unorthodox’ art. She cites the example of Nek Chand’s work at Rock
Garden in Chandigarh is a form of art brut.

 NEW VOCABULARY

1. Commissioned
2. Disciple
3. Anecdote
4. Sneaked
5. Apprentice
6. Dwells
7. Sire
8. Conduit

 WORD MEANINGS

1. Commissioned – ordered specially

2. Sire – respectful form of address to a king or emperor
3. Dwells – resides or stays
4. Anecdote – short entertaining story about a real person

17
 5. Sneaked – moved secretly
6. Panel – flat board on which a painting can be made
7. Apprentice – person taken to learn a skilled practical trade

 EXTRACT BASED QUESTIONS

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow by choosing from
the given alternatives.

EB 1
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.

i. What does the word ‘landscape’ mean in the above extract?

a. Shape of earth
b. Painting
c. Scope of discussion
d. Area of the field
ii. Two modes of paintings being compared are
a. European and Chinese
b. Western and Indian
c. European and Indian
d. Chinese and English
iii. Which painter wants to impose his views on the viewer?
a. Skilful
b. Indian
c. European
d. Chinese
iv. Which painter wants to involve thought of viewer to appreciate his works?
a. Indian
b. European
c. Western
d. Chinese
v. Which of the phrase is not similar to ‘borrow his eyes’?
a. As he saw it
b. From a specific angle
c. Choose a single view point
d. Not meant to reproduce an actual view

EB 2
Around the time Dubuffet was propounding his concept, in India “an untutored genius was
creating paradise”. Years ago the little patch of jungle that he began clearing to make
himself a garden sculpted with stone and recycled material is known to the world today as
the Rock Garden, at Chandigarh.

i. Who has been referred as ‘untutored genius’ in the above extract?

a. Dubuffet
b. Nek Chand

18
 c. Quinten Metsys
d. Wu Daozi
ii. The word ‘paradise’ as used in the extract refers to
a. Vrindavan Garden
b. Lodhi Garden
c. Moghul Garden
d. Rock Garden
iii. What has prominently used in creating Rock Garden?
a. Rocks
b. Useful material
c. Recycled material
d. Best material
iv. Where is Rock Garden situated?
a. New Delhi
b. Agra
c. Jaipur
d. Chandigarh
v. What existed earlier at the place where Rock Garden is now situated?
a. Jungle
b. River
c. Stream
d. Zoo

 ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN 30-40 WORDS.

1. What happened when Wu Douzi clapped his hands ?

Ans. When the painter Wu Douzi clapped his hands the door of the cave opened. He entered
the cave but its door closed after him. The painting vanished and nothing was heard of the
painter thereafter.

2. What is the importance of man between Yang and Yin?

Ans. Yang and Yin are the two complementary poles of the universe. Man is the conduit of
communication between Heaven and Earth. His presence is essential. He is in Francois
Cheng’s wonderful expression, “the eye of the landscape”.

3. How would you classify ’art’ on the basis of your reading the chapter ‘Landscape
of the Soul’?
Ans. We may classify ‘art’ i.e painting and sculpture broadly as ‘mainstream’ offering
‘outsider art’. Whereas the former are the products of trained artists, the latter’s are the works
of those who have received no formal training, yet show talent and artistic insight.
It is the art of the untrained visionary.

4. How does the Chinese story present the powers and limitations of Emperor and
the painter?
Ans. The emperor may commission a painter and appreciate his painting’s beauty, but only the
artist reveal to him the true meaning of his work. Secondly, the emperor may rule over the
region he has conquered, but only the artist knows the way within.

19
5. Who is Nek Chand? What is his achievement?
Ans. Nek Chand was an untrained artist, renowned for his masterpiece sculpted work with
stone and recycled material—the Rock Garden of Chandigarh. He was an exponent of raw art
which received worldwide recognition.

 ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN 100-120 WORDS.

1. How does the Chinese view of art differ from the European view? Illustrate your
answer with examples.
Ans. A western figurative painting is meant to reproduce an actual view of the scene whereas a
classical Chinese landscape is based on an imaginative, inner or spiritual approach. The
Chinese art aims at achieving the essence of inner life and spirit while the European form of
art is trying to achieve a perfect illusionistic likeness. The European painter wants the viewer
to borrow his eyes, and look at a Particular exactly as he saw it, from a specific angle. On the
other hand, the Chinese painter does not choose a single view point. His landscape is not a real
one. He does not want the viewers to borrow his eyes. He wants the beholder to enter his mind.
One can enter a Chinese landscape from any point and move across leisurely and come back.
The Chinese view of art also requires an active participation of the viewer. The participation is
both physical and mental.
The stories about the paintings of Wu Daozi and an old story from Flanders amply illustrate
the difference.

2. Which art does Nek Chand represent and how? How has he been honoured?
Ans. Nek Chand, through his creation, the Rock Garden at Chandigarh, represents what is
called outside art or outsider art’. This art is described as art of those who have ‘no right’ to be
artists. This is because they have received no formal training, yet they show talent and artistic
insight. It is similar to the concept of ‘art brut’ or raw art’ originated by the French painter
Jean Dubuffet in the 1940s. It is of those works that are in their raw state as regards cultural
and artistic influences.
Nek Chand has been honoured by UK based magazine titled ‘Raw Vision’ This magazine is
pioneer in ‘Outsider Art’ publications. It has featured Nek Chand and his Rock Garden
sculpture, ‘Women by the Waterfall’ on its anniversary issue’s cover. It is its 50th issue
(Spring 2005)

20
 Grade 11. English (Hornbill)
Poem 1. A Photograph
Poet: Shirley Toulson

 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.

 NEW VOCABULARY

1. Paddling
2. Snapshot
3. Transient

 WORD MEANINGS

1. Paddling - Walking through shallow water in bare feet

2. Transient = Temporary lasting only for a short time
3. Wry = Disgusted
4. Silences = Make someone unable to speak

 EXTRACT BASED QUESTIONS

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow by choosing from the
given alternatives.

STANZA 1
“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.”

i. What does the cardboard here refer to?

(a) A thick paper on which the poet’s photograph was pasted
(b) A thick envelope

21
 (c) A thick paper on which the poet’s mother’s photograph was pasted
(d) A paper boat
ii. What does the cardboard depict?
(a) It depicts scenery.
(b) It depicts the picture of a house.
(c) It depicts the picture of a school.
(d) It depicts the picture of three girls.
iii. Who is the ‘big girl’ mentioned here?
(a) The big girl is the poet herself.
(b) The big girl is the poet’s mother.
(c) The big girl is the poet’s relative.
(d) The big girl is the poet’s friend.

STANZA 2
“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.”

i. Who does ‘she’ refer to?

(a) The poet’s dead aunt
(b) The poet’s dead mother
(c) The poet’s dead cousin
(d) The poet’s sister
ii. Why is there nothing to say about the death of the poet’s mother?
(a) Because the poet is confused
(b) Because the poet was not in her senses when her mother expired
(c) Because the death of the poet’s mother has left a deep void in the poet’s heart
(d) Because the poet did not have a good relationship with her mother
iii. Which word in the extract means the same as “events that change your life, over
which you have no control”?
(a) Silences
(b) Patience
(c) Situation
(d) Circumstance

 ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN 30-40 WORDS.

1. What do you learn about the poetess’ mother from ‘A Photograph’?

Ans. The poetess’s mother was a big girl at the age of twelve. She had a sweet face and
enjoyed swimming as well as wading in sea water with her cousins. Years later she laughed at
the clothes they had put on for the sea holiday.

2. “And of this circumstance thus nothing to say at all. Its silence silences” says the
poetess’s in ‘A Photograph. What is she referring to?
Ans. ‘The circumstance’ refers to the situation that was captured in the photo years before
when the poetess’ mother stood for a photograph.

22
3. Explain “terribly transient feet”?
Ans. The sea has not changed much with the passage of time. It is in sharp contrast to short,
transient and temporary life and existence of human beings.

 ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN 100-150 WORDS.

1. “Its silence silences,” writes Shirley Toulson. The loss of her mother has silenced
her. Do you think that this attitude of the poet is the right attitude to live life? Why/ why
not?
Ans. There is no doubt that Shirley Toulson has given a very touching tribute to her mother by
remembering her through her verses. It is apparent that she is very much nostalgic and is
grieving at the loss of her mother. Though she says that over the years she has adjusted to her
mother’s absence, but circumstances have surely filled her with silence and a deep void.
We cannot deny that it hurts very much to lose someone, but the attitude shown by the poet at
the end is not the right way to live your life. Life will keep going on even if we stop to lament
our loss.
Loss is universal. It is the law of nature. We cannot let ourselves get depressed just because of
this. It is also understandable that we will grieve. However, grieving to the point of hampering
the normal functioning of our lives is not acceptable.

2. What has the camera captured? What has not changed over the years? Does that
suggest something to you?
Ans. The camera had captured the natural smile and sweet face of the poetess’s mother with
her two cousins each one holding her hand. The sea has not changed over the years. It suggests
that nature and its objects do not undergo a change. They remain the same over the years. It
also suggests that with the passing of time man dies, but nature remains unchanged.

23
 Grade 11. English (Hornbill)
Poem 2. The Laburnum Top
Poet: Ted Huges

 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.

 NEW VOCABULARY

1. Twitching
2. Startlement
3. Abrupt
4. Eerie
5. Chitterings
6. Trillings

 WORD MEANINGS

1. Goldfinch – a small yellow bird

2. Twitching – often involuntary movement of the body
3. Chirrup – the sound made by a bird
4. Startlement – amazement
5. Sleek – smooth
6. Tremor – shaking
7. Stokes – add fuel

 EXTRACT BASED QUESTIONS

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow by choosing from the
given alternatives.

STANZA 1
The Laburnum top is silent, quite still
In the afternoon yellow September sunlight,
A few leaves yellowing, all its seeds fallen.

i. What does ‘Laburnum top’ mean here?

(a) It means the top part of any tree

24
 (b) It means the top part of the Laburnum tree
(c) It means the top part of a fictional tree
(d) It does not mean anything
ii. What has happened to the tree?
(a) The tree is being worshipped
(b) The tree has been cut down
(c) The leaves of the tree have turned purple and are falling down
(d) The leaves of the tree have turned yellow and its seeds falling down
iii. Find a word from the extract which is the antonym of ‘noisy’.
(a) Quiet
(b) Quite
(c) Hush
(d) Silent

STANZA 2
Then sleek as a lizard, and alert, and abrupt,
She enters the thickness, and a machine starts up
Of chitterings and a tremor of wings, and trilling
The whole tree trembles and thrills.

i. Who is ‘she’ in the second line? Where does she enter?

(a) She is the baby goldfinch who enters the thickness of the Laburnum tree
(b) ‘She’ is a squirrel who enters the thickness of the Laburnum tree
(c) ‘She’ is a lizard who enters the thickness of the Laburnum tree
(d) ‘She’ is the mother goldfinch who enters the thickness of the Laburnum tree
ii. What does ‘machine’ refer to in the extract?
(a) If refers to the machine used to drill a hole in the tree
(b) It refers to the machine used to cut the tree
(c) It refers to the nest of the goldfinch where its young ones are staying
(d) It refers to the nest of the squirrel
iii. Find a word from the extract which is the synonym of ‘entire’.
(a) Abrupt
(b) Hole
(c) Whole
(d) Tremor

 ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN 30-40 WORDS.

1. How does the poet describe the Laburnum tree top?

Ans. The laburnum tree top is silent and still in the afternoon of yellow September sunlight.
The laburnum top appears silent and quite still A few leaves of the tree are turning yellow. All
the seeds of the tree have fallen.

2. What happens to the Laburnum Tree after the goldfinch flies away?
Ans. After singing the goldfinch, flies away into infinite. The laburnum tree becomes silent
and quiet again. Emptiness comes to it and it becomes as dead as it was earlier.

25
3. How does the poet describe the beauty of the goldfinch?
Ans. The poet describes the beauty of the goldfinch in the way it chirrups. It brings life to the
silent and empty laburnum tree. Its chirruping is musical and life has been brought to the tree
in its singing. It is her beauty.
4. ‘Then sleek as a lizard and alert and abrupt, She enters the thickness’. Explain the
given line.
Ans. The lizard is a quick moving animal. It is also very alert and its movements are sudden.
In the given line, the arrival of the goldfinch on the Laburnum tree is described. The poet
describes its movements as alert and sudden just like that of a lizard. This is done to avoid
getting the attention of the predators.

5. Explain the line, ‘And the Laburnum subsides to empty’.

Ans. This is the last line of the poem. It describes that with the departure of the goldfinch from
the Laburnum tree, it falls silent. The tree was noisy and lively when the goldfinch came to
feed its chicks, but it reverts to its earlier self after its departure from the tree.

 ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN 100-120 WORDS.

1. Give a brief account of the sounds and movements of the goldfinch on the top.
Ans. The goldfinch chirrups and suddenly settles on the end branch on the top of the laburnum
tree . Then quite suddenly and watchfully she enters the middle part of the tree. She moves
smoothly like a lizard. Then the tree is filled up with a series of short, quick high pitched
chattering sounds, shaking of wings and quavering sound.
The whole tree shakes slightly and is excited. It seems as if a whole machine has started
working. This thickness of the tree houses the family of goldfinch and she stokes the engine
of her family before leaving the tree and flying off to the infinite.The laburnum top regains its
silence and stillness.

2. What values do you learn from the goldfinch in the poem ‘The ‘Laburnum Top?
Ans. The goldfinch has its nest on the top of the Laburnum tree in the poem, ‘The Laburnum
Top’. Her chicks stay in the nest while she (the mother goldfinch) keeps going out at regular
intervals to get food to feed her chicks. This shows her caring nature and highlights the values
of motherly care and affection of a mother towards her offspring.
The other aspect of the goldfinch that is captured in the poem is its movement. She arrives at
the Laburnum top in a sudden manner and is very much alert to her surroundings. The poet has
compared her movement with the sleek movement of a lizard. However, there is a reason for
her moving like this (in an alert and sudden manner). She is moving in this manner so as to
avoid getting noticed by any predator. She does not want any predator to know that her chicks
are resting in her nest on the Laburnum top as then the predators may kill them or harm them.
The values of safety and security for her offspring is highlighted in this act of the goldfinch.

26
 Grade 11. English (Hornbill)
Poem 3. The Voice of The Rain
Poet: Walt Whitman

 SUMMARY

In the poem, the poet asks the soft-falling shower, ‘Who are you?’ to which she replies that she
is the poem of earth. It is a strange thing for the rain to reply to the poet. The rain told the poet
that she cannot be touched as she rises in the form of water vapour in the sky from the land
and the bottomless sea. It changes its shape yet it remains the same. The vapour changes into
clouds due to condensation.
It falls back on the surface of the earth to provide water to the drought-prone areas and to
beautify and purify the earth (its birthplace). It provides life to the seeds inside the earth and
helps them grow.
The rain doesn’t care if anyone bothers about her deeds or not, she completes her work and
comes back home. The poet also compares the rain with a song as they both share a common
journey. The song originates from the heart of the singer, travels across to fulfill the aim and
comes back with due love for the singer (its originator).

 NEW VOCABULARY

1. Impalpable
2. Bottomless
3. Whence
4. Lave
5. Latent
6. Droughts
7. Atomies

 WORD MEANINGS

1. Eternal – everlasting
2. Impalpable – unable to be felt by touching
3. Bottomless – very deep
4. Whence – from where
5. Vaguely – unclearly
6. Descend – fall downwards
7. Lave - wash
8. Latent – dormant, inactive

 EXTRACT BASED QUESTIONS

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow by choosing from the
given alternatives.

STANZA 1
I am the Poem of Earth, said the voice of the rain,
Eternal I rise impalpable out of the land and the bottomless sea,
Upward to heaven, whence, vaguely form’d, altogether changed, and yet the same,

27
1. What does the use of word ‘eternal’ indicate here?
(a) It indicates the continual process of rain
(b) It indicates the continual process of nature
(c) It indicates the discontinuous process of rain
(d) It indicates the discontinuous process of nature
2. From where does ‘I’ rise and where does it go?
(a) It rises in the form of droplets and goes to the sea
(b) It rises in the form of clouds and goes to the sky
(c) It rises in the form of water vapour and goes to the land
(d) It rises in the form of water vapour and goes to the sky
3. Which word in the extract means the same as “in a way that is uncertain, indefinite
or unclear”?
(a) Eternal
(b) Impalpable
(c) Vaguely
(d) Bottomless

STANZA 2.
I descend to lave the droughts, atomies, dust-layers of the globe,
And all that in them without me were seeds only, latent, unborn;

1. With what purpose does the rain descend from the sky?
(a) To trouble the creatures of the Earth
(b) To give life to the drought affected areas and plants
(c) To wash the dust layers enveloping the Earth
(d) Both (b) and (c)
2. What will happen if ‘I’ was not there?
(a) It would result in happiness on the Earth
(b) It would not matter to the residents of the Earth
(c) The seeds will remain as seeds and plants will not grow
(d) It would result in the rise of temperature on Earth
3. ……….. is the opposite of ‘latent’.
(a) Inactive
(b) Manifest
(c) Dormant
(d) Resolute

 ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN 30-40 WORDS.

1. What answer does rain give to the poet about its origin?
Ans. The rain answered the poet that it was the Poem of Earth. It rose eternally out of the land
and the bottomless sea into the sky. There it is formed vaguely and changed its form. But it
remains the same.

2. Why is rain compared to music?

Ans. The poet compares the rain with music. The poet watches the falling showers of the rain.
The showers are falling very lightly producing a soft music. Like music, rain too is life giving
and inspirational. It spreads love and joy.

28
3. Give the central idea of the poem, “The Voice of the Rain”.
Ans. The rain calls itself poem of earth. It is everlasting and perpetual. It is something that
cannot be touched. It originates from the land and the deep sea. Then it rises upward to heaven
where it changes its form into a cloud, yet remains the same in quality. From the sky it pours
down on earth to wash the dry thin particles and dust layers of the earth. The rain helps the
unborn seeds to sprout. These seeds lay hidden and unborn under the layer of earth. Rain
gives back life to its origin making it pure and beautiful.

4. Latent seeds get a life by rain. Explain.

Ans. The seeds lying on Earth require water to germinate and take shape. When it rains, the
seeds start germinating and change into the form of saplings. In this way, the seeds which
would have dried up or get wasted get a new lease of life by rain.

5. Why do you think the poet says the phrase ‘reck’d or unreck’d’?
Ans. The words have been poetically drafted. Reck’d and unreck’d stand for reckoned and
unreckoned. The words literally mean cared and uncared for respectively. The poet says these
words to emphasise the fact that when it falls on the Earth, we sometimes take notice of it or
sometimes completely ignore it. But even if it is left uncared for, it completes its destiny and
returns to absorbed where it started from.

 ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN 100-120 WORDS.

1. The poem ‘The Voice of the Rain’ gives a hidden message that rain is essential for
this Earth. Write an article in 120-150 words describing the importance of rain.
Ans.
Importance of Rain
by Arun Sharma

As we all know, the three essentials for survival are water, food and air. The most important
element of weather is water. We get water in different forms of precipitation but rain is the
most beneficial of all types of precipitation.
Rain helps in harvesting our crops that give us food to eat. Without rain, no crops would grow
and we would perish. Also, falling showers remove the dust in air, making our air clean,
because we need clean air to breathe.
Rain water plays a key role in creating the climate of certain areas. Its presence in the
atmosphere provides replenishment of the moisture in cloud systems.
The most well-known and most important effect of rain water is to provide us with water to
drink. Without rain, there would be no life.

2. Rain is an eternal process benefiting mankind. Contrast it with human life which is
short lived on this Earth. Should we disturb these eternal elements of nature?
Ans. The poem ‘The Voice of the Rain’ beautifully shows the continued process of rain which
sounds like music to human ears, as it fulfills our needs.
It is an ever going process which sustains human life and provides us with food, pure air and
green cover. On the other hand, human lives are mortal. We come on this Earth for a short
period and then depart without leaving any mark on this planet. Moreover human beings, for
their greed and selfish motives, indulge in destructive activities which may disturb these
eternal processes of nature.

29
We must learn a lesson from nature. If we want peaceful co-existence, we need not disturb the
balance of nature, otherwise the whole of humanity will be in danger. We must learn a lesson
from such eternal processes and do something good for humanity at large.

30
 Grade 11.English (Snapshot)
1. The Summer Of The Beautiful White Horse
- William Saroyan

 SUMMARY

This is a story of two tribal Armenian boys who belonged to the Garoghlanian tribe. For their
family, even in times of extreme poverty nothing could match the importance of honesty. They
never did anything wrong and never lied or never even stole anything. The story talks about an
incident that revolves around two cousins Aram who is nine years old and Mourad who is
thirteen. The world, for Aram, at that time, seemed to be a delightful and extremely joyous yet
mysterious dream. People believed in every imaginable kind of magnificence. Mourad was
considered to be crazy by everybody he knew.
The story opens with Mourad coming to Aram’s house at four in the morning one fine day. He
tapped on the window to Aram’s room. When Aram looked out of the window, he was taken
aback and startled to see Mourad riding a beautiful white horse. In fact, he was so dazed that
Mourad had to say “Yes, it’s a horse. You are not dreaming.” All this was too unbelievable
because Aram knew that they were too poor to be able to afford to buy a horse. The only way
Mourad could possess it could be by stealing. They were too honest to lie and yet too crazy to
ride a horse.
Thus, they kept the horse for two weeks, enjoying its ride in cool air and singing to their
heart’s content on the country roads. They hid it from the rest of the world by keeping it in a
barn of the deserted vineyard. Meanwhile, Aram came to know that the horse was stolen from
John Byro. They planned not to return it to him so soon although it pricked their conscience to
steal, which was completely their ethics and tribal norms.
One fine day they came across John, the farmer. Such was the boys’ family famous for their
honesty that the thought of his horse being stolen by the boys never crossed John’s mind. He
was just amazed at the resemblance and said: “I would swear it is my horse if I did not know
your parents.” This moving experience led the boys towards John’s vineyard the very next
morning. They left the horse in the barn after patting it affectionately. Later that Based on day,
John seemed to be very pleased and shared the news of the return of his horse with Aram’s
mother. The story teaches us the importance and necessity of honesty even in the face of greed
and passion.

 NEW VOCABULARY

1. Hallmarks
2. Garoghlanian
3. Irritable
4. Capricious
5. Vagrant
6. Surrey
7. Stalked

 WORD MEANINGS

1. Hallmarks – typical characteristics or features

2. Tapping – hitting quickly and lightly with fingers
3. Garoghlanian – an Armenian tribe
4. Capricious – impulsive, unpredictabl

31
5. Vagrant – not fixed
6. have a way – have success in dealing.
7. Vazire – a word in Armenian language meaning ‘run’

 ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN 30-40 WORDS.

1. Which tribe did Aram belong to? What was the image of his tribe?
Ans. Aram belonged to the Garoghlanian tribe who were the natives of America. This tribe
was once rich and prosperous and had their lands but due to war or some other reason they had
to flee from their homeland and settled in Assyria where they lived in poverty. This tribe was
famous for their trust and honesty. They believed in right and wrong. They knew the art of
living as they were contented with their lot. They were hospitable and men of simple faith.

2. Why did Aram find it hard to believe that Mourad had stolen the horse?
Ans. The narrator couldn’t believe that his cousin Mourad had stolen horse because they
belonged to the Garoghlanian tribe. The members of their tribe were famous for their honesty.
They believed in right and wrong. None of them would deceive anybody in the world.

3. What are the unique traits of Garoghlanian tribe?

Ans. The Garoghlanians were men of simple faith. They were contended with their guests with
coffee and tobacco. They knew the art of living, which is celebration of being alive. Though
poor, they were famous for their just and honesty. They were proud of their honesty. They
believed in right and wrong. None of them could think of deceiving anybody in the world.

4. Why was Aram delighted and frightened at the same time when he saw his cousin
Mourad on a beautiful white horse?
Ans. Aram was delighted because of the beautiful white horse. He wanted to ride. He was
delighted and frightened by ‘the pious stillness and humour’ in Mourad and the horse. This
means that he was frightened because Mourad was on a horse which he could never have
bought.

5. Describe Mourad’s parting from the beautiful white horse.

Ans. Mourad had spent some time looking after the horse. He loved it even though it was not
his own. When he left it in John Byro’s vineyard, he put his arms around his neck, pressed his
nose into the horse’s nose and patted it. The horse had grown stronger and better tempered in
his care.

 ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN 100-120 WORDS.

1. Relate some of the humorous incidents in the story. Which incident do you find most
amusing and why?
Ans. The incident related to uncle Khosrove are quite amusing. The repetition of his pet
catch phrase, “It is no harm. Pay no attention to it,” causes humour whenever it is used in an
incongruous context. For example, his own son Aram ran eight blocks to the barber shop
where Khasrove was having his moustache trimmed to tell him that their house was on fire.
This was a serious matter. Instead of living the place, he roared. “It is no harm, pay no
attention to it.” When the barber explained that his son was saying that his house was on fire,
Khasrove silenced him by roaring, “it is no harm”. At the end of the story, uncle Khosrove
again became irritated and shouted at farmer John Byro to be quiet. He said, “Your horse has
been returned. Pay no attention to it.”

32
The incongruity is obvious. The most amusing incident is the conversation between farmer
John Byro and uncle Khosrove when the farmer sighed sadly and bewailed the stealing of his
horse. Uncle Khosrove remarked, “It is no harm. What is the loss of horse?” John Byro tried to
convinced that his surrey was useless without a horse. Out came Khosrove’s catchword “pay
no attention to it.” This phrased is repeated when the farmer complained that his left leg
hurt him. When John Byro said that the horse had cost him sixty dollars Khosrove remarked, I
spit on money.” The incidents ends at John Byro walking out angrily, slamming the screen
door.

2. Comment on the role of Aram the narrator in the story “the summer of the
beautiful white horse “
Ans: Aram in the story “ The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse” being the narrator plays
the role of commentator also. He not only narrates the various adventures, incidents and
actions but also provides useful information regarding the main characters and their
behaviours. He seems to be the fulcrum on which the whole story rests. He gives a
graphic description of Garoghlanian tribe., its members , their traits and economic features.
Mourad and his uncle Khaskove represent the crazy streak in the tribe. Abject poverty of the
family does not diminish his pride in his family which is famous for honesty. He says no
member of the Garoghlanian family could be a thief. He makes a fine distinction between
stealing a horse for a ride and stealing a horse to sell it off. He gives a fine description of the
horse ride and countryside with its vineyards, orchards, irrigation ditches and country
roads.

3. What did Aram feel about the ‘crazy streak’ in the family?
Ans. Aram felt that every family has a crazy element somewhere, and Mourad seemed to have
inherited it from their Uncle Khosrove, a man so furious in temper, so irritable, so impatient
that he stopped anyone from talking by roaring, “It is no harm; pay no attention to it.” That
was all he said no matter what anybody happened to be talking about. Even when his own son
Arak came running to the barber’s shop where he was having his moustache trimmed to tell
him their house was on fire, Khosrove roared exactly the same thing. The barber repeated what
the boy had said but Khosrove roared, “Enough, it is no harm, I say.” Mourad, though he was
the son of Zorab, was the one who had inherited the streak of madness from Khusrove.

 VALUE BASED QUESTIONS

1. Jokes and pranks add spice to life. But they should be in a limit. What do you think?
Ans. life is dull because of stark realities. It thus remains boring. Jokes and pranks play the
role of spice and make life enjoyable. But if pranks and jokes pinch and hurt others, the very
spice becomes poisonous. So, one should not play pranks or jokes to annoy somebody.
Pranks should set right moods and banish enmity. A man should remain sensitive while trying
to create lighter moments. The horse could have created trouble for Mourad and Aram. The
horse taken away just for a joy-ride might have thrown them on the ground. John Byro, whose
horse Mourad had stolen, was a tactful man. He pricked the conscience of the boys saying that
he knew that they were honest boys who belonged to an honourable family and they could not
be thieves. Eventually, Mourad’s conscience pricked him and he returned the horse. Pranks
and jokes should be mild and innocent.

33
 Grade 11. English (Snapshot)
2. 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.

 NEW VOCABULARY

1. Poignant
2. Acquaintance
3. Chink
4. Crick
5. Cumbersome
6. Oppressed
7. Pewter

 WORD MEANINGS

1. Poignant – arousing sadness

2. Evoke – arouse
3. Chink – narrow opening
4. Cardigan – sweater with buttons
5. Acquaintance – know person
6. Cumbersome – unmanageable
7. Oppressed – saddened
8. Reprovingly – with disapproval

34
 ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN 30-40 WORDS.

1. Who was Mrs. Dorling? What did the narrator’s mother tell her about the woman?
Ans. Mrs. Dorling was an old acquaintance of the narrator’s mother whom she had not seen
for years. She had recently renewed their contact. Since then she has been visiting their house
regularly. Every time she left their house she took something with her.

2. Why did the narrator suddenly decide to leave?

Ans. The narrator had visited 46, Marconi Street for a specific purpose-to see her mother’s
belongings and touch them. However, these objects seemed to have lost their value in strange
surroundings and on being served from the life of former times. So, she suddenly decided to
leave.

3. Why did narrator want to forget the address finally?

Ans. The narrator was eager to take back her mother’s belongings and made some efforts but
at last decided to forget the same and move ahead. In fact she had found Mrs. Dorling and her
daughter using those things as their own. The things had also lost the beauty in a different
background. So she decided to leave bitter past and start afresh.

4. How was Mrs Dorling taking care of the antiques and other things she had taken
from Mrs S?
Ans. Mrs. Dorling did not take good care of the antiques, and other things she had taken from
Mrs. S. She arranged the things in a very task less manner. She did not even know that the
spoons, knives and forks she was using every day were made of silver.

5. Explain: “I stopped, horrified. I was in a room I knew and did not know.”
Ans. When the narrator went to Mrs Dorling’s house the second time, a girl of about fifteen let
her in. She saw familiar things but arranged differently that lent unfamiliarity to the
surroundings. She found herself surrounded by things that she had wanted to see again but
which really oppressed her in that strange atmosphere.

 ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN 100-120 WORDS.

1. Describe the narrator’s second visit to Mrs Dorling’s place.

Ans. On her second visit, a girl of about fifteen led the narrator in and she noticed an old-
fashioned iron Hanukkah candle-holder that belonged to them. In the living room, the sight
was dismal. The room had a strange, stressful effect the atmosphere, the tasteless way
everything was arranged, the ugly furniture or the muggy smell that hung there. She noticed
the woollen tablecloth and recalled the bum mark on it that had never been repaired.
When the girl put cups on the tea table and poured tea from a white pot with a gold border on
the lid and the pewter plate these things clouded her mind with strange emotions. The narrator
noticed various things that brought back memories of the past. The narrator rushed out for her
train as the girl went to get their cutlery. As the narrator walked out, she heard jingling of
spoons and forks.

2. Justify the title of the story ‘The Address’.

Ans. ‘The Address’ is a title that indirectly brings out the pain that war inflicted on the
narrator. The address was 46, Marconi Street where a woman named Mrs Dorling lived with
her family.
The address was important to the narrator because her mother had given the family valuables

35
to Mrs Dorling for safekeeping. When after the war the narrator went back to the address she
found her family’s precious possessions in an ugly setting. Their value was not appreciated
and they were used carelessly.
She was so repelled that she decided to leave the things and forget the address. The address
becomes too painful to remember. It becomes symbolic of the shabbiness and the pettiness of
Mrs Dorling. She was very keen about getting things back but ironically resolved to forget
about them and begin a new life, leaving the past behind.

3. How did Mrs Dorling acquire the possessions of Mrs S? What extraordinary
circumstances made it possible? Do you justify Mrs Dorling’s conduct?
Ans. Mrs. Dorling was merely an acquaintance of Mrs S. Mrs S belonged to a wealthy Jewish
family and all her possessions were beautiful and of great value.
The Second World War broke out and the Jews were persecuted everywhere. The Germans
were in control. The Jews had to leave their homes and possessions behind to save their lives.
In this background, Mrs Dorling revived her acquaintance with Mrs S and carried away
suitcases and sackfuls of precious things saying she wanted ‘to save’ all the nice things. Mrs
Dorling had no intention of returning those fine things. Mrs Dorling’s behaviour cannot be
justified. She acted out of greed and meanness. She did not even admit Mrs. S’s daughter into
her house and was exceedingly rude.

36
 Supplementary Reader
3. 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 favour. 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.

 NEW VOCABULARY

1. pursue
2. cartographer
3. rambling
4. melted away
5. pleasantries
6. admires
7. flea-pestered
8. pice

 WORD MEANINGS

1. Cartographer – a person who makes or draw maps

2. Karigadabu – sweet coconut samosa
3. Glowingly – with much praise
4. Annayya – respectful term for an elderly person
5. Rambling – talking aimlessly
6. Pice – a unit of coinage in India before 1957
7. Janewara – the sacred thread worn by Brahmins

37
 ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN 30-40 WORDS.

1. Why was Ranga’s homecoming a great event?

Ans. Ranga, the accountant’s son, was one of the rare breed amongst the village folk who had
been to the city of Bengaluru to pursue his studies. When he came back home after six months,
it was a great event. A large number of villagers crowded around his house to see whether he
had changed or not.

2. What changes came in Ranga after his meeting with Ratna?

Ans. Ranga had decided not to get, married at an early age. But one day when he went to the
narrator’s house, he stopped at the threshold as he heard Ratna’s singing. He was
enchanted by her and kept glancing at her.

3. Why did Ranga name his child ‘Shyama’?

Ans. Ranga and Ratna named their son after Shyama to pay respect to the narrator i.e. Shyama,
who was the one to unite both of them in the bond of marriage. Moreover, it is an English
custom to name the child after someone whom a person likes and both Ranga and Ratna liked
Shyama.

4. Who was Ratna? Why was the narrator keen on getting her married to Ranga?
Ans. Ratna was Rama Rao’s niece who had come to stay with him as her parents had died. She
was from a big town, knew how to play the veena and the harmonium, and had a sweet voice.
The writer considered her a . suitable match for Ranga.

5. Explain: “The fellow said he would leave but did not make a move.”
Ans. When Ratna stopped singing abruptly, Ranga said that it was his coming in that had
stopped the singing. He expressed a desire to leave. He merely said it for the sake of saying,
and he had no intention of going away. He was enamoured of the young girl.

 ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN 100-120 WORDS.

1. Give the character sketch of “Ranga”?

Ans. Ranga is a typical South Indian young man whose feet are firmly entrenched in
the traditional Indian culture but head is swayed by the latest acquisition of English language
and ways of life. He seems to have attained marriageable age according to the norms
prevalent in society at that time. The narrator finds him generous and considerate. The young
man could rightly assess a person’s worth and knew when it would be to his
advantage to talk to someone. At first Ranga seemed to be in favour of love marriage –
marrying a girl of one’s choice, whom one loved and who would be mature enough to
understand love talk and reciprocate it. The systematic steps taken by the narrator to rope in
Ranga to marry Ratna shows that the young man has a sensitive heart. Ranga’s act of naming
his golden boy ‘Shyama’ after the dark coloured narrator Shyama shows his adherence to the
English custom of naming the child after someone you like. Above all, Ranga appears as a
smart but lovable fellow.

2. Comment on the title of the story ‘Ranga’s Marriage’.

Ans. The title of the story ‘Ranga’s Marriage’ is quite appropriate and suggestive. It at once
sums up the theme of the story. The whole story has one central issue – Ranga’s Marriage. It
begins with Ranga’s refusal to marry just then and ends with his blissful married life. All the
incidents contribute to the central theme. The writer has presented the working of a young

38
educated Indian’s mind and heart. He is easily influenced by the English way of life and
customs. He wants to adopt them in his own life as well. The narrator, who is his well wisher
takes deep interest in him and takes active steps to wean Ranga away from the fantasy of love
marriage. By arousing his interest and fascination in young girl, Ratna, he makes Ranga agree
to marry her. She does not fulfill the other condition of being a mature girl in twenties she is
just eleven at that time.

3. What was the role of the astrologer in bringing about the marriage of Ranga with Ratna?
Ans. The astrologer had been briefed and tutored by Shyama about what to say. He did the
same. He pretended to do some calculations in front of Ranga and concluded that a girl was
responsible for Ranga’s present condition and the girl’s name perhaps was similar to that of
some things found in ocean, such as Ratan or Kamala. Ranga was already interest in Ratna. In
this way the astrologer planed an important role in bringing about the marriage of Ranga with
Ratna as he helped the narrator who made Ranga admit his love for Ratna. The astrologer gave
Ranga confidence that it was possible to marry the girl he was thinking of.

39
 NOTICE WRITING

 MAIN CHARACTERISTICS

(a) Format : It includes the word ‘NOTICE’, date, heading, writer’s name and designation.
(b) Content : It must answer the questions What? When? Where? How? etc.
(c) Expression : It relates to the overall organisation and relevance of the content as well as
grammatical accuracy and fluency.

SAMPLE 1

You are the Secretary of the English Literary Association of Tagore Memorial School, Patna.
Write out a notice for notice-board, inviting names of those who would like to participate in
the proposed inter-house debate, oratorio! and elocution contest.

English Literary Association

TAGORE MEMORIAL SCHOOL, PATNA
5 Aug. 2021
NOTICE
INTER-HOUSE COMPETITIONS

The English Literary Association invites participants in the following contests to be held in the
school auditorium :

(a) Debate competition: 20 Aug. 2021 at 11.00 a.m.

(b) Oratorial skills: 21 Aug. 2021 at 11.00 a.m.
(c) Elocution contest : 21 Aug. 2021 at 2.00 p.m.
Each house can send a team of two students per item.
Last date for submission of names: 10th August, 2021

Ravi Mohan
Secretary
ELA

SAMPLE 2

You are Amit/Anita, Head Boy/Head Girl of your school. You are organising a career
counselling session for class XI and XII students of your school. Write a notice giving
details to be displayed on your notice board in about 50 words.

40
 GANDHI SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL, ROHINI, DELHI

28 July 2021
NOTICE
CAREER COUNSELLING SESSION

The students of classes 11 and 12 are hereby informed that a career counselling session has
been organized for them on 4 August 2021 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Science students will proceed to the Auditorium and commerce students to Lecture Theatre
No. 1 at 10:45 a.m.
Attendance is compulsory.

Amit Pandey
Head Boy

SAMPLE 3

You are Amit/Amita, Head Boy/Girl of your school (Zenith Public School). Write a
notice for your school notice board requesting entries from students for Britannia Quiz
Contest to be held in your School.

ZENITH PUBLIC SCHOOL, AGRA

20 August 2021
NOTICE
SELECTION FOR QUIZ CONTEST

The students of classes from 9 to 12 may give their names for participating in Britannia Quiz
Contest to be held on 25 August 2021.
The applicants should have participated in the inter-house Quiz Contest. The selection will be
held on 28 August 2021.

Amita
Head Girl

41
 FACTUAL PASSAGE

1. Read the passage given below.

1. Roshni Bairwa remembers running all the way from her home in Tonk’s Mahmoodnagar
Dhani village to the room where the ‘bal samooh’ (children’s group) met. “My
grandparents are getting me married, you have to do something,” the then 12-year-old told
the 20 or so children sitting there.
2. The children, all aged between eight and 16, trooped up to Roshni’s house and urged her
grandparents to stop the impending wedding. Others, including village elders and teachers,
joined in. The wedding was stopped. She had discovered a way out of the quagmire with
the help of a local NGO and the village children.
3. When she was in class XII, the pressure to get married returned. This time her uncle found
a match for her. When she resisted, she was taunted and beaten. People would point to her
as the girl who brought shame to her family and asked their children not to speak to her. “I
was 16 years old and alone in the world. I walked to school with my eyes fixed to the
ground. I would think sometimes, what have I done that is so terrible for everyone to hate
me so much?
I would cry myself to sleep,” recalls Roshni, who lost her father when she was two and had
been abandoned by her mother shortly after. But even in those dark moments, Roshni
didn’t give up, moving out of the village to Peeplu tehsil in Rajasthan where she rented a
room and attended college.
4. With education and independence came a sense of confidence. “I kept in touch with the
children in the village. Every time there was child marriage, they would call me and I
would go to stop it. I realised I had already been thrown out of the village, the worst had
already happened, what else could the villagers do? So I went and fought with everyone
who was getting their child married,” she says with a laugh. So far she has stopped over a
dozen marriages.
5. Even without the support of the law, young girls have been crusading against the practice.
Earlier this month, 19-year-old Sushila Bishnoi from Barmer succeeded in getting her
marriage annulled, submitting photographs, and congratulatory messages from her
husband’s Facebook account to the court. The court accepted these as evidence that the
union took place when both the bride and groom were 12 years old and declared the
marriage invalid.
6. Seema Bairwal (name changed) was 15 when she was married to a man a few years older.
Later when she started attending ‘bal samooh’ meetings with NGO Shiv Shiksha Samiti
and Save the Children, it dawned on her that she had a choice. “I learnt that my life is
mine. I have the power to say no to marriage.

1.1 On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the following questions by
choosing the best of the given choices.

A. The brides mentioned in the passage are rebels against

(i) the dowry system
(ii) child marriage
(iii) purdah system
(iv) arranged manages
B. When Roshni was twelve years old, she succeeded in her mission with the help of ____
(i) 20 children aged between eight and sixteen
(ii) her grandparents

42
 (iii) 20 children, her grandparents, village elders and teachers
(iv) children and an NGO
C. When she was sixteen the people of the village ____________
(i) taunted her and beat her up
(ii) boycotted her
(iii) were angry with her
(iv) were sympathetic and understanding
D. Roshni moved out of the village in order to
(i) seek a job
(ii) escape the villagers
(iii) attend college
(iv) marry a boy of her choice
E. ‘Give up’ in para 3 means
(i) stop attending classes
(ii) stop doing something
(iii) very eager
(iv) voluntary help

1.2 Answer the following.

(a) The children, all aged between eight and 16, trapped to ______________ and urged her
grandparents to stop the impending wedding.
(b) Roshni lost her father when she was only _____________ years old.
(c) Education and independence made Roshni confident. [True/False]
(d) ‘Bal Samooh’ meetings with NGO Shiv Shiksha Samiti and ‘Save the Children’
encouraged child marriage. [True/False]

Answer:
(a) Roshini’s house
(b) two
(c) True
(d) False

1.3 Find words/expressions from the passage that have a meaning similar to the
following.
(a) about to happen soon (paragraph 2)
(b) realised (paragraph 6)

Answer:
(a) impending
(b) dawned upon her

43
 PARA 2

1. Soil is your garden’s natural growing medium, so it’s vital for the health and successful
growth of your plants and crops that you keep it well maintained. Soil is basically rock that’s
been ground down by the effects of the weather over a long period of time and made fertile by
decayed organic matter (derived from dead insects and leaves). There are hundreds of different
soil types, but they can broadly be classified as sandy, loamy or clay, referring to their basic
texture. It is the texture that affects the drainage, aeration and nutrient content of the soil and
you may have to take steps to improve on this in certain types of soil.
2. Take a handful of soil and run a small amount between your fore finger and thumb.
Although all soils contain varying proportions of sand, silt and clay, you’ll readily be able to
tell the difference between the main types.
3. Sandy soil feels gritty when dry and even it’s wet particles will not stick together.
Loams, on the other hand, can be moulded in the hand when moist, but aren’t at all sticky and
gritty and are fairly loose when dry. Clay soil is sticky and smooth when wet, but becomes
polished when rubbed and baked hard when dry.
4. A loamy soil is a well-balanced amalgamation of sand, silt and clay, which combines
excellent drainage with sufficient moisture retention to assure good growing conditions for
most plants. It’s fairly easy to look after, although loamy soils do benefit from regular
applications of well-rotted organic matter to prevent getting tightly packed.
5. The particle consistency of sandy soil doesn’t hold water well, with the result that
plant foods are often taken away by rain before they can do any good. Again, well-rotted
organic matter can be added to bind the soil particles together.
6. Clay soil is most difficult to work, usually becoming waterlogged, so they are virtually
impossible to dig. Artificial drainage will probably be the first step in improving the texture of
the soil and various additives will break down the structure to make use of its excellent food
stocks.
7. There are various methods of improving your soil’s texture. Essentially this requires
regular applications of a well-rotted organic substance called humus, which is obtained from
decayed plant and animal matter (manure, compost, and seaweed, each provides ample
sources).
8. The presence of chalk in soil can also affect the growth of plants: some prefer slightly
acid (chalk-free) soils, while others grow more successfully in alkaline, chalky soils. Most
fruits and vegetables, however, grow better in neutral soil.
9. Although benefiting the soil in some ways, compost, manure and fertilizers can actually
add to its acidity, as organisms break them down. Over-acid soils can be treated with
applications of lime—either hydrated (slaked) lime, or ground limestone (chalk). Of the two,
ground limestone is your best choice.
10. To apply lime, sprinkle it on the broken top soil and mix it lightly but don’t dig in;
leave to wash down by rain. Apply lime every other year if need be.
An alkaline soil can be treated with manure, garden compost or peat, well dug in.

A. Answer the following questions by choosing the most appropriate option:

1. We should keep soil well maintained as ________

(a) it absorbs and retains water
(b) it responds to the effects of weather
(c) it raises water table
(d) it is the garden’s natural growing medium.

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2. Soil is divided into various types on the basis of __________
(a) colour
(b) drainage
(c) texture
(d) aeration
3. Loamy soil is the best for plant growth because ___________
(a) it is a well-balanced mixture of sand, silt, and clay
(b) it has weak drainage and retention
(c) its texture responds slowly to decayed organic matter
(d) it gets tightly packed unless looked after well
4. Clay soils are the most difficult to work as _____________
(a) they don’t hold water well
(b) they usually become waterlogged
(c) the soil particles are not held together
(d) they require natural drainage and additives
5. Soil must be tested before growing fruits and vegetables because
(a) they need alkaline soil
(b) they prefer slightly acidic soil
(c) they grow better in neutral soil
(d) they flourish in over-acidic soil
6. ‘Consistency’ in para 5 means ______________
(a) in agreement with
(b) having same opinion
(c) thickness
(d) firmness

B. Answer the following questions in brief.

7. Which soil is the best for plant growth? Why?

8. What do you know about clay soils?
9. Why should soil be tested before growing fruits and vegetables?
10. How can texture of soil be improved?
11. Write the similar meaning to
(a) Firmness (para 5)
(b) Collection or accumulation(para 4)

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 PARA 3

1. White House security entrance at 2:15 PM on Tuesday, October 17: There are six
Indians in immaculate sherwanis that the secret service is trying to clear through by
matching their passports or drivers’ licences to the information they have on their computers.
Four clear and two have problems. One of them is me. The problem is my
passport has no last name. Even though I have met with candidate Trump, President-Elect
Trump, and then President Trump, at least a dozen times, it’s never been at the White House.
2. Diwali at the White House was scheduled to begin at 3:15 pm. For 30 minutes four
different White House officials tried to get me cleared, but these secret service guys refused to
break the protocol no matter who the visitor. It is 3:00 PM now. Finally, seeing no solution in
sight the Secret Service offer a way out – I could go in as long as I am escorted by an official
all the time. Three members of our group of six had already gone in, and finally the rest of us
dash to the Roosevelt room, right next to the Oval Office. Just in time at 3:30 pm.
3. There were a total of 26 guests, most of them currently working for the Trump
administration such as Nikki Haley, Seema Verma, Ajit Pai, Raj Shah, Vanilla Singh, along
with six members of the Republican Hindu Coalition (RHC) that had played a major role in
the election of President Trump. I am the RHC India Ambassador.
4. After a 10-minute wait in the Roosevelt room, all 26 of us line up in the Oval Office.
President Trump walks in, and comes over to us, the Kumar family which includes my dad
Shalabh “Shalli” Kumar, his son Vikram Aditya Kumar and of course me.
5. The President then proceeded to read his statement and light the diya with Nikki Haley
and Seema Verma to his right and Shalabh Kumar and me to his left. (The writer is the RHC
India Ambassador and winner of the Times of India Femina Miss India contest in 2010.)

3.1 On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the following questions by
choosing the best of the given choices.

A. The crisis the author describes in the opening paragraph in that the author and five
other Indians
(i) do not have valid passports.
(ii) are not suitably dressed.
(iii) the information on their documents does not match with the information US security
officials have.
(iv) they are late for the function.
B. Finally, the white House security officials allowed the author to enter the White
House if
(i) she could prove that she had met President Trump several times earlier.
(ii) she went in without a camera or a microphone.
(iii) a security officer remained with her all the time.
(iv) her father Shalabh Kumar took guarantee of her behaviour.
C. The author was part of the 26 member team that celebrated Diwali with President
Trump because she
(i) belonged to the Kumar family.
(ii) was the Ambassador of RHC.
(iii) Neither of these
(iv) both of these
D. ‘Scheduled’ in para 2 means ……………………….
(i) arranged
(ii) decided

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(iii) looked after
(iv) stationary

3.2 Answer the following.

(a) The author’s problem was that her ______________ had no last name.
(b) After a 10-minute wait in the ____________ Room, all 26 of the guests lined up in the
Oval Office.
(c) Diwali at the White House was scheduled to start at 3:15 pm. [True/False]
(d) Six members of the Republican Hindu Coalition played a major role in the election of
President Trump. [True/False]

3.3 Find words that have meanings similar to these

(a) extremely clean and tidy (paragraph 1)

(b) accompanied (paragraph 2)

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 DISCURSIVE PASSAGE

 PARA 1

1. Although pollution of land, sea, and air has been well documented, the latest and the least
recognised version is the swelling tide of noise which is engulfing urban as well as rural areas.
This has long-term implications on the ecology, health, and productivity of a fast developing
country like India.
2. Unlike other pollutants, noise lacks visibility, seldom registering on the consciousness,
except as a trifling irritant to be dismissed at will and therefore less likely to be perceived as a
threat. Available data indicate that noise does pose a threat to health and is known to have
caused a number of complications. Declining productivity among workers in certain industries
has been directly correlated with noise levels, particularly those under constant exposure to the
menace.
3. The first-ever survey of the impact of noise on health, conducted by All India Institute of
Medical Sciences, has established that noise not only impairs the physical and psychological
functioning of the human organism but also causes nausea, vomiting, pain, hypertension, and a
lot of other complications, including cardio-vascular complaints.
4. A study by Post Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences, in Chennai, confirms such
conclusions. In 50 percent of industries, it was found that workmen exposed to higher
intensities of noise in occupational capacities, were often irritated, short-tempered, and
impatient and more likely to resort to agitation and disrupt production. This was true of units
in heavy industrial pockets in and around the four metropolitan centres.
5. Recreational noise, another ugly facet, is becoming more widespread in cities and towns.
Loudspeakers are turned at full volume during marriages, festivals, jagrans, musical
programmes, particularly at night, without the least consideration for others. Even at 50 dB,
sound can awaken a person from a deep slumber. As experiments have shown, loudspeakers
with output from 60 to 80 dB cause the pupils of a slumbering person to dilate, with increasing
intake of oxygen, resulting in palpitation. The effect is more pronounced in narrow lanes. TV
sets are played at full volume at prime time, invariably disturbing neighbours. Noise making
seems to have become the latest status symbol, be it an election campaign or slogan shouting
or advertising ownership of a TV set.

1.1 On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the following questions by
choosing the best of the given choices.

A. What is the difference between noise and other pollutants?

(i) Noise is not resented.
(ii) Noise is regarded as a small irritant and dismissed.
(iii) People are not aware of noise as a pollutant.
(iv) Noise can be found in rural as well as urban areas.
B. What are the diseases connected with the impact of noise?
(i) hypertension and cardio-vascular problems.
(ii) nausea, vomiting, pain.
(iii) impaired physical and psychological functioning.
(iv) all of the above.
C. Recreational noise is created during
(i) public speeches.
(ii) revelries and excursions.

48
(iii) sports’ events.
(iv) weddings, festivals and jagrans at night.
D. Invariably in paragraph 5 means
(i) often.
(ii) sometimes.
(iii) almost always.
(iv) rarely.
E. Engulfing in paragraph 1 means
(i) completely drown.
(ii) surrounded.
(iii) covered.
(iv) divided by a gulf.

1.2
(a) Find a word which means the same as ‘recorded’ (para 1).
(b) Find a word which means the same as ‘high blood pressure’ (para 3).
(c) Loudspeakers with output from 60 to 80 dB causes the pupils to dilate, with increasing
intake of oxygen, resulting in palpitation. [True/False]
(d) TV sets played at full volume at prime time, invariably entertain neighbours. [True/False]

49
 POSTER DESIGNING
 SAMPLE 1

As the President of Leo Club of Temple Town, prepare a poster on behalf of Lions Club
and Leo Club for ‘Diwali Mela’ to be held at Nehru Stadium, mentioning some of the
attractions.

 SAMPLE 2

Design a poster in not more than 50 words about the need for Regular Exercise. You may
use slogans.

50
 SAMPLE 3

You are making an effort to spread the message of communal harmony. Prepare a poster
with catchy slogans to be displayed in the school premises. (Word limit: 50 words)

 SAMPLE 4

Design a poster to launch ‘Tree Plantation Campaign’ in the area surrounding your
school.

(Self – attempt)

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 SPEECH WRITING

 SAMPLE 1

A recent survey by the Ministry of Health shows that the growing tendency of obesity
among children today is caused by addiction to junk food and lack of physical exercise,
and it adversely affects their learning power. Write a speech in 150-200 words to be
delivered in the morning assembly of the school highlighting the importance of good
health and motivating the children to eat healthy, balanced diet.

Side Effects of Junk Food

Respected Principal, Vice Principal, teachers, and dear friends. Good morning.

I am grateful to the Principal, Dr N. Ravi, for giving me this opportunity to speak on a matter
that is close to the heart of all teenagers.

As I stand here, I can see about eight to ten overweight students in each class line. Surely, they
are embarrassed and have become the butt of jokes. To look fit and trim is vital for a good
personality.

Friends, I want you to look at your daily routine and see what you are doing to get this bulky
figure. Are you excessively fond of cold drinks, pizzas and hamburgers? Do you love to sit
before TV and munch wafers and packaged chips of all brands? Is your favourite snack during
the long break everyday a spicy oily ‘samosa’ or ‘bread pakora’?

Later in the evening do you just sit indoors and work on your computer, complete your
homework or watch TV ?

If the answer to these questions is ‘Yes’, you know why you have this ungainly figure. In
order to be slim and athletic, you need to eat right, exercise briskly in fresh air and live a
disciplined life. The food that your mother prepares is what you should consume rather than
junk food.

Thank you

 SAMPLE 2

Yoga is beneficial. Speak about the benefits of yoga in the morning assembly. (Word
limit: 150-200)

Self attempt

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