THINKING ABOUT LANGUAGE-UNIT 1

1. There are different names in different parts of the world for ‘storms’, depending on
their nature. Match the names in the box with their descriptions below, and fill in
the blanks-------
gale whirlwind cyclone hurricane tornado typhoon

a) A violent tropical storm in which strong winds move in a circle:………………………

b) An extremely strong wind:……………………………………….
c) A violent tropical storm with very strong winds:………………………………..
d) A violent storm whose centre is a cloud in the shape of a funnel:…………………….
e) A violent storm with very strong winds, especially in the western Atlantic Ocean:
…………………………………………
f) A very strong wind that moves very fast in a spinning movement and causes a lot
of damage:……………………………..
2. Notice how the word ‘hope’ is used in these sentences below-
(a) I hope it (the hailstorm) passes quickly.
(b) There was a single hope: help from God.
In the first example, ‘hope’ is a verb which means you wish for something to
happen. In the second example, it is a noun meaning a chance for something to
happen.
Match the sentences in Column A with the meanings of ‘hope’ in Column B
COLUMN -A COLUMN-B
1. Will you get the subjects you want A feeling that something good will
to study in college? probably happen.
I hope so.
2. I hope you don’t mind my saying Thinking that this would happen (it
this, but I don’t like the way you may or may not have happened)
are arguing.
3. This discovery will give new hope Stopped believing that this good
to HIV/AIDS sufferers. thing would happen.
4. We were hoping against hope that Wanting something to happen
the judges would not notice our ( and thinking it quite possible)
mistakes.
5. I called early in the hope of Wishing for something to happen,
speaking to her before she went although this is very unlikely.
to school.
6. Just when everybody had given up Showing concern that what you
hope, the fishermen came back, say should not offend or disturb
seven days after the cyclone. the other person: a way of being
polite.
 3. RELATIVE CLAUSES
Look at these sentences-
(a) All morning Lencho who knew his fields intimately looked at the sky.
(b) The woman, who was preparing supper, replied, “ Yes, God willing”.
The italicised parts of the sentences give us more information about Lencho and the
woman. We call them relative clauses. Notice that they begin with a relative pronoun
‘who’. Other common relative pronouns are when, whose, and which.
Join the sentences given below using who, whom, whose, which, as suggested.
a)I often go to Mumbai. Mumbai is the commercial capital of India. (which)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
b)My mother is going to host a TV show on cooking. She cooks very well.( who)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
c)These sportspersons are going to meet the resident. Their performance has been
excellent. (whose)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
d) Lencho prayed to God. His eyes see into our minds. (whose)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
e)This man cheated me. I trusted him. (whom)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

4.METAPHORS-
The word ‘metaphor’ comes from a Greek word meaning ‘transfer’ . Metaphors compare
two things or ideas: a quality or feature of one thing is transferred to another thing. Some
common metaphors are-* the leg of a table; * the heart of the city, etc.

Find ‘metaphors’ from A Letter to God and complete the table below-

OBJECT METAPHOR QUALITY/FEATURE COMPARED

Cloud Huge mountains of clouds The mass of ‘hugeness’ of mountains.

Raindrops

Hailstones

Locusts An epidemic (a disease) that spreads very

rapidly and leaves many people dead.
An ox of a man
 THINKING ABOUT LANGUAGE- UNIT 2
1. In Column A are some expressions you will find in the lesson Nelson Mandela-Long
Walk to Freedom. Make a guess and match each expression with an appropriate
meaning from B.
A B
(i) A rainbow gathering of A great ability (almost unimaginable) to
different colours and remain unchanged by suffering (not losing
nations. hope, goodness or courage)
(ii) The seat of white A half-secret life, like a life lived in the fading
supremacy. light between sunset and darkness.
(iii) Be overwhelmed with a A sign of human feeling (goodness, kindness,
sense of history. pity, justice, etc)
(iv) Resilience that defies the A beautiful coming together of various
imagination. peoples, like the colours in a rainbow.
(v) A glimmer of humanity. The centre of racial supremacy.
(vi) A twilight existence Feel deeply emotional, remembering and
understanding all the past events that have
led up to the moment.

2.There are nouns in the text ‘Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom’(formation,
government) which are formed from the corresponding verbs (form, govern) by suffixing-
(at)ion or ment . There may be a change in the spelling of some verb- noun pairs: such as
rebel,rebellion; constitute, constitution.
Make a list of such pairs of nouns and verbs in the text.
NOUN VERB
rebellion rebel
deprive
form
govern
imagination
oppress
transformation

3.Read the paragraph below. Fill in the blanks with the noun forms of the verbs in
brackets-
Martin Luther King’s ………………………………….(contribute) to our history as an outstanding
leader began when he came to the…………………………………………….(assist) of Rosa Parks, a
seamstress who refused to give her seat on a bus to a white passenger . In those days
American Blacks were confined to positions of second -class citizenship by restrictive laws
and customs. To break these laws would mean………………………………….(subjugate) and
………………………………………………..(humiliate) by the police and the legal system. Beatings,
………………………………………………(imprison) and sometimes death awaited those who defied
the System. Martin Luther King’s tactics of protest involved non-
violent………………………………(resist) to racial injustice.
4.IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS-
Match the italicised phrases in Column A with the phrase nearest in meaning in Column B.
COLUMN A COLUMN B
1. I was not unmindful (i)had not forgotten: was aware of the fact
of the fact (ii)was not careful about the fact
(iii)forgot or was not aware of the fact
2. When my comrades (i)pushed by the guards to the wall
and I were pushed to (ii)took more than our share of beatings
our limits (iii)felt that we could not endure the suffering any longer.
3. To reassure me and (i)make me go on walking
keep me going (ii) help me continue to live in hope in this very difficult
situation
(iii) make me remain without complaining

5.Use the following phrases to complete the sentences below-

(i)they can be taught to love . (iv)but he who conquers that fear.
(ii)I was born free. (v)to create such heights of character.
(iii) but the triumph over it.
1. It requires such depths of oppression……………………………………………………………………
2. Courage was not the absence of fear…………………………………………………………………….
3. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid…………………………………………………
4. If people can learn to hate…………………………………………………………………………………….
5. I was not born with a hunger to be free,………………………………………………………………..

6.USE OF COORDINATED CLAUSES-

The lesson Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom contrasts the past with the present or
the future. We can use coordinated clauses to contrast two views, for emphasis or effect.
Given below are sentences carrying one part of the contrast. Find the second part of the
contrast , and complete each item. Identify the words which signal the contrast as shown
in the first item.

1.For decades the Union Buildings had been the seat of white supremacy, and
now………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2.Only moments before, the highest generals of the South African defence force and
police………………………………………………………………………saluted me and pledged their loyalty…
not so many years before they would not have
saluted…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
3. Although that day neither group knew the lyrics of the anthem…..They would
soon…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
4. My country is rich in the minerals and gems that lie beneath its soil,
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
5.The Air Show was not only a display of pinpoint precision and military force,
but……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
 THINKING ABOUT LANGUAGE-UNIT-3

1.Study the sentences given below-

(a)They looked like black mountains.
(b) Inside the clouds, everything was suddenly black.
(c ) In the black clouds near me, I saw another aeroplane.
(d)The strange black aeroplane was there.
The word ‘black’ in sentences (a) and (c) refers to the very darkest colours. But in (b) and
(d) it means without light/with no light.
‘Black’ has a variety of meanings in different contexts. For example-
‘I prefer black tea’ means ‘I prefer tea without milk.’
Now, try to guess the meanings of the word ‘black’ in the sentences given below.
1. Go and have a bath; your hands and face are absolutely black.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. The taxi driver gave Ratan a black look as he crossed the road when the traffic light
was green.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
3. The bombardment of Hiroshima is one of the blackest crimes against humanity.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. Very few people enjoy Harold Pinter’s black comedy.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
5. Sometimes shopkeepers store essential goods to create false scarcity and then sell
these in black.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
6. Villagers had beaten the criminal black and blue.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
2.Match the phrases given under Column A with their meanings given under Column B:

COLUMN A COLUMN B
1 Fly a flag Move quickly / suddenly
2 Fly into rage Be successful
3 Fly along Display a flag on a long pole
4 Fly high Escape from a place
5 Fly the coop Become suddenly very angry

3.We know that the word ‘fly’ (of birds/insects) means to move through air using wings.
Tick the words which have the same or nearly the same meaning.

swoop flit paddle flutter

ascend float ride skim
sink dart hover glide
descend soar shoot spring
stay fall sail flap