Enlightened English

( A Team of Teachers from Question Bank Group)

Average students Paragraphs

1.1 Describe the struggles underwent by the young seagull to overcome its 1.2 Describe the journey of life as depicted in the poem by Henry Van
fear of flying. Dyke.

Lesson His First Flight Poem Life

Author Liam O’ Flaherty Poet Henry Van Dyke
Theme Parenting Care Theme Live Joyfully

 The young seagull was alone on the ledge.

 Henry Van Dyke was an American author, poet, educator and
 Unlike his two brothers and sister, he was afraid to fly. He failed to clergyman.
muster up courage to fly.  The poet wants to lead a joyful life with forward face and
 His parents had come around calling to him shrilly, scolding him, unreluctant soul.
threatening to let him starve on the ledge. He had no food.
 He wants neither to hurry to his goal nor move away from his goal.
 He could find nothing but the dried pieces of eggshell to eat. His
 He does not want to mourn the things that he had lost. He does not
parents wanted to teach him to fly. hold back for the fear of future.
 So the mother seagull showed a piece of fish to the hungry young  He wants to live his life with a whole and happy heart which
seagull.
cheerfully travels with him from the youth to old age.
 But he couldn't reach the food as it was out of reach.
 Therefore, it does not matter to him whether the path goes up or
 Maddened by hunger, he dived at the fish, In order to grab it, he had down the hill or rough or smooth.
no choice other than to flap his wings and fly towards his meal.  He will continue to seek what he wanted as a boy new friendship,
 He landed on the green sea and sank into it. He was floating on the high adventure and a crown (fame).
water.
 His heart will remain courageous and he will pursue his desires.
 The young birds' family was very happy and they offered him scraps  He hopes that every turn in his life's journey will be the best. He is
of dog-fish for his first flight.
optimistic.
 Thus the parental care, his natural bird instinct and his urge for
survival prompted him to fly, finally.
Moral - Necessity is the mother of action. Moral - Life is a game, play it.
1.3 Narrate how Prospero made his enemies repent to restore his 2.1 Describe the funny incidents that caused the confusion in the house.
dukedom.
Lesson The night the ghost got in
The Tempest Author James Grover Thurber
Theme Chaos in the house
Prospero was the famous Duke of Milan. He was fond of reading  It was about a quarter past one o' clock in the morning.
magic books. He was exiled by his brother Antonio. Prospero and his
daughter Miranda landed on an island. Prospero had some magical powers,  The narrator was in the bathroom. He heard a strange sound. He was
which his daughter did not know. She was a kind hearted woman. He had scared. He thought it was a burglar or a ghost.
released many good spirits from a witch called Sycorax. The spirits were
 So, he went to his brother, Herman's room. They came out and
obedient to him. Ariel was the chief among these spirits.
looked downstairs. Nothing was there.
After twelve years, Prospero wanted to repent his brother  They heard the footsteps circling the dining-room table like a man
Antonio and Alonso-the king of Naples for their wrong deeds. By using his running.
magical power, Prospero raised a violent storm in the sea to wreck his
 So they rushed to their rooms and slammed the doors.
enemies' ship. Ariel was ordered to scatter the people on the ship and asked
to bring them there. He did not want to revenge them, but to make them  The narrator's mother was aroused by the sound. They thought that
realise their mistakes. there was a burglar in the house.

Finally, Antonio with tears of sorrow and true repentance begged  So she threw her shoe at their neighbour, Mr.Bodwell's window to
his brother's forgiveness. Prospero forgave them all. Prospero told them not seek help. Mr. Bodwell called the police.
to remember their past trouble. As a dutiful father, Prospero arranged the  When the police broke into the door, the narrator's grandfather
marriage of Miranda and Ferdinand as they loved each other. At last, he mistook them as General Meade's men who were retreating.
released his faithful spirit, Ariel. It is clear that Prospero is a noble person.
 So he grabbed the gun from them and shot at the police.
 The police left the house empty handed finally.
Moral – We conquer all by forgiveness.
 Next morning, grandfather told that he came to the dining room for
water, the previous night.
 These are the incidents that caused the confusion in the house.

Moral – Misunderstanding always leads to chaos

2.2 Write a paragraph on ‘The Grumble Family’ and their attitude towards 2.3 Narrate the story Zig Zag in your own words
other folks. Zig zag
Poem Grumble Family Dr. Somu requested his cousin Dr.Krishnan to take care of his
Poet Lucy Maud Montgomery pet bird, Zig zag as he left for Alaska. According to Dr.Krishnan, Zigzag was
Theme The Grumble Family and their attitude the most lovable unusual, and harmless bird. But Mrs. Krishnan was, not
happy with the arrival of the new pet. Dr.Somu sent Zigzag through Visu, his
 The grumble family is a pessimistic family. It lives in complaining
old cook. Zigzag was cool and unmoved with an expression of grumpiness
street.
Arvind brought some fruits and nuts for it.
 The name of the street is the fittest one. The members of the family
are always discontented. Zigzag picked up and deposited them on the chandeliers and
the blades of the fan. Then, the bird perched on the curtain rod and slept
 Nobody wants to meet them. They are never happy with their lives. there. The moment it slept, it snored loudly, the snoring of the Zigzag
They are dissatisfied with everything. pounded the eardrums of Krishnan's family members and their neighbours.
 They complain about everything. Whatever happens in their lives, The neighbours often rang up Mrs. Krishnan and enquired about the snoring
they complain about it. Rain or sun, summer or winter, high or sound, as they wanted peace. When their maid servant, Lakshmi switched
humble, they will not fail to grumble. on the fan, it was raining papayas and bananas, One slice of over-ripe
papaya splattered orange pulp on Mrs. Krishnan's painting. She got angry
 Even though nothing happens in life, they grumble for it. They don't with zigzag.
have any positive attitude.
So Dr.Krishnan took it to his clinic. Zigzag talked to all the
 They find fault at each and everything. They are well known with the
patients in the clinic. It brought a radical change in the noisy
name 'Grumble'.
clinic. There was an absolute silence Surprisingly Mrs. Krishnan’s ruined
 Nobody wants to be with them otherwise they will also get affected painting was sold for 5,000. Hence Dr. Krishnan's famil y wanted to keep
by this habit. zigzag with them.

 Thus no one likes the negative attitude of the grumble family.

Moral: Never grumble for the thorns in roses. Be happy for the roses in Moral - When you own a bird, happiness is all around.
thorns.
3.1 Highlight the factors responsible for the all women Indian Navy crew
to carry out their expedition / Write in detail about the selection and
training process which the crew underwent. 3.2 How are today’s women portrayed by the poet.

Lesson Empowered women navigating the world Poem I am every woman

Theme Expedition of crew members Poet Rakhi Nariani Shirke
Characters Crew members Theme Strength of today’s woman

 Navika Sagar Parikrama was a project undertaken in consonance  Today's woman is beauty innate.
with the National policy.
 She is the symbol of power and strength. She puts her life at risk.
 The project is considered essential towards promoting ocean sailing
activities in the Navy (Nari Shakti - women power).  Every woman is true in expressing her love and she is never fake.

 The voyage was aimed to show case "Make in India” initiative by  She is very optimistic in her approach.
sailing on- board indigenously built INSV Tarini.
 She finds a ray of hope and she continues to care for her near ones.
 It encouraged use of environment friendly resources and data given
 She is strong in her faith and beliefs. She deals the adversities with
from Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).
persistence.
 The all-women Indian Navy crew underwent some theoretical
 She is never a quitter. She is ferocious like a lioness.
courses on navigation, communication and weather prediction.
 They underwent basic sail training courses in Mumbai at the Indian  She has her own pride and self-respect.
Naval Waterman ship Training Centre (INWTC).  She tackles and deals the pranksters who mess with her.
 They also sailed on INSV Mhadei to Mauritius. They were trained
almost for 3 years to prepare for voyage.
 The trip was a tutorial for them to manage food, water and even Moral
electricity during the voyage. “ You never have to ask anyone permission to lead. When you want to
 Out of the thirty women, who had applied, six were shortlisted lead, you lead” – Kamala Harris, An Indian US Vice President.
based on the little survival skills they showcased.
 These are the factors responsible for the all-women Indian Navy
crew to carry out their expedition.

Moral – Women are the real architects of society.

 4.1 Give a detailed account of all thoughts and questions in the narrator’s
3.3 Sketch the character of Mulan. mind while accompanying Adithya from the Tea shop to Sanyal’s house.

Lesson The Attic

The story of Mulan Author Satyajit Ray
Theme Thoughts and questions in the narrator’s mind
Mulan was a heroic Chinese teenage girl. She showed various
characters in the story. The Chinese emperor ordered that one man from  The narrator and Aditya had visited Aditya's village after twenty
each family must join the army. As soon as Mulan came to know about this nine years.
order, she decided to go to war. She cut her hair like a man. As her brother  They went to Nagen uncle's tea shop. They met Sasanka Sanyal
was very small and father was very old, she thought it was her moral duty. there.

Her patriotic spirit made her to take up fighting for her  Sanyal suddenly stood up and began to recite the poem Panraksha'
country. She fought bravely in the war and became a General. When she by Tagore. The narrator doubted that Sanyal was a little crazy.
was affected by a bad fever, the doctor examined and found out that the  He could notice a sudden change in Aditya's expression, while
general was a women. She fought and ended the long war victoriously. At hearing Sanyal's recitation. So he asked Aditya the reason for it, to
her meritorious victory, the emperor set the rule as girls could also which he didn't answer.
participate in war.
 Aditya inquired Nagen about Sanyal. On their way to go to meet
Admiring her valour and bravery, the Emperor was willing to Sanyal again, Aditya expressed his wish to visit his old house.
appoint her as the royal advisor. She humbly refused to stay in the palace
 In his house, the narrator witnessed Aditya heaving a sigh of relief,
and expressed her wish to return to her village. She returned to her village
when he had got a medal in the attic.
to see her father and brother. Thus Mulan showed that she was lovable to
her family and proved her patriotism towards her country.  Not knowing the fact, the narrator eagerly asked the reason for it.
Aditya did not answer him there as well.
 Later they went to the jeweller to find out the weight of the medal.
Moral - Her patriotism and love for her family are well balanced.
The narrator could not understood why Aditya behaved like that.
 They went to Kabiraj's house, where Sanyal stayed. Aditya confessed
Sanyal for his act of stealing his medal which he got for recitation.
 Only then, the narrator knew the answers for all the questions in his
mind.

Moral – Time changes and we change with them.

4.2 Compare and contrast the attitude of the ant and the cricket. 4.3 Narrate the circumstances that led to the abandoning of the aged in
shining.
Poem The ant and the cricket
Poet Adapted from Aesop’s fables
Theme Ant vs Cricket The Aged mother

 In this narrative poem, the poet brings out the idea of hard work and The country Shining was ruled by a cruel governor. Once, he
pre-planning that is essential for every creature. declared that all the aged people must be put to death as they were
useless. A farmer loved his elderly mother very much. He decided to leave
 The poem is about a hardworking ant and a careless cricket.
her on a mountain.
 According to the poet, the cricket was young and silly. It enjoyed
singing all summer and spring not worrying about the future. His journey up the mountain was very painful both physically
and mentally. The road which they travelled had lot of confusion. So, she
 The ant, on the other hand, was a wise and hardworking creature snapped twigs from the bushes and dropped them along the narrow path
working for its future. as markers. Thus using her intelligence she ensured her son's safe return.
But he did not want to leave her lovable mother. So they returned and he
 The poet projects the cricket as a borrower whereas the ant, neither hid her at his home.
a borrower nor a lender.

 However, the attitude of the ant in the last stanza is quite Later the governor ordered the people to present him a rope
disappointing because the ant told the cricket angrily and of ashes. The unselfish mother suggested to him an idea of burning a
sarcastically to go away and dance in the winter. twisted straw on a windless night. Seeing the rope of ashes, the governor
praised him. Knowing the wisdom of the old mother, he abolished the
 Through this poem, the poet warns us not be like the cricket in this order to kill the aged people of his country.
poem and he advises us to work hard and plan for the future like
the ant.

Moral - Make hay while the sun shines. Moral: Knowledge comes from learning, wisdom comes from living.

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