STUDY MATERIAL
2020-2021
CLASS- X
SUBJECT- ENGLISH (LL)
UNSEEN PASSAGES( Discursive)
MLL (Minimum Level of Learning)
PASSAGE 1: Read the passage given
below
During our growing up years we as children were taught - both at home
and school - to worship the photos and idols of the Gods of our respective
religions. When we grew a little older, we were to read holy books like the
Bhagwad Gita, Bible and Quran; we were told that there are a lot of life
lessons to be learnt from these holy books. We were then introduced to stories
from our mythologies which taught us about ethics and morality- what is good
and what is bad. I also learnt to be respectful towards my parents who made my
life comfortable with their hard work and love and care, and my teachers who
guided me to become a good student and a responsible citizen.
Much later in life, I realised that though we learn much from our
respective holy books, there is a lot to learn from our surroundings. This
realization dawned upon me when I learnt to enquire and explore. Everything
around us- the sun, the moon, the stars, rain, rivers, stones, rocks, birds,
plants and animals - teach us many valuable life lessons.
No wonder that besides the scriptures, in
many cultures nature is also worshipped. The message that we get is to save our
environment and maintain ecological balance. People are taught to live in
harmony with nature and recognize that there is God in all aspects of nature.
Nature is a great teacher. A river never stops flowing. If it finds an
obstacle in its way in the form of a heavy rock, the river water fights to
remove it from its path or finds an alternative path to move ahead. This
teaches us to be progressive in life, and keep the
fighting spirit alive.
Snakes are worshipped as they eat insects
in the field that can hurt our crops, thus protecting the grains for us. In
fact, whatever we worship is our helper and makes our lives easy for us. There
are many such examples in nature, but we are not ready to learn a lesson.
Overcome with greed, we are destroying nature. As a result, we face natural
disasters like droughts, floods and landslides. We don’t know that nature is
angry with us.
However, it is never too late to
learn. If we learn to respect nature, the quality of our life will improve.
On the basis of your understanding of the passage,
answer ANY TEN questions from the 12 that follow.
(1 x 10=10)
i) We
are told to worship photos and idols of Gods during our _________.
b.
adulthood
c.
growing up years
d.
none of these
ANSWER-(a) childhood
(i)
Parents should be worshiped because
__________
a.
they gave us Holy books to read
b.
they taught us what is good and what is
bad
c. they work
hard to make our lives easier
d.
they have read many mythical stories
ANSWER – (c)they work hard to make our lives easier
(ii)
One can learn life lessons from
_________
1. Mythology 2. Reading Holy
books
3. Nature 4.
Worshiping photos and idols of God
a.
1,2,4
b.
1,3,4
d.
2,3,4
ANSWER – (c)1,2,3
(iii)
The natural disaster that has not been
talked about in the passage is:
a.
Drought
c.
Flood
d.
Landslide
ANSWER – (b)Earthquake
(iv)
A river teaches us to be ___________
a.
Stubborn
b.
Obstinate
d.
Docile
ANSWER- (c)Progressive
(v)
Snakes are worshipped because they
protect ____________
a.
Crops from animals
c.
Us from rodents
d.
Us from insects
ANSWER- (b)Crops from insects
(vi)
According to the passage, the reason
for not a worshiping nature is ___________
a.
Anger
b.
Ethics
c.
Harmony
d.
Greed
ANSWER – (e)Greed
(vii)
The most suitable meaning of the word
“guided” is __________
a.
Answered
c.
Fought
d.
Polished
ANSWER –(b)Directed
(viii)
The word which means the same as
“explore” is ___________
b.
Frequent
c.
Describe
d.
Request
ANSWER – (a)Search
(ix)
The word which is synonym of “valuable”
is _________
a.
Proper
b.
Desirable
c.
Available
d.
Useful
ANSWER – (d)Useful
(x)
Choose the option which means the same
as “harmony”
a.
Beauty
c.
Discomfort
d.
Honesty
ANSWER- (b)Agreement
(xi)
Which word means the same as “ethics”
a.
Conduct
b.
Deed
c.
Action
d.
Morals
ANSWER – (d)Morals
xii) Antonym
of “progressive” is
a. broad -minded
c.
liberal
d.
advanced
ANSWER- (b) conservative
PASSAGE
2
Read the passage given below.
Subhash Chandra Bose passed through
quarters inhabited by Englishmen and also met a large number of them in the
tram cars. The British using these cars were purposely rude and offensive to
Indians in various ways. The sensitive mind of Subhash revolted against such
insulting and rude behavior of the British. On many occasions, there was an
exchange of hot words between him and misbehaving British. Majority of the
students of the Presidency College, where he studied, were free thinkers. The
college continued to be a storm centre and was looked upon by the British
Government “as a hotbed of sedition, rendezvous of revolutionaries” and was
frequently searched by the police. The first two years of his life were greatly
influenced by the group, which styled itself as the neo-Vivekananda group and
Subhash developed intellectually during this period. The group generally
followed the teachings of Rama Krishna and Vivekananda with special emphasis on
social service as means of spiritual development and was non-aligned to a
revolutionary group. The shock of the Great World War roused his political
consciousness. He graduated at the age of 22 and enrolled himself for the
postgraduate with experimental psychology as a special subject.
His father, however, wanted him to go to
England to appear for the Indian Civil Services. In spite of his mental
reservations, Subhash took it as a challenge. In England, he was greatly
impressed with the freedom allowed to students at Cambridge. Every student
behaved in a dignified manner. Notwithstanding his preoccupation with his studies,
he displayed his public spirit and fearlessness throughout his stay in England.
He and K. L. Gouba were selected by the Indian Majlis, to represent the British
Government the difficulties the Indian students encountered for admission to
the University Officers’ Training Corps. Though he took a harsh view of the
British high handedness and racial arrogance, he did admire their qualities
which exacted him. He himself behaved there in a dignified way and was of the
view that Indians who go abroad, must consider themselves to be unofficial
ambassadors of the country, who should uphold their country’s prestige. He was
quite serious in purpose and disliked anybody wasting time on trivialities.
On
the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer the following
questions.
(1X10=10)
(i)Who were selected by the Indian
Majlis?
a) Subhash Chandra Bose and KL Gouba b) Jawahar Lal Nehru
c) Mahatma
Gandhi d)
none of the above
ANSWER – (a)Subhash Chandra Bose and KL
Gouba
(ii) Majority of the students of the
Presidency college were _______________.
a) radical b) arrogant
c) unhappy d) free thinkers
ANSWER – (d)free thinkers
(iii) Whose teachings did the group
generally followed?
a) Mahatma
Gandhi b) Rabindranath Tagore
c) Rama Krishna d) Lala
Lajpat Rai
ANSWER – (c)Rama Krishna
(iv) Subhash Chandra’s father wanted him
to go to England and appear for what?
a) Barrister’s
exam b) Indian Civil
Services
c) Start
the freedom movement d) Judiciary exam
ANSWER – (b) Indian Civil Services
(v) At what age Subhash enrolled for his
postgraduation?
a) 20
years b) 25 years
c) 22 years d) 21 years
ANSWER – (c) 22 years
(vi) Where is Cambridge University?
a) England b) Germany
c) United
States of America d) France
ANSWER- (a) England
(vii) Indians who go abroad must
consider themselves to be unofficial _______________ of the country.
a) Chancellors b) Ambassadors
c) Ministers d) Governors
ANSWER- (b) Ambassadors
(viii) Subhash met lot of rude
Englishmen while travelling in _______________.
a) buses b) tram cars
c) trains d) taxi
ANSWERS – (b)tram cars
(ix) What aroused political consciousness
in Subhash Chandra Bose?
a) Great World War b) The Great Depression
c) Travel d) all
of the above
ANSWER- (a)Great World War
(x) Why was the college frequently
searched by the police?
a) Spiritualism b) Noise
from the students
c) Illegal
immigrants d) Acts of sedition
ANSWER –(d) Acts of sedition
(xi)
What does 'inhabited by' mean in the passage?
(a)
Occupied
by b) living with c) destroyed by d) owned by
ANSWER – (a) Occupied by
(xii) Identify synonym of trivial
a) Insignificant b) simple c) significant d) rare
ANSWER
– (a) Insignificant
PASSAGE
3
One day Nandu rode his horse to the village fair. On his way back he met
Somendra, the merchant. The merchant was a crafty man, ready to do anything to
earn some money. The villagers knew this. In fact no one knew what trick he
would be up to next. Now, Nandu was poor and had no one in the world to call
his own except a beautiful, white horse. He loved it more than anything else in
the world. The merchant had his eye on the horse for a long time and tried to
think of a way to get it for himself. Seeing Nandu, the merchant thought, Nandu
is a simpleton. Let me see if I can trick him out of his horse. So he said to
Nandu, You live all alone. How do you manage? What does a young boy like you
need with a horse? Sell it to me and I shall make you rich in return.
Nandu replied, "No I don’t want to sell my horse."
But the merchant refused to give up so easily. He offered Nandu more
money. Finally, when the offer reached five hundred gold coins,
Nandu paused and said. Five hundred gold coins seems like a good
price. But I have a condition. If you agree to it, I shall give you my horse.
"What is it?", the merchant asked impatiently. "Give me the
money right now and I shall give you my horse when I have given you ten
lashes." After all he would resell the horse for over a thousand gold
coins in the market. He would take twenty lashes for such a gain. He agreed
instantly. He ran home and got the money for Nandu and brought along his whip
as well. Nandu counted the money carefully.
He then took the whip and the lashes fell on the merchant’s back in quick
succession. By the eighth lash the merchant was almost in tears but he told
himself that there were only two lashes to go and the horse would be his. The
merchant held his breath waiting for the final lashes. But Nandu had mounted
his horse and was riding off. "Wait!", shouted the merchant in anger.
"What about the last lashes? Where are you going with the horse? We had a
deal.
Nandu stopped and said, "I agree to give you the horse only after I
had given you ten lashes. But it is upsetting my horse. I’ll give you the last
lashes later. Till then goodbye!" "Come back you cheat!", the
merchant shouted. But the crowd that had gathered around agreed with
Nandu. A deal was a deal. Till the last lash was given, the horse could not
belong to the merchant. Nandu rode away richer by five hundred gold coins and
Somendra waited in vain for several days for the final lash which never came.
On the basis of your
understanding of the passage, answer ANY TEN questions out of the twelve that follow. (1x10=10)
i)Why did the
merchant offer to buy Nandu’s horse?
a)
He was very fond of the
horse and wanted it for himself
b)
It was his way of helping
Nandu who was poor.
c)
The horse would be useful
for carrying goods to the market.
d)
He hated Nandu and wanted
to deprive him of something he loved.
ANSWER – (a)He was very fond of the
horse and wanted it for himself
ii)Which of the following is TRUE in the
context of the passage?
1. Nandu was an orphan.
2. The merchant was very
persevering.
3. The merchant was fond of Nandu's horse.
a)
None
b)
Only 1
c)
Both 1 & 2
d)
All 1, 2 and 3
ANSWERS – (d) All 1,
2 and 3
iii)Why did Nandu set the condition of
giving the merchant ten lashes?
a)
To discourage
the merchant from buying his horse.
b)
To demonstrate
how painful a whipping was so that the merchant would never hit the horse.
c)
To bargain with
the merchant to offer more money.
d)
To outwit the
merchant who was trying to cheat him.
ANSWER- (d)To outwit the merchant who was trying to cheat him
iv)Why
did the bystanders take Nandu’s side in the argument?
1. They hoped that Nandu would give them a
reward from the five hundred gold coins he had earned.
2. They were sure that the merchant
would ill treat the horse and wanted to prevent that from happening.
3. They knew that the merchant was a
cheat and Nandu would be miserable without his horse of whom he was very fond.
a)
Only 1
b)
Both 1 & 3
c)
Only 3
d)
None of these
ANSWER – (c) Only 3
v)What reason did Nandu cite for not giving the merchant the final
lashes?
a)
His horse was distressed by
the whipping.
b)
He realised that the
merchant was in great pain and took pity on him.
c)
He was following the advice
of the people around.
d)
He had changed his mind
about selling his horse.
ANSWER – (a) His horse
was distressed by the whipping.
vi)Which of the
following can be said about Nandu?
1. He was very
cunning.
2. He needed
money.
3. He was cruel
to people but loved animals.
a)
None of these
b)
Both 1 & 2
c)
Both 2 & 3
d)
All 1, 2 and 3
ANSWER – (a)None of
these
vii)What made that merchant agree to Nandu’s
strange condition for buying
the horse?
a)
He wanted to show Nandu how
brave he was.
b)
The thought of the profit
he would make on selling the horse.
c)
The fear that Nandu would
raise the price of his horse otherwise.
d)
He did not think that Nandu
would actually whip him.
ANSWER – (b)The thought of
the profit he would make on selling the horse.
viii) Why did Nandu consider selling his horse to the merchant?
a)
The merchant’s offer was
more than what the horse was worth.
b)
He had not managed to sell
it at the village fair.
c)
He could no longer afford
to feed his horse.
d)
None of these
ANSWER – (d)None of these
ix)Choose
the word that is synonym of “crafty”
a)
skilled
b)
naive
c)
cunning
d)
honest
ANSWER – (c)cunning
x)
Choose the word that is synonym of “PAUSED”
a)
Halted
b)
Relaxed
c)
Ended
d)
Stuck
ANSWER – (a) Halted
xi) Choose the word that is antonym of
“instantly”
a) Carelessly
b) promptly
c) rapidly
d) eventually
ANSWER – (d)
eventually
xii) Choose the word that is
antonym of “GATHERED”
a)
Dissolved
b)
Collected
c)
Dispersed
d)
Melted
ANSWER – (c) Dispersed
HOTS (Higher Order Thinking Skills)
PASSAGE 4
Read
the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. (1x10=10)
1. Necessity is indeed the mother of
invention. When areas in and around Leh began to experience water shortages,
life didn't grind to a halt. Why? Because Chewang Norphel, a retired civil
engineer in the Jammu and Kashmir government came up with the idea of
artificial glaciers.
2. Ladakh, a cold desert at an
altitude of 3,000-3,500 metres above sea level, has a low average annual
rainfall rate of 50mm. Glaciers have always been the only source of water.
Agriculture is completely dependent on glacier melt unlike the rest of
river/monsoon-fed India. But over the years with increasing effects of climate
change, rainfall and snowfall patterns have been changing, resulting in severe
shortage and drought situations. Given the severe winter conditions, the window
for farming is usually limited to one harvest season.
3. It is located between the natural
glacier above and the village below. The one closer to the village and lowest
in altitude melts first, providing water during April/May, the crucial sowing
season. Further layers of ice above melt with increasing temperature thus ensuring
continuous supply to the fields. Thus, farmers have been able to manage two
crops instead of one. It costs about Rs.1,50,000 and above to create one.
4. Fondly called the "glacier
man", Mr. Norphel has designed over 15 artificial glaciers in and around
Leh since 1987. In recognition of his pioneering effort, he was conferred the
Padma Shri by President Pranab Mukherjee, in 2015.
5. There are few basic steps
followed in creating the artificial glacier.
6. River or stream water at higher
altitude is diverted to a shaded area of the hill, facing north, where the
winter sun is blocked by a ridge or a mountain range. At the start of winter/November,
the diverted water is made to flow onto sloping hill face through distribution
channels. Stone embankments are built at regular intervals which impede the
flow of water, making shallow pools and freeze, forming a cascade of ice along
the slope. Ice formation continues for 3-4 months resulting in a large
accumulation of ice which is referred to as an "artificial glacier".
No. of tourist who visited Leh
|
Month / Year |
April |
May |
June |
July |
August |
September |
|
2010 |
3410 |
16518 |
22889 |
22415 |
5575 |
3041 |
|
2011 |
3001 |
26310 |
33908 |
46843 |
37756 |
20833 |
i.
For how many months does the ice formation continue?
(a) 2 months
(c) 5 months
(d) none of these
ANSWER-
(b)3-4 months
ii.
Mr. Norphel designed 15 artificial glaciers in __________
(a) Kashmir
(b) Ladakh
(c) Leh
(d) a village
ANSWER - (c) Leh
iii.
What kind of landform is Ladakh?
(a) Hot desert
(c) Dry desert
(d) Hot and Dry desert
ANSWER – (b) Cold desert
iv.
Who was ChewangNorphel?
(a) a retired principal
(b) a retired activist
(c) a retired social
worker
(d) a retired civil engineer
ANSWER
–(d) a retired civil engineer
v.
In which year did MrNorphel get Padma Shri award?
(a) 2007
(c) 2009
(d) 2005
ANSWER –(b)2015
vi.
Ladakh is at an altitude of ____________ metres above sea level.
(a) 2000-2050
(b) 1500-2000
(d) 2500-3000
ANSWER-
(c)3000-3500
vii.The tabular graph given above depicts
that maximum tourist visited Leh in
(a) August 2010
(b) August 2011
(c) July 2010
(d) July 2011
ANSWER –(d)July 2011
viii. The lowest number of tourist who visited Leh was in the
month of
(a) April 2010
(c) Sep 2010
(d) Sep 2010
ANSWER
– (b)April 2011
ix.
The
number of visitors to Leh in July 2011 was____________ those who visited in
July 2010
(a) One third
(b) Double
(c) more than double
(d) Half
ANSWER
–(b)Double
x.
______
visitors visited Leh in may 2010.
(a) 16815
(b) 16518
(c) 15618
(d) 16158
ANSWER – (b)16518
xi.
The word which means the same as 'involving new methods' in para 4
is __________
(b) recognition
(c) conferred
(d) fondly
ANSWER – (a) pioneering
xii.
The synonym of 'height' in para 2 is _____________
(a) desert
(c) increasing
(d) drought
ANSWER
–(b) altitude
5.
Read the passage given below:
(10 marks)
Cardamom,
the Queen of all spices, has a history as old as the human race. It is the
dried fruit of a herbaceous perennial plant. Warm humid climate, loamy soil
rich in organic matter, distributed rainfall and special cultivation and
processing methods all combine to make Indian cardamom truly unique in aroma,
flavour, size and it has a parrot green colour. Two types of cardamom are
produced in India. The first type is the large one, which has not much
significance as it is not traded in the future market. It is cultivated in
North-eastern area of the country. The second type is produced in the Southern
states and these are traded in the future market. These are mainly cultivated
in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. As per the future market rules, only 7 mm
quality was previously traded in exchanges. But later, it relaxed its norms,
and now 6 mm quality is also traded in the exchanges. The small variety, known
for its exotic quality throughout the world, is now traded in India‟s commodity
future exchanges. Traditional auction markets also exist for trading in small
cardamom in the country. Cardamom is an expensive spice, second only to
saffron. It is often adulterated and there are many inferior substitutes from
cardamom-related plants such as Siam cardamom, Nepal cardamom, Winged Java
cardamom, etc. However, it is only Elettaria cardamom which is the true
cardamom. Indian cardamom is known in two main varieties: Malabar cardamom and
Mysore cardamom. The Mysore variety contains levels of cineol and limonene and
hence is more aromatic.
India
was the world‟s largest producer and exporter of cardamom till the 1980s. By
1990s Guatemala emerged as the leading producer and exporter of cardamom.
The
main harvest season of cardamom in India is between August-February. Cardamom
reaches yielding stage two years after planting. The primary physical markets
of cardamom are Kumily, Vandenmedu, Thekkady, Puliyarmala in Kerala and
Bodynaikkannur and Cumbam in Tamil Nadu. Cardamom auctions also take place in
Sakalespur and Sirsi in Karnataka. North India is the main market for cardamom
produced in the country. Normally, domestic demand goes up during the major festivals
such as Diwali, Dussehra and Eid. Colour, size and aroma are the major
variables that shape cardamom prices in the Indian market. Cardamom price
formation in India is also influenced by the output in Guatemala as that
country controls the global markets. Kerala is the main producer of cardamom
and contributes up to 60% in total production. Karnataka produces around 25%
cardamom of the total production. Ooty is the main producer of cardamom in
Tamil Nadu and contributes around 10-15% of the total production. Besides
India, Guatemala also produces around 2,200 ton cardamom. On the other hand,
India produces nearly 1,000-2,000 ton cardamom per year. Due to low quality of
cardamom from Guatemala, it remains available at cheaper rates. Moreover,
cardamom of Indian origin fetches $ 3-4 per kilogram higher rates than the ones
from Guatemala.
On
the basis of your understanding of the passage attempt ANY TEN questions from
the twelve that follow.
(1x10 =10)
i)
Indian cardamom is unique because of its?
a) aroma, flavour and
size b) parrot green colour
c) processing
methods d) all of these
ANSWER
–(d)all
of these
ii)
Which of the following is not the features of second type of the cardamom?
a) It is produced in
the Southern states
b) it is not traded
in the future market
c) It is produced in
Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka
d) It is produced in
Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh
ANSWER
–(d)It is produced in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh
iii)
What is special about the Mysore quality of cardamom?
a. It is more
expensive than saffron.
b. It contains cineol
and limonene
c. It is the least
aromatic
d. It is the true
cardamom
ANSWER
– (b) It contains cineol and limonene
iv) Which of the
following is true about the role of Guatemala cardamom in the global market?
a) Guatemala is the
second largest producers and exporter of cardamom in the world.
b) It has no control
on global market.
c) Guatemala produces
around 2200 ton cardamom per year.
d) None of these
ANSWER
-(c) Guatemala produces around 2200 ton cardamom per year.
v)
The main market for cardamom in our country is:
a) Assam and
Meghalaya
b) Maharashtra and
Gujrat
c) Kerala and
Karnataka
d) North India
ANSWER-(c)Kerala
and Karnataka
vi)
Which of the following is the harvest season of the cardamom in
India?
a) August and January
b) July and December
c) August
and February
d) August
and March
ANSWER
-(c)August and February
vii)
Which of the following is the adulterated cardamom?
a) Elettaria
cardamom
b) Winged
Java cardamom
c) Malabar
cardamom
d) Mysore cardamom
ANSWER
-(b)Winged Java cardamom
viii)
The price of cardamom is shaped in the Indian market by.
a) Colour, size and
aroma of cardamom
b) production of
cardamom in Guatemala
c) only b
d) both a and b
ANSWER
-(d) both a and b
ix)
Which one of the following is true about the production of cardamom in India
state wise?
a) Tamilnadu is the
second largest producer of cardamom
b) Ooty is the
highest producer of cardamom in Karnataka
c) Karnataka and
Tamilnadu produce more than 50% and less than 70% of the cardamom.
d) Kerala produces
more than 50% of the cardamom.
ANSWER
-(d) Kerala produces more than 50% of the cardamom.
x)
Which one is a true statement about small cardamom?
a) it is solely
traded in traditional market.
b) it is not traded
in India’s commodity future exchange.
c) it is produced
throughout the world.
d) it is known for
its exotic quality.
ANSWER-(d)it
is known for its exotic quality.
(x)Find
words from the options given below which mean the same as “permanent”:
(a) unique (b)
perennial
(c)
exotic
(d) old
ANSWER-
(b)perennial
|
(xi)
fragrance: (a)
herbaceous
(b) loamy (c)
aroma
(d) humid ANSWER-(c)aroma (xii)
make poor in quality by adding another substances: (a)
adulterated
emerged (c)
contribute
(d) remain ANSWER
-(a) adulterated |
READING SECTION----FACTUAL PASSAGES
1. Read the passage given below. HOTS 1x10
1. Mind management is a way to control one’s mind. To do this,
we need to be cautious about our thinking process and also need a high level of
understanding and meditation as well. Understanding is wisdom – 80 percent of
people are knowledgeable, while 20 per cent are wise. Knowledgeable men take
sides without reason. They feel sad seeing deprived people but jealous when
they see happy people. They work in the guidance of others’ inspiration, take
unnecessary responsibility to keep themselves disturbed.
2. A wise person does not stand for or against any idea without
concrete reason. He works according to the situation and capacity. He looks at
everything intellectually. To him, failure is a stepping stone for future
success. So depression and conflict are not seen. Like the phrase ‘Stop, Look,
Go’, first one should see, and this needs patience. Meditation is necessary to
control and manage mind which then becomes an easy task.
3. Unless we control or manage our mind, it is difficult to
achieve success and peace. Psychologists say every interest is first born in
the mind as a seed. Then it continues to grow. Later it takes its real form
which everybody can see. The interest that first appears in the mind remains
weak for the first three minutes and it becomes strong within the next five
minutes. All the negative aspects should be deleted within the first three
minutes. If not taken out, they would become stronger later and you can never
throw them out. After taking control over the mind, we can control passion,
interest and unrest. Mind management is essential for a peaceful, successful
and healthy life.
4. The age of computers has thrown us on the escalator of
aspirations but has robbed us of simple charms like falling asleep. The
compulsions of hectic schedules burden the mind and cause stress. However, the
joys that elude us can be regained by practising power meditation. It creates
tranquillity, simplifies life and cleanses the mind. It helps control
indolence, ego and anger and builds confidence and patience. With power
meditation, negative thoughts get dissipated and a sense of happiness is
achieved.
Attempt the following questions
on the basis of the passage you have read:
(a)
Mind management is essential …………………………
(i) for a peaceful, successful, and a healthy life
(ii) to remain fit
(iii) for a wealthy life
(iv) to dominate others
(b) Traits exhibited by knowledgeable people are …………………………
(i) they take sides without reason
(ii) they are sympathetic to the deprived people
(iii) they are jealous of happy people
(iv) all of the above
(c) we can control
-------
i) passion ii) unrest iii) interest iv?) all of these
(d) ----- percent of
people are knowledgeable and ------- percent are wise.
i) 60:40 ii) 90: 10 iii) 80;20 iv) 50:50
(e) choose the trait of a wise man.
i) feels jealous seeing
happy people ii) takes
sides without reason
iii) works according to
the situation iv) takes
unnecessary responsibility
(f) The age of computers
has robbed us of simple charms of life.
True/ False
(g) Psychologists say
that every ‘interest is first born in the mind as a.
i) plant ii) seed iii) fruit iv) grain
h) Meditation causes
-----
i) simplifies life ii)
creates tranquillity
iii) cleanses the
mind iv) all of
these
(i) Find the word from
the passage which means the same as “based on facts, not on ideas”. (para 2)
i) soft ii) concrete iii) different iv) difficult
j) find the synonym from
the passage which means “escape”-( para 4)
i) accept ii) elude iii) welcome iv) greet
ANSWERS---
1.a). i) peaceful,
successful and healthy life b) all
of these c) all of these
d) 80;20 e) works according to a situation f) true
g) seed h) all of these
i) concrete j) elude
2…Read the following passage and
answer the questions that follow.
1
Vegetables are important
protective food and highly beneficial for the maintenance of health and
prevention of disease. They contain valuable food ingredients which can be
successfully utilised to build-up and repair the body. Vegetables are valuable
in maintaining alkaline reserves in the body. They are valued mainly for their
high vitamin and mineral content. Vitamins A, B and C are contained in
vegetables in fair amounts. Faulty cooking and prolonged careless storage can,
however, destroy these valuable elements.
2
There are different kinds of
vegetables. They may be edible roots, stems, leaves, fruits and seeds. Each
group contributes to diet in its own way. Roots are high in energy value and
good sources of vitamin B group. Seeds are relatively high in carbohydrates and
proteins. Leaves, stems and fruits are excellent sources of minerals, vitamins,
water and roughage. It is not the green vegetables only that are useful.
Farinaceous vegetables consisting of starchy roots such as potatoes, sweet
potatoes, the tubers and legumes are also valuable. They are excellent sources
of carbohydrates and provide energy to the body.
3
To prevent loss of nutrients in
vegetables, we should steam or boil vegetables in their own juices on a slow
fire and the water or cooking liquid should not be drained off. Vegetables lose
their nutritive and medicinal values if they are boiled hard and for a long
time in a large quantity of water. No vegetable should be peeled unless it is
so old that the peeling is tough and unpalatable. In most root vegetables the
largest amount of minerals are directly under the skin and these are lost if
vegetables are peeled. Soaking of vegetables should also be avoided if taste
and nutritive value are to be preserved.
4
Finally, vegetables should not be cooked in aluminium utensils.
Aluminium is a soft metal and is acted upon by both food acids and alkalis.
There is scientific evidence to show that tiny particles of aluminium from
foods cooked in such utensils enter the stomach and that the powerful
astringent properties of aluminium injure the sensitive lining of the stomach,
leading to gastric irritation as well as digestive and intestinal ailments. An
intake of about 280 grams of vegetables per day is considered essential for maintenance
of good health. Of this, leafy vegetables should constitute 40 per cent, roots
and tubers 30 per cent and the other vegetables like brinjals and lady fingers
the remaining 30 per cent.
On the basis of your reading of
the Passage, complete the statements given below by choosing the most
appropriate option.
1. Vegetables are cherished for
their
(a) maintenance of good health
(b) minerals which are directly under the skin
(c) high vitamin and mineral content
(d) None of the above
(2) ---- are high in energy value and good
sources of vitamin B group.
(a) Fruits b) leaves c) seeds d) roots
3. To preserve the nutrients in vegetables, we
should
(a) boil vegetables in their own juices
(b) ensure that the cooking liquid is not removed
(c) Both (a) and (b)
(d) Neither (a) nor (b)
4. A person needs per day for
maintaining good health.
(a) 20 per cent leafy vegetables
(b) roots and tubers 40 per cent
(c) brinjals and ladyfingers 40 per cent
(d) 280 grams of vegetables
5.
Vegetables are called “protective food” because of
a)
maintenance of health b) prevention of
disease
c) repairing of body d) all of
these
6. Write the correct method of cooking—
a) Vegetables should not be peeled. b) soaking of vegetables should be avoided
c) should not be cooked in aluminium
utensils. d) all of these
7.. The word in paragraph 1 which means the same
as ‘available for use if required’ is
(a) spare
(b) storage
(c) reserves
(d) fair
8. In paragraph 3, the word is
the antonym of ‘destroyed’ is
(a) peeled
(b) preserved
(c) cooked
(d) lost
9.. The
word in para 2 which means “suitable to eat” is
a)
edible b) uneatable c) toxic d) useful
10.. Find
out antonym of “harmful” in para 1
a)
Dangerous b) poisonous c) beneficial d) useless
ANSWERS----
1.d). None of the above 2. D) Roots 3. c) Both a and b
4.d). 280-gram vegetable 5. d). all of these 6. d). all of these
7.b). storage 8.b). preserved 9.a) edible 10.c) beneficial
KERALA: THE AYURVEDA HUB ( HOTS
3.. AYURVEDA HELPS KERALA EMERGE AS A
MEDICINAL TOURISM PARADISE
1
The
centuries-old tradition of Ayurveda is fast turning Kerala into a global
medical tourism destination,
attracting holidayers as well as international celebrities to the State. When
British super model Naomi Campbell landed in Kerala last year for an ayurvedic
massage session at Leela Kovalam Beach hotel, she was only affirming the efficacy
of the Indian healing system with God’s Own Country.
2
According to sources in Kerala Tourism department, those who visited
the State in recent times included Italian film director Bernardo Bertolucci,
known for his global hits such as Last Tango in Paris and The Last Emperor, who
came to the State for ayurvedic treatment for a nagging ailment. German TV and
film actress Ingeborg Choener (77) has been trooping into the state for the
last eight years for Ayurveda treatment. Completely cured of her painful knee
problem, she told tourism officials that she had stopped allopathic treatments.
“Thanks to Ayurveda, I feel fantastic. I make ghee at home and have stopped
using oil to fry food. I do my yoga, drink a glass of hot water first thing in
the morning and buy ayurvedic medicines for a whole year,” a spokesperson for
the department quoted her as saying.
3
Pop star Madonna, Hollywood actress Demi Moore
and Cherie Blair, wife of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, have also
used Ayurveda. Back home, former Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee is an ardent
believer in the healing properties of Ayurveda’s Panchakarma therapy. After his
visit to Kumarakom resort, from where he famously mused on the state of the
affair of the nation in 2000, Vajpayee told people around him that he felt very
relaxed after Ayurveda therapy in Kerala.
4
The list of celebrities from the showbiz world,
sports and politics, fascinated by Ayurveda’s power to rejuvenate, detoxify and
cure, is a never ending one. From autism to alzheimers, from migraine to
diabetes, from physical disability to slip disc, there is not a single problem
that Ayurveda does not have an answer for. K.B. Bhadran, DGM, Quality Assurance
Department, Santhigiri Ashram, said “We are sticking to the traditional form of
Aurveda. We are not acting as a massage parlour but as a genuine healthcare
provider round the year with wellness and recreation, only a part of it".
5
Kerala Tourism has introduced the “Green Leaf”
and “Olive Leaf” grading for Ayurvedic institutions in order to ensure quality
service. “Green Leaf is given to those ayurvedic centres which provide ‘five
star’ facilities while Olive Leaf is for the ‘three star’ category. These
classifications ensure the credibility of service providers and the quality. It
will help tourists to identify appropriate centres for their requirements.
1. Which among the following affirmed the
efficacy of the Indian healing system?1X10
A. Pop star Madonna used Ayurveda.
B. German TV actress Ingeborg Choener was a practitioner of Ayurveda.
C. Former Prime Minister, A.B. Vajpayee visited Kumarakom resort.
D. Super model Naomi Campbell came to Kerala for ayurvedic massage.
2. Match
the personalities with their correct reference.
a) A.B Vajpayee
i) Completely cured of
painful knee problem.
b) Naomi Campbell ii) Took ayurvedic
treatment for a nagging ailment.
c) Ingeborg Choener iii) Felt relaxed after
Ayurveda therapy.
d) Bernardo Bertolucci iv) Underwent ayurvedic
massage session.
A. a-ii, b-iii, c-iv, d-i
B. a-iii, b-iv, c-i, d-ii
C. a-I, b -iii, c-ii, d-iv
3.Name a
genetic disease for which Ayurveda is an effective cure.
a) Typhoid b) Alzheimer’s c) small pox d) Dental problem
4.
Grading of Ayurvedic institutions is beneficial. Give reasons.
a). It will increase the quality of service.
b). It will ensure the
credibility of the service provider.
c). Help people to
identify appropriate centres for their requirements.
5.
Ayurveda, which dates back to 6000 BC, is not still outdated. Give reasons.
a).
the efficacy of the Indian healing system
b). Ayurveda’s power to rejuvenate, detoxify
and cure, is a never ending one.
c). From autism to
Alzheimer’s, from migraine to diabetes, from physical disability to slip disc,
there is not a single problem that Ayurveda does not have an answer for.
6..
German actress Choener was under Ayurvedic treatment for knee problem. Mention
the step she did not follow.
a)
she was using oil to fry food
b) she drank a glass of hot water in
the morning
c)
she purchased ayurvedic medicine for a whole year
d)
she was doing yoga
7. Choose
the statement which is TRUE about Santhigiri ashram-----
a) it acts as a massage parlour
b) Healthcare provider with recreation
c) it
uses modern Ayurvedic treatment
d) It
does not have treatment for all ailments
8. Find out synonym of “refresh”
(para 4)
a) spoil b) rejuvenate c) damage d) ruin
9. Find out synonym of ‘annoying’ (para 2)
a) consoling b) comforting c) nagging d) relaxing
10. Find out synonym of ‘pondered’ (para 3)
a) disturbed b) mused c) troubled d) worried
ANSWERS-----
1.. (d) Super model Naomi
Campbell came to Kerala for ayurvedic massage
2. (b) a-iii, b-iv , c-i, d-ii
3.. b) Alzheimer’s
4. d). All of these
5 d). All of these
6.. a) she was using oil to fry food
7. b) Healthcare provider
with recreation
8. b) rejuvenate
9. c)
nagging
10. Mused
4. Read the passage and answer the
questions. ( HOTS)
|
For the working professionals festivities do
not always mean a holiday in India. Many of them do not manage to get
off work during the festival days. And this is a tricky situation faced by many,
no matter which sector they are in. Stressful workplaces can, however, take a toll on the
health and quality of lives of employees. In a survey, conducted by Cigna TTK Health
Insurance, 89% of Indians responded saying that they suffered from stress
as compared to the global average of 86%. 2 Well, with the festive season, it's time you
took the control back with work life blend. While keeping your job is
important, you cannot give the festivities amiss, either. Here are some
tips on how to make the best of both worlds by using the effective
work-pleasure hacks given below : 3 Decide your priorities Get the best returns from a work day by
prioritizing your to-do list |
according to importance and urgency.
Organise and complete the most pressing tasks first and then go on to the
next. Tick off tasks as they are done. You could try scheduling 'time blocks
' for each task. 4 Keep distractions at bay Holiday season can be quite distracting for
obvious reasons. Whether it is the holiday stress, emails to be
answered, or quick questions from your colleagues, distractions can
interfere with the work schedule you had planned. Keep a time buffer for all
the possible distractions that can come your way, so that you don't have to
ignore important work. Work hard to party harder! 5 Plan and schedule everything It's good to plan all that you want to
accomplish but it's important to be disciplined when following your plan.
Follow your planner and carry it everywhere you go. Whether it is work,
shopping, or visiting your friends, the planner should have all the day's
activities jotted down. This will prevent the possibility of burnout and
unnecessary stress during this season. 6 Be kind to yourself and others Show empathy and reinstate faith in the
company’s values and policies. Take time out to bring the festive cheer to
work. Consider perks like gifts, interactive sessions and shorter work days
so that there is more fun and less stress, and the work gets done. Source: Career360 Nov.2018 (Page#192) |
1.. a) How many Indians are stressed?( in
percent)
1x10
i)79 ii) 89 iii) 90 iv) 95
b)
what is TIME BLOCK?
I)Organizing task ii) completing task iii) ticking off task iv)
all of these
c). steps to get work pleasure---
i) make a to- do list ii) Decide your
priorities
iii) keep a time buffer iv) All of these
d). Write the distractions during holidays----
i) holiday pleasure ii) letters to be
written
iii) questions from children iv) none
e). Principles of “more fun,
less stress”--
i) consider perks like gifts ii) interactive sessions
iii) shorter work days iv) All of these
f)
How should you avoid unnecessary stress in life?
i). Follow the planner ii) be disciplined
iii) jot down your work
iv) all of these
2.2
On the basis of your reading of the above passage, answer the
following.
a) The synonym of ‘achieve’ as given in para 5
is----
i)
accomplish ii) give up iii) stop iv) destroy
b)
The antonym of ‘ambiguous’ as given in para 4 is----
i)
puzzling ii)
obvious iii) vague iv) doubtful
c) The synonym of ‘disturbed’ as given
in para 4 is----
i) helped ii) advised iii) distracted iv)
d) The antonym of ‘Destroy’
as given in para 6
is ---
i). ruin ii) spoil iii) reinstate iv) damage
ANSWERS---
1. a)
89% b) All of these c) all of these d) none
e) all of these
a)
all of these
2.a) accomplish b) obvious c) distracted d) reinstate
LITERATURE
CHAPTER 1- A LETTER TO
GOD
MLL (Minimum Level of Learning)
Read the Extracts given below and answer the
questions that follow.
1.With a satisfied expression he regarded the field of ripe corn with its
flowers, draped in a curtain of rain. But suddenly a strong wind began to blow
and along with the rain very large hailstones began to fall. These truly did
resemble new silver coins. The boys, exposing themselves to the rain, ran out
to collect the frozen pearls.
(a) What happened to the rain suddenly?
i) The rain suddenly changed into hailstones.
ii) The rain stopped
iii) The rain began to get fainter
iv) it started raining heavily.
Answer
– (i) The rain suddenly changed into hailstones.
(b) ‘What does the 'frozen pearls’ refer to?
i)
The ‘frozen pearls’ refers to heavy rain
ii) The ‘frozen pearls’ refers to hailstorms
iii)
The ‘frozen pearls’ refers to dew drops
iv)
The ‘frozen pearls’ refers to stars
ANSWER
– (ii) The ‘frozen pearls’ refers to hailstorms
(c) Find the word similar to ‘contented’
in the paragraph.
i)
Exposing
ii)
Draped
iii) Satisfied
iv)
Resemble
ANSWER-
(iii) Satisfied
(d) Find from the passage a word which means
‘wrapped’.
i)
Satisfied
ii)
Resemble
iii)
Exposing
iv) Draped
ANSWER - (iv)
Draped
(e) Antonym of ‘Ripe’ is not
ii)
Ripen
iii)
Green
iv)
Unready
ANSWER
– (i) Unripe
2.Read the Extracts given below and answer the questions that
follow.
“That’s what they say: no one dies of
hunger.” All through the night, Lencho thought only of his one hope: the help
of God, whose eyes, as he had been instructed, see everything, even what is
deep one’s conscience. Lencho was an ox of a man, working like an animal in the
fields, but still he knew how to write.
i)
What
was Lencho’s only hope?
b)
The help of the
Government
c)
Flourishing of his another
crop
d)
His family’s support
ANSWER -
The help of God
ii)
Despite
being a farmer what did Lencho know?
a)
How to please God
c)
How to talk
d)
How to die
ANSWER –(b) How to write
iii)
How
did Lencho work in the field?
a)
Like a farmer
b)
Like a businessman
d)
As comfortably as a rich
ANSWER – (c)As hard as an animal
iv)
What
does the word ‘conscience’ in the extract mean?
a)
Knowledge
b)
Awareness
c)
Interest
d)
Moral sense
ANSWER – (d)Moral sense
v)
Which
word from the extract is the synonym of ‘expectation’?
a)
Hunger
c)
Thought
d)
Conscience
ANSWER – (b)Hope
HOTS (Higher Order Thinking Skills)
3. Read the Extracts given below and
answer the questions that follow.
Lencho showed
not the slightest surprise on seeing the money; such was his confidence — but
he became angry when he counted the money. God could not have made a mistake,
nor could he have denied Lencho what he had requested. Immediately, Lencho went
up to the window
i)What did Lencho think of the
post-office employees?
(a) bunch of crooks
(b) rude
(c) unhelpful
(d) proud
Answer: (a) bunch of crooks
ii) Why was
Lencho not surprised on seeing the money in the envelope?
(a) he was too sad to
acknowledge it
(b) he had unwavering faith in God
(c) he was an ungrateful man
(d) none of the above
Answer: (b) he had unwavering faith in God
iii) How much
money was the postmaster able to arrange?
(a) 100 pesos
(b) Nil
(c) 1000 pesos
(d) 70 pesos
Answer: (d) 70 pesos
iv) Who is the
author of the lesson ‘A Letter to God’?
(a) G.L. Fuentes
(b) J.k. Rowling
(c) William Shakespeare
(d) Roald Dahl
Answer: (a) G.L. Fuentes
v)What is the
irony in the given extract?
(a) Lencho was sad after the
hailstorm even though he was the one waiting for a shower
(b) Postmaster laughed at Lencho but still helped arrange money for him
(c) Lencho blamed the post office employees who in fact helped him
(d) None of the above
Answer: (c) Lencho blamed the post office employees
who in fact helped him
Nelson
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
MLL (Minimum Level of Learning)
1. Read the
following extracts and answer the questions that follow.
My country is rich in
the minerals and gems that lie beneath its soil, but I have always known that
its great wealth is its people, finer and truer than the purest diamonds.
It
is from these comrades in the struggle that I learned the meaning of courage.
Time and again, I have seen men and women risk and give their lives for an
idea. I have seen men stand up to attacks and torture without breaking, showing
a strength and resilience that defies the imagination.
(i)
Speaker says that people of the
country are -:
(a)
Purest diamonds
(c) finer
than purest diamonds
(b)
Soil
(d) minerals
ANSWER – (c)finer than purest diamonds
(ii)
When do people risk their lives,
according to the extract?
(a) People risk their lives for ideas (c) for enjoyment
(b)
For the sake of fighting (d) none
of these
ANSWER - (a)People risk their lives for ideas
(iii)
The word __________ means ability
to deal with any kind of hardship.
(a) Courage
(c) strength
(b) Wealth
(d) resilience
ANSWER – (d) resilience
(iv)
From where has the narrator learnt
the meaning of courage?
(a) From
his enemies
(c) from
comrades
(b) None
of these
(d) from
Americans
ANSWER - (c) from comrades
(v)
Who fought for the freedom of his
people?
(a)
Americans
(c) Mahatama Gandhi
(b)
Nelson
Mandela (d) Africans
ANSWER - (b) Nelson
Mandela
2. Read the following extracts and answer the questions that
follow.
The structure
they created formed the basis of one of the harshest, most inhumane, societies
the world has ever known. Now, in the last decade of the twentieth century, and
my own eighth decade as a man, that system had been overturned forever and
replaced by one that recognised the rights and freedoms of all peoples,
regardless of the colour of their skin.That day had come about through the
unimaginable sacrifices of thousands of my people ,people whose suffering and
courage can never be counted or repaid.
i) What structure is Mandela
talking about?
(a) Racial
domination against the black skinned
(b) Poverty and suffering
(c) Discrimination against the poor
(d) oppression of women
Answer: (a) Racial domination
against the black skinned
ii)The spectacular array of
South African jets was a display of –
(a) military’s precision
(b) military’s loyalty to democracy
(c) none of the above
(d) both 1 and 2
Answer: (d) both 1 and 2
iii)What was it that the nation
needed to be liberated from?
(a) poverty
(b) gender discrimination
(c) deprivation
(d) all of the above
Answer: (d) all of the above
iv)What change brought international leaders to South Africa?
(a) End of Apartheid
(b) humanity
(c) peace
(d) trade negotiations
Answer: (a) End of Apartheid
v) Find a word from the given
extract which mean the same as “brutal”
a)
suffering
b) inhumane
c)
unimaginable
d)
overturned
ANSWER – (b) inhumane
HOTS
(Higher Order Thinking Skills)
3. Read the
following extracts and answer the questions that follow.
The policy of
apartheid created a deep and lasting wound in my country and my people. All of
us will spend many years, if not generations, recovering from that profound
hurt. But the decades of oppression and brutality had another, unintended,
effect, and that was that it produced the Oliver Tambos, the Walter Sisulus,
the Chief Luthulis, the Yusuf Dadoos, the Bram Fischers, the Robert Sobukwes of
our time* — men of such extraordinary courage, wisdom and generosity that their
like may never be known again. Perhaps it requires such depths of oppression to
create such heights of character.
i)What does
depths of oppression create?
(a) oppressed
(b) heights of character
(c) poverty
(d) lack of freedom
Answer: (b) heights of character
ii)Which
word in the given extract mean the same as “cruelty”?
(a) oppression
(b) brutality
(c) profound
(d) generosity
ANSWER – (b)
brutality
iii)What unintended effect did
the decades of oppression and brutality had?
(a) created men of
extraordinary courage, wisdom and generosity
(b) Poverty and suffering
(c) boycot from foreign nations
(d) both 2 and 3
Answer: (a) created men of
extraordinary courage, wisdom and generosity
iv)What change brought international
leaders to South Africa?
(a) End of Apartheid
(b) humanity
(c) peace
(d) trade negotiations
Answer: (a) End of Apartheid
TWO STORIES ABOUT
FLYING
1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.
The moon was coming up in the east, behind me, and stars were
shining in the clear sky above me. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I was happy
to be alone high up above the sleeping countryside. I was flying my old Dakota
aeroplane over France back to England. I was dreaming of my holiday and looking
forward to being with my family. I looked at my watch at one thirty in the morning.
I should call Paris Control soon. I thought. As I looked down past the nose of
the aeroplane, I saw the lights of a big city in front of me.
LOTS
(a) How was the weather when the pilot started
flying his aeroplane?
i)
Cloudy ii)
clear iii) stormy iv)
rainy
(b) where was the speaker going?
i)
France ii) England iii) USA iv)
India
(c) The profession of the speaker is
i)
Instructor ii) pilot iii) Air traffic controller iv) none of these
(d) Choose from the passage the word which means
‘land outside towns or cities’.
i)
Town ii) countryside iii) village iv) valley
e) what is old Dakota?
i) a town ii) aero plane iii) a city iv) river
ANSWER:
1.a) clear b) England c) pilot d) countryside e) aeroplane
2.
Read the following extract and answer the questions.
She looked at me very strangely, and then
laughed.
‘Another aeroplane? Up there in this storm? No other
aeroplanes were flying tonight. ‘Yours was the only one I could see on the
radar.”So who helped me to arrive there safely without a compass or a radio,
and without any more fuel in my tanks? Who was the pilot on the strange black
aeroplane, flying in the storm, without lights? HOTS CBSE 2016
a)
“I” in the
above lines is---------
i)
Narrator ii)
woman at the control centre
iii) narrator’s friend iv) a
pilot
b)
An instrument called-----that tells
directions.
i)
Radar ii) compass iii) Radio iv) tank
c)
Why did the
narrator desire to meet the pilot of the black aeroplane?
i)
To invite him
to breakfast ii) to
thank him
iii)
To teach him flying iv) To know about his family
d) Why was the writer shocked after hearing
the woman’s word?
i)
She saw three
planes ii) she saw
only narrator’s plane
ii)
She
scolded him
iv) she felt sorry for him
e) Find out
the word in the passage that means the same as ‘peculiar’.
i)
Strange ii) wise iii) ignorant iv) fool
2. Answers: a) woman at control center b)
compass
c) to thank him d) she saw only narrator’s plane e) strange
3.
Read the extract and answer the questions.
His parents and his brothers and sister had
landed on this green flooring ahead of him. They were beckoning to him, calling
shrilly. He dropped his legs to stand on the green sea. His legs sank into it.
He screamed with fright and attempted to rise again flapping his wings. But he
was tired and weak with hunger and he could not rise, exhausted by the strange
exercise. His feet sank into the green sea, and then his belly touched it and he
sank no farther. He was floating on it, and around him his family was
screaming, praising him and their beaks were offering him scraps of dog-fish.
a) What does the phrase, ‘this green flooring’
refer to?
i)
River bed ii) green surface of sea iii)
sea beach iv) fountain
b) Who stands for ‘he’ in 2nd line?
i)
Young
seagull ii) mother seagull iii
father seagull iv) author
c) Who had landed on this green flooring?
i)
His
parents ii) his brothers iii) his sisters iv) all of them
(d) What made the young seagull tired?
i)
Too much
walking ii) swimming iii) hunger iv) exercise
e) The word ……… means a small piece/amount of
something.
i) piece ii) scrap iii) chip iv) fragment
3. Answers:
i) green surface sea ii) young seagull iii) all of them iv) hunger v) scrap
4. Read the extract and answer the questions
that follow:
That was twenty-four hours ago. Since then nobody had come near him. The
day before, all day long, he had watched his parents flying about with his
brothers and sister, perfecting them in the art of flight, teaching them how to
skim the waves and how to dive for fish. He had in fact, seen his elder brother
catch his first herring and devour it, standing on a rock, while his parents
circled around raising a proud cackle. And all the morning the whole family had
walked about on the big plateau midway down the opposite cliff taunting him for
his cowardice.
a) whom does’ he’ represent in this extract?
i)
The
seagull ii) parrot iii) pigeon iv) pilot
b) What were his parents teaching his brothers and
sisters?
i)
Diving ii) skimming the waves iii)
art of flying iv) all
c) He couldn’t fly like his brothers and sisters
because
i)
He was
lazy ii) he was scared
iii) he was sick
iv) he was not interested
d) What had his elder brother done?
i)
Taunting ii) eating his fish iii) flying iv) had caught his first herring
e) Find out
the antonym of “bravery”.
i)
Courage ii) fear iii) cowardice iv) strength
Answers. 4. a) the sea gull b) all c) he was scared
d)
had caught first herring
cowardice
FROM THE DIARY
OF ANNE FRANK
1. Read the extract and answer the questions.
To enhance the
image of this long awaited friend in my imagination, I don’t want to jot down
the facts in this diary the way most people would do, but I want the diary to
be my friend, and I’m going to call this friend ‘Kitty’.
Since no one would understand a word of my
stories to Kitty if I were to plunge right in, I’d better provide a brief
sketch of my life, much as I dislike doing so. CBSE 2016
(a) Who was the long awaited friend of Anne?
Why?
i).
Margot ii) Kitty iii) grandmother iv) Anne’s father
(b) What did she provide in her diary?
I). her family ii) her school iii) her ambition iv) detail of her life
(c) To write down the idea as and when it occurs
in mind is called—
i). Long-awaited ii) Jot down iii) To enhance iv) Narrate
d) Anne decided to write a diary because---
i). she had no
close friend
ii) she was a good writer
iii) she wanted to be popular iv) she wanted to be
different
e). which is true about Anne’s character?
i) She was
introvert ii) she was
extrovert iii) she was
careless iv) she was proud
ANSWERS----
1. a)
Kitty b)
detail of her life c)
jot down
d) she had no close friend e) she was introvert
2. Read the
extract and answer the questions---
That evening,
after I’d finished the rest of my homework, the note about the essay caught my
eye. I began thinking about the subject while chewing the tip of my fountain
pen. Anyone could ramble on and leave big spaces between the words, but the
trick was to come up with convincing arguments to prove the necessity of
talking. I thought and thought, and suddenly I had an idea,: I wrote the three
pages Mr. Keesing had assigned me and was satisfied. I argued that talking is a
student’s trait and that I would do my best to keep it under control, but that
I would never be able to cure myself of the habit since my mother talked as
much as I did if not more, and that there’s not much you can do about inherited
traits. HOTS
(a) Anne was assigned to write an essay on---
i). Need of
talking ii)
chatterbox iii) her family iv) her friends
b) what did Anne argue in the essay about
talking?
i). it is
inherited ii) her mother is
talkative iii) it is a student’s
trait iv) all of these
c) why
was she assigned the essay?
i).as a
homework ii) as a punishment iii) as a project iv) for school magazine
d)
what do you understand by “ inherited traits”-qualities received
from---------
i) friends ii) parents iii) teachers iv) society
e)
find out word from the given passage which means ‘write aimlessly for a
long’
i) describe ii) justify iii) ramble iv) elucidate
ANSWERS----
2.a).
chatterbox b) all of
these c) as a punishment d) parents e) ramble
3.. Read the following extract and answer the
questions.
However, during the third lesson he’d finally
had enough. ‘Anne Frank, as punishment for talking in class, write an essay
entitled ‘Quack, Quack, Quack, Said Mistress Chatterbox’.” The class roared. I
had to laugh too, though I’d nearly exhausted my ingenuity on the topic of
Chatterboxes. It was time to come up with something else, something original.
My friend, Sanne, who’s good at poetry, offered to help me write the essay from
beginning to end in verse and I jumped for joy. MrKeesing was trying to play a
joke on me with this ridiculous subject, but I’d make sure the joke was on
him.
LOTS
a) MrKeesing
was Anne’s------
i).
father ii) teacher iii) friend iv) neighbour
b)
Sanne was very good at-----
i) debate ii) studies iii) poetry iv) drawing
c)
How many essays were assigned to Anne?
i) 1 ii) 2 iii) 3 iv)
none
d)
find out synonym of ‘humorous’ in the passage.
i) unhappy ii) ridiculous iii) exciting
iv) sad
e)
Why did Anne jump with joy?
i) she passed the exam. ii) the teacher praised
her.
iii) she could write essay in verse
form iv) all of these
ANSWER----
3. a) teacher b) poetry c) three
d) ridiculous e) could write
essay in verse form
GLIMPSES OF INDIA
1. Read the extract and answer the questions.
The baker usually collected his bills at the
end of the month. Monthly accounts used to be recorded on some wall in pencil.
Baking was indeed a profitable profession in the old days. The baker and his
family never starved. He, his family and his servants always looked happy and
prosperous. Their plump physique was an open testimony to this. Even today any
person with a jackfruit-like physical appearance is easily compared to a baker.
[CBSE
2016]
a) Who is the author of “A baker from
Goa”?
i).
Arup Datta ii) Lokesh
abrol iii) Lucio
Rodrigues iv) none of these
b) Which profession was a profitable one
in old days?
i). cooking ii) baking iii) teaching iv) accounting
c)
monthly records of a baker used to be recorded on---
i)
notebook ii) wall iii) palm iv) computer
d)
How can a baker be identified in Goa?
I) Never starved ii) looked happy iii) by plump physique iv)
all of these
e)
when did the baker collect his bill?
i) month end ii) before month end iii) daily iv) any time
ANSWERS----
1. a) Lucio Rodrigues b) Baking c) wall d) All of these e) month end
2. Read the extract and answer the
questions.
The fiercely independent people of Coorg are
possibly of Greek or Arabic descent. As one story goes, a part of Alexander’s army
moved South along the coast and settled here when return became impractical.
These people married amongst the locals and their culture is apparent in the
martial traditions, marriage and religious rites, which are distinct from the
Hindu mainstream. The theory of Arab origin draws support from the long, black
coat with an embroidered waist-belt worn by the Kodavus, known as Kuppia, it
resembles the Kuffia worn by the Arabs and Kurds.
a) Whose culture is mentioned in” their culture”?
i).
Greek ii) Arabic iii) Indian iv) English
b) Kuffia was worn by
the ---
i)
Arabs ii) Kurds iii) Kodavus iv) a and b
c) the culture of the
Kodavusare ----Hindu culture.
i)
different ii) similar iii) overlapping d) none of these
d) --------is so
similar between Kodavus
and Arabs.
i)
Traditional dress with stone work ii) modern dress
iii) long black coat with embroidered
waist belt
iv). Short coat with a simple waist belt
e).
-------means related to war.
i) mainstream
ii) martial iii)
kurds iv) apparent
ANSWERS----
1.a) Greek
b) a and b c) different d)
long black coat with embroidered waist belt e)
martial
3. Read the extract and answer the
questions.
“Chai-garam…
garam-chai,” a vendor called out in a high-pitched voice. He came up to their
window and asked,” Chai, sa’ab?” “Give us two cups,” Pranjol said. They sipped
the steaming hot liquid. Almost everyone in their compartment was drinking tea
too.
“Do you know that over eighty crore cups of tea
are drunk every day throughout the world?” Rajvir said. “Whew!” exclaimed Pranjol. “Tea really is very popular.” the
train pulled out of the station. Pranjol buried his nose in his detective book
again. Rajvir too was an ardent fan of
detective stories, but at the moment he was keener on looking at the beautiful
scenery.
b) How many cups of tea are drunk everyday
throughout the world?
i). sixty crore ii) eight crore iii) eighty crore iv) eighteen crore
c) Where was Rajvir going?
i). Goa ii) Assam iii) coorg iv) Delhi
c). where was the vendor selling tea?
i) roadside ii) platform iii) airport iv) inside the train
d). Rajvir liked to read -----stories.
i). Ghost ii) Detective iii) comical iv) Adventurous
e). Find out synonym of ‘impassioned’—
i). cold ii) dispassionate iii) ardent iv) unemotional
ANSWERS----
3.a) Eighty
crore b) Assam c) platform d) Detective e) Ardent
Poem: Dust of Snowby – Robert Frost
MLL
(Minimum Level of Learning)
1.Read the
extracts given below and answer the questions thatfollow.
The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree
- Where
was the crow sitting?
a.
On a banyan tree
b. On a hemlock tree
c.
On a pine tree
d.
On a gulmohar tree
ANSWER –(b) On a hemlock tree
ii.
What did it shake on the poet?
a.
Rubber ball
b.
Fruit of a tree
c.
A small pebble
d. Dust of snow
ANSWER
-Dust of snow
iii.
Give a rhyming word of ‘crow’ from a passage.
a.
Heart
b.
Mood
c. Snow
d.
Rued
ANSWER -Snow
iv.
What was the poet’s state of mind at that time?
a.
Good mood
b.
Best mood
c.
Not very good mood
d. Depressive mood
ANSWER-Depressive mood
v.
Who is the poet of the given poem “Dust of Snow”
a.
Walt Whitman
b. John Berryman
c.
John Keats
d.
Robert Frost
ANSWER – (d) Robert Frost
2.Read the extracts given below and answer the
questions thatfollow.
The
way a crow,
Shook
down on me.
The
dust of snow,
From
a hemlock tree.
i.
The Hemlock here stands for?
a)
Sorrow
and depression
b)
Excitement
c)
Happiness
d)
Peace
ANSWER- (a)Sorrow and depression
ii.
Name the Poet
a)
Robert Frost
b)
Carolyn Wells
c)
Sarojini Naidu
d)
Adrienne Rich
ANSWER-
(a)Robert Frost
iii.
Hemlock tree bears ______?
a)
Thick branches
b)
Poisonous seeds
c)
Beautiful flowers
d)
Sweet fruits
ANSWER - (b)Poisonous seeds
iv.
What does the poem signify?
a)
No creature is insignificant
b)
One should remain happy
c)
Simple actions can have great importance
d)
One should remain ignorant
ANSWER – (a)No creature is insignificant
v.
What is the rhyme scheme of the
given stanza.
a)
abcb
b)
acbc
c)
abab
d)
baba
ANSWER
–(a) abab
HOTS
(Higher Order Thinking Skills)
3.Read the extract given below and
choose the appropriate option from the questions below:
Has given my heart
A change of mood
And save some part
Of a day I rued
i. Under which tree was the poet standing or
sitting?
a. Hemlock
b. Bunyan
c. Pine
d. Oak
ANSWER – (a)Hemlock
ii. What changed the poet's gloomy mood?
a. Snowflakes
b. Raindrops
c. Wind
d. Sunshine
ANSWER –(a)Snowflakes
iii. What is the rhyme scheme of the given
stanza?
a. abcd
b. abab
c. abba
d. aabb
ANSWER- (b)abab
iv.How did the poet feel when the
snowflakes fell on him?
a. Petrified
b. Dejected
c. Joyful
d. Enraged
ANSWER- (c)Joyful
v.What does the word ' rued ' mean?
a. Pride
b. Fear
c. Enthusiasm
d. Regret
ANSWER- (d) Regret
Fire and Ice
By ROBERT FROST
MLL (Minimum Level of Learning)
1.Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
(1x5=5)
But if it had
to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
(i)What
is ‘Ice’ a symbol of?
a) Lust b) Love
c) Desire d) Hatred
Ans. (d) Hatred
(ii)What
does the poet want to convey through this poem?
a) We should not be greedy
b) all humans should
check their desires and hatred
c) Restrain our desires and love fellow
beings
d) Both a) and c)
Ans. (b) all humans should check their desires and
hatred
(iii)
The word in the extract which is an antonym of survive is
a) destruction b) suffice
c) perish d) none of the above
Ans. (c) perish
(iv)What is the rhyming scheme in
this extract?
a) aabbb b) ababa
c) abbab d) aabba
Ans. (b) ababa
(v) What are the causes of
destruction of mankind?
a) coldness b) indifference towards others
c) both
a & b d) hatred and desires
Ans. (d) hatred and desires
HOTS (Higher
Order Thinking Skills)
2. Read the extracts
given below and answer the questions that follow.
Some
say the world will end in fire
Some
say in ice.
From
what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with
those who favour fire.
i)What is the name of the poet?
(a) Sylvia Plath
(b) W.B Yeats
(c) Robert Frost
(d) Robert Burns
Answer:
(c) Robert Frost
ii)
Why do some people say that the world will end in ice?
(a) because love among people is increasing
fast.
(b) because hatred among people is increasing fast.
(c) because lust among people is increasing fast.
(d) None of the Above
Answer:
(b) because hatred among people is increasing fast.
iii)What
is ‘Ice’ a symbol of?
(a) Lust
(b) Love
(c) Desire
(d) Hatred
Answer:
(d) Hatred
iv)
What is ‘fire’ a symbol of?
(a) love and new desires
(b) lust and endless desires
(c) love and beginning of a new thing.
(d) Revolution
Answer:
(b) lust and endless desires
v)
Where has he used personification?
(a) fire
(b) ice
(c) earth
(d) both 1 and 2
Answer:
(d) both 1 and 2
Question
7.
What is the rhyming scheme of the given stanza?
(a) abaa
(b) aaba
(c) aaab
(d) abab
Answer: (a) abaa
A
TIGER IN THE ZOO - LESLIE NORRIS
Read
the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow. (5x1=5)
MLL
(Minimum Level of Learning)
1.
Read the extracts given below and
answer the questions that follow:
He stalks in his vivid
stripes
The few steps of his cage
On pads of velvet quite,
In his quiet rage.
i)The fact that he is stalking the few steps means:
a. He is free
c. He is roaming in the
forest
d. He is wandering in the
long grass
Answer (b) He
is caged
ii)Why does he move only a few steps, it is because of:
a. Zoo
b. Room
c. Jungle
Answer
-(d) Cage
iii) Pick out the word from the stanza that means the same as
‘bright’.
a. Stripes
b. Velvet
d. Rage
Answer- (c) Vivid
iv)Who has written the above lines?
b. Robert Frost
c. Robin Klein
d. Carolyn Wells
Answer – (a) Leslie Norris
v)Name the poetic device used in line 1.
a. Metaphor
b. Simile
d. Repetition
Answer – (c) Personification
2. Read the extracts given below and
answer the questions that follow:
He should be lurking in shadow,
Sliding
through long grass
Near
the water hole
Where plump deer pass.
i)Who passes near the water hole?
(a) Fat Pig
(b) Fat Buffalo
(c) Fat Deer
(d) All of the Above
Answer:
(c) Fat Deer
ii)Where should the tiger hide to himself?
(a) behind the tree
(b) in the shadow
(c) in the house
(d) in the jungle
Answer:
(b) in the shadow
iii)What has been personified in the poem?
(a) tiger
(b) forest
(c) zoo
(d) all of the above
Answer:
(a) tiger
iv)Synonym of the word “lurking” is _______________
a) sleeping
b) running
d) hiding
Answer – (c) loitering
v) The Tiger goes to the water hole _______________________
a) Only to drink water
b) To have bath in the cool water
c) To cool himself in
the water
d) In search of his
victim who come there to drink water
Ans.(d)
In search of his victim who come there to drink water
HOTS (Higher
Order Thinking Skills)
3. Read the extracts given below and
answer the questions that follow:
But he’s locked in a concrete cell,
His strength behind bars,
Stalking
the length of his cage,
Ignoring visitors.
He hears the last voice at night,
The patrolling cars, …
i) How does the caged tiger react to the visitors?
(a) He ignores them
(b) With a happy face
(c) With a sad face
(d) Proudly
Answer:
(a) He ignores them
ii) By “ignoring visitors”, what is the poet trying to say?
(a) tiger knows his power is restricted
(b) there is
no use of showing rage
(c) he is less terrorising because of the cage
(d) all of the above
Answer:
(d) all of the above
iii) What describes
“tiger is in cage”?
(a) Locked in concrete cell
(b) his strength behind bars
(c) Stalking the length of his cage,
(d) All the above
Answer: (d) All
the above
iv) The main contrasting idea suggested by the
extract is that of
a) strength and weakness.
b) nature and culture.
c) beasts and mortals.
Answer – (d) confinement and freedom
v)Which word in the given stanza
mean the same as “stride”
a) patrolling
c) ignoring
d) locked
Answer – (b)
stalking
AMANDA
HOTS=High Order Thinking Skill
LOTS= Low order Thinking Skill
1. Read the following extracts and answer the
questions that follow.( HOTS)
“ Don’t bite your nails, Amanda! 1x5
Don’t hunch your shoulders,
Amanda!
Stop that
slouching and sit up straight,
Amanda! “
i)
Who is giving instructions to Amanda?
a)
Teacher b)
maid
c) Her father d) Her
mother
ii) why is Amanda receiving the
instructions?
a)
Because they have guests in the house
b) Because she has a wrong posture
c) So that she remains healthy
d)
Because
she is a rebel
iii) How is Amanda’s posture?
a)
Twisting
b) slouching
b)
Sitting straight d) bending
iv) Name the poetic device used here.
a)
Anaphora b)
Alliteration
c) Assonance d)
metaphor
v) With what tone does the speaker address
Amanda?
a) anger b) love c) care d) frustration
2. Read the following extract and answer the
questions that follow. (LOTS) 1X5
“ I am an orphan ,roaming the street,
I pattern soft dust with my hushed, bare feet.
The silence is golden, the freedom is sweet”
i)
Name
the poet.
a) Robert frost b) Robin klein c)
Walt Whitman d) Ogden nash
ii)
Who
longs to be an orphan?
a) Amanda b) his father c) his friend d) his sister
iii)
where is the orphan roaming?
a) Market b) street c) playground d) home
iv)
How
does the speaker make designs?
a) hand b) bare foot c) stick d) pencil
v)
write
the synonym of “ roaming”.
a)
Running b) looking c) wandering d)
wondering
ANSWERS---
2. I) Robin klein ii) Amanda iii) in the street iv)
with her bare foot v) wandering
THE BALL POEM
1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow—LOTS
What is the boy now, who lost his
ball,
What, what is he to do? I saw it
go
Merrily bouncing, down the street,
and then
Merrily over—there it is in the
water!
i)
Name
the poet.
a) Robert frost b) john Berryman c) Walt Whitman d) Wordworth
II) who stands for “I” in 2nd line?
a) The Poet b) the
boy
c) the boy’s
father d) the boy’s friend
iii) What happens to the boy
who has lost the ball?
a) Happy b) confused c) sad d) angry
iv) The ball symbolizes the boy’s
a) Extended family b) innocence
c)childhood
days d)
sense of adventure
v) where did the ball go bouncing?
a) field b) water c)
forest d) ground
ANSWER: 1. I) John Berryman ii) the poet iii) sad
iv) childhood days v) water
2.
Read the extract and answer the questions— HOTS
I would not intrude on him,
A dime, another ball is worthless
Now he
senses first responsibility
In a world of
possessions.
(i) Who does not want to intrude
on him?
a)
The
poet b) the boy c) the boy’s friend d) the boy’s mother
ii)
The loss of the ball teaches the
boy--------
a) To be carefree b) to be responsible c) to be materialistic d) none
Iii) A world of
possession means----
a) World of reality b) world
of imagination
c)world of deception d) word of
materialism
iv) Choose the synonym of
‘intrude’---
a) Ignore b) overlook c) neglect d) interfere
v) what does ‘dime’ represent here?
a) Money b) moral lesson c) loss d) ball
2. ANSWER: i) the boy
ii) to be responsible iii) world of materialism
iv) interfere v) money
Chapter: MADAM
RIDES THE BUS
Author:
VALLIKANNAN
EXTRACT QUESTIONS: MCQ (5 Marks)
Read the extracts given below and
attempt the questions that follow.(5x1 = 5 M)
1. She was
eight years old and very curious about things. Her favourite pastime was
standing in the front doorway of her house, watching what was happening in the
street outside. There were no playmates of her own age on her street, and this
was about all she had to do.
But for Valli, standing at the front door was every bit as enjoyable as
any of the elaborate games other children played. Watching the street gave her
many new unusual experiences.
The most fascinating thing of all was the bus that travelled between her
village and the nearest town. It passed through her street each hour, once
going to the town and once coming back. The sight of the bus, filled each time
with a new set of passengers, was a source of unending joy for Valli.
i. Why was
watching the happenings of street, Valli’s favourite pastime?
a)
Valli was the only child of her family.
b)
Valli had no playmates of her age.
c)
Valli’s parents were very strict.
d)
Valli was quite embarrassed to go out and play.
ii. Choose the
option that lists the set of statements that are NOT TRUE according to the given extract.
1. Valli enjoyed playing with her friends.
2. The street was a matter of amusement for
Valli.
3. Valli’s gave least attention to the
happenings outside her house.
4. Valli was a curious child of ten years.
5. The bus travelled between her village and
the nearest town.
6. The sight of the bus, filled Valli with
happiness.
a) 2, 3, 4
b) 1,5, 6,
c) 3, 5, 6
d) 1, 3, 4
iii. ‘Watching
the street gave her many new unusual experiences’ means that:
a)
She learned how to behave in street.
b)
She got acquainted with the ways and life of people in street.
c)
The street enriched her thought process.
d)
She was happy watching the happenings in the street.
iv. Choose the
characteristic displayed by Valli according to the above extract.
a) Creative
b) Adamant
c) Inquisitive
d) Unimaginative
v. Which word
does ‘fascinating’ NOT correspond
to?
a) Interesting
b) Engrossing
c) Thrilling
d) Repelling
2. The
conductor was a jolly sort, fond of joking. “Oh, please don’t be angry with me,
my fine madam,” he said. “Here, have a seat right up there in front. Everybody
move aside please — make way for madam.” It was the slack time of day, and
there were only six or seven passengers on the bus. They were all looking at
Valli and laughing with the conductor. Valli was overcome with shyness.
Avoiding everyone’s eyes, she walked quickly to an empty seat and sat down.
i. Why did Valli avoid everyone’s eyes and walked
quickly to an empty seat?
a) Rather shocked
b) Somewhat happy
c) Fairly displeased
d) Quite embarrassed
ii. Choose the
option that lists the set of statements that are TRUE according to the given extract.
1. Valli was travelling without a guardian.
2. The conductor was bullying Valli.
3. Valli was nervous in her interactions.
4. Valli was a child passenger.
a) 2, 3
b) 3, 4
c) 1, 4
d) 1, 2
(2) I
feel like Valli was being irresponsible. (3) Oh,
come on! , she was just out for an adventure. (4) I
feel though Valli is young she seems to be confident. (1) I
think the conductor was impolite to Valli.
a) F – 1 and O – 2, 3, 4
b) F -
2 and O – 1, 3, 4
c) F – 3 and O - 1, 2, 4
d) F - 4 and O - 1, 2, 3
iv. Which word
does ‘slack’ NOT correspond to?
a) Loose
b) Sluggish
c)
Relaxed
d) Rigid
v. Choose the
characteristic displayed by the conductor when he addressed Valli as ‘Madam’.
a)
respect
b) indulgence
c) embarrassment
d) authority
3. Valli
wasn’t bored in the slightest and greeted everything with the same excitement
she’d felt the first time. But suddenly she saw a young cow lying dead by the
roadside, just where it had been struck by some fast-moving vehicle. “Isn’t
that the same cow that ran in front of the bus on our trip to town?” she asked
the conductor. The conductor nodded, and she was overcome with sadness. What
had been a lovable, beautiful creature just a little while ago had now suddenly
lost its charm and its life and looked so horrible, so frightening as it lay
there, legs spreadeagled, a fixed stare in its lifeless eyes, blood all
over...
The bus moved on. The memory of the dead cow haunted her, dampening her
enthusiasm. She no longer wanted to look out the window.
i. What made
Valli to lose her enthusiasm during her journey back from the town?
a) The
frightening sight of the dead cow.
b)
Haunting memory of the dead cow.
c) The
death of the cow had not affected anybody else.
d) She
had seen the cow in its charm and beauty.
ii. Choose the
option that lists the set of statements that are TRUE according to the given extract.
1. Valli was bored during her journey back
from the town.
2. Valli had seen the dead cow before.
3. Valli was grief ridden by the death of the
cow.
4. The cow had been attacked by another cow.
a) 2, 3
b) 1, 2
c) 3, 4
d) 1, 4
(2)
Struggles
(3)
Temptation Overcome (1)
Happiness (4) Fear
a) Option (1)
b) Option (2)
c) Option (3)
d) Option (4)
iv. Choose the
characteristic displayed by Valli according to the above extract.
a) Creative
b) Passive
c) Empathetic
d) Unemotional
v. Which word
does ‘frightening’ NOT correspond
to?
a) terrifying
b) alarming
c) startling
d) reassuring
4. “Day after
day she watched the bus, and gradually a tiny wish crept into her head and grew
there: she wanted to ride on that bus, even if it was just once. This wish
became stronger, until it was an overwhelming desire. Valli would stare
wistfully at the people who got on and off the bus when it stood at the street
corner. Their faces would kindle in her longings, dreams, and hopes. If one of
her friends happened to ride the bus and tried to describe the sights of the
town to her. Valli would be jealous to listen and would shout, in English:
“Proud! Proud!”
i.
Valli would stare wistfully at the people as
she
a) had been watching the bus for a long time.
b) was inspired by the people travelling on
the bus.
c) had a strong desire to take a ride on the
bus.
d) envied the people who could travel on the
bus.
ii. Pick the option that shows the list of
words that collocate with ‘overwhelming’ (e.g. overwhelming desire)
1. response
2. lies
3. support
4. majority
5. pets
6. places
a) 1, 5 & 6
b) 1, 3 & 4
c) 2 & 5
d) 3, 5 & 6
iii. ‘Valli
would be jealous to listen…’ This indicates Valli’s
a)
longing to ride the bus.
b) nature as an envious person.
c) denial to accept her situation.
d) inclination to trouble travellers.
iv. A part of
the extract has been paraphrased. Choose the option that includes the most
appropriate solution to the blanks. The desire became so
(i) ______________________ that it transformed
into an
ii) ____________________________ one. Valli
would look
(iii) _________________________ at people who
boarded the bus and got off.
a) i) active ii) overt iii) longingly
b) i) vigorous ii) overpowering iii) cheerfully
c) i) staunch ii) overt iii) joyfully
d) i) vigorous ii) overpowering iii) longingly
v. What does
the line ‘gradually a tiny wish crept into her head and grew there’, mean?
a) The wish developed in her head over a
period of time.
b) The wish was a feeling of wanting to prove
her strength.
c) The wish was planted in her head by
someone’s suggestion.
d) The wish was small and was overpowered by a
sense of doubt.
5. “‘Yes, I’m
travelling alone,” she answered curtly. And I’ve got a ticket too.’ ‘Yes she’s
on her way to town,’ said the conductor. ‘With a thirty paise ticket.’ ‘Oh, why
don’t you mind your own business,’ said Valli. But she laughed all the same,
and the conductor laughed too. But the old woman went on with her drivel. ‘Is
it proper for such a young person to travel alone? Do you know exactly where
you’re going in town? What’s the street? What’s the house number? ‘You needn’t
bother about me. I can take care of myself,’ Valli said, turning her face
towards the window and staring out.”
i. Pick the
option that matches the expressions with ‘mind’ correctly.
Expression Meaning
1. bring to mind A. be receptive to
someone’s ideas
2. be in two minds B. think about only one
subject
3. have an open mind C. recall something
4. put your mind at ease D. undecided
E. reassure you
F. reach a decision
a) 1-F,
2-C, 3-A, 4-D
b) 1-C, 2-D, 3-A, 4-E
c) 1-B, 2-F, 3-E, 4-A
d) 1-F, 2-D, 3-C, 4-B
ii. Valli told
the conductor to mind his own business and laughed as well. This shows that
Valli ...
a) was not really bothered about what the
conductor said.
b) didn’t like the conductor speaking about
her.
c) disliked what the conductor said but was
amused.
d) was impressed with what the conductor said.
iii. The old
woman went on with her drivel. Why is the word ‘drivel’ used here? It is used
to show that the old woman
a) was talking incessantly.
b) kept muttering a lot of nonsense.
c) was volunteering advice on request.
d) spoke non-stop about herself.
iv. The old
woman asked her questions
a) due to anxiety about Valli travelling
alone.
b) out of curiosity and concern for Valli.
c) interest in Valli’s life and need for
travel.
d) due to the habit of interfering in Valli’s
life.
v. How do you
think Valli felt when the old woman asked her questions? Pick the option that
best describes her feelings.
a) i) irritated ii) agitated
b) i)
concerned ii) upset
c) i) upset ii) agitated
d) i) upset ii) irritated
Answer Key:
1.
i. (b) Valli had no
playmates of her age.
ii. (d) 1, 3, 4
iii. (c) The street enriched her thought process.
iv. (c) Inquisitive
v.
(d) Repelling
2. i. d) Quite
embarrassed
ii. c) 1, 4
iii. d) F - 4 and
O - 1, 2, 3
iv. d) Rigid
v. b) indulgence
3. i. b) Haunting
memory of the dead cow.
ii. a) 2, 3
iii.
a) Option (1)
iv. c) Empathetic
v. d) reassuring
4. i. c) had a
strong desire to take a ride on the bus.
ii.
b) 1, 3 & 4
iii. a) longing
to ride the bus.
iv. d) i) vigorous ii) overpowering iii) longingly
v. a) The wish developed in her head over
a period of time.
5. i. b) 1-C, 2-D,
3-A, 4-E
ii. c) disliked
what the conductor said but was amused.
iii.
b) kept muttering a lot of nonsense.
iv. b) out of curiosity and concern for
Valli.
v. d) i) upset ii) irritated
Chapter: THE
SERMON AT BENARES
Author: BETTY
RENSHAW
EXTRACT QUESTIONS: MCQ (5 Marks)
Read the extracts given below and
attempt the questions that follow.(5x1 = 5 M)
1. GAUTAMA
Buddha (563 B.C. – 483 B.C.) began life as a prince named Siddhartha Gautama,
in northern India. At twelve, he was sent away for schooling in the Hindu
sacred scriptures and four years later he returned home to marry a princess.
They had a son and lived for ten years as befitted royalty. At about the age of
twenty-five, the Prince, heretofore shielded from the sufferings of the world,
while out hunting chanced upon a sick man, then an aged man, then a funeral
procession, and finally a monk begging for alms. These sights so moved him that
he at once went out into the world to seek enlightenment concerning the sorrows
he had witnessed. He wandered for seven years and finally sat down under a
peepal tree, where he vowed to stay until enlightenment came. Enlightened after
seven days, he renamed the tree the Bodhi Tree (Tree of Wisdom) and began to
teach and to share his new understandings. At that point he became known as the
Buddha (the Awakened or the Enlightened).
i. What made
Siddhartha to renounce worldly pleasures?
a) Ignorance of the subjects of his kingdom.
b) His unquenching thirst for knowledge
c) Alarming societal system.
d) Sufferings he had witnessed.
ii. Choose the
option that lists the set of statements that are TRUE according to the given extract.
1. Buddha got enlightenment sitting under the
peepal tree.
2. Buddha was untouched by the sufferings of
the world.
3. The name Budhha was conferred upon
Siddhartha after enlightenment.
4. Siddhartha was an adopted son and lived for
ten years as befitted royalty.
a) 2, 3
b) 3, 4
c) 1, 3
d) 1, 2
iii. Which word
does ‘Enlightened’ NOT correspond
to?
a) wisdom
b) ignorance
c) education
d) aware
iv. Choose the
answer that lists the correct option about the sorrowful sight that prompted
Buddha to seek enlightenment.
(1)
(2)
(3) (4)
a) Option (1)
b) Option (2)
c) Option (3)
d) Option (4)
v. Which of
the following options DOES NOT correspond
to ‘The Bodhi Tree’ :
1)
peepal tree
2) enlightenment of Buddha
3) tree of suffering
4) tree of wisdom
5) achievement and pleasure
a) 2, 3, 5
b) 3, 5
c) 1, 4, 2
d) 2, 3
2. Poor Kisa Gotami
now went from house to house, and the people pitied her and said, “Here is
mustard-seed; take it!” But when she asked, “Did a son or daughter, a father or
mother, die in your family?” they answered her, ‘Alas! the living are few, but
the dead are many. Do not remind us of our deepest grief.” And there was no
house but some beloved one had died in it.
i. The reason
for Kisa Gotami’s inquiry “Did a son or daughter, a father or mother, die in
your family?”
a) She was collecting death census data.
b) She wanted medicine for her husband.
c) She wanted to save her son.
d) She wanted to impress Buddha.
ii. Choose the
word which corresponds to ‘pitied’.
a) Sorrow
b) Compassion
c) Condolence
d) Cruelty
iii. ‘Deepest
grief’ as per the extract is:
a) Famine
b) Poverty
c) Death
d) Disease
iv. Select the
option that makes the correct use of “Alas!!”, as used in the extract. a)
Alas!! we have won the match.
b) Alas!! my cat is dead.
c) Alas!! what a wonderful day.
d) Alas!! we met today.
v. Choose the answer that lists the
correct option about the suggested cure of Kisa Gotami’s son?
(1)
(2)
(3) (4)
a)
Option (1) b)
Option (2)
c) Option (3)
d) Option
(4)
3.Poor Kisa Gotami now went from house to house,
and the people pitied her and said, “Here is mustard seed; take it!” But when
she asked, “Did a son or daughter, a father or mother, die in your family?” they
answered her, “Alas! the living are few, but the dead are many. Do not remind
us of our deepest grief.” And there was no house but some beloved one had died
in it.
Kisa Gotami became weary and hopeless, and sat down at the wayside
watching the lights of the city, as they flickered up and were extinguished
again. At last the darkness of the night reigned everywhere. And she considered
the fate of men, that their lives flicker up and are extinguished again. And she
thought to herself, “How selfish am I in my grief! Death is common to all; yet
in this valley of desolation there is a path that leads him to immortality who
has surrendered all selfishness.”
i. Why did no
one offer mustard seeds to Kisa Gotami?
a) No one had mustard seeds at that time.
b) No one could fulfill Buddha’s condition.
c) They didn’t want to offer the seeds for
free.
d) No one could fulfill Gotami’s condition.
ii. Which word
does ‘weary’ NOT correspond to.
a) tired
b) exhausted
c) worn out
d) ill
iii. According to
the extract man’s life is like:
a) darkness
b) mustard seeds
c) flickering lamps
d) river
iv. Choose the
option that best describes the lesson that Buddha taught Kisa Gotami.
a) Man is born free but everywhere he is in
chains.
b) Man is rational and practical.
c) Man is immortal.
d) Man is mortal.
v. ii. Choose the
option that lists the set of statements that are TRUE according to the given extract.
1. Kisa Gotami wanted medicine to save his
son.
2. There was no house in which no one had
died.
3. Kisa Gotami was hopeful after visiting the
houses.
4. The twinkling stars in the sky made Kisa Gotami
realize the value of life and death.
5. Buddha asked Kisa Gotami to get mustard
seeds to save her son.
6. Buddha denied the help to Kisa Gotami.
a) 1, 2, 3
b) 3, 4, 5
c) 1, 2, 5
d) 2 ,3, 6
4. Poor Kisa Gotami
now went from house to house, and the people pitied her and said, “Here is
mustard-seed; take it!” But when she asked, “Did a son or daughter, a father or
mother, die in your family?” they answered her, “Alas! the living are few, but
the dead are many. Do not remind us of our deepest grief.” And there was no
house but some beloved one had died in it.
i. The community’s response to Kisa in the above
extract was somewhat different from before. Why do you think that was so?
a) They had learnt from Buddha’s sermons.
b) They were able to help Kisa in some way
this time.
c) They understood parental grief.
d) They liked Kisa and enjoyed talking to her.
ii. Which of
the following options represent the correct understanding of the word “poor” in
the phrase “Poor Kisa Gotami”?
a) in need of money
b) weak
c) unfortunate
d) inferior
iii. “Do not
remind us of our deepest grief.” The tone of the speaker(s) is
a) disillusioned
b) skeptical
c) ironic
d) solemn
iv. Pick the
option that explains — ‘…the living few, but the dead many.’
a) It shows the high death rate and low birth
rate in the city of Benares.
b) It highlights the holy status of Benares
where many Hindus go to die.
c) It throws light on the numerous loved ones
the villagers had lost over time.
d) It reflects that many children who had died
in the village for various reasons.
v. Imagine you are a photo journalist visiting
the city at the time KisaGotami went from house to house. You documented her
experience given in the above extract in a photo series. Your publisher wants
to publish the photo series in three parts wherein Part 1 shows Kisa’s visits
to the houses; Part 2 depicts her conversations with people, and Part 3
captures Kisa’s reflections at the end of the day sitting by the wayside. The
publisher would also like you to choose titles for the series and its three
parts. Look at the titles given below, and choose the options that provide the
most appropriate set of titles.
1) Series Title – From Darkness to Light. Part
I – Living in Loss; Part II – A Mother’s Journey; Part III – Mustard Seed
2)
Series Title – Mustard Seed. Part I – A Mother’s Journey; Part II – From
Darkness to Light; Part III – Living in Loss
3) Series Title – A Mother’s Journey. Part I –
Mustard Seed; Part II – Living in Loss; Part III – From Darkness to Light
4) Series Title – Living in Loss. Part I –
From Darkness to Light; Part II – Mustard Seed; Part III – A Mother’s Journey
a) 1 and 2
b) 2
and 3
c) 3 and 4
d) 1 and 4
5. Not from
weeping nor from grieving will anyone obtain peace of mind; on the contrary,
his pain will be the greater and his body will suffer… He who seeks peace
should draw out the arrow of lamentation, and complaint, and grief. He who has
drawn out the arrow and has become composed will obtain peace of mind.”
i. Choose the
correct picture which best describes the extract.
(i) (ii) (iii) (iv)
a) Option (i)
b) Option (ii)
c) Option (iii)
d)
Option (iv)
ii. Which of
the following statements cannot be attributed to the Buddha based on the given
extract?
(i) Pain and grief are unavoidable and
necessary.
(ii) The inevitability of death makes grieving
futile.
(iii) Universality of grief and pain makes us
sad.
(iv) Understanding that life is finite leads
to wisdom.
a) (i) and (ii)
b) (i) and (iii)
c) (iii) and (iv)
d) (i) and (iv)
iii. Chose the
option that appropriately completes the following— lamentation: grief: _______
: _______
(a) laughter: joke
(b) discomfort: fear
(c) celebration: joy
(d) resignation: loss
iv. According
to the Buddha, peace of mind is attainable by those who
a) renounce worldly life like the Buddha
b) take out the arrow and become strong
c) grieve, suffer and then move on
d) recognise terms of life and let go off
complaint
v. The given
extract is paraphrased below. Choose the option that includes the most
appropriate solutions for the blanks.
(i) The act of ______________ is not only
pointless but (ii) rather _________, causing pain and suffering. It only serves
to (iii) __________ peace of mind.
(iv) __________ without complaint is crucial to well-being and peace.
a) grief, harmful, destroy, accepting
b) grieving, counterproductive, take away,
acceptance
c) weeping, productive, take away, lamentation
d) grieving, harmful, destroy, lamenting
Answer Key:
1.
i. d) Sufferings he had witnessed.
ii. c) 1, 3
iii. b) ignorance
iv. d) Option (4)
v. b) 3, 5
2. i. c) She
wanted to save her son.
ii.
b) Compassion
iii. c) Death
iv. b) Alas!! my cat is dead.
v. b)
Option (2)
3. i. b) No one
could fulfill Buddha’s condition.
ii. d) ill
iii.
c) flickering lamps
iv. d) Man is mortal.
v. c) 1, 2, 5
4. i.