THINKING
ABOUT THE TEXT PAGE
5
Activity:
To
be done by the student.
I. Answer these questions in one or two
words or in short phrases.
1. Name the two temples the author
visited in Kathmandu.
Answer:
The
author visited the Pashupatinath Temple and Baudhnath stupa in Kathmandu.
2. The writer says, “All this I wash down
with Coca Cola.” What does ‘all this’ refer to?
Answer:
By
‘all this’ the author refers to the bar of marzipan, roasted corn, love story
comics and Reader's Digest.
3. What does Vikram Seth compare to the
quills of a porcupine?
Answer:
Vikram
Seth compares the flutes protruding in different directions to the quills of a
porcupine.
4. Name five kinds of flutes.
Answer:
The
reed neh, the recorder, the Japanese shakuhachi, the deep bansuri of Hindustani
classical music, and the clear or breathy flutes of South America and
high-pitched Chinese flutes are five kinds of flutes.
II. Answer each question in a short
paragraph.
1. What difference does the author note
between the flute seller and the other hawkers?
Answer:
Unlike
hawkers, the flute seller seems to not believe in excessive display. While
hawkers shout out their articles, the flute seller does not do so. He tends to
make a sale occasionally as if it were the most natural thing to do.
2. What is the belief at Pashupatinath
about the end of Kaliyug?
Answer:
A
small shrine half protrudes from the stone platform on the river Bagmati’s
bank. People are of the belief that when the small shrine half protruding from
the stone platform on the bank of Bagmati river emerges fully, the goddess
inside will escape. Thus, the evil period known as Kaliyug will be brought to
an end.
3. The author has drawn powerful images
and pictures. Pick out three examples each of
(i) the
atmosphere of 'febrile confusion' outside the temple of Pashupatinath (for
example some people trying to get the priest's attention are elbowed aside…)
(ii) the
things he sees
(iii) the
sounds he hears
Answer:
(i)There are priests and devotees, hawkers and tourists, cows and
monkeys, and pigeons and dogs. The animals are often seen roaming. The author
offers a few flowers even as the people elbow one another to have a glimpse of
the deity. Also, some Westerners donning saffron clothes await permission to
enter the temple where only Hindus are allowed.
(ii)The author notes that Kathmandu is a vivid, mercenary and
religious place. Most of the shrines situated there are small shrines, and he
can find deities adorned with flower even by the narrowest and busiest streets.
He sees fruit sellers and flute sellers besides hawkers selling postcards.
Besides, the author comes across shops that sell only Western cosmetics. Shops
selling film rolls and chocolate are also witnessed.
(iii) The author finds the place chaotic. He hears film songs
blaring out from the radios car even as horns are sounded. He hears the bicycle
bells ringing and stray cows lowing at motorcycles. The noise of the vendors
shouting out their articles is also heard.
III. Answer the following questions in
not more than 100–150 words each.
1. Compare and contrast the atmosphere in
and around the Baudhnath shrine with the Pashupatinath temple.
Answer:
According
to the author, the Pashupatinath temple and its adjoining areas have an
atmosphere of ‘febrile confusion’, for the priests, hawkers, devotees,
tourists, cows, monkeys, pigeons and dogs are seen moving about hither and
thither. At this temple Are many worshippers, so much so that people are
elbowed aside by those wanting to get a glimpse of the deity.
At the Baudhnath
shrine, which happens to be a Buddhist shrine, the author finds a sense of
calm. While there is no crowd, the place also appears to be a haven where
people may come to escape the busy streets and spend some time in peace.
2. How does the author describe
Kathmandu’s busiest streets?
Answer:
Kathmandu’s
busiest streets, according to the author, are colourful, mercenary, and
religious. He says that deities decorated with flowers can be found in the
narrowest and busiest streets. Also, there are some noisy places where chaos
prevails and there are some extremely tranquil places. The busiest streets though are home to those
selling fruit, flutes, postcards, and the like. These streets also have shops
selling Western cosmetics and film rolls and chocolate.
The place is noise as
songs, the filmy ones, are played aloud on the radios, car horns are sounded,
bicycle bells are rung. Even the stray cows are seen questioningly lowing at
motorcycles while vendors shout out their articles.
3. “To hear any flute is to be drawn into
the commonality of all mankind.” Why does the author say this?
Answer:
The
author says so because he feels flute has a quality that can unite people from
different countries and races. He talks about the reed neh, the Japanese
shakuhachi and the deep bansuri of Hindustani classical music besides the
breathy flutes of South America, which he says are clear, and the Chinese
flutes, which are high-pitched. Therefore, there is a feeling that the author nurtures
- the feeling of a flute being the most universal and most particular of
sounds. He stresses that not only is it found in every culture, but it also
links people to our common characteristics. It shows that the primary force is
living breath.
THINKING
ABOUT LANGUAGE PAGE
6
I. Read the following sentences carefully
to understand the meaning of the italicised phrases. Then match the phrasal
verbs in Column A with their meanings in Column B.
1. A communal war broke out when the princess was abducted by the neighbouring prince.
2. The cockpit broke off from the plane during the plane crash.
3. The car broke down on the way and we were left stranded in the jungle.
4. The dacoit broke away from the police as they took him to court.
5. The brothers broke up after the death of the father.
6. The thief broke into our house when we were away.
|
A |
B |
|
(i) break out |
(a) to come apart due
to force |
|
(ii) break off |
(b) end a
relationship |
|
(iii) break down |
(c) break and enter
illegally; unlawful trespassing |
|
(iv) break away (from
someone) |
(d) of start
suddenly, (usually a fight, a war or a disease) |
|
(v) break up |
(e) to escape from
someone’s grip |
|
(vi) break into |
(f) stop working |
Answers:
|
A |
B |
|
(i) break out |
(d) of start suddenly, (usually a fight, a
war or a disease) |
|
(ii) break off |
(a) to come apart due to force |
|
(iii) break down |
(f) stop working |
|
(iv) break away (from someone) |
(e) to escape from someone’s grip |
|
(v) break up |
(b) end a relationship |
|
(vi) break into |
(c) break and enter illegally; unlawful
trespassing |
II.
1. Use the suffixes -ion or -tion to
form nouns from the following verbs. Make the necessary changes in the
spellings of the words.
Example: proclaim – proclamation
cremate ___________ act ________________ exhaust
_____________
invent ____________ tempt ______________ immigrate
___________
direct _____________ meditate ___________ imagine
_____________
dislocate ___________ associate ___________ dedicate
____________
Answers:
cremate cremation; act
action; exhaust exhaustion
invent invention; tempt
temptation; immigrate immigration
direct direction;
meditate meditation; imagine imagination
dislocate dislocation;
associate association; dedicate dedication
2. Now fill in the blanks with suitable
words from the ones that you have formed.
(i) Mass literacy was possible only after the
___________ of the printing machine.
(ii) Ramesh is unable to tackle the situation as he
lacks ___________.
(iii) I could not resist the ___________ to open the
letter.
(iv) Hardwork and ___________ are the main keys to
success.
(v) The children were almost fainting with ________
after being made to stand in the sun.
Answers:
(i) Mass literacy was
possible only after the invention of the printing machine.
(ii) Ramesh is unable
to tackle the situation as he lacks direction.
(iii) I could not
resist the temptation to open the letter.
(iv) Hard work and
dedication are the main keys to success.
(v) The children were
almost fainting with exhaustion after being made to stand in the sun.
III. Punctuation
Use capital letters, full stops, question
marks, commas and inverted commas wherever necessary in the following
paragraph.
an arrogant lion was wandering through the jungle one
day he asked the tiger who is stronger than you you O lion replied the tiger
who is more fierce than a leopard asked the lion you sir replied the leopard he
marched up to an elephant and asked the same question the elephant picked him
up in his trunk swung him in the air and threw him down look said the lion
there is no need to get mad just because you don’t know the answer
Answer:
An arrogant lion was
wandering through the jungle one day. He asked the tiger, “Who is stronger than
you?” “You, O! Lion,” replied the tiger. “Who is fiercer than a leopard?” asked
the lion. “You, sir,” replied the leopard. He marched up to an elephant and
asked the same question. The elephant picked him up in his trunk, swung him in
the air and threw him down. “Look”, said the lion, “there is no need to get mad
just because you don’t know the answer.”
IV. Simple
Present Tense
Study these sentences from the lesson.
• A fight breaks out between two monkeys.
• Film songs blare out from the radios.
• I wash it down with Coca-Cola.
The italicised verbs are in the simple present tense.
The writer is here describing what he saw and heard but he uses the present
tense instead of the past tense.
A narration or a story can be made more dramatic or
immediate by using the present tense in this way.
Now, look at the following sentences.
• A small shrine half protrudes from the stone
platform on the riverbank.
• Small shops stand on the outer edge of the
Stupa.
We use the simple present tense to speak about what is
usually or generally true. The sentences above describe facts. We also use the
simple present tense in sentences depicting ‘universal truths’. For example:
• The sun rises in the east.
• The earth revolves around the sun.
We can also refer to habitual actions using the simple
present tense.
• He usually takes a train instead of a bus to work.
• We often get fine drizzles in winter.
In these sentences words like everyday, often, seldom, never,
every month, generally, usually, etc. may be used.
1. Fill in the blanks with the correct form
of the verb in brackets.
(i) The
heart is a pump that __________ (send) the blood circulating through our body.
The pumping action __________ (take place) when the left ventricle of the heart
__________ (contract). This __________ (force) the blood out into the arteries,
which __________ (expand) to receive the oncoming blood.
(ii) The
African lungfish can live without water for up to four years. During a drought
it __________ (dig) a pit and __________ (enclose) itself in a capsule of slime
and earth, leaving a tiny opening for air. The capsule __________ (dry) and
__________ (harden), but when rain __________ (come), the mud __________
(dissolve) and the lungfish __________ (swim) away.
(iii)
MAHESH: We have to organise a class party for our teacher.
__________ (Do) anyone play an instrument?
VIPUL : Rohit __________ (play) the flute.
MAHESH : __________ (Do) he also act?
VIPUL : No, he __________ (compose) music.
MAHESH: That's wonderful!
Answer:
(i) The heart is a pump that sends (send) the blood circulating
through our body. The pumping action takes place (take place) when the left
ventricle of the heart contracts (contract). This forces (force) the blood out
into the arteries, which expands (expand) to receive the oncoming blood.
(ii) The African lungfish can live without water for up to four
years. During a drought it digs (dig) a pit and encloses (enclose) itself in a
capsule of slime and earth, leaving a tiny opening for air. The capsule dries
(dry) and hardens (harden), but when the rain comes (come), the mud dissolves
(dissolve) and the lungfish swims (swim) away.
(iii) MAHESH: We have to organise a class party for our teacher.
Does (Do) anyone play
an instrument?
VIPUL: Rohit plays
(play) the flute.
MAHESH: Does (Do) he
also act?
VIPUL: No, he composes
(compose) music.
MAHESH: That's wonderful!
SPEAKING PAGE
9
1. Discuss in class the shrines you have
visited or know about. Speak about one of them.
Answer:
To be done by the student.
2. Imagine you are giving an eyewitness
account or a running commentary of one of the following:
(i) a game
of football, cricket or hockey, or some sports event
(ii) a
parade (e.g. Republic Day) or some other national event
Speak a few sentences narrating what you see and hear.
Use the simple present and the present continuous tenses. For example:
• He passes the ball but Ben gets in the way…
• These brave soldiers guard our frontiers. They
display their skills here…
Answer: To be done by the student.
WRITING PAGE
9
Diary entry for a travelogue
I. The text you read is a travelogue
where the author, Vikram Seth, talks about his visit to two sacred places in
Kathmandu.
Imagine that
you were with Vikram Seth on his visit to Pashupatinath temple, and you were
noting down all that you saw and did there so that you could write a travelogue
later.
Record in point form
• what you see when you reach the
Pashupatinath temple
• what you see happening inside the
temple
• what you do when inside the temple
• what you see outside the temple
• what your impressions are about the
place.
Answer:
August 27, 20xx
Dear Diary,
I won’t forget until my last breath. I enjoyed it to
the fullest in the throbbing city of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. I first
visited the sacred Pashupatinath temple with the renowned author, Vikram Seth.
I was first flabbergasted by seeing the number of people there. And not just
the people, the animals too! The crowd was huge at the temple and I happened
upon priests and hawkers and devotees and tourists. Animals like cows and
monkeys were roaming freely even as I saw people elbowing one another to catch
a glimpse of the deity. Thankfully, we were able to see the deity well and
offer our obeisances to Him. Quite interestingly, some Westerners at the gate
were awaiting permission to enter the temple despite its being made clear that
only Hindus were allowed. Nonetheless, I felt great, and I do want to visit the
temple again.
Reyansh
II. Here is your diary entry when you
visited Agra. Read the points and try to write a travelogue describing your
visit to Agra and the Taj Mahal. You may add more details.
January 2003 —
rise before dawn — take the Shatabdi Express at 6.15 a.m. from Delhi — meet a
newly-married couple on train — talk about Himachal Pradesh — get off the train
— enter the once-grand city, Agra — twisted alleys — traffic dense — rickshaws,
cars, people — vendors selling religious artifacts, plastic toys, spices and
sweets — go to the Taj Mahal — constructed entirely of white marble — magical
quality — colour changes with varying of light and shadow — marble with
gemstones inside — reflection of the Taj Mahal in the pond — school-children,
tourists — tourist guides following people.
Answer:
In the month of January in 2003, I rose much before
the sun had risen, for I had to take the Shatabdi Express at 6.15 AM from
Delhi. I did so without fail. And once I took my seat, I saw a newly-married
couple. We soon became friends and started talking about the beautiful state of
Himachal Pradesh. After a while, I got off the train and entered Agra, a
wondrous and ancient city. There, I came across amazingly twisted alleys. They
had dense traffic with rickshaws, cars and people fighting for space. Also,
many vendors were seen selling religious artifacts and plastic toys besides
sweets and spices. How can I not go to Taj Mahal after coming to Agra? Well, I
went there, completely spellbound while relishing its beauty. Though it was
made of white marble, the colour seemed to change with the movement of then,
causing a change in the length of shadows. The monument had gemstones engraved
inside it, and I could see the reflection of the Taj Mahal in the pond. The
best part was the students were roaming hither and thither with very many
tourists, who were busy taking photos.
Poem: A
Slumber Did My Spirit Seal by William
Wordsworth
THINKING
ABOUT THE POEM PAGE 10
1. “A slumber did my spirit seal,” says
the poet. That is, a deep sleep ‘closed off’ his soul (or mind). How does the
poet react to his loved one’s death? Does he feel bitter grief? Or does he feel
a great peace?
Answer:
"A slumber did my spirit seal," says the poet. It is a little
difficult to decide if the poet felt bitter grief or peace. He says that his
soul has been sealed due to his loved one's death and that he does not have any
human fears. He talks about how his loved one seemed now- motionless and beyond
the passage of time.
2. The passing of time will no longer
affect her, says the poet. Which lines of the poem say this?
Answer:
The lines of the poem that say this are:
“She seemed a thing that could not feel
The touch of earthly years.”
3. How does the poet imagine her to be,
after death? Does he think of her as a person living in a very happy state (a
‘heaven’)? Or does he see her now as a part of nature? In which lines of the
poem do you find your answer?
Answer:
The poet imagines her to be immersed in the earth. He feels that she has become
a part of earth’s daily course and rolled along with the rocks, stones and
trees.
The lines of the poem that we find our answer in:
“Rolled round in earth’s diurnal course
With rocks and stones and trees.”
|
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