Summary & Question-answers of The Chapter-2: Nelson Mandela:Long Walk to Freedom with the concerned video

Summary of Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Long Walk to Freedom is the autobiography of Nelson Mandela, who was the former South African President. This article is for Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom Summary. This chapter is the extracts from the “Long Walk to Freedom” book. It includes the description of the inauguration ceremony and citations from his speech and about his journey to being a freedom fighter. It tells about the other countless people who fought for their freedom.   In South Africa, a brutal practice named “apartheid” was very popular in those days. It referred to the discrimination between people on the basis of their race and colour. It was one of the most brutal societies in which dark-skinned people were deprived of their basic rights. This lesson gives us an overview of the struggles of Mandela for making the society with no discrimination on the basis of their colour, caste, race, age or gender.

“A Long to Freedom”, by Nelson Mandela is all about the struggle of freedom of South-Africa. On May 10, 1994, Nelson Mandela took a vow as the first black president of South Africa. And therefore it was becoming a new-born democratic country. Nelson Mandela took an oath as the first black president.

Many dignitaries from different countries had come to be part of the most significant day. In his speech, Mandela thanked all those dignitaries. Mandela assured his countrymen that his country would never  experience the same suppression of one by another. Democracy had been established in South Africa and as a result, a government of no discrimination was established.

The people of South Africa sang two National Anthems as a symbol of that day. Mandela recalled that the reason for this movement was that Black-skinned people were exploited by the White people. He said that this type of suppression of people of South Africa was the origin of many stars. People must learn to hate first, because if they hate then they can be taught to love, as love comes from the opposite circumstances. He also says that a brave man is not he who does not feel afraid but it is he who conquers it.

In life, a man has two major obligations. First, towards his family, to his parents, to his wife and to his children and second,  the obligation towards his country, people and the community. Everyone fulfils his duty as per his inclination and interest. But it was very tough to fulfil in a country like South Africa. When Mandela became an adult, he understood that his freedom was only an illusion. In fact, he was the slave of exploitation. He also understood that not only he was a slave but his other family members were also.

According to him, Freedom is also mandatory for those who were suppressing others in the past. They also have the right to have it because the snatcher of other’s freedom is a prisoner of the same. Thus, the oppressor is as much a prisoner as the oppressed. The oppressor too is not free.

Conclusion of Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

The brave man is not the one who does not feel afraid, but he is the one who conquers that fear. Mandela said that every man has his duties towards his country and community too.

Question-answers

Q1)Why did such a large number of international leaders attend the inauguration? What did it signify the triumph of ?

A-A large number of international leaders attended the inauguration to show their support for the emancipation of the South African blacks after long years of fight against apartheid. It signified the triumph of tolerance over discrimination, justice over oppression and humanity over barbarity.

Q2)What does Mandela mean when he says he is “simply the sum of all those African patriots” who had gone before him ?

A-Mandela allows us a glimpse into his character formation as he reveals that he is built by the combination of courage, wisdom and generosity possessed by his African patriots who sacrificed their lives to see the light of freedom. He wants to pay tributes to his inspirations who with their efforts and struggles made the road to freedom easier for Mandela. Those heroes of yester years are the reason that Mandela could learn the true meaning of courage and win the support of the people of South Africa.

Q3)Would you agree that the “depths of oppression” create “heights of character”? How does Mandela illustrate this? Can you add your own examples to this argument?

A-Yes, I agree that the “ depths of oppression” create “heights of character”. Mandela vividly paints a picture of his countrymen suffering decades of humilation, brutality, oppression at the hands of the white supremacy which gave rise to brave, resilient , wise leaders of the likes of the Oliver Tambos, the Walter Sisulus, the Chief Luthulis, the Yusuf Dadoos, the Bram Fischers, the Robert Sobukwes of their time. The cruelty and struggles encouraged his countrymen to stand up and risk their lives for their belief, their freedom. I believe that adversity shapes a man. To quote some popular examples are fine statesmen like Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, Winston Churchill and so on.

Q4)How did Mandela’s understanding of freedom change with age and experience?

A-As a child, Mandela considered himself to be born free as long as he followed his father’s orders and lived by the rules of his clan. As a student, he craved for freedom which he considered important for himself like staying out at night, reading what it pleases him and so on. However, as young man in Johannesburg, he yearned for the freedom to lead a basic, dignified life. Slowly, he realized that not only his freedom was restricted but everyone in his community was barred from leading a normal, lawful life. That is when his hunger for his own freedom transformed into the greater hunger for the freedom of his people.

Q5)How did Mandela’s ‘hunger for freedom’ change his life ?

A-As Mandela grew into adulthood, it dawned upon him that his restricted freedom was common across his entire community. This ‘hunger for freedom’ that arose in Mandela for a basic, dignified life transformed him from a weak, immature youth to a bold man, from a family loving person to the man who sacrificed his every personal desire for the greater good of his people. He joined the African National Congress and his life was changed forever.

Summary & Question-answers of The Chapter-2: The Sound of Music with the concerned video

The Sound of Music Summary In English

I

Evelyn Glennie listens to

sound without hearing it

Little girl Evelyn at Royal Academy of Music

Rush hour crowds pushed for place on the underground train platform. A little girl of about seventeen was nervous for the coming train. It was her first day at the famous Royal Academy of Music in London. She was deaf. So she was facing a bigger challenge in life. Evelyn’s deafness detected Evelyn Glennie who was from Scotland. She lost her hearing gradually. Her mother saw it when Evelyn was eight years old. Evelyn hid this growing weakness from her friends and teachers. By eleven, her marks lessened. The headmistress told her mother to take her to a specialist. It was known that her hearing loss was due to gradual nerve damage. She was advised to wear a hearing aid.

How Evelyn ‘hears’

But Evelyn was determined to lead a normal life. She wanted to pursue her interest in music. One day she saw a girl playing xylophone. She too decided to play it. Ron Forbes recognised Evelyn’s talent in it. He told her to listen to it not through ears but sense it some other way. Evelyn said that suddenly she could feel the higher and lower drums differently. She could also sense certain notes in different parts of her body. She could open her mind and body to different sounds.

Evelyn’s height of success

She never looked back. She toured the United Kingdom with a youth orchestra. She had decided to make music her life. She auditioned for the Royal Academy of Music in London by playing the xylophone. There she scored the highest in its history. She moved from orchestral work to solo performances. After her three-year course she had got most of the top awards.

Evelyn world’s most wanted multi percussionist

She is not proud of her achievements. She says that if one knows one’s goal, one can get it. She is now at the top. She is the world’s most wanted multi percussionist. She has mastery over 1,000 instruments.

Evelyn’s other interest

Without hearing she functions with ease. She speaks fluently with a Scottish lilt. She learnt French and mastered basic Japanese.

Evelyn’s ‘hearing’ the music

She says that music pours in through every part of her body. At times, she plays the xylophone. She can sense the sound passing in her fingertips. She feels the sound of the drums when she leans on them. She removes her shoes on a wooden platform. She does so to feel the vibrations in her body. 

How God blessed Evelyn

In 1991, she was awarded the Soloist of the Year Award. It is the most famous award of the Royal Philharmonic Society. Master percussionist James Blades says that God may have taken her hearing. But He has given her something extraordinary.

Evelyn as inspiration for the handicapped

Evelyn says that she is a workaholic. She has to work more harder than classical musicians. She gives regular concerts. She also gives free concepts in schools and hospitals. She gives priority to young musicians. Ann Richlin of the Beethoven Fund for Deaf Children says that Evelyn is a shining inspiration for deaf children.

Evelyn a source of pleasure also

Evelyn has brought percussion to the front of the orchestra. She is an inspiration to the handicapped. She has given great pleasure to millions.

II

The shehnai of bismillah khan

History of ‘shehnai’

Emperor Aurangzeb banned the playing of pungi in the palace. The reason was that it had a sharp and unpleasant sound. A barber thought of improving it. He chose a pipe with a natural hollow stem. He made seven holes on its body. He played on it closing and opening some of these holes. It produced a sweet sound. He played it before the royalty. It needed a name. So it was named after the player. He was a ‘nai’ (barber). It was first played in the Shah’s chambers.

‘Shehnai’ and Bismillah Khan

The sound of the shehnai was considered auspicious. So it is played in temples and at weddings in north India. Earlier it was part of the traditional music groups. 

Ustad Bismillah Page No 20:

Question 1:

Answer these questions in a few words or a couple of sentences each.

1. How old was Evelyn when she went to the Royal Academy of Music?

2. When was her deafness first noticed? When was it confirmed?

ANSWER:

1. Evelyn was seventeen years old when she went to the Royal Academy of Music in London.

2. Her deafness was first noticed when she was eight years old and it was confirmed when she was eleven.

Page No 20:

Question 2:

Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (30 – 40 words).

1. Who helped her to continue with music? What did he do and say?

2. Name the various places and causes for which Evelyn performs.

ANSWER:

1. Percussionist Ron Forbes helped Evelyn to continue with music.

He began by tuning two large drums to different notes. He asked her not to listen to them through her ears but to try and sense the sound in some other manner.

2. Evelyn, with a hectic international schedule, gives solo performances at regular concerts. Apart from these, she gives free concerts in prisons and hospitals. She also accords high priority to classes for young musicians.

Page No 20:

Question 3:

Answer the question in two or three paragraphs (100 – 150 words).

1. How does Evelyn hear music?

ANSWER:

Evelyn does not hear music, she feels it. She senses the notes through different parts of her body. Initially, she was encouraged by percussionist Ron Forbes, who tuned two drums to different notes and asked her to sense the sound without using her ears. She realized that she could feel the higher drum from the waist up and the lower drum from the waist down. This exercise helped Evelyn to open up her mind and body to sounds and vibrations.

Evelyn explains that when she plays the xylophone, she senses the sound flowing up the stick and into her fingertips. She leans against the drums, stands barefoot on a wooden platform so that she can feel the vibrations. She says how her whole body including her hair is sensitive to her music and its resonances.

Summary & Question-answers of the Chapter:2-A Gift of Chappals with the concerned video

A Gift of Chappals Summary In English

Mridu goes to Rukku Manni’s House.

Mridu is a young girl living with her grandmother Tapi and grandfather Thatha in Chennai. Mridu goes alongwith Tapi to her aunt Rukku Manni’s place one afternoon. There she meets her cousins Lalli, Ravi and Meena. Everyone at Rukku Manni’s house was glad to see Mridu. There was a thick bitter-berry bush in their backyard, Ravi took her beside that. There was small little kitten inside a torn football. The small creature was busy drinking milk that was kept inside a half-shell of a coconut.

The Kitten

Meena informed Mridu that they have found the kitten outside their house in the morning of that day. But they must keep it as a secret otherwise the grandmother will leave their house immediately. Ravi was upset that they were being taught to be kind towards animals, but when he was trying to do so,elders were screaming at them calling the kitten a dirty creature. His grandmother was suspicious while he was taking out milk for the kitten from kitchen. He had to drink more than half of the milk to make her believe that it was for him.

He also told Mridu that they have named the kitten as Mahendran. Mridu loved the name because it sounded real unlike those cute ones you keep for the kittens. Ravi further added that its complete name was Mahendravarma Pallava Poonai and M P Poonai in short.

He informed her he could make it from its fur as it was a fine breed cat, a close relative of lion family like the one that Pallava kings used in their emblem. To this Mridu giggled which instigated Ravi to prove his knowledge about the history further. On his school trip to Mahabalipuram he had seen statue of a lion and he firmly believed that it was the ancestor of that kitten. He proudly announced that his small kitten was the descendant of Mahabalipuram Rishi-Cat. He reminded Mridu of cats being worshipped in ancient Egypt. He believed it to be a descendant of cat godess, Bastet.

The ‘Kreech’ Noise

Ravi was busy making all proud announcements about his kitten when a weird sound ‘Kreech…! came from the window. Mridu was shocked while Mahendran was frightened. Mahendran jumped with fear on a tray or red chillies kept under the Sun for drying. With the “kreeching noise continuing on the background, Mridu enquired what it was? Ravi informed her that it was Lalli learning to play the violin. Mridu peeped from the window and she found Lalli was holding the violin in an awkward position sitting a bit away from her music teacher who had his back towards the window.

The teacher was bald with a fringe of oiled black hair falling around his ears. There was gold chain round the neck and a ring on this hand. He had a big toe with which he was thumping the ground. He was playing the notes perfectly on the violin while Lalli was struggling hard. His tracks were filled with melody while Lalli continued missing the notes.

The Beggar

Children were having fun peeping from the window when Rukku Manni called Ravi to send the beggar away. She was fed up with the beggar coming to their place for a week now and wanted him to find another house. The beggar had made himself comfortable at the garden. He was leaning against the neem tree with his upper cloth spread under it. He was about to snooze when he heard Ravi asking him to leave. He was shocked to hear this and called for lady of the house. An irritated Rukku Manni told Ravi that there wasn’t anything left in the kitchen and asked the beggar not to come again.

Her voice was so loud that Ravi didn’t have to repeat her words to the beggar. The beggar told them that he would leave after taking rest for a while. It was too hot outside and there were blisters on his feet. The children were in pain after seeing this and started making plans to give him chappals.

The Gift

Mridu remembered seeing a pair of old grey chappal while she had entered Ravi’s house. She asked Ravi whom they belonged to. Ravi took the chappals and gave it to the beggar and asked him not to come again. The beggar went away wearing the chappals and blessing the children. It was the time for the music teacher to leave. He was looking for his chappals. He called Lalli and they looked everywhere, but didn’t find them. Lalli informed Rukku Manni about it. Rukku Manni questioned the children if they had seen anyone picking up the chappals.

Rukku Manni was really angry and Mridu couldn’t control anymore. She told her that they had given the music teacher’s chappals to the beggar. Rukku Manni went inside and brought Gopu mama’s new chappals and gave them to the music teacher. The teacher was happy getting the new chappals, but still pretended as though it was tough for him to accept them.

Rukku Manni-the Loving Mother

The teacher called Ravi a monkey, an incarnation of lord Hanuman, which seemed clear that Rukku Manni didn’t like. She wanted the teacher to leave immediately.

After he left, she called the children home and offered them some snacks. She thanked God for going itto office in chappals, but needed them after coming home immediately. She wondered what she would tell him giving a hint that she would take the blame on herself.

Page No 22:

Question 1:

What is the secret that Meena shares with Mridu in the backyard?

Answer:

A kitten inside a torn football filled with sand was hidden behind a thick bitter-berry bush in the backyard. This was the secret that Meena shared with Mridu.

Question 2:

How does Ravi get milk for the kitten?

Answer:

Ravi got milk for the kitten from the kitchen. When his grandmother saw him holding the glass of milk, he told her that he was hungry. In order to avoid suspicion, he had to even drink most of the milk. When she asked for the tumbler, he told her that he would wash it himself. Then, he ran and poured the milk into a coconut shell. Before his grandmother could get really suspicious, he ran back to the kitchen, washed the tumbler and put it back.

Question 3:

Who does he say the kitten’s ancestors are? Do you believe him?

Answer:

Ravi said that one of the descendants of the Egyptian cat-goddess was a stowaway in a Pallava ship. The descendant of this cat was the Mahabalipuram Rishi-Cat, and their kitten had descended from the Mahabalipuram Rishi-Cat. His narrative concerning the genealogy of the kitten is unbelievable.

Question 4:

Ravi has a lot to say about M.P. Poonai. This shows that

(i) he is merely trying to impress Mridu.

(ii) his knowledge of history is sound.

(iii) he has a rich imagination.

(iv) he is an intelligent child.

Which of these statements do you agree/disagree to?

Answer:

Ravi has a lot to say about M.P. Poonai. This shows that he has a rich imagination.

Question 5:

What was the noise that startled Mridu and frightened Mahendran?

Answer:

The noise that startled Mridu and frightened Mahendran was an unusual sound, a ‘kreech’. This ‘kreeching’ was actually Lalli’s attempt at learning to play the violin.

Page No 28:

Question 1:

The music master is making lovely music. Read aloud the sentence in the text that expresses this idea.

Answer:

‘The music-master’s notes seemed to float up and settle perfectly into the invisible tracks of the melody’. This sentence shows that the music-master was making lovely music.

Question 2:

Had the beggar come to Rukku Manni’s house for the first time? Give reasons for your answer.

Answer:

No, the beggar had  not come to Rukku Manni’s house for the first time. When the beggar arrived, she asked Ravi to send him away. The beggar, she said, had been coming to their house daily the week before. She said it was time he found another house to beg from.

Question 3:

“A sharp V-shaped line had formed between her eyebrows.” What does it suggest to you about Rukku Manni’s mood?

Answer:

A sharp V-shaped line between the eyebrows refers to a frown. This suggests that Rukku Manni was in an angry mood.

Page No 29:

Question 1:

Complete the following sentences.

(i) Ravi compares Lalli’s playing the violin to _____________________________

________________________________________________________________

(ii) Trying to hide beneath the tray of chillies, Mahendran _____________________

_________________________________________________________________

(iii) The teacher played a few notes on his violin, and Lalli _____________________

_________________________________________________________________

(iv) The beggar said that the kind ladies of the household _____________________

_________________________________________________________________

(v) After the lesson was over, the music teacher asked Lalli if ___________________

__________________________________________________________________

Answer:

(i) Ravi compares Lalli’s playing the violin to derailing of a train of melody.

(ii) Trying to hide beneath the tray of chillies, Mahendran tipped a few chillies over himself.

(iii) The teacher played a few notes on his violin, and Lalli stumbled behind him on her violin, which looked helpless and unhappy in her hands.

(iv) The beggar said that the kind ladies of the household were very generous and because of this, he had been able to keep his body and soul toget

Summary & Question-answers of The Poem:1-The Squirrel with the concerned video

The Squirrel Summary In English

The poet saw a squirrel sitting on a tree and eating nuts. Its tail was raised upwards with the tip pointing downwards. Thus the tail seemed to be making a question mark. It had a gray coat. It was so loose that the poet calls it an overcoat’. In order to eat a nut it was sitting straight. Squirrel is funny little animal that likes to play with human beings. If human beings ran round his tree, the squirrel wouldn’t be frightened. It would like to tease and play. To do so it would also run round the tree but from the opposite side.

Question 1:

Why does the poet say the squirrel “wore a question mark for tail”? Draw a squirrel, or find a picture of a squirrel sitting on the ground. How would you describe its tail?

Solution:

The poet said that the squirrel “wore a question mark for a tail” because its tail is twisted appearing like a question mark.

Question 2:

Do we usually say that an animal ‘wears’ a tail? What do we say?

(Think: Does an animal wear a coat? Consult a dictionary if you like, and find out how ‘wear’ is used in different ways.)

 

Solution:

We usually say that an animal ‘has’ a set of given characteristics rather than saying ‘wear’. The poet, however, uses the word ‘wear’ to indicate the external characteristics of the squirrel.

The dictionary meaning of ‘wear’ suggests some­thing of an outer covering, for instance clothes.

Question 3:

“He liked to tease and play”. Who is teasing whom? How?

Solution:

The poet liked to tease and play with the squirrel. Whenever the poet went a little close to the squirrel, the squirrel would run away in the other direction.

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1:

What is being compared to a gray overcoat?

Solution:

The squirrel’s body is being compared to a gray overcoat.

Question 2:

Discuss the posture of the squirrel as discussed in line 3 of the poem.

Solution:

The squirrel ‘sat up straight’ to eat a nut. Else, the squirrel usually sits and runs with a bended back.

 

Question 3:

What did the squirrel do if someone came too close to his tree?

Solution:

The squirrel would run away in the opposite direction if someone came too close to his tree.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1:

Having observed the squirrels around us, can we say that a squirrel is a fast paced animal?

Solution:

Yes, based on our observation of the squirrels around us, we can say that a squirrel is a fast paced animal. We rarely come across squirrels sitting still, except when they are biting into the nuts. Usually we see the squirrels running from one place to another with great energy.

Question 2:

What does the poem say about the poet’s choice of subject?

Solution:

The poem is a reflection of the poet’s desire to compose poetry on most mundane elements that we come across in our day to day surrounding. A squirrel is the most commonly found animal that we see around us. Yet, very few of us would have thought of it as a potent subject matter for a writer’s pen. The poet very simplistically discusses the various aspects of the squirrel, which each one of us must have observed closely.

 

Extract Based Questions

Directions: (Q. Nos. 1-6) Read the extract given below and answer the following questions.

“He liked to tease and play,

And if we ran around his tree,

He went the other way.”

Question 1:

Give a synonym for ‘like’ in the context of the poem.

Solution:

Relish

Question 2:

Teasing is the poet’s way of…………………. with the squirrel.

Solution:

playing

Question 3:

Use the word, ‘run’ in a sentence of your own.

Solution:

It is a joy to see children running in various directions while playing in the garden.

 

Question 4:

Choose a befitting adjective to describe the nature of squirrel.

(a) Playful

(b) Scornful

(c) Introvert

(d) Jealous

Solution:

(a) Playful

Question 5:

Identify the ‘he’ in the first line.

(a) The poet

(b) The squirrel

(c) The onlooker

(d) The gardener

Solution:

(a) The poet

Question 6:

Who went the other way?

(a) The poet

(b) The squirrel

(c) The onlooker

(d) The gardener

Solution:

(b) The squirrel

Summary & Question-answers of The Chapter:1-A Triumph of Surgery with the concerned video

Summary of the Chapter

Mr. Pumphrey was a rich and emotional lady who has a cute pet . It was a small dog. She named it Tricky. She loved him so much that she usually overfed him. Tricki had put on a lot of weight which made him slow and pathetic. When doctor James Herriot saw the fat dog like a bloated sausage, he was very shocked. He made a plan and told Mrs. Pumphrey that Tricki needed treatment for a disease which was possible only in hospital.

The doctor knew that Mrs. Pumphrey would not be able to keep the dog on a proper diet. When the greedy dog went to the hospital he had to remain hungry if he was slow to approach for food. He was given food at fixed intervals. Soon he shed off a lot of his body weight and became quite active.

When Tricki was at home, he was pampered by Mrs. Pumphrey. He had a luxurious life when he was served with cream cake chocolate and horlicks. But when he came to the doctor he became all right. When Mrs. Pumphrey saw her active dog, she thanked the doctor and felt that it was a triumph of surgery.

Quick Revision Notes

• Tricki was a small dog. It was excessively loved by his mistress, Mrs. Pumphery.

• Tricki was greedy dog who loved food, but do no exercise. As a result he became fat

• Mrs. Pumphery believed that he became lazy due to suffering from malnutrition.

• She was a wealthy woman. She loved her dog so much.

• She also gave him some little foods between the meals to build him up, malt, cod-liver oil and a bowl of Horlicks at night. She gave him lot to eat but no exercise.

• Once he became ill & she was worried. She made a call to James Herriot who was a vet.

• James already had given suggestions regarding Tricki’s balanced diet. But she never followed it.

• He was a vet. He was shocked to see Tricki hugely fat, like a bloated sausage with a leg at each corner. He advised her to cut down on the sweet things.

• He expected call came within a few days & it happened. He was called by Mrs. Pumphery as Tricki refused to eat.

• He told her that Tricki need an immediate hospitalization for keeping under observation at his surgery for a fortnight.

• In the hospital, he gave him no food no medicine but plenty of water.

• Gradually, he mixed with other dogs & started playing with them.

• He had a lot of exercises & fun at the surgery.

• He was completely recovered & transformed into a hard muscled dog.

• James Herriot treated the dog without medicine or surgery.

• Mrs. Pumphrey was happy & filled with gratitude.

• She thanked Herriot & said it was a triumph of surgery.

A Triumph of Surgery

Page No 1:

Question 1:

Why is Mrs Pumphrey worried about Tricki?

Answer:

Mrs Pumphrey was worried and distraught because Tricki would not eat anything. It even refused its favourite dishes. It had bouts of vomiting. It spent all its time lying on the rug and panting. It did not want to go for walks or do anything.

Question 2:

What does she do to help him? Is she wise in this?

Answer:

She called the doctor to help Tricki. Yes, her decision was wise. The doctor suggested that Tricki should be hospitalised. She swooned and wailed, but let the dog go with the doctor. Ultimately, the doctor was successful in curing Tricki.

Question 3:

Who does ‘I’ refer to in this story?

Answer:

In this story, ‘I’ refers to the veterinary surgeon, Mr Herriot.

Page No 3:

Question 1:

Is the narrator as rich as Tricki’s mistress?

Answer:

Though not clearly stated, there are instances in the story which suggest that the narrator is not as rich as Tricki’s mistress, Mrs Pumphrey.

While the narrator is able to provide Tricki with a warm loose box as a bed, at Mrs Pumphrey’s house, Tricki has a day bed, a night bed, cushions, toys, rubber rings, a breakfast bowl, a lunch bowl, a supper bowl, a whole wardrobe of tweed coats and perhaps many more things.

When he arrives to take the dog with him, Mrs Pumphrey has her entire staff at her disposal to transfer all of Tricki’s belongings to the doctor’s car.

On hearing from the doctor about Tricki’s gradual recovery, Mrs Pumphrey sends along two dozen eggs at a time, along with bottles of wine and brandy—all in order to help in Tricki’s speedy recovery.

Finally, when she calls upon the narrator to take her recovered dog back home, she comes in a chauffer-driven “thirty feet of gleaming black metal” (an obvious reference to a limousine).

All these instances point to the fact that Mrs Pumphrey lived a luxurious life.

Question 2:

How does he treat the dog?

Answer:

The doctor gave Tricki no food, but plenty of water for two days. Slowly, the dog started showing interest in his surroundings and began mixing with the other dogs at the surgery. On the third day, the doctor saw Tricki licking the empty supper bowls of the other dogs. Next day, a separate bowl was kept for it and the doctor was pleased to note that Tricki had run to eat its food with enthusiasm. From that day onwards, its progress was rapid. It did not require medicinal treatment of any kind and recovered quite well at the end.

Question 3:

Why is he tempted to keep Tricki on as a permanent guest?

Answer:

Mrs Pumphrey had started bringing around eggs to build Tricki’s strength. Later, even bottles of wine and brandy began to arrive. The narrator and his partners started enjoying the eggs, wine and brandy meant for Tricki. According to the narrator, they were days of deep content for them—starting with the extra egg in the morning, then the midday wine, and finally finishing the day with brandy. This was the reason why the narrator was tempted to keep Tricki on as a permanent guest.

Question 4:

Why does Mrs Pumphrey think the dog’s recovery is “a triumph of surgery”?

Answer:

Mrs Pumphrey thought that the dog’s recovery was “a triumph of surgery” because in two weeks, Tricki had recovered completely and had been transformed into a hard-muscled animal. When Tricki saw her, it leaped into her lap and licked her face. She was so excited that tears started rolling out of her eyes. She declared Tricki’s recovery as a triumph of surgery to express her happiness and gratitude towards the doctor.

Page No 6:

Question 1:

What kind of a person do you think the narrator, a veterinary surgeon, is? Would you say he is tactful as well as full of common sense?

Answer:

The narrator is full of common sense. He was very concerned for Tricki when he saw its appearance. He immediately told Mrs Pumphrey to stop giving it food and sweets, and to take it out for daily walks. When she called him to describe Tricki’s deteriorating condition, 

Summary & Question-answers of the Chapter:1-The Lost Child with the concerned video

The Lost Child Summary 

It was the time of spring festival. There was great excitement in the atmosphere. The people could be seen busy going to the fair, all in a happy mood. Some walked, some rode on horses, others sat, being carried in bamboo and bullock carts. A child was also heading towards the fair along with his parents. He was very happy and excited. While his parents were going ahead with all their attention on reaching the fair, the child enjoyed the beauty of the nature with utmost curiosity.

The child’s joy reached its climax once he set his foot in the fair. His eyes got attracted to everything. The stalls of toys and sweets fascinated him too much. He wanted them but was well aware of his father’s harsh attitude.

His mother, however, tried to pacify him and divert his attention towards other things. The child was so busy in observing different things in the fair that he used to lag behind his parents every now and then. Every time he wanted something but was discouraged by his parents. As they moved forward, the child got demurred by the decorative items on the stalls. His mouth watered seeing sweets decorated with gold and silver leaves.

“I want burfi”, he slowly murmured. But he half knew as he begged that his plea would not be heeded. So without waiting for an answer, he moved on. Then he got attracted to a garland of Gulmohar but did not ask for it. Then he saw colorful balloons and was filled with an overwhelming desire to get them all. But he knew that his parents would say he was too old to play with balloons.

So he walked away. The child then saw a snake- charmer. He liked the music played by the charmer and wanted to stay for a while to listen to it but again he was discouraged by his parents. Then he saw a roundabout swing and wanted to get a ride on it. This time he could not resist himself and called for his parents. On getting no reply, he turned to look at his parents. But they were not there.

The panic-stricken child made frantic searches for his parents here and there but found them nowhere. Then he realised that he was lost and separated from his parents. He began to weep bitterly and tried to console him by offering many different things sold in the fair. He offered him sweets, balloons and garlands but the child refused them all.

Question-answers

Question 1. What are the things the child sees on his way to the fair? Why does he lag behind?

Answer 

The child sees a number of things which fascinate him on his way to the fair.

Firstly, he saw toys at a shop.  

Then he saw a flowering mustard field. 

In the fields, the child also saw dragon flies,butterflies fluttering their wings 

Then while walking on the footpath he was amazed by the insects and worms 

When he entered the grove he saw doves which were cooing 

As he neared the village with his parents, he saw huge crowds of people going to the fair

The child also came across sweetmeat seller selling sweets like burfi and gulabjamun and a little further he came across a flower seller who was selling a garland of gulmohar 

Walking ahead, he saw a man selling rainbow colour balloons 

He also saw a snake charmer who stood playing a flute to a snake 

Finally, before losing track of his parents he saw a roundabout swing.

The child keeps lagging behind his parents on the way and his mother and father have to constantly call him so that he doesn’t lag behind. This is because the child is fascinated by all the things he sees on his way. At times, he stops to be able to buy toys and at other times he stops to admire the beauty of the nature – collecting flowers, catching butterflies. 

Question 2. In the fair he wants many things. What are they? Why does he move on without waiting for an answer?

Answer 

The child wanted many things in fair. They are:

Toys and Balloons

Sweets from the sweetmeat seller

Garland of gulmohar

Watching the snake charmer play flute to a snake

A ride in the roundabout

The boy moved on without waiting for an answer because he knew that his request would be denied at each step.

Question 3. When does he realize that he has lost his way? How have his anxiety and insecurity been described?

Answer

He realises that he has lost his way when on reaching the roundabout; he stopped to observe it moving in full swing, with men, women and children enjoying themselves on it. Watching them intently he turned to his parents to ask for permission to go on the rounds but there was no reply from them. He turned to look for them but they were not there. He looked all around but there was no sign of them. A full, deep cry rose within his dry throat and with a sudden jerk of his body he ran from where he stood, crying out in real fear “Mother, Father.” Tears rolled down from his eyes, his flushed face was convulsed with fear. Panic-stricken, he ran from one side to the other, in all directions, knowing not where to go. His yellow turban came untied and his clothes became muddy.

Question 4. Why does the lost child lose interest in the things that he had wanted earlier?

Answer 

The lost child loses interest in the things that he had wanted earlier because he was panic stricken on being separated from his parents. All he wanted was to be united with them. All the things that attracted him in the fair no longer appeal to him and now the only thing that matters is finding his parents.

Question 5. What do you think happens in the end? Does the child find his parents?

Answer 

In the end the parents, who continuously kept checking to see that he was with them right from the beginning of their journey may have suddenly realized that he was missing and come looking for the lost child. The kind and understanding man who tried to console the little boy by offering him various things at the fair may have also asked him for some description of his parents and helped him to be reunited with them.

Summary & Question-answers of the Chapter:1-The Tiny Teacher with the concerned video

The Tiny Teacher Summary In English

The story of an ant’s life is too remarkable to be true. An ant is the smallest and the wisest creature that we have seen.

Ants have comfortable homes. Each home has hundreds of little rooms and passages. In some of these rooms the queen ant lays eggs. Others are nurseries for the young ants. Workers have their reserved quarters. Some rooms serve as storehouses for food. Soldiers have separate barracks. Ants in a house never quarrel with each other.

Each ant does its share of work intelligently and bravely. So the ants lead a very peaceful life. We know so many other facts about ant’s life. People have kept ants as pets. They have watched their daily behaviour closely. An ant uses its feelers or antennae to talk to or to greet other ants. There are many kinds of ants. The commonest among them are the black or red ones.

The queen ant is the mother of the entire population of ants of a colony. It has a pair of wings. After its wedding flight, it gets rid of its wings. After that it does nothing but lays eggs. Eggs hatch and grubs come out. Grubs take two or three weeks to become cocoons. Cocoons take three more weeks to become perfect ants. Thus it takes five or six weeks for a grub to become a complete ant.

When the eggs become grubs, soldiers guard them. Worker ants carry the grubs about for airing, exercise and sunshine. New ants are trained for the jobs of workers like soldiers, builders, cleaners etc. After a few weeks’ training, small ants are ready to go out for work.

Creatures other than the ants also live in the anthill. These are beetles, lesser breed of ants and the greenfly. Some of them give pleasant smell to the ants; others give various juices, and some are just pets or playthings. The ants train greenfly to give honeydew. They milk it just as we milk the cow.

Man can learn many things from the ant, the “tiny teacher”. Hard work, sense of duty, discipline, cleanliness and care for the young ones are some of them. Above all an ant has firm loyalty to the land where it lives. Hard work is easy to see as each ant does its duty most regularly. Sense of duty and discipline are the most important qualities of an ant’s life. Hence the ants of a colony are never seen fight each other. All ants together take care of the young ones. Queen ant lays the eggs and soldiers guard the grubs. Workers feed and clean them. They also carry them about for airing, exercise and sunshine. New ants are taught by the old ones.

Question-answers

Comprehension Check

1. The story of an ant’s life sounds almost untrue.

The italicised phrase means

(i) highly exaggerated.

(ii) too remarkable to be true.

(iii) not based on facts.

Ans: (ii) too remarkable to be true.

2. Complete the following sentences.

(i) An ant is the smallest, …….

(ii) We know a number of facts about an ant’s life because…….

Ans: (i) An ant is the smallest, the commonest but the wisest insect. 

(ii) We know a number of facts about an ant’s life because people have kept ants as pets, and have watched their daily behaviour closely.

3. In what ways is an ant’s life peaceful?

Ans: An ant’s life is peaceful because they do their own work and never fight with other ants of the same group. They know sharing and contribution and do not interfere in the other’s work.

Page No: 5

Comprehension Check

1. How long does it take for a grub to become a complete ant?

Ans: It takes five to six weeks for a grub to become a complete ant.

2. Why do the worker ants carry the grubs about?

Ans: The worker ants carry them about daily for airing, exercise and sunshine.

3. What jobs are new ants trained for?

Ans: The jobs which the new ants are trained for are workers, soldiers, builders, cleaners, etc.

4. Name some other creatures that live in anthills.

Ans: Some other creatures that live in anthills are beetles, lesser breeds of ants, greenfly etc.

5. Mention three things we can learn from the ‘tiny teacher’. Give reasons for choosing these items.

Ans: We can learn team work as ants do their work by sharing and contribution without interference in the other’s work.

We can learn hard work as ants spend most of their time in doing their respective jobs without hesitation.

We can learn discipline as ants live a disciplined life and always follow the rules of their group and loyal towards it.

Exercise

Discuss the following topics in groups.

1. (i) What problems are you likely to face if you keep ants as pets?

(ii) When a group of bees finds nectar, it informs other bees of its location, quantity, etc. through dancing. Can you guess what ants communicate to their fellow ants by touching one another’s feelers?

Ans: These questions are supposed to be done in groups. Students have to do this by their own. If further demanded, our team will provide the solution.

Page No: 6

2. Complete the following poem with words from the box below. Then recite the poem.

Soldiers live in barracks

And birds in ————,

Much like a snake that rests

In a ————. No horse is able

To sleep except in a ————.

And a dog lives well,

Mind you, only in a ————.

To say ‘hi’ to an ant, if you will,

You may have to climb an ————.

Hole, kennel, nests, anthill, stable

Ans: Soldiers live in barracks

And bird in nests,

Much like a snake that rests

In a hole. No horse is able

To sleep except in a stable.

And a dog lives well,

Mind you, only in a kennel.

To say ‘hi’ to an ant, if you will,

You may have to climb an anthill.

Summary & Question-answers of the Chapter:1-How the Camel Got His Hump with the concerned video

How The Camel Got His Hump Summary In English

Introduction

In the beginning the world was new. The animals were just beginning to work for Man. There was a Camel. He lived in the middle of a Howling Desert. He did not want to work. He ate sticks and thorns. He said “Humph !” when anyone spoke to him.

Horse, Dog and Ox

The Horse went to him on Monday morning. He asked the Camel to come out and trot. But the Camel said, “Humph !” The horse told the Man about it. The Dog came to him. He asked him to work. But the Camel said, “Humph !” The Ox came to him. The Camel said to him too “Humph !”

Double Time

The Man called the Horse, the Dog and the Ox. He told them about the Camel. To compensate the Camel’s work he asked them to work double-time. The three animals got very angry. They held a panchayat. There came the Djinn of All Deserts.

Complaint

The Horse complained to the Djinn about the Camel. He told the Djinn that the Camel did not work. He said only “Humph !” The Djinn assured them that he would set the Camel right.

Ugly Camel

The Djinn found the Camel in the desert. He was looking at his reflection in water. The Djinn asked him to work. But the Camel said “Humph !” only. But as soon as he said this, he saw something strange. He saw his beautiful back was puffing up. He was very proud of his back. Now it turned to be very ugly.

The Hump

The Djinn told the Camel that it was his own hump. He himself had brought it upon him by not working. The Djinn ordered him to work. But the Camel said that he couldn’t work. The hump was a big hurdle.

The Purpose of the Hump

The Djinn told the Camel that the hump had a purpose. The Camel had not done work for three days. He would always be able to work for three days without eating. He could live on his hump. The Djinn asked the Camel to behave properly.

Camel’s Behaviour

The Camel went away to join the three. From that day the Camel always has a hump. He had missed them at the beginning of the world. He has not yet learned to behave.

Comprehension Check (Page 3)

Question 1:

What tasks, do you think, were assigned to the dog and the ox?

Answer:

The dog was assigned the task of fetching and carrying. The ox was made to plough the fields.

Question 2:

Why did the camel live in the middle of the desert?

Answer: 

The camel lived in the middle of the desert because it didn’t want to work.

Question 3:

What made the dog, the horse and the ox very angry?

Answer: 

The dog, the horse and the ox were angry because man, their master, told them to work double time to make up for the camel’s idleness.

Question 4:

How did the Djinn know the horse was complaining against the camel?

Answer: 

The Djinn was the master of deserts. So he was able to know easily which ani­mal with a long neck and long legs was.

Comprehension Check (Page5)

Question 1:

The Camel was looking at his own reflection in the pool. What does it suggest to you about the camel?

Answer: 

This statement suggests that the camel loved its own image in the pool. Perhaps he considered himself good looking.

Question 2:

The camel said, “Humph” repeatedly. How did it affect him?

Answer: 

The word ‘Humph’ annoyed the Djinn. He turned ‘humph’ into the hump on the camel’s back.

Question 3:

What, according to the Djinn, was the use of the ‘humph?

Answer: 

The camel’s hump contained food material. It helped the desert animal go without any food for three days.

Question 4:

“…he has never yet learnt to behave.” In the light of this, what is the writer’s opinion about the camel?

Answer: 

The writer is of the opinion that the camel has not changed its nature and habits to this day.

EXERCISE (PAGE 6)

Discuss the following topics in groups.

Question 1:

Can this story be factually true?

Answer: 

No, the story is not factually true. It is just an imaginary one.

Question 2:

What according to you, is the story about?

Consider the following:

(1) How the world began.

(2) Why everyone should do his/her share of work seriously.

(3) How animals are important to humans.

(4) How the camel got his hump.

Answer: 

(4) How the camel got his hump.

Question 3:

What did you do over the weekend? Were you generally active or idle? Please check your back before starting to discuss or answer the question.

Answer: 

On weekend I got up late and relaxed. Late evening I watched my favourite TV serial. I played cricket in the afternoon. I have checked my back and there was no hump.

Question 4:

There are broadly two categories of workers— those who prefer to do today what they can do tomorrow, and those who prefer to do tomorrow what they can do today. Where do you belong?

Answer: 

I personaly believe in doing my work promptly and well in time.

Summary & Question-answers of The Poem:1-Fire & Ice with the concerned video

Fire and Ice Summary in English

The poet is very much sure of the destruction of humanity on someday. He is talking about the two different beliefs regarding the end of this world. These are on the basis of the sayings of the people. The poet says that he is in favour of those people who say this world will end in fire. This is because he has seen the effect and result of uncontrolled and unending desires over the life of human beings. He finds that human evil desires are similar to the fire in its nature. So this fire may become a big reason to destroy humankind and this world too.

On the other hand, the second belief in this regard says that ice is also sufficient for destroying this world. Here the poet compares the nature of ice with hatred feelings of humans with the other humans. As ice can make the body numb with its prolonged contact, similarly hatred can also give the numbness to our mind and thoughts. And hence it can make us insensitive and cruel. Such cruelty towards humanity will be more responsible for the destruction of the world compared to the desire.

The speaker brings us all into the middle of the argument between two different categories of the people. One who thinks that the world will come to a fiery end and other people who think the world will freeze resulting to the end. The poet is possibly talking about the literal end of the world. But he is also talking about the power that human beings have to destroy each other.

The poet experiences the romantic desire that he has taught the passion for emotions like love and lust. These will probably have the power to turn the earth into a big fireball. But he has also experienced the other extreme side. This is about colder emotions like hate which have great destructive power. It is a common fact that love gets all the publicity, whereas hate is the silent killer. It may not have the same effect as the fireball ending, but it will do the trick.

1. There are many ideas about how the world will ‘end’. Do you think the world will end some day? Have you ever thought what would happen if the sun got so hot that it ‘burst’, or grew colder and colder?

Answer

Yes I believe that this world will end some day but when nobody knows. Whether the sun gets hot or it gets colder in both the situations end of this world is sure.

2. For Frost, what do ‘fire’ and ‘ice’ stand for? Here are some ideas:

Greed

Avarice

Cruelty

Lust

Conflict

Fury

Intolerance

Rigidity

Insensitivity

Coldness

Indifference

Hatred

Answer

‘Fire’ stands for greed, avarice, lust, conflict and fury. ‘Ice’ stands for cruelty, intolerance, rigidity, insensitivity, coldness, indifference and hatred.

3. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem? How does it help in bringing out the contrasting ideas in the poem?

Answer

The rhyme scheme of the poem is: a, b, a, a; b. c, b, c,b.

The contrasting ideas of ‘fire’ and ‘ice’ are presented using this rhyme scheme. He mentions that both fire and ice are probable ends of this world. While he talks about how fire represents desire and can therefore be a cause of the end of the world, he also mentions ice in between to symbolise that the coldness and indifference towards one another will also be enough to end the world. In the second stanza, he says that he knows of enough hate in the world to be sure that even destruction through ice would be sufficient to bring about the end of the world.

Summary & Question-answers of The Poem:1-Dust of Snow with the concerned video

Dust of Snow Summary

The short poem by Robert Frost throws light upon the unimaginable healing power of nature and tiny things. From a bad mood to ill-health, there is nothing that can’t be cured by nature. The author was experiencing one such bad day when a crow’s movement near a hemlock tree dusted snow upon him. The snow instantly makes him happier. His day gets a lot better. Thus, the supremacy of nature as a whole made him realise how petty his problem was. The fact that hemlock tree is poisonous combined with crow being the indicator of doom and fear used in the poem as the carriers of happiness in the life of narrator is ironical. The poet through these objects has tried to highlight that sometimes creatures linked with negative aspects of life can be the bringer of change and happiness. Being outdoors in nature, with all it’s unpredictability can benefit anyone, anywhere at any time.

Question-answers of the poem Dust of Snow

Q1. What is a dust of snow ? What does the poet say he has changed his mood ? How has the poet's mood changed ?

Ans: The dust of snow means the fine particles of snow. The sudden shower in the form of the dust of snow changed the poet's mind. The poet's state of mind changed from sadness to happiness. He felt refreshed and wanted to enjoy his rest of the day.

Q2. How does Frost present nature in this poem ? The following questions may help you to think of an answer.

(i) What are the birds that are usually named in poems ? Do you think crow is often mentioned in poems ? What images come to your mind when you think of a crow ?

Ans: Usually, Poets use the birds and trees which are known for their beauty, like peacock, mynah, parrot, cuckoo and trees full of fruits and beautiful flowers. But, here poet Frost has  chosen a crow, which is not often used in poems. Crow is black in colour with very harsh voice. Thinking of a crow brings very depressing images to our mind.

(ii) Again, what is a hemlock tree ? Why doesn't the poet write about more beautiful trees such as a maple, or an oak or a pine ?

Ans: A hemlock tree is a poisonous tree with small white flowers. The poet Robert Frost, didn't choose to use a maple, oak or a pine tree, he chose the hemlock tree and left all the beautiful trees to present his mood and feelings.

(iii) What do the crow and hemlock represent - joy or sorrow ? What does the dust of snow that the crow shakes off a hemlock tree stand for ?

Ans: The crow and hemlock tree represent sorrow and depression felt by the poet in this materialistic world. The dust of snow is the symbol of natural joy and energy. The dust of snow that the crow shakes off a hemlock tree means passing through the sad and depressing moments, the poet is entering the time full of joy and optimism.

Q3. Have there been times when you felt depressed and hopeless ? Have you experienced a similar moment that changed your mood that day ?

Ans: There have been innumerable times when I have felt depressed and hopeless, such moment were aroused by other's attitude and behaviour and sometimes due to my own conduct. When ever I am upset I go for a walk or try to engage in different activities.

Dust Of Snow Short Question-answers

Q1. What does the poet want to convey through the poem Dust of Snow ?

Ans: Through this poem Poet Robert Frost wants to convey that the little things in life can make huge changes in our life. The simple things we do can make all the difference and brighten a person's day.

Q2. And saved some part of a day, I had rued Explain.

Ans: The poet was feeling depressed and hopeless. So he was not in a good mood. He was standing under a hemlock tree when suddenly a crow shook dust of snow on him. This small and simple incident changed his state of mind. He realised the fact that he was wasting his time and decided to enjoy the remaining part of the day.

Q3. What difference do you find between Robert Frost and other nature poets ?

Ans: All other nature poets are known for describing the well known beautiful things. They have described the nightingale, cuckoo, snow covered mountains etc. But Robert Frost had described a crow and a hemlock tree. Secondly, poets make selection from natural things, but Robert Frost feels that every object in nature is beautiful.

Summary and Question-answers of the poem:1-The Road Not Taken with the concerned video

The Road Not Taken Summary & Question-answers In English

In ‘The Road Not Taken ’, Robert Frost makes a fascinating use of two roads as a metaphor for life. The two roads serve as a metaphor for the choices we make in life. Thus, the roads are, in fact, two alternative ways of life. The choice we make has a far-reaching consequence. The poet leaves the first road for the other day knowing well that he will never get a chance to come back to it again in life. He chooses the second road which is less travelled by and this choice has made all the difference in his life.

Poet Stands at a Junction

The poem brings out the importance of making a choice. Frost uses the two roads as metaphors for life. They stand for two choices, two alternative ways of life and two different directions of life. The choice we make, makes ‘all the difference in life’. The poet stands at a junction in a yellow forest. Two roads are branching out in two different directions. He is a single traveller and cannot travel on both the roads at the same time. He looks at the first road as far as he can see, till it bends in the undergrowth.

Two Roads and the Choice

The other road is ‘just as fair as the first one’. But it presents a better claim in one sense. It is grassy and wants wear. The poet is confused. Finally, he resolves the dilemma. He chooses the other road because it is less travelled by. He leaves the first road for another day.

Poet’s Genuine Doubt

Both the roads lie before him covered with the fallen leaves. When the poet leaves the first road for another day, he has also a genuine doubt. He knows how one way leads to the other and one marches on reaching a point of no return. He doubts if he will ever get a chance to walk on the road he has already left.

Choice Has Made All the Difference

It is very difficult to say whether the road we have chosen will lead us to the desired end. It is very difficult to decide on the spur of the moment. Only the poet will be ‘telling this with a sigh’ that his choice has made all the difference in his life. Perhaps the road that was not taken could have proved more rewarding than the road that was taken. But now he can do nothing as his choice is irrevocable.

1. Where does the traveller find himself? What problem does he face?

Answer

The traveller finds himself in the yellow woods at a point where the road forks into two. 

The problem that he faces is that he cannot decide which road to take to continue his journey since it is not possible for him to travel both roads at the same time.

2. Discuss what these phrases mean to you.

(i) a yellow wood

(ii) it was grassy and wanted wear

(iii) the passing there

(iv) leaves no step had trodden black

(v) how way leads on to way

Answer

i) Yellow wood symbolises the autumn season. Autumn corresponds with old age. The poet could be symbolically talking about the later stages of life.

ii) It conveys that the road was full of grass and nobody used that road. It was a smooth road which had not worn out.

 iii) The use of the path by passersby.

 iv) The leaves had not changed their colour and turned black because of less people stepping on them. It could represent a path one may have never/seldom taken in life for the fear of uncertainty.

 v) This phrase means how certain decisions one makes in life could pave the way for many other decisions.

3. Is there any difference between the two roads as the poet describes them

(i) in stanzas two and three?

(ii) in the last two lines of the poem?

Answer

i) In stanza two the poet explains that the only difference between the two roads was that the road he took had the right to be chosen (the better claim) because it was covered with grass and looked as if it had not been used too much. Besides this difference, both roads had been equally worn down by passersby travelling on them.

In stanza three the poet says that both the roads were equally covered with leaves and that no person had stepped on.

 ii) In the last two lines of the poem the poet says that there is a difference between the two roads because he took the road that was less travelled by other people and that made all the difference to his journey.

4. What do you think the last two lines of the poem mean? (Looking back, does the poet regret his choice or accept it?)

Answer

The last two lines of the poem mean the acceptance of reality. The poet made a choice and accepted the challenging path. He took an unexplored path in his life. He wanted to do something different in his life so he chooses the less travelled road. No, he does not regret his choice.

1. Have you ever had to make a difficult choice (or do you think you will have difficult choices to make)? How will you make the choice (for what reasons)?

Anwer

No, till now I have never been in a situation in which I had to make a difficult choice. Perhaps I am still too young to make an independent choice. Yes, I think later or sooner I will have difficult choices to make. After completing my general education, I will have to make choice of profession whether I should become an engineer or a doctor or something else. I will have hundreds of options before me. Then it will be difficult to make a choice in between them. I will make a choice according to my capabilities and strong points at that time. I will choose a path that gives me satisfaction and mental peace. I will not join the rat race for money. Like the poet in poem, I will choose a challenging and unexplored path in my life. 

2. After you have made a choice do you always think about what might have been, or do you accept the reality? 

Answer

Taking a decision sometime makes or mars our future. Having made a choice, I accept the reality. Reconsidering a decision or contemplating over it is not a positive approach towards life. Such thoughts never allow us to be happy with what we have gained from our decision. Therefore, I believe in sticking to my decisions.

The Ant and the Cricket class VIII

The Ant and the Cricket Video

Summary & Question-answers of The Chapter-1:Three Questions

There was this certain king who believed that he would not fail if he knew what was the right time for every action, who were the right people to be with and what was the most important thing to do.He proclaimed that he would give a great reward to the person who could answer his three questions.

A lot of  learned men went for their answers. Unfortunately, their answers did not satisfy the king. So the king decided to consult a wise hermit. He saw the hermit digging the ground and out of compassion, he did it for the hermit. He kept on asking the three questions but the hermit also kept silent.  Hours passed and it was already sunset.

The hermit saw a bearded man running and his hands on his stomach. He was wounded and dying; the hermit told the king about it and they helped the bearded man.

The next day, the king woke up and the bearded man saw him and apologized to him. He admitted that he was an enemy of the king. The bearded man said that he heard about the king going to the hermit so he tried to kill him when he was on his way back home but he failed.

The king asked the hermit once again . Then he answered all the questions:

1. Now is the time to do every action because now is the only time that we have power.

2. The right person is who are you with.

3. The most important thing to do is to do good for the person you are with.

Comprehension Check

Question 1:

Why did the king want to know answers to three questions?

Solution:

The king wanted to know answers to his three questions because he wanted to be a successful ruler.

Question 2:

Messengers were sent throughout the kingdom

to fetch wise men.

to find answers to the questions.

to look for the wise hermit.

to announce a reward for those who could answer the questions.

Solution:

2.to find answers to the questions.

Complete the following sentences by adding the appropriate parts of the sentences given in the box.

Many wise men answered the king’s questions  ……………….

Someone suggested that there should be a council of wise men  ……………….

Someone else suggested that the king should have a timetable  ……………….

The king requested the hermit  ……………….

The king washed and dressed the beared man’s wound  ……………….

Solution:

Many wise men answered the king’s questions, but their answers were so varied that the king was not satisfied.

Someone suggested that there should be a council of wise men to help the king act at the right time.

Someone else suggested that the king should have a timetable and follow it strictly.

The king requested the hermit to answer three questions.

The king washed and dressed the bearded man’s wound but the bleeding would not stop.

Working with the Text

Answer the following questions.

Question 1:

Why was the king advised to go to the magicians?

Solution:

Some of the wise men thought that in order to decide right time for doing something, one must look into the future and only magicians were able to do that. So, they advised the king to go to the magicians.

Question 2:

In answer to the second question, whose advice did the people say would be important to the king?

Solution:

In answer to the second question some people, suggested to seek advice of councillors, the priest or the doctors or the soldiers.

 

Question 3:

What suggestions were made in answer to the third question?

Solution:

For the third question some people said science was the most important business while there were others who believed it was fighting and then there were those who believed religious worship should take the first place.

Question 4:

Did the wise men win the reward? If not, why not?

Solution:

No, the wise men didn’t win the reward because their answers were so different from each other and the king was not satisfied with their answers.

 

Question 5:

How did the king and the hermit help the wounded man?

Solution:

The king washed the wound and covered the wound of the man with his handkerchief and kept on dressing it until the bleeding stopped completely.

The king also offered the wounded man water to drink. The hermit helped the king to bring the wounded man inside his hut and allowed the man to spend his night in the hut.

Question 6:

Who was the bearded man?

Why did he ask for the king’s forgiveness?

Solution:

The bearded man was an enemy of the king. He wanted to take revenge of his brother’s death by killing the king and taking away all his property.

The bearded man asked for the king’s forgiveness because he wanted to kill the king but the king has saved his life. He was grateful to the king now.

Question 7:

The king forgave the bearded man. What did he do to show his forgiveness?

Solution:

The king showed his forgiveness by promising the man that he will send his doctor and servants to look after him and also promised to return him all his property.

Question 8:

What were the hermit’s answers to the three questions? Write each answer separately. Which answers do you like the most and why?

Solution:

The most important time, the hermit said, is our present because it is the only moment when we have the power to act. The most important person at a moment is we ourselves because the future is unknown and we don’t know whether we will meet anyone in the future or not.

So, we should listen to ourselves.

The most important business is to be kind and good to others because we have been sent in this world to serve this noble cause.

I liked the third answer the most because helping someone in need is like serving God. It makes us a good person and brings a sense of satisfaction and contentment.

Summary & Question-answers of The Chapter-1: The Best Christmas Present in the World

The narrator of the story went to a junk shop and purchased a roll-top desk which was in bad condition. The narrator started its repairing on Christmas Eve and found a letter in its drawer. He read the letter. It was from Jim Macpherson to his wife Connie as written on top. After reading the letter, he found that Jim Macpherson was the leader of the England Army and he described that England and German were engaged in a war but on the Christmas morning a wonderful thing happened.First,Germans wish happy Christmas to English soldiers and same response was given by the English also. The leaders shared their ideas and feelings with each other and celebrated Christmas by eating, laughing, talking and drinking. After that they played football match in which Germans won. In the night both troops sang carols and had a peaceful Christmas.

The author decided to give this letter to Jim’s wife back. He went to the address which was written on the letter envelope where he found that  the house caught an accidental fire and she was in nursing home. He rushed to nursing home where he found Jim’s wife. As she was grown too old in the waiting of his husband ,he mistook the author forJim, her husband when narrator met him. She declared him as best Christmas present in the world.

Question 1: What did the author find in a junk shop?

Answer: The author found a roll-top desk made of oak wood in the junk shop. It was badly out of shape and needed lots of repair. But as a new one would have cost him a fortune he thought of buying it.

Question 2: What did he find in a secret drawer? Who do you think had put it in there?

Answer: The author found a letter written by a person named Jim. It was Jim’s last letter to the recipient Mrs. Macpherson. So, there is every chance that Mr. Macpherson had put it there.

Question 3: Who had written the letter, to whom, and when?

Answer: Jim Macpherson had written the letter to his wife Mrs. Macpherson on during December 1914. It was written during the First World War.

 

Question 4: Why was the letter written — what was the wonderful thing that had happened?

Answer: German and British army was fighting a battle. The soldiers were living in their trenches to fight enemy. For soldiers writing and receiving letter was the only way to be in touch with their family members. Nowadays telephone has taken over the role of letters. Think how painful and wonderful it would have been to wait for weeks for a letter to arrive. The wonderful thing was, in spite of enmity they celebrated Christmas together. This shows that festivals are above all personal enmity. In our country there is a saying that during Holi you should embrace your friends and foes alike.

Question 5: What jobs did Hans Wolf and Jim Macpherson have when they were not soldiers?

Answer: Hans Wolf was a musician playing cello in an orchestra and Jim Macpherson was a school teacher. During early 20th century it was common for people to get enrolled into army during wars. Even today certain countries, like Israel, make it mandatory for all adults to serve in military for a certain period.

Question 6: Had Hans Wolf ever been to Dorset? Why did he say he knew it?

Answer: Hans Wolf had never been to Dorset. He was fond of reading books and had good command over English language. He read so much about Dorset in books that he was familiar with Dorset. That is why he said that he knew Dorset.

Question 7: Do you think Jim Macpherson came back from the war? How do you know this?

Answer: The written statement on the letter saying that that was the last letter from Jim and that should be buried with Mrs. Macpherson indicates that Jim didn’t return from war.

Question 8: Why did the author go to Bridport?

Answer: The author wanted to ensure that the letter should reach the real owner and her last wish should be fulfilled. Even a criminal going to the guillotine is asked his last wishes and efforts are taken to fulfill those wishes. The address written on the envelope gave a hint to the author to try finding Mrs. Macpherson in Bridport.

Question 9: How old was Mrs Macpherson now? Where was she?

Answer: Mrs. Macpherson was now over hundred years old. She was in a nursing home.

Question 10: Who did Connie Macpherson think her visitor was?

Answer: Mrs. Macpherson thought the author to be Jim himself. Probably her old age, her poor health coupled with her sense of void after Jim’s death created such hallucination for her.

 

Question 11: Which sentence in the text shows that the visitor did not try to hide his identity?

Answer: Author’s statement about how he found the desk and ultimately the letter shows that he did not try to hide his identity.

Question 12: For how long do you think Connie had kept Jim’s letter? Give reasons for your answer.

Answer: Connie must have kept Jim’s letter till her last breath. This can be assumed on the basis of her reactions when she found the letter.

Question 13: Why do you think the desk had been sold, and when?

Answer: The desk must have been sold as junk. It may have been sold after the demise of Macpherson.

Question 14: Why do Jim and Hans think that games or sports are good ways of resolving conflicts? Do you agree?

Answer: Jim and Hans think that games or sports are good ways 

Summary of The Chapter-1:A Letter to God

A Letter to God

Summary: This story is written by G L Fuentes. This is a story about the great faith of a simpleton in  God. The story begins with Lencho hoping for rains so that his crops would give a better yield. The rain does come but is followed by a devastating hailstorm. Hailstorm destroys all the standing crops and leaves Lencho staring into the bleak future ahead. But Lencho is a strong believer in the God and decides to write a letter to God; asking for some monetary help. Lencho also wishes to repay the debt when the next crop would give him enough money. After seeing Lencho’s letter, the postmaster is deeply touched by the strong faith of Lencho in the God. The postmaster collects money from his colleagues and sends some money to Lencho. But the money sent by the postmaster is less than what the Lencho had demanded through his letter. Lencho once again writes a letter to God in which he expresses his doubts about the honesty of post office employees.

 

Question 1: What did Lencho hope for?

Answer: Lencho hoped for rains; because the crop in his field needed rains.

Question 2: Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ‘new coins’?

Answer: As raindrops would have helped in getting a better harvest, resulting in more prosperity, so Lencho compared them with new coins.

Question 3: How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho’s fields?

Answer: The rain changed to hailstorm. All the crop in the field was destroyed.

Question 4: What were Lencho’s feelings when the hail stopped?

Answer: After the destruction caused by hail, Lencho was shattered. He could see a bleak future for him and his family. He was worried about lack of food for the coming year.

Question 5: Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?

Answer: Lencho had faith in God. He believed that God could see everything and would help him out. Lencho wrote a letter to the God, explained his situation and asked for some money from God.

Question 6: Who read the letter?

Answer: The postmaster read the letter.

Question 7: What did the postmaster do then?

Answer: Postmaster was deeply touched by Lencho’s faith in  God. The postmaster asked his colleagues to contribute some money so that they could send that to Lencho

.Question 8: Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences in the story tell you this?

Answer: The following sentences explain Lencho’s faith in God, “But in the hearts of all who lived in that solitary house in the middle of the valley, there was a single hope: help from God. “Don’t be so upset, even though this seems like a total loss. Remember, no one dies of hunger.”

Question 9: Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter ‘God’?

Answer: Postmaster was moved by Lencho’s complete faith in God. So, he decided to send money to Lencho. Moreover, the postmaster did not want to shake Lencho’s faith in God. So, he signed the letter ‘God’. It was a good ploy to convey a message that God had himself written the letter.

Question 10: Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why/Why not?

Answer: As Lencho had complete faith in God, so he did not try to find out the actual sender of money.

Question 11: Who does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? What is the irony in the situation?

Answer: Lencho had all his doubts on people working in the post office. The irony of the situation is the finger pointing on those who had tried to help out Lencho. In real life also we come across such situations. Many a time you would have tried helping someone and he may get a wrong message.

Question 12: Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it?

Answer: Lencho was not surprised to get the money.

Question 13: What made him angry?

Answer: The fact that he received half the amount he had requested for, made him angry.

Question 14: Are there people like Lencho in the real world? What kind of a person would you say he is? You may select appropriate words from the following list to answer the question.

Greedy, naïve, stupid, ungrateful, selfish, comical, unquestioning

Answer: In the real world it is almost impossible to find people, like Lencho. Lencho seems to be naïve and unquestioning. Naïve in the sense that he doesn’t even bother to think about who sent the money or if God would actually send the money. Probably his naiveté comes from his unquestioning belief in  God.

Question 15: There are two kinds of conflict in the story: between humans and nature, and between humans themselves. How are these conflicts illustrated?

Answer: In the initial part of the story the episode of rainfall turning into a hailstorm shows the conflict between man and nature. When it is a rainfall the man is very happy dreaming about happy days ahead. But once the rain turns into hail the man is ruing the happening of hailstorm. The way Lencho is feeling sad and gloomy after the storm appropriately projects the conflict of the nature and the man. In the later part of the story when Lencho blames post office people for stealing part of the money then it is showing the conflict between humans. Although nothing is written what happened after that, but anybody can imagine the mental situation when postmaster read the letter.

Irregular Forms of Verbs

Parts of Speech

Active & Passive Voice

Tenses