Summary & Question-answers of The Chapter:4-The Treasure Within with the concerned video

The Treasure Within - Summary

Hafeez’s contractor was nostalgic when asked about his schooling and education. He had an unhappy schooling. He had experienced the worst nightmares about math’s examination which disappeared with time.

He revealed that he lost interest in studies when he reached the third standard. He cheated in exams and his interest was only in games. The first life-changing moment came to his life when his principal called him up.

He reprimanded him for being a careless boy. Whose only support was his mother? Before that he was a good sportsman, champion and the cricket captain. But after that he no longer came out to fields. Hafeez recalled his school memories. In his reminiscence, he was canned by his teacher. He enjoyed funny pranks, playing games, watching movies. He was the leader of his gang he was indulged in gang fights and strategy plannings.

His text books were in much demand for sale as he rarely opens his books until exams. On asking about his advent in the field of architecture. He wanted to join the Army, got the joining letter but to his distress, his aunt tore it off.

He was not allowed to join the police force. So he took he was given the option to choose between French and German. Although he learned French for seven years yet knew nothing of it so he opted for German in college.

But after the death of his German teacher, he could either revert back to French or change the college. As he decided to learn French from his cousin who was married to an architect. So he visited his cousin in the architect’s office to learn the language. The interviewer enquired if he changed his mind there. Then he answered that it happened by chance to him.

He told her that in the architect’s office, he saw somebody drawing a window detail which was very advanced drawing. He observed that his drawing was faulty and suggested that it would not open.

He then was asked to design a house. After seeing his designs his cousin’s husband asked him to join architecture. To recommend him, he went to meet his principal. On condition to qualify the entrance, he was given a chance.

And when he got at in the entrance exam, he was given admission in architecture. He stood first class first through his degree.

He gave the credit of being successful in field of architecture to his schooling days. He recalled his competition with his friend Behram Divecha. They compete in designing forts, gums and ammunitions.

He also spoke about an incident when he was in class II or III, where his teacher. Mrs. Gupta assessed his drawings and sketches. She advised him to take architecture. Later he visited her and told her everything.

Mr. Bela Raja interrogated about his issues with studies and curriculum. He replied that he was good at science and geography. But it came to languages and maths; he could not find any relevance.

He added that living in a boarding school was difficult. In response to her question about a contention that giftedness and learning disabilities go hand in hand, he said that position holders of his class were doing ordinary jobs. He further added that schooling gave him an opportunity to do things independently. He talked about his interest in other things than in class. He incited an example that in rainy days he would think of flowing water, dam, flow and hold of water in dams.

He arranged a button from cutting of chalk as discipline and information in his school were viewed seriously.

At the end, she inquired about his clientele. He told that he observes at the client’s face, his clothes, and other habits. He sketches spontaneously on a paper keeping in mind the liking of his customer.

He added that it is like mathematics because he could not on putting design, construction, psychology and sociology, sketching altogether. Thus his weak subject became his instrument of success.

Comprehension Check (Page 28)

Question 1:

What did Hafeez Contractor have nightmares about?

Answer:

Hafeez Contractor would often get continuous nightmares about appearing for a Mathematics examination where he did not know anything.

Question 2:

What did the Principal say to him, which influenced him deeply?

Answer:

The Principal told Hafeez that his mother used to work extremely hard to bring him up and paid all his fees on time despite his father’s absence. Further, he also mentioned that Hafeez was a good student and with a little effort towards his studies he would be able to score good grades. He motivated the young boy to rise to the occasion and study hard and also sideline his sport activities for the time being.

Question 3:

“… that year I did not step out onto the field.” What was he busy doing that year?

Answer:

Being an active sportsman, Hafeez was the senior champion in school for many years and he always loved engaging himself in playing games especially cricket. But when his Principal influenced him to study for his SSC dedicatedly, he gave up playing often and that year he didn’t step out onto the field. He went for prayers only and all he did was eat and study for the exams.

Question 4:

(i) What “distraction” did Hafeez Contractor create one day?

(ii) Would you have liked to participate in the “distraction” had you been with him?

Answer:

(i) Hafeez was always interested in playing funny pranks. One day, he created a distraction by playing chor police for one full hour at school.

(ii) Yes, I would have loved to participate in such a “distraction”, as it is kind of a break from the regular routine work.

Comprehension Check (Page 32)

Question 1:

Hafeez Contractor wanted to join the police force. Why didn’t he?

Answer:

Hafeez Contractor was interested to join the police force, but his mother did not accept the prospect. Instead, she told him to complete his graduation first. Soon after that he joined Jaihind College in Bombay.

Question 2:

In the architect’s office, Hafeez Contractor was advised to drop everything and join architecture. Why?

Answer:

In the architect’s office, Hafeez Contractor saw somebody was drawing a window detail which is an advanced form of drawing. He told that person that the drawing was wrong and that the window would not open as drawn. That person initially disagreed but soon realized that his drawing was indeed wrong. When Hafeez’s cousin’s husband saw this, he was taken by surprise and asked him to draw a few specific things such as to design a house, to which he complied. His relative was impressed and immediately asked him to nurture Hafeez’s natural talent and join architecture at the earliest.

Question 3:

(i) What was Mrs Gupta’s advise to Hafeez Contractor?

(ii) What made her advise him so?

Answer:

(i) Mrs Gupta was one of Hafeez’s school teachers in the second or third standard, who saw his beautiful sketches in school and had advised him that he should grow up to become an architect someday.

(ii) She would often tell him that he was useless in everything else except the beautiful sketches that he drew. Due to this reason, she felt he should nurture his hidden talent and grow up to become an architect.

Question 4:

How did he help fellow students who had lost a button?

Answer:

When the fellow students lost a button while playing or fighting, they would often come running to him and he would help them by cutting a button from chalk by using an ordinary blade.

Question 5:

Which rules did he break as a school boy?

Answer:

Hafeez broke many rules while studying at school. He used to copy during the examinations, loiter around aimlessly, play funny pranks and jokes on others. He would also get involved in gang fights and plan strategies. He would often create distractions by playing chor police games at school during study hours.

Question 6:

(i) What is Hafeez Contractor’s definition of mathematics?

(ii) How would you want to define mathematics? Do you like the subject?

Answer:

(i) According to Hafeez Contractor, Mathematics is a mix of putting design, construction, psychology

and sociology together and making a sketch by combining all these elements altogether.

(ii) In my opinion, I would define Mathematics as an interesting subject for those who enjoy solving arithmetical calculations and problems. But those people who don’t enjoy playing with numbers and calculations, it turns out to be a nightmare for them.

Exercise (Page 32)

Answer the following questions.

Question 1:

It is likely that someone who is original and intelligent does not do very well at school? Should such a learner be called a failure? If not, why not?

Answer:

A learner who is original and intelligent, but does not do very well at school cannot be called a failure in life. This is because every student has his/her own set of strengths and weaknesses. From this conversation between Ms. Bela Raja and Mr. Hafeez Contractor, we learn that being bright in academics is not enough to do well in life. A person should try to nurture his/her natural talent and polish it in order to stand out in a crowd. We observed that Hafeez was not so bright academically, but he had a hidden talent and knew how to draw beautiful sketches of different things such as forts, houses, etc. However, it is evident that an individual’s talent is not always visible in his/her academic records. Hence, such people should be encouraged to showcase their hidden talent and be appreciated for it, instead of considering them to be an utter failure.

Question 2:

Who, in your view, is an ‘unusual’ learner?

Answer:

In my opinion, an unusual learner is one who is a genius in his/her own right. This means that a person who is bright and intelligent and has a hidden talent or skill needs to be polish it from every angle.

Question 3:

What can schools do to draw out the best in unusual learners? Suggest whatever seems reasonable to you.

Answer:

One of the best options for schools to draw out the best in unusual learners is to stop comparing or categorizing every child on the basis of their academic performance. They should stop measuring children by simply following mechanical methods of teaching. They should appreciate the hidden talent or skill of the learners and encourage them to polish their abilities in every aspect.

Summary & Question-answers of The Poem:7- Animals with the concerned video

Animals Summary of the Poem

The poem ‘Animals’ is a very thought-provoking poem by the famous American poet, Walt Whitman. In this poem, the poet talks about his wishes to live in the company of animals.

Human follies like greed, violence, hypocrisy, dishonesty cunningness and cravings for owning things appear sickening to the poet.

He feels like living among the animals because they are placid and self-dependent. The poet finds animals peace-loving, non-complaining, non-committal and fully complacent. They neither grumble for their conditions nor cry for their sins.

They do not make the poet feel repulsive by discussing the duty to god. Unlike human beings, animals neither remain dissatisfied not suffer from any mania of collecting or owning materialistic things. They do not believe in kneeling before others or bemoaning for those who departed thousands of years before.

The poet finds them neither respectable not unhappy. Animals show their relationship with poet and he accepts. Along with these qualities, animals continue to possess the tokens of mutual love and harmonious relationship which make the poet wonder how the animals retained the qualities whereas the poet i.e. mankind negligently left them far behind.

Thinking About the Poem
(Page 84)

Question 1.
Notice the use of the word ‘turn’ in the first line, “I think I could turn and live with animals…”. What is the poet turning from?
Answer:
In this line here, the poet wants to turn from human into an animal. This turning is symbolic of the poet’s detachment from human beings and their nature and his appreciation of the animal kind.

Question 2.
Mention three things that humans do and animals don’t.
Answer:
Animals do not cry and complain over their conditions. They do not. commit sins and therefore do not weep for them. They are also very satisfied creatures and have no desire to possess material things. Humans, on the contrary, complain all the time, commit all sorts of sins and are affected with the madness of owning things.

Question 3.

Do humans kneel to other humans who lived thousands of years ago? Discuss this in groups.
Answer:
Yes, humans kneel to other humans who lived thousands of years ago as it is a cultural tradition to do so. (Students can discuss their own culture with their classmates and share the rituals and traditions of their culture and also get to know about other cultural practices.)

Question 4.
What are the ‘tokens’ that the poet says he may have dropped long ago, and which the animals have kept for him? Discuss this in class .
(Hint Whitman belongs to the Romantic tradition that includes Rousseau and Wordsworth,which holds that civilisation has made humans false to their own true nature.
What could be the basic aspects of our nature as living beings that humans choose to ignore or deny?)
Answer:
The tokens mentioned in the poem mean the symbols of the true nature of human beings. These tokens are actually tokens of virtue such as containment, honesty, innocence and the likes of it.

Summary & Question-answers of The Chapter:4-The Cop and the Anthem with the concerned video

The Cop and the Anthem Summary

Soapy was a man who was jobless as well as homeless. He was getting restless because of the signs of approaching winters. These signs were that birds were moving to the south, trees shedding leaves, and men had a desire for new warm clothes.

These signals made him fearful of the approaching winters. As such he had a desire for shelter during the winter period. He came to choose Blackwell’s Island prison instead of other places like the southern skies or Bay of Naples.

Soapy then made attempts to get himself arrested. His first plan was to eat at a fine restaurant and then say that he had no money. Soapy thought that this would send him to Blackwell’s prison for three months.

With this plan in mind, Soapy came to a restaurant where only the wealthy people came every evening. The head waiter saw the broken shoes of Soapy and forced him out. Hence, his first attempt was a failure.

Soapy then came to a second restaurant. After eating the food there, Soapy said that he had no money to pay. The waiter then threw him out instead of calling the cop.

He had another idea to break a glass window with a stone. Soapy stopped after seeing a policeman arriving there. However, instead of arresting him, the policeman thought wrongdoers don’t flee the crime scene and hence he didn’t arrest Soapy.

Soapy made another attempt for his arrest. This time he began shouting like a drunk man in front of the theatre. The cop thought that he was a college boy and hence left him.

Soapy then saw the umbrella of a man buying a newspaper. He then came to the decision of stealing it. Soapy then took the umbrella and the man kept following him.

Soapy then told him to call the cop who was standing at a corner. The man refused to call the cop because he himself had stolen the umbrella.

Soapy then gave up all hopes of getting arrested. Then he stopped at his old childhood home. Then a sudden change came in his soul.

At that moment, Soapy came to the decision of changing his life for the better. He decided to fight the challenges of life. Most noteworthy, Soapy decided to find work from the very next day.

Just then a cop came there and he asked Soapy that what he was doing there. Soapy then began to argue with him due to his new confidence. However, the cop took him and the judge gave him three months prison sentence on Blackwell’s Island.

Exercise (Page 29)

Answer the following Questions.

Question 1:
What are some of the signs of approaching winter referred to in the text?
Answer:
The signs of the approaching winter are the movement of birds to warm south, the woollens needed by people and the dead leaves covering the ground.

Question 2:
Write ‘True’ or ‘False’ against each of the following:
(i) Soapy did not want to go to prison.                                                                                           __________
(ii) Soapy had been to prison several times.                                                                                 __________
(iii) It was not possible for Soapy to survive in the city through the winter.                          __________
(iv) Soapy hated to answer questions of a personal nature.                                                      __________
Answer:
(i) False (ii) True (iii)  True (iv) True

Question 3:

What was Soapy’s first plan? Why did it not work?
Answer:
He would go to eat at restaurant and would then tell them he had no money. They would immediately call a cop who would arrest him. But as soon as he put his foot inside the restaurant, the waiters blocked his entry. Thus his first plan did not work.

Question 4:
“But the cop’s mind would not consider Soapy”. What did the cop not consider, and why?
Answer:
The policeman did not believe that Soapy had broken the window glass. The reason was that no such criminal would stop and talk to a policeman.

Question 5:

“We have orders to let them shout.” What is the policeman referring to?
Answer:
The policeman means to say that he had got orders not to arrest the unruly and shouting college students.

Question 6:
Write ‘True’ or ‘False’ against each of the following.
(i) Soapy stole a man’s umbrella. _________
(ii) The owner of the umbrella offered to give it to Soapy. _________
(iii) The man had stolen the umbrella that was now Soapy’s. _________
(iv) Soapy threw away the umbrella.   _________
Answer:
(i) True (ii) True (iii) True {iv) True.

Question 7:

“There was a sudden and wonderful change in his soul”. What brought about the change on Soapy?
Answer:
The sight of the home where Soapy had spent his childhood suddenly changed his outlook. The old memories of his mother and the sweet music revived his love for a decent life. He decided to work and become somebody in life.

Summary & Question-answers of The Poem:6- No Men are Foreign with the concerned video

No Men are Foreign Summary In English

About the Poet
James Flaconer Kirkup (23 April, 1918—10 May, 2009) was a prolific English poet, translator and writer. He wrote more than 30 books, including autobiography, novels and plays.

Kirkup was bom and brought up in South Shields. He educated at South Shields Secondary School and Durham University. He wrote his first book of poetry, ‘The Drowned Sailor at the Downs’ which was published in 1947. He was the first resident university poet in the United Kingdom.

Central Idea of the Poem

In the poem ‘No Men are Foreign’, the poet tells us not to distinguish people on the basis of their appearance, religion, region, etc. People of the whole world are brothers. All people are bom, wear clothes, eat food and at last die and buried in the same earth. All of us have same kinds of body parts. But it is we who defile the earth by hating and fighting with each other.

Theme of the Poem
The Poem ‘No Men are Foreign’ is about all human beings. The poet tells us that all human beings on earth are brothers and are the same. He tells us that all of us need sun, air, water and clothes to cover the same kind of body. All walk on the same kind of land. All are fed by the harvest and after death, all are buried in the same land. We do the same work. All of us on earth sleep and wake up, love and want to be loved. It is the human beings who hate others. We defile the earth and we all live on by hating and fighting with one another. It is we who pollute the air that we all breathe to serve our purpose and without taking into consideration its bad impact on other people.

Thinking about the poem
(Page 81)

Question 1.

1. “Beneath all uniforms…” What uniforms do you think the poet is speaking about?
2. How does the poet suggest that all people on earth are the same?

Answer:

1. The poet speaks about the various dresses that people of various countries wear but beneath them, the human body is same.
2. The poet says that nobody is different and peculiar. No country is foreign. A single body breathes beneath all uniforms. Moreover, the land is the same everywhere.

Question 2.
In stanza 1, find five ways in which we all are alike. Pick out the words.
Answer:
In the first stanza the poet says that there is no difference between the body of a citizen of one country and the citizen of another country. We have same kind of body; we wear same kind of clothes. We walk on the same planet, and the end of each individual is the same.

Question 3.

How many common features can you find in stanza 2? Pick out the words.
Answer:
The following common features are given in the stanzas:

1. sun
2. air
3. water,
4. Peaceful harvests required for human survival
5. same hands

Question 4.
“… whenever we are told to hate our brothers….” When do you think this happens? Why? Who ‘tells’ us? Should we do as we are told at such times What does the poet say?
Answer:
Sometimes some selfish people instigate the innocent to harm others. They do it for their own benefit. The common or ordinary man does not understand their tricks and starts hating his fellow human beings. They tell them to cause riots. The poet says that one should not follow anybody’s advice without brooding over it. The poet repeatedly says that there is no difference in them and the foreigners. The people of the entire world are the same.

Summary & Question-answers of The Poem:5-The School Boy with the concerned video

Poem:5-The School Boy 

Summary ➤

The school boy is a poem which is based upon the perspective of a young school boy. The boy loves the summer mornings. He loves the singing of the birds in every tree. He listens to the blows and sounds of the clarion by the Hunter.

But he does not like to go to school during such a sweet and nice weather. He does not like to stay under the strict supervision of the teachers and the school system. The class sessions bring boredom to the child. The child cannot even spend the time in the garden where he could learn many interesting things with the nature.

The boy compares himself with a bird in a cage and a withered tree. A bird cannot sing sweet songs in a trapped cage, similarly, a child can never enjoy the happiness under the umbrella of fear and tension. If a growing bud is picked and swept off in the early of its life where no one cares about it, how can it grow into a mature plant.

Working with the poem (Page 84)

Question 1:

Find three or four words/phrases in stanza 1 that reflect the child’s happiness and joy.

Answer:

The words or phrases in stanza 1 that reflect the child’s happiness and joy are “love to rise in a summer morn”, “birds sing on every tree”, “distant huntsman winds his horn”, “the skylark sings with me” and “sweet company”.

Question 2:

In stanza 2, the mood changes. Which words/phrases reflect the changed mood?

Answer:

The words or phrases that reflect the changed mood are “it drives all joy away”, “a cruel eye outworn” and “in sighing and dismay”.

Question 3:

‘A cruel eye outworn’ (stanza 2) refers to

(i) the classroom which is shabby/noisy.

(ii) the lessons which are difficult/uninteresting.

(iii) the dull/uninspiring life at school with lots of work and no play.

Mark the answer that you consider right.

Answer:

(iii) the dull/uninspiring life at school with lots of work and no play.

Question 4:

‘Nor sit in learning’s bower

worn thro’ with the dreary shower’

Which of the following is a close paraphrase of the lines above?

(i) Nor can I sit in a roofless classroom when it is raining.

(ii) Nor can I learn anything at school though teachers go on lecturing and explaining.

(iii) Nor can I sit in the school garden for fear of getting wet in the rain.

Answer:

(ii) Nor can I learn anything at school though teachers go on lecturing and explaining

Summary & Question- answers of The Chapter:6-The Hundred Dresses-II with the concerned video

 The Hundred Dresses II- Summary

The lesson begins with all the students of Room no. 13 having a look at the wonderful drawings of Wanda Petronski. Only then, a note is received by Miss Mason from Wanda’s father informing that none of his two children will attend the school as they are moving to a big city where no one would judge them for their names. Miss Mason was left shocked and conveyed her disappointment to the class. Maddie was affected by this letter of Wanda’s father. She instantly developed an urge to apologise to Wanda. Peggy and Maddie, the two best friends rush to Boggins Heights hoping that the family hadn’t moved yet. But to their dismay, there was no sign of life in and around the house.  Maddie lost her sleep thinking what a coward she is who couldn’t stand against the wrong. That day she decided that she’ll never let anyone tease someone like that again. That weekend Peggy and Maddie decided to write a letter to Wanda that was originally meant to be apologetic but they ended up writing a friendly note asking her how she liked the new place. Weeks passed by and there was no reply until one day near Christmas, Miss Mason announces that she heard from Wanda. In that letter, Wanda wrote she misses everyone and conveyed her intention of gifting one dress each to Maddie and Peggy because she has a whole new lot of hundred dresses lined up in her new house. Both of them were happy to receive it and later realised that it was their faces she had drawn along with the dresses. Thus, they both concluded that Wanda liked it.

Page No 65:

Question 1:

Where in the classroom does Wanda sit and why?

Answer:

Wanda sat in the seat next to the last seat, in the last row, in Room Thirteen. She sat in the corner of the room where the rough boys who did not get good marks sat. It was also the place where there was the most scuffling of feet, most roars of laughter when anything funny was said, and most mud and dirt on the floor.

Question 2:

Where does Wanda live? What kind of a place do you think it is?

Answer:

Wanda lived at Boggins Heights. It seems that it was a place far away from the school and also, where there was a lot of dry mud, thereby indicating that it was not a very rich locality.

Question 3:

When and why do Peggy and Maddie notice Wanda’s absence?

Answer:

Peggie and Maddie noticed Wanda’s absence after three days, i.e., on Wednesday. They finally noticed her absence because Wanda had got them late for school. They had waited for her in order to have some fun, but she did not turn up.

Question 4:

What do you think “to have fun with her” means?

Answer:

In this context, ‘to have fun with her’ means that Peggy and Maddie would have made fun of Wanda and teased her for their own pleasure.

Page No 67:

Question 1:

In what way was Wanda different from the other children?

Answer:

Wanda was different from other children. She did not have any friends. She came to school alone and went home alone. She always wore a faded blue dress that did not fit her properly. Unlike other children, she did not talk to anybody.

Question 2:

Did Wanda have a hundred dresses? Why do you think she said she did?

Answer:

No, she did not have a hundred dresses because she was poor and wore the same faded dress to school everyday. Probably, it was a child’s fantasy to possess a hundred dresses—a child who had only one dress to wear for school. The other children used to make fun of her poverty, and would have laughed at her whatever she might have said. This could have been the reason for her exaggerating everything.

Question 3:

Why is Maddie embarrassed by the questions Peggy asks Wanda? Is she also like Wanda, or is she different?

Answer:

Maddie was embarrassed by the questions Peggy asked Wanda because she was poor herself. She usually wore old clothes, which were handed down by someone else. She did not feel sorry for Wanda. She was worried that perhaps later, everyone would start teasing her too. She thought she was different from Wanda in the sense that she would never claim that she had a hundred dresses. She was not as poor as Wanda. Yet she was afraid that the others might mock her too.

Page No 70:

Question 1:

How is Wanda seen as different by the other girls? How do they treat her?

Answer:

Wanda was different from other girls. She did not have any friends. She came to school alone and went home alone. She always wore a faded blue dress that did not fit her properly. Unlike others, she did not talk to anybody. The other girls teased her and had fun with her. They would surround her, and Peggy would ask how many dresses she had. Wanda would reply that she had a hundred and they would continue teasing her. Then, they would let her go. Before she could go very far, they would burst into laughter. They kept asking her how many hats she had, or shoes, etc. All of them mocked her and made fun of her.

Question 2:

How does Wanda feel about the dresses game? Why does she say that she has a hundred dresses?

Answer:

Wanda did not show any feelings regarding the dresses game. It is most likely that she was deeply hurt. It could have been one of the reasons why her family left the place and moved to the city.

Probably, it was a child’s fantasy to possess a hundred dresses—a child who had only one dress to wear for school. The other children used to make fun of her poverty, and would have laughed at her whatever she might have said. This could have been the reason for her exaggerating everything.

Question 3:

Why does Maddie stand by and not do anything? How is she different from Peggy? (Was Peggy’s friendship important to Maddie? Why? Which lines in the text tell you this?)

Answer:

Maddie always stood by and never did anything as she was afraid that if she did, she would be the next target of the children. She herself was poor and therefore, felt that if she spoke against the others, they would target her next. Unlike her, Peggy was a rich girl. This was also the reason why Maddie could think from Wanda’s point of view, but Peggy could not. Maddie was Peggy’s best friend. It seemed as if she was in awe of Peggy. She admired her quite a lot as she said that Peggy was the most liked girl in the room and that she drew better than anyone else. She did not have the courage to go against her. Some of the lines from the text which show that Peggy’s friendship was important to Maddie are as follows.

(i) Peggy, who had thought up this game, and Maddie, her inseparable friend, were always the last to leave.

(ii) She was Peggy’s best friend, and Peggy was the best-liked girl in the whole room.

(iii) Peggy could not possibly do anything that was really wrong, she thought.

(iv) Oh, Maddie was sure Peggy would win.

Question 4:

What does Miss Mason think of Wanda’s drawings? What do the children think of them? How do you know?

Answer:

Miss Mason said that Room Thirteen should be proud of Wanda as she had drawn one hundred designs of dresses, all of which were beautiful and different. She told the students that in the opinion of the judges, any one of the drawings was worthy of winning the prize. She was very happy to announce Wanda as the winner. As Wanda was absent that day, Miss Mason hoped that she would be back the next day. She then asked the entire class to look at Wanda’s exquisite drawings.

The children also admired the drawings. Everybody stopped and whistled or murmured admiringly. After Miss Mason had announced that Wanda was the winner, they burst into applause, and even the boys were glad to have a chance to stamp on the floor and whistle. Also, just as Peggy and Maddie entered the room, they stopped short and gasped. Later they recognized the designs as those which Wanda had described to them. And in the end, Peggy exclaimed, “…and I thought I could draw.” This shows that she also realized how good Wanda’s drawings were.

Question 1:

Why didn’t Maddie ask Peggie to stop teasing Wanda? What was she afraid of?

Answer:

Maddie tried to tell Peggy to stop teasing Wanda by writing a note to her. She knew she would never have the courage to speak to Peggy about this matter. As she was writing the note, she pictured herself in the school yard as a new target for Peggy and the girls. She thought Peggy might ask her where she got the dress she had on and she would have to say that it was one of Peggy’s old ones. This was what she was afraid of. Consequently, she ended up tearing the note.

Question 2:

Who did Maddie think would win the drawing contest? Why?

Answer:

Maddie thought that Peggy would win the drawing contest because Peggy drew better than anyone else. She could copy a picture in a magazine, or some film star’s face so well that one could tell who it was.

Question 3:

Who won the drawing contest? What had the winner drawn?

Answer:

Wanda won the drawing contest. She had drawn a hundred dresses, which were dazzling with colours, and had brilliant and lavish designs. They were all drawn on great sheets of wrapping paper. They were all different from each other and all beautiful. The judges said that any one of the drawings was worthy of winning the prize.

Summary & Question-answers of The Poem:5-Trees with the concerned video

Summary

SHIRLEY BAUER explains in the poem the benefits of trees in our life. Trees give shelter to all living creatures specially birds. Children love to play under the tree, games like ‘hide&seek’ or Swing on its branches. Adults have tea parties under its shade.  Trees also make kites catch in their branches.Trees provide tasty fruits like apples and pears. They give us timber and inspire mothers to paint lovely pictures but make fathers complain that in autumn they have lots of leaves to rake.

Textbook Question-answers

Q1. What are the games or human activities which use trees, or in which trees also ‘partcipate’?
Ans: We play hide and seek or swing on its branch. Make tree-house or have a tea party under it. During summer we relax under its cool shade.

Q2. “Trees are to make no shade in winter.” What does it mean?
Ans: During winter we play in sunny places with trees around like parks.

Q3. "Trees are for apples to grow on, or pears.”Do you agree that one purpose of a tree is to have fruit on it? Or do you think this line is humorous?
Ans: Yes, one purpose of  trees is to have  fruits and poet humorously says apples and pears , which are most common fruits.

Summary & Question-answers of The Chapter:6-My Childhood with the concerned video

Summary:

In this chapter. Prof. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam tells us about his childhood. He was born in the town of Rameswaram.  His father’s name was Jainulabdeen and his mother’s name was Ashiamma. Kalam’s father was neither educated nor rich. Yet he was wise and generous. His mother was also very kind. A number of outsiders daily ate with their family. Abdul Kalam had three brothers and one sister. They lived in their ancestral house in Mosque Street in Rameswaram. It was a large pucca house. His father avoided all luxuries. However, the house had all things of daily necessities.
Abdul Kalam was eight years old when the Second World War broke out. Suddenly, there was a great demand for tamarind seeds. He would collect those seeds and sell them in the market. He got one anna (about six paise) for a day’s collection. It was a good amount in those days. His cousin, Samsuddin distributed papers in Rameswaram. He needed a helping hand and employed Abdul Kalam. Kalam still remembers the pride that he felt on earning his own money for the first time.
Abdul Kalam was greatly influenced by his parents. He learnt honesty and self-discipline from his father. He inherited goodness and kindness from his mother. He had three close friends in his childhood. They were Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan and Sivaprakasan. All these boys belonged to orthodox Hindu Brahmin families. As children, they never felt any religious differences among themselves. During the annual Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony, Kalam’s family arranged boats for carrying idols of the Lord. At day time, his father and grandmother told the children stories from the Ramayana.
Once when Abdul Kalam was in the fifth standard, a new teacher came. Abdul Kalam was sitting with his close friend Ramanadha Sastry in the first row. The new teacher could not tolerate a Muslim boy sitting with a Hindu priest's so he asked Abdul Kalam to sit on the back bench. Both Abdul Kalam and Ramanadha Sastry became sad. Later Sastry’s father rebuked the teacher and he realised his mistake.

Thnking About The Text

(Page 74)

Activity:
Find Dhanuskodi and Rameswaram on the map. What language(s) do you think are spoken there? What languages do you think the author, his family, his friends and his teachers spoke with one another?
Answer:

For self-attempt.
(People speak Tamil here).

I. Answer these questions in one or two sentences each.

Question 1.

Where was Abdul Kalam’s house?
Answer:
Abdul Kalam’s house was on the Mosque Street in Rameswaram.

Question 2.
What do you think Dinamani is the name of? Give a reason for your answer.
Answer:
Dinamani is the name of a newspaper. Abdul Kalam attempts to trace the Second World War’s news in the headlines of this newspaper.

Question 3.
Who were Abdul Kalam’s school friends? What did they later become?
Answer:
Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan and Sivaprakasan were his school friends. Ramanadha Sastry became a priest of the Rameswaram temple. Aravindan went into the business of arranging transport for visiting pilgrims. Sivaprakasan became a catering contractor for the Southern Railways.

Question 4.
How did Abdul Kalam earn his first wages?
Answer:
Abdul Kalam earned his first wages by distributing newsestionm

 5.

Had he earned any money before that? In what way?
Answer:
Yes, he earned money before also. He used to collect the tamarind seeds and sell them to a provision shop on the Mosque Street. A day’s collection would fetch him the princely sum of one anna.

II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words).

Question 1.
How does the author describe:

1. his father
2. his mother
3. himself?

Answer:

1. The author describes his father as a wise and generous person. He felt happy when he helped others. He did not have much formal education and riches. He was a man of confidence and great wisdom. He avoided inessential comforts and luxuries.
2. His mother was a noble and kind- hearted woman. She used to feed a large number of people. She had all the attributes of a typical Indian mother.
3. I was born into a middle-class Tamil family. I was a short boy with rather undistinguished looks, born to tall and handsome parents. I studied physics and aerospace engineering and became a scientist.

Question 2.
What characteristics does he say he inherited from his parents?
Answer:
The author inherited humility and benevolence from his parents. He learnt lessons in honesty and integrity from his parents. He was self-disciplined because of his parents’ exemplary life.

III. Discuss these questions in class with your teacher and then write down your answers in two or three paragraphs each.

Question 1.

“ On the whole, the small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in terms of the segregation of different social groups,” says the author.

1. Which social groups does he mention? Were these groups easily identifiable (for example, by the way they dressed)?
2. Were they aware only of their differences or did they also naturally share friendships and experiences? (Think of the bedtime stories in Kalam’s house; of who his friends were ; and of what used to take place in the pond near his house.)
3. The author speaks both of people who were very aware of the differences among them and those who tried to bridge these differences. Can you identify such people in the text?
4. Narrate two incidents that show how differences can be created, and also how they can be resolved. How can people change their attitudes?

Answer:

1. The author talks about the people who belong to various castes and follow various religious preachings. Yes, these groups were easily identifiable. Their dressing, traditions, culture and rituals were different.
2. They did share their personal experiences and friendships. Lakshmana Sastry summoned the teacher who separated the author and his friend in the class and told him that he should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance in the minds of innocent children.
3. The school teacher encouraged communal differences and Lakshmana Sastry and Sivasubramania Iyer discouraged this malpractice.
4. The influential people can do both the things. A teacher has the ability to bridge communal differences and can play with sentiments of the innocent and ignorant people. This is what the new teacher did. But the Science teacher Sivasubramania Iyer changed his wife’s attitude and showed her the right path.

Question 2.

1. Why did Abdul Kalam want to leave Rameswaram?
2. What did his father say to this?
3. What do you think his words mean? Why do you think he spoke those words?

Answer:

1. Abdul Kalam wanted to leave Rameswaram to study at the district headquarters in Ramanathapuram.
2. His father said that he knew he had to go away to grow. He gave the example of a seagull and said that a seagull flies across the sun alone and without a nest.
3. He spoke these words because he intended to hone his skills. He knew the harsh reality of life that children may have to live far from their parents to make their career and earn their livelihood. So he showed his wisdom and intelligence in uttering these words.

Thinking about language
(Page 75)

Question 1.
Find the sentences in the text where these words occur:

erupt,surge,trace,undistinguished,casualty

Answer:
The sentences in the text where these words occur are the following:

1.  . . . a sudden demand for tamarind seeds erupted in the market.
2.  . . . I can still feel the surge of pride in earning my own money for the first time.
3.  . . . I would later attempt to trace in the deadlines in Dinamani.
4.  . . . a short boy with rather undistinguished looks, born to tall and handsome parents.
5. The first casualty came in the form of the suspension of the train halt at Rameswaram Station.

Look these words up in a dictionary which gives examples of how they are used.

Question 2.
Now answer the following questions.
1. What are the things that can erupt? Use examples to explain the various meanings of erupt. Now do the same for the word surge. What things can surge?

2. What are the meanings of the word trace and which of the meanings is closest to the word in the text?

3. Can you find the word undistinguished in your dictionary? (If not, look up the word distinguished and say what undistinguished must mean.)

Answers:
1. An earthquake can erupt. Emotions can erupt. Anger can erupt.
Example: An earthquake erupted in Sicily last night.
Surge means a sudden powerful forward or upward movement. A wave surges. A crowd surges. A storm surges.
Example: Birds search for fish when waves surge towards the shore.

2. ‘Trace’ means to find out, to copy, to draw an outline, etc. ‘Finding out’ is the closest meaning to ‘trace’ in the text.

3. I can’t find the word ‘undistinguished’ in my dictionary because it is not the root word. It is there under the word ‘distinguished’ because ‘undistinguished’ is opposite to ‘distinguished’. It means: not specific, not prominent, not distinct, etc.

II.

Question 1.
Match the phrases in Column ‘A’ with their meanings in Column ‘B’.

A	B
(i) broke out	(a) an attitude of kindness, a readiness to give freely
(ii) in accordance with	(b) was not able to tolerate
(iii) a helping hand	(c) began suddenly in a violent way
(iv) could not stomach	(d) assistance
(v) generosity of spirit	(e) persons with power to make decisions
(vi) figures of authority	(f) according to a particular rule, principle, or system

Answers:

1. — (c)
2. — (f)
3. — (d)
4. — (b)
5. — (a)
6. — (e).

Question 2.
Study the words in italics in the sentences below. They are formed by prefixing un- or in- to their antonyms (words opposite in meaning).

• I was a short boy with rather undistinguished looks, (un + distinguished)
• My austere father used to avoid all inessential comforts, (in + essential)
• The area was completely unaffected by the war. (un + affected)
• He should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance, (in + equality, in + tolerance)

Now form the opposites of the words below by prefixing un- or in-. The pre-fix in- can also have the forms il-, ir-, or im- (For example : illiterate—il + literate, impractical—im + practical, irrational—ir + rational). You may consult a dictionary if you wish.

— adequate
— regular
— demanding
— true
— patriotic
— accessible
— logical
— responsible
— acceptable
— tolerant
— active
— permanent
— disputed
— coherent
— legal
— possible

Answers:

— inadequate
— irregular
— undcmanding
— untrue
— unpatriotic
— inaccessible
— illogical
— irresponsible
— unacceptable
— intolerant
— inactive
— impermanent
— undisputed
— incoherent
— illegal
— impossible

Question 3.
Passive voice
(See NCERT Textbook on pages 76 & 77.)

IV. Rewrite the sentences below, changing the verbs in brackets into the passive form.

Question 1.
In yesterday’s competition the prizes (give away) by the Principal.
Answer:
In yesterday’s competition the prizes were given away by the Principal.

Question 2.
In spite of financial difficulties, the labourers (pay) on time.
Answer:
In spite of financial difficulties, the labourers were paid on time.

Question 3.
On Republic Day, vehicles (not allow) beyond this point.
Answer:
On Republic Day, vehicles were not allowed beyond this point.

Question 4.
Second-hand books (buy and sell) on the pavement every Saturday.
Answer:
Second-hand books are bought and sold on the pavement every Saturday.

Question 5.
Elections to the Lok Sabha (hold) every five years.
Answer:
Elections to the Lok Sabha are held every five years.

Question 6.
Our National Anthem (compose) Rabindranath Tagore.
Answer:
Our National Anthem has been composed by Rabindranath Tagore.

V. Rewrite the paragraphs below, using the correct form of the verb given in brackets.

Question 1.
How Helmets Came To Be Used in Cricket

Nari Contractor was the Captain and an opening batsman for India in the 1960s. The Indian cricket team went on a tour to the West Indies in 1962. In a match against Barbados in Bridgetown, Nari Contractor (seriously injure and collapse). In those days helmets (not wear). Contractor (hit) on the head by a bouncer from Charlie Griffith. Contractor’s skull (fracture). The entire team (deeply concern). The West Indies players (worry). Contractor (rush) to hospital. He (accompany) by Frank Worrell, the Captain of the West Indies Team. Blood (donate) by the West Indies players. Thanks to the timely help, Contractor (save). Nowadays helmets (routinely use) against fast bowlers.
Answer:
How Helmets Came To Be Used in Cricket
Nari Contractor was the Captain and an opening batsman for India in the 1960s. The Indian cricket team went on a tour to the West Indies in 1962. In a match against Barbados in Bridgetown Nari Contractor was seriously injured and collapsed. In those days helmets were not worn. Contractor was hit on the head by a bouncer from Charlie Griffith. Contractor’s skull was fractured. The entire team was deeply concerned. The West Indies players were worried. Contractor was rushed to hospital. He was accompanied by Frank Worrell, the Captain of the West Indies Team. Blood was donated by the West Indies players. Thanks to the timely help, Contractor was saved. Nowadays helmets are routinely used against fast bowlers.

Question 2.
Oil From Seeds
Vegetable oils (make) from seeds and fruits of many plants growing all over the world, from tiny sesame seeds to big, juicy coconuts. Oil (produce) from cotton seeds, groundnuts, soya beans and sunflower seeds. Olive oil (use) for cooking, salad dressing, etc. Olives (shake) from file trees and (gather) up, usually by hand. The olives (ground) to a thick paste which is spread onto special mats. Then the mats (layer) up on the pressing machine which will gently squeeze them to produce olive oil.
Answer:
Oil From Seeds
Vegetable oils are made from seeds and fruits of many plants growing all over the world from tiny sesame seeds to big, juicy coconuts. Oil is produced from cotton seeds, groundnuts, soya beans and sunflower seeds. Olive oil is used for cooking, salad dressing, etc. Olives are shaken from the trees and gathered up, usually by hand. The olives are grounded to a thick paste which is spread onto special mats. Then the mats are layered up on the pressing machine which will gently squeeze them to produce olive oil.

Dictation
(Page 77)

Let the class divide itself into three groups. Let each group take down one passage that the teacher dictates. Then put the passages together in the right order.
To Sir, with Love

1. From Rameswaram to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, it’s been a long journey. Talking to Nona Walia on the eve of Teacher’s Day, President Dr. A.PJ. Abdul Kalam talks about life’s toughest lessons learnt and his mission—being a teacher to the Indian Youth. “A proper education would help nurture a sense of dignity and self-respect among our youth”, says President Kalam. There’s still a child in him though, and he’s still curious about learning new things. Life’s a mission for President Kalam.

2. Nonetheless, he remembers his first lesson in life and how it changed his destiny. “I was studying in Standard V, and must have been all of 10. My teacher, Sri Sivasubramania Iyer was telling us how birds fly. He drew a diagram of a bird on the blackboard, depicting the wings, tail and the body with the head and then explained how birds soar to the sky. At the end of the class, I said I didn’t understand. Then he asked the other students if they had understood, but nobody had understood how birds fly,” he recalls.

3. “That evening, the entire class was taken to Rameswaram shore” the President continues. “My teacher showed us sea birds. We saw marvellous formations of them flying and how their wings flapped. Then my teacher asked us, ‘Where is the birds’ engine and how is it powered?’ I knew then that birds are powered by their own life and motivation. I understood all about birds’ dynamics. This was real teaching—a theoretical lesson coupled with a live practical example. Sri Sivasubramania Iyer was a great teacher. ” That day, my future was decided. My destiny was changed. I knew my future had to be about flight and flight systems.
Answer:
For attempt at class level. Paragraphs are put together as given below:

To Sir, With Love

From Rameswaram to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, it’s been a long journey. Talking to Nona Walia on the eve of Teacher’s Day, President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam talks about life’s toughest lessons learnt, and his mission—being a teacher to the Indian Youth. “A proper education would help nurture a sense of dignity and self-respect among our youth”, says President Kalam. There’s still a child in him though, he’s still curious about learning new things. Life’s a mission for President Kalam.

Nonetheless, he remembers his first lesson in life and how it changed his destiny. “I was studying in standard V, and must have been all of 10. My teacher, Sri Sivasubramania Iyer was telling us how birds fly. He drew a diagram of a bird on the blackboard, depicting the wings, tail and the body with the head and then explained how birds soar to the sky. At the end of the class, I said I did not understand. Then he asked the other students if they had understood, but nobody had understood how birds fly”, he recalls. “That evening, the entire class was taken to Rameswaram shore”, the President continues. “My teacher showed us sea birds. We saw marvellous formations of them flying and how their wings flapped. Then my teacher asked us, “Where is the bird’s engine and how is it powered?” I knew then that birds are powered by their own life and motivation. I understood all about birds’ dynamics. This was real teaching—a theoretical lesson coupled with a live practical example. Sri Sivasubramania Iyer was a great teacher. That day, my future was decided. My destiny was changed. I knew my future had to be about flight and flight systems.

Speaking
(Page 78)

Here is a topic for you to

1. think about;
2. give your opinion on.

Find out what other people think about it. Ask your friends/seniors/parents to give you their opinion.

‘Career Building Is the Only Goal of Education.’
Or
‘Getting a Good Job Is More Important than Being a Good Human Being.’
You can use the following phrases.

(i) while giving your opinion:

• I think that…
• In my opinion …
• It seems to me that…
• I am of the view that…
• As far as I know …
• If you ask me …

(ii) saying what other people think:

• According to some …
• Quite a few think …
• Some others favour…
• Thirty per cent of the people disagree …
• Fifty per cent of them strongly feel…

(iii) asking for other’s opinions:

• What do you think about…
• What do you think of…
• What is your opinion about…
• Do you agree …
• Does this make you believe …

Career Building is the Only Goal of Education

The eminent educationists aver that education does not make a child a bookworm. It sharpens the pupils’ intellect and inspires them to build their career by getting themselves enrolled in professional courses. In my opinion, the fundamental goal of education is to help a learner in opting for a perfect stream and assist him in earning his livelihood.
Answer:
Class Activity.

Writing
(Page 79)

Question 1.
Think and write a short account of what life in Rameswaram in the 1940s must have been like. (Were people rich or poor? Hard working or lazy? Hopeful of change, or resistant to it?).
Answer:
The people of Rameswaram in 1940s were orthodox and tolerant. It is mentioned in the story that every child is bom into a specific socio-economic and emotional environment and trained in certain ways by figures of authority. The people of Rameswaram were not ready to allow anybody to instigate their children on the basis of communal intolerance. They were all religious people and did not like to enjoy the luxuries of life. They had pucca houses made of limestone and brick. They used to avoid all inessential comforts and were emotionally attached to the members of their family.

Extract Based Questions (3 marks each)

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:

Question 1:
During the annual Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam Ceremony, our family used to arrange boats with a special platform for carrying idols of the Lord from the temple to the marriage site,jsituated in the middle of the pond called Rama Tirtha which was near our house.

1. What was the annual event held in Rameshwaram ?
2. Where did the boats carry the idols of the Lord ?
3. Find a word from the passage that means “images of God”. (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-014)
   

Answer:

1. The annual event held in Rameshwaram was Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam Ceremony.
2. The boats carried the idols of the Lord in the middle of the pond on the site of the marriage (or ceremony or function).
3. Idols.

Question 2:
During the annual Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam Ceremony, our family used to arrange boats with a special platform for carrying idols of the Lord from the temple to the marriage site, situated in the middle of the pond called Rama Tirtha which was near our house. Events from the Ramayana and from the life of the Prophet were the bedtime stories my mother and grandmother would tell the children in our family.

1. How did the speaker’s family help in Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam Ceremony?
2. What light does the passage throw on speaker’s family ?
3. Find the word in the passage which means the same “the place where some event takes place”. (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-016)

Answer:

1. The speaker’s family used to help in Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam Ceremony by arranging boats with a special platform for carrying idols.
2. The passage shows that the speaker’s family is a truly secular family which respected other religions also.
3. Site.

Question 3:
After school, we went home and told our respective parents about the incident. Lakshmana Sastry summoned the teacher, and in our presence, told the teacher that he should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance in the minds of innocent children. He bluntly asked the teacher to either apologize or quit the school and the island. Not only did the teacher regret his behaviour, but the strong sense of conviction. Lakshmana Sastry conveyed ultimately reformed this young teacher.

1. What brought about a change in the teacher ?
2. What kind of society did the speaker live in ?
3. Find the word/phrase in the passage which means “strong opinion or belief”.(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-017)

Answer:

1. The strong sense of conviction that Lakshmana Sastry conveyed brought about a change in the teacher.
2. The speaker lived in a society which was truly secular.
3. Conviction.

Question 4:
His wife watched us from behind the kitchen door. I wondered whether she had observed any difference in the way I ate rice, drank water or cleaned the floor after the meal. When I was leaving his house, Sivasubramaniam invited me to join him for dinner the next weekend. Observing my habitation, he told me not to get upset, saying “Once you decide to change the system, such problems have to be confronted.” When I visited his house next week, Sivasubramaniam Iyer’s wife took me inside her kitchen and served me food with her own hands.

1. Why did the teacher’s wife watched them from behind the kitchen door ?
2. Why was the narrator hesitant to eat food, with a Hindu family ?
3. Find the word from the passage that means “to deal with” (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-017)

Answer:

1. The teacher’s wife believed in the segregation of different people. She did not want APJ Kalam to enter her kitchen and serve food. She as a result hid behind kitchen door and saw everything.
2. The narrator felt hesitant to eat food with a Hindu family because he felt he was not welcomed in the family.
3. Confronted One day, he invited me to his home for a meal. His wife was horrified at the idea of a Muslim boy being invited to dine in her ritually pure kitchen. She refused to serve me in her kitchen.

Question 5:
Sivasubramaniam Iyer was not perturbed, nor did he get angry with his wife, but instead, served me’ with his own hands and sat down beside me to eat his meal.

1. Who is “he” and “me” in the first sentence ?
2. Why was his wife horrified ?
3. Find the word from the passage that means “agitated/upset”. (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-019)

Answer:

1. “He” is Sivasubramania Iyer, and “me” is Abdul Kalam.
2. His wife was horrified at the idea of serving food to a Muslim boy in her kitchen.
3. Perturbed.

Short Answer Type Questions (2 marks each)
(About 30-40 words each)

Question 1:
Why did A.P.J. Abdul Kalam call his childhood a secure childhood ?(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-015)
Or
“Kalam’s childhood was a secure one, both materially and emotionally”. Illustrate the fact.(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-042)
Answer:
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam called his childhood a secure one because he had loving and caring parents.-He had all necessary things which included food, clothes, medicine, etc.

Question 2:
Do you think the new teacher deserved the treatment meted out to him ? Why/why not ?(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-016)
Answer:
Yes, he deserved the treatment meted out to him. He was spreading the poison of communal intolerance among the young minds which was a serious crime. If a teacher indulges in such a mean act he deserves no sympathy.

Question 3:
What was the difference in the attitudes of the science teacher and his wife towards A.P.J. Abdul Kalam ?(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-029)
Answer:
Though his science teacher was an orthodox Hindu, he broke the social barriers, and mixed with other religions and commjmities. He invited Abdul home and served him meals and even sat and ate with him. On the contrary, his wife was conservative and refused to serve Abdul.

Question 4:
How did Second World War give opportunity to Kalam to earn his first wages ?(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-030)
Answer:
Kalam’s cousin was a news agent. Train halt at Rameshwaram station was suspended. So, the newspapers were bundled up and thrown out from a moving train. Kalam helped his cousin to catch the bundles. He was given money for it.

Question 5:
How does Abdul Kalam describe his mother ?(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-035)
Answer:
Abdul Kalam describes his mother by saying that she was an ideal wife and a gentle lady. He learnt from his mother to be gentle and kind. She even used to feed a lot of outsiders every day.

Question 6:
What did Abdul Kalam’s family do during the annual Shri Sita Ram Kalayanam Ceremony ?(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-038)
Answer:
Abdul Kalam’s family arranged for a boat with a special platform for carrying the idols of Lord Shri Sita Ram from the temple to the marriage sites situated in the middle of a pond called as Rama Tirtha. His parents even told him stories from the Ramayana.

Question 7:
What characteristics did Abdul Kalam inherited from his parents ? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-043)
Answer:
Abdul Kalam inherited honesty and self discipline from his father and faith in goodness and kindness from his mother. Like his parents even he respected all religions.

Long Answer Type Questions (4 marks each)
(About 80-100 words each)

Question 1:
What do you know about A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s family after reading the lesson “My childhood”? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-013)
Answer:
A.PJ. Abdul Kalam tells us that his family was a Tamil middle class family from Rameshwaram. His father Jainulabdeen was not much educated, wasn’t rich but was generous, wise, simple man
but very strict and severe. His mother Ashiamma was a generous lady, and used to feed unlimited numbers of people in their home. Kalam’s family respected all religions. They took part in Hindu festivals. His mother and grandmother told him stories from Ramayana. They always showered their love on their children and never forced their thoughts on them.

Question 2:
What incident took place at the Rameshwaram Elementry School when a new teacher came to the class ? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-023)
Answer:
Kalam used to wear a cap and Ramanandha Sastry wore a sacred thread which marked him to be a Brahmin. When the new teacher came he could not tolerate a Hindu priest’s son sitting with a Muslim boy. He ordered Kalam to go and sit on the back bench. This made Ramanandha sad. Abdul started to sit in the last row but it left a bad impression on Abdul. Both the kids narrated the incident to their parents. As a result the teacher was rebuked and reprimanded for spreading communalism and hatred among children.

Question 3:
How did Abdul Kalam earn his “first wages” ? How did he feel at that time ?(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-024)
Answer:
Kalam was only 8 years old when the second world war broke out in 1939. Then there was a great demand for tamarind seeds. Abdul used to collect those seeds and sell them in the market. His cousin Shamsuddin distributed newspapers. The train would not stop at Rameshwaram and the bundles of newspapers were thrown from the running train. Abdul was employed by his cousin to collect them. This way he earned his first wages. He felt very proud on earning his first wage.

Question 4:
“Once you decide to change the system, such problems have to be confronted.” What system is being refer in the sentence from the chapter “My Childhood”? What are such problems ?(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-025)
Answer:
System means system of discrimination on the basis of religion. The system includes the narrow-mindedness and poison of social inequality and communal intolerance. The Brahmins did not allow Muslims to enter their kitchen. The science teacher – a rebel by nature, invited Kalam to his home and proved that if one is determined to face problems and change the system, he will definitely succeed. Though, such indifferences come in everybody’s life but a person should have a broader outlook and overcome the obstacles.

Question 5:
How was the Science teacher Siva Subramaniam Iyer, though an orthodox. Brahmin with a very conservative wife, a friend of Abdul Kalam. Give incidents to support your answer.(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-025)
Answer:
The Science teacher, Siva Subramaniam Iyer, wanted to break the social barriers between the Hindus and the Muslims. He wanted Kalam to be very highly educated as he recognized his intelligence. One day, he invited him over to a meal. His orthodox wife was totally horrified at the idea of a Muslim boy dining in her ritually pure kitchen. He did not mind anything said by his very conservative wife. He rather served the food to Abdul by his own hands. He also sat with him and dined together as well as invited him over again for another meal the coming weekend. Thus, this shows that he was a friend of Abdul Kalam even though Kalam was a Muslim and he himself was an orthodox Brahmin.

Value Based Question (4 marks)

Question 1:
‘Childhood’ is the formative period of a child’s life. The lessons learnt here always stays with a person. Comment on it in the light of the lesson A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
Answer:
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is one of the finest scientists in our country and was also our eleventh President. From his autobiography “Wings of Fire” it is amply clear that lessons learnt in our childhood not only shape our personality but also decide the kind of person we become. He learnt the lessons of religious tolerance, honesty and self-discipline early in his life. These qualities stayed with him throughout his life and have helped to make him one of the finest President of our country with so many diverse cultures.

Summary & Question-answers of The Chapter:5-The Hundred Dresses-1 with the concerned video

The Hundred Dresses Part 1 Summary

Wanda Petronski was a poor Polish girl. She lived on Boggins Heights. She joined an American school. She was different from other girls in many ways — her name was uncommon, she was a quiet girl and had no friends. She wore the same pale blue dress every day.

Wanda used to sit in the corner on the last but one seat of the classroom where noisy and rough boys, who got low marks, sat. There was a lot of dirt, mud and scuffing of feet in that area.

Peggy and Maddie were close friends. Peggy was pretty, had curly hair and wore beautiful dresses. She was the most liked girl of Wanda’s class. She often made fun of Wanda by asking her questions about her hundred dresses in a mocking, polite voice. Maddie wanted Peggy to stop teasing Wanda but she could never muster (gather) courage to tell her that. She used to feel uncomfortable of that. Perhaps it reminded her of her own poverty.

Wanda, though a quiet girl, spoke a lot about her hundred dresses. She told the girls that her dresses were made of velvet or silk. All had different colours and designs. She specially mentioned her two dresses one pale blue with coloured trimmings and the other bright, green with red sash.

Wanda’s absence from school was not noticed for two days but on the third day Peggy and Maddie who missed the fun of laughing at her, waited for her at the corner of Oliver street where they used to meet her on their way to school. But Wanda did not turn up and they got late for school.Next day, it was drizzling. Peggy and Maddie did not wait for Wanda. They never wanted to be late for the school because they were anxious to know the result of the competition. It was to be announced that day.

As they entered their classroom, they stopped and gasped. Hundred drawings of bright and beautiful and differently designed dresses were displayed all over the room. Everyone, who entered the room, murmured with admiration.

Miss Mason announced the result. Among the boys, Jack Boggles had won and among the girls Wanda Petronski. She asked the students to give her a special applause (though she was not present to enjoy it). She had submitted hundred sketches and every sketch was worth winning the best price.

TEXTUAL EXERCISES

ORAL COMPREHENSION CHECK
(Page 65)

Question 1.
Where in the classroom does Wanda sit and why ? (CBSE 2012)
Answer:
Wanda sits in the next to the last seat in the last row in Room Thirteen. She sits in the comer of the room. There is noise by the scuffling of feet and roar of laughter.

Question 2.
Where does Wanda live 1 What kind of a place do you think it is ? (Imp.)
Answer:
Wanda lives up on Boggins Heights. It is not a clean place. It is muddy. Wanda’s feet are usually caked with mud. She has to walk through it as it is muddy.

Question 3.
When and why do Peggy and Maddie notice Wanda’s absence ?
Answer:
Peggy and Maddie noticed Wanda’s absence when they were not late from school. Wanda had made them late to school. They used to make fun of her for her muddy shoes.

Question 4.
What do you think ‘to have fun with her’ means ?
Answer:
‘To have fun with her’ means to laugh at her or to make a fool of her.

ORAL COMPREHENSION CHECK
(Page 67)

Question 1.
In what way was Wanda different from the other children ?
Answer:
Wanda was different from the other children by her name. Then she always wore a faded blue dress. It didn’t hang right though it was always clean. She didn’t have any friends.

Question 2.
Did Wanda have a hundred dresses ? Why do you think she said she did ? (V. Imp.)
Answer:
Wanda did not have a hundred dresses. She said this to counter the fun of other children. They made fun of her due to her only one dress.

Question 3.
Why is Maddie embarrassed by the questions Peggy asks Wanda ? Is she also like Wanda, or is she different ?
Answer:
Maddie is embarrassed by the questions Peggy asks Wanda. It is so because she is poor, though not exactly, like Wanda. She is like Wanda in temperament though she is an American. She doesn’t want others to make fun of Wanda due to her dress or her ‘funny’ name.

ORAL COMPREHENSION CHECK
(Page 70)

Question 1.
Why didn’t Maddie ask Peggy to stop teasing Wanda ? What was she afraid of?
Answer:
Maddie didn’t ask Peggy to stop teasing Wanda because she lacked courage to say so. She was afraid of losing her friendship with Peggy.

Question 2.
Who did Maddie think would win the drawing contest ? Why ? (Imp.)
Answer:
Maddie thought that Peggy would win the girls’ medal. It was so as she drew better than anyone else in the room.

Question 3.
Who won the drawing contest ? What had the winner drawn ?
Answer:
Peggy’s drawings always won prizes in the past. But now Wanda Petronski was the winner of the girls’ medal. In fact, she had drawn one hundred designs. All were different and beautiful. In the opinion of the judges, anyone of the drawings was worthy of winning the prize. They all had a strange magic about them.

THINKING ABOUT THE TEXT
(Page 70)

Question 1.
How is Wanda seen as different by the other girls ? How do they treat her ?
Answer:
Wanda is seen as different by the other girls. It is because of her origin and dress. She always wears the same dress. Then her feet are usually caked with dry mud. They treat her badly. They make fun of her. They also belittle her.

Question 2.
How does Wanda feel about the dresses game ? Why does she say that she has a hundred dresses ? (Imp.)
Answer:
Wanda feels badly about the dresses game. She says that she has a hundred dresses. It is to counter the fun,’other girls make of her. She feels insulted.

Question 3.
Why does Maddie stand by and not do anything ? How is she different from Peggy ? (Was Peggy’s friendship important to Maddie ? Why ? Which lines in the text tell you this ?)
Answer:
Maddie stands by and does nothing. It is because she doesn’t have the courage to speak to Peggy. She is different from Peggy as she doesn’t make fun of Wanda. She remains silent while Peggy makes fun of Wanda. Peggy’s friendship is important to her. It is because she is the best-liked girl in the whole room. She hopes Peggy would not do anything wrong to anybody.

The lines are : “She was Peggy’s best friend and Peggy was the best-liked girl in the whole room. Peggy could not possibly do anything that was really wrong.”

Question 4.
What does Miss Mason think of Wanda’s drawings ? What do the children think of them ? How do you know ?
Answer:
Miss Mason thinks of Wanda’s drawings as “exquisite”, “all different and all beautiful.” The children think of them as ‘amazing’. They stop short and gasp when they look at their beauty and brilliance. I know this from their reaction. They are taken in surprisingly by their dazzling colours and lavish designs.

Summary & Question-answers of The Poem:5-A Legend of the Northland with the concerned video

Summary

The poem is a legend about an old lady who angered Saint Peter because of her greed. The story goes’ on like this. In Northland lived a lady who was very selfish and greedy. Saint Peter while preaching the world reached her door one day. She was making cakes and baking them on a hearth. St. Peter was fainting with hunger. He asked the lady to give him a piece of cake. The cake that she was baking then appeared to be too big so she did not give him a piece from that and baked another small one. That also appeared to be big so she did not give him that also. Now she took an extremely little scrap of dough and rolled it flat. She had it as thin as a wafer but was unable to part with that also. This angered St. Peter a lot. He said that she was not fit to live in human form and enjoy food and warmth. He cursed her and transformed her into a woodpecker who has to bore in hard and dry wood to get its scanty food. She can be seen in the trees all day boring and boring for food. 

Question 1.

Which country or countries do you think “the Northland” refers to?
Answer:
It is a country in the north where days are short and nights are long.

Question 2.
What did Saint Peter ask the old lady for? What was the lady’s reaction?
Answer:
Saint Peter asked the old lady for a piece of cake. The lady behaved miserly and kept decreasing the size of the cake. At last she did not give him anything to eat.Question 3.

How did he punish her?
Answer:
He cursed her and made her a woodpecker.

Question 4.
How does the woodpecker get her food?
Answer:
The woodpecker bores the hard and dry wood to get its food.

Question 5.

Do you think that the old lady would have been so ungenerous if she had known who Saint Peter really was? What would she have done then?
Answer:
No, she would not have done this. On the contrary, she would have given him a large piece of cake to make him happy with the greed to get a handsome return.

Question 6.

Is this a true story? Which part of this poem do you feel is the most important?
Answer:
No, it is an imaginative story. It is a legend. The third stanza of the poem is very important.

Question 7.
What is a legend? Why is this poem called a legend?
Answer:
A legend is a story from ancient times about people and events. The title of the poem tells that it is a legend. The poet himself says that ‘I don’t believe it is true’.

Question 8.

Write the story of ‘A Legend of the Northland’ in about ten sentences.
Answer:
The poem is a story of an old woman. She is asked by Saint Peter for alms who has become weak because of fasting and travelling. But her greed forces her not to give him anything. He becomes angry and makes her a woodpecker who bores hard, dry wood to get food. Her clothes are burnt to ashes and she is left with a cap on her head. She continues boring into hard wood for her little food.