New Mulberry English Course Question Bank: Coursebook 7 Chapter 1: The Rumphius Story 1. Fill in The Blanks. / Complete The Sentences

New Mulberry English Course
Question Bank: Coursebook 7
Chapter 1: The Rumphius Story
1. Fill in the blanks. / Complete the sentences.
a. Lupine flower grows mainly in North America and ……………………….

b. The grandfather of lupine lady made ……………………… for living.
c. Miss Rumphius decided to settle near the ………………………………….
d. The seeds were carried to the hillside by ………………. and ………………
e. Mrs Rumphius was also called …………………….. by few people.
Answers
a. parts of Europe
b. figureheads
c. sea
d. wind birds
e. crazy old lady
2. Multiple Choice Questions
a. Alice would listen to stories from her grandfather of

i. sea pirates
ii. his childhood
iii. faraway places
iv. his father
b. Bapa Raja offered ………………….. to Miss Rumphius on her departure.

i. coconut water
ii. flower seeds
iii. a beautiful dress
iv. a mother of pearl
c. Miss Rumphius sowed lupines during the ……………….. season.

i. summer
ii. rainy
iii. autumn
iv. winter
Answers
a. iii
b. iv
c. i
3. Short Questions
a. How can the author say that Miss Lupine Lady was not always little and old?
Just because people started knowing Miss Rumphius only when she was old, it
does not mean that she was always that age. Moreover, it is the process of nature
that one is not born old. One is a child first and then grows to become a young
person and then mature with age. The author was also sure about Miss Lupine
Lady because she was her great-aunt.
b. What did grandfather tell Miss Rumphius to do in her life?

Grandfather used to tell stories of faraway places to Miss Rumphius in the
evenings. He believed that a person who is living in this beautiful world should
also contribute towards its beauty. He requested Miss Rumphius to do at least one
thing in her life that would make the world more beautiful.
c. What was offered by Bapa Raja to Miss Rumphius on her arrival?

Bapa Raja requested Miss Rumphius to take rest in his house, and to quench her
thirst, he offered her coconut water from a fresh green coconut.
d. When did Miss Rumphius decide that it was time to settle down?
Miss Rumphius travelled to a number of beautiful places in her lifetime. When
she was in the desert, she hurt her back while climbing down from a camel back.
She then realized that she had already travelled a lot and seen many places, and
had got old. After this contemplation she decided to settle down.
4. Reference to Context Questions
a. „I don‟t believe my eyes!‟ she cried when she got to the top.
i. Who is she and why did she cry?

When Miss Rumphius reached the top of the hill and saw the beautiful flowers,
she could not believe her eyes that flowers could bloom in such wilderness. On
seeing this she cried with joy.
ii. What did she see and what could she not believe?
On top of the hill Miss Rumphius saw a large patch of blue and purple and rose
coloured lupines. She could not believe that flowers could survive there without
much attention.
iii. How did she justify their presence?
Miss Rumphius reasoned that the seeds of the flowers from her garden must
have been carried there by the wind and also to some extent by birds through
their droppings, and that is why they had bloomed in that wilderness.
b. Seeing her, some people called her „That Crazy Old Lady‟.
i. Why did some people call her ‘That Crazy Old Lady’?
People called her That Crazy Old Lady because despite her pain, she single
handedly planted lupine flowers all over the countryside and in the cities
without much help from anyone else. People failed to realize her dedicated
service to the society, the passion for which she had developed from her
childhood.
ii. What did the crazy old woman achieve?
Miss Rumphius was able to grow beautiful lupines all over the countryside and
in all possible places in the city, and the place looked splendid because of this.
She was able to achieve a sense of satisfaction and meaning to her existence
when she fulfilled the promise given to her grandfather of making the world
more beautiful.
iii. Why do you think she was crazy? How important is it to be crazy to
achieve one’s aim?
Miss Rumphius was crazy because she was passionate about what she felt. It is
important to be crazy to go beyond the restrictions of one‟s thoughts. There are
several examples of great men who out of their crazy passion achieved what
average people couldn‟t. Craziness in a way is a sign of passion and stretching
oneself beyond one‟s limits, and even Miss Rumphius was able to attain her
dream only because of her obsession towards what she wanted, which many
people considered madness. Miss Rumphius didn‟t let any limitations, like her
health or what people said about her dissuade her. She didn‟t get weighed down
by any boundaries. She remained focused because of her commitment and she
exemplified the fact that one can excel only when there is lot of enthusiasm for
one‟s passion.
c. „That is all very well, Alice,‟ her grandfather would say, „but there is a third thing
you must do.‟
i. Why did Alice’s grandfather say, ‘That is all very well’?
When her grandfather told her stories of faraway lands, Alice would tell him
that one day she would visit them. Grandfather would then acknowledge this
and ask her to do one more thing.
ii. What are the two things Alice wanted to do?
The two things Alice wanted to do were to travel to beautiful faraway places
and live besides the sea.
iii. What is the third thing her grandfather wanted Alice to do?
Her grandfather used to tell stories of faraway beautiful places to Alice. This
got her interested in seeing those places and living by the sea. However, her
grandfather wanted her to do something that would make the world more
beautiful to live in.
5. Long Answers (Read, reflect and write)
a. What do you think was the reason for Miss Rumphius to forget her back
pain?
When a person is engrossed in a work he or she loves to do, then all problems of
daily life fade away. One is totally focused only on one thing which they are
doing, other problems and tensions of life relegate to the back of the mind. Same
thing happened with Miss Rumphius. She enjoyed her work of planting lupine
seeds and seeing them grow into full bloom so much that she even forgot about
her physical pain. Her joy and happiness overcame the pain and thus she stopped
thinking about it whenever she did her favourite work.
b. How did Miss Rumphius get the idea of sowing lupine flowers and not any
other flower or fruit plant?
One day while going over a hill, Miss Rumphius noticed a patch where the lupine
flowers were in full bloom. She was overjoyed with the thought of how they
could have survived without any care in the wild, without manure and water, in
contrast to the nourishment required by fruit or vegetable plants. She came to the
conclusion that the seeds from her garden must have been carried away by wind
and birds helped in pollination too. This gave an idea to Miss Rumphius that if
she could scatter the seeds of this flower everywhere in the wild, in the jungle, in
the alleys, the headlands, the city lanes, or wherever she could find open space,
she would be able to fulfil her objective of making the world more beautiful. This
resulted in growing of lupine flowers all over the places.
c. Do you think that what Miss Rumphius did actually made the world more
beautiful? Justify your answer.
Yes, I think what Miss Rumphius did made the world a little more beautiful. If
one travels to the countryside and sees no trees or plants, then the barren land
makes one depressed. Similarly, if lanes are empty and gardens are devoid of
vegetation or flowers, the place looks equally deserted. On the other hand, if the
countryside is full of greenery and the fields are covered with different coloured
wild flowers, the effect of nature is meditative, and it creates a very calming and
soothing experience for any one. Miss Rumphius filled the desolate country side,
dark lanes and empty spaces with colour. Seeing such beauty people felt
exhilarated. Her efforts made people happy. There can be nothing more pleasing
than nature and Miss Rumphius through her relentless effort made nature look
even more beautiful. She created a reason for people to feel happier in the midst
of the enchanting nature. Her efforts not only enhanced the beauty of the
countryside but also brought smiles on the people‟s faces and peace in their
hearts. So according to me, she did make the world beautiful and a better place to
live in.
d. Why do you think Alice’s grandfather asked Alice to do something to make
the world beautiful?
Alice‟s grandfather was an old person who had seen and experienced life for a
very long time. It is mentioned in the story that he had come to America on a
large sailing ship. This means he must have come young and in search for a living
and must have seen difficult times during his young life while travelling. The fact
that he came in a large sailing ship shows that he came from far. The situation
reflects the hard times he may have faced. It could be that people‟s good deeds
left a lasting impression on him and helped him reflect upon the important actions
of life. He must have also made a resolve to do a good deed, and after achieving
his dream of doing one meaningful thing in life, he must have felt the peace and
happiness of a selfless deed which he probably wanted his granddaughter to also
experience.
It is also quite possible that Alice‟s grandfather may have learnt the same from his
parents and grandparents and wanted his granddaughter to follow the family
tradition. It may also be possible that he must have learnt the same from someone
he knew and realized the importance of adopting it. He may have begun a
tradition of his own which he wanted his family to follow. He may have also seen
the same spark in his granddaughter which he wanted to ignite and hence, left her
with the responsibility.
Grandparents often transfer their learning, belief, experiences and culture to their
children and even in this story, Alice‟s grandfather did the same. He must have
believed that his granddaughter needed to do one thing valuable in this world and
make this world a little more beautiful so that there is more happiness in this
world because of her. He must have wanted her to also contribute to the world we
live in and make it a better place.
Through his teaching, he taught her selflessness. He taught her to look beyond
self and give back to the world what she gets from it. He transferred his belief
through an action that he asked his granddaughter to accomplish. Instead of
teaching the true meaning of life through words, grandfather taught his
granddaughter to transfer her learning to reality. He taught her selfless service that
gives happiness to others. He fortified her morally, culturally and spiritually
through the teaching he imparted to her. Her grandfather taught the very essence
of happiness to his granddaughter.
Poem: In the Bazaars of Hyderabad
a. „What do you sell, O ye merchants?

Richly your wares are displayed.‟
i. What are displayed richly?

Expensive products such as turbans of crimson and silver, tunics
of purple brocade, mirrors with panels of amber, daggers with
handles of jade have been richly displayed in the bazaar of
Hyderabad.
ii. Why are they called richly?
They are called richly to reflect the quality and craftsmanship of
the items, and at the same time it also suggests that the common
man cannot afford to buy such expensive items. The word richly
in comparison to the other items in the market like lentil, rice,
plum, etc. shows the variety of items.
iii. What aspect of Indian society is reflected by what the
merchants are selling? How does this relate to the context of
the period when the poem was written?
The poet, Sarojini Naidu, is portraying India to be a land of the
rich where people like to possess luxurious, expensive and
exclusive products. She also draws our attention to the richness of
the items in terms of craftsmanship and quality which indicate the
vibrant culture of India. If the British try to describe India as a
poor, impecunious country, then that is a false image. It has a
culture of its own, a rich culture, which can easily be made out by
the things the merchants sell in the market.
b. „What do you grind, O ye maidens?

Sandalwood, henna, and spice.
What do you call, O ye peddlars?
Chessmen and ivory dice.
i. Which line shows gender equality in the poem above? What
does this line suggest?
The line, What do you grind O ye maidens, reflects that women
are also a part of the market operations. The fact that maidens
grind sandalwood, henna and spices show that women are
participating in the day to day activities of the market equally.
The involvement of maidens along with men shows equal
contribution.
ii. What purpose does the poet serve by portraying people like
the vendors, maidens and peddlers in the market?
By portraying people like the vendors, maidens and peddlers in
the market, the Indian bazaar is shown to be a place where
essential commodities like saffron, rice, lentils are sold. The
common people of the city come to the bazaar to buy these
articles. Grinding of spices, sandalwood and henna by women
shows that in India women also take part in the activities of the
market. The Indian fascination for games, especially board
games, chess and dice is also evident from the stanza.
iii. Who are peddlers? What do they do in the market?
Peddlers are people who travel about selling wares. They sell
chess, ivory dice and other such wares in the market.
2. General Questions
a. How do the list of things that the goldsmiths make relate to the
social and artistic living of the people of India?
By elaborating on the list of things that goldsmiths make, the poet is
largely reflecting on the richness and grandeur of India. The luxury has
been explicitly described as the goldsmiths sell wristlets and anklets and
rings, bells for the feet of blue pigeons, girdles of gold for the dancers
and scabbards of gold for the king. This makes us notice the grandeur of
the Indian people who wear jewellery of gold. The extent of luxury is
presented by the poet when bells are shown to be made for the feet of
pigeons. The bells are as frail as the wing of a dragonfly, which points
out the craftsmanship of the goldsmiths. Thus the list of things
mentioned represents the richness of the people and it also reflects on
their artistic richness.
b. What is meant by aeons?

There are two contexts of aeons. Aeons is a divine power of nature that
emanates from the supreme being and plays varied roles in the operation
of the universe. In the context of the poem, the bazaar seems to be
spiritually nurtured with bustling energy in which the merchants,
vendors, maidens, musicians, magicians, buyers and sellers all have a
role to play.
Aeons also means an immeasurably long period of time. The poet uses
this word to describe how magicians cast their charming spells for a
long time - the effect of which lasts for very long on children and adults.
c. Why do you think the poet has given importance to musicians and
magicians in the market place?
The poet has given importance to the musicians to create an auditory
imagery. Music adds to the flavour and rhythm of the place, and the
magicians add to the mystic charm and excitement of the market. The
poet through the musician and the magician is elucidating that the
marketplace in India is not only a place for buying and selling but it is
also a meeting place for people with diverse interests. People from
different backgrounds, with divergent interests gather there for different
purposes, and the gathering has a cultural and colourful rhythmic charm
of its own. Multifarious bustling activities of life like buying, selling,
craft, music and magic, all can be seen at one place - at the bustling
bazaar of Hyderabad.
d. Every stanza of In the Bazaars of Hyderabad begins with a question

and ends with an answer. Why do you think the poet has done this?
The poet begins the poem with a question and continues to ask questions
to elicit an answer from the merchants, vendors, maidens, peddlers,
goldsmiths, fruit men, musicians, magicians and flower girls about the
goods they are selling. This pattern of question-answer is used to bring
out the splendour of the traditional bazaars of Hyderabad. The poet has
used repetition as well as lyrics full of vibrant and colourful images to
describe the scene, making the poem lyrical as the poem celebrates the
bubbling life in the market and at the same time reflects upon the
sorrows of life as well. The depiction elaborates the tradition, culture
and the vibrant colour of India through a bazaar of Hyderabad. The
description also depicts the emotional and spiritual energy of the market.
The repeated question and answer form reflects the interactive nature
and enthusiasm of the poet and emphasizes upon the role of each
member in the market. The poet visits the stalls put up by merchants,
maidens, pedlars, goldsmiths, fruit sellers, musicians and flower girls.
She questions them about what their wares, who in turn politely answer.
The question introduces a new member of the market and reflects the
divergence in the market not only of the things being sold but also of the
different sellers of those things. Just as the market is interactive, so is
the poet‟s own way of reflecting her emotions about the life in a market.
Chapter 2: The Ants Come Marching
1. Fill in the blanks. / Complete the sentences.
a. Ants can lift about ……………….. times their body weight.

b. All labour work is done by the ……………… ants.
c. Ants follow the ……………….. trail to reach a place.
d. …………………. was kept in the jar to attract the ants.
e. An ……………. of ants came to the rescue of the ant stuck in the jar.
Answers:
a. twenty
b. worker
c. chemical
d. Sweet syrup
e. army

a. How many years ago were experiments conducted to know more
about ants?
i. 100 years
ii. 200 years
iii. 300 years
b. Ants communicate with other ants using their

i. eyes.
ii. mouth.
iii. antennas.
c. Benjamin Franklin tried to understand the communication of ants by

i. conducting an experiment.
ii. reading about them in various books.
iii. taking help from other scientists.
d. What did the ant do when it got stuck in the hanging jar?
i. Waited for the jar to be kept down on the ground
ii. Jumped from the top of the jar to the ground
iii. Found the string and came down by it
Answers:
a. ii
b. iii
c. i
d. iii
3. Short Questions
a. What do the ants do when they find heavy food stuff?

Ants believe in working together and they help each other. Whenever
they find some food article which is heavy for a single ant to pick,
they call upon the army of ants to carry it together.
b. What happened when the ant decided to move out from the jar?
The ant with its stomach full decided to move out of the jar but when
it tried, it realized that there was no shelf below the jar. It then
scurried here and there and found the string which was attached to
the jar to move out of it.
c. How can you say that Benjamin Franklin was sure that the ants
had communicated about the jar?
Benjamin Franklin was sure that the ant had communicated the
presence of the molasses to the other ants because that single ant was
the only one left in the jar when its position was shifted, yet the other
ants came there after some time.
d. How do the ants move to the location of food?

When the scout ant finds food, it leaves a trail of scent and then the
worker ants follow that scent to find the place of food. This reveals
that ants work in a cooperative manner, and each ant has its work
well defined.
a. She zigged and zagged the jar and eventually found the string.
i. Who is she in the story?

She is the ant who was left behind in the jar as she was busy
filling her pouch with molasses, and in between, the jar was
hung on the ceiling by Benjamin Franklin.
ii. What was the use of the string?
The string was used for hanging the jar on the ceiling and
eventually this string was used by the ant to find its way back.
iii. What was the reason behind using the string?
Benjamin Franklin wanted to conduct a test wherein he
decided to change the location of the jar away from the shelf,
and then see if the ant trapped inside could tell its location to
other ants once it reaches back to them.
b. It struggles for a while and then dashes away.
i. Who struggles for a while and then dashes away?

A scout ant struggles to pick up a piece of food which is heavy
for one ant. It then dashes to call a team of ants to pick it up.
ii. Which kind of ants does the team comprise?
The team of worker ants picks up the food and carries it away.
iii. Why does it have to call the team for help?
An ant can carry a weight which can be food or other thing,
approximately 20 times its body weight. If the food item is
more than 20 times heavy, then there is a requirement of team
effort to pick up the heavy load.
c. Ants also exchange information with their antennae.
i. What kind of information is exchanged by the ants?

Antennae are the main organs for the ants to communicate.
They exchange information regarding food, and also search for
smell to identify a friendly nest mate or a hostile stranger.
ii. How do ants communicate with their antennae?
The antennae of the ants work as both nose and fingertips.
They smell the chemical trail left by the other ants and by
touching, stroking and tapping one another, they try to
communicate.
iii. What else does the ant do with the antennae?
The antennae, apart from exchanging information, is also used
to spread and open the mandible that brings up the food from
the ant‟s crop for her sister to eat. This happens when two
sister ants meet each other, and one may signal to the other
that she needs nourishment.
5. General Questions (Read, reflect and write)
a. Which quality separates the ants from other creatures of the

same size helping them to survive in this harsh world?
We are aware that ants have been living on this earth since ages,
even alongside the dinosaurs. The ants are not intimated by their
workload. If they find some work which is beyond a single ant‟s
capability, then the ants just don‟t leave it to that. They call for
teamwork or in other words, try to complete the work through
collaboration. They work as a team to overcome that difficult task.
This is how they take up any challenge, and because of this singular
quality it seems they have survived for thousands of years.
b. Do you think the one ant left inside the jar was by mistake or
design?
Mr Franklin was curious to know how ants communicate. Then one
day he saw an army of ants on a table where an open jar of molasses
was kept. He got an idea that if he leaves one ant inside the jar and
changes its position and then sees if the ant which is trapped inside
the jar is able to go out and tell other ants the new location of the jar,
then he would know whether they are able to communicate. So, Mr
Franklin left one ant in the jar intentionally so that he could do his
experiment and discover the world of ants. He then hung the jar with
this ant inside with a string on the ceiling and waited to see what the
lonesome ant would do. He hypothesized that when this ant goes out
and if other ants again come back to the jar for the molasses, then it
would be proved that the ant which was stuck inside the jar after
moving out, must have somehow communicated the changed
location of the jar to the other ants.
c. Mr Franklin as a scientist has several inventions and discoveries

to his credit. What do you think is the difference between an
invention and a discovery? Is knowledge about ants a discovery
or an invention?
Discovery means finding out or detecting or knowing a thing which
has been around in nature for quite some time. Somebody notices it
in due course of time and shares the knowledge with everyone. One
example that can be given is of gravity. It was always there but it
took Sir Issac Newton to observe an apple fall to the ground and then
he came up with the concept of gravity.
Whereas invention is using objects, ideas or theories that are already
preexisting in order to create a new object, idea or theory that is not
in existence yet. Inventions usually require a process wherein
experimentation, trial and error and alterations are required in order
to create the perfect object. Example of invention is light bulb by
Thomas Edison.
Knowledge of the activities of ants was a discovery by Mr Franklin,
because the ants were already doing this activity since ages, and
Franklin observed this and brought to the notice of the world.
d. What all qualities can we learn from ants and use it in our daily
life?
There are many things we can learn from the life of an ant and follow
in our life. First, ants are not discouraged or intimidated by the size
of their workload. Similarly, we should also not get scared by the
amount of work we have to do. Like the saying goes, If there is a will
there is a way. Second thing which we can learn from the ants is that
we should value team work. If we work as a team then we can
overcome any task no matter how big it is. Third thing which we can
emulate is that we should get organized in our working. If we work
haphazardly then we will lose our resources and time. We should be
organized. Fourthly, we are aware that ants save food for future so
that they don‟t have to go hungry when food is not available during
difficult times. Similarly, we should also plan and save our things for
future requirements. And lastly, ants never let it go. They never leave
any job half done. We should also in our daily lives finish the job
which we have started and not leave it half way. These are many
things we can learn from the ants.
Chapter 3: Suvira
1. Fill in the blanks.

a. The narrator was feeling ……………. while saying goodbye to
her friends.
b. The narrator was also doing ……………. to get warmed up for
the race.
c. The crowd was cheering for …………………….
d. The narrator was feeling ………………….. before the race.
e. The spikes worn by the narrator were …………………
Answers
a. awful
b. springs
c. Suvira
d. nervous
e. old
a. The narrator had shifted to ………………….

i. Kolkata
ii. Delhi
iii. Jaipur
b. The narrator was competing in ………………. meter race.

i. 110
ii. 200
iii. 800
c. The narrator arrived at her new school during the …………………..

i. start of school session.
ii. middle of school session.
iii. end of school session.
d. The narrator had shifted to Delhi because

i. of the posting of her father.
ii. her school was not good.
iii. her father had changed tracks in his career.
e. At which position did the narrator finish the race?

i. First position
ii. Second position
iii. Joint first position
Answers
a. ii
b. iii
c. ii
d. iii
e. iii
3. Short Questions
a. Why do you think the life of Suvira’s narrator had changed

upside down?
The narrator had to shift to a new place because her father had
resigned and taken a decision to move to a new place in search of
a job. This led to a change of school, friends and surroundings to
which they were accustomed. Now she had to make new friends,
adjust to new school and environment. Everything was new at the
new place and her life was topsy turvy.
b. What activity was happening on the second day of school?

On the second day of school, mainly sports trials were taking
place. The narrator had given her name for 800 meters run as she
was a champion in her previous school in Kolkata. Even she was
preparing herself for the run on that day.
c. School students were cheering for whom and why?

School students were cheering for their local champion, Suvira
Mathur. She was an old student of the school and was winning all
the races till now. She also held the Delhi inter-school record for
800 metres. Also no one knew the narrator as she had just joined
the school two days back.
d. What advantages did Suvira have over the narrator during

the race?
Suvira had two advantages over the narrator. First, she was an old
student of the school, and being the champion in 800 meters race,
she had the backing of the crowd. Secondly, her spikes were
brand new which had a better grip and helped her in running.
e. Did the narrator feel intimated by the chanting of the crowd?

No, the narrator did not feel intimidated by the chanting of the
crowd. In fact, she was motivated more to win the race and show
it to the school that she was the champion.
a. „Queen of the fast track‟ or something grand like that!
i. Who is Queen of the fast track?

The narrator thought that if she could win the 800 meter
race after defeating the current favourite of the school, she
would then be known as Queen of the fast track.
ii. Queen of the fast track - on what basis was the writer
confident of getting this title?
The narrator had been the champion of 800 meters race
event in her previous school and had won couple of times
when she lived in Calcutta. Hence she was confident that in
Delhi also she would be able to win the 800 meter race and
earn the title of the queen of the fast track.
iii. Was the title conferred?
No, the narrator could not win the 800 meter race event.
Both the narrator and the local champion Suvira were
declared joint winners. However, she was acknowledged
and cheered upon by the school for her performance.
b. I had to live up to their expectations now. And mine as well.
i. Who is talking about whose expectations?

The narrator is talking about her parent‟s and her
expectations.
ii. What were those expectations?
The expectations from the narrator were that she would
study well and come out with flying colours. Despite the
financial hardships, the narrator‟s parents had put her in a
very good school as they had full faith in their daughter‟s
abilities. They were ready to pay the high fees of the school
to provide the best to their daughter as they had full faith in
her talent, both in sports and academics.
iii. How were those expectations fulfilled?
The narrator was a very hard working student. She wanted
recognition in her school in both academics and sports.
Immediately on arriving at the new school there were
sports trials going on to select the school athletics team.
The narrator took part in the 800 meter trials as she was
good and put in her best efforts. Despite old sports gear and
lack of crowd support during the race, she still emerged as
joint winner in the trials.
c. „Slow down! Slow down!‟ I told myself.
i. Why did the narrator tell herself to slow down?

The narrator told herself to slow down because 800 meters
race was comparatively a long race where stamina was as
important as speed. One had to plan and pace the race so
that enough energy was still left for the dash towards the
finish line during the last 75 to 100 meters.
ii. Did slowing down help the narrator in the race?
Yes, to some extent it helped the narrator because her
opponent also slowed down but then she again picked up
the pace and surged ahead of the narrator.
iii. What could have happened had the narrator not slowed
down?
If the narrator hadn‟t slowed down, two outcomes would
have been possible. Her stamina would have made her
outrun her opponent, then she would have easily won the
race, and if she had little less stamina than her opponent,
she would have lost badly. However, she was equally
strong like her opponent, and she managed to keep pace,
and win the race jointly.
5. Long Questions (Read, reflect and write)
a. How can you say that the narrator had realized the problems
of her father?
The narrator‟s father had to resign from his job and was looking
for a change in his career. She was fully aware that the family was
passing through difficult times, emotionally and financially. The
narrator wanted to do well in spite of all odds so that her family
could at least be relaxed about her. She knew that her parents had
got her admitted to an expensive school in Delhi, so she worked
hard to ensure that her parents need not worry about her.
One more example which can be seen in the story is when the
narrator wishes to own a new pair of shoes for running, but tells
herself that she could do without it so as not to put additional
burden on her parents, who had in any case sacrificed a lot for
her. Moreover she felt that her old pair of shoes had won her
many races in the past, and this time they would also help her in
winning.
b. Do you think by the end of the race the narrator was accepted
by the school?
Yes, by the end of the race, the narrator was accepted by the
school. Initially, when she was going to participate in the 800
meter race, no one was fully aware of her. She was just like one
another student taking part in the race, more so it was her second
day at school. When the race started, everyone was chanting in
favour of her main competitor, Suvira Mathur. But when she
jointly won the race, some of the students were curious to know
her name, and her competitor also welcomed her with open arms,
and congratulated her. This shows that neither the school nor the
school‟s favourite were hostile to her. They welcomed her as the
new emerging star of the track and field event.
c. Describe the feelings in the narrator’s mind before the race.

The day of the race was the narrator‟s second day at her new
school. She didn‟t have many friends by that time, and students
did not know her. So to get accepted in the school she took part in
the trials for 800 meter race, as she herself was a good athlete,
having won couple of times in her previous school. While she was
waiting for the race to begin, she was doing little warm-up
exercises. She was confident of giving a tough fight to the school
favourite but at the same time she was little nervous too. She was
pondering over her decision to run. She was comparing the new
shoes being worn by her competitor to the old ones she had.
However, she was again and again boosting herself with
confidence that she could win the race against all odds, despite
the partisan crowd favouring the school favourite. She also
thought of her parents and their hardships and resolved that she
would win the race for them also. She was fortifying herself
mentally as she had faith in her own self and her conviction
revealed that winning and losing depends largely on what one
thinks about them.
d. What all would you have done apart from sports to gain
acceptance in your new school?
If I had to join a new school in midsession there are a number of
things I would do to win the acceptance of my teachers and
students. I would take part in debate competitions. I may or may
not win but I would certainly gain the attention of my teachers. I
would also take part in drama or plays. During the acting
sessions, I would showcase my talent to the entire school. This
would give me an opportunity to make friends from different
classes and sections, and the team members of the play would
become my friends any way. More importantly in my own class, I
would introduce myself and let everybody know of my interests
and hobbies. If there happens to be a class project or class
assembly I would volunteer to take some work or part in it. I
would also share my lunch box with friends as this is one of the
best ways to friendship. Apart from the variety of activities that I
would volunteer for, I would also keep a humble demeanor as
more than success, the behaviour of a student towards teachers
and peers make a lot of difference in creating the impression. I
would also crack a lot of jokes and help people with their studies.
I would remain quiet and modest and give regard to everyone. I
know that all of us like to be valued and respected and a student
who knows the value of respecting others is often loved and
respected themselves.
Poem: Palm Tree
a. He thinks they're wings,

To let him roam
Away from home,
Breaking all bonds.
i. What, according to him, are his wings?

The fan shaped leaves that spread and waves in the breeze are
the wings of the trees.
ii. Where do you think is his home?
His home is the land in which he is rooted. His home is with
Mother Earth.
iii. How is he bonded?
The tree is bonded because he is well rooted to the Earth and
cannot move from one place to another. He stands on one leg
and is immobile. Apart from being stationery, the tree is also
bonded to the Earth emotionally as when he thinks of his
mother, i.e., Mother Earth, who gave him birth, his love for
her bonds him too.
iv. Why does the tree want to break all his bonds?
The tree wants to break all his bonds and explore the fun of
freedom beyond his home and that is why he wants to go away
from home. He wants to enjoy freedom from all bonds in order
to pierce through clouds, skirt the stars and race across the
skies. The tree wants to wander away and traverse through the
sky for which he needs to be uprooted from his land.
b. In his own mind

Skirting the stars
Racing afar
Across the skies
i. When does the tree fly? Does he really fly?

The tree flies when during the day, the breeze blows and his
branches sway with the leaves. He flies when the strong winds
shake the branches and make him sigh and shiver. The tree
also flies with the breeze at night to skirt the stars.
No, the tree does not fly in reality. The tree only flies in his
imaginations. He only thinks that he is able to fly across skies.
ii. What thoughts come to his mind?
The tree imagines that he is able to fly past all other trees and
soar away in the sky. He imagines that he is able to pierce the
clouds and spread his wings - his leaves roam away from
home breaking all bonds. He imagines that he is able to skirt
the stars and race across the skies. When the wind blows, the
branches of the trees sway and this makes the tree imagine that
he is flying in the sky. At the same time, while he enjoys the
glory of freedom in his thoughts, he also thinks of the one who
gave him birth - his mother, Mother Earth, and his wandering
thoughts come back to his mother, his love for his mother
surpasses his wish to fly. His love for her makes him cherish
his bond with her.
iii. How do you think he feels when he flies?
The tree feels excited and free from all bonds. He sighs and
shivers when he flies fast but at the same time feels charged
and delighted.
a. When does the poet reflect doubt about the tree’s aspirations?
Quote the line that shows the doubt. What is he doubtful
about and why?
The eighth line, But can he fly? reflects doubt. The tree wishes to
fly in the sky. He wishes to pierce the grey clouds and soar away
into the sky but the poet is doubtful about the aspirations of the
tree. He is doubtful whether the tree can fly. He is doubtful
because he knows that trees don‟t fly.
b. How is the palm tree similar to a child?

The aspirations of the palm tree are quite similar to that of a child.
Just like a child who spreads his arms and races across things
skirting around them with a feeling that he can fly high in the sky,
the palm tree also spreads its leaves to pierce clouds, skirts around
stars and races across the skies just like a child.
The thoughts and imaginations of the palm tree are like those of a
child. The palm tree is full of vigour and excitement. Like a child,
his thoughts are far from reality. A child often imagines the unreal
and enjoys his fantasies, in the same way the tree is also
imagining the impossible, but his thoughts are making him feel
the reality of his fantasies. Moreover, the palm tree is not thinking
of wandering around the sky to appreciate and see the beauty of
the sky, the clouds and the world from top. On the contrary, the
palm tree‟s thoughts are more adventurous and child-like, as he
wants to pierce clouds, skirt stars, and most importantly race
across skies.
Just like a child who wants freedom from being told what to do,
the palm tree also wishes to break all bonds and explore the world
beyond his own home.
After wandering around the world in imagination and getting
tired, a child always wants to come back to his mother. A child no
matter how wild his thoughts may travel, at the end, always
wishes for his mother. In the poem as well, the tree after his
adventurous fantasies returns back and thinks of his mom's love
and wants to be with her always.
c. Do you think there is a hidden learning in the poem?

Yes, though the poem in a very simple manner reflects an
imaginative wish of a tree, the tree conveys a message as well. No
matter how high one‟s imagination may fly, reality and truth
always prevail. Wild imagination and adventurous thoughts of
freedom may seem exciting, but true happiness lies in accepting
reality, and peace can be best found in one's own home, with
one's own mother. No fantasy can surpass the peace of mother's
love. Adventure can be enthralling but mother's love is celestial. It
always keeps one grounded, humble, realistic and loved.
d. Give at least three examples of the following literary devices

used by the poet: personification and alliteration.
The entire poem is an example of personification. The poet in the
entire poem has addressed the tree as he, his and him giving it a
human connotation.
The trunk of the tree is related to the leg of a human in the second
line, On one leg. The metaphor used is also an example of
personification.
The tree also has the ability to see like a human, Sees past other
trees.
Like a human‟s wishes and fantasies, the tree also has wishes, At
length his wish.
The tree imagines and thinks like a human and has a mind of his
own, In his own mind, He thinks he flies and He turns his
thoughts.
Like humans the tree has a home which binds him and keeps him
rooted, Away from home, Breaking all bonds.
The tree also has a mother, Mother Earth like humans. And just
like humans, the tree also takes birth from his Mother Earth, And
mother Earth... That gave him birth.
Like humans the tree has the power to love, He loves again.
Alliteration: Lines 9 and 10, At length his wish... He starts to
spread. Repetition of h sound in the two lines, his and he.
Line 10: He starts to spread. Repetition of s sound in starts and
spreads. Line 11: Around his head. Repetition of h sound in his
and head. The h sound is there even in the preceding lines of 9
and 10.
Chapter 4: Uncle Podger
1. Fill in the blanks.
a. Distance from Uncle Podger‟s house to railway station was an

………….. minutes walk.
b. Uncle Podger usually forgot his ………………….
c. Aunt Maria had ………………… children in the house.
d. The three things which Uncle Podger would carry to his office are
a bag, an …………….. and a newspaper.
e. The children would gather in the …………… to say goodbye to
Uncle Podger.
Answers:
a. eight
b. newspaper
c. seven
d. umbrella
e. hall
a. The residents of Ealing used a ……….. for commuting to their work.

i. bus
ii. car
iii. train
b. Uncle Podger would always be late because

i. he would get up late in the morning.
ii. he would eat his breakfast very slowly.
iii. he would forget something at the last moment.
c. Uncle Podger would put blame for getting late

i. on himself
ii. on others.
iii. on his wife.
d. When Uncle Podger got late, Aunt Maria would

i. help him find the lost item.
ii. scold him.
iii. scold her children.
e. On finding his lost item, Uncle Podger would

i. grumble at everyone.
ii. quietly go away quickly to office.
iii. thank the person who had found his lost item.
Answers
a. iii
b. iii
c. ii
d. i
e. i
3. Short Questions
a. Why do you think people lived in the suburbs?

The people probably lived in suburbs because of the cheap rentals
and good connectivity to their offices.
b. Why would the commuters in the train carry a newspaper with

them?
The people who travelled by train lived in the suburbs, which was at
some distance from their place of work. So to keep themselves busy
in the train people carried a newspaper.
c. Who used to watch the daily spectacle of office goers?

People like nursemaids, small children and few people selling
vegetables and fruits witnessed the daily spectacle of people rushing
to the train station.
d. Where was the paper generally found? What did it show?

Uncle Podger was often found sitting on the newspaper. It showed
his absentmindedness.
e. What all items did Uncle Podger invariably lose in the morning
before going for work?
Uncle Podger would invariably lose one or the other things like his
umbrella or the bag or the newspaper or his hat. If he found one thing
then he would lose the other while looking for the first thing.
a. Allow yourself a quarter of an hour and take it easily.
i. Who says this and in what context?

The narrator is the speaker of the statement. He is saying this
about his uncle, who himself was totally disorganized. His
uncle would always advise others to get ready at least fifteen
minutes before time to reach the railway station even when the
station was just an eight minute walk from his house.
ii. Was it followed by the person who lectured about it?
No. This lecture was given by Uncle Podger, however he
himself never followed it. He invariably used to hurry during
the last five minutes and get late or miss out something
important which he was supposed to carry to his workplace.
iii. How will it help you if you follow the above advice?
If one follows the above advice then one has the time to check
that all essential things are present just before leaving. One
does not have to run to reach the destination, and getting ready
early will also give some reaction time if anything goes wrong.
b. ……….. it was everybody else‟s fault in the house but his own.
i. What is the fault being talked about?

Uncle Podger would lose his belongings in the house and
straightaway blame other members of his family for not
being able to locate them.
ii. Who is to be blamed for the fault?
Uncle Podger was actually to be blamed for losing his
belongings. He was very careless and forgetful. He kept his
things here and there and then was unable to recollect
where he had kept them and, as a result, couldn‟t find
things on time.
iii. Why was it everybody’s fault?
Uncle Podger believed that he was never at fault. He had a
habit of putting the blame on others. He had convinced
himself that his family members made his things vanish on
purpose to irritate him.

a. What was the basic problem with Uncle Podger and how do you
think he would have overcome his problem? Write your opinion.
Uncle Podger was a careless and forgetful person. He always
projected his mistakes on others and played the blame game. Every
day he would forget one of his things which he needed to carry with
him, like his bag or the newspaper or his umbrella. In the morning
while getting ready for office, he would put these things somewhere
and then forget. Then he would start searching for them and shouting
and blaming others. Because of this he would invariably get late to
catch his train and this would upset him. He believed that everyone
hid his things on purpose to trouble him, which was not the case. He
would have overcome his habit by becoming slightly more
organized. Keeping his belongings at a designated place regularly so
that he does not forget it, especially when he is in a hurry, would
help him overcome his problem.
b. How do you think Aunt Maria handled the situation every day?
Aunt Maria was a very patient lady. Every day she helped Uncle
Podger find his lost items. She would try to ask him to remember
where he had kept the lost item so that it could be found easily. Even
though Uncle Podger would fume and get angry and shout at all his
family members, she would tell her children to search for the lost
item. Inspite of Uncle‟s anger, she would never forget to make
children wish him good bye. Now that is a different story that the
intended effect was always the opposite of what was desired. Uncle
Podger would invariably get more confused and get late and lose one
or more item in the house.
c. Why did Uncle Podger say that he believed that the children
mixed up things on purpose?
Uncle Podger was a careless and forgetful man. He had a tendency to
forget where he had kept his things. When he would start getting late,
he would blame every one. To add to his problem, every day before
he left for his office all the children would stand in the hall to be
kissed by him. He would find some kids missing or they would stand
once again in the line after getting kissed and this would delay him
further. Since he had the habit of putting the blame on others and
never on himself, therefore he always got angry with the children for
mixing up things on purpose and delaying him to reach the railway
station.
d. Imagine and describe the scene in the train compartment in

which Uncle Podger would travel.
Uncle Podger as usual would be late in reaching the railway station
and he would board the train with great difficulty. He would be
puffing and take a long time to catch his breath. It may be possible
that all the seats would be occupied and he would have to stand
during his journey. This would make him very angry and he would
surely blame either his family or people around him for not being
considerate enough to offer him a seat, as he believed that he was
flawless. When he would finally settle in the train and want to read
the newspaper, he would find that the newspaper was not there. He
would again blame the children for taking out the paper at the last
moment. He might ask one of his fellow passengers for the
newspaper. While getting off the train he would probably leave his
umbrella hanging in the compartment and realize that even his hat is
missing after reaching office. He would be furious and blame the
fellow passengers for picking up his hat and umbrella while he was
engrossed in reading the newspaper.
Chapter 5: Tom Comes Home
1. Fill in the blanks with appropriate words.
a. This extract has been taken from the novel …………… written
by ………………… whose pen name was ………………………
b. Mrs Tulliver and Maggie were waiting for …………….. with
fluttering hearts.
c. ………………………. is an impulsive and intelligent girl who
dotes on her brother Tom.
Answers:
a. The Mill on the Floss, Mary Ann Evans, George Eliot

b. Tom
c. Maggie
2. Multiple Choice Questions.
a. Maggie was in the attic because she ………………..

i. had forgotten all about meal time.
ii. was playing in the attic.
iii. was studying there.
iv. sat on the attic floor with a crushing sense of misery.
b. What were Tom‟s intentions when he went to call Maggie from

the attic?
i. To make her come down for meals
ii. Not to release her from the punishment
iii. To make her go fishing with him
iv. To give her further punishment
c. Maggie couldn‟t bear to see Tom so angry with her and asked for
his forgiveness because ………………………….
i. she was extremely scared of her elder brother.
ii. her brother had come home after a long time.
iii. her need of love triumphed over her pride.
Answers:
a. iv.
b. ii.
c. iii.
3. Short Answers
a. With whom did Maggie and Tom share a bond like they did
with each other and why?
Maggie and Tom were the children of Mr and Mrs Tulliver in the
novel, The Mill on the Floss. They lived on the bank of the river
Floss, which was close to the wood. Both of them shared a bond
with nature, which was as strong as their own bond. They were
very attached to each other as a brother and sister.
b. What did Tom do to arouse Maggie’s curiosity and why did

he do it?
Tom took Maggie to a corner and kept nodding his head up and
down slowly to arouse her sense of mystery. He had brought a
gift for Maggie, which he wanted to give her, but only after
playing a guess game in which he asked Maggie to imagine what
he had got for her. He wanted to arouse her curiosity and sense of
mystery before handing over the gift. When she became really
impatient, he showed it to her.
c. What had Tom got for Maggie and with what aim had he got
that particular thing?
Tom has bought two fish lines, one for himself and one for
Maggie. He intended to go out fishing with her the next day by
the Round Pool. In fact his aim was to do some fishing with his
little sister during the summer holidays.
d. Why did Tom go to get Maggie from the attic?

Tom went to get Maggie from the attic on the insistence of his
parents, who when not finding Maggie at meal time, thought that
Tom had somehow been naughty to her or she had perhaps
forgotten about the meal time. Tom‟s mother asked him to go and
fetch her and since he could not disobey his parents, he went
rather sullenly with a piece of plum cake to call her, but with no
intention of releasing her from the punishment meted out to her.
e. Maggie asked for Tom’s forgiveness. What does it reveal

about her nature?
Maggie asked for Tom‟s forgiveness because she really doted on
her elder brother and was not at all hesitant to ask for his
forgiveness. In fact she was delighted to hear him coming and
asked for his forgiveness right away, as she couldn‟t bear to see
Tom so angry with her. Her need for love triumphed over her
pride. She was sweet tempered, submissive, and literally doted on
her elder brother and did not want to prolong their disagreement.
She wanted to end the fight as soon as possible.
4. Reference to Context
a. Maggie‟s heart begins to flutter with fear. She dare not tell Tom
the sad truth…
i. What made Maggie’s heart flutter?

Maggie‟s heart fluttered with fear because she was extremely
worried to tell Tom about his dead pet rabbits. She was
wondering how to soften his sorrow by breaking the news to
him gently, in such a way that he wouldn‟t feel very hurt and
angry.
ii. What was the sad truth?
The sad truth was that Tom‟s rabbits had died unexpectedly
while he was in school. When he returned he seemed to be
very excited about seeing them but they were all dead.
iii. How did Maggie want to make up with Tom for his loss?
Maggie wanted to know from Tom how much he had spent on
buying the rabbits which he informed her as two half-crowns
and sixpence. Maggie offered to give him more to buy rabbits
with as she wanted to make up for the ones he had lost.
b. You forgot to feed them then.
i. Who forgot to feed whom?

Maggie forgot to feed Tom‟s rabbits.
ii. What was it that the person speaking the above line was
accusing the person spoken to?
Tom was accusing Maggie of not having fed the rabbits
because of which they had died.
iii. How far was she responsible for what had happened?
The rabbits had died probably due to some disease and not
because of Maggie forgetting to feed them.
iv. How did the speaker want to punish the person who had
erred?
Tom wanted to punish his sister Maggie by not allowing her to
go fishing with him the next day.
5. Long Questions
a. Discuss Tom’s character in detail.

Tom is introduced as a young lad who is excited about the
prospect of coming home. He gets a fishing line for his sister
so that she may accompany him for fishing. However, Tom is
a boy who is strict with his sister Maggie and kind of bullies
her and blames her for the death of his pet rabbits. He has
come home for his holidays and is harsh with his little sister
when she tells him about the sad demise of his rabbits. He
blames her for not feeding the rabbits. He does not care that
she goes crying to the attic. The element of being gentle to a
younger sibling is more or less absent in him. He wants to
punish her by not taking her out for fishing. He doesn‟t want
to console her and only on the insistence of his parents does he
go to call her, but with the intention of not releasing her from
the punishment meted out to her. He has a kind of arrogance
and self- righteousness within him. He feels no pangs of
conscience and always maintains his own standards. The fact
that these often give pain to others, chiefly Maggie, is no
concern of his. He finally forgives her and takes her fishing
with him and assists her as an elder brother should by
preparing her tackle.
b. Discuss Maggie’s character from the comic strip you have

read.
Maggie is in most ways the opposite of Tom. As a child she is
highly intelligent as well as sensitive, as can be seen when she
does not want to hurt her brother Tom by telling him about the
sad demise of his rabbits. She wants to break the news very
gently to him. At times she is forgetful. She is submissive to
her brother and when he misbehaves with her, she hides in the
attic, sobbing uncontrollably. She does not mind asking for her
brother‟s forgiveness while making up with him. She never
judges others harshly. She has none of Tom's arrogant self-
righteousness.
c. Maggie literally dotes on her brother, owning up to things

which may not be her fault, thus revealing her forgiving
and adjusting nature. Elucidate.
Maggie literally dotes on her brother and has a very sensitive
but forgiving nature. When her brother Tom enquires about his
rabbits she avoids breaking the sad news to him in order to not
hurt him. She wants to speak very gently to him, and even asks
him how much his rabbits cost him and offers him to give
more money to buy new rabbits. Tom is very enthusiastic
about seeing the rabbits as soon as he comes home and Maggie
has to tell him that his rabbits are all dead. The moment Tom
hears this, he starts blaming her for not having fed the rabbits,
leading to their death. Instead of refuting her brother, she starts
crying and rushes off to the attic, where she sobs all alone. She
tries to tell her brother that she didn‟t mean to or rather could
not help in preventing the rabbits from dying, but Tom doesn‟t
stop blaming her. In spite of sobbing and feeling hurt to the
core, she asks for Tom‟s forgiveness as soon as he comes
looking for her, wanting to make friends with him
immediately. She does not want to prolong her quarrel and
tries to adjust with him, thereby revealing her adjusting and
forgiving nature.
d. In spite of disagreements between siblings they are

normally inseparable, forgetting their fights in no time.
Describe your relationship with your sibling or cousin and
give examples from the lesson you have read just now.
In spite of disagreements between siblings, they are
inseparable, forgetting their fights in no time. This is very true
for my younger sister and me, as it is true for Tom and
Maggie. Just like Tom and Maggie seem to be inseparable,
even though they have had differences about the death of
rabbits, so do we have our occasional fights. We both have
fights over who ate all the chocolates from the fridge. Each of
us wants more chocolates than the other. There is obviously a
fight over it with my younger sister always denying that she
had had the greater share of chocolates. In the end I give up
considering her younger to me and forgiving her for it. We
can‟t remain angry with each other for long and start playing
immediately. In fact there is no fun without my sibling, who is
more important to me than the chocolates she eats. Besides
that, it is more important to play ludo and hide and seek with
her, than prolong our fight. Especially during summer
vacations when we go for swimming and dance classes
together. It is really not worth wasting our summer vacations
quarreling over petty things. Holidays become memorable
when we spend them with our siblings. Just like Tom and
Maggie enjoy fishing together and Tom teaches her how to
prepare her tackle and catch fish, so do I teach my younger
sister to swim. Siblings may fight with each other but their
disagreements don‟t last long. Rather with a little goading and
encouragement from parents they are forgotten and children
end up playing with each other as if nothing had ever
happened between them.
Poem: If
a. If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or, being lied about, don‟t deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don‟t give way to hating,
And yet don‟t look too good, nor talk too wise;
i. Which virtue is the poet referring to in the first line? How is

this virtue important?
In the first line the poet is advocating the importance of patience.
Patience is a very important virtue as it helps an individual keep
calm and not react. It gives an individual time to think, reflect and
act upon and is extremely important when other people lose their
own self composure and begin the blame game. Patience is a
composed state of mind which helps an individual develop a
balanced opinion and deal with troubled situations objectively and
unassumingly. The poet through the first line elucidates that all
monumental things take time and one should remain patient
enough to continue striving to achieve the blissful final outcome.
ii. Which human weaknesses is the poet referring to in the
second and third lines?
The poet warns that in troubled times when people lose their
heads and start blaming others for the mistakes, it is very natural
to succumb to lies and hate people who don‟t support us. He
cautions his son not to fall prey to the weakness of lying to get
support of others or to come out of a difficult situation. At the
same time it is very likely for a human to stop liking a person
simply because he does not side up with them. The poet harps on
the importance of honesty and love in the second and third lines.
iii. What does the poet mean by the last line?
Kipling is aware that the virtues of honesty, patience, love, self-
righteousness and self-confidence may make an individual feel
superior to others. He knows that people with such virtuous
characteristics often talk high of themselves which make them
look arrogant and boastful. He asks his son to disregard any such
behaviour that would make him look better off than others so that
he remains a part of the social group he interacts with. The last
line very emphatically elaborates the importance of modesty and
humility.
b. If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;

If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
i. What contrasting advice has the poet given to his son in the
stanza above? Elaborate what the poet means.
In the first two lines the poet asks his son to dream and have an
aspiration but immediately after that he reminds him to not let his
dream control his life. Similarly in the second line, the poet asks
his son to think before he acts and be contemplative but he also
cautions him to be prudent enough to not let his thoughts control
his life. In both these lines the poet reflects contrast no doubt but
at the same time he also harps on the importance of being
moderate in life. The poet in these two lines advises his son to
remain judicious and sensible and not allow extremism engulf his
life. He explains that it is very important to have dreams but it is
also equally important to not let one‟s aspirations become so big
that they start controlling one‟s lives.
ii. What does this stanza term as impostors?
According to the poet, triumph and disaster are impostors because
they are deceptive in nature as they give a sense of permanency to
the individual but in reality they are simply part and parcel of life
that comes and goes. Triumph can make the victor feel superior
and disaster can lead to depression and loss of self-trust and
confidence. However, both triumph and disaster are misleading as
they may seem to never end but in reality they do end, thus
neither successful times last forever nor do bad times become
permanent. The poet calls them impostors as they have a disguise
of permanence which makes a person feel buoyant or
discouraged.
If we look at it in another way, many times achievements seem to
be a triumph when it really isn‟t. If one has attained success
through the wrong ways then achievement is not success, rather it
is failure, and if one has put in all his efforts in the right way and
has not fallen prey to immoral deeds, then the effort in itself is a
success. So, achievements which seem to be victorious may not
be a triumph, and disaster which seems to be a failure may
actually be the true triumph of inner strength and character.
iii. How should the two impostors be treated and why?
The two impostors should be treated in the same way because
nothing is permanent. One should not allow outside
circumstances and situations in life to define our behaviour,
whether in the time of success or failure. It is important for an
individual to build a strong virtuous character that does not sway
to circumstances.
a. Justify the title of Rudyard Kipling's poem If.

The poem derives its name from the repetitive use of the word if as most of
the lines begin with this conditional word. Through this word, the poet
introduces the various principles of life and then further elaborates upon
how it would benefit the follower of the principle. The couplets also focus
on how to deal with the different situations of life. The poet in a message to
his son describes the different circumstances and different behaviours of
people that his son would come across in life. He also elucidates on how his
child should deal with these situations without asking him to directly follow
his instructions. Instead he talks of what would happen if he adopts the
advice that he is giving, and before each virtue, the word if is placed to
show that it is a condition and the choice to follow the advice is at the end a
personal choice. Therefore, becoming a perfect man with the correct values
and ethos is in one's own hands, and depends upon whether the person
chooses to accept or reject the principles his father has elaborated upon.
Each principle advocated precedes the end result like a conditional
statement, creating a stipulated pattern throughout the poem. Since both the
structure of the poem which has most of the lines beginning with if and the
theme of the poem which talks of principles of life, character and success
are directly related to the word if , the tile of the poem is appropriate.
b. Read the lines/ couplets given below and bring out the virtuous
character being talked about in each line.
Line 1: If you can keep your head when all about you
Line 2: Are losing theirs and blaming it on you: balance, emotional stability
and mental resilience
Line 3: If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
Line 4: But make allowance for their doubting too: self-trust and self
confidence
Line 5: If you can wait and not be tired by waiting: patience and
perseverance
Line 6: Or, being lied about, don‟t deal in lies: honesty/ truthfulness
Line 7: Or, being hated, don‟t give way to hating: love and respect for all
Line 8: And yet don‟t look too good, nor talk too wise: humility and
modesty
Line 9: If you can dream – and not make dreams your master: focused,
aspiring but moderate
Line 10: If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim: reflective and
reasonable
Line 11: If you can meet with triumph and disaster
Line 12: And treat those two impostors just the same: consistency in
behaviour and character
Line 13: If you can bear to hear the truth you‟ve spoken
Line 14: Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools: mental resilience and
self-faith
Line 15: Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
Line 16: And stoop and build ‟em up with worn-out tools: courage,
determination, physical and a never-to-give-up-attitude.
Line 17: If you can make one heap of all your winnings
Line 18: And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss: fearless, risk taking,
ability to achieve bigger goals by taking challenges
Line 19: And lose, and start again at your beginnings
Line 20: And never breathe a word about your loss: diligence, persistence
and humility
Line 21: If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew: inner strength
and never-to-give-up-attitude
Line 22: To serve your turn long after they are gone,
Line 23: And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Line 24: Except the will which says to them: „Hold on!‟: fortitude,
persistence and mental resilience
Line 25: If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue: social and
virtuous
Line 26: Or walk with kings – nor lose the common touch: be able to
communicate with anyone regardless of their status and compassion
Line 27: If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
Line 28: If all men count with you, but none too much: self-dependent and
self-reliant
Line 29: If you can fill the unforgiving minute
Line 30: With sixty seconds‟ worth of distance run: value of time and
unrelenting effort
Line 31: Yours is the Earth and everything that‟s in it: true success and
happiness
Line 32: And – which is more – you‟ll be a Man, my son: perfect manhood
Chapter 6: Achilles
a. How did the narrator find the Rose-Beetle Man?

i. Weird, fascinating, and with a fairy-tale air about him
ii. Lack of enthusiasm while setting out on the road
iii. Hysterical, greedy and enthusiastic
b. Roger and Achilles had a rivalry over

i. lettuce which they both loved to eat.
ii. grapes which they both loved to eat.
iii. strawberries which they both loved to eat.
c. What passion did Achilles develop?

a) He developed a passion for rustling among the bushes.
b) He developed a passion for human company.
c) He developed a passion for mountaineering.
Answers:
a. Weird, fascinating and with a fairy tale air about him.

b. grapes which they both loved to eat.
c. He developed a passion for human company.
2. Short Answers
a. Why did the narrator become enamored with the Rose

Beetle man? What did he look forward to?
The narrator became enamored with the Rose-Beetle Man as
he found him to be one of the weirdest and fascinating
characters he had ever met during his travels. It was
impossible to resist the fairy-tale air about him. He always
looked forward eagerly to his meetings with him.
b. What is pantomime? When and why was it used by the

Rose-Beetle Man?
Pantomime is a dramatic form of entertainment which
originated in Roman mime in which performers expressed
meanings through gestures and facial expressions,
accompanied by music. The Rose-Beetle Man used pantomime
with a lilting tune on his pipe whenever he saw the narrator
along with his pet dog probably because he was unable to
speak.
c. What did the Rose-Beetle Man look like while coming

down the road? What did he mean by rubbing his
forefinger and thumb together?
The Rose-Beetle Man, while coming down the road, carried on
his back bamboo cages full of pigeons and young chickens and
several mysterious sacks. With one of his hands he held a pipe
to his mouth and in the other he held a number of lengths of
cotton, to each of which was tied an almond shaped rose-
beetle, glittering golden green in the sun, all of them trying to
escape from the thread tied firmly around their waists. When
he met the narrator and his dog Roger, he stopped and took off
his ridiculous hat and swept them a low bow. He kept playing
a lilting tune on his pipe and rubbed his forefinger and thumb
together expressing that he wanted money.
d. How was the Rose-Beetle Man’s voice?

The Rose-Beetle Man had a very curious voice. His words, not
clear, were a series of strange grunts.
e. How did the narrator acquire Achilles?

The narrator acquired Achilles from the Rose-Beetle Man,
who had half a dozen tortoises in the mysterious sack he was
carrying. The narrator particularly took fancy to a small
tortoise whose shell was the size of a tea-cup. It was
sprightlier, had bright eyes and was more alert than the other
tortoises, so he decided to call the Rose-Beetle man to the villa
for payment of the tortoise.
a. He had a fox–like face…………
i. Whose face was fox like?
The Rose- Beetle Man had a fox like face with large eyes.
ii. How was he dressed?
The Rose-Beetle Man wore a fantastic dress. On his head was
a hat with a wide floppy brim. His shirt was worn, and round
his neck dangled a cravat of startling blue satin. The pockets of
his coat bulged, the contents almost spilling out. His patched
trousers drooped over a pair of leather shoes with upturned
toes.
iii. What was he carrying?
The Rose-Beetle Man was carrying bamboo cages, full of
pigeons and young chickens and several mysterious sacks on
his back.
iv. How and why did he get his name?
He got his name from the almond sized rose-beetles tied to
lengths of cotton threads, which he held in his hand.
b. Roger always had his fair share of the fruit but seemed to
think……………..
i. Who was Roger and what did he seem to think?
Roger was narrator‟s pet dog. He seemed to think that it
was a waste to give all the delicacies to a tortoise.
ii. What did Roger do with the reptile and why?
Roger would lick Achilles vigorously to get the grape
juice that had dribbled down his mouth.
iii. How did the reptile react?
Achilles reacted by retreating into his shell with an
indignant wheeze and refused to come out until Roger
had been removed from the place.
c. Achilles developed a passion for human company.

i. What happened when someone came into the garden?
Whenever someone came into the garden, there would be a
rustling, and Achilles‟s wrinkled and earnest face would poke
through the bushes.
ii. How did Achilles practice mountaineering?
Whenever someone from the narrator‟s family would lie on a
rug, sunbathing in the garden, Achilles would surge down on
to the rug with an expression of bemused good humour on his
face and choose a portion of the body on which he would start
practising mountaineering. Basically he wanted to be as close
as possible to the person as he enjoyed human touch. Even
though the person shook him off, he would circle the garden
and find him again.
iii. What resulted in Achilles’ tragic end?
Achilles died by falling into a well, the wall of which had long
since disintegrated.
iv. What all was done to resuscitate him?
Leslie attempted by giving him artificial respiration and Margo
suggested forcing strawberries down his throat, as Achilles
loved them and probably would regain consciousness for them
at least, but they failed to get any response from him.
a. What were Achilles’ preferences for food? How do you

think he developed this taste?
Achilles was a tortoise who loved being fed and squatted
regally in the sun while the narrator and his family held out
bits of lettuce. He loved grapes as much as the narrator‟s dog,
Roger. There was a kind of competition rather rivalry between
them for grapes. Whenever Achilles sat down mumbling
grapes in his mouth, the juice ran down his chin. Roger would
creep up to him and lick his face and chin vigorously to get the
grape juice. Achilles was exceptionally fond of strawberries
and liked them the best. He became hysterical at the mere sight
of them. The small strawberries, he could devour at a gulp, for
they were the size of a fat pea. In case he was given a big one
by the narrator, he would grab the fruit, holding it firmly in his
mouth, stumble off at top speed to a quiet spot, where he
would eat it at leisure. His taste for exotic vegetables and fruits
like lettuce, grapes and strawberries must have developed
because the narrator and his family regularly fed him that
stuff.
b. Achilles, in spite of being a tortoise, loved human touch.

How do you think he developed this passion for human
company, and what did he do? Write in detail.
Achilles, in spite of being a tortoise, loved human touch. He
must have developed it because the narrator probably cuddled
him quite often, because of which he must have become quite
used to being held. The narrator and his family used to feed
him regularly with lettuce, grapes and strawberries, which
made the tortoise depend on them for his food and develop a
kind of trust in them. He did not find a threat in his family
members as the narrator frequently rescued him from Roger‟s
licks. He started enjoying being held by them and loved to
snuggle up to any family member who came into the garden.
In case someone was sitting in a chair, he would come as close
as possible to the feet and sink into a deep sleep. In case
someone lay down on the rug for sunbathing, he would surge
down on to the rug with an expression of bemused good
humour on his face and choose a portion of the body to
practice mountaineering. Basically, he wanted to be as close as
possible to the person as he enjoyed human touch or maybe
found it warm and cozy. Even though the person shook him
off, he would circle the garden and find him again revealing
the fact that he had a preference for human touch, where he
felt secure.
c. Keeping pets rejuvenates our lives. How did Achilles

energize the narrator and his family’s lives?
Keeping pets of any kind rejuvenates our life. In this story the
narrator acquired a sprightly tortoise from the Rose- Beetle
Man, who was the size of a tea-cup. The narrator‟s family
welcomed him enthusiastically and christened him Achilles.
The lives of the narrator‟s family started revolving around
him, while feeding him lettuce, grapes and strawberries. They
treated him with lot of affection and care, because of which he
developed confidence and started enjoying human touch.
Achilles added colour to their lives and came close to any
family member who ventured out into the garden. Feeding and
looking after Achilles made him a part of their family. Even
their other pet Roger, a dog, though at times a bit jealous of
the family feeding him grapes ,used to lick his face dry,
wanting to get at the grape juice dribbling down his face. The
sight must have looked very cute and rare to everyone in the
family. Of course they would have had to rescue Achilles from
Roger‟s licks. When Achilles died everyone was very sad and
regretted his death. Leslie went on to give him artificial
respiration, but to no avail. A proper funeral address was read
by Larry for Achilles. His corpse was buried in the garden
under a small strawberry plant. Respects were paid as if he
was a family member. Not long after Achilles was gone the
narrator acquired another pet from the Rose-Beetle Man. This
time it was a pigeon whom he named Quasimodo. Again a
new round of adventures began in the narrator‟s house.
d. Extended writing: How did a pet become a part of your

family like Achilles? Write in detail.
I have two dogs, Roxy and Romeo, and they are the most
wonderful pets that God could have created. We got them
when they were the size of my palm. So small were they that
they had to be fed milk with the help of a dropper. They could
smell me or my mother as soon as we came near their baskets
and start making cute bark like sounds, asking for milk. When
they became one and a half months old, they started drinking
milk in a flat pan in which they entered along with their feet.
They used to be as excited to see milk as Achilles was to see
strawberries. They literally squealed and became hysterical at
the sight of milk. They drank it quickly with their feet inside
and milk dribbling down from the sides of their mouth on to
their legs. Both of them would lick each other clean just like
Roger cleaned up Achilles‟ mouth dribbling of grape juice.
Just like Achilles, my dogs now follow me around in the
garden, and sit close to the person who comes to relax by
going off to sleep on their feet or climbing on to their laps.
Like Achilles, they also love to eat lettuce and grapes or any
other kind of fruits. One would think that my dogs are
herbivores, but that seems to have become their preference.
Like Achilles, they do practice mountaineering on any family
member who sleeps by climbing on to their back with the
intention of waking them up to take them for a walk, or else
they just snuggle up to them and take a nap. They love human
touch as much as Achilles. In fact they have become an
integral part of our family, and I just can‟t imagine life without
them as our whole routine revolves around them, either
feeding them, or taking them out for a walk or playing with
them.
Chapter 7: The Sherpas
a. Sherpas are an ethnic group of (i) ………………..living in

north –eastern Nepal.
b. The Sherpas go everywhere on foot because there is no (i)
…………….., no (ii) ……………….., no bicycle and not an
inch of paved road within the 425 square kilometers that make
the Khumbu valley, the traditional Sherpas‟ home beneath the
(iii) ………………….
c. The first to reach the roof of the world was a New Zealander
named (i) …………………….., and one Sherpa, Tenzing
Norgay.
Answers:
a. Buddhists
b. bus, car, Mount Everest
c. Edmund Hillary
2. Short Questions
a. Write in brief about the Sherpas.

Sherpas are an ethnic group of Buddhists who live in Khumbu
valley in the north-eastern part of Nepal. They are used to
walking on foot in the mountains as the place has no buses,
cars or bicycles. In fact there are no roads there. Hence there is
no option but to walk. Their traditional home is beneath the
Mount Everest. The Sherpas in Khumbu go everywhere on
foot with their property on their backs or on their yaks‟ back.
b. How is distance measured in Lukla?

Distance in Lukla is measured not in kilometers or miles, or
altitude or height. But in terms of time, that is, the amount of
days required to reach any place.
c. How are new houses built in Khumbu? Is it an easy task?

Whenever new houses are built by any family in Khumbu,
much of the structure from floorboards to corrugated
aluminum roofs, must be carried from the lowlands up the
rugged trail on somebody‟s back. It is not easy to build a
house in Khumbu. Rather it is a Herculean task and requires a
lot of labour, strength and effort on the part of the person
building the house.
d. Why, according to some scientists, are the Sherpas
blessed?
Sherpas, according to some scientists, are blessed because they
are genetically endowed to thrive two miles above sea level.
They have a lifelong adaptation to low oxygen conditions,
making it easier for them to survive at such high altitude,
where the Himalayan air is very thin. They breathe faster and
thus take in more air per minute than lowlanders.
e. What was Hillary’s contribution to the Sherpas?

Edmund Hillary was an untiring and generous benefactor for
the Sherpas. He worked for their welfare. He founded a high
school in Khumjung, Nepal. He also sped up the construction
of hospital in the village of Khunde, by overseeing the
construction of airstrip on a dramatic mountainside in Lukla, a
runway that has had the unintended result of fueling the
massive tourist trade.
a. Playing out their lives on the world‟s highest stage,

winning friends with their warm smiles and calm
competence………..
i) What is being referred to as the world’s
highest stage?
The world‟s highest stage is the Mount Everest
which is the highest peak in the world, and
Khumbu valley, from where the trekkers lead
trekking expeditions to the peaks.
ii) Who are the facilitators there?
The Sherpas are the facilitators there. They serve
the tourists by putting them up in their hotels and
lodges, and lead climbing and trekking
expeditions to the peaks in and around Mount
Everest. They also serve as porters. Their warm
smiles and calm competence help to facilitate the
tourists visiting the Khumbu valley.
iii) What enables them to do what they do?
The scientists feel that the Sherpas are genetically
blessed to thrive two miles or more above sea
level. They are well adapted to low oxygen
conditions prevalent at such heights. They find it
easier to survive in the thin Himalayan air, as they
breathe faster and take in more air per minute
than the lowlanders.
b. Quickly each of the 25000-foot-plus peaks was climbed…..

i. By whom were these peaks climbed? Why do you think
they flocked there?
These peaks were climbed by many tourists, who flocked to
the Khumbu valley after the conquest of Mount Everest. They
made their way there for mountaineering and trekking, which
eventually became popular adventure sports. Also the opening
of an airstrip in Lukla paved the way for more tourist inflow.
ii. Who were they facilitated by and how?
The tourists were facilitated by the strong, congenial and adept
Sherpas who served them as high altitude porters, guides, and
helped them in their trekking and mountaineering expeditions.
In fact, they were so adept at climbing mountains above 18000
feet and that too, without any technical support, that they were
a great support to the trekkers. Most of the lodges, hotels and
trekking companies were owned by them and they hosted the
tourists there.
iii. How and why did it boost the economy?
Since many tourists started flocking to Khumbu to climb the
peaks around Mount Everest, the Sherpas opened many new
lodges, hotels, etc. for their stay. New trekking companies
were established by them and they served as guides and
porters to these tourists at such a high altitude. This helped
them earn a lot of money, which they could have never earned
from just growing potatoes. This fuelling of the massive tourist
trade led to an economic boom.
iv. How many of them remained in the profession of climbing
and where did the others migrate to and did what?
Out of the 70000 Sherpas, only 10000 remain in Solu-
Khumbu. The rest have scattered to towns and villages across
north-eastern Nepal and India. Thousands now live in
Kathmandu, where most of Nepal‟s trekking and climbing
agencies are headquartered. Farther afield, there‟s the Rock
Band at New York City, the Sherpa restaurant in Tokyo‟s
Shibuya district and Sherpa hiking guides in mountain resort
areas all over the world.
a. What did Lhakpa Sherpa hope to become and what all

hardships did he have to face to achieve his goal?
Lhakpa Sherpa hoped to go to college and become a doctor.
He used to go to high school founded by Edmund Hillary, but
there was no yellow school bus to take him there. To reach
school, the 16-year-old had no other option but walk five
hours on stony mountain trails each week. During monsoons,
he had to walk in the rain and in winters, in the snow. It was
very hard, but Lhakpa Sherpa had the Sherpa‟s skill to always
look towards the brighter side of things, so, according to him,
though going uphill took five hours, downhill towards his
home just took only three hours. His home like the other
Sherpas was beneath the Mount Everest, and he also used to
carry his load on his back and went everywhere on foot.
b. From where and how did the British mountaineering

expeditions head to Mount Everest? Why did they choose
that route?
The first British mountaineering expedition headed to Mount
Everest in the early twentieth century travelled from north-east
India through Tibet. They had to take this route because Nepal
was closed to foreigners until 1949.The Sherpas who had
migrated from Nepal to Darjeeling more than a hundred miles
east of Khumbu in the nineteenth century, had settled down as
porters to help in the climbing expeditions. A Sherpa
contingent became necessary for every climbing expedition
and these people were hired to facilitate the British expedition
of 1953 and were the first to reach the roof of the world. The
final assault team comprised one New Zealand climber,
Edmund Hillary, and one Sherpa, Tenzing Norgay.
c. Describe the daily life of the Sherpas of Khumbu.

The Sherpas of Khumbu still follow the old ways in their daily
life. They wash their clothes not in a washing machine but in
the rushing river. Their clothes are dried not in a machine
dryer, but in the sun. The kids use round pebbles as marbles
and play catch with potatoes. Rocks and branches are used to
construct diversion channels besides mountain streams. These
streams are used to drive waterwheels that grind their grain
into flour. The same streams are used to spin the prayer
wheels, which dot the Sherpa country. These old traditions are
maintained in Khumbu. On the steep, rock-strewn mountain
trails of the Sherpa land, new mothers still walk with farmers,
yak herders, mail carriers, great-grandmothers and exhausted
sweating porters bent low under the weight of cargo on their
backs. The Sherpas may have brought a lot of innovations up
the mountain trails but there is still no room in Khumbu for
automobile roads. The consensus view is that roadlessness is
the essential element of Sherpa condition. They want to live
close to Mother Nature and feel the steepness of their
mountains, hear the waterfall coming down the cliff or say a
prayer when they pass a mani (prayer) stone.
d. What factors led to the economic boom of the Sherpas?

The first major factor which led to the economic boom of the
Sherpas was the conquest of the Mount Everest by Edmund
Hillary, a New Zealander, and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa. A
Sherpa contingent facilitated their climbing expedition from
Darjeeling. Now this conquering of the Everest brought in an
unprecedented number of tourists to Khumbu to climb the
various peaks in and around Everest. The Sherpas who were
practicing agriculture and growing potatoes for a living, got a
good opportunity to attend to the needs of the tourists at the
world‟s highest stage. Many trekking and hiking companies
came up, new hotels and restaurants were made for the tourists
visiting Khumbu. The Sherpas got employment as porters and
guides. Their fortitude to carry heavy loads gave them an
opportunity to earn more money. The trekking industry also
came up through which the Sherpas led tourists on week-long
hikes. This economy further improved when an airstrip was
constructed in the nearby village of Lukla. More people could
now approach Lukla to climb the mountains for adventure and
give impetus to the tourist economy. With the growth of
economy, a school was opened at Khumjung and a hospital at
Khunde by Edmund Hillary. This further led to the economic
growth of Sherpas and their economic empowerment. Now
they could migrate to better places, get better education and
raise up their standard of living.
e. Extended writing: Why do you think people climb

mountains? Have you scaled any mountain peak? How do
you think you would feel after reaching the top?
People feel elated by climbing a peak as if they have
conquered the world. The spirit of adventure makes people
indulge in hiking or trekking on mountains. Besides the sense
of achievement in conquering a peak, there is also the joy of
looking at the wonderful scenery around and taking pleasure in
the view from the top. The adrenaline rush in the body urges
climbers to go on climbing till they manage to conquer the
peak. The feeling is like almost winning a battle. Only this
battle is against the mountain peak.
I have once climbed Tara Devi mountain, opposite main
Shimla. Though Tara Devi is just 1851 meters above sea level,
yet climbing and hiking up this mountain made me feel on top
of the world. The view of Shimla opposite us and the wide
valley below was breathtaking. I had gone there when the
summers were setting in and the blooming red rhododendrons
had covered the whole path of our trek. There were also wild
roses of white, magenta and red blooming on the hillside. Each
step we took was tiring but the breathtaking view and the cool
wind urged us on. Wild strawberries and raspberries were a
treat we could not resist. It took us two and half hours to reach
the top where there was the Tara Devi temple around 250
years old. Legend says that Goddess Tara was brought all the
way from West Bengal to Himachal Pradesh. A king from the
Sen dynasty got a temple built at the top of the hill and
installed the beautiful idol made of ashtadhatu, a rare
combination of eight elements. We rested for a while then
went in to pray. We felt on top of the world for being able to
climb up the Tara Devi hill. It gave us a feeling of conquering
the world. Our downhill descent would have been completed
in only one and a half hours, but we wanted to while away our
time by enjoying the mesmerizing view, so we decided to laze
around and have a picnic.
Poem: Against Idleness and Mischief and How Doth the Little Crocodile
a. How skilfully she builds her cell!

How neat she spreads the wax!
And labours hard to store it well
With the sweet food she makes.
i. Who builds her cell skillfully and how does she
do it?
A honeybee builds her cell skilfully. She collects
honey from all the flowers, and the glands of the
bees convert the sugar content of the honey into
wax. This wax then oozes out from the small
pores of the bees. One can see these tiny flakes on
their abdomens. Once these flakes of wax become
soft and mouldable, they spread this chewed wax
to create the honeycomb.
ii. What is the sweet food that she makes and what does she
do with it?
The honeybee makes honey with the nectar that she collects
from the flowers. She uses it to build her honeycomb and the
rest of it is stored by her.
iii. The poet has described the bee as skillful. Do you agree
with the poet? Give reasons for your answer. Apart from
the facts given in the poem, you can also add your own
information and opinion.
I totally agree with the poet because a bee is indeed very
skillful. It is extremely diligent and works relentlessly to
collect honey. Instead of getting tired of her hard work, she
continues to only improve and does not leave out even one
flower. This in itself reflects the meticulousness and
assiduousness of the bee. The bee displays craftsmanship in
the way she builds her cell, and apart from just collecting food
for herself, she also collects food for her community. The bee
is the only insect from whom even humans take help. It is
interesting to note that to make a pound of honey, honeybees
need to visit 2,000,000 flowers. Interestingly, each cell of a
capped honeycomb contains the nectar from about 1,000
flowers. Looking at the facts, it is astounding to know how
much a bee must be toiling each day. The strength of one
ounce of honey can power a bee for a complete flight around
the Earth.
The architecture of the cell also shows the abilities of a
honeybee. It has taken several years for scientists to create air
conditioners to regulate the temperature of our homes.
Interestingly, a honeybee has known the science from the very
time of its existence. A honeybee can regulate the temperature
of their hive. In cold weather, the bees huddle together and
vibrate their wing muscles to generate heat. When it's hot, they
fan their wings to improve air circulation or even collect water
for evaporative cooling.
A honey bee is extremely civilized, and every bee plays an
important role in the community it lives in. A honeybee does
not live for oneself but for the whole community, reflecting its
compassion and social skills .The bees have a very
sophisticated communication system and it has been
researched that they have a phenomenal collective intelligence
as the behaviour of the bees show excellent organizational and
managerial skills. A bee dances and creates airborne sounds to
communicate the location of nectar.
Apart from its social and communicative intelligence, a bee is
also very scientific and mathematical. It can calculate energy
and distance to find out the shortest route to a flower, and
thereby use their energy to the least.
Every aspect of a bee is beyond belief and thus it is indeed
very skillful.
b. How doth the little crocodile

Improve his shining tale,
And pours the waters of the Nile
On every golden scale!
i. The poet has described the crocodile as little. Is

it really little? Why does the poet use this word
to describe him?
No, the crocodile is not little. Since the poem
How Doth the Little Crocodile is a paradox of the
poem Against Idleness and Mischief, the structure
and words chosen by the poet in How Doth the
Little Crocodile is very similar to the other poem.
Hence the reference is to the word little.
ii. What does the crocodile do throughout the
day? What does it suggest about the crocodile?
How is this description different from the
description of the bee?
The crocodile improves his shining tail
throughout the day. He pours the waters of the
Nile on every golden scale to make it shinier.
This description shows how idle the crocodile is.
The crocodile is totally different from the bee as it
has nothing much to do. He is sluggish and
lethargic throughout the day, but on the other
hand, the bee is against idleness and mischief.
She works throughout the day to collect some
honey and make wax out of it. She works
relentlessly throughout the day. Even after
collecting nectar to make honey, the bee does not
rest. It then creates her honeycomb and stores the
honey made by her. On one hand, the bee works
throughout the day, while on the other, the
crocodile does nothing but lazes around.
iii. What mood does the word little create?
The word little used for the description of the
crocodile clearly sets the tone of the poem. It
suggests the irony that the poet is trying to
convey. Crocodile is never little yet the poet has
described it with this word, thereby signifying the
humour and the contradiction in the poem.
a. Why does Lewis find the crocodile

pretentious? What is he implying
by the contrast reflected in the
character?
By describing the crocodile‟s
deceptive features like the cheerful
grin and gentle smile against its
actual hidden intentions, the poet is
elaborating upon how deceptive
appearances can become. The
appearance is friendly while the
intentions are cruel and clever. The
crocodile in the poem is idealizing
deception and the poet is elaborating
upon the fact that deception is very
pretentious and cannot be perceived.
The poem is a message to the
children to be aware of pretentious
people, as friendly, cheerful and
gentle behaviour reflected by many
people at times may not be their
actual temperament. There may be a
vicious intention behind the cheerful
disposition adopted.
b. What do you think is the central theme of the poem,

Against Idleness and Mischief?
The poem Against Idleness and Mischief revolves
around the importance of hard work exemplified
through a busy bee. The busy bee is like an ideal
individual who is hard-working and focused, and does
not waste even one minute a day. The bee utilizes every
opportunity that it gets by not leaving even one
blooming flower. Just as a busy bee collects honey from
flowers and builds cells to store it, a hard-working
individual also works hard throughout the day to enjoy
the sweetness of his hard labour. The busy bee is
constantly occupied and therefore has no time for
mischief. The bee in this poem is a model to be
followed as the poet elaborates the importance of
diligence to children elaborating on the fact that children
can achieve their best when they are constructively
occupied and busy like the bee. The poet‟s
exemplification of the bee‟s labour further suggests that
focus and hard work would always keep children away
from mischief.
The poet uses the imagery of the busy bee to make a
parallel to a productive and hard-working individual.
The poem is a learning for children so that they
understand the value of every minute in a day and
endeavour consistently to prevent themselves from
getting tempted to doing unscrupulous activities. The
poem also warns children against idleness and mischief.
c. Compare both the animal references in the poem

Against Idleness and Mischief and How Doth the
Little Crocodile?
The two characters in the poem, the busy bee in Against
Idleness and Mischief, and the crocodile in How Doth
the Little Crocodile reflect contrast. Watts‟s story of the
busy bee glorifies hard work, honesty, skill and focus,
while Carroll‟s crocodile has a sinister connotation,
which signifies deception behind a noble appearance.
Issac Watt uses a positive animal reference to motivate
children to follow the right ideals while Lewis Carroll
teaches caution through an indirect message wherein the
character of the crocodile has been portrayed as ironical
and signifies deception and negativity. Though the aim
of both the poems is moral learning, the informal diction
used by Carroll creates light-hearted images against the
serious images in the description of the bee by Watt.
Chapter 8: Go Kiss the World

a. Go Kiss the World is an (i) …………….narrative in which the
author, Subroto Bagchi pays tribute to his parents.
b. Subroto Bagchi‟s mother had come as a (i) …………….. from the
then East Bengal, and his father was a District Employment
Officer in Koraput,(ii) …………………….
Answers:
a. autobiographical
b. refugee, Orissa
2. Short Questions
a. What was the name of the place where Subroto Bagchi’s father
was posted? What kind of a place was it?
The narrator‟s father was posted in Koraput, Orissa. He had been
posted there as the District Employment Officer. Koraput was an
underdeveloped place like a small village without electricity, no
primary school nearby, and no water flowed out of a tap. The place
seemed to be without the basic necessities many of us take for
granted nowadays.
b. How did the mother cook and what was the daily routine that the
family followed in Go Kiss the World, and with what aim?
The mother always cooked on a chulha for the family – an earthen
fireplace that she would build at every new place of posting of her
husband. The family would sit huddled around her. The morning
routine started with tea. As the brew was served, the narrator‟s father
would ask all the children to read the editorial page of The
Statesman‟s muffosil edition - delivered one day late. The ritual was
followed daily even though the children did not understand what they
read. Basically it was meant to let them know that the world was
larger than Koraput, and also to improve their English as they were
studying in Oriya medium.
c. What did the children look for in the advertisements and what
did their father say to that? Did he comply with their wishes and
why?
The children were quite enamoured by the advertisements in the
newspapers. They looked at advertisements of transistor radios of
Philips, Murphy or Bush as they did not have one. They would ask
their father to buy one but he would always say that he did not need
one as he already had five radios referring to his five sons. His reply
did not gladden them but the father wanted to teach them a lesson
that it was not important to measure one‟s personal success and the
sense of well-being through material possessions.
d. What did the narrator of Go Kiss the World see for the first time
in Bhubaneshwar?
When the narrator‟s eldest brother got a job as teacher in
Bhubaneshwar, his mother moved in to take care of him. The
narrator had to move in too and that was the first time in life he saw
electricity in homes and water flowing out of a tap.
a. Government houses seldom came with fences………….

i. What was done to rectify this?
The mother and the narrator, when he was a kid, collected
twigs to build a fence around the government house they got,
because those houses seldom came with a fence round them.
ii. What was the narrator’s mother’s reason for doing this?
The mother wanted to build a fence because she normally
planted seedlings inside the fence with the aim of creating a
garden. She seemed to be fond of gardening and making the
place more beautiful even though they were to be transferred
from that place. She wanted to create a bloom in a desert and
whenever she was given a place she wanted to leave it more
beautiful than what she had inherited for the next occupants.
iii. What lesson did it teach the narrator?
The lesson that the narrator learnt was that beauty lies not in
what we create for ourselves but what we leave behind for
others. That is the true definition of success.
b. It was around 1965 and the country was going to war………

i. Which war is the narrator talking about in 1965?
The war which the narrator is talking about is the 1965 war
between India and Pakistan.
ii. What had become the narrator’s daily chore and why?
The narrator‟s daily chore was to read the newspaper loudly to
his mother as she had developed a cataract in her eyes when he
was very small. Besides that, being educated in Bengali
medium, his mother could not read the Oriya script. He had to
read the whole newspaper from beginning to end to her.
iii. What development did that chore bring about in him?
The chore, i.e., reading the newspaper loudly to his mother
created in the narrator a sense of connectedness with the larger
world and made him aware of what was happening in the
world.
c. Over the next few years, my mother‟s eyesight dimmed………

i. Why did the narrator’s mother’s eyesight dim and what
did it result in?
The narrator‟s mother‟s eyesight dimmed because of the
cataract she had in her eyes. She could see clearly after a
surgery but within weeks after the operation, she developed a
corneal ulcer and became totally blind overnight in both eyes
in the year 1969.
ii. For how long did the narrator’s mother live with her
blindness? What did she see with her eyes? What does this
reveal about her?
The narrator‟s mother lived uncomplainingly with her
blindness for thirty-two years. When the narrator showed
curiosity to know what she saw with her blind eyes, she said
that she did not see darkness but only light with her eyes
closed. This reveals her optimistic view towards life wherein
she only looked towards the brighter side of life, inspite of
being blind.
iii. What lesson did the narrator learn from his mother’s
routine and attitude?
The narrator‟s mother even till the age of 80 years followed a
proper routine and did all the work herself. She did her
morning yoga, swept her own room and washed her own
clothes. The lesson that the narrator learnt from his mother‟s
attitude was that success is about this sense of independence in
doing one‟s work on our own and always seeing the brighter
side of life.

a. Doing your things with your own hands helps in making a person
develop a sense of morality and independence. Elaborate in the
context of Go Kiss the World.
Doing things on our own and with our own hands develop a sense of
morality and independence in a person and builds self-confidence to
do things dexterously. This is very clearly exhibited in the narrator‟s
mother‟s life right from the very beginning where we see her making
a chulha and cooking food for her family. She liked to do things with
her own hands. In every government house they were transferred to
she would with the help of the narrator collect twigs and build a
fence around it to plant a garden. She would plant seedlings which
would bloom and make the place more beautiful than what she had
inherited. In fact even when they were about to leave the place, she
would still plant new seedlings to make it a much better and more
beautiful place for the next occupants. She became blind but right till
the age of 80 years, she did morning yoga, swept her own room and
washed her own clothes. Her whole life portrayed this sense of
independence, and success for her meant being self-sufficient, and
seeing the brighter side of things.
b. Two individuals may have politically divergent views and hold

different opinions. What lesson did the narrator of Go Kiss the
World learn with regard to diversity in thinking?
Two individuals may have politically divergent views and hold
different opinions. In this lesson, we have the narrator‟s father and
mother, advocates of two totally different political views. The
narrator‟s father was a fervent believer in the British Raj and always
doubted the capabilities of the post-Indian political parties to govern
the country, whereas the narrator‟s mother was the exact opposite.
Right from her childhood she had admired Subhash Chandra Bose
and garlanded him at Dacca, when she was a school girl. She had
learnt to spin khadi and had also joined an underground movement to
train in using daggers and swords. Through their politically divergent
views the household learnt the lesson that two people had a right to
have differing opinions. From his parents the narrator learnt the
power of disagreement, of dialogue, and the essence of living with
diversity in thinking.
c. What made the narrator of Go Kiss the World feel that the
hospital was a horrible theatre of death? Was he right in feeling
so? What can be done to make it a better place?
The hospital where the narrator‟s father was admitted in after
suffering third degree burn injuries was very dirty and cockroach
infested. His father was bandaged from neck to toe. The narrator had
come back from US where the standards of sanitation were very
high, and obviously, he found this place extremely unhygienic to
treat such a serious patient. The nurses were also negligent about
patients and were not at all vigilant. The nurse when told by the
narrator that the blood bottle being given to his father was empty and
she should change it, asked him to do it himself. The narrator felt
anger and frustrated at the state of affairs. He marveled at his father‟s
patience and politeness with the nurse. He learnt from him that there
was no limit to how concerned one could be for another human
being. His father died the next day but in his death he taught the
narrator a lesson in success, that is one needs to rise above one‟s own
discomfort, whatever the person‟s current state maybe.
Chapter 9: The Blue Umbrella

a. Binya wore a necklace of ……………….
i) leopard‟s claw.
ii) glass beads.
iii) glass bangles
b. Binya liked the umbrella because …………

i) she had never seen an umbrella before.
ii) the umbrella was very useful.
iii) it was unlike any umbrella she had ever seen.
c. The umbrella was of no use to Ram Bharosa still

he wanted it because…
i) he was envious of Binya.
ii) he didn‟t have any umbrella.
iii) he was fascinated by the beauty of the umbrella.
Answers
a. ii
b. iii
c. iii
2. Short Questions
a. What kind of trees would you find in Garhwal? Which part of

the story tells you that?
We would find pine trees in Garhwal. Firstly, because Garhwal is a
mountainous terrain in the Himalayas and we would mostly find pine
trees in those regions. Moreover, the fact that Binya walked over
fallen pine- needles in the forest reveals that the terrain had pine
trees.
b. How did Binya know that her cows had not gone far? What does
this reveal about her?
Binya knew that the cows hadn‟t gone far because she could hear the
cow-bells tinkling. This shows that she helped at home in taking the
cows out for grazing. It also reveals that she was a responsible girl
and alert in every situation.
c. Why did the woman exchange her blue umbrella with the
leopard’s claw?
The woman exchanged her blue umbrella with the leopard‟s claw
because she liked it a lot as it was unique and different for her.
Moreover, when she was told that the leopard‟s claw was not
available in the markets, she impulsively gave her umbrella to Binya
to get the pendant from her.
d. Why was the umbrella of no use to Ram Bharosa?

The umbrella was of no use to Ram Bharosa because he seldom
moved out of his shop and moreover he did not even visit anyone.
Since he never went out in the sun or in the rain, he did not require it.
e. Why did Ram Bharosa misjudge Binya when she came to buy a
toffee from him?
Ram Bharosa misjudged Binya because he thought that the girl was
taunting him for his miserable condition. It was Ram Bharosa‟s own
guilt that led him to form a wrong opinion about her.
a. “What have you there, Binya?” he asked.

i. What had Binya got and how did she get it?
Binya had got a blue dainty colourful umbrella by exchanging
her own lucky charm with the woman from the picnic party.
ii. What was the speaker’s reaction to Binya’s possession and
why?
Ram Bharosa was astonished to see such a beautiful umbrella
with Binya. He was so fascinated by its beauty that he stared
after it even when it was out of sight. He also tried to influence
Binya to give it to him by reasoning with her as to why it was
useless for her. He tried to dissuade her from keeping it by
talking ill about it. He told her that it was of no use to her as
the sun wasn‟t hot enough and the dainty umbrella like that
couldn‟t be used to protect her from the rains. He tried to
influence her to give it to him by saying that the blue umbrella
was just a pretty thing for rich ladies to play with. He even
offered her money to lure her into selling it to him. He
bargained with her too thinking that greed for money would
make her give away the umbrella. This incident was his first
attempt to get the umbrella that had mesmerized him.
iii. What was Binya’s response to the speaker’s efforts?
Binya knew in her mind as to how much she liked the
umbrella. She did not get lured by the offers made by the
shopkeeper.
b. “It‟s just a sickness that has come upon me.”

i. Who is the speaker and what sickness had come upon him?
Ram Bharosa is the speaker of this statement. The obsession to
own the blue umbrella became a sickness for him as he could
not see himself not having it and Binya owning it.
ii. How did the sickness come upon him?
Ram Bharosa was totally fascinated by the blue umbrella and
wanted desperately to possess it. He got a glimpse of it every
day which magnified his desire to own it. Probably had he not
seen it regularly he may have forgotten about it but since he
saw it every day, his desire trapped him in his greed and
engulfed his mental balance. It became a sickness because the
pain of not owning it resulted in his immoral behaviour.
iii. What was the result of the sickness?
The obsession to own the umbrella made Ram Bharosa adopt
unfair means to get it. He bribed Rajaram to somehow take the
umbrella away from Binya. When Rajaram revealed his name
in front of the villagers, Ram Bharosa was caught plotting and
stealing, the result of which was that the villagers turned
against him. They stopped trusting him and preferred to walk
an extra mile to do their shopping. The old man‟s shop
remained deserted as he sat alone wondering if anyone would
ever again step in for a glass of tea. He lost his appetite and ate
and drank very little. He also stopped looking after his own
shop as the roof leaked and the wind got into the corrugated
sheets. He lost interest in everything he already had due to the
embarrassment he had to face because of a foolish desire that
led him to crime.
c. „You don‟t really want it, I can see that.‟

i. Who is the speaker and who is he talking to?
Rajaram is the speaker of the sentence and he is talking to
Ram Bharosa.
ii. Why do you think the speaker said this line?
He said this to bargain with Ram Bharosa. Ram Bharosa was
ready to part with eight rupees for the umbrella, but when it
came to giving money to Rajaram to steal the umbrella, he
only offered two rupees which the boy thought was a small
amount. He wanted to be paid more and that is why he
indicated it to him indirectly, suggesting that he would not do
the unscrupulous act for meagre two rupees.
iii. Who do you think liked the umbrella more, Binya or Ram
Bharosa? Give reasons for your answer.
I believe Binya wanted the umbrella more because she didn‟t
think twice before parting away with her lucky charm that she
always kept with her, and happily gave away her pendant with
leopard‟s claw to the lady for the umbrella. But when it came
to Ram Bharosa, he was not ready to pay the price for his
fascination. Like a true businessman he bargained and did not
give its price. The first time he negotiated with Binya, he was
only ready to pay twelve rupees even when Binya quoted
fifteen. The next time he got a chance, he accepted that the
price of the umbrella was eight but when it came to getting it
through Rajaram, he again started haggling. Moreover, this
time he was only ready to pay two rupees, and after bargaining
he settled for three. Had he liked it so much, he wouldn‟t have
thought of the price.
Long Questions (Read, reflect and write)
a. How did the people of the village console

themselves and why did they have to console
themselves? What do the reactions of the
villagers in The Blue Umbrella tell you about
human behaviour?
Most people of the village where Binya lived had
never possessed an umbrella like the blue one that
Binya had. They consoled themselves by saying
that the blue umbrella wouldn‟t be able to save
her from heavy rain and it would shrivel in the
sun if the sun was fierce. They said that the
umbrella would collapse in strong wind and it
would also attract lightning, if lightning fell near
it. They also felt that the blue umbrella would
attract bad luck if there was any ill-luck going
about.
The people of the village had to console
themselves because there was no way they could
have gotten an umbrella as beautiful as the blue
one. The blue umbrella became sour grapes for
them.
This makes us realize that jealousy always
triggers negative behaviour of an individual who
refuses to accept reality in a positive spirit. It also
brings to the forefront the fact that jealousy can
make a person lie to himself because the villagers
secretly admired the umbrella but they did not
have the heart to feel glad in Binya‟s happiness.
b. What did Binya blame herself for and why?

What does this reveal about her? Do you think
she was right in blaming herself?
Binya blamed herself for the misery of Ram
Bharosa. She felt that it was because of her blue
umbrella that Ram Bharosa took to stealing. She
knew how much he wanted it but refused to part
with it. After being caught, Ram Bharosa got
isolated from the village and the embarrassment
of the incident affected him so much that he
stopped drinking and eating. The shop which was
once functional now became deserted. Even Ram
Bharosa who was a keen business man stopped
looking after his shop. The shop looked
dilapidated as the roof leaked and the wind got
into the corrugated tin sheets, but the owner of the
shop who never left it did not care about it
anymore. The misery of Ram Bharosa made
Binya feel sad for him. This shows how forgiving
and empathetic she was. It also shows how
understanding children are, who don‟t linger on
incidents and let things pass by.
No, she was not right in blaming herself because
she was not responsible for Ram Bharosa‟s
actions. He was accountable for his own actions,
and he was in misery because of himself and not
her.
c. The leopard’s claw was a lucky charm for

Binya. Do you think it was actually lucky for
her? Give reasons for your answer.
Yes, the leopard‟s claw actually turned out to be
Binya‟s lucky charm because it got her the blue
umbrella which became her favourite possession
and brought a lot of joy to her. Owning it made
her happy, and anything that makes us happy is
our lucky charm.
Not only did it remain a prized possession that
made Binya happy, it also gave her a trigger to
understand the greatest lesson of life - the art of
keeping others‟ needs before self. Binya learned
how to think for others more than herself. The
incident in her life which happened with Ram
Bharosa with the blue umbrella taught her
selflessness. When she finally parted with it, it
gave her a chance to feel the happiness of
sacrifice and humility. The incident made her
more gracious, and she felt free and peaceful after
the good deed; there was nothing between her
and the bright blue sky.
d. How was Binya’s behaviour towards Ram Bharosa different
from the villagers? What effect did her behaviour towards him
have on Ram Bharosa?
The people of the village had denounced Ram Bharosa. They had
stopped going to his shop. They were ready to walk an extra mile to
go to another shop but not buy things from him. The villagers
punished Ram Bharosa for his actions. On the other hand, Binya
forgave Ram Bharosa after a while. She was more forgiving than the
villagers as she understood what he was going through.
Her empathy and forgiving nature transformed Ram Bharosa from
being an arrogant, devious businessman into an equally modest
person. The fact that he went back to return the umbrella that he
wanted so badly that he even resorted to stealing it reveals that he
was embarrassed by his behaviour. He could have easily kept the
umbrella and no one would have known but instead, he went back to
return it to her. This time he was not guided by the pressure of others
but by his own morality. The magnanimity and selflessness shown
by Binya had humbled Ram.
e. How do material needs of people influence the behaviour of

humans? Support the answer with examples from the story The
Blue Umbrella.
Material needs often corrupt the thinking of a well-balanced
individual. It triggers their selfish greed making desires more
important than ethics and values, as a result of which they tend to
indulge in unwanted behaviour. Material needs can be a trap that
many people may not be able to come out of and the result of it is
only grief and disappointment. Even in the story of The Blue
Umbrella, the first time Ram Bharosa developed a fascination for
the umbrella, he tried to misdirect a young innocent girl by trying to
influence her to part with her favourite possession. The materialistic
need made him lie to Binya, thereby revealing the streak of unkind
and selfish nature in him. It was not only Ram Bharosa who fell prey
to the evils of desire. Other people in the village also got envious of
Binya due to her new possession and their materialistic need only
brought more grief and disappointment as they had to console
themselves for not owning it. Similarly, even Rajaram fell prey to the
need of earning more money as he succumbed to Ram Bharosa‟s
plot of stealing the umbrella from Binya. Even he did not think of the
consequences due to his greed for money.
If we analyse the story objectively, we will realize that when need
becomes too strong it culminates into plotting and cheating as desires
tend to engulf the value system of most balanced people.
Poem 5: Geography Lesson
1) Reference to Context Questions
a. Our teacher told us one day he would leave

And sail across a warm blue sea
To places he had only known from maps,
And all his life had longed to be.
I. Where did the teacher want to go to? Apart from the statement given
above, identify lines from the poem that indicate where the teacher
wanted to go to.
The teacher wanted to sail across a warm blue sea to different places he had
talked about in his class. The description of the sea shows that the teacher
wanted to go to tropical islands where the weather is warm. The teacher
wanted to go to places that he often taught in his geography lesson, and
while he taught them, he also visualized them in his mind. He wanted to go
to the lands where the green leaves of the orange trees burned and where it
was never drab or cold. This description also reflects that the teacher
longed to visit the warm tropical islands.
II. What do you think must have created this desire - the desire to leave
and sail across a warm blue sea?
The teacher was passionate about his subject and understood it well.
Geography is a subject that can be visualized and experienced. His mastery
of the subject must have surely created a desire to not let his knowledge
remain restricted to the books but instead he developed the need to get
involved with it. It is said that a picture is more important than a thousand
words. The teacher must have surely wanted to see the picture that he often
saw in his own mind only through the words that he spoke or read. The
repeated instructions and its visualization in the class must have created this
desire - the desire to leave and sail across a warm blue sea.
III. What do you think is the irony in the poem and the lines above?
The irony in the poem and the lines above is that a very proficient teacher
of geography had modest desires to visit the warm lands and the warm
transparent blue sea. Through his words, the teacher transferred his students
into the world he was teaching about, but in reality, the teacher never
visited any of the places he longed to visit. The irony is that the teacher‟s
desires were very different from his actual reality. While he dreamt of
places that were enchanting and warm, he lived in a place which was cold
and grey. The house that he lived in was narrow and grey but in his
imagination he visualized sweet- scented jasmine clinging to the walls of a
house. He wished to visit places where green leaves burned on orange trees
but he himself lived in a cold and drab place. The irony continued till the
teacher died with unfulfilled desires while his student travelled to the places
he had talked about in his classes.
b. The maps were redrawn on the classroom wall;

His name was forgotten, it faded away.
A. What does the poet mean by saying that the maps were redrawn
on the classroom wall? What is the poet implying by the two lines
above?
The poet‟s teacher got ill and died in midterm. The death of such an
admirable teacher did not affect the regular day to day life. The
school appointed another geography teacher and their geography
classes continued with the new teacher. By these two lines, the poet
is showing how life moves on. No matter how dear a person may be,
no matter how important a person may be, life doesn‟t cease for
anyone.
B. The poet in the second line above says that the teacher’s name
was forgotten and with time his name faded away. Do you think
his name actually faded away? Give reasons for your answer.
No, neither did the poet‟s name fade away, nor did his lessons. They
became immortal in the memory of his students. His name may have
got lost from the daily life of the school, but it got imprinted in the
mind of the poet as a sweet memory that still exists with him. His
lessons were so inspiring that he taught the poet to love the places
that they studied as much as he loved the places himself. His lessons
had the poet develop the same appreciation for the beauty of the
world.
C. What lesson did the teacher teach the poet?
The teacher taught the poet to explore the world and experience its
beauty. He made him enjoy the meditative beauty of nature across
the lands and the sea. He broadened the poet‟s horizon beyond
books.
a) Apart from teaching the importance of travelling and

exploring, the poet’s teacher taught a very important
lesson to him. What do you think was this indirect lesson?
The poet‟s geography teacher lived a life of unfulfilled
dreams. He died hoping and wishing to see the warm lands on
the map. His unfulfilled desires and his lack of action to
pursue his dreams taught the poet a very important life lesson -
to live not in dreams but actualize them. The teacher indirectly
taught the poet to follow his dreams and live for today. The
story of his life of unfulfilled desires taught the poet not to
repeat the mistake he had made. The teacher‟s life suggests
that it is important to do what we love in the present as life is
unpredictable and nothing can be said about future.
b) Imagine you are the poet who has gone to the land your
teacher wanted to visit. Write a letter to your classmate
describing the beauty of the place that your geography
teacher had often talked about in Sefton Park School.
61Happy Lane
Smithdown Road
Liverpool
Merseyside-L3OBS,UK
England
United Kingdom
October 5, 2015
Dear Johnson
How are you? We are all fine here and life is giving me more
than I ever wanted.
Do you remember our geography teacher in class 7 at Sefton?
Remember, how he often talked about the tropical islands and
his yearning to travel to the warm seas where the green leaves
burned on orange trees. I never forgot any lesson taught by the
teacher. Recently I went to one such island and after
experiencing its beauty, I know why our teacher longed to be
here.
Last week I experienced the greatest joy of my life - I went
exploring a tropical island in Philippines, and I can never
forget the holiday, especially one unforgettable day. It was six
in the morning and the sun was still cool. The sun rays made
the warm ocean glitter. On one side was the panoramic
horizon that connected the sky to the sea, while on the other
was a line of palm trees at the edge of the land. The sun, the
sea, the sky, the beach and the trees unified in contrasting
colours of yellow, transparent blue, sky blue, white, golden
and green, made nature look like a palette of an artist. As I
moved from the beach into the inland, the trees huddled into
exuberant verdure which led me to a beautiful waterfall where
the water broke into misty showers of soft silk, and flowed
into a narrow stream. The tender ripple of leaping water of the
stream then collected into a radiant blue-green pond ahead.
What was more astonishing were the burning green leaves that
our teacher often talked about. October as you know is the
beginning of fall season and the green leaves were changing
into red, yellow and orange as if they were burning in the
warmth of the cool breeze of autumn. And as visualized by our
teacher, many green trees seemed orange. Though I saw the
shades of yellow, red and orange, yet the predominant colour
was green. I could hear the sweet sound of chirping birds
hidden somewhere in the leaves. I stayed there mesmerized by
the bright contrast and thinking of the irony of our teacher‟s
life. I don‟t know how long I stayed there but memories of our
teacher and our school days kept revisiting me.
After a long stroll, I walked back to a pathway of green grass
where I witnessed the colours of radiance of butterflies that sat
on blooming white wild flowers that peeped through the
shades of green grass, bushes and canopies of trees.
I would say my experience was meditative, and the spiritual
nurturing happened due to the sensuous treat provided by our
teacher and his geography lesson. Had he not been there, I
would not have known of these places or even if I would have
known these places, I would have probably ignored them. But
today I am enjoying the devout gleam of nature because of his
learning. Though satisfied from inside, I still feel sad for our
teacher who could only know these places through books and
maps.
How I wish, he was there to fulfil his humble want. How I
wish he had seen what I saw today.
Yours lovingly
Brian
Lesson 10: Settling into the Secret Annexe
1) Fill in the blanks.

a. The name of Anne‟s sister was …………………..
b. Anne‟s family went into hiding for ……………. years.
c. Family of …………. joined Anne‟s family in hiding.
d. A …………………… was used to hide the doorway.
e. ………………. were being persecuted by German
soldiers.
Answers
a. Margot
b. two
c. Vaan Daans
d. bookshelf
e. Jews
2) Short Questions
a. Why did Anne and her family go into hiding?

Anne and her family were Jews. During their time in
Germany, Jews were being persecuted by the German army.
They were segregated and either killed or sent to labour
camps. To escape from this, Anne and her family went into
hiding and hoped for the war to end soon.
b. What all items of Anne did her father bring to the hiding
before they shifted totally?
Anne‟s father had known that they will be going into hiding
for a long time and it will be difficult to bring all the items at
one go. So he had brought Anne‟s few items like her entire
postcard collection and film star collection beforehand.
c. What was done to make the Secret Annexe more secret?

The entrance to the Annexe was a simple door which was not
hidden. If anyone would come searching, the door would
certainly be noticed, and an investigation would lead them to
the hiding place. So Mr Kugler thought of building a bookcase
in front of the entrance to the hiding place, and Mr Voskuijl,
who was also the friend of the family, did the carpentry work.
d. Why were the people in hiding afraid of their neighbours?
The very meaning of hiding means that one is staying away
from the prying eyes of others. If any of the neighbours would
have come to know that Anne‟s family was hiding in the
building, they would have reported it to the German soldiers,
who would then have taken them as prisoners. This was the
reason they were afraid of their neighbours.
e. How did Anne’s mother manage to burn the peas?

Anne‟s mother was holed up in the Annexe for some time.
One day, when she was feeling better, she decided to cook
split-pea soup. However, in her enthusiasm she went
downstairs with her elder daughter and totally forgot about the
soup and the peas were scorched black.

a. “I don‟t think I‟ll ever feel at home in this house, but that
doesn‟t mean I hate it.”
i. Who is talking about which home?
Anne and her family had been forced to live in hiding
from German soldiers to avoid persecution by them.
They hid in the Annexe of her father‟s office which
became their new home. .
ii. Why does the speaker say that the house would
never give the feeling of a home?
Anne had to leave her luxurious house and settle in the
Annexe of her father‟s office. The Annexe hardly had
any space and they could not even venture out or open
the windows because of the fear of getting caught.
Because of such hard living conditions, she said that the
Annexe would never give a feeling of a home to her.
iii. Why does the speaker say that she would never hate
the new house even when she didn’t find it like
home?
Anne was aware of the fact that the house where they
were going to hide was very cramped and did not offer
many amenities of a normal house, but she knew that it
was the only place that could give them secure
protection from the German soldiers.
4) Long Questions (Read, reflect and write)
a. Why do you think Anne named her diary Kitty?

Anne was a girl barely into her teens, and at that young age,
she had to go into hiding with her family. She had to leave all
her friends and live in isolation where she had only her elder
sister and one boy named Peter whom she found obnoxious. In
order to share her feelings with someone she decided to write a
diary daily. When one confides their feelings and emotions,
they need some person whom they can talk to. So Anne gave
her diary the name Kitty. By giving this name she was able to
relate to the diary in a much personal manner rather than just
writing in a diary. She could talk to it as if she was speaking to
a person, and Kitty seemed to be a nice name for her diary.
This way Anne personified her diary which made her feel less
lonely.
b. Do you think Anne had accepted the way of life when she was in
hiding? Give instances from the story to support your answer.
Anne had accepted the fact that she had to stay in hiding for some time, at
least till the war ended. She was of the opinion that if one had to live in a
challenging situation, then it would do no good cribbing about it; instead she
believed that one should make good use of whatever resources one had at
their disposal. In the story, she says that, “I don‟t think I‟ll ever feel at home
in this house, but that doesn‟t mean I hate it.” She also says that, “It is more
like being on holiday in some strange pension (meaning a small house or
hotel).” She made her room livelier by posting her entire collection of cards
and film star posters. She also got a lamp mounted above her bed so that she
could light it up in case she felt scared. Thus we understand that Anne and
her family had accepted their new way of life.
Chapter 11: The MCC
1) Fill in the blanks.
a. The MCC is a club which deals with ……………….

b. Messrs Binns is a shop for …………………..
c. Rolls Royce is the name of a …………….
d. The friends played cricket with a ………………. ball.
Answers:
a) cricket
b) sports goods
c) car
d) tennis
2) Multiple Choice Questions
a. Out of the three friends, the captain of MCC was ……………..

i. Mani
ii. Rajam
iii. Swami
b. In which country was the original MCC situated?
i. Australia
ii. England
iii. U.S.A.
c. Junior Willard is the name for a……………….

i. badminton racquet
ii. tennis racquet
iii. cricket bat
d. How many bats did the three friends decide to order?

i. One
ii. Two
iii. Three
e. What kind of cricket stumps was used by the friends to play?

i. Wickets drawn on the wall
ii. Bricks
iii. Wooden sticks
Answers:
a) ii.
b) ii.
c) iii.
d) ii.
e) i.
3. Short Questions
a. Out of the three friends in The MCC, who was most

informed about cricket?
Out of the three friends, Rajam had the most knowledge about
cricket. He was the captain of the team and he knew about
different kind of bats and had played when he was in Bishop
Waller‟s School.
b. Why did Rajam want three bats?

Rajam wanted three bats because he thought that if one bat out
of the two breaks, which the players would be using at a time,
then an extra bat would be required to replace the broken one.
Hence, he suggested having three bats instead of two.
c. From where did the friends in The MCC want to procure

the cricket playing items?
The friends wanted the best cricket items like bats, balls,
stumps, etc. So they decided to order from the best shop in
Madras called Messrs Binns. They wrote a letter to the shop to
deliver the items to their place.
d. What happened when the friends received a reply from

Messrs Binns?
Messrs Binns wrote back to the friends that they were ready to
oblige to their request by supplying the items, however, they
wanted 25% advance payment, and the balance against the
VPP of the railway receipt. The word obliged and the
condition of advance payment weren‟t understood by the three
friends. They thought that either the shop was trying to make
fool of them or they had sent the letter to the wrong address,
hence, they sent back the letter to the company.
e. Did the team of Captain Rajam play the match?

Yes, the team finally managed to play the match using tennis
balls, and bat made of wood planks and stumps drawn on the
wall with charcoal.
a. „Why not deliver a lecture on the Rolls Royce?‟

i. Who is being asked to deliver a lecture?
Mani is asking Swaminathan to deliver a lecture on
Rolls Royce if he knows so much about the car.
However, he is being sarcastic to Swaminathan.
ii. How true is the information on Rolls Royce?
The information about Rolls Royce‟s engine being made
of silver and never making a noise is wrong. It was
provided by Swaminathan, which was very childish and
not based on actual facts.
iii. Why was Rolls Royce brought into the conversation?
Swaminathan had shown his ignorance about the Junior
Willard bat. To explain how important the Junior
Willard bat was, Rajam tried to explain its value by
giving an analogy of Rolls Royce cars, which are
considered to be an epitome of craftsmanship in the car
industry. These cars are considered to be the best in the
world and are very costly.
b. Finally, Rajam took up the task himself.

i. What was the task taken up by Rajam?
The task of writing a letter to Messrs and Binns for
sending two Junior Willard bats and six balls, wickets
and other cricket playing equipment to the MCC club
was taken up by Rajam.
ii. Why had the task fallen on Rajam’s shoulder?
Out of the three friends, first the task was handed over
to Mani, who flatly refused to write the letter. Then the
task was given to Swaminathan, but he seemed to have a
lot of problems with spellings, and spent a lot of time
doubting even simple words like the and and. Hence,
Rajam decided to write the letter himself.
iii. What was the main content of the letter?
In the letter there were two important things. First was
the request for sending the cricket bats and associated
accessories with it. Second was the mode of payment.
Rajam wrote that payment would be made after the
delivery of goods.
c. „It is from Sankar,‟ Rajam announced joyfully.

i. What made Rajam happy?
The surprise of receiving a card, addressed to Rajam,
from a dear old friend Sankar, who used to study along
with them, made him and the others happy.
ii. What did the three friends decide later?
The three friends were delighted to receive the letter and
to know the fact that Sankar was also playing cricket.
They decided to write him a letter individually asking
for his well-being. They asked him about his cricket
team and whether his team would like to challenge their
team for a cricket match.
iii. Were the three friends able to write a letter and post
to Sankar?
The three friends did write a letter to Sankar, however,
they were not able to post it because they could not find
the return address on Sankar‟s letter. They could not
make out the city the letter was posted from, the post
office mark was smudged and nothing was clear. So
finally the letter could not be posted.
a. Which time period do you think the story, The MCC has
been set in? Support your answer with instances from the
story.
There are many instances in the story which suggest that the
story has been set before India gained independence from the
British rule. One of the instances is a mention of J.B. Hobbs
by one of the three friends. J.B. Hobbs was an English
cricketer who was born in 1882 and died in 1963, and must
have played cricket at the age of twenty to thirty years. That
means around 1900 to 1910. Generally small boys idolize
those players whom they see playing. There is another mention
of an English fast bowler, Mr Tate, who lived from 1895 to
1956, he must have also played cricket during the years 1920
to 1930s, which suggests that the setting of the story is in pre-
independence era. Another evidence for the above hypothesis
is that the currency is being referred to as annas. This currency
was used before independence. Finally the most clinching
evidence which confirms that the story was set before
independence is that the post office is being referred to as His
Majesty‟s Post Office. His Majesty was referred only when
British were ruling India.
b. What can you say about the education standard of the

three friends in The MCC?
The three friends were not very bright students. The way they
were confused about how to write a letter and understand the
subtlety of the content of the letter received from the firm
Messrs Binns confirm that they were not well into academics.
Out of the three, Rajam was the brightest as he was the one
who finally wrote the letter to Messrs Binns to supply cricket
equipment. Even Swaminathan mentioned that Rajam was the
one who scored 60% in the last exam. Hence, it can be
assumed that he was the brightest among the three. Then
comes Swaminathan, whose knowledge about cricket might be
less, but he certainly was more intelligent than Mani as Mani‟s
flat refusal to write the letter to Messrs Binns indicate that he
didn‟t have a good command on his academics. Even while
writing a letter to their friend Sankar, Mani merely copied the
letter written by Sankar verbatim, instead of writing a letter on
his own. This shows that out of the three, Rajam was the
brightest, then came Swaminathan, and at last, Mani who was
considerably weak in studies.
c. Why did the thought that the firm Messrs Binns was trying
to make fun of them come to the mind of the three friends?
Rajam and his friends had written a letter to the firm Messrs
Binns which supplied cricket playing equipment. However,
when they received a reply, there were certain words of
English language which they were unable to comprehend like
obliged, remit and 25 percent. They pondered over them and
discussed that as they had not mentioned these words
anywhere in their letter then why did the firm reply in such a
manner, which was beyond their understanding and had no
relation with their letter. Since the three friends could not see
their inability to understand the letter, they thought that the
firm was making fun of them. Ultimately they decided that
such a big and reputed firm could not make fun of them hence,
that letter must have been delivered to them by mistake.
Poem: Stopping by Woods on a Snowy

Evening
a. Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
I. To whom do the woods belong to?

The woods belong to a man who lives in the village nearby.
II. What do the words village and woods symbolize in the lines above?
The village symbolizes the existence of civilization beyond the borders
of the woods. It also represents the barriers of society. The woods
symbolize the beauty and the mystery of the world which in the busy
life of today, often go unnoticed.
III. What impression do these lines create?
These are the first two lines of the poem, Stopping by Woods on a
Snowy Evening. These prepare the reader to focus on the beauty and the
mysticism of the woods, and the imagery created by the last line in the
stanza, To watch his woods fill up with snow emphasize not on the
beauty of the snowfall, but also the beauty of the woods due to the
snowfall. The speaker seems to be hypnotized by the meditative aspect
of nature in the woods and it exemplifies the need of the poet to become
one with nature.
b. My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
I. What, according to the poet, is the horse thinking and why? What tone
does the word queer create?
According to the poet, the horse must be wondering as to why his master has
chosen to stop in a strange place where there is no sign of civilization. The
horse must be thinking that they have stopped at the wrong spot between the
woods and the frozen lake, as for him the right spot would be a barn or a
place where there is shelter for rest. The weather was also unsuitable for
leisure like this.
II. How is the horse’s idea different from the speaker’s? What do the two
contrasting ideas reflect?
The horse seems to be impatient to continue the journey because of which he
also harnesses his bells to show his discomfort and warn the speaker. The
horse signifies the importance of security, safety, comfort and shelter.
Symbolically, the horse represents the disciplined yet constrained part of a
society. It also acts as a mediator to remind the speaker of his responsibilities
and to prevent him from indulging into personal pleasures of nature for the
sake of self. On the other hand, contrary to the wishes of the horse, the
speaker signifies the importance of pausing and reflecting upon life and
nature in a busy world of duties. He understands the importance of
contemplation and the desire to be one with nature.
III. What does the speaker mean by the darkest evening of the year?
By the darkest evening of the year, the speaker is indicating the time and
date of the journey, probably December 22. This line also suggests how
lonely the woods would be on a cold wintry night in England.
c. The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
I. Where do you think is

the poet going? Pick up
lines from the stanza
above and also the poem
to suggest where the
poet is going.
It seems that the poet is
going back to his people
and family to fulfil his
responsibilities. My little
horse must think it queer,
one can infer from this
line that it seems they are
on a routine journey, and
in the other journeys, the
poet and the horse simply
head back home, but in
this journey the speaker
stops in the woods which
seems strange to the
horse. Another line that
suggests that they may be
going home is miles to go
before I sleep. This line
can be seen as a thought
on the length of the
journey, and the need to
get back home and rest.
The line, I have promises
to keep also in a way
implies that the poet is
going back to his family
or his town, as an
individual has maximum
obligations towards his
family and his people.
II. What do you think is
the speaker’s mood in
the entire poem? How
does it change in the last
stanza?
The mood of the speaker
has been reflected as
philosophical and
contemplative throughout
the poem, but in the last
stanza the reader comes
to actually realize the
reason behind the
reflection. It gives us a
hint as to why the speaker
wants to remain alone in
the woods in the wintry
night. The line, I have
promises to keep and
miles to go before I sleep
shows how weighed
down he is with his
obligations that even
when he wants to pause
he cannot as he has to
move on for the sake of
his promises.
III. Why do you think the
speaker repeats the last
two lines in the stanza?
What does the line
suggest?
The line, And miles to go
before I sleep has been
repeated to give it
importance beyond
everything else. The
underlying meaning of
the line reflects the
unending nature of
responsibility. It has been
repeated twice to
emphasize how
unpardonable life can be
that it does not even give
some time for an
individual to pause. The
two lines have been
repeated to show the
nagging sense of duty that
does not allow the
speaker to discover and
enjoy the beauty of nature
and his surroundings.
a. Why do you think the speaker has

stopped in the woods despite its
strangeness?
The speaker has stopped in the woods to
watch the enchanting snow fill up the
woods. He wants to enjoy the mysticism of
nature and his solitude with nature. It
seems that he finds the quiet scene of
nature meditative and calming, and the
beauty of the surroundings gives him relief
from the duties of life that push him
relentlessly to continue fulfilling his duties.
b. What do you think is the central theme

of the poem, Stopping by Woods on a
Snowy Evening?
The poem explores the theme of an
individual caught between a need to fulfil
his desire to remain in solitude in the midst
of nature depicted through the alluring
woods, and his responsibilities towards the
society and his family. The speaker is
drawn to the splendour of the woods but
has obligations which draw him away from
nature back to the society full of
responsibilities. Thus a contrast is reflected
wherein the speaker faces a choice of
whether to give in to the mysticism of
nature or remain in the constrictions of
duty and responsibilities of the society.
Through its imagery, the poem emphasizes
on the contemplative and spiritual effect of
the beauty of nature. The speaker contrasts
the man-made world with the fascinating
effect of the beauty of nature. He wishes to
enjoy the quiet and peaceful setting of
nature and his own solitude, but then he is
reminded of his own obligations which he
cannot do away with. In a way, through the
speaker, the poem also advises the reader to
appreciate the wonders of nature and pause
in life to reflect upon its beauty instead of
running continuously. The poem also
expresses the theme that one must
concentrate on fulfilling his promises and
accomplishing his duties without being
distracted by the needs and desires of the
self. The poem exemplifies that we must
appreciate the gifts of nature but as a
human being we must also perform our
duties. The theme of the poem depicts the
importance of isolation and solitude, and
also the importance of fulfilling one‟s
responsibilities.
Chapter 12: The Merchant of Venice
a. What is Rialto?
i. An area in Belmont known for its markets.
ii. An area in Venice known for its markets.
iii. An area in England known for its markets.
b. Ducat was a …………. coin used in European countries in the

past.
i. gold coin
ii. silver coin
iii. copper coin
c. Pound is a unit of …………………….

i. weight equal to 0.454 kg
ii. height equal to 0.454 kg
iii. length equal to 0.454 kg
iv. breadth equal to 0.454 kg
Answers:
a) ii.
b) i.
c) i.
2. Short Questions
a. Why did Bassanio want Antonio’s help?
Bassanio wanted monetary help from Antonio because he had been living very
extravagantly and had nearly used up all the wealth that his father had left him by
spending lavishly on good clothes and other luxuries. Also, Bassanio had fallen in
love with a beautiful rich woman named Portia. He wanted to win her hand and
thought he could do so by giving her rich gifts. For that he needed money, so he
wanted his friend Antonio to lend him some in order to win over his love.
b. How did Antonio help Bassanio?
Antonio did not have any money at that time and was waiting for his ships to
bring in their cargo. Since Bassanio needed money, he decided to borrow from
Shylock, a professional moneylender. He borrowed three thousand ducats from
the moneylender and signed a bond to pay back the money and even pay a
penalty, if he was not able to refund within the stipulated period.
c. What does Shylock have to say to Bassanio about Antonio’s wealth?

Shylock says that Antonio is a good man. What he implies is that Antonio‟s worth
is sufficient, but a lot of his wealth is not in cash. It is invested in cargos that are
in ships bound for far away ports such as Tripolis, Indies, Mexico and England,
and one cannot be sure of them coming back from sea, as there are pirates, storms
and shipwrecks on the sea. But in spite of all these dangers, his wealth is
sufficient.
d. Which tribe did Shylock

belong to and what was
his profession? Why do
you think he didn’t like
Antonio?
Shylock was a Jew and his
profession was to lend
money to people on
interest. He did not like
Antonio because he was a
Christian and also because
he used to lend money to
people without charging
any interest and this was
posing a threat to Shylock.
Also, Antonio used to
insult Shylock in public
where the merchants
gathered, criticizing his
bargains and fairly gained
profits.
e. What did Shylock have to

settle for when he
couldn’t get his pound of
flesh?
Shylock had deviously
conspired against Antonio
that if he would fail to pay
the debt of three thousand
ducats on a stipulated date,
then Shylock would be
allowed to cut a pound of
flesh from any part of
Antonio‟s body. Portia,
disguised as a young
lawyer, Dr Balthazar, very
cleverly twisted the law
and said that since the Jew
had conspired against the
life of a fellow citizen, he
would have to sign a bond
where one-half of his
property would fall by law
to Antonio against whom
he had plotted and the
second would go to the
state. Shylock remarked
that it would be better to
take his life than snatch
away his means of
sustenance.
a) „What sort of people are these,

whose own hard hearts make them
suspect the kindness of others! What
use is a ………..‟
i. Who is the speaker referring to about suspecting his
kindness?
The speaker is Shylock, the Jew, who is finding it strange that
Bassanio and Antonio doubt his good intentions in lending
Bassanio three thousand ducats, on the security of Antonio,
who has to sign a bond for it in front of the notary.
ii. Is he really being kind? Why?
Shylock is not being kind, rather his intention is to lend money
to plot revenge against Antonio, as he was a Christian, who
had many a times berated Shylock in public, criticizing him
for his bargains and for giving loan on interest.
iii. What is the reaction of both the friends towards what the
speaker says and why?
Bassanio, for whom Antonio is borrowing money does not
want Antonio to sign the bond as he mistrusts Shylock‟s
intentions and considers him a villain in asking for a pound of
flesh, but Antonio wants to sign the bond as he is confident
that his cargo ships would be back one month before the
stipulated date of payment.
b) „The terms of your case are strange

indeed, yet within the law.‟
i. What is the case?
The case is that Antonio has not been able to pay the debt of
three thousands ducats on the stipulated date as his cargo ships
had faced a misfortune at sea. Now as per the bond, Shylock
wants to cut off a pound of Antonio‟s flesh in the courtroom of
the Duke‟s palace in Venice.
ii. What is the lawyer and the Duke’s opinion?

The lawyer wants Shylock to show mercy on Antonio. The
Duke is very well aware that he is powerless to refuse Shylock
his pound of flesh as changing the law would harm trade in
Venice.
iii. Why and how has the lawyer come to fight the case?
The lawyer is Portia dressed up as a man named Dr Balthazar,
and with her is Nerissa, also dressed up as a male, the lawyer‟s
clerk. Both have come to help Antonio, who is Portia‟s
husband‟s best friend.
iv. Who all try to persuade Shylock to take back his case, and
does he get convinced?
Portia who is disguised as Dr Balthazar, asks Shylock to show
mercy because she is aware that the law favours Shylock, and
the bond has been willfully signed by Antonio, so the terms
have to be followed. She tries to entreat him to be merciful, as
mercy brings one closer to God.
4) Long Questions (Read, reflect and write)
I. How does Shylock get

his revenge from
Antonio?
Shylock, who is a Jew,
hates Antonio because he
is a Christian. He is a
villainous character no
doubt as he plans to
ensnare Antonio into
signing a bond for one
pound of flesh to be cut
off from any part of the
body, if the three
thousand ducats are not
paid off on a stipulated
date. Shylock is a Jewish
moneylender, reputed for
charging an interest on
the money he lends, on
the other hand, Antonio
does not charge any
interest. Now this was
affecting Shylock‟s
money lending business
and bringing down the
rate of interest on which
he depended. Moreover,
Antonio never lost out on
an opportunity to berate
and criticize Shylock in
public. He had even gone
to the extent of socially
ostracizing and
discriminating against
him. Eventually, Shylock
tries to get his revenge by
plotting to make Antonio
sign a bond, which would
allow Shylock to cutoff a
pound of flesh from any
part of his body.
II. What bond was signed

between Antonio and
Shylock? What did it
reveal about Shylock’s
character?
The bond that was signed
between Antonio and
Shylock was that if
Antonio would fail to pay
the money on a stipulated
day, he would have to
allow Shylock to cutoff a
pound of flesh from any
part of his body. This
bond portrays Shylock as
a villainous character
motivated only by hatred
and revenge. He was
adamant about going
through with his bond. He
had no place for mercy in
his heart and was shown
sharpening his knife on
the sole of his shoes,
ready to cut off a pound
from Antonio‟s flesh. No
amount of pleadings from
Portia disguised as Dr
Balthazar made him
change his mind. He had
to be defeated by Portia
after twisting the case by
saying that Shylock could
have his pound of flesh,
but neither less nor more,
and he was not entitled to
shed even a drop of
blood.
Shylock‟s deep rooted
hatred for Christians was
due to the fact that he was
continuously being
shamed and insulted
publicly in front of the
other merchants. So he
developed an attitude of
revenge against
Christians, and specially,
Antonio, whom he hated
from the core of his heart
for racial discrimination.
III. How did Bassanio come
to know of Antonio’s
misfortune? What did
Portia offer and how did
she finally help
Antonio?
Bassanio came to know
about Antonio‟s
misfortune from the letter
which Antonio sent to
him when he was at
Belmont in Portia‟s
house. Antonio had
written to Bassanio that
his ships had met with
misfortune and his
creditors were demanding
repayment. His bond with
Shylock was forfeit by
which Shylock would cut
off a pound of flesh from
any part of his body,
which would surely lead
to his death. Therefore, he
wanted Bassanio to come
to Venice as soon as
possible so that he could
see him for the last time.
When Portia heard about
Antonio‟s letter, she
enquired about the sum
owed. When Bassanio
told her that it was three
thousand ducats, Portia
offered to give even six to
nine thousand ducats to
save such a good friend
like Antonio. However,
Bassanio said that it
would be of no use since
Shylock wanted nothing
but a pound of flesh from
Antonio‟s body. He told
Portia that he had to
hasten by Antonio‟s side
to plead with Shylock.
Portia in the meanwhile
decided to help Antonio
without Bassanio
knowing about it. She
along with Nerissa went
to Venice where she
disguised herself as a
lawyer named Dr
Balthazar, and with the
help of Bellario, went to
the Duke‟s court to settle
the case between Antonio
and Shylock.
IV. Write in detail about

Portia’s efforts to save
Antonio. How did she
finally manage to save
him?
Portia along with Nerissa
went to Venice where she
disguised herself as a
lawyer named Dr
Balthazar, and with the
help of Bellario, went to
the Duke‟s court to settle
the case between Antonio
and Shylock. There she
tried to entreat Shylock to
be merciful, as mercy
brought one closer to
God. When Shylock did
not agree to the pleas of
mercy, she decided to
turn the tables by using
the Venetian law against
him. She said that
Shylock could have the
pound of flesh, but
without spilling even a
drop of blood, and in case
he spilled even a drop of
blood while cutting off
the pound of flesh, all his
money, land and estate
would be forfeited to the
government of Venice.
Also he should neither cut
more nor less than a
hair‟s weight of the
specified amount of flesh.
In case he did, he would
have to die as per the law
of Venice. When Shylock
heard this he decided to
take advantage of the
offer that had been made
to him by Antonio of
paying thrice the amount,
but Portia further turned
the table by contesting
that, as per the Venetian
law, if a foreigner sought
the life of a citizen by
direct or indirect means,
the person against whom
he had contrived would
seize half of his properly,
while the other half
would go to the state.
Also the offender‟s life
would lay at the mercy of
the Duke only. Shylock
was defeated and he
commented that it would
be better if they took his
life as they were taking
away his means of
sustenance. The Duke
forgave Shylock and
granted him his life by
saying that the matter was
finally resolved by a fine
being charged on Shylock
by the state. He also had
to forfeit some of his
money to Antonio as a
penalty for plotting
against his life.
© Oxford University Press

Class 7 (Answers)
Unit 1: The Rumphius Story

A. Unseen comprehension
1. Put a tick () against the correct answer.
a. i.
b. iv.
c. ii.
d. iv.
2. Answer the following questions.

a. In a Ferris wheel, a series of carts are attached to a disc which is
fastened with a rim. That brim rotates vertically around an axis, and
gravity keeps the carts upright. Only advanced engineers can make
safe and funny Ferris wheels. Riding those carts is very simple but
their function is much complicated.
b. While it is not as thrilling as a roller coaster, the fact of being high in
the air makes it much more entertaining than a lot of rides. The author
doesn’t seek out Ferris wheels because of their excitement. Rather he
finds them very relaxing. He says that by riding it, one can enjoy the
majestic view of the things below from the top.
B. Writing (Answers will vary.)

Lata Mangeshkar, the singing nightingale of India, was born on September
28, 1929 to Pandit Devnath Mangeshkar and Shervanti Mangeshkar in
Indore at Indore State Central Indian Agency, British India. It is now a part
of modern Madhya Pradesh. Her father was a classical singer and theatre
artist. Lata got her first lessons from him. She has three sisters, Asha, Usha
and Meena and one brother, Hridaynath. All of them are renowned singers.
Hridaynath is a great composer too. Lata started singing at the young age of
five. As her teacher motivated her to take music lessons, she stopped going
to school. In the beginning of her career she worked as an actress in her
father’s musical plays. After Pandit Devnath’s death in 1942, Master
Vinayak, a close friend of him, took Lata as an actress and a singer in his

Navyug Chitrapat Movie Company. The group moved to Mumbai in 1945
and from then her life took a major turn. She learnt Hindustani classical
music from world famous Amanat Ali and Pandit Tulsidas Sharma, a pupil
of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. After Master Vinayak passed away in
1948, Ghulam Haider, a music director, became her guide. Her first major
break as a leading singer came from the song Dilmera Toda Mujhe Kahin ka
na Choda from the movie Majboor. From then she has worked with the best
music directors of the industry. Overall she has recorded more than 50,000
songs in Hindi and other regional languages. She has received four Filmfare
Awards and Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award. She is also the recipient
of Padma Bhushan (1969), Dada Phalke award (1989), Padma Vibhushan
(1999) and Bharat Ratna (2001). She has got innumerable other awards and
honours, not to forget the 1974 Guinness Book of World Records for singing
more than 25,000 songs. It is interesting to note that she got this award in
1974, and is singing till date.
C. Grammar
1. Underline the ones that do not belong to the group.
a. abstract nouns – kindness, mother, honesty, justice, youth
b. concrete nouns – rice, chair, childhood, court, bank
c. collective nouns – constellation, crowd, herd, school, person
d. uncountable nouns – vehicle, sugar, water, coffee, hair
2. Fill in the blanks with suitable articles. Insert a cross (×) where not
necessary.
a, the, The, the, ×, the, a, a
D. Coursebook comprehension
1. Complete the following statements.
a. Alice wanted to visit faraway places because she often sat on her
grandfather’s knees to listen to his stories of distant locations.
b. Grandfather had asked Alice to do something that would make the
world more beautiful.
c. Miss Rumphius was almost perfectly happy because she had done all
the things she wanted to do except one.

d. Miss Rumphius met Bapa Raja on a tropical island.

a. Miss Rumphius made a lot of friends in the faraway lands, but few of
her best mates belonged to nature. They were the wind, the birds and
the insects that brought the lupine seeds to the other side of the hill
and decorated it with a patch of blossomed lupines. It gave Miss
Rumphius the idea of how she could make the world a more beautiful
place.
b. To Miss Rumphius, visiting faraway places was not only an idea of
adventure but also an opportunity to gain knowledge. The trips not
only gifted her friends from every corner of the world but also gave
her a lot of knowledge about the planet she lived in. She learned about
tropical islands and how people kept cockatoos and monkeys as pets.
She climbed up tall mountains where the snow never melted. She
visited jungles and deserts, and learnt a lot about these different
places. She came to know how lions and kangaroos were in real and
out of the pictures. All these locations gave her the lessons of life
apart from friends and adventure.
Unit 2: The Ants Come Marching
a. i.
b. iii.
c. i.
d. iv.
e. ii.

a. I don’t think Nala did something wrong. She was just curious about
the forbidden flower. She saw a couple of insects gaining a lot of
pollen from it and was anxious to know the reason for those creatures

not dying as told by others. According to the tradition, the bees
weren’t allowed to land on the flower, and she did not break the rule.
b. In my opinion, the bees were scared to go to that flower because
someone from their group must have died while getting pollen from it.
When Nala saw an insect doing so for the first time, she described the
creature as something that looked like a bee but bigger in size. It is
quite possible that the elders of the swarm knew that such large
insects might hurt them if they went near that flower. Hence, they
might have created the tradition of avoiding that blossom to keep their
lives safe.

137.3 block A
SI lines
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
India
6 August 2015
Dear Kavita
It’s been a long time since I have heard from you. I hope everything is fine
at home and school.
I wanted to share something with you. Yesterday I went to the city zoo to
have a look at the wild animals whom I had seen only in television and
books. Before entering I had been full of excitement which faded away soon
when I saw a beautiful peacock inside a cage. Having no room to spread her
wings, it could barely move. As the road went ahead, I saw some spotted
deer, almost lifeless. I expected them to jump around but was shocked to see
their condition. The worst thing was, perhaps, to see the king of jungle
behind bars. He has been forced to leave his kingdom, the jungle, and live a
prisoner’s life. The monkeys are supposed to jump from a tree to another.
Here they were made to jump from a bar to another in their little cage. Even
I felt bad for the slimiest snakes which were put into glass boxes.
It was very sad to realize how we, humans have snatched away the freedom
of these creatures for our holiday’s sake. We have disturbed their lives and

also the nature’s ecosystem. They need to go back to their natural habitat to
live an independent life. Watching them made me feel like a sadist who
enjoy other’s miseries. After this trip I have decided to voice my opinion to
free all the animals kept by different zoos.
I really had to put these emotions on a paper and let you know. Give my
regards to uncle and aunt. Write soon.
Yours affectionately
Roshel
C. Grammar
1. State whether the underlined words are Gerunds or Participles.
a. Participle
b. Gerund
c. Participle
d. Gerund
2. Choose suitable gerunds from the box to fill in the blanks.

a. Shouting
b. Drawing
c. Smoking
d. Writing
3. Choose suitable participles from the box to fill in the blanks.

a. rolling
b. crying
c. standing
d. Barking
a. iv.
b. ii.
c. iv.

d. i.

a. Ants live in colonies. Each group has its own members and they fight
with other groups to survive. The battle can be regarding food or
territory.
b. When ants meet others on their trail they wave their feelers back and
forth to touch each other. They also pass the information regarding
food and other information through their antennas. They share smell
to distinguish between friends and strangers.
c. If a sister ant indicates she is hungry, her companion opens her
mandible and brings up food from their crop for her friend to eat.
Thus a solid support system for their survival is built by helping one
another.
Unit 3: Suvira
a. iii.
b. iii.
c. i.
d. ii.

a. Saina Nehwal chose to have a tough training schedule from the very
beginning. She was hard working and focused. Her values of integrity,
courage and persistence made Saina Nehwal a great player.
b. Saina Nehwal always got a strong support from her family. Both her
parents were state badminton players who supported her game by
enlisting the services of a coach from a very young age. They kept
supporting her at every step by providing her with expert trainers like
S.M. Arif, a Dronacharya Award winning badminton coach, and
Pullela Gopichand, at his Academy of Badminton.

c. A good coach understands his student’s strengths and weaknesses and
knows how to work upon those. Saina Nehwal’s coaches have been
experienced and successful players themselves who have had a vast
exposure in the game. They surely must have translated their
experience and exposure to train Saina Nehwal to become a world
champion.

Creativity, versatility, determination, social dynamism and empathy are few
words that encircle the reasons of my inspiration. My motivation isn’t one
person or a thing, but many elements around me.
First, my parents inspire me to be what I am. I have received perfect
grooming with love, protection, affection, support and strictness, when
required. All these have helped me to distinguish between right and wrong,
and taught me how important it is to stand like a rock with morals, and be
responsible towards my work.
Apart from my parents, few other people and my surroundings have also
been responsible for nurturing my thought and individuality.
Rabindranath Tagore, a highly versatile person, creative in his thoughts and
simple in nature, is my inspiration. He has been a poet and wrote songs
known as Rabindrasangeet, which include 2230 songs. He was a unique
combination of poet, essayist, novelist, playwright, lyricist, composer,
painter, to say a few. He was, perhaps, the greatest versatile genius the world
has ever seen after Shakespeare. He spent his life in British India and toured
various countries to spread his knowledge and thoughts. His poem Where
the Mind is Without Fear inspires me to be determined and aim towards
obtaining perfection.
Evelyn Glenny, profoundly dumb and deaf but a master in the field of music,
also intrigues me. She lost her hearing ability at the age of twelve, but it did
not inhibit her from learning music and perform at an international level. She
has won Grammy and many other prestigious awards. Her life teaches me
how mental and physical resilience can make one achieve and tackle all the
barriers between us and our objectives.
Apart from people, even nature in its different ways inspires me. The
mountain stands high with pride and does not let any cold wave effect its

strength and virtues. The sun playing with the shades of crimson and
vermillion motivates me to learn to paint them on my canvas. The chirping
of birds and the dancing of waves teach me to appreciate rhythm and the
beat of music. The lifestyle of ants shows the importance of team work. All
the divergent elements of nature converge together and inspire me to write,
sing, dance and empathize with togetherness. And each of the above
exemplifies, What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what
kind of difference you want to make.
C. Grammar
1. Complete the following table using the correct forms of tenses.
Tenses and Positive Negative Question
time
Simple present Robbie eats an Robbie does not Does Robbie eat
egg every day. eat an egg every an egg every
day. day?
Present We are playing We are not Are we playing

continuous baseball. playing baseball?
football.
Present perfect She has studied She has not Has she studied
hard this time. studied hard this hard this time?
time.
Present perfect We have been We have not Have we been

continuous waiting for you. been waiting waiting for you?
for you.
Simple past She gave this to She did not give Did she give
you. this to you. this to you?
Past I was cooking I was not Was I cooking

continuous at that time. cooking at that at that time?
time.

Past perfect I had been I had not been Had I not been
continuous exercising very exercising very exercising
hard. hard. hard?
Future She will meet She will not Will she meet
(simple) us tomorrow. meet us us tomorrow?
tomorrow.
2. Use the verbs given to frame sentences in the future perfect tense.
a. finish - I will have finished my work by next week.
b. save - By this time next year, I will have saved enough money to go
for a trip abroad.
c. cook - My mom will have cooked dinner by then.
d. graduate - They will have graduated from college by next month.
a. iv.
b. i.
c. iii.
d. ii.

a. There wasn’t just one thing that acted as a motivator for the narrator.
She saw the race not just like another competition. It was an
opportunity for a new girl in the school to make her mark. She was
lost in the crowd of new children and winning that race would have
meant finally being recognized as someone. She also had to prove
herself as her parents, despite being not in the best of financial
conditions, had put her into an expensive school so that she could
grow without any obstacle. Finally Suvira’s sparkling new spikes gave
her the inner strength to collect all her strength and run towards the
finish line as she had tasted winning with the same old spikes she was

wearing. All these factors kept her motivated even when the whole
school was cheering at symphony for Suvira.
b. Standing on the victory stand made the narrator achieve what she had
strived for. After all the pressure of not letting her parents down and
making her mark in the school, the positive outcome for the narrator
was evident when the other students began to ask who the new girl
was. That meant that she wouldn’t be considered a stranger any more.
Lastly when she was standing with Suvira on the victory stand, the
latter’s genuine happiness and a warm open smile got her a friend.
Unit 4: Uncle Podger Leaves for Work
a. ii.
b. iii.
c. ii.
d. ii.

a. One can avoid the habit of grumbling by appreciating the things they
have got and by being content. If one wants more, they should work
accordingly to achieve it. If we want to make it big, we should keep a
positive attitude to life even in the face of difficulties.
b. The Grumble family lives in the Complaining Street which is situated
in the city of Never-Are-Satisfied on the bank of the River of
Discontent. All these play their roles to emphasize the pessimistic
approach of the household.

We were posted at Karcham, in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. It
is situated on the confluence of Cholling Nallah, a small mountain stream
which met the river Sutlej at right angles beyond which our colony was
situated. It was a narrow valley, but the view of the river in front of our

house, with mountains in the backdrop, was breathtaking. Very often, during
summer vacations, my sister, Rakhi and I rambled along its banks collecting
colourful stones and building castles in the sand.
Then it was monsoon. Only a few days were left for me to go back to my
boarding school at Lucknow. On a particular dark and cloudy day, there was
forecast of heavy rains. My parents had to go for an official function at
Powari, 14 kilometers ahead of the place where we lived. We stayed at home
with our maid and were delighted to be left all alone. Together we prepared
bread pakoras and burgers for a picnic on the banks of the Nallah. But it
began to drizzle. Soon the showers became heavy with lots of thunder and
lightning. We decided to watch the Sutlej from our balcony. The water was
rising in front of our eyes. The Cholling Nallah had also swollen up. I was
very worried as my parents had not come back. I tried calling them, but the
connection was dead. There was a loud rumbling sound as if it was an
earthquake. The ground was shaking. Suddenly, one boy came running
towards our house shouting that there was a flashflood coming on Cholling.
He said its reason to be a cloud burst and we had to move to a higher
ground. The bridge on the Nallah had been blocked by huge boulders which
had flown under it, forming a dam and a reservoir behind. There the water
was steadily rising. There was no time to waste. I asked my companions to
move out at once and together we started climbing the mountain to reach
higher ground. We had to move fast, as any moment the dam could have
broken. Luckily, we were at a safe place when it finally happened and the
gushing waters carried with it the houses, the bridge and the restaurants. We
truly had a narrow escape. Whole night we stayed up in the mountains
without any food.
Next day we came down when the waters had receded. Our house had been
badly damaged. My parents were there weeping loudly, thinking, we had
been drowned in the floodwaters. When they saw us, their joy knew no
bounds and both heaved a sigh of relief. When they heard about our escape,
they marveled at my quick presence of mind. Till date my legs tremble
whenever I think of that day.

C. Grammar
1. Provide a verb in agreement with its subject in the following
sentences.
a. messes
b. are
c. has
d. is
e. go
f. is
g. speaks
h. growls
i. are
j. is
k. is
l. gets
D. Coursebook comprehension 10 marks

a. ii.
b. iii.
c. iv.
d. ii.

a. Uncle Podger can be described as a careless person who always lost
track of his time. He kept misplacing things which got him late and
blamed everyone but himself for all the problems. He had a low
temper and hence kept shouting at his wife. He continued his growling
even when someone found what he was looking for. Ironically, he
took pride in himself for his self-control. All these characteristic
features made Uncle Podger a peculiar person.
b. As the final description of the things Uncle Podger took didn’t
mention the newspaper, it is quite probable that he forgot the same for
which he spent so much time searching for moments before.

Unit 5: Tom Comes Home
a. ii.
b. iii.
c. i.

a. The girl was trying very hard to teach her brother to make a clay model
of castle and its steeple by using his fingers. However, the little boy was
slow in using his fingers and had little control over his hand muscles.
b. Father told his daughter that both she and her brother were born with
some unique talents. Her younger sibling may not be as smart and agile
like her, but he had got a warm smile and an amazing sense of humour.
Father made her understand that both of them were very special to them
for what they were.
c. The girl decided not to force her brother to do something he was unable
to perform. She resolved that she would share her food and toys with
him and would help him to grow up in his unique way.

For The Motion
Gone are the days when any work in real life used to happen on paper. It is
the 21st century where documents are prepared in Microsoft Word and
presentations on PowerPoint. We live in a world which is growing with an
enormous speed and we should, on our part, do everything from the beginning
to keep up with the pace.
A major part of our lives is governed by the initial school years. The process
of gaining knowledge starts from there. It is the first step we take towards
learning our environment, society and its norms. Schools are like practice
grounds for the real world. So I would pose a simple question, why don’t we
have laptops on our practice ground when in reality that’s one thing we are

going to live around? Now I would like to put few points supporting my
argument.
One laptop and a charger with a single notebook and a pen are much better
than a heavy bag on our backs spoiling our shoulders and the posture we walk
in. One click on the icon makes the world’s knowledge available to us. Until
or unless we delete things from our hard disc or lose it, our work is with us.
Backups can be easily made for precautions.
It is proven that we learn things more effectively and efficiently when we use
them in our daily lives as a habit. They are like languages, the earlier we start
and the more we use, a person gets more comfortable with them. So if we
begin to work on our laptops from the beginning we will not have to put in
extra efforts to learn it on a later stage.
Some may argue that laptops in schools can be misused or be a distraction. I
would like to say just one thing for that. Every coin has two sides, good and
bad. It’s on us how we use it. So if we are determined and motivated, all such
excuses will vanish in the blink of an eye.
C. Grammar
1. Fill in the blank with each other, one another or each other’s.
a. each other
b. each other’s
c. each other’s
d. one another
e. each other’s
f. each other
g. one another
h. one another
2. Rewrite the sentences correctly.

a. The two of us can share each other’s room.
b. We look after one another in the neighbourhood.
c. Didn’t the two of you talk to each other?
d. The two dogs growled at each other.

a. iii.
b. ii.
c. i.
d. iv.

a. As the story ends, Tom says that he wishes every day would be like a
holiday and his sister agrees with him. When the author says that life
does change for them she means to say that every day is not a holiday
in real life for us or the characters in the story. Change is the only
constant and life does takes its own path. When she talks about the
disagreement she refers to the small quarrels and fights that happen
between siblings which make their relationship grow only stronger, and
with time all siblings like Tom and Maggie sort out their problems.
Hence, if the bond is so strong there is absolutely nothing that can get
between the two siblings.
b. Maggie is a sweet girl who adores her brother. She shares a very strong
bond with him. She didn’t like to upset him and felt very guilty and sad
when they had a fight. She is a person who keeps relationships over her
pride as when Tom came to the attic to fetch her, she didn’t care for her
pride and apologized immediately.
Unit 6: Achilles
a. ii.
b. iii.
c. iii.
d. i.

2. Answer in brief.
a. Dogs have evolved from wolves over a long period of time. Wherever
interactions took place between humans and wolves, the latter
gradually became domesticated. However, few basic traits of wolves
like physique and body language are still predominant in the domestic
canines.
b. Dogs have helped humans in hunting, work fields and in farms. They
provide unconditional love to people and bring them out of stressful
situations. Because of their high degree of smelling sense they can
also detect ovarian cancer in women even before they are diagnosed
by medical science. These are few reasons why dogs are called Man’s
best friend.

Jurassic World is undoubtedly one of the most entertaining movies of the
year 2015. The movie is a sequel to the Jurassic Park trilogy. It focuses on
Owen (Chris Patt) and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) and their efforts to
save the brothers Gray and Zach from the man-made disaster, Indominus
Rex, the genetically created dinosaur with an IQ level of an average human.
The film shows that twenty-two years after the original Jurassic Park failed,
the new park known as the Jurassic World is open for business. After
decades of studying genetics, the scientists engineer a new breed of dinosaur
but everything goes horribly wrong. The plot is based on whether the heroes
would make it off the island or not.
The director, Colin Trevorrow takes us through a thrilling ride of the
Jurassic World. Though the film-making is outstanding, yet at times, the
movie lacked depth. The story is a bit similar to Jurassic Park, Part- I but
needed maturity in some scenes. The striking feature of the movie is the 3-D
effects that left everybody mesmerized.
The characters played their parts exceptionally well as the class and
originality were clearly evident.
In a nutshell, Jurassic World is a must watch for any Jurassic Park series fan
as it portrays the story of the world of imagination, history and dinosaurs

extremely well. The fast paced nature of the film and the added thrill have
made this movie truly an engrossing one. I’d give it four stars out of five.
C. Grammar
1. Fill in the blanks with suitable interrogative adverbs.
a. Where
b. Why
c. What
d. How
2. Frame questions from the following sentences using interrogative

adverbs.
a. What kind of books do you like to read?
b. How much time will it take for us to reach?
c. Why wouldn’t you eat anything?
d. How are you feeling?
a. ii.
b. iii.
c. ii.
d. iii.

a. After looking at a particular tortoise, the narrator was fascinated by its
shinning shells and legs painted with bright colours. But what also
interested him about Achilles was his lively looks, bright eyes and
cautious movement, despite being small in size.
b. Achilles, the tortoise had all the qualities that a lively reptile could
have but he died for his one particular disability. He was unable to
swim. So when he fell into a well while wandering out, he could not
save himself from drowning and it led to his death.
c. There could have been many reasons for the Rose-Beetle man to tie
the rose beetles with cotton thread on to his fingers. Firstly, it could

have been to attract people so as to sell his insects. Secondly, he could
not have kept them in cage to let them escape easily. If he would have
kept them in a closed bag they would have died of suffocation. If there
were few holes in the bags, the beetles would have fled too.
Unit 7: The Sherpas
a. iii.
b. i.
c. iii.
d. ii.

a. It was difficult for the early explorers to reach Antarctica for many
reasons. First, they used only dogsled for travelling and in winter the
weather conditions were very harsh. They were unable to carry large
quantities of food for their survival. Also in winters the sea got frozen
and travelling by ships became very difficult.
b. A large number of tourists are exploring the continent mostly on
cruise ships. This results in the increased pollution of the Antarctica
and also disturbs the breeding sites of penguins and other wildlife.
c. Antarctic Treaty of 1959 was signed between nations establishing
Antarctica as a place for only peaceful, scientific experiments. It
excluded military or mining activities.

On June 2, 2016, I turned twelve. On that day my parents took me to
Rishikesh telling me that a surprise was waiting for me there. I had no idea
how breathtaking it would be. My birthday present was an adventure sport.
We were going to do some river rafting in the white waters of the bubbly
river Ganges in the Himalayas.

The instructor came in the morning and gave us the preliminary instructions.
We all geared up with a helmet and wore a life jacket. Then through the
curvy hills, a jeep took us to a substantial height from where we were going
to sit in the boat. My heart winded with the mountains as I felt the air
rushing across my face in the car. I saw the birds accompanying me and the
river down below calling me with its gurgle.
Ours was the third boat to be released. We were waiting impatiently. Every
second was longer than it ever was and finally came our turn. The trainer
told us to catch hold of the boat tightly, as it may turn upside down in the
tougher rapids. I was the youngest on board. We were only doing rafting of
grade 2 as I hadn’t grown enough to do the tougher ones. The trainer
informed us that it was of moderate difficulty and had clear passages most of
the time. The rapids weren’t too many but one got to experience the fun of
the bouncy river in some easier ones. At that time, the information seemed
comforting. I looked into the blue-green clear water and saw how the river
meandered its way through the hilly basin. The white froth that it made
because of its speed added to the contrast in colours. The sandy beach on the
banks and the dark green hills added to the hues of nature. Even in my
excitement, I couldn’t avoid noticing the mesmerizing beauty. I was
enjoying my very first adventure in the best possible way.
We sat in the boat safe with our life jackets on and the moment it was set
into the river, it started running faster than the water itself. It leapt and
jumped, and with it bounced our hearts. The boat overturned in the first
rapid and five out of the seven people fell into the river. We held on to the
boat and along with it went gushing with the water. To me, it was more fun
in the water than in the boat. The revving Ganges twisted and turned, and the
uneven settings made it even more thrilling. In forty-five minutes we
reached the bank of the river drenched with adventure and water. The
moment I set my foot on the wet white sand, all my family members said
together, “Happy birthday, Srishti!” And yes, that very special present made
the day for me.

C. Grammar
1. Fill in the blanks with the combination of adjectives and prepositions
given in the box.
a. addicted to
b. accustomed to
c. bored of
d. anxious about
e. capable of
f. committed to
g. concerned about
2. Make sentences with the following expressions.

a. I’m very good at painting.
b. The two brothers are totally different from each other.
c. I’m tired of his foolishness.
d. Your answer is similar to mine.
e. The shop is famous for its antique furniture.
a. iii.
b. ii.
c. iii.
d. i.

a. In the early 19th century, Nepal was closed to the foreigners and very
few mountaineers came to climb the highest peak in the world. The
Khumbu valley was isolated from the world with no access to modern
amenities. But when Mt Everest was conquered, the interest of the
world grew. Many climbers wanted to go for the summit and they
required strong porters as well as guides. So they hired Sherpas and
paid them well. The native Sherpas also established lodges and
trekking companies for the tourists and climbers. The economy grew
due to their arrival.

b. From their birth, Sherpas face the harsh conditions of high altitude.
They become adapted to the low oxygen atmosphere and breathe
faster and take more oxygen than other people. By climbing
mountains from their childhood their muscles become stronger than
natives of lower altitude. Because of these physical features, Sherpas
are best suited for high altitude climbing and trekking.
Unit 8: Go Kiss the World
a. iii.
b. ii.
c. iii.
d. i.

a. One day in his childhood, a tired and hungry Dr Kelly, having no
money to spend asked a lady to give him some drinking water so that
he could cope up with his hunger for the time being. But the kind
woman realized his condition and brought him a glass of milk to
drink. The boy asked the lady how much she owed from him but she
refused to accept payment in return of kindness. At that time his faith
was restored and he decided not to give up.
b. When Dr Kelly learned that a woman patient had come for his
consultation from the town where he had spent his childhood, he
became nostalgic and the thought of the kind lady who gave him a
glass of milk filled Dr Kelly’s eyes with light.

It is normal human behaviour to get attracted to things that glitter and take
away the evenings by their glamour. We tend to like what catches our eyes
but usually don’t realize that appearance may not reflect the reality.
To explain the phrase in a better way, I would like to narrate a small
anecdote. Once in a small village lived a greedy Zameendar. One evening

while he was strolling in his garden thinking what to do with the land he had
just acquired from the poor farmers, an idea popped in his mind. He planned
to make a factory there. The only thing bothering him was that the bank may
not agree to grant him a huge loan. Suddenly he heard his dog bark and saw
that it had dug up a shiny and lustrous yellow material from the ground. He
thought it was gold, and was happy that it would help him repay the advance
by selling it in pieces. He went to the bank and took the loan for the factory.
When the time came to refund the credit, he took the golden-coloured thing
to a goldsmith who told him that it was not gold at all. Actual gold is usually
dull and dusty when one finds it. So he had to sell his land back to the
villagers to repay the bank. From that incident he learnt a lesson that
everything that glitters is not gold.
Personally I don’t think everything that looks beautiful is bad. But I would
like to look beyond the vision of eyes. The real gold lies in truth and once
we see that we save ourselves from disasters. We should give more value to
quality and reality rather than running behind what always shines.
C. Grammar
1. Combine the two sentences as directed. You can modify them.
a. The meal was delicious but expensive.
b. Though I went to talk to him, I didn’t speak a word.
c. Although I am tall, I don’t play basketball.
d. My sister is fair whereas I am dark.
e. I practised every day, nevertheless, I couldn’t play well.
2. Fill in the blanks with suitable conjunctions from the box that
express opposition.
a. rather than
b. Despite the fact
D. Coursebook comprehesnsion
a. ii.

b. iii.
c. iii.
d. i.

a. The narrator used to live in a small town with no formal schooling in
his early years and without knowing much about worldly affairs.
When he started reading the newspaper for his mother he became
aware of the happenings in the globe. He started getting associated
with them more and more and the feeling of loneliness started going
away. This is how he got connected with the world.
b. The narrator has not one single formula for defining success. He has
many theories. First of all he says that one must learn to show
consideration for others. He says that prosperity should not be
measured by material possession. Then one must learn to live with
diverse people and their different thinking patterns and have
meaningful dialogues. He further states that if one can learn to
imagine or have vision they become competent enough to create new
things and live with them. Success is what one builds and leaves for
others. He also emphasizes the idea of being independent and seeing
hope in the midst of failure and darkness.
Unit 9: The Blue Umbrella

a. ii.
b. iii.
c. ii.
d. iii.

a. The old man was frail and his eyesight had gone weak. His hands
were shaky due to which he could not hold things properly and they
used to slip out from his hold.
b. The small boy had seen how his parents treated his grandfather, and
thought behaving in that manner with older people was quite natural.
As his father and mother served meals to his grandfather in a wooden
plate, he decided to start practicing making wooden plates from
scrapes which he would need one day when his parents would become
old.

As I grew up, I have gradually realized the inner meaning of the saying,
Your grandparents are your best audience. No matter the level of drama I
do, no matter how much I crib or come up with silly jokes, Grandpa and
Grandma are always there with their open eyes and ears. Every day is a
performance I set up and they are there to applaud our efforts all the time.
The day begins with a morning hug to both my grandparents at the breakfast
table. I recollect the dreams I had last night. They eagerly listen to all my
descriptions. Mom asks me to hurry up as it’s time to go to school. Grandpa
and Grandma tell me the importance of punctuality. I bid them good bye
before going to school.
In spite of their old age they provide a solid support to Mom and Dad. Not a
single decision of this household is taken without discussing with them.
They too never complain of their age and physical problems. It seems that
they are quite okay with them. Grandma loves gardening. She spends her
quality time taking care of the flowers and trees, and sowing new seeds. She
also loves reading modern English novels. Before I go to sleep, she narrates
me stories from different parts of the world.
On the other hand, Grandpa loves cooking. Every Sunday he would make
something special for all of us. On other days, he keeps himself busy by the
thing he loves most that is writing. There are many magazines he is
associated with. Whenever it is my birthday, he brings some of the best
classics for me. He also has a large collection of books which people come
to look up frequently.

That’s how in the company of my parents and grandparents this house has
become very special for me. Wherever I go in future, I want to keep this
house as it is. That will be my best tribute to all of them.
C. Grammar
1. Complete the table by changing direct speeches into indirect and vice
versa. Also mention the tense forms used in different speeches. One is
done for you.
Tense Direct speech Change of tense Reported speech
Simple present “I am sleepy”, Simple past Mina said that

said Mina. she was sleepy.
Present He said, “We Past He said that

continuous are going for a Continuous they were going
picnic, for a picnic the
tomorrow.” next day.
Present perfect Mona said, “I Past perfect Mona said that

have got a she had got a
promotion.” promotion.
Present perfect Ravi said, “I Past perfect Ravi said that

continuous have been continuous he had been
working very working very
hard all these hard all those
years.” years.
2. Fill in the blanks to complete the sentences in reported speech.

a. The teacher told me that I must practise for the debate competition.
b. I told him that I could help him with the artwork.
c. They told me that they would bring grandmother from the hospital.
d. Rohit told Ram that he must study hard.

a. iii.
b. i.
c. ii.
d. iii.

a. There could not have been a more suitable name for the chapter other
than this. The story started with Binya getting captivated by the blue
umbrella and trading it for her lucky charm. Later everyone envied
Binya for the same thing. Ram Bharosa was a shopkeeper who
desperately wanted that umbrella but failed to get it. On his attempt to
steal it he faced defamation and later his shop was in misery. By the
end of the story Binya gave the blue umbrella to Ram Bharosa under
the blue sky and walked as the blue umbrella revealed the best person
in her. It is the umbrella which got the best and the worst out in Binya
and Ram Bharosa, hence there couldn’t have been a better title.
b. Ram Bharosa said these lines to Rajaram when he explained why the
umbrella should be with him. He told that sometimes a person desires
and appreciates things only for its prettiness. For example a poppy has
nothing to do in a cornfield or what can one do with a rainbow, but
these things are still desired for their beauty. Similarly, in his opinion,
he desired the umbrella for its glamour.
Unit 10: Settling into the Secret Annexe
a. ii.
b. ii.
c. i.
d. iii.

a. War has many consequences. The first casualty in any battle is peace
and tranquility among the people of two fighting nations. There is also
a huge loss of human life and destruction of property and resources.
War spreads hunger and poverty. People start hating innocent citizens
of the enemy nation.
b. War can be overcome between people and nations when the leaders
understand the importance of peace and propagate the message of
unity between nations. The people of the world need to start loving
each other and understand the futility of war. When both leaders and
common people start thinking in this line, there will be no need of
battle any more.

18 September 2016
Dear Diary
Today was horrible. Who knew that fifteen minutes could sometimes turn
your life upside down! Confused? Well then let me start from the beginning.
After staying awake till late last night, I woke up at 7:30 am, just fifteen
minutes late from my scheduled time. I rushed to the bathroom to take a hot
bath and found the steamed water was over. So I just washed my face and
changed into school uniform. My mother was calling me for breakfast for
the past ten minutes. I ran to the table and began to gulp down my food. In
hurry I spilt milk on my shirt and had to change it again. By the time I was
ready the school bus had already departed. My father had already left for his
office so all I had was a cycle to reach school. I had my rehearsal which I
could not miss. As I hurried to the institution with my cycle, I found all gates
were closed and the latecomers were standing outside with their bags hung
to their shoulders. We were finally allowed to get in after notes in our diaries
and had to write a letter to the Principal apologizing for coming late. I
reached my classroom and asked for my class teacher, Mrs Lalit’s
permission to enter. She said, “Mr Bhatia, you are late to the class. I don’t
expect such behaviour from my students. Now please go to your seat quick
and settle down.” I said sorry and went to my seat. The moment I sat the
teacher announced that she will be doing a surprise check of the science

notebooks. I put my hands in my bag and to my horror realized I didn’t have
the notebook. Mrs Lalit kept walking and marking student’s notebooks. She
turned all those students out whose work was incomplete; I knew what was
going to happen to me. When she reached my desk she asked me for my
notebook, and I told her the truth. On hearing she made a scary frown on her
face and pointed her finger outside the classroom. I stood up and walked
away in shame as everyone’s eyes were on me. Unfortunately our Principal
had to be on a round that very day. As she walked across our class and found
five students outside, she rebuked all of us. She was about to leave when she
realized that she had to speak to me. She stood in front of me with her
perfectly creased saree and commented on my shabby appearance. I could
feel my cheeks turn rose red. I was lifeless by the time I had to go for
rehearsal and didn’t give my best shot. The rest of the day was lousy
because I didn’t get a good sleep last night. I went back home and my mood
was off because of a bad day. I realized that I should have restrained myself
from going to bed too late. Just fifteen minutes and the day would have been
perfect.
I had to share my horrible day with somebody. Thanks for being there,
always.
Yours forever
Sanjoy
C. Grammar
1. Complete the table by changing the voice and writing the tense form
in the blanks.
Tense Active voice Passive voice
Simple present She cooks the dinner The dinner is cooked

for me. by her for me.
Simple past I gave the The encyclopaedia

encyclopaedia to him. was given to him by
me.

Simple future She will finish her Her work will be
work by evening. finished by evening.
Past continuous He was helping her. She was being helped

by him.
Present continuous Hena is writing a A letter is being

letter to Himesh. written by Hena to
Himesh.
Simple future I will wash the The dishes will be

dishes. washed by me.
Past perfect She had repaired the The toy had been
toy. repaired by her.
Present perfect Many tourists have The Taj Mahal has

visited the Taj Mahal. been visited by many
tourists.
a. iii.
b. i.
c. iii.
d. ii.
e. ii.
f. iii.

a. Anne Frank was hiding in an Annexe during the world war due to
persecution by the Germans. She was fond of writing, and to keep
herself occupied, she started maintaining a diary. She recorded the
difficulties and sufferings faced by her and her household members

and also of other families who were hiding with them. She found
writing an outlet for her feelings.
b. The activities of all the members were very regulated and carried out
in secrecy. They used to cook their food and the required items were
brought by their helpers. They used to lie low during the day without
making much noise. The windows were covered with black cloth
which they had sewn so that people wouldn’t be able to see them
during the day and light wouldn’t go outside at night. They used to
read books and listen to the radio for news. They also did a bit of
work to improve their living conditions like making a bookshelf or
pasting the wall with cards to make it look cheerful. This is how they
passed their time in the hiding place.
Unit 11: The MCC
a. iii.
b. ii.
c. ii.
2. State whether the following sentences are True or False. Give reasons
for your answer.
a. False - Only one out of the two men was resilient and kept asking for
different things.
b. True - God had answered his prayers by fulfilling all the wishes of his
friend.
3. Answer in detail.
The first friend was selfish and self-centered. He demanded all the things
from God for himself and never thought of his friend. Even when he was
leaving the island he was leaving his friend behind. He said to God that
as only his prayers were answered and not his friend’s, so he should get
the benefit. This shows he had very less compassion for others.

ABC Public School
Sector 21, Mall Road
Gurgaon
11 August 2016
Mr A. Rajan
The Sales Manager,
P.K. Pulishers
Gurgaon
Subject: Requirement of few books for school library
Dear Sir
I am writing this letter to place an order for few books for our school library.
We got your recommendation from the Principal of LPM School, Delhi.
Please find attached a list of books we would like to order. I request you to
send the total price of the order to the undersigned.
Genre Name of the No. of copies Author

book
Fiction Harry Potter 10 JK Rowling

series (1-7)
Fiction The Naughtiest 12 Enid Blyton

Girl
General The Discovery 5 S Mukherjee

knowledge of Earth

Reference Book RD Sharma 5 RD Sharma
Mathematics for
class X
Reference Book RS Agarwal 5 RS Agarwal

class X
Main Oxford Reading 10 Nicholas

Coursebook Circle Horsburgh
We would also like a catalogue for standard one to twelve so that bulk
orders could be placed. It would be best if you could deliver the lot by 12
October 2016. The payment would be made through a cheque after we
receive the books. No money in advance will be given. If the transaction
happens smoothly, we would like to continue our relationship on a long-term
basis.
Looking forward to hear from you.
Yours faithfully
Sulekha Chandra
(Librarian)
C. Grammar
1. State whether the words in bold are Phrases or Clauses.
a. phrase
b. clause
c. phrase
d. clause
2. Add a phrase to the following sentences.

a. in the basket
b. very quickly
c. under the bed
d. make up his mind

3. Complete the following sentences by adding a clause.
a. we went
b. the teacher explained the concept to me
c. taught us skating
d. features a singer like you
a. iii.
b. ii.
c. i.
d. ii.

a. I think that Rajam and his friends were also a little stupid because
they could have practised cricket with wood planks and a tennis ball
by making the wickets on the wall earlier rather than waiting the
entire evening for the Pea to get the real equipment.
b. When the three friends finally started practising with the team and
Rajam and Swaminathan opened the batting and bowling respectively,
Rajam got out on the first delivery that Swami bowled as the ball hit
the marked wicket on the wall. All the friends congratulated the
bowler and gave him the title of Tate, a famous English pacer of that
time.
Unit 12: The Merchant of Venice
a. i.
b. ii.
c. i.
d. i.

a. The poet describes summer as a season of extremes and
disappointments whereas he feels that his love is eternal and
temperate.
b. Sometimes the summer sun can be far too hot and at other times its
gold complexion can be dimmed by passing clouds.
c. The poet aims to internalize the fair lord’s beauty in his verse as
seasons would change and people would die but the poem would
remain immortal.

In these lines the speaker is asking, “Who are you? What makes you walk
about so late in the night? Your form looks beautiful like the war-like-form
of the dead king of Denmark when he dressed up and marched for battles.
By God, I order you to speak up.”
C. Grammar
1. Identify the type of the sentences.
a. Declarative negative sentence
b. Interrogative sentence
c. Rhetorical question
d. Exclamatory sentence
e. Imperative sentence
f. Declarative affirmative sentence
2. Transform the sentences as directed.

a. No one can be so foolish.
b. He is not foolish.
c. That was a very thoughtful action.
d. Was Akbar a just ruler?
e. There is nothing in a name.
f. Can monuments be compared to buildings?

a. iii.
b. ii.
c. i.
2. State whether the following sentences are True or False.

a. True
b. False
3. Answer with reference to context.

a. Shylock said these lines to Bassanio and with the word people he
meant Antonio.
b. Instead of asking Antonio to pay back the money lend by him with
interest, Shylock demanded a pound of flesh. He did not look for
profit as a piece of human meat would be of no use to him. This
strange deal made Bassanio suspicious of Shylock.

Class 7
Unit 1: The Rumphius Story
Maximum Marks: 40
A. Unseen comprehension 10 marks

Read the passage.
Everyone has a favourite attraction at an amusement park, and I am no

different. However, unlike most people who seem to prefer roller coasters,
my most loved ride is Ferris wheel. Apparently it is quite easy to get on it,
but how it works is complicated. A series of carts are attached to a disc
which is fastened with a rim. That brim rotates vertically around an axis, and
gravity keeps the carts upright. Only advanced engineers can make safe and
funny Ferris wheels. While it is not as thrilling as a roller coaster, the fact of
being high in the air makes it so much more entertaining than a lot of rides. I
don’t seek them out because of their excitement. Rather I find Ferris wheels
very relaxing. From the top of them one gets beautiful view of the things
below. When lit up at night, they look gorgeous. In fact, the first Ferris
wheel was designed as much to be seen as to be ridden. It was made by and

named after George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. He designed it for the
Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. Standing 264 feet high, it was the tallest
attraction there. Visitors to the festival were impressed by the size of the ride
as well as the mechanics of it. In 1893, anything that was not turned by hand
was considered something to be looked at. And the wheel, which was a
machine, was truly incredible. Further, as one visitor put it, the disc was
amazing because it worked almost without support. The Ferris wheel
technology has only improved since then. Most of today’s models are much
bigger and the largest in the world is the Singapore Flyer, which stands
slightly taller than twice what the Ferris did! It is the most common
amusement park ride today. The next time you’re at a fair, don’t just look up
at the impressive wheel in the sky. Take it for a spin!
1. Put a tick () against the correct answer. (4)

a. The largest Ferris wheel is in
i. Singapore.
ii. Chicago.
iii. Cony Island.
iv. Navy pier.
b. Who designed the first Ferry wheel?

i. George Washington
ii. Gale Ferris
iii. George Washington Gale Ferris
iv. George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr.
c. Is the Ferry wheel the most common ride in amusement parks?

i. No
ii. Yes
iii. Maybe
iv. Can’t say

d. The narrator rides the wheel because he/she
i. finds it relaxing.
ii. is able to see beautiful sights from above.
iii. finds being in the high fascinating.
iv. likes all the above.
2. Answer the following questions. (3×2=6)

a. How is riding Ferris wheel simple while the function of it
complicated?
…………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
b. How, according to the author, is boarding a Ferris wheel different
from a roller-coaster ride?
…………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
B. Writing 8 marks
Write a biographical sketch of your favourite singer/sports person or a
character from a book. Keep the following details in your mind.
• Date and place of birth of the person
• Family details
• Educational background
• Personal characteristics and achievements
• Anecdotes about the person
• Significant events
• Year of death if relevant
………………………………………………………………………………
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C. Grammar 12 marks
1. Underline the ones that do not belong to the group. (4)
a. abstract nouns – kindness, mother, honesty, justice, youth
b. concrete nouns – rice, chair, childhood, court, bank
c. collective nouns – constellation, crowd, herd, school, person
d. uncountable nouns – vehicle, sugar, water, coffee, hair
2. Fill in the blanks with suitable articles. Insert a cross (×) where not
necessary. (8)
Years ago in Scotland, the Clark family had ...................... dream. Both
husband and wife worked and saved, making plans for their nine children
and themselves to travel to .......................... United States. It had taken
years, but they had finally saved enough money, and had gotten passports
and reservations for the whole family on a new liner.
The entire household was filled with anticipation and excitement about
their new journey. However, seven days before their departure, the
youngest son was bitten by a dog. ..............................doctor sewed up
.......................... boy but hung a yellow sheet on the Clarks' front door.

Because of the possibility of rabies, they were not allowed to go out for
………………….. fourteen days.
Their dreams were dashed. They would not be able to make the trip to
America as they had planned. Mr Clark, filled with disappointment and
anger, stomped to ....................... dock to watch the ship leaving without
them. He cursed God for their misfortune.
Five days later, ........................ tragic news spread throughout Scotland -
the mighty Tittanic had sunk, taking hundreds of lives with it. When Mr
Clark heard it, he hugged his son and thanked him for saving them. He
thanked God for refraining them from boarding the ship and turning what
he had felt was ...................... tragedy into a blessing.

1. Complete the following statements. (4)
a. Alice wanted to visit faraway places because …………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
b. Grandfather had asked Alice to ……………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………
c. Miss Rumphius was almost perfectly happy because …………………
…………………………………………………………………………
d. Miss Rumphius met Bapa Raja on ……………………………………
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2. Answer the following questions. (6)

a. Who, according to you, were Miss Rumphius’s friends after settling?
Give reasons for your answer.
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b. What was the importance of visiting faraway places to Miss
Rumphius?
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Class 7
Unit 2: The Ants Come Marching
Maximum Marks: 40

Read the passage.
In a beautiful field of flowers there was a hive of one thousand bees. When
spring was almost over, the old Queen of the swarm realized that her
descendent, the young Queen bee was ready to accept responsibility for the
hive. So now was the moment to handover the authority to the successor.
After teaching the traditions and social behaviour of the group, the old bee
left the hive. Then the young Queen asked some of the workers to
accompany her to find a new home for the swarm.
There was a little bee called Nala who saw it as an opportunity of
adventures. She knew that the group was leaving to build a new hive far
from there. Nala, like the others, had received the necessary instructions on
how to respect the Queen. One of the rules attracted her attention; it was
about a big colourful flower with lots of pollen where it was forbidden to
land. She asked the older bees why it was prohibited only to get different
answers. Some said it was a tradition. Some were of the opinion that once a
bee had died after touching the flower, etc. Next morning they started their
journey. After flying a long way the swarm landed on a beautiful field of

flowers and decided to explore the place to find a position to build their
home. Here Nala saw the forbidden blossom for the first time. She was
impressed by its beauty, but still couldn’t understand why it was prohibited
to touch it.
Once adapted to their new home, they started work by establishing turns to
go to look for pollen. Nala really enjoyed her job. She felt free to go to any
flower and didn’t think too much about the forbidden one. One day she saw
an insect that looked like a bee, but it was bigger, and was resting on one of
the prohibited blossoms. She went closer to have a look. The large creature
flew away carrying a large amount of pollen. Remembering the legend told
by her friends Nala stayed there to see if the big bee fell, but that didn’t
happen. She kept staring at the beautiful blossom, but still dared not to touch
it. Another bee that was passing by saw Nala standing there and asked,
“Why aren’t you working?” Nala said, “I have seen a big insect taking
pollen from the forbidden flower, and nothing happened to her.” Hearing
that Nala’s companion left and she went back to fly over the flower. After a
few minutes another insect with black spots took some pollen from it
without any problem. Soon it was time to finish work and go back home.
Nala was very nervous because she didn’t know how the rest of the swarm
would react after hearing what she had seen. When she arrived at the hive, a
group of old bees were waiting for her. “Somebody told us that you have
been flying over the forbidden flower,” they said. Nala told them what she
saw. The elderly bees replied, “We cannot permit anybody to doubt our
traditions; it could be dangerous for the community. You have to leave.” The
Queen also gave her nod to the decision. But Nala was quite happy to leave
the group because she had the will to form a new hive with bees who were
much like her.

a. Why was Nala excited about going to a new hive?
i. She saw an opportunity of adventure.
ii. She didn’t like the old hive.
iii. She didn’t like the old Queen.
iv. She was fond of the new Queen.

b. What is a group of bees called?
i. Colony
ii. Flock
iii. Swarm
iv. None
c. Nala was
i. a little bee.
ii. an old bee.
iii. the Queen bee.
iv. a large bee.
d. Sitting on the forbidden flower was prohibited because it was

i. beautiful.
ii. in the faraway lands.
iii. poisonous.
iv. a tradition to not land on it.
e. What is the synonym of forbidden?

i. Allowed
ii. Banned
iii. Designate
iv. None
2. Answer the following questions. (2+3=5)

a. Do you think Nala did something wrong? Give reasons for your
answer.
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b. Why do you think all the bees from the swarm thought it was
dangerous to land on the forbidden flower? Give reasons for your
answer.
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B. Writing 8 marks
You went to a zoo and were shocked to see the conditions of animals
behind cages. Write a letter to your friend explaining your concerns.
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C. Grammar 12 marks
1. State whether the underlined words are Gerunds or Participles. (4)
a. Are we fighting a losing battle?
…………………………………….
b. Gaming in video parlours is not my idea of fun.
…………………………………….
c. It is freezing cold here.
…………………………………….
d. I can’t teach you swimming.
…………………………………….
2. Choose suitable gerunds from the box to fill in the blanks. (4)
Writing Smoking Shouting Drawing
a. ...................................... loudly will not prove you right.

b. ....................................... is her favourite hobby.
c. ..................................... is injurious to health.
d. ...................................... long essays is not my cup of tea.
3. Choose suitable participles from the box to fill in the blanks. (4)
standing barking rolling crying
a. A ................................................ stone gathers no moss.

b. The .............................................. children were put to sleep as they
were tired.
c. We saw a clown .................................................... on his hands.
d. ............................................... dogs seldom bite.

a. The ants convey the directions of food to their fellows
i. through actions.
ii. through leading.
iii. by leaving little clues like grains of sugar.
iv. by leaving invisible trails of odour.
b. When ants find food they ……………………….. to say lets go.

i. move in a particular manner
ii. dance in a particular way
iii. stand on it
iv. none
c. Substances produced by an insect as a chemical signal, often to attract

other insects, are called
i. feelers.
ii. mandibles.
iii. globs.
iv. none.
d. Benjamin Franklin was alive ……………… years ago.

i. 200
ii. 300
iii. 100
iv. none

a. What can you understand by the phrase ants prepare for battle?
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b. Explain how ants greet each other.
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c. Give an example of the phrase, friends in need are friends indeed
from the text.
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Class 7
Unit 3: Suvira
Maximum Marks: 40

Read the passage.
Saina Nehwal
Saina Nehwal, an Indian badminton player, was born on 17 March 1990 in
Hisar district, Haryana. She got her athlete genes from her parents, Dr Harvir
Singh and Usha Rani. Both of them were former state badminton champions.
Saina’s father encouraged her to play. Saina started her sports career at a
tender age of 8 under the careful eyes of her coach Nani Prasad. She adopted
a tough training schedule from the beginning. She was trained further under
S.M. Arif, a Dronacharya Award winning badminton coach. After that she
joined Pullela Gopichand’s Academy of Badminton and there she developed
her game under the supervision of Gopichand himself. Presently she is

coached by the former Indian badminton champion and national coach,
Vimal Kumar. Saina has always received the support of her family members.
From her initial years as a badminton player, she has always shown a lot of
potential in herself. Being a National Junior Champion, she has performed
well in major national and international tournaments. She has clearly made a
mark of her own. She is currently ranked number 9 in the world by the
Badminton World Federation. She was the first Indian woman to achieve the
feat of getting the number 1 position by the same. She won a bronze medal
at the 2012 London Olympics becoming the second Indian women to win an
individual medal at the sports event. She is supported by the Olympic Gold
Quest.
Saina Nehwal was honoured with the Arjuna award, and in January 2010,
she was awarded the Padma Shri. On 29 August 2010, she was given the
highest national sporting award, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna. As one of the
eight brand ambassadors of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, she won a
gold medal creating an epic moment in the history of Indian badminton.
Saina has been an icon for the young Indians. Success hasn’t changed her.
Strong family values have made her the girl next door who is known for her
integrity, courage and persistence.

a. Saina got the badminton genes from
i. her father.
ii. her mother.
iii. both her parents.
b. Where did Saina Nehwal polish her skills as a badminton player?

i. Her home with her parents
ii. Her school
iii. Gopichand Academy
c. Who motivated Saina Nehwal to take up career in badminton?

i. Dr Harvir Singh
ii. Mr Nani Prasad
iii. Mr S.M. Arif

d. She is the ………. Indian woman to win an individual medal at
Olympics.
i. first
ii. second
iii. third

a. What values make Saina Nehwal a great player?
…………………………………………………………………………
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b. How can you say that Saina Nehwal’s family has contributed largely
to her success?
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c. Saina Nehwal has got the best coaches anyone could have got. How
does a good coach help in making a great player?
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B. Writing 8 marks
Write a passage on who or what inspires you the most.
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C. Grammar 12 marks
1. Complete the following table using the correct forms of tenses. (8)
Tenses and Positive Negative Question
time
Simple present Robbie eats an Robbie does not
egg every day. eat an egg every
day.
Present We are playing Are we playing

continuous baseball. baseball?
Present perfect She has not Has she studied

studied hard this hard this time?
time.
Present perfect We have been Have we been

continuous waiting for you. waiting for you?
Simple past She gave this to She did not give

you. this to you.
Past I was not Was I cooking

continuous cooking at that at that time?
time.
Past perfect I had been I had not been

continuous exercising very exercising very
hard. hard.
Future She will meet She will not

(simple) us tomorrow. meet us
tomorrow.

2. Use the verbs given to frame sentences in the future perfect tense.
(4)
a. finish - …………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
b. save - …………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………….
c. cook - …………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………….
d. graduate - ………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………….

a. Which city did the narrator come from?
i. Delhi
ii. Chennai
iii. Mumbai
iv. Kolkata
b. Why did the narrator change her school?

i. Her father changed his career.
ii. Her father got posted to another city.
iii. She didn’t like her previous school.
iv. She and her family didn’t like the previous place.
c. “But today I promised myself that I would fly.” What does fly here
refer to?
i. Pass with flying colours in her exam
ii. Jump over hurdles easily
iii. Run the race like she was flying
iv. None
d. Was the narrator running for the first time?

i. Yes
ii. No

iii. Maybe
iv. Can’t say

a. What all worked as a motivation for the narrator to put all her strength
and energy in the race?
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b. What was the positive outcome in the story?
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Class 7
Unit 4: Uncle Podger Leaves for Work
Maximum Marks: 40

Read the poem.
The Grumble Family

There's a family nobody likes to meet;
They live, it is said, on Complaining Street
In the city of Never-Are-Satisfied,
The River of Discontent beside.
They growl at that and they growl at this;

Whatever comes, there is something amiss;
And whether their station be high or humble,
They are all known by the name of Grumble.
The weather is always too hot or cold;

Summer and winter alike they scold.
Nothing goes right with the folks you meet
Down on that gloomy Complaining Street.
They growl at the rain and they growl at the sun;

In fact, their growling is never done.
And if everything pleases them, there isn't a doubt
They’d growl that they’d nothing to grumble about!
But the queerest thing is that not one of the same

Can be brought to acknowledge his family name;
For never a Grumbler will own that he
Is connected with it at all, you see.
The worst thing is that if anyone stays

Among them too long, he will learn their ways;
And before he dreams of the terrible jumble
He's adopted into the family of Grumble.
And so it were wisest to keep our feet

From wandering into Complaining Street;
And never to growl, whatever we do,
Lest we be mistaken for Grumblers, too.
Let us learn to walk with a smile and a song,

No matter if things do sometimes go wrong;
And then, be our station high or humble,
We’ll never belong to the family of Grumble!

a. The household got its name as Grumble Family because
i. it was there family name.
ii. they were never satisfied with anything.
iii. they lived on Complaining Street.
b. When everything was fine, the family kept grumbling because they
i. lived on Complaining Street.
ii. had been grumbling all their lives.
iii. had nothing to grumble about.

c. Nobody wanted to stay with the Grumble family because
i. the members of the household would grumble if someone
joined them.
ii. one would transform into a Grumbler in their company.
iii. they were very bad hosts.
d. One can avoid being called a Grumbler by

i. going to the Complaining Street.
ii. appreciating what we have.
iii. not taking the family name of Grumbler.

a. How can you avoid the habit of grumbling?
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b. What is the address of the Grumble family’s residence? What does it
signify?
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B. Writing 8 marks
Write an anecdote about how you used your presence of mind and saved
your younger sister as well as others in a disastrous flood like situation
or any other natural disaster.
(Hints: introduction – description of the natural disaster – your role -
conclusion)
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C. Grammar 12 marks
1. Provide a verb in agreement with its subject in the following
sentences.
a. No one ................................. with me.
b. My brother and I ................................................ going to the market.
c. She ................................................ a very cute pup.
d. Everyone ................................. invited to the party.
e. They ................................................... to the orphanage every Sunday.
f. Nothing ....................................... certain yet.
g. Everyone in this class ............................................. very politely.

h. My dog always ...................................................... at strangers.
i. These dresses .......................................... too bright for me.
j. Either grandpa or grandma ………………………. going for the
movie.
k. Neither green nor blue .................................... my favourite colour.
l. Each person .............................. a certificate of participation.

a. Who used to cheer the people who got late?
i. The running crowd themselves
ii. People who had nothing else to do
iii. The children at home
iv. None
b. Uncle Podger usually said that one should

i. complete his job before leaving for work.
ii. blame others when things go wrong.
iii. allow himself/herself a quarter of an hour and take it easily.
iv. run when he/she is late.
c. Which of the followings didn’t Uncle Podger carry?

i. Newspaper
ii. Umbrella
iii. Bag
iv. Tiffin
d. What was the usual problem with the children?

i. Nobody lined up.
ii. One of the kids always got late.
iii. They were naughty and troublesome.
iv. There was never any problem with them.

a. Write a character sketch of Uncle Podger.
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b. At the end of the chapter what do you think Uncle Podger forgot on
the table that day?
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Class 7
Unit 5: Tom Comes Home
Maximum Marks: 40

Read the passage.
A small girl, black bangs thick across her forehead, is bending over her little
brother. The baby boy is trying to learn how to make things from clay, and
she patiently models it for him again and again, slowly and carefully.
“Here is the church, and here is the steeple. Come on, put your fingers
together. Like this.” Each time he tries to imitate her motion, and stops short.
The elder sister encourages him cheerfully, “Try it again, Ben. One more time.
You can do it!” Finally it seems that he has not been able to make the steeple
appear at the same time as the church. His tongue lolls out in concentration
and she hates the way he looks. She uses her finger to push his tongue gently
back into his mouth, but it comes out again within seconds. He sits there, being

limp and good-natured, trying so hard to please her, but cannot do the task she
is trying to teach him. He’s like a baby made of dough.
She runs to her parents in tears. “Why’s he so slow? What’s the matter with
him? He just won’t learn!” They exchange glances. Father takes her in his lap
and starts to speak, slowly and carefully, “When you were born, we were so
happy. You have got your sense of music from your mother, and you are jolly
like me. Your brother is much slower in comparison. But he has got other
qualities from us like a very good sense of humour and a warm smile. Now
you have to understand it and be a good sister. You have be patient with him.
Okay?”
Hearing this she resolves to never fight with her brother again. She promises
to herself that she will give him the biggest piece of cake, let him choose his
favourite toys from her Christmas stockings and play with whatever he wants.
She realizes why the things that come so easily to her are so difficult for him
to grasp. They are two different individuals with their unique abilities and
disabilities. She decides to treat his younger brother for what he is and thus a
wonderful relationship begins its journey.

a. In which activity are the boy and the girl engaged?
i. They are running around the castle.
ii. The girl is teaching the boy to make a clay model of church and
steeple.
iii. Only the boy is trying to make a model from clay.
b. The boy is not able to make the steeple of the church because he
i. is very naughty and wants to tease the girl.
ii. lacks concentration and focus to do the work.
iii. lacks control over his hand muscles.
c. Father tells the girl that she is talented because

i. she has few special characteristic features of both her parents.
ii. she is a quick learner.
iii. he didn’t want her brother to be better than her.

2. Answer the following questions. (2+2+3=7)
a. What was the girl trying to do with his brother?
…………………………………………………………………………
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b. What explanation did father give to the girl for her brother’s condition?
…………………………………………………………………………
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c. What did the girl decide to do for her brother after listening to her
father’s advice?
…………………………………………………………………………
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B. Writing 8 marks
Write a debate on Schools should allow laptops in classrooms.
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C. Grammar 12 marks
1. Fill in the blank with each other, one another or each other’s. (8)
a. Mira and Radha admire .....................................
b. It’s not good to use .......................................... towels.
c. The two of them can wear .................................... clothes.
d. Timmy, Rubina and Mini gave .............................. a glance.
e. Nobody can be blamed because both of them hurt
........................................ feelings.
f. Do the two of you have any questions for ......................................?
g. The students helped ……………………………….
h. Those five boys were pointing fingers at ……………………………..
2. Rewrite the sentences correctly. (4)

a. The two of us can share one another’s rooms.
……………………………………………………………………..
b. We look after each other in the neighbourhood.
……………………………………………………………………..
c. Didn’t the two of you talk to one another?
……………………………………………………………………..
d. The two dogs growled at one another.
……………………………………………………………………..

a. How much did the rabbits cost Tom?
i. Two crowns
ii. Half crown per rabbit
iii. Two and a half crown in total
iv. None

b. Maggi called her brother cruel because he
i. didn’t get anything for her.
ii. punished her for something she could not have helped.
iii. didn’t call her for her meal.
iv. was being naughty to her.
c. Where was Maggi sulking?

i. In the attic
ii. Near the pond
iii. The place where rabbits died
iv. Not mentioned in the story
d. What did Tom bring for her sister?

i. Nothing
ii. Marbles
iii. Fish
iv. Fishing line

a. Life does change for Tom and Maggie and although they have their
disagreements, as brother and sisters they remain inseparable.
What does the author mean when she says this?
…………………………………………………………………………
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b. Describe Maggie in your own words.
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Class 7
Unit 6: Achilles
Maximum Marks: 40

Read the passage.
Relationship between Dogs and Humans

A study of the evolution of dogs has opened new and unparalleled doorways
to understand the changing relationship between humans and canines. They
have essentially developed alongside each other, migrating together across
continents. Today, there are no civilizations without having dogs as an
integral part of their culture. All domestic and wild canines share a common
ancestor, the wolf. But its transformation to dog did not take place instantly.
According to genetic analyses and the fossil records, the emergence of the
canine was an ongoing, long-term, widespread process as wolf populations
interacted with humans. Wherever both of them were together, the civilized
wolves evolved over time into dogs. Apart from that, a vast majority of them

has remained wild. However, few basic traits of wolves like physique and
body language are still there in the domestic canines. The human loving
dogs migrated across the globe wherever societies were formed. In many
cases, dogs facilitated people’s movement into more hostile parts of the
world by carrying loads, hunting, scouting and fighting off predators.
The relationship of canines and civil societies varies widely. For example,
many cultures use dogs as work animals. Until a few decades ago, canines in
the United States lived in farms. After edification, dogs became more
domestic and lovable, and integrated into the human family.
Among the Runa Indians in Ecuadorian Amazon, canines are mainly used as
hunters. Dogs have shown their usefulness in other situations. For example,
scientists have documented that a human-canine social bond not only helps
people calm and relax during stressful situations, but also dogs get benefited
from it. They perceive the world through smell. Even they can detect ovarian
cancer in women before it is detected through other medical techniques.
That is why dogs are called Man’s best friend.

a. Dogs have evolved over the time
i. through genetic changes.
ii. in company of humans.
iii. in company of wolves.
b. How can you say that wolves are ancestors of dogs?

i. Genetic and fossil records show the relationship between dogs
and wolves.
ii. Folklore is filled with stories of wolves becoming dogs.
iii. Dogs evolved due to domestication of wolves.
c. The main characteristic of a domestic dog is that they

i. are very fierce and dangerous.
ii. roam in packs.
iii. are very lovable.

d. Dogs have a very high degree of
i. the sense of smell.
ii. hearing capability.
iii. vision.
2. Answer in brief. (3×2=6)

a. Explain in your own words the relationship between wolves and dogs.
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b. How have dogs helped humans? Justify the saying Dogs are man’s
best friend.
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B. Writing 8 marks
Write a review of a movie that you have recently seen in 200-250 words.
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C. Grammar 12 marks
1. Fill in the blanks with suitable interrogative adverbs. (4)
a. .................................... is the glass kept?
b. ...................................... did she not talk to me?
c. ............................ is the capacity of the water tank?
d. .............................. costly is this table?
2. Frame questions from the following sentences using interrogative

adverbs. (8)
a. I like to read all kind of books.
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b. It will take only 10 minutes for us to reach.
………………………………………………………………………….
c. I’m not hungry; I wouldn’t like to eat anything.
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d. I’m not feeling too well.
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a. The author says that the Rose-Beetle Man had a fairy-tale air about
him because
i. he was fond of travelling and had encountered such characters
earlier.
ii. of his curious sense of dressing and looks.
iii. he liked the man.
b. What were inside the bag carried by the Rose-Beetle Man?

i. Rose-beetles
ii. Pigeons
iii. Tortoises

c. The Rose-Beetle Man had the shells polished and decorated his
tortoises because he wanted
i. to distinguish them from one another.
ii. them to look attractive to prospective buyers.
iii. them to win the tortoise race at the fair.
d. Roger, the dog used to lick the tortoise because he

i. wanted to snatch the strawberry from him.
ii. liked him and did so when he was happy.
iii. liked to taste the grape juice which dripped from the tortoise’s
mouth.

a. What qualities led the narrator to select a particular tortoise which was
eventually named Achilles?
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b. What became the Achilles’ heel for the tortoise of the same name?
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c. Why do you think the Rose-Beetle Man was tying the insects with
cotton string on to his fingers?
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Class 7
Unit 7: The Sherpas
Maximum Marks: 40

Read the passage.
Antarctica
Long before anyone ever set eyes on Antarctica, many were sure it was
there. At first belief in a Terra Australis Incognita or Unknown Southern
Land took hold among the ancient Greeks. Great believers in symmetry, the
Greeks were convinced that the great land mass in the Northern Hemisphere
would have to be balanced by an equally huge field in the Southern
Hemisphere. Confirmation of the southern continent was long in coming;
Terra Australis remained unknown for centuries. Captain Cook set out on a
massive search for it in 1772 which continued for three years. After being
driven back north repeatedly by pack ice, Cook concluded that if there was a
Southern Continent, it wasn’t worth getting to. However Cook unwittingly
sowed the seeds of future exploration by his detailed reports of ample seal

and whale populations in the Southern Ocean. Hunters flocked to the area
and drove the seals to near extinction. In 1821, a huntsman affected by a
violent storm was the first to land on Antarctica.
But in the late 1800s, when a hysteria of whale killing in the Southern Ocean
spurred a frenzy of exploration, the heroic age of Antarctic voyage began.
Akin to the space race of the 1960s, countries vied to be first to travel to the
icy continent. Reaching the South Pole became a worldwide obsession. A
team led by British explorer, Robert Scott came within 463 miles (877 km)
of the pole in 1902. Another squad from England, this time led by Ernest
Shackleton, came even closer in year 1908, but was forced to turn back just
97 miles (180 km) from the goal. Traveling by dogsled, a Norwegian group
led by Roald Amundsen was the first to arrive at the South Pole on
December 14, 1911. A competing British crew led by Scott arrived just a
month later, greeted by the demoralizing site of the Norwegian flag. Plagued
by accidents and storms and shortage of food, all five members of the Scott
team perished on the return trip.
The onset of World War I cooled interest in Antarctica, but exploration
began anew with the advent of the airplane. American pilot, Robert Byrd
was the first to fly over the South Pole in 1929 and made repeated flights
over the continent during the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. Scientifically minded,
Byrd conducted many experiments in his Antarctic travels, setting the
precedent for Antarctica as a land devoted to scientific research.
After World War II, countries around the globe scrambled to establish
foothold and claim territory on the South Pole. A flurry of base building
ensued. A number of them were constructed in anticipation of the 1957–
1958 International Geophysical Year (IGY). Tensions over demands of land
led to the signing of the Antarctic Treaty in 1959, establishing Antarctica as
a place for conducting only peaceful, scientific experiments, excluding
military or mining activities. Today visits to the continent are still mainly
scientific ones, though tourists are exploring the South Pole in increasing
numbers. Fearing disruption of the breeding sites of penguins and other
wildlife, some are calling for tighter limits on tourism to reduce
environmental impact.

a. Why did Greeks believe that there is a land mass in the Southern
Hemisphere?
i. It was written in their holy books.
ii. Explorers have seen the land mass in the Southern Hemisphere.
iii. As per the laws of symmetry, there should be a land mass that
acts as a balancing force to the Northern Hemisphere.
b. Captain Cook could not find the Southern Continent because

i. of rough weather and sea packed with ice.
ii. he had lost interest due to dwindling seal and whale population.
iii. of being far away from the main land and diminishing food
supply.
c. What spurred the race among people to explore the Antarctica in late
1800s?
i. Dwindling population of seal and whale in the Northern
Hemisphere
ii. Exploring of minerals
iii. Etching the name of being first to reach the South Pole
d. Exploration activity in Antarctica dwindled in the early 19th century

due to
i. difficult terrain.
ii. onset of World War I.
iii. too many explorers losing their lives.

a. Explain in a few sentences why it was difficult for the early explorers
to reach Antarctica.
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b. How will increased tourism damage the Antarctic?
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c. What do you understand by the Antarctic Treaty of 1959?
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B. Writing 8 marks
Imagine you went for an adventure sport that you really enjoyed. Write
a detailed experience about it. Describe the place, the sport and your
emotions to create an interesting anecdote.
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C. Grammar 12 marks
1. Fill in the blanks with the combination of adjectives and prepositions
given in the box. (7)
anxious about committed to addicted to concerned about
content with accustomed to capable of bored of
a. The boy is .................................. soft drinks.

b. He is .............................. studying at his own study table.
c. I am ..................................... reading the same chapter over and over
again.
d. I’m not ...................................... anything.
e. He is ...................................... winning the trophy this year.
f. I will be .................................................... you forever.
g. I’m .................................................. you for being ill so long.
2. Make sentences with the following expressions. (5)

a. good at
………………………………………………………………………….
b. different from
………………………………………………………………………….
c. tired of
………………………………………………………………………….

d. similar to
………………………………………………………………………….
e. famous for
………………………………………………………………………….

a. Lahkpa wanted to become a
i. mountain guide.
ii. mountaineer.
iii. doctor.
b. Why doesn’t the Khumbu Valley have a paved road?

i. The terrain is very rugged.
ii. Locals want to preserve their way of life.
iii. People are lazy and don’t want any development.
c. The Sherpas are very good as guides because

i. nobody from outside is allowed to become one.
ii. they have good business sense.
iii. they are sturdy and know the place very well.
d. Every Sherpa boy dreams to

i. get into mountaineering business.
ii. become a very good guide.
iii. become a successful mountaineer.

a. How did the conquest of Mt Everest help the Sherpas of Khumbu
valley?
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b. Why are Sherpas considered to be the best guides and porters for high
altitude climbing or trekking?
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Class 7
Unit 8: Go Kiss the World
Maximum Marks: 40

Read the passage.
An Act of Kindness
One day a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way
through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He
decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his
nerve when a beautiful young woman opened the door. Instead of food he
asked for a glass of water.
Realizing the child’s condition, the lady brought him a large glass of milk.
He drank it slowly, and then asked, “How much do I owe you?”
“You don’t owe me anything,” she replied. “Mother has taught us never to
accept pay for a kindness.”
He said, “Then I thank you from my heart.” As Howard Kelly left that
house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in himself and others
became more intense. He was ready to give up and quit.
Years later that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were
baffled. They finally sent her to the big city where they called in specialists

to study her rare disease. Dr Howard Kelly was called in for the
consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange
light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the
hospital to her room.
Dressed in his doctor’s gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at
once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to
save her life. From that day he gave special attention to the case.
After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr Kelly requested the business
office to pass the final bill to him for approval.
He looked at it, and then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent
to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of
her savings. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the
side of the bill.
She read these words, “Paid in full for one glass of milk!”

a. The young boy was selling goods from door to door because he
i. was hungry and wanted to have food.
ii. wanted to help his family with money.
iii. wanted to earn money and pay his school fees.
b. Why did the lady say to the boy that he owed her nothing for the
milk?
i. She took pity on his poor condition.
ii. She did not want to charge him for the kindness shown by her,
as taught by her mother.
iii. She didn’t know the exact amount to be charged.
c. Why was Dr Kelly called to treat the woman?

i. He knew her well.
ii. He wanted to repay the loan to her.
iii. He was a specialist in treating such rare cases.
d. The woman perhaps recognized Dr Kelly when

i. she saw the written note from him on the bill.
ii. he was treating her.
iii. the hospital nurse told her about him.

a. When did Dr Kelly decide not to give up in life?
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b. Why were Dr Kelly’s eyes filled up with light?
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B. Writing 8 marks
Write a composition on All That Glitters Is Not Gold.
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C. Grammar 12 marks
1. Combine the two sentences as directed. You can modify them.
(2×5=10)
a. The meal was delicious. The meal was expensive. (Join with but)
……………………………………………………………………..
b. I went to talk to him. I didn’t talk to him. (Join with though)
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c. I am tall. I don’t play basketball. (Join with although)
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d. My sister is fair. I am dark. (Join with whereas)
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e. I practised every day. I couldn’t play well. (Join with nevertheless)
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2. Fill in the blanks with suitable conjunctions from the box that
express opposition. (2)
in spite of rather than despite the fact
a. I would prefer to have tea ……………………… coffee.

b. …………………………… that I am a cheerful person, I still get
gloomy sometimes.
D. Coursebook comprehesnsion 10 marks

a. The narrator was homeschooled because
i. his parents could not afford the school fees.
ii. there was no school nearby where they lived.
iii. he was not interested in studies in his early years.
b. The jeep driver was respected in the narrator’s house because

i. he was an old man.
ii. he worked in his father’s office.
iii. respecting elders was one of the good values practised by his
parents.

c. The family of narrator did not own their personal house because
i. there was no need as his father was given a government house
to live.
ii. they were not that rich to buy a house of their own.
iii. their father did not believe in material possession.
d. Why did the narrator’s mother plant seeds?

i. She wanted to leave something behind her so that it benefits
others if not her.
ii. She loved gardening.
iii. She wanted to supplement her earnings by growing vegetables.

a. The narrator says that reading the newspaper created a sense of
connectedness with the world. What did he mean by that?
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b. List out the formula for success as defined by the narrator.
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Class 7
Unit 9: The Blue Umbrella
Maximum Marks: 40

Read the passage.
Generations Teach Us
Once upon a time there was a frail old man with whom lived his son,
daughter-in-law and four-year-old grandson. Age was taking a toll on all his
senses. His hands kept trembling. His vision was almost lost, and he was not
able to walk properly. All the family members ate together at the table. But
the old man couldn’t hold control of things. Peas rolled off his spoon onto
the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.
The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. “We must do
something about father,” said the son. “I’ve had enough of all these.” So the
husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There the aged man had his
meals alone. He was no more allowed to have suppers with the rest of the

members of the household. Since he had broken a dish or two, his food was
served in a wooden bowl. The only words the couple had for him were sharp
admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food. The four-year-old child
watched it all in silence.
One evening before dinner, the father noticed his son playing with wood
scraps on the floor. He asked the child softly, “What are you making?” The
boy responded as sweetly, “Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mom
to eat your food in when I grow up.” The child smiled and went back to
work. The words struck the parents so hard that they were speechless. Tears
started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both
knew what must be done.
That evening the husband took his father’s hand and gently led him back to
the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the
household members. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed
to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth
soiled.

a. Why did the old man spill food on the table?
i. The plate was unstable.
ii. He was old and his hands were shaky.
iii. He was sitting down and accidentally spilled food on the table.
b. The old man was served his food in a wooden dish because he used to
i. dirty the plates and the table.
ii. make lot of noise while eating in plates of glass.
iii. do both the above.
c. Why was the boy playing with wood scrapes?

i. He used to love playing with them.
ii. He was practising making wooden crockery for his parents.
iii. He was making wooden crockery for his grandfather to eat
food.

d. What did the father do when he got an answer from his son regarding
the wooden scrap?
i. He admired his work and encouraged him.
ii. He admonished and told him not to play with wooden scrap.
iii. He got his father to the dining table so that the family could eat
together.

a. Why couldn’t the old man eat properly?
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b. Why was the small boy playing with wooden scraps?
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B. Writing 8 marks
Write a vivid description of your dear one’s house and your emotions
related to it.
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C. Grammar 12 marks
1. Complete the table by changing direct speeches into indirect and vice
versa. Also mention the tense forms used in different speeches. One is
done for you. (8)
Tense Direct speech Change of tense Reported speech
Simple present “I am sleepy”, Simple past Mina said that

said Mina. she was sleepy.
He said, “We
are going for a
picnic,
tomorrow.”
Past perfect Mona said that

she had got a
promotion.
Ravi said, “I
have been
working very
hard all these
years.”

2. Fill in the blanks to complete the sentences in reported speech. (4)
a. The teacher said to me, “You must practise for the debate
competition.”
The teacher told ……………………. that …………………………….
……………………… for the debate competition.
b. I said to him, “I can help you with the artwork.”

I told him ………………………………………………………… with
the artwork.
c. They said to me, “We will bring grandmother from the hospital.”
They told me that ……………………………………………………...
from the hospital.
d. Rohit said to Ram, “You must study hard.”

Rohit told Ram …………………………………………………. study
hard.
a. Which of the following was not Binya’s cow’s name?
i. Neelu
ii. Gori
iii. Kalu
iv. None
b. What do you think got Binya the umbrella?

i. Her courage that she had not run away after seeing unknown
people
ii. Her leopard’s claw
iii. Her leopard’s tooth
iv. All of the above

c. Who proposed the idea to steal the umbrella from Binya?
i. Ram Bharosa
ii. Rajaram
iii. Bijju
iv. None
d. The use of the umbrella was to

i. protect oneself from the rain.
ii. protect oneself from the sun.
iii. be used just as a decorative piece.
iv. be of no use at all.

a. Justify the title, The Blue Umbrella.
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b. “Of what use is a poppy in a corn field? Of what use is a rainbow?”
Who said these lines and what did he/she mean by it?
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Class 7
Unit 10: Settling into the Secret Annexe
Maximum Marks: 40

Read the poem.
War and Peace

Man invents war. Man discovers peace.
He invents war from without.
He discovers peace from within.
War man throws. Peace man sows.
The smile of war is the flood of human blood.
The smile of peace is the love, below, above.
Peace is the whole truth that wishes to enrapture humanity.
War is the whole falsehood that wants to capture humanity.
Peace begins in the soul and ends in the heart.
War begins in the mind and ends in the body.
War forgets peace. Peace forgives war.
War is the death of the life human. Peace is the birth of the Life Divine.
Our vital passions want war.
Our psychic emotions desire peace.
War is clear futility in dire stupidity.
Peace is flowing infinity in glowing eternity.

Man seeks war when he thinks that the world is not his.
Man invites war when he feels that he can conquer the world.
Man proclaims war when he dreams
That the world has already surrendered to him.
Man seeks peace because his earthly existence desperately needs it.
Man welcomes peace because he feels
That in peace alone is his life of achievement and fulfilment.
Man spreads peace because he wants to transcend death.
The animal in man wars against peace in the outer world
In the world of conflicting ideas.
The divine in man wars against ignorance in the inner world,
In the world of mounting ideals.
The animal in man wants war for the sake of war,
War to devour the snoring world.
The divine in man wants peace for the sake of peace,
Peace to feed the hungry world.

a. The biggest price of war which a country pays is
i. financial burden which falls on the nation.
ii. death and misery of its people fighting in war.
iii. loss of peace and harmony.
b. Peace can be found in the …………………. of man.

i. body
ii. soul
iii. mind
c. War ultimately leads to

i. death and destruction of human lives.
ii. peace after defeat of one nation.
iii. conquering of the world.

d. Man proclaims war when he
i. forgets peace.
ii. feels unwanted in the world.
iii. dreams that the world has surrendered.

a. List out the consequences of war.
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b. How war among humans and nations can be overcome?
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B. Writing 8 marks
Imagine one day you woke up fifteen minutes late and everything went
topsy-turvy after that. Write a diary entry describing your experience.
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C. Grammar
1. Complete the table by changing the voice and writing the tense form
in the blanks.
Tense Active voice Passive voice
Simple present The dinner is cooked

by her for me.
I gave the
encyclopaedia to him.
Simple future Her work will be

finished by evening.
He was helping her.
Present continuous A letter is being

written by Hena to
Himesh.
The dishes will be

washed by my maid.
She had repaired the

toy.
Present perfect Many tourists have

visited the Taj Mahal.

a. Anne Frank’s …………………… is being referred to as Kitty.
i. mother
ii. sister
iii. diary
b. The family of Anne Frank chose Annexe for their stay because it
i. was the ideal place to hide as it was not in the main building.
ii. offered more room for the family to hide.
iii. offered a very good view of the surroundings.
c. Anne Frank was anxious while listening to the radio because she
i. was distressed to hear the news of war.
ii. missed her old carefree life.
iii. was afraid that someone might hear them.
d. How had their hiding place become more secretive?

i. They had put black curtains on the windows.
ii. A swinging bookcase was constructed in front of the entrance
to their hiding place.
iii. Very few people knew about their Secret Annexe.
e. The windows were kept slightly open to

i. let light enter the dark room.
ii. let fresh air enter the room.
iii. be able to hear footsteps of approaching danger.
f. Why didn’t Anne Frank like Peter very much?

i. He ate lots of food.
ii. He argued with Anne Frank.
iii. He slept a lot.

a. Why do you think Anne Frank started writing a diary?
…………………………………………………………………………
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b. How did the people living in the Annexe go around their daily chores?
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Class 7
Unit 11: The MCC
Maximum Marks: 40

Read the passage.
The Ship of Friendship

A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men
on it were able to swim to a small, desert like island.
The two survivors who had been good friends didn’t know what to do.
Together they agreed that they had no other recourse but to pray. However,
to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they decided to divide the
territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.
The first man started praying for food. The next morning, he saw a fruit
bearing tree on his side of the land, and was able to eat its juicy fruits. The
other man’s parcel of land remained barren.
After a week the first man was lonely and decided to pray for a wife. The
next day another ship was wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who
swam to his side of the land. On the other side of the island, there was
nothing. Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes and more food. The
© Oxford university Press

next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However, the second
man still had nothing. Finally, the first man prayed for a ship to leave the
island with his wife. In the morning, he found a ship docked at his side of
the island. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave
the second man on the island. He considered the other man unworthy to
receive the blessings since none of his prayers had been answered.
As the ship was about to start its journey, the first man heard a voice from
heaven booming, “Why are you leaving your companion on the island?”
“My blessings are mine alone since I was the one who prayed for them,” the
first man answered. “His prayers were all unanswered so he doesn’t deserve
anything.”
“You are mistaken!” the voice rebuked him. “He had only one prayer, which
I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my
blessings.” “Tell me,” the first man asked the voice, “What did he pray for
that I should owe him anything?” The voice said, “He prayed that all your
prayers be answered.”

a. The two survivors agreed to pray because they
i. were religious.
ii. wanted to pass the time till someone rescued them.
iii. had no more option left for living.
b. After how many days did the first man’s wife appear?
i. Two
ii. Seven
iii. Ten
c. The two survivors

i. didn’t know each other.
ii. were good friends.
iii. were arch enemies.

2. State whether the following sentences are True or False. Give reasons
for your answer. (4)
a. The two friends were physically resilient.
……………………………….
b. The second friend had more power in his prayers.
………………………………..
3. Answer in detail. (5)

How will you describe the character of the first man?
……………………………………………………………………………
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B. Writing 8 marks
Suppose you are the librarian in a school. Write a letter to Mr A.
Rajan, Sales Manager of P.K. Publishers to order some books for the
library.
………………………………………………………………………………
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C. Grammar 12 marks
1. State whether the words in bold are Phrases or Clauses. (4)
a. I ran as fast as possible.
…………………………………………
b. The goal which made us win was actually a foul.
…………………………………………
c. The girl with the red cape is the principal’s daughter.
…………………………………………
d. If you go home now, you’ll get to meet her.
…………………………………………
2. Add a phrase to the following sentences. (4)

a. I kept the pup …………………………………………………….
b. She does her work …………………………………………………...
c. The pencil was lying ………………………………………………….
d. I told him to …………………………………………………………..
3. Complete the following sentences by adding a clause. (4)

a. The colony where …………………………….. was quite clean.
b. I understood grammar when ……………………………………….
c. The man who ……………………………… has now shifted to
Shimla.
d. I am really interested in attending the function that
……………………………………....

a. Of the three friends who had the least knowledge about cricket?
i. Mani

ii. Rajam
iii. Swaminathan
b. How did Razam have the knowledge about the Junior Willard Bat?
i. He had read it in the catalogue.
ii. He was a member of school cricket team at Bishop Waller’s.
iii. He was just showing off his knowledge.
c. Swaminathan found it difficult to write the letter because

i. his English was weak.
ii. he was not interested in cricket and its items.
iii. he was not sure of what to write in the letter.
d. How can you be sure that the characters in this story lived before
independence of India from British?
i. Cricket player names which have been mentioned are not from
current Indian cricket team.
ii. His Majesty’s post office had recognized their team.
iii. The writer of this story was born in 1906 so he may have
written it before independence.

a. What do you think of Rajam and his friends when they lost the
evening waiting for the wickets?
…………………………………………………………………………
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b. Describe how Swaminathan emerged as the best cricketer among
three friends.
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Class 7
Unit 12: The Merchant of Venice
Maximum Marks: 40

Read the poem.
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm’d;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimm’d;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st;

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
- William Shakespeare

a. Shakespeare compares his love to
i. the beauty of a summer’s day
ii. a summer’s day.
b. How is a summer’s day uncaring to the flowering trees?

i. Sometimes it becomes too hot.
ii. The rough winds in the summer knock off the blooming buds.
c. What, according to Shakespeare, would eventually fade away?

i. The beauty of nature
ii. The beauty of his love
d. What, according to Shakespeare, wouldn’t eventually fade away?

i. The characteristics of his love that are better than summer.
ii. The season of summer that comes back year after year.

a. How has the poet described the summer season and how does he
compare his love to it?
…………………………………………………………………………
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b. What are the imperfections of the summer sun?
…………………………………………………………………………
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c. How does the poet intend to internalize the fair lord’s beauty?
…………………………………………………………………………
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B. Writing 8 marks
Write a paraphrase of the lines given below.
“What are thou that usurp’st this time of night
Together with that fair and war like form
In which the majesty of buried Denmark
Did sometimes march?
By heaven I charge thee to speak.”
- William Shakespeare
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C. Grammar 12 marks
1. Identify the type of the sentences. (6)
a. I’m not talking to you. …………………………..
b. Who told you that? …………………………..
c. Who can tell me to study? …………………………..
d. What a brilliant idea! …………………………..
e. Just keep quiet. …………………………..
f. That’s a lovely place. …………………………..

2. Transform the sentences as directed. (6)
a. Who can be so foolish? (Change into a statement. Begin with No One
…)
………………………………………………………………………….
b. He is intelligent. (Change into a decorative negative sentence.)
………………………………………………………………………….
c. What a thoughtful action! (Change into a declarative affirmative
sentence. Begin with That …)
………………………………………………………………………….
d. Akbar was a just ruler. (Change into an interrogative sentence.)
………………………………………………………………………….
e. What’s in a name? (Change into a statement. Begin with There …)
………………………………………………………………………….
f. Monuments cannot be compared to buildings. (Change into question.)
………………………………………………………………………….

a. Shylock calls Antonio a good man. He means that Antonio is
i. kind and courteous.
ii. liked by everybody.
iii. wealthy and capable of returning the money back.
b. Bassanio wants the money because he

i. is extravagant.
ii. needs it to impress Portia and win the lady.
iii. needs it to get married to Portia.
c. Even the Duke was powerless to refuse Shylock his pound of flesh
because
i. changing the law would harm the trade in Venice.
ii. he had limited say in the law of Venice.
iii. he was neither the lawyer nor the judge in the court.

2. State whether the following sentences are True or False. (2)
a. Shylock lost all his property and his life was in danger because he was
a foreigner in Venice.
…………………………………………..
b. Dr Balthazar and Dr Bellario were the same people.
…………………………………………..
3. Answer with reference to context. (3+2=5)

“What sort of people are these, whose own hard hearts make them
suspect the kindness of others!”
a. Who said these lines and to whom? Which people did he refer to?
b. Who was suspicious and why?
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Poem Explanations: Coursebook 7
Poem 1: In the Bazaars of Hyderabad
Set in Hyderabad, the poem gives the reader a panoramic view of a traditional
Indian bazaar crowded with merchants, vendors, peddlers, goldsmiths, fruit and
flower sellers, musicians, magicians and goldsmiths. The poem is rich in imagery
and description, evoking the sights, fragrances and sounds of a bazaar.
Line by Line
The speaker asks what the merchants sell. The articles they have for sale are
plentiful and beautifully displayed. There are turbans in colours deep red and
silver, loose, wide sleeved garments made of purple cloth, interwoven with silver
and gold threads, mirrors that have panels made of dark yellow tree resin and
daggers with handles made from the green jade stone.
The speaker then asks what the vendors weigh, and sees that they weigh saffron,
lentil and rice. She asks the women what they are grinding, and learns that it is
sandalwood, henna and a range of spices. She asks what the peddlers are calling
out, and then hears them selling chessman and dice carved out of ivory.
Next the speaker asks what the goldsmiths make. She learns that they make
bracelets, anklets and rings, as well as bells, as light and delicate as the wings of a
dragonfly for the feet of blue pigeons (carrier pigeons that had tiny bells attached
to their feet to ward off birds of prey and also to identify themselves to their
owners). The goldsmiths also make belts of gold for dancers and gold covers for
the swords of kings.
The speaker asks what the fruit-men sell and then lists that they are selling citrus
fruits, pomegranates and plums. She wonders what the musicians play. She sees
them playing the sitar, a sarangi and a drum. She asks what the magicians chant
and writes that they chant spells for all the ages in time yet to come.
Finally the speaker asks what the flower girls weave with blue and red bunches of
decorative threads. She wonders if the flowers will be woven into crowns to be
worn by a bridegroom or strings of flowers that will decorate his bed, or whether
the newly collected blossoms will be woven into a sheet at a funeral to lend
perfume to the final sleep of life.
Elements of Poetry
1. Theme: The poem is a celebration of traditional Indian bazaars. Through the

list of wares, the poem gives us a picture of the cycle of life with its many
facets: from music and pleasure (sitar, sarangi and drum; chessmen and dice;
belts of gold for dancers) to war (scabbard), from marriage (flowers to
crown of a bridegroom) to a funeral (a sheet to perfume the sleep of the
dead).The bazaar represents this cyclical continuity of life.
2. Style: Each verse begins with a question to groups of people in the market
followed by a descriptive list that answers the question. The poem evokes
the pictures, sounds and scents of a bazaar with its rich and evocative
imagery, making the readers feel, as the title suggests, that they are in the
bazaar.
3. Rhyme Scheme: Each verse has three alternating rhyming lines: displayed-
brocade-jade, rice-spice-dice, ring-wing-king, plum-drum-come, red-bed-
dead.
4. Purpose: It is interesting to note that this poem was written when the idea of
using swadeshi goods instead of British goods was gaining popularity as part
of India’s Independence movement. The poem is a celebration of the
vibrancy of traditional Indian bazaars and crafts.
5. Poetic Devices:
o Imagery: The vivid imagery in the poem appeals to our senses. Here
are some examples:
 Visual  Olfactory and  Auditory
Gustatory
The display of wares The scent of sandalwood, The cry of the fruitmen,
henna, spices, citrus the music played by the
Turbans of crimson and fruits, the perfume of the musicians, the chanting
silver flowers of the magicians
Purple brocade
Panels of amber (yellow) The taste of the citrus Bells and anklets
Handles of jade (green) fruits, pomegranates and
plums
o Comparison: A simile is used to show how light and delicate the bells
that the goldsmith makes are. The speaker says that the bells were as
frail as a dragonfly’s wing.
o Contrast: The poet uses contrast to show how the bazaar reflects the
different facets of life. The goldsmiths make girdles for dancers as
well as scabbards for swords. Similarly the flower-girls weave a
crown for a bridegroom as well as a funeral sheet for the dead.
o Repetition: The questions repeated at the start of each verse echo the
repetitive cry of vendors and peddlers in a market.
Good to Know
1. When the poem was first published in 1913, a reviewer in the New York
Times described it as an Oriental gem.
2. Here is a poem Sarojini Naidu wrote on weaving, another popular Indian
craft. The theme and style of the poem is similar to that of In the Bazaars of
Hyderabad:
WEAVERS, weaving at break of day,

Why do you weave a garment so gay? . . .
Blue as the wing of a halcyon wild,
We weave the robes of a new-born child.
Weavers, weaving at fall of night,

Why do you weave a garment so bright? . . .
Like the plumes of a peacock, purple and green,
We weave the marriage-veils of a queen.
Weavers, weaving solemn and still,

What do you weave in the moonlight chill? . . .
White as a feather and white as a cloud,
We weave a dead man's funeral shroud.

Poem 2: Palm Tree
It is believed that a palm tree at Shantiniketan inspired Rabindranath Tagore to

compose this poem of yearning and fulfillment.
Line by Line Explanation
The palm tree stands tall in the night. The poet imagines that the palm tree, with its
long trunk, looks as though it is standing on one leg, taller than the other trees,
gazing at the sky. He imagines that the tree wants to pierce the grey clouds and fly
into the sky.
In the second verse, the speaker says that as leaves begin to grow and spread
around the top or head of the tree, the palm tree begins to believe that its wish is
coming true. According to the speaker, the palm tree imagines the long leaves with
fronds to be wings which will allow him to move about freely, away from home,
breaking all ties, all relationships and responsibilities that hold him down.
All day long, the branches of the tree shake and move in the breeze. The speaker
imagines that the tree is sighing and quivering as it thinks, in its own mind, that it
is flying high, touching the stars, and racing far across the sky.
But as soon as the wind stops, the leaves of the palm are silent and still. Now the
speaker imagines that the palm tree returns to reality. He imagines that the tree
thinks about its love for Earth, its mother, who gave birth to him. And then in this
stillness comes a realization and the tree once again feels a love for the Earth.
Elements of Poetry
1. Theme: In our restless moments we often look outward and yearn for things
we cannot have. But if we are still and reflect on the gifts that life has given
us, we will find fulfilment.
2. Style: Reflective
3. Mood: Pensive, thoughtful
4. Purpose: To realize that we all have yearnings and yet we must honour our
roots.
5. Poetic Devices:
 Imagery: The palm tree is personified: it stands, sees, wishes, thinks,

sighs, shivers and imagines
 Symbolism: The palm tree’s wish for something more is perhaps an
allegory of human yearning. The need to soar could represent the
human need for freedom and space, a need for something more; bonds
perhaps symbolize restrictions and responsibilities that we feel tie us
down; looking homeward towards mother Earth perhaps symbolize
our roots, our home, our families, a place of familiar love and
comfort.
Good to Know
1. Humans have used palm trees from the dawn of civilization. The palm was a
symbol of triumph and victory in Roman times and in Middle Eastern
cultures, the palm symbolizes hospitality and rest. Christians mark Palm
Sunday, the day of Jesus’ triumphal entry to Jerusalem and in the Jewish
faith, the palm signifies abundance and peace.

Poem 3: If
The poem is addressed to John, Kipling’s son, and is inspired by Leander Starr
Jameson, a political leader, an adventurer and a good friend of Kipling’s. This is
perhaps Kipling’s most popular and beloved poem. In this poem, the poet, who is
the speaker, is counseling his son on how to be the ideal person by listing a number
of challenges that he may face in life, and the essential virtues and characteristics
that one must have to meet those challenges.
In the opening stanza the speaker says that if his son can stay calm and collected
even when everyone around him is angry and laying the blame on him; if he can
trust himself even though everyone else doubts him, but allow some room for their
point of view; if he can learn to wait without getting tired of waiting; if he does not
indulge in telling lies even if others lie about him; if he does not give way to hating
others even if he is being hated; and in doing this, if he doesn’t try and look as
though he is better than others or talk as though he is wiser than others; then he
will be an ideal person.
In the next stanza the speaker tells his son that if he can dream, but not let his
dreams rule him, and if he can think, but not make those thoughts his goal; if he
can meet with success and failure, both of which are deceivers, and treat them both
in the same way (not get too pleased with success and too disheartened with failure
as they are short-lived judgments of other people); if he can bear the pain of
dishonest people twisting his words around to trap the foolish people who believe
the lies; and if all that he has devoted his life to is destroyed, still he is able to bend
and again make the effort (with the same methods or tools he has used over and
over again) to rebuild; then he will be an ideal person.
In the third stanza the speaker tells his son that if when the need arises he can take
necessary risks, losing all that he has amassed or collected as easily as one takes a
chance in a game (pitch-and toss) and if he loses, then if he can start over again
without going around complaining about his loss; if he can force his body and
spirit to continue to serve him much after they seem to have given up, and hold on
when there is nothing left in him except his own will power which tells his body
and spirit to hold on; if he can keep his own virtue and not be influenced by
company or what the rest of the crowd is doing; if he can associate with important
people and yet be humble enough to be courteous to all; if neither friends nor
enemies are able to hurt him; if the opinions of people matter to him but not so
much that it affects his life; if he can spend every minute (which will never come
back) with something worthwhile and meaningful; then the earth and everything in
it will be his, and more than anything, he will know he has become an ideal person.
Elements of Poetry
1. Theme: The virtues that the poet lists in this poem are time-tested values of
patience, fortitude and courtesy that gain increasing importance in our fast-
paced world.
2. Style: The poem illustrates a number of life’s challenges and suggests how
the listener might meet them. The poem is didactic.
3. Mood and tone: Serious but inspirational and motivational.
4. Rhyme scheme: a(b)a(b)cdcd
5. Purpose: To give a set of guidelines on how to live and act with integrity
and responsibility.
6. Poetic Devices:
 Repetition: Repetition of If you… to stress the importance of the

advice to the listener.
 Personification:
o not make dreams your master
o meeting triumph and disaster, the two imposters
o the Will which says to them (heart, nerve and sinew): ‘Hold
on!’
Good to Know
Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book

Poem 3: If
The poem is addressed to John, Kipling’s son, and is inspired by Leander Starr
Jameson, a political leader, an adventurer and a good friend of Kipling’s. This is
perhaps Kipling’s most popular and beloved poem. In this poem, the poet, who is
the speaker, is counseling his son on how to be the ideal person by listing a number
of challenges that he may face in life, and the essential virtues and characteristics
that one must have to meet those challenges.
In the opening stanza the speaker says that if his son can stay calm and collected
even when everyone around him is angry and laying the blame on him; if he can
trust himself even though everyone else doubts him, but allow some room for their
point of view; if he can learn to wait without getting tired of waiting; if he does not
indulge in telling lies even if others lie about him; if he does not give way to hating
others even if he is being hated; and in doing this, if he doesn’t try and look as
though he is better than others or talk as though he is wiser than others; then he
will be an ideal person.
In the next stanza the speaker tells his son that if he can dream, but not let his
dreams rule him, and if he can think, but not make those thoughts his goal; if he
can meet with success and failure, both of which are deceivers, and treat them both
in the same way (not get too pleased with success and too disheartened with failure
as they are short-lived judgments of other people); if he can bear the pain of
dishonest people twisting his words around to trap the foolish people who believe
the lies; and if all that he has devoted his life to is destroyed, still he is able to bend
and again make the effort (with the same methods or tools he has used over and
over again) to rebuild; then he will be an ideal person.
In the third stanza the speaker tells his son that if when the need arises he can take
necessary risks, losing all that he has amassed or collected as easily as one takes a
chance in a game (pitch-and toss) and if he loses, then if he can start over again
without going around complaining about his loss; if he can force his body and
spirit to continue to serve him much after they seem to have given up, and hold on
when there is nothing left in him except his own will power which tells his body
and spirit to hold on; if he can keep his own virtue and not be influenced by
company or what the rest of the crowd is doing; if he can associate with important
people and yet be humble enough to be courteous to all; if neither friends nor
enemies are able to hurt him; if the opinions of people matter to him but not so
much that it affects his life; if he can spend every minute (which will never come
back) with something worthwhile and meaningful; then the earth and everything in
it will be his, and more than anything, he will know he has become an ideal person.
Elements of Poetry
1. Theme: The virtues that the poet lists in this poem are time-tested values of
patience, fortitude and courtesy that gain increasing importance in our fast-
paced world.
2. Style: The poem illustrates a number of life’s challenges and suggests how
the listener might meet them. The poem is didactic.
3. Mood and tone: Serious but inspirational and motivational.
4. Rhyme scheme: a(b)a(b)cdcd
5. Purpose: To give a set of guidelines on how to live and act with integrity
and responsibility.
6. Poetic Devices:
 Repetition: Repetition of If you… to stress the importance of the

advice to the listener.
 Personification:
o not make dreams your master
o meeting triumph and disaster, the two imposters
o the Will which says to them (heart, nerve and sinew): ‘Hold
on!’
Good to Know
Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book

Poem 4: Against Idleness and Mischief, How Doth the Little Crocodile
Against Idleness and Mischief
This moralistic poem is part of a collection called the Divine Songs Attempted in
Easy Language for the Use of Children by Isaac Watts. It was first published in
1715.
In this poem, the poet describes how the little busy honey bee uses each hour of
every bright day and gathers honey all day long from every flower that opens. She
builds the cells of her hive with great skill and neatly spreads wax over it. She
works hard to store it with plenty of the sweet honey she makes.
Elements of Poetry
1. Theme: Hard work and effort are virtues.

2. Style: Didactic
3. Rhyme scheme: abcb
4. Purpose: To make children understand the values of diligence and ceaseless
effort; to encourage them to learn from the example of the busy bee and put
each hour of the day to use
How Doth the Little Crocodile
This poem is a parody of Against Idleness and Mischief, and first found in the
book, Alice in Wonderland. Alice is trying to recite the poem Against Idleness
and Mischief, but because she is dizzy, she recites it all wrong.
The little crocodile uses his shining tail and constantly pours water from the river
Nile on all of his golden scales. He seems to give a very broad, cheerful smile,
showing all of his teeth to smile; he spreads his claws out very neatly and
welcomes little fish from the river into his gently smiling jaws.
Elements of Poetry
1. Style: A humorous parody. There is a wide contrast between the busy bee
building its hive and diligently storing sweet honey and the sly crocodile
pretending to smile and opening its jaws to trap fish, and this gives rise to
the humour.
2. Rhyme scheme: abcb
3. Purpose: To entertain
Good to Know
1. Charles Lutwidge Dodgson wrote 11 books on mathematics. He was also a

photographer.
2. Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels is considered a parody of travel
narratives like Robinson Crusoe.

Poem 5: Geography Lesson
The speaker is a person who travels and has an appreciation for travel. When he
was a student, he had a teacher whose dream it was to sail to places he saw on the
maps. He shared this dream with his students. The teacher could not afford to
travel and he died rather suddenly without ever going to the places he had dreamt
of. He is soon forgotten at the school but the speaker later travels to the places and
thinks of his teacher who inspired his love for travel.
Line by Line Explanation:
The poem begins with the speaker saying that his teacher told his class of students
that one day he would leave the school and his work behind and sail across the
warm blue sea to distant places he had seen on maps. That is what he longed to do
all his life.
Even though his teacher lived in a narrow grey house, probably in a place that was
dull and cold, he imagined buildings with sweet scented jasmine hanging tightly
around the walls and orchards with green leaves shinning on orange trees.
The teacher talked about the places he wished to visit where it was never dull or
cold and the speaker never quite understood why his teacher did not leave his job
and all the responsibilities at the school that held him back. He failed to understand
why his teacher did not travel to all the places he described.
Halfway through the speaker’s final term, the teacher fell ill and never returned to
teach at the school. The speaker said that the teacher did not manage to travel to
places on the maps that he had always imagined, with the green leaves on orange
trees – implying that the teacher passed away without having fulfilled his dreams.
Soon the maps on the classroom walls were changed, and everyone forgot about
the teacher, but a lesson the teacher didn’t know he even taught remained with the
speaker and it is with him to this day – that is the love for travel.
The speaker traveled to those distant places on the map, where the green leaves
burn, where the ocean is as clear as glass and blue, to the places his teacher made
him fall in love with but which he never himself knew of.
Elements of Poetry
1. Theme: The impact of a teacher or an inspirational figure in our lives –

teachers transform lives.
2. Mood: Poignant
3. Purpose: To build an appreciation for those who touch and transform our
lives and sensitivity towards those who dream of things they can never
reach. Also to realize that often we think we may not have achieved much
but we have – the teacher did not realize the great impact he had had on the
life of his student.
4. Poetic Devices:
 Repetition: The poet repeats the image of the green leaves burning on
the orange tree three times in the poem. This image represents all the
places the teacher wished to visit – the ones he saw on the maps.
 Contrast: Phrases in the poem indicate that the life of the teacher was
dull, insignificant, colourless and suffocating: narrow and grey,
classroom walls, stranglehold, drab or cold, faded away, forgotten.
In contrast, the world he wishes to see, but never knew, is represented
by vibrant, warm, expansive images: sailing across a warm blue sea,
sweet-scented jasmine, green leaves burning on an orange tree, the
ocean’s glass-clear and blue.
Good to Know:
1. "I feel that poetry permits us to wake up our memory and association and
view familiar things in a different way. If I was to define poetry, I would say,
'One of the many things a poem can do / Is remind us what we forgot we
knew'" - Brian Patten
2. Here is a link to another poem by Brian Patten – it’s about words.
https://books.google.co.in/books?id=_zyy0A5Mc2UC&pg=PT133&source=
gbs_toc_r&cad=3#v=onepage&q&f=false
Poem 6: Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening
The speaker stops by some woods on a snowy evening, takes in the beautiful, quiet
picture of the woods and wishes he could stay longer but realizes that he must
leave to complete the responsibilities and obligations he has before the day ends.
The speaker has stopped by someone’s woods on a cold, snowy winter evening.
He thinks he knows who the woods belong to. The owner has a house in the village
and he probably will not see the speaker stopping by in his woods to see them fill
up with snow.
The speaker’s horse finds it strange that they have stopped in the middle of a forest
near a frozen lake with no farmhouse close by, on the darkest evening of the year.
The horse shakes the bells that are on the leather strip around his harness, as if to
ask his master whether they have stopped there by mistake. At this point, the only
other sound in the forest is that of the wind and snowflakes.
The speaker then reflects that the woods are lovely, dark and deep, but he has
obligations and responsibilities to fulfill, and much to do before he can rest.
Elements of Poetry
1. Theme: The conflict between a pull towards the things we would like to do
on one hand and the responsibilities and obligations that we must fulfill
which often do not give us time to do what we would like to.
2. Style: It is a reflective poem, a metaphor for the journey of life. Simple at
the surface level, like the woods it describes, the poem is both lovely in its
composition and deep with its underlying meaning.
3. Mood and tone: Readers are divided in opinion over the mood and tone.
While some believe that it is a serene poem with a calm acceptance of the
journey of life, others think the poem is pessimistic and depressing.
4. Purpose: To engage the reader in a reflection of life, longing and
responsibilities
5. Poetic Devices:
 Repetition: The poet repeats the last line And miles to go before I
sleep twice. This is to lay emphasis on the obligations and
responsibilities that bear down upon us. If we imagine these lines
spoken, we can almost hear the speaker sigh as he says them.
 Alliteration: sound’s the sweep
 Personification: My little horse must think it queer; He gives his
harness bells a shake to ask if there is some mistake…
 Symbolism: The phrase promises to keep perhaps symbolizes
responsibilities and obligations while sleep signifies rest.
 Rhyme scheme: The poem is divided into four stanzas. In the first
three verses, the first, second and the fourth lines rhyme. The rhyme
of the third line carries over to the next verse giving the poem the
following rhyming pattern: aaba bbcb ccdc dddd.
 Imagery:
o Visual – woods fill up with snow; woods are lovely, dark and
deep
o Auditory – gives his harness bells a shake; easy wind and
downy flake
o Tactile – downy flake
Good to Know
1. Here is a link to another poem by Robert Frost – it is also about a journey

and a decision the speaker takes. http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-
road-not-taken/
2. A link to the poet reading the poem:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie2Mspukx14

New Mulberry English Course Question Bank: Coursebook 7 Chapter 1: The Rumphius Story 1. Fill in The Blanks. / Complete The Sentences

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New Mulberry English Course Question Bank: Coursebook 7 Chapter 1: The Rumphius Story 1. Fill in The Blanks. / Complete The Sentences

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New Mulberry English Course

Question Bank: Coursebook 7

Chapter 1: The Rumphius Story

1. Fill in the blanks. / Complete the sentences.

a. Lupine flower grows mainly in North America and ……………………….

2. Multiple Choice Questions

a. Alice would listen to stories from her grandfather of

b. Bapa Raja offered ………………….. to Miss Rumphius on her departure.

c. Miss Rumphius sowed lupines during the ……………….. season.

b. What did grandfather tell Miss Rumphius to do in her life?

c. What was offered by Bapa Raja to Miss Rumphius on her arrival?

i. Who is she and why did she cry?

5. Long Answers (Read, reflect and write)

1. Reference to Context Questions

a. „What do you sell, O ye merchants?

i. What are displayed richly?

b. „What do you grind, O ye maidens?

b. What is meant by aeons?

d. Every stanza of In the Bazaars of Hyderabad begins with a question

Chapter 2: The Ants Come Marching

1. Fill in the blanks. / Complete the sentences.

a. Ants can lift about ……………….. times their body weight.

2. Multiple Choice Questions

b. Ants communicate with other ants using their

c. Benjamin Franklin tried to understand the communication of ants by

a. What do the ants do when they find heavy food stuff?

d. How do the ants move to the location of food?

4. Reference to Context Questions

i. Who is she in the story?

i. Who struggles for a while and then dashes away?

c. Ants also exchange information with their antennae.

i. What kind of information is exchanged by the ants?

5. General Questions (Read, reflect and write)

a. Which quality separates the ants from other creatures of the

c. Mr Franklin as a scientist has several inventions and discoveries

1. Fill in the blanks.

2. Multiple Choice Questions

a. The narrator had shifted to ………………….

b. The narrator was competing in ………………. meter race.

c. The narrator arrived at her new school during the …………………..

d. The narrator had shifted to Delhi because

e. At which position did the narrator finish the race?

a. Why do you think the life of Suvira’s narrator had changed

b. What activity was happening on the second day of school?

c. School students were cheering for whom and why?

d. What advantages did Suvira have over the narrator during

e. Did the narrator feel intimated by the chanting of the crowd?

4. Reference to Context Questions

a. „Queen of the fast track‟ or something grand like that!

i. Who is Queen of the fast track?

i. Who is talking about whose expectations?

c. „Slow down! Slow down!‟ I told myself.

i. Why did the narrator tell herself to slow down?

5. Long Questions (Read, reflect and write)

c. Describe the feelings in the narrator’s mind before the race.

Poem: Palm Tree

1. Reference to Context Questions

a. He thinks they're wings,

i. What, according to him, are his wings?

b. In his own mind

i. When does the tree fly? Does he really fly?

2. General Questions (Read, reflect and write)