Question 1:

You are Rachana/Rakesh. You have been asked to write an article for your school
magazine titled ‘The Sights and Sounds of Our City’. You decide to observe a busy
street in the main shopping area to collect material for your article. You note the
following: —quiet in the morning—crowded in the afternoon—housewives out
shopping—vehicular traffic—noise—vendors occupying pavements—stray cattle on the
road—evening—lights transform the scene-people out for strolling—eating.
Write your article in 150-200 words using the above notes and your own ideas.
Answer:

THE SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF OUR CITY

(by Rachana/Rakesh)

Railway Road of our city is a very busy street. It has shops, eating places and
residential accommodation above the shops. The pavements on either side are
occupied by the vendors. There are small kiosks of ‘pan-wallahs’ and the ironing man.
The cobblers, vegetable sellers and cheap ready-made clothes sellers sit on the ground
in front of the shops. Thus the wide road is reduced to a narrow lane.
There is peace and quietness in the morning as there is very little activity in the market.
Children and adults are busy at home. The street comes to life as the day advances and
the shops start opening. By 11 o’clock the street begins to hum with activities. People
from villages start pouring in for shopping. Afternoons are busier as local housewives
also go for shopping. As early evening approaches, more vegetable and fruit vendors
appear. The scene is transformed with the switching on of lights. The atmosphere
becomes bright, gay and festive. Well-dressed people can be seen shopping for
children and visiting restaurants. It is indeed a time for family outing. Roads are
crowded as people start coming back from offices, factories and outstations. The only
blemish in this street is that stray cattle—cows, buffaloes, dogs, pigs and monkeys—
wander freely on the road and cause inconvenience to all.

Question 2:
You are Aditi/Aditya. You visited the Taj at Agra during the Autumn break when the
Historical Society of your school organised a trip. You were impressed and noted the
following points:
Autumn break—school closed—trip to Agra organised—journey—Taj Express—first
sight of the Taj—impressions—History teacher as guide—some other places visited—
Red Fort, Fatehpur Sikri—trip: educative & entertaining.
Using the above notes and your own ideas, write an article on ‘A visit to a Place of
Historical Interest’ in 150-200 words.
Answer:

A VISIT TO A PLACE OF HISTORICAL INTEREST

(by Aditi / Aditya)
The schools in Delhi closed for autumn break on Saturday, the 27th September. The
Historical Society of our school arranged a trip to Agra. We started early in the morning
the next day by the Taj Express. The two hour journey was very pleasant and quite
comfortable. After half-an-hour we had the first glimpse of the Taj. It is indeed a marvel
in marble, one of the wonders of the world. The serene beauty of the Taj cast a spell on
me. It appeared to me like a dream in marble. Our History teacher
played the role of a guide as well. He explained each part of this monument in detail.
Then we visited other places of historical interest such as the Red Fort and the Moti
Masjid. The visit to Fatehpur Sikri and the ‘Buland Darwaja’ filled us with excitement.
This historical town is now uninhabited. On the whole, the trip proved very educative
and entertaining. For the first time History appeared as a vivid and living subject.

Question 3:
In most Indian families, particularly in rural areas, the girl child is considered inferior to
the male child. As a result of this bias, a daughter is considered a burden and she
suffers discrimination in the matter of food, freedom, health and education. Write an
article in 150-200 words showing how such an attitude is harmful and unjust. You are
Satyen/Sunidhi.
Answer:

EVILS OF GENDER DISCRIMINATION

(by Satycn /Surddhi)

In our male-dominated society the girl child is considered inferior. The birth of a male
child is an event for celebration while that of a female child is rued. The bias is more
pronounced in rural areas. Daughters are not given good quality food. Milk, eggs, fruit,
etc. are reserved for the boys. Girls are sent to schools which have no claim to any
quality education or facilities. On the other hand, boys are sent to the most exclusive
‘public schools’. After school the daughters stay at home and assist in household work.
The boys go out to meet friends, enjoy movies and shows or play games. It is the girls
who face all types of restrictions. This discrimination is unjust and harmful. Ultimately it
is the society that suffers. Girls too have intelligence, talent and creativity. Indeed they
have more sensibility, affection and love. We should end the evil discrimination against
the girl child.

Question 4:
The Information Technology has provided new avenues to the students for knowledge,
creativity, discovery as well as job opportunities at home and abroad. Computers have
brought in a silent revolution. Write an article in 150-200 words showing how the
information technology has provided the younger generation new opportunities, joys of
discovery and thrill of creativity. You are Madhu/Mudit.
Answer:
 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND YOUNGER GENERATION
(by Madhu/Mudit)

The Information Technology has provided new avenues to the students for acquiring
knowledge, enhancing thrills of creativity, enjoying pleasures of discovery as well as
new job opportunities at home and abroad. Computers have brought in a silent
revolution. These electronic devices are as efficient as the best of human brains.
Computers have become indispensable in data-processing and resource planning.
Access to Internet’ has opened vast field of knowledge to the computer-operator.
Computer is more than a calculating machine. No doubt it has made lengthy
calculations and working out tedious problems a matter of fun. In writing articles too it
helps like a good friend by correcting spellings and grammatical errors. Web-designing,
e-mail and e-commerce are quite engrossing and rewarding.

Question 5:
Our country is prone to disasters like floods, drought, cyclones, or earthquakes. Ad hoc
measures are adopted to cope with every disaster. The slow response results in loss of
human life and property. Write an article for a newspaper giving suggestions about
disaster management. You may suggest having special equipment, trained personnel,
better transport and communication, quick decisions and speedy implementation. Your
article should be of 150-200 words. You are Shishir/Shweta.
Answer:

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
(by Shishir /Shweta)

Our country is prone to disasters like floods, drought, cyclones, or earthquakes. We do

not have any clear-cut policy of disaster management nor any force to tackle the
situation. Ad hoc measures are adopted to cope with every disaster. We wait and watch
for others to join the fray. There are heated arguments over jurisdiction—centre or state
liability, official assessment and surveys before any help is rushed out to the affected
area. The slow response results in the loss of precious human life and valuable
property. We must have clear-cut, well defined guidelines for disaster management. A
well-trained task-force having special equipment and trained personnel should be
constituted. Its controlling officer should have the authority to take decisions and ensure
their speedy implementation. Better transport and communication facilities will ensure
better results. Bureaucratic set-up should not be allowed to interfere with the work of the
disaster-management group.