4.

The goldsmiths are making wristlets, anklets, rings and bells for the feet of pigeons, gold girdles
for dancers and gold scabbards for kings.
5.  The speaker uses the word cry while referring to fruitmen because they call out the names and
prices of the fruits in order to catch the attention of the customers.
6. The magicians announce that their spells would last forever.
7. In the last stanza, the speaker contrasts joy and sorrow by talking about the bright tassels for the
crown of a bridegroom and his wedding bed on the one hand, and the white flowers for the last
bed of a dead person on the other hand.
B. 1. The merchants’ wares were rich because they included rich silks, tunics with brocade work,
amber-panelled mirrors and daggers covered with jade.
2. The bells were as thin as dragonfly’s wings because they would need to be light since they were
meant to be tied to the feet of pigeons.
3. The three musical instruments mentioned in the poem are the sitar, the sarangi and the drum.
4. The flower-girls are weaving two different kinds of garlands because the bright garlands were
meant for the bridegroom and the white garland was meant for the dead.
C. 1. 
The bazaar in the poem is mostly for luxury goods, as costly and attractive things like brocade
tunics, amber-panelled mirrors, jade-handled daggers, saffron, sandalwood, different kinds of gold
jewellery and ivory dice are sold here.

Appreciating the Poem


Suggested answer (accept any logical answer) The question-answer format does add excitement to
the scene. The speaker repeatedly questions each seller—‘What do you sell, O ye merchants?’ The
replies of each seller contributes to the effect of movement as each stanza contains details about
products that each of the sellers has brought. In the second stanza of the poem, three separate
vendors list their wares—‘saffron and lentil and rice’, ‘Sandalwood, henna and spice’ and ‘chessmen
and ivory dice’. This quick shift of images creates a mosaic of colourful imagery while also indicating
quick movement and the proximity of the sellers, as one would encounter in a market. The sights and
sounds of a market are brought out very faithfully.

Vocabulary
1. a. traders   2. a. announce   3. a. Delicate   4. a. Sheaths   5. a. years   6. a. head

Going Further
Free response.

THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING RING UNIT 11

Comprehension
A. 1. The narrator was an observant man. He looked at people, noticed things about them and
wondered who they were. He watched what they were doing and wondered why they were doing
it. He showed and sold things to customers at Regnier’s, an antique jewellery shop. In the morning,
his duty was to put some pieces of jewellery in the window of the shop and he had to take them
out at night.

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 2. The narrator found the ring in the third tray missing when he turned back to the counter after
taking out a fourth tray of rings from the safe.
3. The man glared at Ms Susskind as she suggested that he look for the missing ring in the turn-ups
of his trousers.
4. A young woman had come into the shop and laid out a paper packet containing a brooch on the
counter. She asked for it to be repaired. When the narrator told her that they did not do repairs,
she turned to leave and her bag touched the paper in such a way that it fell on the narrator’s side
of the counter. This seemed like an accident but to the narrator it seemed that this was done on
purpose.
5. The narrator noticed that the girl took out a packet from her bag with her left hand just where
the man, who was left-handed, had put his hand after the narrator had taken the tray of rings
out of the safe—just before he noticed that the flower ring was missing. He remembered that
the man had stopped chewing gum when they were all searching for the ring. The man had not
moved from where he was standing. So he must have put it somewhere within reach. There was
nowhere he could have put it, except under the edge of the counter. That is where the narrator
looked for the chewing gum, just as the girl was turning to go out of the shop. There was a mark
on the gum where the ring was pressed into it. As the narrator handed the brooch to the girl
and she turned to leave, he asked her to stop and to hand over the ring she had hidden in the
left pocket of her coat.
6. The man had stolen the ring when the narrator had turned his back to get out the fourth tray of
rings. He had used his chewing gum to stick it under the edge of the counter. The girl had then
followed his instructions and taken the ring from under the edge of the counter and put it in
the left pocket of her coat. The ring was recovered when the narrator insisted that the girl return
the ring and scared her by mentioning exactly where she had kept it. The girl was afraid of being
caught so she handed the ring over to the narrator.
B. 1. c.  it was gone before the narrator took out other rings to show the man.
2. a.  asked to search his turn-ups.
3. b.  confident that he would not be caught.
4. b.  drawing attention to the attempted theft.
5. c.  agrees with the narrator that the girl knew that Regnier’s did not do cheap repairs.
C. 1. The two customers were not expecting to be caught. This is why the man laughed when Ms
Susskind suggested that he look in his turn-ups for the missing ring. When the narrator called
out to stop the woman from leaving the shop, she pretended like she hadn’t heard him. She was
confident that their clever ploy would fool the people at Regnier’s and no one would be able to
trace the ring back to them.
2. a. This shows that the man was either angry or trying to hide something and that he had kept his
chewing gum somewhere in the shop. Later, the narrator realised that the man had stopped
chewing gum because he had used it to press the ring under the edge of the counter.
b. The action of the girl dropping the paper packet containing the brooch was made to seem like
an accident. This means that she was up to something and wanted to distract the narrator.
c. Since the narrator knew that the girl was not left-handed, this action is odd and makes one
wonder immediately whether the girl was in league with the man and if they had planned the
theft of the ring together.

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 Grammar
DO IO
A. 2. Rakesh gifted a mango sapling to his sister.
DO IO
3. Neetisha likes eating cornflakes for breakfast.
DO
4. The mountaineer dipped his towel in the hot spring.
DO
5. The teacher allowed us to submit the project.
IO DO
6. The jury awarded Sashank the Best Performer trophy.
IO
7. The police are searching for the kidnappers.
DO
8. Her uncle gifted her her first boxing gloves.

B. IO
2. to Mrs Brown of Mayfair Road?
DO
3. the birds in the courtyard?
IO
4.
to the Mishras of Pant Nagar.
IO
5.
to collect information for the history project.
IO
6.
for the science exam.

Vocabulary
2. musician  3. accompaniment  4. capacity  5. elevation

Listening
1. Dr Bell was Arthur Conan Doyle’s teacher at the University of Edinburgh.
2. Dr Bell observed his patients very carefully in addition to questioning them about their ailments.
3. The patient was a soldier who had recently retired from service. This is why he did not take his
hat off.
4. The man was suffering from elephantiasis which was a West Indian disease. This is how Dr Bell
knew that he had been stationed at Barbados.
5. A Study in Scarlet is the first book in which Sherlock Holmes appeared.

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 Speaking
Suggested answer (accept all logical answers)
Student 1: Did everyone like the play?
1.
Student 2: They loved it, thank you so much for helping me to write it!
Student 2: You are welcome.

Student 1: I have forgotten to bring a map for the test, Ma’am.

2.
Student 2: You may borrow a map from me. Here it is.
Student 1: It is very kind of you. Thank you, Ma’am.

Writing
Suggested answer (accept all logical answers)
From deepti@quickmail.com
To nareng@quickmail.com
Subject
New Karate class

Dear Naren
My exams have ended and I finally joined karate class. Last week, Papa got me a form
from the neighbouring academy and got me to fill it up. Maa and Papa are both
convinced that I should take up karate for self-defense and physical fitness.
My first class at the academy was very exciting. I had seen some karate moves and was
eager to show them off. Turned out to be the wrong thing to do because I kept slipping
and fell each time I tried to do them. The instructor is fabulous! He can twist his body
in all directions. Most importantly, all his moves are so effortless and light that they
seem extremely easy to do. My bruises testify otherwise, but that’s what you expect of
a beginner. Do you know there are girls younger than me at the class? It seems I have
joined karate quite late! But I am determined to make up for lost time. Very soon, I will
be the best Karate black belt in town!
Will write more next week.

Love,
Deepu

Punctuation
1. The three basic things human beings require for living are the following: food, shelter and clothes.
2. The last train from this station leaves at 12:40 am. The next train is at 6:45 in the morning.
3. Warning: Slippery floor.
4. You cannot go alone to watch the film: you must be accompanied by an adult.

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 5. Mihir: Do you have any plans for this Teachers’ Day? Asif: I was thinking of a musical play.
Sonal: We don’t have enough time to rehearse for it. Jill: Let us have the rehearsals at my house
for an hour every day. That should be enough.
6. My uncle gifted me Oliver Twist: The Parish Boy’s Progress.

THE COURT OF JUSTICE  UNIT 12

Comprehension
A. 1. Bellario’s letter praised the young lawyer. The lawyer was waiting outside the court.
2. The Duke received the lawyer with warm words of welcome. He respectfully asked the lawyer if he
knew about the case before the court.
3. The lawyer found the lawsuit strange. He however was motivated to deliver justice. When Antonio
confessed that he had broken the terms of the agreement, the lawyer requested Shylock to be
merciful. Shylock was unwilling to follow the lawyer’s advice and retorted by enquiring why he
ought to be merciful to Antonio.
4. Bassanio tried to repay Antonio’s debt to Shylock. He was even willing to pay twice or ten times
the principal amount in order to save his friend. As Shylock steadfastly refused to accept the
payment from Bassanio, he was anguished and requested the lawyer to make an exception in
Antonio’s case to prevent Shylock for harming him. He pointed out that Shylock was malicious
and intended to harm Antonio deliberately. The law however did not permit Bassanio ro repay
Antonio’s debt. The lawyer Balthasar said that if he made an exception in Antonio’s case, it would
be recorded as a precedent and would be open to misuse in future.
5. The terms laid down in the bond stated that if Antonio was unable to repay the entire amount
that he had borrowed from Shylock within a stipulated period of time, Shylock would carve out a
pound of flesh from Antonio’s chest.
6. Balthasar requested Shylock to call a doctor to treat Antonio and prevent him from bleeding to
death. Shylock in turn asked Balthasar if that was written in the bond, indicating that he would
not do anything that was not directly mentioned there.
7. Antonio bade farewell to Bassanio by telling him to convey his good wishes to his wife Portia
and remember him as a true friend who did not regret borrowing money from Shylock to help
Bassanio out. He assured Bassanio that he was well-prepared to meet his fate and reflected on the
advantages of dying when youthful and strong in stead of dying of sickness, pain and suffering in
old age. He also requested Bassanio to tell the tale of his friendship with Antonio and remember
him fondly after his death. He is completely unperturbed by Shylock’s attempts to harm him and
declared that he was not afraid to die in order to repay Bassanio’s debt.
8. Shylock wanted Antonio to repay his debt with his own life. No, he was not successful.
B. 1. a. Portia, disguised as Balthasar, said this to Shylock.
b. Portia compares mercy to gentle rain. It benefits both the person who receives it and the
person who delivers it. She points out that mercy and forgiveness are godly characteristics and
make the earthly King more powerful and well-loved than his crown and sceptre would ever
do. When justice is accompanied with mercy and compassion, the souls of both the giver and
the receiver are redeemed.
c. Shylock rudely refused to be compassionate and declared that he would ensure that Antonio’s
debt was repaid according to the terms laid out in the contract.

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