Solution of Activities from ‘Focus on Comprehension’

Activity 1.1
i) The Text Type: Informative and Persuasive
ii) It is informative as it gives information about the rain forests and what is happening to them. It
is persuasive as it persuades the reader to come forward with their donations to save the trees.

Activity 1.2
i) Identifying the Genre: This fictional extract may be called a ‘horror story’ or a ‘gothic horror’.
ii) Clues to Decide:
 Weird and horrible description
 The following and phrases and clauses: ‘…he is a prisoner’, ‘…repulsion and terror’, ‘…
dreadful abyss’, ‘…cloak spreading out like great wings’, ‘…some weird effect’, ‘…as a lizard
moves along the wall’.
 The title of the story ‘Dracula’

Activity 1.3
i) Identifying the Categories of Purposes:
Extract (a): to analyses, review, comment
Extract (b): to inform, explain, describe
ii) Why some words are printed in bold:
Ans: Some of the words and phrases are printed in bold because either they are titles or proper
nouns or they have been greater stress by the writer to invite greater attention of the reader.
iii) How the writer of the extract would know if his/her writing is effective:
Ans: The writer of the extract would know if his/her writing is effective by reading the response
of the intended audience in the form of the readers’ comments, reviews and analyses.

Activity 1.4
i) The effect the writer tried to achieve: emotional
ii) How does the article affect you?
Ans: This article moves us emotionally and arouses sympathy and pity for the babies hanging
from nets in an orphanage in Cambodia. The disgusting sight of the poor children also arouses
our anger and disgust against those who are running this orphanage.

Activity 1.5
i) Three words or Phrases Intended to have emotional effect: hang on with no pants on, left to
urinate and vomit through the nets, nobody wipes the babies clean OR nobody hugs or cuddles
them.
ii) What the writer wants us to feel and what she wanats us to do: The writer wants us to feel
pity and sympathy for the suffering babies and disgust and anger against those who are
neglecting them. She wants us to come forward to do something to change the condition of
those children.
Activity 2.1
The following sentence presents the most important piece of information:

Many biologists think that ecotourists present the greatest threat to mountain gorilla.

Activity 2.2
1. The following information is given in this sentence:
 The wave of gorilla hunting began in 1902.
 It started in the guise of scientific research.
 Some well armed hunters killed the gorillas.
 The hunters exaggerated their bravery in overcoming these dangerous animals.
2. We can identify about four separate pieces of information.

Activity 2.3

I would choose the following sentence for a horror story:

Whistling a cheerful tune, he entered the room.

Activity 2.4

1. Eppie had already noticed how scissors were used and she was interested in their use. When Silas
was busy in his work, Eppie moved like a small mouse and approached the scissors. She got the
scissors and went back to her bed again stealthily. She sat with her back towards Silas to conceal
the fact. She cleverly cut the linen strip successfully and ran out of the door. She went out where
the sun was shining bright. She did all that so secretly that Silas could not detect her.
2. Silas was anxiously searching for the lost Eppie. He was searching her around the hedgerows. He
moved on the grass here and there and searched her behind red bushes called sorrel and still
further on all around. He was highly worried and disturbed.
3. Silas was over excited on seeing Eppie. He was having an ecstatic feeling of joy as he had just come
out of strong fear and pain on seeing her. He had mixed feelings of happiness and wonder on
seeing her stable.

Activity 2.5
1. It might have been better if Eppie had cried more because she would have got better realization of
her error and it would have been a more durable lesson for her. Perhaps, she would never do such a
mistake again.
2. Eppie is found by Silas who gives her sobbing kisses. Then she is brought home by her Daddy who
snubs her heavily and puts her in the coal hole for a short time as a punishment. She starts crying
there and then Silas opens the door and lets her out again. In half an hour she is washed and
cleaned. She is not fastened to the linen band again and she peeps at Silas with her black face.

Activity 2.6
 Favoured: supported

Requisition: demand, use, application Philosophic: thoughtful, based on reason

Effectual: effective, useful Descrying: visibility, visual appearance
Traversed: travelled across Aberration: deviation from a correct state

Activity 3.1
An Immortal, Mysterious Brain

Activity 3.2
1. 4 = A: The Letter Disclosing the Reality of Ishi’s Brain
2 = B: What Happens to Ishi after Coming out of Californian Wilderness
3 = C: Ishi’s Five Years Stay at the University of California and His Death
6 = D: The Campaign to Find out Ishi’s Descendants
5 = E: Controversy over Ishi’s Heirs and the Need to Bury his Brain
2. The clues that have helped us in reorder the paragraph are chronological details given in
different paragraph i.e. different dates and the incidents of story that befall in logical order.

Activity 3.3
1. Paragraph 3: In the past, the people were worried about the expanding bills of their mobile
phones. Now people are worried about the fast expanding fear of microwave radiation.

Paragraph 4: The researchers went hunting the reality of health risks caused by mobile phones.
They talked to the scientists and examined the studies done on human beings, mice and some
worms.

Paragraph 5: There is no solid proof that mobile phones cause illness. Some researches show that
they are harmful but the results are not reproducible.

Paragraph 6: We generally focus the bad news only. Twice it has been shown that mobile phone
emissions can damage DNA or cause cancer. But, most of the studies show that these emissions are
harmless.

Paragraph 7: Science can’t offer total certainty. Microwaves are harmless for mice and so are
mobile phones for people. Public fears help scientists to win them funding for research.

Paragraph 8: It is difficult to overcome health scares. If mobile phones are proved harmful, many
people and their lawyers will claim that the deaths of their dear ones were caused by mobile
phones.

Paragraph 9: The evidence against the claim that leukaemia is caused by radiation from TV towers
and breast implants cause autoimmune disease has crumbled down. Yet some people believe so.
 Paragraph 10: It is not easy to prove anything harmless. Researches are intentionally delayed to
avoid consequences and to get more funds. Once the research is over, the manufactures start using
new tricks.

Paragraph 11: In 1960’s people were worried about X-rays from TV tubes. In 1980’s they are afraid
of electromagnetic field from computer terminals. In 1990’s people have started talking about
Internet Addiction syndrome.

Paragraph: 12: We can start a health scare with new technology quickly but once people are
familiar, they accept it.

Paragraph 13: There will be no major scare about hairdryers.

2. The people in modern era are constantly worried about various health risks linked with new
technology. Every new invention gives rise to some new health scare. Such fears are mostly
baseless and self made. The scientists do not give any clear-cut answer to questions based on these
fears.

Activity 4.1
1. On March 6th, 1828, in Nuremberg, a young man in peasant dress and with the demeanour of an
intoxicated person, handed a letter to one of the citizens of the town.
2. “I send you a boy who wishes faithfully to serve his king.”
3. “I all men love; do no one anything. Why the man kill? I have done nothing...”
4. Kaspar shows some similarities with children who are learning language, in that he over-generalized
certain concepts: all hills were mountains and a fat man was called “the man with the mountain”.
And a lady whose shawl dragged on the ground was called “the lady with a tail”.

Activity 4.2
On March 6, 1828, a letter was written to the Captain telling him that a boy was being sent towards
him by a poor day-labourer. The writer also told that he had kept the boy in four walls since 1821.
The name of the boy was Kaspar Hauser. He was physically and linguistically handicapped. The
physicians reported an abnormality of his bone structure of knee. He could not pronounce his
words correctly. Kaspar was visited by a juror in 1828 who reported several linguistic issues in his
performance. In 1829 Kaspar went to live with Herr Daumer’s family and made great progress in
reading and writing. An assassination attempt was made on him and he could not do so. In 1833 he
was stabbed to death by a stranger in a public park. It is rumoured that Kaspar stood in the way of
possible succession to the state of Baden.

Activity 4.3
1. The dream workshop has been designed to shape the nightly dreams of the people. It can show
the desired dreams to its owner. It can banish all type of nightmares and can give the most
beautiful slumber with ideal dreams to the people.
2. This machine influences the senses of the user with the help of different sounds, smells and
lights etc. during his sleep. These sounds, lights and smells generate the desired dream
according to the prior instructions given to this machine.
 3. First the user should attach an image of the desired dream to Yumemi Kobo. Then he should
concentrate on the image and play the desired dream in his head while making a voice
recording of the key words describing his fantasy. Next he should select his favourite scent and
should also select the accompanying music. Then he should be ready to sleep and turn on the
machine.
4. There is no biofeedback with it – it can’t tell when REM occurs.
5. It could encourage people’s creativity. Or It can banish nightmares and can give the desired
dreams.

Activity 4.4
 Introduction: “A new gadget ........ at the Olympics.”
 Chronological Explanation: “Standing 35 inches tall .........a gentle awakening’ Harwood said.”
 Comments and Reviews: “Craig Web.........use the props”.
 Conclusion: “So far Takara..........in early 2005.”

Activity 4.5
Here comes a wonderful invention of science. It is the Yememi Kobo, the dream maker. You need
not worry about your nightmares anymore that pester your sleep. With the help of our newly
designed machine you will be able to design your own dreams. By expending only $140 on it, you
can make your nightly sleeps the most beautiful ones. This 35 inches tall machine, with its lights,
images, scents and sounds can give you the dreams of your choice.

Activity 5.1
1. A man died on the icy heights of Schnalstal glaciers 5000 years ago.
2. The teams of highly specialized researchers examined the mummy and the contents found with it
for several years.
3. Anatomical studies can be performed on glacier mummy belonging to the 4 th millennium BC for the
first time in history of medicine and archaeology.
4. The Iceman gives a matchless appearance of an inhabitant of Alps region during the Copper Age.
5. A cap, hide coat, grass cloak, legging, belt, loin cloth and a pair of shoes were his clothing.
6. For the last trip to the high mountains, the iceman was fully equipped.
7. Designed by his own self, the iceman is preserved in a special cold storage chamber.

Activity 5.2 (optional activity and less important)

Activity 5.3
1. Mummified: preserved, for a dead body my mummification
2. Unique: the only one of its kind, matchless
3. Anatomical: relating to anatomy or dissection
4. Pathological: relating to physical or mental disorder
5. Multimedia: the combined use of sound, video and text to present an idea
6. Unprecedented: never before see, done or experienced
7. Functionality: the ability to perform a task or function
8. Decontamination: the process of removing contamination or dangerous material
Activity 5.7
The fast expanding human population is threatening the existence of many other species on the earth. It
is estimated that species are now disappearing at the rate of one every day. The earlier extinctions were
caused by meteors or clime change but modern extinction is caused by human beings. Now only those
species can survive that can adapt to the human-altered landscape. The loss of species may result in the
malfunction of ecosystem and many of the life activities will be in great risk. It is estimated that an
ecosystem with more species is stronger than the one that has lost some of its species. ‘Keystone’ species
are essential of ecosystem as their extinction can disrupt the whole environment. Many people think it
their moral obligation to help animals in their survival. Now, wildlife laws are made to protect animals.
Laws have also been made to protect animals with little or no value at all to save our ecosystem.

Practice Unit – 1
Reading for Information:

1. ‘Pho’ is much more than just breakfast to the North Vietnamese because it is
considered the soul of the nation, a contribution to human happiness and an
addiction worse than tobacco. It is also an inspiration to the Vietnamese.
2. The best advice to find the best pho stall is to stop at a stall with a large crowd
around it.
3. It is said that a charcoal-fired stove gave ‘pho’ its name. The word is pronounced
like ‘feu’ the French word for fire, and may have come with the French colonialists
from ‘coffre-feu’ a portable stove.
4. We are supposed to crouch on a stool and we inhale the sweet vapours arising
from ‘pho’. We can try a sip of clear soup first and then we reach to depth to taste
the beef-stock base. We are supposed to dip our chopsticks to get noodles and
strip of beef.
5. The stool are so small because they make it easier to run away from the police
when they come to raid.
6. The ‘pho’ stalls are outlawed now because the breach the rules of tidiness.
7. The aromatic fog is like a banner or advertisement because it attracts the
attention of the customers from a distance.
8. Whisper generally means an act of speaking in a quiet voice and in this context
these are inviting smells of different ingredients of ‘pho’ that act like inviting
whispers.
9. The word ‘hovering’ here implies the to and fro movements of the motorbikes
that deliver food stuffs to the distant customers.
10.It is so because the word ‘tai’ in local language means raw and tender red beef
and the same word is used for the ‘Westerners’ rudely or mockingly.
 11.Thao Van looks like a pilot in the cockpit because all of her food stuff and helping
materials are well arranged before her just like the operating panel of an airplane
before a pilot.
12. By ‘ambidextrous hand jive’ the writer means the expert and clever use of both of
the hands of Thao Van which she moves speedily but skilfully.
13.The writer means that he has emptied his soup bowl so soon that its bottom is
visible. It also means that he has eaten it speedily due to its taste.
14.The translator’s comments are significant as ‘guerrilla restaurants’ indicate mobile
restaurant that can be set up or removed instantly according the situation. Just
like guerrilla attacks, these restaurants are temporary and keep on moving from
place to place.
15.(Optional)
16. “Pho” Hanoi’s noodle soup is one the best soups in the world and the most
favourite and the most coveted dish of Vietnamese. The aromatic fog of this
noodle soup attracts the customers just as incense attracts the holy pilgrims. Its
multiple ingredients including a variety of meat and vegetables are an obsession
for the Vietnamese. It is called the ‘soul of the nation’ or an addiction worse than
tobacco. It is served in plastic bowls, china spoons and the seasonings. The owner
of this portable stall serves up to 100 bowls before 9 am. The customers sit on
small stools around the serving person and greedily eat this sacred soup. ‘Pho’ has
great cultural importance as it unites different people in one place and they sip it
with great delight, deeming it a holy pride. Vietnamese search their most
favourite pho shops and satisfy their palate.

Activity 6.1
1. The heading fully catches the readers’ attention and induces them to read more as the word
‘blood’ is an eye-catching word and generally it alludes to the murder or killing of somebody.
So, the readers wish to know what terrible incident has taken place.
2. (same as point no. 1)

Activity 6.2
1. Who? ----American Illusionist David Blaine
When?--- On Mondy
Where? --- at a news conference in London
What? The act of cutting off a part of ear
2. It is important for a newspaper to tell the reader all the important information in the first
paragraph because the readers generally wish to know the reality without going into details. The
news reporter does so to maintain the interest of the reader.
3. Just a single sentence is so effective here as it gives all the important information to explain the
news heading. It tells who, when, where and what of the news report.
 4. The word ‘appeared’ here indicates that it seemed so. There was no actual bleeding but the magical
trick displayed it so.

Activity 6.3: (students oriented activity)

Activity 6.4
a) Stunt: the word has been used to show the conjuring trick of the illusionist that is also dangerous
b) Daredevil: a daredevil engages in a risky behaviour so the use of this word further grips the
attention of the readers
c) Tricks: a trick is generally an unusual performance that would be interesting for the viewers.
d) Bloodied: the use of the words ‘bloodied handkerchief’ arouses the feelings of horror and alarm
e) Sealed: the use of this word creates wonder as a sealed human being would remain cut off from
the surrounding
f) Entombed: the word entombed is generally used for the person lying buried in a grave but in this
context it is used for a living person; so it is more alarming and engaging.
g) Perching: the word ‘perching’ is generally associated with birds sitting in a tree but here it alludes
to the sitting position of a man that is something unusual

2. We get an impression that David Blaine is a great illusionist, a kind of magician, a conjuror, a daredevil
and stunt master. He can perform the most extra-ordinary tricks to amaze the audience. He is always
planning unusual stunts to leave the people spell-bound. He appears a kind of superman.

3. The two words that best describe Blaine are ‘Trickster’ and ‘Brave’ as the report repeatedly shows him a
man capable of showing unusual tricks and also he is brave person who puts his life in many risks time and
again to prove himself an unusual person.

Activity 6.5
1. The word mother is in quotation marks as the writer wants to make her the focus of attention for
the rest of the story.
2. The opening sentence of the sentence makes the reader more curious as it tells of an uncommon
incident.
3. We get an impression that the people are mostly ignorant of the modern medical practices and
they are using the tricks of quacks to restore health to the sick child.
4. The writer’s attitude towards the receptionist is that of contradiction. The receptionist too was
suggesting the same quake like treatment for the sick child. So, he kept on opposing her.
5. First they had to stop for petrol and then a van stalled in front of them trapping their taxi. Then
they faced the level-crossing. They were also hit by the side effects of the Typhoon Sarah. They also
faced the split of tyre and finally a heavy rain started.
6. This expression shows Fenton’s disgust against the Westerners as they were responsible for black-
marketing in this area.
7. Fenton imagined the hospital as a dark room with its traditional furnishings, the walls lined with
photographs of ancestors in traditional Vietnamese robes, a framed jigsaw of the Italian lakes.
8. Fenton shows an attitude of disgust and amazement towards the doctor as she does not pay
attention to them at their arrival. She was not least worried to see the dying baby girl.
9. We feel that Fenton’s behaviour was quite sympathetic and worrisome for the dying girl. He
wanted the best available modern treatment for her while all other were going against his will. He
 showed disgust for their behaviour at every moment but he kept on struggling to find the best cure
for the baby’s sickness.

Activity 7.1
1 & 2: (Thinking activities)

Activity 7.2
1. a) The writer of the diary uses the following words to describe her emotions: anxious, excited, nervous,
frightened and rather nauseated.
b) The words that seem to be most effective are anxious and nauseated. The word “anxious” shows
the mental tension and worry of the writer as she is constantly thinking about her class while the word
“nauseated” shows a kind of revolt. She is not cool and calm and deeply wishes to revolt against this
task, though she wants to perform it well.

2. a) She describes her actions over the past weeks so carefully to highlight her anxiety and preparation
for the upcoming classes. She wants to make it clear that has practised a lot to win confidence in her
first class.

b) Her past actions help her understand her state of mind as they show her worry, care and anxiety.
These emotions are keeping her restless for her upcoming task.

c) Two examples of her actions are: i) standing in front of a mirror to practice her lecture ii) outlining
the entire school year. These two actions show her care and future planning to make herself successful
in her job. Practicing before a mirror will ensure her confidence and outlining the entire school year
will save her from making any grave mistake in the discharge of her duty.

d) We think that she will become a good teacher as she has all the necessary qualities of a good
teacher. She knows that practice makes a man perfect, so she has been rehearsing every necessary
action to meet the requirements of this job. She is bound to be successful.

Activity 7.3
1. nauseated: felt running away with dislike or revolted
2. impressionable: (esp. of young people) being easily influenced
3. overwhelming: overpowering or dominant
4. inquiring: interrogating, asking questions
5. milestone: an important point; landmark
6. trepidation: a fearful state; a state of hesitation

Activity 7.4
1. Light and Darkness: The writer uses light and darkness to create suspense in the opening
paragraph. They felt an empty space after making a tiny breach and knew nothing what inside
was. Then they lit a candle to discover the treasures that nobody had ever seen in history.
 2. Rhetorical questions: The writer uses questions like: Theban tomb plan? or May be a
chamber? These questions make the reader equally curious as the writer was as the time of
excavation. These questions carry us to the world of fantasy and dreamy expectations.
3. Dialogue: The dialogue makes the reader further curious and inquisitive as it transfers the
suspense of the excavators to the reader. See the example: Carnarvon said to me, “Can you
see anything?” I replied to him, “Yes, it is wonderful.”
4. Long sentences: Long sentences increase the descriptive power of the paragraph as various
things found from the tomb are described impressively. They leave the reader spellbound. For
instance: Our sensations and astonishment are difficult to describe as the better light revealed
to us the marvellous collection of treasures: two strange ebony-black effigies of a king, gold
sandalled....”

Activity 7.5
5 Most effective Verbs and their effects on the reader

Flicker makes the reader alert and cautious

Loomed makes the reader feel threatened
Revealed Makes the reader well aware and exact
Overturned Makes the reader slightly anxious to know why so
Glinting Makes the reader feel aesthetic pleasure

5 Most effective Adjectives and their effects on the reader

Beautiful Makes the reader feel aesthetic pleasure

Wonderful Makes the reader feel wonder struck
Marvellous Makes the reader feel amazed and curious
Infernal Makes the reader feel horrified and terrified
Rare Makes the reader feel something extraordinary to happen

Activity 7.6
1. Pensive
2. Puzzled
3. Excited and full of anticipation
4. Astonished
5. Certain

Activity 8.1
1. The reviewer expects the reader to have some knowledge of the films as the mentions the names
of the film directors and the characters without telling the readers who they are.
2. The tone of the third paragraph is ‘sarcastic’. It is sarcastic because according to the reviewer the
movie is not presenting something extraordinary but it starts off from where Reloaded left off.
Finally, he ends his review with the expression of disapproval or sarcasm i.e. Ahem.
3. ‘Psychobabble’ is a jargon used in psychology which means the use of metaphorical language to
express one’s feelings. Here too, the word ‘psychobabble’ has been used in the same context as the
characters resort to psychological jargon.
 4. The word ‘jump-started’ makes the reader hopeless as it indicates the help of a foreign body to re-
ignite one’s energies.
5. The reviewer used brackets to give further insight into certain words. Sometimes the real names of
the characters are mentioned and sometimes an additional commentary is given to clarify the
concept.
6. ‘A preachy-talky movie’ means a film which tends to display an excessive moralization while ‘an old-
fashioned action flick’ means a kind of movie that has been designed on an old pattern rather than
showing something novel.
7. a)The use of word ‘dud’ in the first paragraph means ‘failure’ adds to the effectiveness of the review as it is
rare, short and exact word to imply that the movie has been unsuccessful.
b) The use of the word ‘guy’ in third paragraph increases the level of frankness between the reviewer and
the reader
c) The use of ‘gosh’ in paragraph 7 shows an expression of surprise and makes the reader more attentive and
amazed as the writer himself is.

Activity 8.2
The last Matrix movie has been disappointing. The Matrix Revolutions has closely followed the end
of another movie ‘Reloaded’. The main character Neo is found trapped in between the Matrix and
the real world. A deal is brokered by the remaining heroes to save Neo. The first half of the film
lacks any important action. Everyone is found crying for life, death and love. The dialogue of the
movie is so bad that it makes the audience laugh. Then there starts the most impressive CGI battle
and ends with the corniest plot. Finally you see Neo travelling to “the machine city” in order to have
a deal with the machines to save Zion. The ending of the movie is the most unsatisfactory and the
spectator remains disappointed on many occasions. There is nothing new and the story is based on
moralistic pattern and you wish to get your money back.

Activity 8.4

 (1 – 5) Men today are more likely to spend time with their families than they were 25 years
ago. Women do less housework than they used to.
 (6 – 12) Many women commit crimes and go to jail due to domestic unrest. If they are
given better home atmosphere, they might not commit crimes.
 (13 – 20) Absence of father is main cause of juvenile delinquency. Children with two
parents lead a better emotional life.
 (21 – 28) Fathers are changing with the time. It is challenging to wear to the badge of
fatherhood. Motherhood is a biological necessity while fatherhood is social invention. In the
whole animal world, males have rarely any nurturing function. The best way to get good
fathers is to train the boys in the schools.

Summary: Men today are more likely to spend time with their families than they were 25 years ago.
Women do less housework than they used to do as fathers are now more helpful in the family affairs.
Many women commit crimes and go to jail due to domestic unrest. If they are given better home
atmosphere, they might not commit crimes and do their domestic duty in much better way. Absence of
father is main cause of juvenile delinquency. Children with two parents lead a better emotional life.
Fathers are changing with the time. It is challenging to wear to the badge of fatherhood. Motherhood is a
biological necessity while fatherhood is social invention. In the whole animal world, males have rarely any
nurturing function. The best way to get good fathers is to train the boys in the schools.

Activity 8.5
Fathers are more important for boys than mothers because they are better familiar to the social atmosphere
which is more suitable for boys. Moreover, they can better train the boys for fatherhood so that they can take up
their domestic responsibilities in a better way when they grow up. So, all fathers should be given paternity leave so
that they could give better care and attention to their wives and children in the time of need as mothers are not
generally so physical fit soon after the child-birth. After all, a family is more important than a career as the pleasures
and comforts that a family can give, cannot be obtained via career. Careers can be changed and abandoned but
family is a basic social need.

Activity 9.1
 Yes, the argument in the above letter is effective as it contains all the features of an important
argument. The points are clearly linked to the next with connective words and phrases like
‘similarly’, ‘of course’, etc.
 The points are made in a logical order as the write mentions all the stake holders of the
problems as parents, drivers, teachers and students.
 The writer takes into account a variety of views as he considers the issue from all perspectives
possible.
 Humour is used to appeal to the reader but there is no clear example of humour in this article.
 The language is straightforward and clear and conveys what it has to.
 The language and ideas appeal to the common sense as no extra-ordinary effort is required on
the behalf of the reader to understand ideas.

Activity 9.2
1. “Intermittent custody” is a kind of imprisonment that stops and starts with intervals. The
prisoners may select certain days of week for their detention, keeping in mind their needs and
requirements.
2. The most important problem facing the prison system is ‘inmate suicide’. It is the suicide
committed by the prisoners. Mostly this is done by women prisoners and majority are those
who are mothers.
3. The predominant victims of the problem are women and mostly married women who have
children to take care of.
4. The main reasons of women’s self-destructive behaviour in prisons are mental instability,
brutalized pasts, over-burden of duties, domestic and sexual violence and abusive partners
forcing women into crime etc.
5. The writer says that these reasons miss the point because most of the reasons are linked with
the past and we can do nothing about the abuse done in the past. We can do nothing about the
women who have been forced to commit crime due to domestic pressure.
6. Zoe Williams suggests that the mothers who have been convicted of minor crimes should not be
kept in custody or in jails because their imprisonment would influence the whole generations.
We should find other softer punishments like making them join a sewing circle.
Activity 9.3
1. Mete out: to distribute something in portion
2. Innovative: new or novel; different from tradition
3. Rehabilitation: the process of restoring somebody to a normal state
4. Undermining: devaluing; decreasing the importance of
5. Destabilizing: making unstable or weakening
6. Empathize: to understand the feelings and emotions or reality
7. Tethered to a rational framework: bound to a sensible solution that is fully logical
8. Mental resilience: mental ability to recover from a sock or trauma
9. Blasé: indifferent, careless
10. Fluctuating: wavering; unstable, moving to this and that position
11. Carrot stick: simultaneous reward for good behaviour and punishment for bad behaviour.
12. Harassed: one who has suffered harassment
13. Echo: influence or effect
14. Feckless: aimless or lacking skill

Activity 10.1
1. “Why are we sending robotic rovers?” L.2
2. “The first and most important reason................” L. 6 “The second reason........” L. 11
3. (Each person, for example, will require 900 pounds...) L. 31
4. “The second reason is cost.” L. 11
5. Robots don’t have to worry about coming home so they are sent to Mars instead of human beings.

Activity 10.2
People are not being sent to Mars for several reasons. The first and foremost is a bad track record as most
of the missions to Mars have failed. The second reason is an unbearable cost that is likely to appear when
manned mission to Mars is planned with their food and other requirements. The third reason is
engineering challenges like refilling of fuel etc. Another factor is cosmic radiation that astronauts would
absorb during such a long mission.

Activity 10.3
1. The writer begins his article with a reference to funfairs because he wants to invite the readers’
attention to the circular ride to explain his point of view.
2. One physical effect of hyper gravity is that the heart has to change the way it operates, pumping
faster, and working harder to push the blood all the way to brain.
3. Malcolm Cohen is using a centrifuge in his research to learn how humans adjust to changes in
gravity – particularly strong gravity.
4. Artificial gravity does not solve all the problems of micro-gravity in spaceship because artificial
gravity is not a universal panacea (solution of all problems). The force generated by a spinning
centrifuge is not exactly the same as gravity felt in a spaceship.
5. ‘Sopite syndrome’ is a neurological disorder that relates symptoms of fatigue, drowsiness and
mood changes to prolonged periods of motion.
Activity 10.4
1. Subjects: the people who are tested in centrifuge
2. Centrifuge: A machine in which human beings are spun to study the physical changes with the
change of gravity.
3. Controlled: limited or well organized, under control
4. Tolerate: bear or put up with
5. Panacea: cure-all or universal remedy
6. Feasible: practicable or possible
7. Witness: observe and watch
8. Activity 10.4

Activity 10.5
Malcolm Cohen, the chief of the Human Information Processing Research Branch at NASA is making
many experiments on human beings with respect to hyper-gravity and micro-gravity. He has invented a
large centrifuge machine to spin the people who want to be engineers, mountain climbers and other
specialists of different fields. His goal is to learn how humans adjust to change of gravity. Under the
influence of hyper-gravity fluid weighs more and NASA is interested in this research as astronauts are
exposed to multiple kinds of gravity during their space travel. During the change of gravity, the heart has to
change the way it works and it pumps faster to supply blood to the brain. The astronauts who are trained
by Cohen are physically better able to face the changes in gravity. The practice in centrifuge can also be
beneficial for athletes and other experts in different fields also. Artificial gravity can train the astronauts to
stay fit during the long term space travel. While spinning the persons, Cohen asks them various questions
to check their reasoning. Artificial gravity is very helpful but it is not a universal solution of all gravity
challenges.

Activity 11.1
1. Molly Kelly was separated from her mother to be trained as a domestic servant in a government
institution as a result of a government law which forced some 100000 indigenous children, most of
mixed European and Aboriginal parentage to be removed from their families.
2. Doris felt the need to write about her mother’s experiences because she was deceived about her
mother and when she came to know the truth, she wanted to write it for others. Moreover, she
wanted to highlight the cruelty of the law which forced so many children to be separated from their
mothers.
3. The obituary writer thinks that the Australian government has never admitted its guilt because it
has refused to issue a formal apology for the policy due to the fear of costly law suits.

Activity 11.2
The writer’s tone has been sympathetic and pitying to Molly’s experiences. It is also satirical for
those who are responsible for Molly’s suffering. The phrases like “bleak government institutions;
separating a pup from a bitch; cheerless intermittent camp” etc. are proof of these tones.

Activity 11.3
 1. The children used to stick a bunch of Ohio Blue Tip matches into an apple or a hard-boiled egg,
so that it resembled a porcupine, and casually dropped it out of the tailgate window. It was like
a bomb when it touched the ground. It would explode with a small bang and produced a big
flash of blue flame.
2. The father remained ignorant of the mischief of the children because he sat far away from the
children in front of the car as it used to be very long. The children used tailgate window and
always avoided the eyes of their father. Moreover, nobody told him what was happening.
3. Byron shows the meanness of his father by telling that his father used to purchase clumsy cars
and went to the cheapest hotels with dirty dishes and poor standard of food.
4. Byron uses exaggeration to make his writing funny. Firstly he says that they used to sit miles
away from his parents in the rear of the car as it was a long car. Secondly, he says that his father
went to such hotels where they washed the dishes weekly. These pieces of exaggeration make
his writing funny and more impressive.
5. This passage shows that America is a land of variety and opportunity where people can enjoy in
a number of ways. They hardly care about the turnout of their cars and other things but they do
try to enjoy their life whatever way they can.
6. By the phrase ‘bitterness and unquenched basic needs’ means that the children and their
mother were unhappy after their father offered them sub-standard food which they could not
eat. As a result they remained crossed and silent during the rest of the journey.

Activity 11.4
1. Illicit: It literary means illegal or unlawful but in this context in means such trips which made the
children unhappy
2. Economize: to save money
3. Deprived: lacking basic facilities of life
4. Fugitive: an escaper; a person who runs away from a place and lives secretly somewhere else.
5. Deficiency: lack of something
6. Searing: painful, disturbing
7. Opulence: lavishness or luxury

Activity 11.5
2. Byron’s father was a strange kind of person. He used to purchase the clumsiest cars which his
children always disliked. He hardly bothered about the wishes of his children and wife. He was a man of his
own ideas and hardly cared about anyone else. He was a mean person and he never offered good food to
his children during trips. He was bossy minded and his wife spoke little to him. Rarely he offered anything
good to his children.

Activity 11.6
1. Family relations generally become strained during holidays because everybody wants to go on with
his/her own wishes. Everything is not possible when you are travelling as a company. So, clash of
interests results in strained relations. Moreover, fathers are generally paying persons and they have to
manage the expenditures within their limited sources while the children demand more and more.
2. The family members might spend happy times together if they respect for one another’s wishes. They
should avoid clash of interests. Moreover, they must keep in mind their sources while managing
 expenditures. A pre-planned arrangement of needs can save the family from undue friction during the
trips.

Practice Unit – 2
1. The writer has chosen to write about his prison experiences in the third person and has used
present tense to generalize his story. This technique increases the appeal of his description. It
shows that all the prisoners feel so as they enter the cell.
2. The writer has included speech in the passage to show the inner working and thought process of a
prisoner. We can get better insight into the feelings of the prisoner soon after his entering into the
cell.
3. The effect of the short paragraphs is that the reader pauses for some moments to meditate upon a
particular thought before proceeding on to the next. This increases the mental emphasis on certain
details.
4. The last paragraph arouses pity for the prisoner who is trying to beat his time but the time passes
slowly. The reader feels and shares the helplessness of the prisoner.
5. The tone of the passage is surprisingly light-hearted. The following phrases will show it: makes all
sorts of laudable resolutions; it is much healthier to sleep on a hard bed.
6. He describes it as a voyage of discovery because the prisoner is in a learning mood and he is
exploring his surrounding in a curious manner. As he pulls the chain of the water closet, he learns
that there is no water in it. This description makes the reader curious too. We feel as if we were
reading the tale of some great adventure.
7. The phrases that have effect similar to that of voyage of discovery are: ‘the subtle plan’, ‘it occurs to
him’, ‘a dream world’.
8. a) Yes, when he sees that the door functions without a handle and shuts forcefully. He imagines
that all other things would function the same way.
b) Yes, the whole passage shows it as the prisoner is curiously looking at things around him and
trying to learn what things are there for him and whether they are useful or not.
c) Yes, when he sees something helpful, he is delighted and once he sees something out of order,
he feels depressed.
d) No, it is not true as the writer says that invariably the prisoners feel so as they enter the cell.
e) No, it is wrong. The whole passage gives many details of the inside inspection by the prisoner
but in the end he tells that all this happens in three minutes only.
f) Yes, it is so as he uses the same words in the passage.
g) No, it is not so as the whole passage shows that the prisoner remains fluctuating between hope
and fear.
9. Explaining the meaning:
a) Mental inventory: the list of various things in the cell that the prisoner makes in his mind.
b) Laudable resolutions: praiseworthy intentions to live there bravely and hopefully
c) Puny realm: a small and unimportant place of authority; the word has been used in a
derogatory sense here.
d) Almost maniac desire for activity: a frantic desire to do something for his fitness and stability
e) Searing, devastating poignancy: burning and ruinous disappointment or depression
f) Anesthetising mechanism: the system of inducing unconsciousness into somebody
g) Weaving illusion: trying to procure happiness with the help of imagined dreams and mental
visions
 h) The barometer of his mood: in this context it is the fluctuation of his mood that keeps on
changing with every passing moment.
10. According to Koestler every prisoner behaves the same way because human psychology functions
largely in a set pattern. The world of the prison cell is invariably remains the same of all the new
comers and it is human beings are naturally curious to know about their surroundings where they
live. Narrow jail cell is a very limited world and every prisoner wants to know about the facilities
and limitations around him. Thus, every prisoner almost behaves in the same way soon after
entering the prison cell as his mind is full of so many questions about his surroundings.
11. As soon as the cell door is slammed behind him, the first time prisoner stands in the middle of the
cell and look all around. He momentarily looks at various things that he can use. He makes a mental
plan to keep his spirits up and tests the iron bed and washing facilities. He is afraid to see the
official on duty through the hole of the door. Suddenly his confidence and enthusiasm changes into
melancholia and depression the moment he realizes his limitations and helplessness. This too does
not last long and his depression changes into hopefulness and he gets lost in the world of different
illusions. The outside world loses its reality. He stops bothering about his pains and limitations.
Once again he starts paying attention to various things at his disposal. He undergoes countless
thoughts within a short span of three minutes only.