11th std Silk Road

 11th std Silk Road

Extra questions

1. Why the article has been titled 'Silk Road'?

Answer. The title of the article has been named on the historic silk road or routes. The network connected the Afro-Eurasian landmass. It established trade of Chinese silk, spices, teas and porcelain; Indian textiles, precious stones and pepper; and the Roman Empire's gold, silver, fine glassware, wine, carpets and jewels. The road was named Silk Road largely because of the silk trade with China. In the chapter the author travels to Mount Kailash, exploring the Himalayan belt in Tibet. Since the author explored this region, the chapter is titled as Silk Road.

2. How Tibetan mastiffs were popular in China's imperial courts?

Answer. Tibetan mastiffs were popular in China's imperial courts as hunting dogs. They were brought along the Silk Road in ancient times as tribute from Tibet. They were huge black dogs used as watchdogs. They explode into action like bullets. They are furious, ferocious and fearless.

3. Why was the author's experience at Hor was in stark contrast to earlier accounts of the place?

Answer. Hor was a grim, miserable place. The dust and rocks were scattered everywhere in abundance; there was little vegetation. The place seemed unfortunate and dejected, though it sat on the shore of the Lake Manasarovar. The author was flabbergasted to realise the contrast in his experience to that of the earlier read accounts. A Japanese monk, Ekai Kawaguchi, who had arrived there in 1990, was so moved by the sanctity of the lake t hat he burst into tears. The hallowed waters had a similar effect on Sven Hedin, a Swede who was not prone to sentimental outbursts. However, for the author, when he reached Hor, first he had to get two punctures mended. The only relaxation was the tea served by a Chinese youth in the only café in the town, which was constructed from badly painted concrete and had three broken windows. The good view of the lake through one of them helped to compensate however.

4. Who was Nick Middleton disappointed with Darchen?

Answer. The author was disappointed with Darchen. The high altitude was giving him health problems. He had a bad cold and was not able to sleep at night. Since he was one of the early arrivals there weren't any pilgrims coming to the place. The place was dusty, partially derelict and punctuated by heaps of rubble and refuse.

5. Why did the author think that his positive thinking strategy worked well after all?

Answer. The author was disappointed with Darchen. He also complained of bad health. Tsetan had left for Lhasa. He was feeling rather lonely with no pilgrims around. It was then he met Norbu, a Tibetan who too wanted to visit Kailash. They would be a good team as both of them were academicians who had escaped from the library. The author started thinking positively and it gave him some delight and enthusiasm.

6. What was the purpose of Nick Middleton's journey to Mount Kailash?

Answer. Nick Middleton was an Oxford Professor as well as an adventurer. He follows the most difficult terrain through the Silk Road and reaches Mount Kailash. He visits the holy place to complete the kora-going around the place.

7. What was the author's physical condition in Darchen?

Answer. The author was not physically well when he reached Darchen. His sinuses were blocked due to the cold wind at Hor and he was not able to sleep well at night. The next day Tsetan took him to the Darchen Medical College and the doctor there gave him some medicine that gave him some relief.

8. How was the author's meeting with Norbu?

Answer. The author was feeling rather lonely without Tsetan who had left for Lhasa. There weren't any pilgrims at Darchen as he had reached the place much early in the season. It was then when he met Norbu who was a Tibetan working in Chinese academy of Social Sciences in Beijing University. He too was there to visit Kailash and they decided to go there together.

9. How did Tsetan support the author during his journey?

Answer. Tsetan was a good and efficient driver. He drove the car very carefully. During the journey, he spoke to the author giving information about the places they were visiting. He was very perticular at the turnings while going uphill. At Darchen when he found that the author was not well, he took him to the medical college and got medicine for him. He was a good Buddhist.

10. "As a Buddhist, he told me, he knew that it didn't really matter if I passed away, but the thought it would be bad for business." Explain.

Answer. Tsetan was a good Buddhist and believed that death was not the end of life. Kailash being a holy place it would be better for him as it would take him to heaven. Then if the author would die there, it would be bad for his business as his credibility will be at stake in looking after the tourists and later he may not get any customers.

11. State the reasons why people were willingly to undergo the travails of difficult journeys.

Answer. The author was an academician, hence, he undertook the journey for the purpose of education. For him it was a learning experience. Secondly, people undertake such journeys because of the spirit of adventure. The areas covered by the author are some of the most difficult terrains in the world. The third can be a religious reason. People visit places like Mount Kailash as part of their pilgrimage.

11th std The Adventure

 

11th std The Adventure by Jayant Narlikar

Extra Questions

Q1. Why did the professor want to go through History books?

Answer: The professor went through history books  for the details of the battle of Panipat. He found that a shot brushed past Vishwasrao’s ear and he escaped his death.

Q2. As the train entered the British Raj territory, what did Gaitonde notice?

Answer: When he got down at the Victoria Terminus and saw the headquarters of The East India Company. The professor was shocked because the East India Company had closed down after the events of 1857, but he saw the company functioning well right in front of his eyes. He concluded that history had taken a different turn. While walking down the Hornby Road, he found offices of Lloyds, Barclays and other British banks, instead of Boots and Woolworth departmental stores.

Q3. What did the professor do at the Town Hall library?

Answer:  The professor made his way to the library of the Asiatic Society to understand this alternate version of history. He asked for a list of History books including his own. He went through all the five volumes and noticed that the change had occurred in the last one which took place in the Battle of Panipat.

He looked into a book, Bhausahebanchi Bakhar, for the details of the battle and found that a shot brushed past Vishwasrao’s ear and he escaped his death. As Gangadharpant was leaving the library, he absentmindedly tore and put a few pages into his left pocket.

Q4. “You neither travelled to the past nor the future. You were in the present experiencing a different world.” Elucidate.

Answer: “You did not travel to the past or the future. You were in the present, but you were in a different world.” These words were spoken by Rajendra Deshpande while attempting to explain his strange experience to Professor Gaitonde. When the professor was involved in an accident, he began to reflect on the Battle of Panipat and the consequences that occurred in his life. His thoughts wandered between what we know about history and what might have been. The professor was experiencing two worlds at the same time by thinking. According to the same theory, there must be many more different worlds emerging from unrealistic thoughts.

Q5. “You have passed through a fantastic experience: or more correctly, a catastrophic experience.” Elaborate.

Answer: “You’ve had a fantastic experience, or, more accurately, a catastrophic experience.” Professor Gaitonde was told by Rajendra Deshpande that he had an exciting experience. He claimed that we lived in a one-of-a-kind world with a one-of-a-kind history. Gangadhar Pant’s mind jumped to another world as a result of the accident, which was unrealistic. History took a different turn in that world after the Marathas won the Battle of Panipat. Rajendra explained this using the catastrophic theory, which holds that reality is full of misinterpretations.

Q6. Gangadharpant could not help comparing the country he knew with what he was witnessing around him. Elucidate.

Answer: “Gangadhar Pant couldn’t help but compare his home country to what he was seeing around him.” Gangadhar Pant witnessed two different perspectives of the same reality, albeit one at a time, during his extraordinary experience. The India he knew was described in history books as the result of the 1761 Battle of Panipat, in which the Marathas were defeated. The other India he saw was the result of the Marathas’ victory in the battle. In this version, he saw India as a prosperous country that could meet its own needs.

Q7. Briefly explain the following statements from the text- “The lack of determinism in quantum theory!”

Answer: It talks about quantum theory’s lack of determinism. If a bullet is fired from a gun in a specific direction at a specific speed, one can predict where it will end up, but the same cannot be said for an electron. When an electron is emitted by a source, it can come from anywhere. This is due to quantum theory’s lack of determinism. According to this theory, reality is never one-sided. At the same time, alternate worlds may exist.

Q8. Briefly explain the following statements from the text - “You need some interaction to cause a transition.”

Answer: To cause a transition, some interaction is required. According to Rajendra Deshpande, Professor Gaintonde made a change as a result of the interaction that occurred in the professor’s mind at the time of the collision. The professor was thinking about catastrophic theory and its role in wars at the time of the collision. He was thinking about the Battle of Panipat and its aftermath. The transition was caused by the interaction in his brain.

 

11th std. Chapter- Birth

 11th std. Chapter- Birth 

 SHORT ANSWER TYPES

Q1. Who was Joe Morgan? Why was he so tense, and waiting anxiously for Dr Andrew that night?

Answer. Joe Morgan worked as an excavator in Blaenelly, a mining town. He was a tall, robust, heavy-set man in his forties. Joe and his wife were married for nearly 20 years, Susan, was expecting their first child. Joe Morgan was in desperate need of Dr. Andrew’s assistance. Susan, his wife, was in labour. After 20 years of marriage, she was about to give birth to their first child. Joe and Susan were anxious for the baby to arrive safely. So he waited for the doctor with bated breath.

Q2. That night proved unusual and it influenced Dr Andrew’s whole future in Blaenelly. What miraculous thing happened that night?

Answer. Dr Andrew began his medical career in the mining town of Blaenelly. The successful handling of Mrs Joe’s case was a watershed moment in his life. It was nothing short of a miracle that he had restored life in a stillborn child by alternating between dipping it in cold and warm water. He gained not only satisfaction but also name and fame.

Q3. Why were Susan and her old mother so tense that night?

Answer. Susan was about to give birth to her first child after 20 years of marriage. She and her husband Joe were naturally tense. Susan’s elderly mother stood beside her, tense but hopeful.

Q4. Susan’s mother was wise in experience. What hints did she give of her wisdom?

Answer. Susan’s mother was a tall, gray-haired woman who was nearly seventy years old. She knew from personal experience that childbirth would take some time. She was astute enough to suspect that Dr Andrew would not be patient for long. So she tried to persuade him to stay by offering him tea and sitting next to him.

Q5. Name the five central characters in the story Birth who played the key role?

Answer. Joe Morgan, his wife Susan, his elderly mother-in-law, a stalwart midwife, and, of course, Dr Andrew are the story’s five central characters. The doctor was instrumental in saving Susan’s and her ostensibly stillborn baby’s lives.

Q6.Dr Andrew faced the biggest dilemma of his life that night. How did he act and save two lives?

Answer. Dr. Andrew was summoned to oversee Susan Morgan’s first and most crucial delivery. He was tense and sleep deprived. Nonetheless, he chose to wait. He promised Joe and his wife that everything would be fine. However, he became concerned when he discovered that both the mother and her baby were in danger. Susan was first given an injection to calm her down. He then lifted the stillborn child and alternately immersed him in hot and cold water and pressed the child’s chest. Fortunately, he saved both of them.

Q7.Comment on the behavior and role of the midwife attending Susan Morgan.

Answer. Susan’s midwife demonstrated a lack of experience and a professional demeanor. She immediately declared that the baby was stillborn. She tucked it beneath the bed. Even when Andrew was attempting to resuscitate the baby, she expressed her disbelief and even discouraged Andrew from continuing his feverish efforts. Her joy was heightened by the baby’s cry.

Q8.What did the stillborn child look like when Andrew turned his attention to it?

Answer. Although the baby’s body was fully formed and warm, it was devoid of life. It had been placed beneath the bed by the nurse. But Andrew drew the child out. It had a limp warm body that was as white and soft as animal fat. The skin was smooth, but the limbs appeared to be boneless. It was depleted of oxygen.

Q9. How did Dr. Andrew Manson revive the lifeless baby? 

Ans: Andrew initially saved Susan, then attempted to resuscitate the lifeless baby. He wrapped the infant in a blanket and breathed for it artificially. His second attempt was to alternately dip the baby in hot and cold water. He then used a rough towel to rub the slick child. Finally, Andrew pushed and released the baby's chest until it began to breathe, indicating that it had a chance of survival.

Q10. How does Andrew consolidate Susan’s mother? Why does he do so? 

Ans: Susan's mother was reassured by Andrew's words, "Don't worry, mother, I won't run away," because she knew that people wait for a certain amount of time, and the doctor might leave because he had to wait longer than normal.

LONG ANSWER TYPES

1. There lies a great difference between textbook medicine and the world of a practising physician. Elucidate.

Answer. Being a doctor is one of the noblest professions in the world, the great duty of saving a life is a herculean task. Continuous experience is needed to reach to that level. Textbook knowledge is only a part of the journey, it teaches physicians about different diseases their causes and medicines but the real application of the knowledge occurs when dealing with patients. Real Encounters with patients and physicians require much more than  bookish knowledge, courage , perseverance observance , strong nerves , capability to take risks, and physical and mental energy play a major role in the right treatment and in saving lives in serious condition.

There lies a great difference between textbook medicine and the world of practising physician. Textbook medicine is purely a Science whereas treating a patient is an art. The world of practising physician requires a different set of skills and knowledge. Textbook medicine no doubt provides the conceptual framework for treatment but no doctor can treat a patient without the use of his or her intuitive practices. In the story, 'Birth' the way Andrew brings back life in the still born child is a testimony to this fact. The nurse at first dumps the child thinking it to be dead. aut Andrews takes a chance and the miracle happens. He in the beginning applies his textbook knowledge but the child does not recover. He doesn't lose heat. He applies his own method and the miracle then happened Treatment is Science and beyond. It is both a science and an art. The story Birth is a realistic fiction. In other words, the elements of the story has been taken from real life experiences and woven in the fabric of fiction.

2. How are Andrew’s emotional, mental, and physical states different from each other? 

Ans: When the novel begins, Andrew is depicted as physically and emotionally exhausted. He'd just returned from a really disappointing occasion with Christine, the girl he adores, where they'd gotten into a heated dispute. He's got a lot on his mind and in his heart. He believed that marriage is a happy state, and he had no recollection of many unhappy marriages. Andrew is physically fatigued at the end of the storey, but emotionally happy and mentally aware. He feels overjoyed and content with himself because he was successful in reviving the mother and infant. He considers what he accomplished to be nothing short of a miracle. This feat aided him in overcoming physical exhaustion and allowing him to forget about his emotional problems and sentiments.

3. What affected Andrew’s performance at Morgan’s house? How did it influence his career? 

Ans: After midnight, Andrew returned to his home. That evening, his encounter with Christine was not pleasant. Moreover, he was saddened by various occurrences of the dismal married couple. Joe Morgan stood outside his house, waiting for the doctor. He took Andrew to his home, where his wife Susan was about to give birth. Both of them were dead intent on having this child. Andrew chose to wait and provide medical assistance. He had no clue that the events of that night would bring him not only great joy but also fame and fortune. He labored tirelessly and precisely to preserve the mother's and her unborn child's lives. 

4. . How are Andrew’s emotional, mental, and physical states different from each other? 

Ans: When the novel begins, Andrew is depicted as physically and emotionally exhausted. He'd just returned from a really disappointing occasion with Christine, the girl he adores, where they'd gotten into a heated dispute. He's got a lot on his mind and in his heart. He believed that marriage is a happy state, and he had no recollection of many unhappy marriages. Andrew is physically fatigued at the end of the storey, but emotionally happy and mentally aware. He feels overjoyed and content with himself because he was successful in reviving the mother and infant. He considers what he accomplished to be nothing short of a miracle. This feat aided him in overcoming physical exhaustion and allowing him to forget about his emotional problems and sentiments.

5. How would you defend that practice and observation makes a man with theoretical knowledge perfect in his field? 

Ans: A man with practical experience and understanding has a better probability of getting the required results. In our daily lives, we come across compounders who outnumber doctors and physicians. A physician who has studied the procedure for administering an injection but has not performed it with his own hands will fail in his effort. A compounder, on the other hand, can outperform a physician due to his practical experience. Similarly, if you have meticulously seen a man performing his work to perfection, you may put that highly practical experience to use and achieve success. Dr. Andrew used his practical expertise and understanding to complete his task quickly and effectively, saving both the mother and the infant. As a result, both bookish knowledge and practical experience are required for success, particularly in the medical area. So, if not seasoned with practical experience, studious information or verbal material may prove useless and of no value.

6. “I have done something; oh, God! I've done something real at last.” Why does Andrew say this? What does it mean?

Andrew, the protagonist of the story Birth, utters these words as he is able to bring a still born child back to life which seemed impossible in the beginning. The child is born still to the wife of Joe Morgan. The child is the first child of the couple who has been married for nearly twenty years. The child is born under critical condition. Both the child and the mother are in critical condition requiring urgent attention. The nurse dumps the child thinking it to be still born.

Andrew takes care of the mother first and seeing her in the recovery path turns his attention to the child. Andrew pulls the child out. It is a perfectly formed boy. Its limp white body is white and soft. Its head is hanging loosely on the thin neck. Andrew at once understands that it is a case of asphyxia pallida. He orders the nurse to get him cold water and hot water and basins. He lays the child upon a blanket and begins the special method of respiration. Fifteen minutes passes but no breath comes from the body of the child. In sheer desperation, he rubs the child with a towel, crushes and relaxes the chest with both hands. Then a miracle happens. The little chest gives a short, convulsive heave and then another. Andrew redoubles his effort. The child is now gasping, deeper and still deeper. Then comes the child's cry. He hands over the child to the nurse and climbs down the stair. He utters the quoted words out of deep satisfaction on achieving the seemingly impossible task.

It means that Andrew has been able to do something wonderful. He has been able to apply what ever he learnt in the medical textbooks and even beyond that. It is really a great achievement for Andrew. The above words mean that a doctor is a medium through which God or Almighty grants life to the patients. The miracle happened by the grace of the Almighty. Andrew acknowledges this fact in the above quoted words. These words bring home the fact that saving the life of a patient is the most coveted achievement of a doctor.

12th std. Memories of Childhood

 12th std. Memories of Childhood

Central Idea of the Lesson

Theme: The lesson ‘Memories of Childhood’ majorly displays the social discrimination which prevails in the society.

It's a portrayal of two autobiographical accounts. One by Native American Indian woman, Zitkala-Sa and the second by a Tamil Dalit writer, Bama. Both stories highlight the women’s oppression, class barriers, racialism, discrimination and exploitation that tend to pull them down. Both the stories advocate the statement that seeds of rebellion are sown early in life.

Children may be young and innocent but they cannot tolerate injustice if they are determined.

 Question and Answers

Q1 Bama’s innocence was lost when she came face to face with the ugly truth of racial discrimination. Do you think children who have a difficult childhood become even more resolute than children who have a comfortable one? 

Ans Currently, racial prejudice is a topic of frequent discussion. This type of component does not portend well for the future of a child. Children who experience a difficult childhood become even more determined because they must overcome obstacles and make up their minds to do so. But, kids who grow up in comfort are unable to comprehend how serious the threats to human existence are. Because they are unable to overcome the obstacle, they are unable to do so for the rest of their lives.

Q2 What did she see one day when she came from school?

Ans One day, when she arrived at her street, she noticed that a threshing floor had been put up at the opposite corner, and the landlord was sitting on a piece of sacking spread out on a stone ledge, watching the proceedings. In order to separate the grain from the straw, the residents of her hamlet were hard at work driving cattle in pairs around and around.

Q3 What scene made Bama laugh loudly?

Ans Bama noticed a neighbourhood elder walking towards her from the direction of the bazaar. In his hands, he had a little packet. Bama surmised that the packet contained something resembling vadas. When Bama noticed this, she wanted to laugh out loud. Without touching it, he was holding out the packet by its cord. She reasoned that if the packet were opened in this way, the entire contents would spill out.

Q4 When did Bama come to know about the social discrimination towards her community?

Ans When Bama was still a schoolgirl, she first learned about it. She observed a village elder removing a package of vadais from its string. She reasoned that by doing this, the packet could be opened completely and its contents would be separated. The individual for whom the snacks were delivered belonged to a high caste, and her brother believed that the mere touch of anyone from their community would taint him, she was told by her brother. 

Q5 What advise did Annan give to Bama?

Ans Bama was instructed by Annan to study carefully and retain everything. Then the populace would approach her voluntarily and affix themselves to her. She was profoundly affected by Annan’s words.

Q6 Why did the landlord’s man ask Bara’s brother on which street he lived? What was the significance?

Ans The segregated neighbourhood that Bama yearned for had residents who lived on a specific street. The landlord’s guy was interested in learning Bama’s brother’s caste. Thus, he inquired as to his street of residence.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q1 How long did Bama take to reach home from school and why? Write briefly what she did on her way?

Ans Although she could have covered the distance in ten minutes, it generally took her at least thirty minutes to get home. Her feet would be anchored to the ground by many intriguing things. There might be a monkey show. A snake charmer who keeps his snake in a basket might be present. A biker who hadn’t ridden for three days might exist.

She would observe the large bell hanging in the temple. She would observe the preparation of the Pongal offerings. Afterwards entertainment might be provided in the form of a street play, a puppet performance, or a magic show. These were the obstructions in her path that frequently caused her to pause.

Q2 When did Bama come to know about the social discrimination towards her community?

Ans Bama thought it was amusing how her community’s elders carried their snacks. Without touching the packet, he was holding it out by its string. She reasoned that if the packet were opened in this way, the entire contents would spill out. But, her brother informed her that it wasn’t amusing at all.

The upper caste individuals believed that they would become contaminated by their community members’ physical touch. Bama learned about the social prejudice against her community at that point. She was furious when she had this thinking. She pondered why their people should perform menial tasks for members of the upper caste. All they needed to do was grab their pay.

Q3 The two accounts that you read above are based in two distant cultures. What is the commonality of themes found in both of them?

Ans Zitkala-Sa, a young Native American woman, is mentioned in the first narrative. The European settlers were prejudiced against the aboriginal people. Native Indians are nothing more than enemies to them. Somewhat against Zitkala’s wishes, they shingled her hair. They were not interested in honouring their culture.

Bama’s account is the second. She came from a community that was struggling. The upper caste individuals regarded them with contempt. They believed that the simple act of interacting with members of her community would contaminate them. Hence, it is clear that Zitkala and Bama belonged to various societies and cultures. Nonetheless, the essential themes of both stories are the same: racial prejudice exists practically everywhere in the globe and people from oppressed communities are treated like animals.

Q4 It may take a long time for oppression to be resisted, but the seeds of rebellion are sowed early in life. Do you agree that injustice in any form cannot escape being noticed even by children?

Ans Elders in oppressed groups grow accustomed to the injustice. They do not raise a fuss over any tyranny since they see it as a part of their destiny. Children’s minds, however, are incredibly impressionable. They are aware of all forms of repression and humiliation. They generally revolt against any oppression. When they witness injustice being done to someone, they become quite upset. When they become adults, they make every effort to eradicate any customs that view them as less human. Hence we might argue that the seeds of revolt are sowed early in life.

Q5 Barna’s experience is that of a victim of the caste system. What kind of discrimination does ZitkalaSa’s experience depict? What are their responses to their respective situations?

Ans Native American was named Zitkala-Sa. Native Indians are greatly despised by the European colonisers. They view them as lower beings. They show no regard for their customs. Zitkala was shingled for this reason. Bama, on the other hand, comes from a community that is underprivileged. They are viewed as inferior beings by those of high caste. They believe that even their slightest touch would contaminate Both Zitkala and Bama responded differently to their unique circumstances.

To avoid having her hair shingled, Zitkala hid herself in a space. But, she was exposed, and her hair started to flake. Bama was enraged when she learned about the elder of their street’s humiliation. She put a lot of effort into her studies so that other people would respect her and want to be her friends.

12th std. Going Places

 Going Places

1. How is the title ‘Going Places’ most appropriate?

Ans. In literary terms, going places refers to achieve success. The title ‘Going Places’ is most appropriate as it very clearly describes the protagonist Sophie. She is deeply enthusiastic about her successful life and fantasises all good and successful things for her. In her imagination, she fantasises her to be an actor or a manager and then finally a boutique owner. She also fantasises to have met the football star Danny Casey as her close friend and going for a date with him. The title of the story clearly depicts the exotic journey of Sophie into the dream world.

Q2. What were the options that Sophie was dreaming of? Why does Jansie discourage her from having such dreams?

 Ans. Sophie, a day-dreamer, enjoyed fantasizing. She wanted to have a boutique someday. She thought her shop would be the most amazing one the city had ever seen. When Jansie discouraged her by saying that they don’t pay well for shop work, she thought she could become an actress instead or even a fashion designer. The reality was that both the girls had to join a biscuit factory after leaving school.

 Q3. Why did Sophie wriggle when Geoff told her father that she had met Danny Casey?

Ans. Sophie knew her father well and also knew that he would not believe it if Geoff told him that she had met Danny Casey. She knew he would get angry. But more importantly, she also knew that she was fantasizing about her meeting. There was no truth in it.

Q4. Does Geoff believe what Sophie says about her meeting with Danny Casey?

Ans. Geoff expressed disbelief when Sophie told him that she had met Danny Casey. He just looked around abruptly and asked her casually, where she had met him. When she said she had met him in the arcade, he said it was not true and repeated ‘I don’t believe it’. He went on to ask her what he looked like and didn’t seem to be convinced by her answer.

Q5. Does her father believe her story?

Ans. Sophie’s father does not believe her story. Even when Geoff declares that Sophie had met Danny, he made an expression of disdain and turned the topic of conversation on someone who had known Tom Finney, another great football player.

 Q6. How does Sophie include her brother Geoff in the fantasy of her future?

Ans. Geoff had always been the first one with whom she shared the fantasy of her future. She told him about her meeting with Danny. She also shared her plan of meeting him the next week. She longed to know more about Geoff and wished that someday he might take her with him. She imagined herself riding behind Geoff one day.

 Q7. Why didn’t Sophie want Jansie to know about her story with Danny?

Ans. Though Jansie and Sophie were the closest of friends, Sophie did not want to share her story about Danny because she did not want her secret to being spread in the whole neighbourhood. She did not trust ‘gawky Jansie’ with someone like that. For her, it was ‘a Geoff thing, not a Jansie thing’.

Q8. Did Sophie really meet Danny Casey?

Ans. No, Sophie did not actually meet Danny Casey. Although, she did go and sit on a wooden bench near the canal, yet in her heart, she knew that she was only imagining things. She imagined him coming, and then imagined her own consequent excitement at his arrival.

 Q9. Which was the only occasion when she got to see Danny Casey in person?

Ans. The only occasion when Sophie got to see Danny Casey in person was when she had gone with her Dad and her brother to watch the soccer match in which Danny was playing. Apart from that, she had never met him in reality.

 Q10. Who are the two girls? What do they talk while coming home from the school?

Ans. The two girls are Sophie and Jansie. They are very good friends. While coming home from school, they were talking about their future plants. Sophie was keen to work as a manager, Jansie was more realistic and sensible of the two and reminded Sophie that they both had already been appointed to work in a biscuit factory.

 Q11. Why does Jansie discourage Sophie about her dream?

Ans. Jansie was more down to earth and realistic than Sophie, the dreamer. She discouraged Sophie about her dream about becoming a boutique owner, by reminding her that the fantasies that Sophie had taken a lot of money and Sophie did not have that kind of money to invest. Even her father would not allow her to work in a shop as a manager.

 Q12. What should be the priority of Sophie when she earns money?

Ans. Sophie’s first priority when she would earn money was to buy a boutique, but friend Jansie said Sophie’s that her father seemed to have different plans for her. He expected that Sophie would buy them a decent house to live in.

 Q13. Who is Geoff? What does he do?

 Ans. Geoff is Sophie’s elder brother. He is working as an apprentice mechanic, travelling to his work each day to the far side of the city. He is quiet and reserved by nature and does not talk much.

 Q14. What is the difference between Geoff and Sophie?

Ans. Both Geoff and Sophie had entirely different natures and temperaments. Geoff was quiet, reserved and almost an introvert. It was always difficult to make him talk. He didn’t make friends as easily as Sophie did. She was more outgoing, friendly, even impatient. She was much of a dreamer and fantasized a lot about being at unusual places and meeting people.

Q15. Who is Danny Casey? What does Sophie feel about him?

 Ans. Danny Casey is an Irish football player. He was an upcoming player and even Sophie’s father admitted that if he kept his head on his shoulders and if they looked after him properly he would go a long way. Sophie was infatuated with him and kept imagining having met him a few times.

 Q16. What does Sophie’s father think about Danny Casey?

 Ans. Sophie’s father is fond of the game of football. He has heard and knows about Danny Casey, an upcoming Irish footballer. He feels that Danny has a lot of potentials. If he is looked after well and if he keeps his head on his shoulders, he would go a long way. Moreover, he was playing for the best team in the country.

Q17. What happened on one Saturday?

Ans. On one Saturday, Sophie’s family made their weekly pilgrimage to watch United. Sophie’s father always felt that Danny was a good player with great potential. Danny’s impressive play made Sophie glow with pride. Later, she was confronted by her friend Jansie who wanted to know about her meeting with Danny. Sophie was reluctant to tell her because she knew Jansie would spread the news everywhere.

Q18. Why did Sophie like her brother Geoff more than any other person? From her perspective what did he symbolize?

Ans. Sophie liked her brother Geoff the most as she related to him comfortably. He was tall, handsome and dark. He lived in a world of his own. He was the only one Sophie could share her secrets with. To her, Geoff symbolized a world she often dreamt of and wanted to escape to.

Q19. What socio-economic background did Sophie belong to? What are the indicators of her family’s financial stress?

Ans. Sophie came from a middle-class humble family. Her father had to work really hard to bring up the family and could not afford a decent house for them. Her brother Geoff also worked as a mechanic immediately after leaving school. Even Sophie was earmarked to work in a biscuit factory after she would leave school.

Q20. Describe Sophie’s father.

Ans. Sophie’s father had a plumpy face looking grimy and sweaty. He is a realist who did not believe his daughter’s stories. He loves watching football and goes after the match to be a pub to celebrate the victory. He does not understand Sophie and her dreams.

Q21. Did Geoff keep his promise to Sophie?

Ans. Geoff did not keep his promise to Sophie. Geoff told Frank about Sophie’s meeting with Danny Casey at the Royce’s. However, Geoff did not reveal the supposed date of Sophie with Danny Casey.

Q22. Why is Sophie jealous of Geoff’s silence?

Ans. Geoff is almost grown up now. He spoke little. Words had to be extracted out of him like stones out of the ground. She was jealous of him as she believed that when he wasn’t speaking, it was because he was away in a world and places that she had never been. The places attained a special fascination for Sophie because they were unknown to her and out of her reach.

Q23. Why did Sophie choose to walk by the canal? What did she do there?

Ans. Sophie walked by the canal along a sheltered path lighted by lamps from the whorl. It was far away from the noise and crowd of the city. It was a place where she had often played when she was a child. There was a wooden bench beneath a solitary elm where lovers sometimes come. It was a perfect place for her to meet Danny Casey.

Q24. What was Sophie’s ambition in life? How did she hope to achieve that?     

 Ans. Sophie’s ambition in life was to become rich and important. She wanted to take up some sophisticated professions, like that of an actress or a fashion designer.

 Q25. Why did Jansie discourage Sophie from having dreams?              

 Ans. Sophie was a girl of unrealistic dreams. On her way home, she told her classmate Jansie that she would open a boutique. She would be like Mary Quant and will be having the most amazing shop this city had ever seen. She had another option of becoming an actress along with her boutique. She also thought of becoming a fashion designer. But Jansie asked Sophie to be sensible Jansie discouraged her because she knew that both were earmarked for the biscuit factory as both belonged to lower-middle-class families of low financial standing.

26. What is unrealistic about Sophie’s dreams of her future life?

Ans. Sophie belonged to a poor family. Her parents were managing the basic necessities of life with great difficulty. But Sophie had high dreams. She had plans to set up her own boutique. She would like to be a manager or an actress. But she was not ready to accept the reality that she could not get any work except that in a biscuit factory.

27. Why did Sophie not want Jansie to know anything about her meeting with Danny Casey?

Ans. Sophie did not want Jansie to know anything about her meeting with Danny Casey. She did not trust her for keeping secrets as Jansie was fond of gossiping. Sophie feared that she might gossip about her meeting with Danny Casey. This might enrage her father.

28. Why was Sophie jealous of Geoff’s silence?

Ans. For Sophie, Geoff’s silence symbolised freedom. Geoff used to work as a mechanic. He used to ride his motorcycle and visited places where she had never been to. Sophie believed that he moved into a different exotic world which was far away from home and their reality. She was jealous of his silence which does not reveal that world to her.

29. Did Sophie really meet Danny Casey? Why was she always talking about him?

 Ans. No, Sophie did not meet Danny Casey in reality. She was a dreamer. She had developed a liking for Danny Casey and in her world of fantasy, she had imagined herself meeting him. It was just an effect of teenage fantasy and hero-worship that she started hallucinating about football star Danny Casey.

30. Did Geoff keep up his promise? How do you know?

 Ans. Sophie had shared her secret of meeting Danny Carey with her brother Geoff. But her brother Geoff didn’t keep his promise not to share it with anyone. He told this to Frank who was his friend and Jane’s brother. When Jansie came to ask Sophie about Danny Casey, it became evident that Geoff has told that secret to her brother.

31. Why did Sophie long for her brother’s affection?

 Ans. Sophie liked her brother Geoff more than any other person. She used to confide in him all her secrets. She was very curious to know about his world. She longed for her brother’s affection so that he would take her into his exotic world which was far away from their own real world.

32. Why did Jansie discourage Sophie from living in a world of fantasy?

 Ans. Jansie was a realistic and practical girl. She knew very well about her socio-economic background and accepted it. Being a good friend of Sophie, she often reminded her of the reality of their lives. She knew that Sophie lived in the world of her fantasy. But she always used to discourage her from living in that world because she knew that it would be heartbreaking for Sophie.

INQUIRY LETTER- A SAMPLE

 INQUIRY LETTER- A SAMPLE

1. You are awaiting your class XII results. Meanwhile you would like to do a short–term course in personality enhancement. Write a letter to the Director, Personal Care, Pune, inquiring about the details about the course. You are Angelina/ Ashton of 352 lane, Shivalik cross road, Bokaro.                                                                 

Answer:

250, Shivaji Road

Pune-23

10 June 2023

The Director

Personal Care 

Pune -30

Subject: Enquiry about short-term courses in personality development

Dear Sir,

I came across your advertisement in the Hindustan Times dated 9th June. I would like to know in detail about the courses offered by your institute. 

I have always been interested in such programmes and look forward to learning from such useful programmes. I would like to add further for information that I am a class X student and wish to pursue a course in Personality Development in the summer vacation after my board exams. 

Kindly send me all the details, including the courses offered, the duration and the fee structure, at the address given above. The payment for the brochure shall be made at the time of the delivery.

Yours sincerely /truly,

Angelina

Complete the letter:

You are Veronica/Vyom of Class X. You are interested in pursuing a course in mass communication. You have seen an advertisement given by the National Academy of Mass Communication, Indore, offering courses in journalism and mass communication. Write a letter to the Director enquiring about their courses, fee structure, placement opportunities, etc.

COMPLAINT LETTER

 COMPLAINT LETTER- A SAMPLE

Write a letter to the in-charge of the text-books section of NCERT, New Delhi complaining about the non-availability of textbooks even one month after the beginning of the new academic session. You are Conner/ Michela studying in St. Xavier’s School, Delhi.

Answer:

Examination Hall

St. Xavier’s School

Delhi-25

25th September 2023

The In-charge- Textbooks

North-west Supervisor

NCERT Office

Pitampura, Delhi-23

Subject- Complaint regarding non-availability of textbooks.

Dear Sir/Madam,

This is to bring to your kind notice that even after a month of commencement of classes; the latest NCERT textbooks are not available at any bookstore. 

Students have to attend school without textbooks. Some are borrowing the older versions of their seniors with the out-dated syllabus. This is resulting in problems in learning and understanding. The lectures teachers are delivering are not having an effective impact on the students. Books play an important part in learning and I hope you understand the intensity of the situation. 

I request you to undertake quick action in making the books available as soon as possible. I hope my complaint does not fall on deaf ears.

Thanking you in anticipation.

Yours Sincerely/ truly,

Conner/ Michela

COMPLAINT LETTER

 BEGINNING OF COMPLAINT LETTER (out of many)

Sender's address

------>

Date: 26th September 2023

----->

Receiver's address

-------->

Subject: Replacement of refrigerator

------->

Dear sir, 

Recently I have purchased a refrigerator from your XYZ company(mention the name given in the question), but it's very unfortunate to inform you that there are several issues with the machine.

For your reference here are the transaction details:

Date of purchase -

Bill number -

Invoice number -

Barcode-

Since day one the refrigerator started creating problem, specially the main component- the compressor was leaking, the cooling was improper and there was a slight dent on the door of the freezer. Just imagine how horrible it feels when you pay the complete amount and you receive such a damaged product.

To resolve the problem, I would appreciate if you replace the damaged refrigerator with a new latest one of the same steel gray colour to the earliest. All the documents are attached herewith for your reference. I look forward to your reply and a resolution to my problem.

Thanking you in anticipation.

Yours sincerely,

Sangeeta

Letter to the Editor

 Sample letter to the editor

Persons working in houses for washing, cleaning, cooking, etc. have been found involved in acts of crime in big cities. Write a letter to the Editor, The Times of India, Noida, throwing light on this aspect so as to make citizens aware of this problem. You are Larry/Lorraine of 352, Radhika Nagar, Noida.

352, Radhika Nagar

Noida-25

25 August 20XX

The Editor

The Times of India

Noida-30

Subject: Involvement of Domestic Servants in Crime

Dear sir/ma'am,

Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I would like to draw the attention of the public in general and police authorities in particular towards a problem which deserves immediate attention and necessary action. 

It has been observed that the acts of crime such as theft, house-breaking, kidnapping, and murders are increasing day by day. Newspaper reports reveal that persons working in houses for cleaning, cooking, etc. are involved, directly or indirectly in such acts of crime. They either collude with anti-social elements to make easy money or indulge in the heinous and nefarious act of stealing, kidnapping and murder themselves.

I think the police should make it mandatory for people engaging domestic servants to get clearance from the local police station after registration and proper verification. The police must show alertness and far-sightedness while dealing with such cases.

I do hope you will spare some time to look into this problem and publish the above for alertness of people.

Thanking you in anticipation.

Yours sincerely,

Lorraine

12th std My Mother at Sixty-six

 

                 My Mother at Sixty-six

            Extract Based Questions

a) Driving from my parent’s

home to Cochin last Friday

morning, I saw my mother, beside me,

doze, open mouthed, her face ashen like that

of a corpse and realised with pain

that she was as old as she

looked but soon

put that thought away, and

looked out at Young

Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling

out of their homes, but after the airport’s

security check, standing a few yards

away, I looked again at her, wan,

pale as a late winter’s moon and felt that

old familiar ache, my childhood’s fear,

but all I said was, see you soon,

Amma,

all I did was smile and smile and

smile……

Question 1. Mention any one instance of metaphor used in the poem.

Ans. face ashen (colour of the face is similar to the colour of ash)

Question 2. Which word means sleeping?

Ans. Doze

Question 3. State true or False

The trees were not sprinting

Ans. True

Question 4. What is yard?

a. Unit of measuring time

b. Unit of measuring distance

c. Unit of measuring weight

d. Unit of measuring speed

Ans. b

Question 5. Which figure of speech is used in the last line?

Ans. Repetition (to emphasize)

Question 6. Mention the instances of imagery.

Ans. Young trees sprinting

Merry children spilling out of their homes

Question 7. Which of the following figures of speech can be seen throughout the poem?

a. Personification

b. Enjambment

c. Rhyme

d. Repetition

Ans. b

Question 8. What is the theme of the poem?

a. Aging

b. Nostalgia

c. loss and separation

d. All of these

Ans. d

Question 9. The poet was going to Cochin by ____

a. Car

b. Train

c. aeroplane

d. Can’t say

Ans. c

Question 10. What was the poet’s childhood fear?

Ans. Her childhood fear was the fear of getting separated from her mother.

                 Short Answer Types

1. What is the kind of pain and ache that the poet feels? 

Answer:When the poet sees the corpse-like and pale face of her mother, her ache or the old familiar pain returns. Perhaps this fear was entertained by her since her childhood. Ageing is a process which occurs naturally. Ageing and time spare none. Ageing and time have not spared the mother of the poet and may not spare her as well. By ageing, death and separation become inevitable.

2. Why are the young trees described as ‘sprinting’? 

Answer:While driving to the Cochin airport, she observed outside the young trees which seemed to be walking across them. They seem to be sprinting or running fast with the speed of the car. The poet provides a contrast – the ‘sprinting’ young trees and her ‘dozing’ old mother.

3. Why has the poet brought in the image of the merry children ‘spilling out of their homes’? 

Answer:To present a contrast, the poet brought in the image of the merry children ‘spilling out of their homes’. The merry children who are coming out of their houses in huge numbers explain the spontaneous flow and happiness of life. It is different from the old mother ‘dozing’, whose ‘ashen’ face looks pale and lifeless, similar to a corpse. The description of the poet’s mother highly indicates passivity, decay and ageing in the poem. The contrast between these two images strengthens the effect of the poem.

4. Why has the mother been compared to the ‘late winter’s moon’? 

Answer:The mother of the poet is sixty-six years old. Her ‘ashen’ face which is shrunken, is similar to that of a corpse. She has lost the strength of youth and her shine. The late moon in the winter looks obscure and hazy. It also lacks strength and shine. This comparison is appropriate and quite natural. The simile used here is effective and apt.

5. What do the parting words of the poet and her smile signify?

Answer: The parting words of the poet, her smile and her assurance present a sharp contrast to the fear of childhood or the old familiar ache. Her smiles and words are a conscious attempt to hide her feelings. The parting words – “See you soon, Amma” provides an assurance to the old woman whose ‘ashen face’ is similar to a corpse. In the same way, her continuous smile is an attempt to overcome the fear and ache which is present in her heart.

6. What is the main idea expressed in the poem My mother at sixty-six? How do the images of the real world which occur in the poem connect to this idea?

Answer: The principle thought communicated in this poem is that all that has bloomed will sag one day. The pictures of this present reality, like that of the kids pouring out of their homes and the running trees, stand out as life from death.

7. Why do you feel the mother has been compared to the ‘late winter’s moon’?

Answer: In the poem My Mother At Sixty-six, the mother of the poet has been compared to the ‘late winter’s moon’ because the moon in the winter becomes dull and dim which makes it appear lifeless. The late winter’s moon is also devoid of its natural glow as layers of fog often cover it up. 

Similarly, due to ageing, the poet’s mother has also become pale and her colour has become just like the ash colour of the moon. She has lost her youth and looks like a corpse.

8. How is the mother described in the poem?

Answer: The poet portrays her mother as an older woman who has become pale, frail, and exhausted. She regularly sleeps and stays oblivious with regards to herself as a dead body.

9. Ageing is a natural process; have you ever thought what our elderly parents expect from us?

Answer: Aged people usually undergo pangs of loneliness and need companionship. They long only for our love, care and attention. They expect their children to share the happenings in their lives with them and take their suggestions for making significant decisions. This will encourage them to live life enthusiastically.

10. Give the sum and substance of Kamala Das’s poem My Mother at Sixty-Six.

Answer: The mother of the poetess is not yet very old. She is sixty-six. But some how because of illness or so, she looks pale and ash-coloured like a dead body. The poetess is in a hurry to catch her flight. She is deeply concerned about the aged mother. She can’t be sure to find her alive on her next visit. She looks out of the car at the young trees & children. 

By contrast, the sight of the mother looks critical. She casts a last look at the airport. In order to cheer up the old mother, she smiles and smiles to hide her own and promises to see the beloved mother again.

12th standard Poets And Pancakes

 12th standard Poets And Pancakes

Read the extracts and answer the following questions.

1.‘…..The make-up department of the Gemini Studios was in the upstairs of a building that was believed to have been Robert Clive’s stables. A dozen other buildings in the city are said to have been his residence. For his brief life and an even briefer stay in Madras, Robert Clive seems to have done a lot of moving, besides fighting some impossible battles in remote corners of India and marrying a maiden in St. Mary’s Church in Fort St. George in Madras … ”

(a) Who was Robert Clive?

Ans: Major-General Robert Clive was the commander who established the military supremacy of the East India Company in Southern India and Bengal.

(b) What was his connection with the Gemini Studios?

Ans: Gemini Studios was in a building that was believed to have been Robert Clive’s stables.

(c) What was his connection with Madras?

Ans: He had lived in many buildings in the city and also married in St. Mary’s Church in Fort St. George in Madras.

2. ‘… This gang of nationally integrated make-up men could turn any decent-looking person into a hideous crimson-hued monster with the help of truck-loads of pancake and several other locally made potions and lotions … ”

(a) What is implied by ‘gang of nationally integrated make-up men’?

Ans: People in the make-up department were from different parts of the country.

(b) What was the job of the make-up artists?

Ans: Their job was to beautify the actors and make them look presentable.

(c) Bring out the irony in these lines.

Ans: The job was to beautify the actors but they turned any decent-looking person into a tedious monster because they overdid the make-up to make them look presentable in films.

3. ‘…..On the days when there was a crowd-shooting, you could see him mixing his paint in a giant vessel and slapping it on the crowd players. The idea was to close every pore on the surface of the face in the process of applying make-up. He wasn’t exactly a ‘boy; he was in his early forties, having entered the studios years ago in the hope of becoming a star actor or a top screenwriter, director or lyrics writer. He was a bit of a poet …”

 (a) Who is the ‘him’ in these lines?

Ans: ‘Him’ is the office boy. He was junior-most in the hierarchy of people in the make-up department.

(b) What was his job?

Ans: He had to put the make-up on the crowd players when a crowd scene was to be shot.

(c) Why was he ‘a bit of a poet’?

Ans: His ambitions of becoming a star actor or a top screenwriter, director or lyrics writer had been thwarted so the circumstances had turned him into a poet.

4. ‘…..The “boy” in the make-up department had decided I should be enlightened on how great literary talent was being allowed to go waste in a department fit only for barbers and perverts. Soon I was praying for crowd shooting all the time. Nothing short of it could save me from his epics … ”

(a) Who is the ‘I’? What was his job?

Ans: He is the narrator/ writer. His job was to extract the relevant newspaper clippings and file them.

(b) What did the ‘boy’ talk to him about?

Ans: He told him how his ‘great literary talent’ was being allowed to go waste.

(c) Why did ‘I’ wish for crowd shooting?

Ans: That was the only time that the ‘boy’ was occupied and so the writer was saved from his lectures.

5. ‘….He could look cheerful at all times even after having had a hand in a flop film. He always had worked for somebody—he could never do things on his own—but his sense of loyalty made him identify himself with his principal completely and turn his entire creativity to his principal’s advantage. He was tailor-made for films. Here was a man who could be inspired when commanded …”

(a) Who is the person being talked about?

Ans: Kothamangalam Subbu.

 (b) How was he viewed by the others employed in the studio?

Ans: They were generally angry with him and blamed him for all their woes and humiliation.

(c) What were the strengths that endeared him to his seniors?

Ans: He was a Brahmin and had exposure to more affluent situations and people. He looked cheerful and was creative. Moreover, he could be inspired when required. He was loyal to his seniors and assisted them when they had a problem. He could suggest fourteen alternative ways of shooting a scene. He was also a great actor.

6. ‘… Often he looked alone and helpless—a man of cold logic in a crowd of dreamers—a neutral man in an assembly of Gandhiites and khadiites. Like so many of those who were close to The Boss, he was allowed to produce a film and though a lot of raw stock and pancake were used on it, not much came of the film. Then one day The Boss closed down the Story Department and this was perhaps the only instance in all human history where a lawyer lost his job because the poets were asked to go home …”

(a) Who is the person being talked about?

Ans: The legal adviser is being talked about.

(b) Why was he a misfit in the studio?

Ans: Unlike the rest, he was logical, while the others were poets/dreamers. He wore a pant, coat, and a tie in an assembly of Gandhiites and khadiites.

(c) Why did he lose his job?

Ans: He lost his job because the Boss decided to close down the story department.

7. ‘…..A Communist was a godless man—he had no filial or conjugal love; he had no compunction about killing his parents or his children; he was always out to cause and spread unrest and violence among innocent and ignorant people. Such notions which prevailed everywhere else in South India at that time also, naturally, floated about vaguely among the khadi-clad poets of Gemini Studios. Evidence of it was soon forthcoming …”

(a) What ideology did the people in the Gemini Studios align with?

Ans: Most of them wore khadi and worshipped Gandhiji but beyond that, they had not the faintest appreciation for the political thought of any kind.

(b) What did they think about Communism?

Ans: They felt that the Communist was a godless man with no love and was always out to cause and spread unrest and violence among innocent and ignorant people.

(c) What was the ‘evidence’?

Ans: Years later, it was found out that MRA was a kind of counter-movement to international Communism and the big bosses of Madras, like Mr Vasan, had played into their hands.

8.‘….. At last, around four in the afternoon, the poet (or the editor) arrived. He was a tall man, very English, very serious and of course very unknown to all of us. Battling with half a dozen pedestal fans on the shooting stage, The Boss read out a long speech. it was obvious that he too knew precious little about the poet (or the editor). The speech was all in the most general terms but here and there it was peppered with words like ‘freedom’ and ‘democracy’ …”

(a) Who was the mystery guest?

Ans: Stephen Spender.

(b) What were the conjunctures of the people working in Gemini Studio?

Ans: They knew he was neither a poet nor an editor of the British publications known in Madras. The surmise was that the poet was the editor of a daily.

(c) What was the reaction of the people to his speech?

Ans: They neither understood the content nor the accent.

9. ‘… Stephen Spender, the poet who had visited Gemini Studios! In a moment I felt a dark chamber of my mind lit up by a hazy illumination. The reaction to Stephen Spender at Gemini Studios was no longer a mystery. The Boss of the Gemini Studios may not have much to do with Spender’s poetry. But not with his god that failed …”

(a) What is meant by ‘a dark chamber of my mind lit up by a hazy illumination’?

Ans: The author was able to place the guest fact appropriately now as to the identity of the guest and the purpose of his visit.

(b) How did the narrator realize the identity of the poet who had visited Gemini Studios?

Ans: In the British Council Library, he saw copies of The Encounter and read the editor’s name.

(c) Explain the reference ‘god that failed’.

Ans: Here, it refers to Communism, the idea that had seemed so promising initially but had disillusioned many. The Boss had known about and shared in Stephen Spender’s disillusionment with Communism. The God That Failed was a compilation of essays by six eminent men, including the author, as a sojourn into communism and their disillusioned return.

Short Answer Type Questions  

1.What is the significance of the words ‘poet’ and ‘pancake’?

Ans: ‘Pancake’ was the brand name of the make-up material that Gemini Studios bought in large quantities. It was used as a make-up base for the actors shooting in the studio. Thus this chapter deals with the people working in Gemini Studios, most of them in the make-up department. The word ‘Poets’ comes from the fact that Gemini Studios was the favourite haunt of poets, who had influenced the thinking of the employees of the Studios. It was also visited by the English poet Stephen Spender.

2. What is the writer’s view of Robert Clive?

Ans: The make-up department of the Gemini Studios was in a building that was believed to have been Robert Clive’s stables. Various other buildings in Madras were said to have been his residence. The writer says that Clive’s stay in India and specifically Madras, was for a very short period, though he married in St. Mary’s Church in Madras. But during this brief stay, he seemed to have done a lot of moving, besides fighting some tough battles in far-flung areas of India.

3. What does the writer say about national integration in the Studio?

Ans: The writer says that the make-up department did not have people belonging to the same geographical region. It was first headed by a Bengali who was succeeded by a Maharashtrian who was assisted by a Dharwar Kannadiga, an Andhra, a Madras Indian Christian, an Anglo-Burmese and the usual local Tamils. All this shows that people from all over the country worked together. So, in a light-hearted manner, he refers to this as national integration.

4. Bring out the humour in the job done by the make-up men.

Ans: The writer says that the ‘gang’ (not group) of men from all corners could transform any decent-looking person into a repulsive crimson coloured fiend because of the enormous amount of make-up they used on the actor. The chief make-up man-made the chief actors and actresses ugly. According to the writer, they used ‘truck-loads of pancake’. Other than the pancake, they used locally manufactured ‘potion and lotions’. He feels with so much make-up, they looked uglier than in real life. This was required to make them look acceptable in the movie.

5. What was the hierarchy that was maintained in the make-up department?

Ans: The authoritarian chain of command in the make-up department spelled the duties of the employees by their position in the hierarchy. The chief make-up man did the makeup for the main actors and actresses; his senior assistant worked on the ‘second hero and heroine’, the junior assistant on the ‘main comedian’, and so on. The players who played the crowd were the responsibility of the office boy, who was the junior-most. Because the office boy was the junior-most in the hierarchy, he was only required when a crowd scene was to be shot as he applied make-up on the crowd players.

6. Why was the ‘office boy’ disgruntled in the Studios?

Ans:  The job of the ‘office boy’ was to paint the faces of the crowd on the days when there was an outdoor shooting. Such occasions in those days were rare as only 5 per cent of the film was shot outdoors. Moreover, he wasn’t a ‘boy’ but a man in his early forties, who had joined the studios years ago in the hope of becoming a star actor or a top screenwriter, director or lyrics writer. He felt that his literary talent was being allowed to go waste in a department that was suitable only for ‘barbers and perverts’.

12th standard On The Face Of It

 12th standard On The Face Of It

Question & answers

1. What is it that draws Derry towards Mr Lamb in spite of himself?

Answer.Derry notices Mr Lamb is different from others. Mr Lamb shows fearlessness on seeing Derry’s burnt face. Rather, he lovingly talks to him. Derry thinks that his problem is big enough to make him the saddest person in the world. But later, after listening Mr Lamb, he finds his problem to be a small one and starts managing Mr Lamb. I believe that the unusual conversation between Mr Lamb and Derry has pulled him towards Mr Lamb, notwithstanding himself.

2. In which section of the play does Mr Lamb display signs of loneliness and disappointment? What are the ways in which Mr Lamb tries to overcome these feelings?

Answer. It is midway through the first scene of the story that Mr Lamb exhibits signs of loneliness and disappointment. Although the solitude of Derry controls the play, there are evident shades of Mr. Lamb’s loneliness during the first view of the play. Mr Lamb shows signs of separation when Derry says that he has listened to a lot of passive things about Mr Lamb. Mr Lamb decides to overcome those emotions by listening to the song of the bees in the beehive on the tree in his garden. These are the ways in which Mr Lamb tries to overcome his loneliness.

3. The actual pain or inconvenience caused by a physical impairment is often much less than the sense of alienation felt by the person with disabilities. What is the kind of behaviour that the person expects from others?

Answer. A person with physical impairment can live life with honour and respect if he is not exposed and punished with ruthless pity. He expects compassion rather than sympathy. Being with a weakness doesn’t mean one is not human. It is an individual with just a tiny defect. There is no necessity for the alienation of disabled people. Helping them in improving their skills, notwithstanding their inabilities, by acting ordinarily with them would be a great thing to do. That is something they would expect from us.

4. Will Derry get back to his old seclusion or will Mr Lamb’s brief association effect a change in the kind of life he will lead in the future?

Answer. No, Derry will not get back to his privacy. The small association of Derry with Mr Lamb raised his self-assurance and encouraged him to respect himself. I think Mr Lamb’s brief association would bring a difference in the life of Derry that he is going to lead in the future. It’s because, within a short period, Mr Lamb made him satisfied and comfortable. He has also taught Derry the wish to work for something rather than thinking about his broken face. This will definitely change Derry’s approach towards other people and will surely have an impact on the life that he is going to lead in the future.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q1.“Mind the apples!”, says Mr Lamb. Why do you think, does he issue this instruction, to whom and how many times?

Ans. Mr Lamb issues this instruction to Derry, a boy of fourteen, who climbs over the garden wall and enters the garden. He asks Derry twice to mind the apples which have been blown down by the wind from the tree and strewn in the grass. He (Derry) could put his foot on some apple, fall down and hint himself.

Q2. What is the attitude of Mr Lamb to the small boy who comes to his garden ?

Ans. Mr Lamb’s attitude to the small boy is quite gentle, protective and accommodating. Like an elder in the family offering advice and instructions to the younger members, Mr Lamb advises the young boy to mind the apples lest he should trip. He also advises the boy not to feel afraid.

Q3. What explanation does the small boy offer for coming into the garden? How does Mr Lamb react to it?

Ans. The boy thought that this was an empty place. He did not know there was anybody there. Mr Lamb assures him that it is all right. He asks the boy what he is afraid of. He tells the boy that the house is empty as he is in the garden and is likely to stay there. Such a beautiful day should not be wasted indoors.

Q4. “I ‘m not afraid. People are afraid of me,” says Derry. What do people think on seeing his face? How do they react then?

Ans. On looking at Derry’s face they find it bad and frightful. They think that it is the ugliest thing they have ever seen. They call him a poor boy as one side of his face has been burnt by acid. Some of them are afraid of his ugly and horrible face.

Q5. How does Mr Lamb change the subject from ugly face to ripe apples?

OR

How does Mr Lamb keep himself busy when it is a bit cooler ?

Ans. There is a momentary pause in the conversation. Then Mr Lamb changes the subject. He says that when it is a bit cooler, he will get the ladder and a stick. Then he will pull down those ripe crab apples. He makes jelly. He calls these orange coloured and golden apples magic fruit. September is a good time to make jelly. He tells the boy that he could help him.

Q6. Why, according to Derry, has the old man changed the subject?

Ans. Derry says that people always change the subject. They don’t ask him about his physical impairment. They simply pretend that it is not true and isn’t there. They don’t want the boy to mind and get upset. He thinks that the old man has changed the subject because he is afraid to ask him about his burnt face.

Q7. “You got burned in a fire,” says Mr Lamb. What do you think, had happened to Derry’s face?

Ans. Derry’s face did not get burned in a fire. He got acid all down that side of his face and it burned it all away. Derry says that this acid not only ate his face up, it also ate him up. One side of his face is ugly and it won’t ever be any different.

Q8. How does Mr Lamb react to Derry’s query: ‘Aren’t you interested’?

Ans. Mr Lamb tells Derry that he is interested in anybody and anything. There’s nothing God made that does not interest him. Fruit and flowers, trees and herbs, grass and weeds all interest him. Even stuff or rubbish is interesting. He finds no essential difference between a “weed’ and another ‘flower’ as both represent life—developing or growing.

Q9. “We’re not the same”, says Derry. How does Mr Lamb try to convince him that there is no essential difference between them?

Ans. Derry and Mr Lamb are both of the same species. They represent various stages of growth. Derry is young, Mr Lamb is old. Both suffer from the same physical impairment. Derry has a burnt face. The old man has got a tin leg. But this physical disability is not important. What is important is that both are alive. Derry is standing there whereas Mr Lamb is sitting.

Q10. How, according to Derry, does the tin leg not trouble Mr Lamb? What explanation does the old man offer?

Ans. Derry thinks that the old man can put on trousers and cover up his tin leg. Then no one sees it. So, people don’t have to notice and stare at, as they do at his face. Mr Lamb replies that some people do notice and stare at his disability. Some don’t. In the end, they get tired of it. Moreover, there are plenty of things to stare at.

Q11.“There’s plenty of other things to stare at.” Which ‘things’ are worth staring at and why?

Ans. According to the old man there are plenty of things to stare at. These include crab apples or the weeds or a spider climbing up a silken ladder, or his tall sun-flowers. All of them are beautiful and ‘growing’. Derry is surprised at the mention of ‘things’. Mr Lamb tries to convince him that it is all relative. Then he mentions ‘Beauty and the Beast’.

Q12. How does Derry interpret the fairy stoiy ‘Beauty and the Beast’? What does he feel about himself?

Ans. Derry says that he has been told that story before. It teaches us that outward appearance does not matter. It is what one is inside that is important. Handsome is that handsome does. Beauty loved the monstrous beast for himself. When she kissed him, he changed into a handsome prince. No one except Derry’s mother kisses him. She too kisses him on the other side of the face. He has developed a negative attitude and says he does not care ’ “if nobody ever kissed” him.

Q13. How, according to Derry, do people try to console those suffering from some physical impairment?

Ans. They ask the person to look at all those people who are in pain and brave. They never cry or complain. They don’t feel sorry for themselves. Then the person is asked to think of all

those persons worse off than him. One might have been blinded or bom deaf, or confined to a wheelchair, or be crazy and dribble. Since Derry has none of these disabilities he is far better placed.

Q14. Why do these arguments fail to console Derry ?

Ans. Derry has developed negative attitude. He says that the arguments to console him will not make his face change. He feels more hurt and pained by the comments of persons or what he overhears. Once he heard a woman in the street whispering to another, “Look at that, that’s a terrible thing. That’s a face only a mother could love.” Derry calls it cruel of them.

Q15. How does Mr Lamb try to remove the baseless fears of Derry’?

Ans. Derry has developed withdrawal symptoms. He doesn’t like being near people. Mr Lamb tells him the story of a person who was afraid of everything in the world. So he went into his room and locked the door. He got into his bed and stayed there for a while. Then a picture fell off the wall on to his head and killed him.

Q16. Which fears did the man suffer from? What is the common factor in all of them?

Ans. The man feared that a bus might run him over, or a man might breathe deadly germs onto him, or a donkey might kick him to death or lightning might strike him down, or he might love a girl and the girl would leave him, and he might slip on a banana skin and fall and people who saw him would laugh their heads off. Most of these fears are imaginary.

Q17. What peculiar things does Derry notice about the old man?

Ans. Derry thinks that the old man is peculiar. He says peculiar things. He asks questions which Derry does not understand. There are no curtains at the windows in his house. He likes the light and darkness and hears the wind with the windows open.

Q18. What does Derry listen about himself? How does he react to it?

Ans. Derry listens to what his parents talk about him downstairs when he is not there. They seem to be anxious about him and his future. What he will ever do and how will he ever get on in that world. What is going to happen to him with that bum mark on his face. They say what is going to happen to him when they have died.

Q19. In what ways does Mr Lamb inspire Derry to overcome his physical disability?

Ans. Mr Lamb tells Derry that he ‘has got two arms, two legs and eyes and ears. He has got a tongue and a brain. He will get on the way he wants, like all the rest. And if he chooses and sets his mind to it, he could get on even better than all the rest.

Q20. “People are never just nothing. Never.” Why does Mr Lamb say so? Why does he advise Derry not to hate anyone?

Ans. Mr Lamb says that he has friends every where. Derry says that the people passing us in the street are not our friends. Mr Lamb tells him that they are not enemies either. When Derry says they are “Just nothing”, Mr Lamb makes this remark. He tells Derrry that hatred does more harm than any bottle of acid. Acid only bums the face, but hatred may bum a person away inside.

Q21. How should people be judged?

Ans. People should not be judged by what they look like. They must be judged by their actions. Appearances may be deceptive. On the other hand, people with physical impairments overcome their disabilities and perform wonderful feats in different spheres.

Q22. How, according to Mr Lamb, can one overcome of sense of hurt or humiliation caused by remarks at one’s physical disability?

Ans. Mr Lamb does not provide a straight forward solution. He says that in the street kids shout “Lamey-Lamb” at him. Still they come to his garden. They are not afraid of him because he is not afraid of them. He simply ignores their comments. He concentrates on other things which are encouraging and positive.