CBSE

CLASS XII

CENTRAL BOARD OF SECONDARY EDUCATION

Shiksha Kendra, 2, Community Centre, Preet Vihar, Delhi-110 301 India

CBSE
CLASS XII

CENTRAL BOARD OF SECONDARY EDUCATION

Shiksha Kendra, 2, Community Centre, Preet Vihar, Delhi-110 301 India

Language Skills Book - English Elective CBSE

PRICE: `
First Edition 2014, CBSE, India
Copies:

This book or part thereof may not be reproduced

by any person or agency in any manner.

Published By

The Secretary, Central Board of Secondary Education,

Shiksha Kendra, 2, Community Centre, Preet Vihar,
Delhi-110301

Design, Layout

Multi Graphics, 8A/101, W.E.A. Karol Bagh,

New Delhi-110005 Phone: 011-25783846

Printed By

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A

THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA

PREAMBLE
WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a 1SOVEREIGN
SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens :
JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;
EQUALITY of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all
FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the2 unity and integrity of the Nation;
IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT,
ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.
1.

Subs, by the Constitution (Forty-Second Amendment) Act. 1976, sec. 2, for "Sovereign Democratic Republic (w.e.f. 3.1.1977)

2.

Subs, by the Constitution (Forty-Second Amendment) Act. 1976, sec. 2, for "unity of the Nation (w.e.f. 3.1.1977)

THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA

Chapter IV A

FUNDAMENTAL DUTIES
ARTICLE 51A
Fundamental Duties - It shall be the duty of every citizen of India(a)

to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National
Anthem;

(b)

to cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle for freedom;

(c)

to uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India;

(d)

to defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so;

(e)

to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending
religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of
women;

(f)

to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture;

(g)

to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, wild life and to have
compassion for living creatures;

(h)

to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform;

(i)

to safeguard public property and to abjure violence;

(j)

to strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity so that the nation constantly
rises to higher levels of endeavour and achievement;

(k) to provide opportunities for education to his/her child or, as the case may be, ward between age of 6 and
14 years.

1.

Subs. by the Constitution (Eighty - Sixth Amendment) Act, 2002

Foreword
The CBSE's English language Curriculum in the classes IX to XII, in particular XI & XII, stands out for
its strong dynamism and continuous evolution and development. In the current climate of
psychological, social and economic changes, the trend is influenced by explosive knowledge creation
and exponential technology growth. Thus, the need to modify and infuse changes in the English
Curriculum at the +2 level is a necessary step in the upgradation and updation of the earlier English
curriculum. The aim is to bring it at par with other academic, competency and skills-based disciplines,
in its rigor and content. It should be borne in mind that the methodology used in the classroom will be
automatically followed by some alterations in the language teaching and learning process. The
increasing use of audio- visual aids and the internet also impacts our objectives to give our learners
greater autonomy in their learning, enabling differentiate instruction, and, its transformational
impact on teaching methods and deployment of assessment tools, consistent with those objectives.
At the + 2 stage, students begin to contemplate and introspect on their choice of subjects for higher
study, and the mastery of the language forms the foundation for their higher education. They may
choose advanced, specialized courses-including English Language & Literature, among courses
offered in leading universities in India and abroad. At the later stages of their academic tenure,
students' levels of competency can also notably influence their career path.
The English Elective CBSE course has four major components.
1.

The Literature Reader which is divided into three parts: prose, poetry and drama. Leading
writers in English, from India, UK, Australia, Canada etc.,have brought in a range of styles
which infuse variety, along with a range of values-based themes that can be easily understood
and appreciated by the age group. The learning experiences offered through the activities are
exhaustive as they cover literary appreciation, along with the development of the four language
skills.

2.

The Novels: Inculcating habits of extensive and independent reading among youth has always
been a concern for all stakeholders. The two prescribed novels serve the purpose of creating
independent individuals with the ability to not only create their own knowledge, but also
critically interpret, analyse and evaluate it with objectivity and fairness. This will also help
students in learning and acquiring greater proficiency in the language and higher level of skills
in language use. Sample questions are provided at the end of the book as practice materials that
are broadly reflective of the typology.

3.

The Language Skills Book is a value added feature of the class XII English curriculum, and is
based on a set of five themes, which students can relate to. The units offer a wide range of subthemes and skills -based activities that will equip students to introspect, research, analyse and
evaluate knowledge content independently, extend and apply such knowledge and skills in a

number of academic and professional contexts. Sample questions are provided at the end of the
book as practice materials that are broadly reflective of the typology. By the end of the course,
students will read, write and use grammar structures and a wider set of vocabulary effectively
and, learn to speak and listen efficiently.
4.

Speaking and Listening Skills: Speaking and listening skills need a very strong emphasis and is
an important objective leading to academic and professional competence. To this end, speaking
and listening skills are overtly built into the material, namely, the workbook, to guide teachers in
the actualization of the skills. As good communication skills raise the self-esteem and give a
student confidence to face the challenges of life, it is desired that the student acquires proficiency
in it by the time he or she completes school education

The teachers handling the course need to inform themselves regarding the effective use of course
content, teaching methodology, lesson planning, deployment of electronic technology for teaching,
management of group work and independent individual work, managing large classes, appropriate
use of assessment tools and, grading and record keeping to benefit their students.
The seamless integration of the language skills will provide students more focused language skills
necessary for their successful upward mobility academically and professionally, as a result of their
higher standard of English proficiency. This will enhance the total Learning Experience of our
students who will be the unequivocal beneficiaries of the most life-long and significant transferable
job skill that supports the achievement of their life goals, as confident and competent communicators
in English.
The revision of this book would never have been possible but for the sincere effort and devotion put in
by Ms. P. Rajeswary, Education Officer (Academics) and her team, under the leadership of
Dr. Sadhana Parashar, Professor and Director (Academics, Research, Training & Innovation), CBSE.
Any further suggestions are all welcome and will be incorporated in the future editions.
Vineet Joshi
Chairman, CBSE

Acknowledgement
Advisory Panel
Sh. Vineet Joshi, IAS, Chairman, CBSE
Prof. Kapil Kapoor, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Retd.), JNU, New Delhi
Dr. Sadhana Parashar, Professor & Director (ART&I), CBSE

Committee of Courses
i.

Prof. Kapil Kapoor, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Retd.), JNU, N. Delhi, Convener

ii.

Prof. Sumanyu Satpathy, Department of English, Delhi University, New Delhi

iii.

Dr. Kirti Kapoor, Asstt. Professor, NCERT, N. Delhi,

iv.

Dr. Usha Ram, Principal, Laxman Public School, New Delhi

v.

Ms. Anita Vats, Principal, RPVV Kishan Ganj, Directorate of Education, Delhi

vi.

Dr. Savita Arora, Principal, Bharti Public School, Swasthya Vihar, Delhi

vii. Ms. Pramila Mishra, PGT [English], KV, Pitampura, New Delhi
viii Ms. P. Rajeswary, Education Officer, CBSE, New Delhi
ix.

Ms. Neelima Sharma, Consultant, CBSE, New Delhi

x.

Dr. Praggya M. Singh, Joint Director, CBSE, New Delhi

Co-ordination
Ms. P. Rajeswary, Education Officer [Academics]

Editorial Board

Ms. Lakshmi Srinivasan, Principal

Ms. Sandhya Awasthi, Principal

Ms. Gayatri Khanna, ELT Consultant

Ms. Renu Anand, ELT Consultant

Selection and Development of Materials

Ms. Lakshmi Srinivasan

Dr. Usha Ram

Ms. Valsa Balaji

Dr. Savita Arora

Ms. Vijayalakshmi Raman

Ms. Alka Rai

Ms. Gayatri Khanna

Ms. Renu Anand

Ms. Nirmal Bhalla

Ms. Kanta Vadehra

Where ever possible the copyright permission has been applied for. Any information about the other pieces which has not been possible to trace
will be highly appreciated. Appropriate acknowledgement will be made in the future editions of the book.

Content
Unit - 1 : Sports and Sportsmanship
Section A : The Perfect Play

5
5

Section B : Games and Glory

11

Section C : Adventure Sports

15

Section D : The Superhumans

22

Unit - 2 : Arts and Aesthetics

31

Section A : Performing Arts

31

Section B : Blind Opera

38

Section C : Outsider Art

43

Section D : An Accomplished Filmmaker

52

Section E : Reviewing a Film

54

Unit - 3 : Inventors and Inventions

58

Section A : Trailblazers

58

Section B : Robots

68

Section C : Machine

74

Section D : Humans Against Virus

76

Unit - 4 : Exploring New Avenues

88

Section A : Healing

88

Section B : Crafts

95

Section C : Warriors

Unit - 5 : Speaking and Listening Practice

103

113

Section A : A Review

113

Section B : Language Functions

115

Section C : In my Office

120

Section D : Sounds of English - Review

122

Section E : Listening - Review

129

Sample Questions for Practice

137

The Unit aims at

encouraging an
interest in the

Description/
rationale

Unit 2:
Arts and
Aesthetics

This unit aims to

open up students to
the importance of a
healthy body for a
healthy mind. They
will study lives and
achievements of
some sporting
heroes with special
emphasis on
achievements of
those who braved
odds to achieve
success on the
Sports field.

Description/
rationale

Unit 1:
Sports and
Sportsmanship

Role Play

Sharing ideas

Present their
view point with
clarity

They will:
"Participate
actively in

R" Listen and

respond to an

Speaking skills

They will:

Listening skills

In this unit students will develop their

Complete
statements and
notes

Listen for
specific
information

Participate
actively in
group
discussions

Respond to an
extract from a
story/article/
poem/biography
to grasp the
main idea
Deliver a speech

They will:

Speaking skills

They will:

Listening skills

In this unit students will develop their

a) They will read with

understanding the
following topics

Reading skills

Choose the
right option

Match the
following

Language Structure
and conventions;
literary devices

Relative pronounsreview

Relative clausereview

They will write the

following items using Active and Passive
Compound word
suitable registers

Writing skills

Frame questions

Write a recipe

Factual
description
(describe a
paralympic)

Biosketch

Newspaper report

reports,

articles
literary materials biographies,
poems, short
stories/ extracts

Language Structure
and conventions;
literary devices

Kinds of sentences
They will write the
following items using Transformation of
suitable registers
sentences
and vocabulary:
Correct use of
a speech
Idioms

Writing skills

a) They will read with

understanding the
following topics

Reading skills

Matrix Overview

This unit aims to

open up students to
amazing inventions
that changed/
improved the
quality of life of
people and
inventors who
invented those

Description/
rationale

Unit 3:
Inventors and
Inventions

Match the
following
b) They will be able
to take notes and
summarise

Describe an
experience

Participate
actively in
group
discussions

Listen and
respond to an
extract from a
biography /
article/
interview to
grasp the main
idea

Debate for and

Present their
viewpoint with
clarity

They will:

Speaking skills

They will:

Listening skills

literary materials biographies,

poems, short

news clipping

reports,

articles

a) They will read with

understanding the
following topics

Reading skills

Complete the
table

Choose the right

option

Interview

Language Structure
and conventions;
literary devices

Synonyms

Write an essay
with logical

Scientific report
review

Use future tense

appropriate
tense form

Use

They will write the

following items using Use of tenses
Sequencing of
suitable registers
Tenses
and vocabulary:
Newspaper report Fill in the blanks

Writing skills

Write action
plan

Letter of
invitation

Circular

Designing a
pamphlet

Formal letter

Article

Reviews

Magazine Report

Formal and
Informal
Invitations/
Replies

literary materials biographies, short

stories/ extracts

Speak on the
given topic

Advertisement

articles

Present their
viewpoint with
clarity
Discuss ways to
resolve conflict

and vocabulary:

Letters

group discussions

In this unit students will develop their

Fill in the banks

-State True
&False

Sharing ideas

Complete notes

Listen for
pleasure

Performing Arts
extract from a
through reading and
story / song/
researching
poemto grasp
performers and
the main idea
performances and
Listen for
artists.
specific
information

The aim is to give

students the
opportunity to
consider their
strengths and
aspirations .They
will be encouraged
to reflect on their
priorities and
actively engage in
planning their
future.

Description/
rationale

Unit 4:
Exploring new
Avenues

machines in reality
or in fiction. They
will hopefully,
realise that
scientists were
people who
questioned the
given systems and
attitudes.

Listen and

Read out

Debate for and

against an idea
and come to a
consensus

Present their
viewpoint with
clarity

Participate
actively in
group
discussions

Listen and
respond to an
extract from a
story / article/
poem/
biography to
grasp the main
idea

Speaking skills

They will:

Listen for
specific
information

Reading skills

Slogan Writing

literary materials biographies,

poems, short
stories/ extracts

interpreting
information
related to jobs

reports

Paragraph writing

Write a character
sketch

Business Letters:
Informal letters:

Writing a job
application
(with/ without
resume)
articles

Advertisements

They will write the

Direct and Indirect
following items using
Punctuation
suitable registers
Crossword puzzle
and vocabulary:

Language Structure
and conventions;
literary devices

a) They will read with

understanding the
following topics

Writing skills

Formal letter of
complaint

Imaginary
interview

Brochure

Article

Classified
Advertisements

Write about a
research project

continuity and
fluency

Speak about
PPT

They will:

Listening skills

Attempt true/false

b) They will be able

to take notes and
summarise

stories/ extracts

Sharing views

-Press report

-Press
conferences

Role Play

against an idea
and come to a
consensus

In this unit students will develop their

Listen and
complete the
interview table
and fill in the
blanks

Listen for
specific
information

4
Make a
presentation
supported by
PPT

citations with
appropriate
stress

Enable students to be
internationally intelligible
during their communicative
exchanges so that they can
play a range of roles in
academic, social as well as in
future workplace contexts.

Review strategies to listen with

comprehension to spoken
English, especially in the
context of formal academic
discussions, interviews and
about career prospects.

Develop students' confidence

to respond fluently and
intelligently in English during
situations where the use of
English is imperative.

Description/ rationale

Listen and
choose the right
answer

Listen for
pleasure

Listen for
specific
information

Participate
actively in
group
discussions

Listen and
respond to an
extract from a
story / song/
poem to grasp
the central
theme

Figures of speech

Debate for and

against an idea
and come to a
consensus
Conversation

Stress and Rhythm,

Intonation,

Homonyms and
Homophones,

Classification of
Vowels,
Diphthongs,
Cardinal Vowels

Organs of Speech

Speech Mechanism

Discuss ways to
resolve conflict

Present their
viewpoint with
clarity

They will:

Speaking skills

They will:

Listening skills

Newspaper report

Understanding of
Concepts

a) They will be able

to take notes and
summarise
b) Understand and
choose the right
option
c) Read and complete
the mind map
d) Complete career
chart
e) Choose the correct
meaning

In this unit students will develop their

Unit 5: Speaking and
Listening Skills - Review & Practice

Listen and
choose the right
answer

complete the
statements

Unit - 1

Sports and Sportsmanship

Section - A

1.

The Perfect Play

(a) Sports involve physical exertion and skill which are governed by a set of rules and often
undertaken competitively. Fill in this web chart to bring out the importance of sports in
our lives.

Importance
of
Sports

Inculcates team spirit

(b) Sports help us realise the importance of having a clear, single-minded vision of what we
want and how we need to focus in order to achieve our goals and dreams in life. Bring out
the similarities between playing on the field and living life. For example,
(i) Team games help us understand the importance of collaboration in life
(ii) ...........................................

(v) ...........................................

(iii) ...........................................

(vi) ...........................................

(iv) ...........................................

(vii) ...........................................

READING
2.

According to the Cricket Legend Sunil Gavaskar, success in any vocation requires three Ds: (1)
discipline, which is more mental than physical; (2) dedication to hours of practice; and (3)
determination. At the Wharton India Economic Forum in Philadelphia, Gavaskar spoke with
India Knowledge@Wharton about his career, how the business side of cricket has changed over
the years, and what he has learned about teamwork and leadership along the way. Read the
excerpt from the original interview.
India Knowledge@Wharton: Well, let us start with a very basic question. How did you get
interested in cricket? Was it because of your uncle, Madhav Mantri?
Sunil Gavaskar: Yes, that was a factor. When you have somebody in your family playing cricket
at the highest level, then automatically you do get interested, but I would imagine that a lot of
boys in Mumbai would take to cricket simply because cricket is the sport in Mumbai - like hockey
in Punjab and maybe football, or soccer, in Kolkata, Goa and Kerala.
India Knowledge@Wharton: I do remember one of your records was that you scored 34
centuries in test cricket, and that record was not broken for more than 20 years. In order to
have that kind of achievement, what kind of qualities and attributes do you need to cultivate
within yourself?
Gavaskar: I think focus, determination and a fair amount of discipline - which is not the kind of
discipline that is normally associated with having an early night, going to sleep at 10 o'clock and
waking up at six. That kind of discipline is important as well, but the discipline to mould your
game according to the needs of the situation - you need that kind of discipline. I would imagine
that any vocation, any profession the three Ds that I believed in - discipline, dedication and
determination.
India Knowledge@Wharton: So, explain how you did that in the case of developing your own
ability in the cricket?
Gavaskar: Well, for example, as far as dedication was concerned, I would practice a lot. I would
practice say, three hours in the morning, then go to school, then after school again practice for
another two and a half, three hours. You needed to balance your studies, your education, along
with the practice hours, simply because at the time during which I played, cricket was not a
career option. It has become a very, very good career option now with the kind of money that
has come into the sport.
So, you had to balance your studies as well as your cricket, your love for the game, which meant
that you had to show dedication to practice the discipline to be able to go back to your books
and to study. And to be able to do that at an early age, went a long way in helping me in my
cricketing career.
India Knowledge@Wharton: And how do those attributes translate over from cricket to, say,
business life?
Gavaskar: It is pretty much the same, in the sense that in business, you have to try and study
what the situation is, study the opponent.... I would imagine that there has to be a bit of study,
there has to be a lot of hard work involved, and you have to do a lot of preparation.

In cricket, for example, when you are batting and you know what the opposition bowling is going
to be like, and you know what the pitch is likely to be and then you decide the range of your
shots.
And I would imagine that is the same thing that you would want to do in business: have
ambitions - definitely have ambitions - start slowly, and as you settle in, as you start to get the
hang of business, then you try and expand....
India Knowledge@Wharton: Did you take a lot of risks in the way you played cricket?
Gavaskar: No, I do not think so because I was an opening batsman and we were brought up to
eschew all risks to be able to play a risk-free cricket as much as possible and tire the bowlers
out, so then the batsman coming down, the glamour boys, as they call them.
We were the plodders, you know, who did all the hard work - paved the road, as you can say, for
the guys. We walked the road so that the others could drive a car on it.
India Knowledge@Wharton: The other thing that fascinates me about cricket is the fact that
it's a team sport. What kind of lessons in teamwork did your years in cricket teach you?
Gavaskar: Well, first and foremost, as a batsman you cannot score runs, or cannot score a
century, unless you have somebody batting at the other end for you, unless you have somebody
who is taking the runs for you. Unless you have the confidence of somebody staying with you at
the other end, you cannot get to a century. So, that is number one.
The other thing is that there will come a time, even during that innings when you are batting
well, when the bowler is bowling so well that you might actually be better off being at the nonstriker's end; and if you have a striker who is good enough to take on the load at that stage, then
it helps you to tire that bowler out and maybe go on to get a 100.
Also, if you are a bowler, then you need the fielders to be able to take the catches, to be able to
stop the runs being taken for you to take the wickets. So, it is in a sense a lot of teamwork. It
also, in a way, reflects on how [well] you can possibly do in society, in the sense that the more
talented batsman always looks after the lesser talented batsman in terms of trying to take more
of the strike from a dangerous bowler. He is trying to take more of the strike, and maybe he will
bat five balls out of the six-ball over, and maybe just give one ball to the lesser talented
batsman.
So, you are looking after somebody slightly less talented, and I think that is probably what you
want to do in society - that if you are [doing] well enough, you are trying to look after the less
fortunate. It is a bit of teamwork.
India Knowledge@Wharton: As a result of your success as a player, you also became the captain
of the team. What kind of leadership lessons did that teach you?
Gavaskar: Well, I was fortunate to have been playing under some very, very fine captains from
the Ranji Trophy level - the state level to the international level - and you tended to sort of
observe them, to pickup points from them.
If, for example, to pass a message across - a stern message.

So, Ajit Wadekar, who was my captain, would pass the message on by scolding the Mumbai guys,
even if the Mumbai guys had done nothing. But it was his way of passing on a message to the
others "to not do this; as a captain, I do not want that."
On the other hand, you had somebody like Tiger Pataudi, who was captain who pretty much let
you do what you wanted. He believed in your abilities. So, he was not a guy with a hand on your
shoulder. He would sort of let you run ... and if you made a mistake and if you came to him, then
he was very happy to talk to you about it.
India Knowledge@Wharton: Last year at the Wharton India Economic Forum, we were
fortunate to interview President APJ Abdul Kalam, and he mentioned that one of the most
important qualities of a leader is to learn how to manage failure. I was wondering whether you
learned any lessons from that time of your company which have stayed with you over the years?
Gavaskar: Yes, I think the main thing that you learn is never to lose heart - that it is a cycle.
Sometimes, the opposition is simply better than you, and you have to give credit to the fact that
they might have just played better than you. Then you try and analyze how you could have
improved or bettered your performance, how you could have been more competitive, and when
you do that, you tend to be able to find out where you went wrong.
One of the best [pieces of] advice that I ever received was from a former captain, who said to
me that you must keep a diary of the days when you do well, when you bat well. His reasoning
was very simple. When you, for example, took stance to bat, how did you feel? Obviously, it was
not always easy to remember every little thing or every single thing. He said when you are going
through a bad patch that is the time you read back on the day that you had scored well, and on
the day that you had batted well, because that will then give you a fair comparison as to what
you had been doing then, and maybe you should try and replicate that.
Also, when you are reading [about] when you have batted well, you start believing in yourself.
You might not be getting any runs at all, but just reading about the good days when you did that
will boost your confidence, and I thought that was fantastic advice.... It absolutely works.
India Knowledge@Wharton: You mentioned the fact that today, cricket is a career option,
especially with the 20-20 and the formation of the IPL. How has the business side of the game
changed, and do you think it has changed for the better or are there things that bother you?
Gavaskar: I think there are more pluses than minuses. Obviously, in any sport there will always
be certain minuses, but I believe that with the advent of the Indian Premier League, the kind of
money that is in the game now certainly is a big plus, because it has encouraged parents who
were all the time pushing their talented kids only into education simply because they wanted a
degree behind them so they would be able to get a decent job. Now, if they see that their kid has
talent, they will say, "Okay, go and play, because there is no age limit for education, but there is
age limit for sports."
That is what I told my son, Rohan, as well - that when he was starting to play, you play as much as
you want; do not worry about anything else, because you can always study once you have
finished with the game....

India Knowledge@Wharton: What is the biggest leadership challenge you have faced?
Gavaskar: Well, the biggest challenge is to be able to get the rest of the team to believe in
itself, and I think it probably has something to do with the fact that we have had a system in our
country - call it the caste system or the class system - whereby some people believe that they
are not as good as others. To be able to make them believe in their ability - that their ability is
what matters, not the class, not the caste that they come from. I think that has been the biggest
challenge.
India Knowledge@Wharton: One last question. How do you define success?
Gavaskar: I would imagine that it is a feeling of satisfaction when you have done your job and
the feeling of giving it your best, giving it everything, and to be able to put your head on the
pillow and sleep peacefully, knowing that you have given it everything. At the end of the day,
then, success and failure - as the world terms it - is in the hands of God, but the effort is in your
hands.
3.

Based on the reading of the interview, answer the following questions briefly:
(a) What were the two chief reasons for Gavaskar's early interest in cricket?
(b) What, according to Gavaskar, was his greatest achievement?
(c) Mention the three D's that Gavaskar talks about? How did he incorporate them in his life?
(d) What parallels are drawn between business and sports?
(e) The risk-taking attitude has undergone a change. To what does Gavaskar attribute it?
(f) Comment on how team spirit is enhanced in cricket.
(g) Gavaskar became a good captain as he had examples to emulate. Cite them.
(h) What does one learn from one's failure?
(i)

How has the attitude to cricket changed over the last few years?

(j) What does success mean to Gavaskar?

VOCABULARY
4.

Use the following sports idioms to complete the sentences given below.
barking up the wrong tree the ball is in your court front runner go to bat for
blow the competition away jumped the gun
long shot
call the shots
(a) Rahul thinks he can top the university, but I think it's a ____________.
(b) Your parents have done all they could to give you a good education. Now ____________.
(c) You spent the entire week humouring Michael, but he is not the decision maker. You were
____________.
(d) You have been practising for eight hours every day. I'm sure you'll ____________.
(e) Everyone feels that the Principal is very strict, but it is the Director of the school who
____________.

(f) My sister is the ____________ for the job of a trainer as she is the most qualified in the
group.
(g) My friend is asking for a years leave, I'm going to ____________ her if her company refuses.
(h) I ____________ when I booked the tickets for the cruise because the programme was
cancelled just the next day.
WRITING
5.

Based on the given inputs, write a bio-sketch of Bonnie Kathleen Blair in about 200 - 250
words.

Born on March 18, 1964, in Cornwall, New York.

Started skating in 1966; talented but could not go for international competition as the
family lacked funds.

Participated in 1982-1983 World Cup circuit, Olympic games in Sarajevo 1984, but failed
to win a single medal.

1988 Winter Olympics held in Calgary, Alberta set a new record and bagged her first gold
in the 500 meters race ; bronze in the 1000 meters race.

1992 at the Albertville games - another record in 500 meters and 1000 meters; first
woman to achieve back-to-back gold medals in the same events.

Lillehammer games in Norway - gold in the 500 meters race for the third time in a row;
won the 1000 meters race with a margin of 1.38 seconds, the best in the history of the
Olympic winter games. Also the first woman to win 5 gold medals and one bronze.

1992 -James E. Sullivan Award and first female to win the Oscar Mathisen Award.

1994- the best female athlete of the year by Associated Press Agency.

1995- set a new record in the American 1000 meters race and then she retired.

She achieved glory, success and speed and did it all in just 12 years.

2004 inducted into the United States Hall of Fame

SPEAKING
6.

A panel discussion on the commercialisation of sports

Today, one can earn well as a sportsperson. It's not only about playing the sport, but also
endorsing products, making guest appearances, writing for magazines and newspapers. Here
are a few questions that can help the discussion.

Have you bought a product just because your sports hero is its brand ambassador? Why?

Would you like to see more of your sports stars endorsing products? Give reasons.

Do you think, if such celebrities endorse a social cause such as blood donation, no smoking,
paying taxes, protection of endangered wild life etc., it would have a better effect? Give
reasons.

10

Section - B

Games and Glory

READING
1.

(a) The history of the World Cup Trophy.

1.

It stands 36.8 centimetres high, weighs 6.1

kilograms, is made of solid, 18-carat gold and
it's one of the most sought-after prizes in all of
sports. It's the FIFA World Cup Trophy.

2.

First awarded in 1930 at the inaugural World Cup

in Uruguay, the trophy has been on a wild ride in
the 80 years since, travelling the world many
times over and visiting almost every country on
the planet.
It's important to know that the current World Cup
trophy is the second incarnation of soccer's
greatest prize.

3.

The original statuette, named Victory, stood 35

centimetres tall and weighed 3.8 kilograms. The
octagonal cup, held by a winged figure
representing Nike the ancient Greek goddess of
victory was the creation of French sculptor,
Abel Lafleur.

4.

From 1930 to 1970, the Jules Rimet Trophy was

awarded to the winner of the World Cup of Football. Originally called "Victory", the
trophy more commonly known as the 'World Cup' or 'Coupe du Monde' though it was
renamed in 1946 after the FIFA president Jules Rimet, who organized the first
tournament. This trophy was designed by a French sculptor, Abel Lafleur, as a Goddess
of Victory holding an octagonal vessel in her outstretched hands. The trophy was
created in gold with a base set on a piece of semi-precious stone.

5.

To prevent the Nazis from confiscating the golden Jules Rimet Trophy, Dr. Ottorino
Barassi, an Italian sports official, smuggled it from the bank in Rome, and hid it under
his bed for most of the war time before the 1950 World Cup.
The Jules Rimet World Cup trophy was stolen while on exhibition in London just before
kick-off of the 1966 finals. The name of the mongrel dog, who sniffed out the stolen
trophy from its hiding place under a garden hedge in Norwood in South London, was
called 'Pickles'. His owner, David Corbett, collected a GBP 6,000 reward, and the man
who had demanded a GBP15,000 ransom for the return of the trophy, was jailed for
two years.

11

6.

After the Jules Rimet trophy was paraded by the Brazilian players after the 1970 final
match, the top of the trophy disappeared. Brazilian Reserve Davio retrieved the
valuable gold top from a young spectator at the stadium exit. As a result, the new
trophy was designed to have no top!
The Jules Rimet trophy was awarded to but not kept by the winning team. The trophy
was only permanently awarded if the team became 3-time champions. In 1970, Brazil's
third victory in the tournament entitled them to keep the trophy permanently. This
particular trophy, however, was stolen in 1983, and the current location of the trophy
is unknown. The trophy was stolen from a display box in the headquarters of the
Brazilian Football Association in Rio on 20 December 1983, and was probably melted
down afterwards. A copy, made by a German goldsmith, was donated to the Brazilian
Football Association by Kodak of Brazil.

7.

After 1970, a new trophy, known as the FIFA World Cup Trophy, was designed.
Constructed in 18-karat solid gold, the trophy is 36 centimeters tall, has two rings in
malachite inlaid in the base, and weighs a total of 4,970 grams. The new trophy was
designed by Silvio Gazzaniga (and submitted by Bertoni of Milan, Italy). Gazzaniga's
design was chosen by FIFA from 53 other trophy models presented. Gazzaniga
described his work by saying, "The lines spring out of the base, rising in spirals,
stretching out to receive the world. From the remarkable dynamic tensions of the
compact body of the sculpture rise the figures of two athletes at the stirring moment
of victory." The new trophy is not awarded to the winning nation permanently, no
matter how many World Cups they win. The original trophy remains in FIFA's
possession, while the winning National Association receives a gold-plated replica. A
new World Cup trophy will be required for 2042, as the name plaque at base of the
current trophy is designed to be filled up by names of the 17 champions from 1974 to
2038. Therefore, in 2042, a new trophy will be used, and the old trophy will then be
kept at the FIFA headquarters permanently.

(b) Fill in the details of the trophies

Features
Name
Height
Weight
Material
Design
Designer/s
More narrow

12

Original

Current

(c) Based on your reading, answer briefly.

1.

The most coveted trophy has been on a wild ride. What does this imply?

2.

When was the first threat to the trophy perceived? What were the precautions taken to
safeguard it?

3.

A new 'topless' trophy was designed. Why?

WRITING
2.

(a) Replica trophies were created to ensure that the original trophy is not stolen.
Unfortunately, even in this situation, it still led to several thefts of the replicas. Read
the newspaper report.
World Cup Trophy Replicas Stolen
June 29, 2010 Pretoria - South Africa's police commissioner says seven World Cup replica
trophies have been stolen from FIFA headquarters in Johannesburg.
Gen. Bheki Cele said at a security briefing Tuesday, "We know that there was a
burglary at the FIFA offices where they took seven replicas of the World Cup."
FIFA said the trophies were taken from a storage room, but there was no sign of a breakin. The trophies, which are usually used as gifts, are about 6 inches tall and worth $256.
Cele added police were looking into the theft and suspected the people responsible
were "very familiar with the environment in the FIFA offices."
FIFA's headquarters is in the high-class northern Johannesburg suburb of Sandton.
(b) First, discuss in groups of four. If you were in charge of security of the World Cup
Trophy, how would you ensure its safety? Create a fool-proof plan and describe it to the
class.
(c) Then, as a journalist, write a news report
based on the clues given below, and the
subsequent recovery of the trophy in about
150-200 words.
The mongrel, Pickles, that found the stolen
trophy, acquired a celebrity status overnight.
Clues:

Pickles starred in the 1966 film The Spy

With the Cold Nose.

Pickles died in 1967 and his collar is on

display in the National Football Museum
in Manchester.
An entirely fictional version of the story

was told in a 2006 ITV drama called Pickles: The Dog that Won The World Cup.

13

3.

(a) Read the Ten One-Line Poem about Sport by Ian McMillan
Golf - That white moon in the blue sky, orbiting.
Cricket - Long late afternoon shadows as the bowler runs
Basketball - The clock runs down slower than the players.
Swimmers - Moment of stillness before the start: water-mirror.
Snooker - The giant's necklace broke and the beads fell onto the grass.
Football - This net's for catching slippery goal fish!
Marathon - Last metre: the best and the worst.
Rugby - Flying Easter egg under the H.
High Jump - The air holds me like a hand, then lets me go.
Cycling - Here come the fastest paper boys and girls in the world!
(b) Answer the following briefly.
1.

Explain the metaphors in

(a) Golf
(b) Snooker
(c) Football
(d) Cycling

2.

Why in basketball, is the clock slower than the players?

3.

What is H in Rugby?

4.

Explain the simile in the High Jump event.

VOCABULARY
Many words and expressions have both a sporting meaning and a non-sporting meaning.
You could write: In . sport, the word means . Outside sport, it
is used to mean
(a) In pairs, discuss and write both meanings.
(b) Name the sports where the words are used.
(c) Complete these statements by identifying the sports.
(i)

bar, horse, landing, mat, ring, dismount: _________________________________

(ii)

birdie, driver, eagle, handicap, hazard, hole, iron, par, rough, slice, swing, wood:
_______________________________.

(iii) bowl, slip, duck, tea: _________________________________________________

(iv) court, dribble, shoot, time out, basket, slam: _____________________________
(v)

14

diamond, base, strike, ball, steal, tag, walk: _____________________________

(vi) false start, flying start, lane, lap, track: _________________________________

(vii) strike, split, clear, lane, gutter: ________________________________________
(viii) stroke, trunks, butterfly, crawl, length: _________________________________
(ix) table, cue, pot, chalk, pocket, spot, the D: ______________________________
(x)

the pits, lap, pole position, retire: _____________________________________

SPEAKING
4.

Bring out the humour in the comic strip. Share your ideas with the class.

Section - C
1.

Adventure Sports

Study the following pictures

(a) (i) These are called extreme sports. Why do you think they are so called?
(ii) To be an extreme sports star, what are the qualities that you should have?
(iii) Why do you think people play such sports?

Crocodile Bungee is jumping into a body of water containing live crocodiles

Volcano Boarding is racing down an active 2,380 ft volcano at speeds of 50

mph with only a board for protection.

15

Slacklining utilizes nylon webbing stretched tight between two anchor points. It
is distinct from tightrope walking in that the line is not held rigidly taut - it is
instead dynamic, stretching and bouncing like a large rubber band.

Zorbing involves throwing yourself down a slope in a giant ball. This bizarre
sport was invented in 2000.

(b) What are the following extreme sports called? Use the clues in the box to match and fill
in the box.
sky diving

inline skating

bungee jumping

white water canoeing

wind surfing

limbo skating

air kicking

freestyle powerisers stilts

Description
Riding or performing stunts using shoes with a single row of small
wheels underneath.
Jumping off a high bridge or building with only a strong piece of
elastic rope tied to you.
Sailing while standing on a narrow board with a sail fixed to it.
Jumping and running with elastic-like spring-loaded stilts
Roller skating under cars.
Travelling down fast-flowing rivers in a thin one-person boat
using paddles.
A human catapult launches individuals over 26 feet in the air into
a swimming pool or foam pit
Jumping out of a plane and falling without a parachute.

16

Sports

READING
2

(a) Extreme Sports represent the most striking example of acts that go against our natural
human instincts which protect us from danger. This article from the Psychology of
Extreme Sports by Joachim Vogt Isaksen, discusses what drives extreme sportsmen and
sportswomen, towards high-risk behavior.
th

1.

On the 14 of October 2012 the Austrian, Felix Baumgartner set the world record for
skydiving. The jump was performed from 39 kilometers above the earth, reaching an
estimated speed of 1,342 kph. Baumgartner is also famous for the particularly
dangerous nature of the stunts he has performed during his career. His latest jump,
which was the last in his career, received massive media coverage, and is one of the
most spectacular stunts throughout human history.

2.

Extreme sport participants are often portrayed in a negative way, for example as being
unbalanced, with a need to take unnecessary risks, not caring for family and friends
that are left back worrying. However, psychological research indicates that the
popular perception of the mad extreme sport participant needs some corrections. This
article will present some of the important research that has been done within the
field, and will also discuss the motivation that drive people toward taking extreme
risks.

3.

Who are the people involved in these dangerous activities? Do they display personality
traits that are completely different from people who engage in more "normal"
hobbies? In 2009, researchers Erik Brymer and Lindsay Oades did an interview study of
15 participants of leisure activities as B.A.S.E. jumping (building, antenna, span,
earth), big wave surfing, extreme skiing, waterfall kayaking, extreme
mountaineering, and solo roe-free climbing. The study explored what can be learned
from extreme sports about courage and humility-two positive psychological
constructs. One of their main findings were that extreme sport participants directly
related their experience to personal transformations that in a postive way, were
spilled over to other areas in life.

4.

Fear is a normal human emotional reaction; it is a built-in survival mechanism we are

all equipped with. This emotion is a response to danger and serves a protective
purpose, signaling to us of threats and preparing us to deal with it. From an
evolutionary perspective, it seems illogical to take risks that may lead to death when
there is no objective goal or anything to achieve from the activity a person displays.
On the other hand it is sensible and logical to take risks if it serves the protection of
oneself or ones own group from external dangers such as intruders or predators.

5.

Extreme sport participants therefore to build down the natural reaction of fear, and go
against their natural instincts. Repeated exposure to fearful situations, may lead to
familiarity toward the danger, and gradually a more positive emotional response.
After continuous exposure to new fearful experiences the fear response is reduced.
This leads some people to seek ever new and bigger thrills.

6.

At an intellectual level extreme sport participants are of course fully aware that each

17

time they take part in these leisure activities death might be involved. Even if fear is
hardwired into our genes, people who seek extreme sports perceive fear as something
positive.
7.

Despite the fact that evolutionary logic has designed us with mechanisms that prevent
us from dangers, our brain is also equipped with reward mechanisms that are
activated when we are subjected to extreme experiences. The neuropsychologists
have a good understanding of how the reward systems in the brain respond to fear.
These are deep structures that involve the nerve signal dopamine which is released in
the brain following extreme experiences. The feeling of transformation the people
reported in the interviews may stem from the release of this hormone that creates
feelings of optimism and happiness.

8.

Dopamine plays an important role in the reward- and motivational systems in the
brain, and high levels of it leads to feelings of well-being. Therefore one may conclude
that the effect of overcoming fear may lead to positive psychological outcomes. The
experience of fear induced by risk may be compared to the response people have after
surviving dramatic incidents such as serious illness, car accidents or traumas. People
often report that these experiences change their lives. Such experiences may in the
longer run lead to personal development and increased appreciation of life.

9.

Dopamine is the most important nerve signal involved in drug experiences and its
effect is desirable and addictive. Extreme experiences may in the same way trigger
the reward system and people may feel that they are addicted to the experiences. The
brain will not differentiate between the degrees of safety of the activities you
perform, whether it is bungee jumping or whether it is the state of being in love. What
is important is whether the activity results in the release of the nerve signals involved
in the brains reward system.

10. After all, the often negative popular view of the extreme sport participant needs some
clarifications. The participants are well-trained with the aim of reducing the risk of
the activity. One could assume that it is not the danger in itself that motivates the
athletes, but instead it may be an addiction to the biochemical reaction within the
brain that leads to the state of joy and well-being. One could therefore look at
extreme sport participants as addicts to the bodys natural drugs.
11. When extreme sport participants stop performing these activities the brain stops
producing the drugs that make them feel good. The ultimate goal and motivation
behind the activities is the "natural high" induced by the release of dopamine, whereas
the risks involved might be considered negative side effects. Although, the positive
bodily effects are so strong and longed for that they triumph the high risk of serious
injury or death.
(b) Based on your reading, choose the most appropriate answer.
(i)

18

Felix Baumgartner shot to fame because

(a) he was a skydiver

(b) he could risk his life each day

(c) of his daredevilry as a stuntman

(d) all of these

(ii) Extreme sport participants are often criticised for their

(a) callousness

(b) cruelty

(c) carelessness

(d) stupidity

(iii) The study on extreme sports turned out to be contrary in the sense that it
(a) promotes courage and humility

(b) makes people cautious and humble

(c) encourages responsibility and maturity (d) makes people meek but positive
(iv) Fear is referred to as 'a built-in survival mechanism' because it
(a) warns us of impending risk
(c) distinguishes man from beast

(b) helped human beings survive

through the ages
(d) helps us make peace with people
and situations

(v) To participate in sports where risk is involved, one needs to

(a) hide one's fears from public

(b) seek out causes that threaten us

(c) to make public display of fear

(d) raise our threshold of fear

(vi) People derive thrill out of participating in sports where risk is involved because
(a) others hero worship them

(b) they know they are better

than others

(c) of the bio-chemical secretions make

one happy

(d) all of these

(vii) Dopamine is 'addictive' because

(a) sportspersons become addicted to praise and glory
(b) it makes sportspersons look down on those who do not take risks
(c) the sportsperson seeks out experience and the thrill of the same
kind of experience
(d) the sportsperson is not able to differentiate between safety and danger
(viii)The popular belief that extreme sport participant is dangerous is incorrect
because
(a) they are well trained
(b) all of us take risks in our life
(c) a sportsperson should not be like the common man
(d) risks make us excel and progress in life
VOCABULARY
(c) In the given passage, some words/phrases have been highlighted. Replace them with
simpler words, without changing the meaning:
Many of us enjoy playing sports. Indoor sports, too, have their share of popularity. Infact

19

most of us (i) get our kicks even watching our sports stars perform. In the recent past
extreme sports have gained a huge fan following. Extreme sports are about
(ii) exhilaration, skill and danger. Most of them are individual sport and require a great
deal of training and expertise to control the risks. But these athletes enjoy the feeling of an
(iii) adrenaline rush. Extreme sports that require (iv) physical agility and often, risk are
growing increasingly popular with television viewers. Traditional sports such as basketball,
football, and baseball used to (v) dominate the television ratings, their players
(vi) alienating viewers with big salaries and bad attitudes. However, some viewers think
that extreme sports athletes take their sports more seriously because they do not
participate in them just for money.
Unfortunately, a lot of money is spent (vii) marketing alternative sports. Some athletes
feel the extreme advertising (viii) takes away from the actual sport.
GRAMMAR
3.

Relative Clauses
(a) Read these sentences from the text. Note the highlighted words.
A relative clause is a subordinate clause that begins with a question word, e.g., who,
which, where (or the word that). A relative clause modifies a noun or pronoun by providing
extra information. Words like who, that and when are often referred to as relative
pronouns when they are used to introduce relative clauses. You use:

who for people, which for things, and that for both people and things.

whom as the object of a relative clause (in more formal English), though it is
increasingly common to replace it with who.

whose to indicate possession, as a determiner before nouns.

(i) A defining relative clause is used to 'identify' or 'restrict the reference of a noun. This
is not separated it from the rest of the sentence by commas.

The student who does brilliantly will be awarded the Scholarship.

The movie that involved fighting and shooting was banned.

The house, which is on the top of the hill, is mine.

(ii) A non-defining relative clause is used to supply additional information about the noun

Albert Einstein, who put forward the theory of relativity, is considered to be

the most intelligent man.

The house, which is on the top of the hill, is mine.

You should not use the relative pronoun 'that' in non-defining relative clauses.
(b) Join the sentences in column A appropriately to those given in column B. You may use
who, that which or where to connect them.
Column A
1

20

The story is about Medha Patkar

Column B
a

was awarded last year

Salma goes to a school

you can borrow books to read

It was Black Beauty, the horse

is behind her house

The police have caught the men

are badly behaved

A library is a place

had been abducted as a child

I can't tolerate children

sensed danger and refused to budge

I like holiday resorts

are built on peaceful locations

We know the writer

is an environment activist

(c) Complete the sentences with relative clauses in the simple present. Use who or which.
1.

This is the man (teach the under privileged children )

_______________________________________________________________________

2.

The tree (grow in the garden) is a cherry tree.

_______________________________________________________________________

3.

The man (does yoga in the park) is my Uncle.

_______________________________________________________________________

4.

The elephants (live in Africa) have big ears.

_______________________________________________________________________

5.

The red building,(be opposite) the museum, is the place where my office is.
_______________________________________________________________________

(d) Combine the two sentences into one, using suitable relative pronouns.
1.

I am happy. My father has come back home.

_______________________________________________________________________

2.

Anu apologised to the driver. She had hit his car.

_______________________________________________________________________

3.

I love the country side. I grew up there.

_______________________________________________________________________

4.

I've been to that cottage. Wordsworth wrote his poetry there.

_______________________________________________________________________

5.

I have four sisters and a brother. All of them are elder to me.
_______________________________________________________________________

21

4.

WRITING
Madame Tussauds in London has branches in a number of major cities. It was founded by wax
sculptor, Marie Tussaud. Madame Tussauds is a major tourist attraction, displaying waxworks
of historical and royal figures, film stars, sports stars and famous murderers.
Madame Tussauds, London has invited nominations for the wax statute of a sports person.
Suggest who you feel deserves the honour and why? Write a formal letter, building a case for
the most deserving sports personality. Ensure that the wax statue of the person is not
already displayed.

5.

SPEAKING
Find out how good nutrition helps to build a good body and strong muscles. With your knowledge
and the help of either one of the given visual inputs, deliver a two-minute speech.
ATHLETES ARE WHAT THEY EAT

Section - D
1.

The Superhumans

(a) Study the picture. What message does it convey?

The Paralympic Games are a major
international multi-sport event where
athletes with a physical disability
compete; this includes athletes with
mobility disabilities, amputations,
blindness, and cerebral palsy. "Para"
means "alongside" so "parallel" to the
Olympic Games. There are Winter and
Summer Paralympic Games, which are
held immediately following their
respective Olympic Games. All
Paralympic Games are governed by the
International Paralympic Committee
(IPC).

22

READING
(b) The First Paralympic Games
1.

The Rome 1960 Paralympic Games was a tremendous step in sports for athletes with a
physical impairment. The founder of the Paralympic Movement, Sir Ludwig Guttmann,
and the Director of the Spinal Centre in Rome, Antonia Maglio, started preparations
for the games two years prior. It would be called the 9th Annual International Stoke
Mandeville Games. Now regarded as the Rome 1960 Paralympic Games, the
competition took place six days following the closing ceremony of the XVII Olympic
Games and was supported by the Italian Olympic Committee and the Italian Institute
for Disabled Workers (INAIL). A total of eight different sports debuted at the first-ever
Paralympic Games, all of which were considered beneficial and suitable for athletes
with spinal cord injuries: archery, IPC athletics, dart, snooker, IPC swimming, table
tennis, wheelchair fencing, wheelchair basketball. The opening ceremony on 18
September garnered a crowd of 5,000 spectators, which greeted the wheelchair
athletes during their colorful entry into Acqua Acetosa Stadium. The Italian Minister
for Public Health at the time, officially declared the Games open to the world. In the
debut of the Paralympic Games on the world stage, the host nation Italy finished atop
the medal standings, as Great Britain, Germany, Austria and USA rounded out the top
five with stellar performances. The closing ceremony on 25 September was held in the
Palazettodello in the Olympic Village in the presence of Sir Guttmann, the Patron of
the Games. Sir Guttmann summed up the Games saying: The vast majority of
competitors and escorts have fully understood the meaning of the Rome Games as a
new pattern of reintegration of the paralyzed into society, as well as the world of
sport.

The opening and closing ceremonies of the London Paralympics 2012

2.

In front of a packed Olympic Stadium, British Tour de France winner and triple
Olympic champion Bradley Wiggins rang the largest harmonically tuned bell in the
world to signal the start of the ceremony, which dazzled hundreds of millions of
viewers around the world.
And in the spectacular finale, seven young torchbearers each nominated by one of
Britain's past Olympic greats ignited the Olympic Cauldron, which was formed by 204
copper petals, representing the competing nations coming together at the Games.
The ceremony had begun with an idyllic countryside setting representing Britain's
green and pleasant land, complete with farm animals and maypole dancers but the
stadium was soon transformed into a gritty industrial landscape as thousands of
performers re-enacted the country's industrial revolution to a soundtrack of beating
drums. As the scene reached its climax, a giant, glowing ring was 'forged' before being
lifted into the air, where it joined with four others to create the Olympic rings,
suspended high above the stadium.

23

Queen Elizabeth II then made a dramatic entrance parachuting into the stadium
with fictional secret agent, James Bond, after apparently flying to the stadium in a
helicopter from Buckingham Palace.
3.

Following the parade of nations, which saw athletes from 204 National Olympic
Committees march into the stadium, Queen Elizabeth II officially declared the Games
open before all attention moved outside the stadium, where five-time Olympic
champion Steve Redgrave received the Olympic Torch from David Beckham and young
footballer Jade Bailey, who arrived by speedboat after travelling along the Thames.
The group of aspiring sportsmen and women then headed to the centre of the arena,
where they each lit one of the 204 copper petals, which are inscribed with the name of
one of the competing nations.

4.

As the cauldron's long stems rose elegantly from the ground, the petals merged to form
one unified flame, which will burn for the duration of the games.
During his speech, IOC President, Jacques Rogge, said: "I congratulate all of the
athletes who have earned a place at these Games. And to the athletes, I offer this
thought: Your talent, your dedication and commitment brought you here. Now you
have a chance to become true Olympians. That honour is determined not by whether
you win, but by how you compete. Character counts far more than medals.

5.

Seb Coe, London 2012 Chairman, said afterwards: The athletes competing at the
Olympic Games have arrived in London to give the performances of their lives. We
wanted to provide a very British welcome for them and the rest of the world. Danny
Boyle has created a show of memories and moments that will last a lifetime for people
across the UK and the world.

The London 2012 Closing Ceremony

6.

On August 12, the Olympic Stadium which staged so many impressive sporting
achievements during the Games played host to a kaleidoscopic ceremony that
celebrated the best of British music.
As the Olympic flag was lowered, President Rogge paid tribute to the London 2012
volunteers, as well as the enthusiastic support that fans offered throughout the
Games.
We will never forget the smiles, the kindness and the support of the wonderful
volunteers, the much-needed heroes of these Games, he said.

7.

You, the spectators and the public, provided the soundtrack for these Games. Your
enthusiastic cheers energised the competitors and brought a festive spirit to every
Olympic venue. You have shown the world the best of British hospitality.
London 2012 Chairman Seb Coe also thanked the British public for embracing the
Games, saying: "We lit the flame and we lit up the world; we know more now, as
individuals and as a nation, just what we are capable of.

24

8.

The Olympic flame was then extinguished, bringing the London 2012 Olympic Games
to a close as the band 'The Who' provided a fitting conclusion with their anthem My
Generation.
This may be the end of these two glorious weeks in London, said Coe. But what we
have begun will not stop now. The spirit of these Olympic Games will inspire a
generation.

(c) Fill in the Venn diagram based on your understanding.

PARALYMPIC 1960

2.

PARALYMPIC 2012

WRITING
(a) Study the pictures of the paralympic mascot. First, discuss with your partner, design a
paralympic mascot of your own and describe it in about 200 words.

Mascot design features

Head shape
Represents the three
medals won in each
Olympic event

Taxi light
Inspired by London's
black taxis

Head shape
Like a helmet - aerodynamic and featuring
the threeParalympic colours.

Camera
Lets Wenlock
record everything

Taxi light
Inspired by London's
black taxis.
Camera
Lets Mandeville
record everything

Friendship bands
The five colours
of the Olympic Rings

Wenlock

Mandeville
Personal best timer
Helps keep track
of performance

25

(b) Using your knowledge of the Paralympic Games, create your own bronze, silver and gold
medals and describe them.
(c) Athletes practice and train for many years to compete in the Paralympic Games.
Paralympic athletes need to be dedicated, hard-working, and talented to make their
Paralympic dreams come true. Create your own Paralympic champion 'recipe' and share
your ideas with the class in about 200 words in a sports journal.
(d) On the occasion of the inauguration of the Olympic Stadium of Rome, before the 1990
World Cup, Pope John Paul II said to football players: "Sportsmen all over the world are
looking at you. Be conscious of your responsibility, not only to be the champion in the
stadium, but also the man who, with his whole person, must become a model for millions
of young people who have need of leaders, not of idols. They have need of men who are
able to communicate to them a taste for the arduous, a sense of discipline, the value of
honesty and the joy of altruism. Your testimony, coherent and generous, can stimulate
them to face the problems of life with the same commitment and enthusiasm.
As a well acclaimed sports star, you have been invited to a TV channel to address the
students. What is the message that you would give? Write the a speech in about 200
word using your own ideas and ideas from the given extract.
3.

SPEAKING
(a) First, read the following news item.
Longest Limbo Skating-World Record Set
A six-year-old Indian boy, Aniket Ramesh
Chindak, has set a new world record for the
longest limbo-skating by squeezing
himself under a row of 57 four-wheel drive
cars in 45 seconds. Aniket decided to take
up limbo skating two years ago after seeing
it on television.
He had been roller skating since he was 18 months old, and wanted a new challenge. "It
took three months before I could get my body in the right position," he said. "Since then
I have skated under lots of cars and have never hurt myself."
Aniket said: "The hardest thing is to go fast enough before I bend down. That's how you
can skate under so many cars at once."
A celebrity in his home-town Belgaum in Southern Karnataka state, Aniket has an
extraordinary ability to perform what is known as 'limbo-skating '

26

(b) You are a journalist who has been assigned a task to interview Aniket. Frame a set of
questions for the interview. Also , write the answers you expect .
1.
Ans.
2.
Ans.
3.
Ans.
4.
Ans.
5.
Ans.

4.

(a) Sports are a valuable metaphor for life. Read the poem given below:
In Sports as in Life
Francis Duggan
The town decorated in the colours of the local football club for the weekend's big
game
Suppose in sports as in life it is all about winning and fame
The local footballers are playing for renown
For the fans and love of self glory and love of the Hometown
And for love of the club colours they proudly do wear
The very thought of losing even seems hard to bear
To the uninterested 'tis just another game of football
But in sports as in life the winners seem to take all
Of the admiration and fame and of singing their praises their fans never tire
And even gallant losers so few seem to admire
To be graceful in defeat to little does amount
In sports as in life only winners seem to count
At the weekend they play for the trophy and their self glory and sporting renown
And for their sporting success hungry fans and for love of their hometown.
(b) Complete the following statements
(i) The gaiety of the town is reflected in _________________________________________
(ii) The similarity in sports and life is the fact that both are __________________________

27

(iii) The sportspersons are playing for ____________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(iv) The poet calls even the losers 'gallant' because _________________________________
(v) The fans are besotted by the _______________________________________________
5.

LISTENING
(a) Listen to a passage about Natalia Partyk and complete the statements appropriately.
(i) Natalia Partyka is a true achiever because she is one of the five athletes to have
________________________________________ games.
(ii) To Natalia Partyka, disability was her ________________________________________
(iii) Natalia Partyka's role model was ____________________________________________
(iv) She drew media attention in Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games because ______________
(v) In Beijing, she was highly acclaimed because __________________________________
(vi) Natalia feels playing at the Paralympics is tougher because ______________________
(vii) She feels she has learnt from losing a game because _____________________________
(viii)Natalia's attitude will make her _____________________________________________
(b) Complete the notes. You may listen to the script again to complete the work.
1.

Headline: ________________________________________________________
(a) by Greeks/Romans to ____________________________________________
th

(b) 19 Century ___________________________________________________

(c) In World War II to _______________________________________________
2.

Modern times
(a) ____________________________________________________________
(b) ____________________________________________________________

3.

UNESCO suggests
(a) ____________________________________________________ to athletes
(b) ____________________________________________________________

28

(c) Curtail _______________________________________________________

(d) ____________________________________________________________
(e) Support ______________________________________________________
Listening Script - 01
You possibly haven't heard of Natalia Partyka but you should have. She has done
something which only five other athletes have managed in history - she has competed at
both the Paralympic and the Olympic Games.
Natalia Partyka is a Polish table tennis player who was born without a right hand and
forearm. She started playing table tennis when she was seven years old because she
wanted do the same as her older sister. She was motivated to practise hard because her
sister was much better ... at first.
She obviously learnt her lesson well because she participated for the first time at the
Paralympic Games when she was just 11 years old the youngest athlete at the Sydney
2000 Paralympic Games. Since then she has competed at two more Paralympic Games,
winning two gold and two silver medals. It was in Beijing 2008 that she joined the
exclusive club of athletes who have competed at both Games. Beijing was her third
Paralympic Games and her first Olympics.
So what's the difference between playing at the Paralympics and Olympics? According to
Natalia, disabled players have to think more and find ways to win points because many
of them can't move so fast. So it can actually be more difficult playing at the
Paralympics.
Natalia has many good memories, such as the time she beat Li Jia Wei from Singapore,
who was then ranked number 8 in the world. However, sometimes, she says, winning
isn't the most important thing. Sometimes, Natalia says, the most important thing is
losing, because you learn a lot from your errors and so become a better player.
With an attitude like that she will continue to improve and continue to excel. Natalia
Partyka is a clearly a name we will be hearing more about in the future.

Listening Script - 02
The use of banned performance-enhancing drugs in sports is commonly referred to as
doping. This is a major problem for sports governing bodies. This, however, is not a new
phenomenon.
Drugs have been used to enhance performance since ancient times. Greek and Roman
civilisations used mushrooms and herbs to improve their performance. Later in the 19th
century substances including alcohol, opium and caffeine were used.
The more recent forms of performance enhancing drugs have roots from World War II

29

where certain drugs were used by American soldiers to keep them alert.
However, a number of deaths and allegations of drug taking encouraged the
International Olympic Committee (IOC) to set up a Medical Commission in 1967 which
banned the use of drugs and other performance enhancing substances.
Small-scale testing was introduced at the 1968 Mexico Olympics, followed by a full-scale
testing at the next games in Munich, 1972.
Following a large number of doping offences being committed in the mid-nineties, and
the existence of several conflicting organisations, the World Conference on Doping was
held in Switzerland in 1999. As a result, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was
formed to promote and co-ordinate the fight against drug use in sport on an
international level, across all sports.
By adopting the Convention on 19 October 2005, UNESCO responded to the calls from
the international community. At the Third International Conference of Ministers and
Senior Officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sport in December 1999,
consideration was given to ethical values in sport. Ministers expressed concern over
unethical behavior, in particular doping in sport, and urged all countries to take
concerted action.
The Convention helps to formalize global anti-doping rules, policies and guidelines in
order to provide an honest and equitable playing environment for all athletes.
It suggests that the governments are required to take specific action to:

Restrict the availability of prohibited substances to athletes

Facilitate doping controls and support national testing programmes

Withhold financial support from athletes guilty of anti-doping rule violation

Encourage labelling, marketing and distribution of products with prohibited

substances;

Support anti-doping education.

Entered into force on 1 February 2007, the convention became the most successful
convention in the history of UNESCO. The Convention also provides a mechanism to
assist to develop anti-doping education and prevention programmes through the Fund
for the Elimination of Doping in Sport managed by UNESCO.

30

Unit - 2

Arts and Aesthetics

Section - A

The Performing Arts

Performing Arts are art forms in which artists use their body or voice to convey artistic expression
as opposed to visual arts, in which artists use paint / canvas or various materials to create
physical art objects.
1.

(a)

In small groups, with the help of the definition and the visual name at least ten performing
arts.

(b)

The teenage years are especially high stress times, with college life looming in the
horizon. Everyday, teen pressures weigh on the young mind. The incarcerated1 youth,
then looks for a way to release their pent up emotions. How can performing arts de-stress
you and in the process, help you lead a healthy and creative life? Share your views about
the role of performing arts.

(c)

Study the invitation to a Performing Arts show. Identify what each line states.

confined

31

E.g: 1.

The name of the organizer

2.

________________________________

3.

________________________________

4.

________________________________

5.

________________________________

6.

________________________________

7.

________________________________

8.

________________________________

9.

________________________________

10. ________________________________

11. ________________________________

12. ________________________________

13. ________________________________

14. ________________________________

15. ________________________________

16. ________________________________

17. ________________________________

18. ________________________________

19. ________________________________

Create a similar invitation on behalf of your school in about 50-60 words. You may choose
any art form such as dance, music, magic, drama, mime etc.
READING
2.

32

(a)

Read about the performing arts programme in a school.

1.

Schools throughout the country or are now implementing performing arts as a part of their
curriculum. The allure of theatre, dance, film, music and other forms of arts is that these
activities allow children to express themselves in a safe, positive medium. Lifelong
appreciation for art in many forms is cultivated through a school's performing arts
programme. This cultivates a life long appreciation for art and art forms.

2.

A school's performing arts programme exposes students to theatre, dance, music and
other forms of art. Without the existence of a performing arts programme, students would
have to venture outside of their everyday routine, and this would make the probability of
their discovering an appreciation of fine arts more unlikely than if they attended a school
that has a performing arts programme.

3.

The performing arts programme helps hone the skills of young performers so that they will
be prepared for the competitive world of performance. Schools such as Juilliard and
Professional Performing Arts High School are geared toward this very purpose. They offer
students exposure to acting, music, painting, printmaking and other facets of art.
Students at these schools are held to a very high standard much like professional
performers in the everyday world.

4.

There are certain academic requirements that students must fulfill to be eligible to
participate in performing arts. This encourages students to balance and prioritize their
tasks so that they may reach their goals. Typically, the discipline needed to succeed in the
arts is mirrored in academics. If a student cannot cultivate the ability to study lengthy
materials in English class, he may not have the capability to study a work of Shakespeare
in drama class. The usual grade requirement is a C average, which is attainable for most
students who are willing to apply themselves in schoolwork.

5.

By tapping into latent creativity, students can express their emotions in a healthy and
creative way. Self-expression is something that teens can have difficulty with when they
are unhappy and frustrated, with no outlet other than violence. The evolution of
performing arts has allowed for positive self- expression even among troubled youth, as it
promotes a positive way to relieve angst and displaced anger. This programme has seen
positive progress and has the potential to give anyone who is willing a second chance at
life through art.

6.

Often, students in performing arts programmes are encouraged to involve their parents
and seek their help. This is a great way to involve parents in the lives of their children.
Parental involvement in the arts provides opportunities for the child and parent to bond.

7.

The positive influence that performing arts have on students is important for more than a
straight-laced academic route. The performing arts caters to creating well-rounded
individuals who are able to express themselves freely.
Source: www.ehow.com>arts&entertainment

(b)

Based on your reading, complete the following statements appropriately.

(i)

Theatre, dance, music and other forms of art help students

(ii)

The young performers are prepared for the competitive world because

(iii) Performing arts encourage academic discipline because students learn to

(iv) These programmes have enabled the troubled youth to

(v)

Involving parents in these programmes has benefited in two ways: They are
(1)

(2)

VOCABULARY
3.

(a)

Choose the word that can best replace each of the given words, in the context of the
passage.
(i)

hone

whet / sharpen / see/ thwart

(ii)

allure

dull/brisk / repulse / offer

(iii) mirrored

dulled/ imbibe / barred / reflected

(iv) angst

friendship/ vigilance / out burst / anguish

33

(v)

venture

(vi) caters
(b)

risk / radiate / clamber/ discard

expels / harbours / provides/ confiscates

Here are some words from the passage : self-expression. straight-laced. lifelong
These words were formed by combining two independent words. They are called
compound words

self + expression

straight + laced

life + long
Eg. The word self and expression when put together as one word forms an entirely new
meaning. Some more examples: fingerprints, greenroom, dark-complexioned, feedback,
fee booklet

(c)

Underline the compound words in the following news item

The anti bullfighting group Comite Radicalement Anti Corrida (CRAC) and animal
rights organization DDA had asked the council to impose a nationwide ban by closing the
loophole, allowing the tradition to continue in southern areas. Polls have generally
indicated that about two thirds of the French electorate would like to see bullfighting
banned entirely. The sport has many passionate defenders, including French interior
minister Manuel Valls, who enraged bullfighting opponents by insisting it is a tradition
that should be saved. It's something I love, it's part of my family's culture' said the
minister.

(d)
4.

Write ten more compound words and share them with your class.

Write an article for your school magazine in about 150-200 words, about how performing arts
can pave the road to professional success.

READING
5.

Rebecca M. Beal was born in Heidelberg, Germany in 1959. As a child her parents enrolled
her in Art Instruction Schools. Later studying with a local portrait artist in the late 70's
early 80's, introduced her to oils, which quickly became her passion. She continued some of
her education at the University of San Juan, in Portrait Studies. The art completed while
she was there, was donated to the school and sold at an auction.
Sixteen years later she revels at how her life has changedhow those life altering events
allowed her the time to explore her creative side, taught her to love what she does for a
living, and gave her the chance to create an art career that has placed her art in the hands
of collectors all around the world.

34

The interview with Rebecca.

Alyice: Why did you choose oil paints as your medium?
Rebecca: Shortly after high school, I began painting with a local portrait artistthis was my
first introduction and experience with oil paints. I fell in love with the medium right away.
I have tried others, but have always come back to oils.
Several of my contemporaries have moved to acrylics because of the toxicity of oil paint,
mediums, and cleaners but I will probably never make that move. I love the richness of the
colors.
Alyice: What do you wish you knew about oils before you got started?
Rebecca: I suppose I wish I had known more about the different mediums available to mix with
oil paint.
I started with linseed oil but found it took such a long time to dry. I finally ordered several
different kinds of mediums, and have settled on Gamblins Neo Megilp. It has a great consistency
and dries within a couple of days.
Alyice: What is the best part about working with oils?
Rebecca: I love the way the paint flows, the variations I can capture, the ability to blend
colours, and layer the paint. I have tried many mediums and some of the techniques I have
learned. . . I bring back to my oil paintings.
Alyice: How do you choose the subject of your painting?
Rebecca: A lot of my subjects are from my
travels.
I am an avid photographer. I love the ambience
of Europe, the old buildings, and flowers are
everywhere. Water has always been one of my
favourite things so it is a natural in my paintings.
I love to express light. That's probably the one
thing I have practised the most. Whether it is a
sunny day or evening with lights shining, I try to
notice everything. It is definitely the light that I
want to stand out.
Alyice: What is your creative process like?
Rebecca: I practised certain techniques until they became automatic. Now, I do not practise
technique everyday per say, but I do start 4, 5, or 6 canvases around a similar theme.
I generally formulate an idea in my mind, often inspired by the elements I see... a pot
overflowing with flowers, a stunning sunset, or a European caf. Then, I work the painting
around it.

35

I go to my easel and start drawing with a wash of acrylics. Because they dry so quickly, I can
easily change as my idea transfers to canvas. Quite often I finish with something very different
than what I started with.
Alyice: How has your style changed over the years?
Rebecca: I have worked diligently (and still do) on becoming looser with my brush strokes. I
used to spend so much time trying to get it exactly right. Now, I try to capture the essence.
When I started painting portraits, it was important to be exact; however my love is
Mediterranean and European landscapes and seascapes. Born in Europe, I have a natural love
for the ambience of the old world.
I study anything and everything I can find, I have successfully adapted some styles into my style
and some I still struggle with today, like the palette knife. It is a wonderful way to add texture
and I think people really love heavy paint; however, it is looser than I prefer and has not allowed
me to create the depth I like.
I have been known to start and complete a painting upside down.
I start with my wash drawing, then apply colour in loose fast strokes. For this step, I use a large
flat brush. My first colours are generally deeper colours or complementary colors than the ones
that follow. Then, I take my time applying a lighter or brighter color.
I use a light hand here, so the textures of the paint and brush strokes are easily seennot
overworked. I create layers in my paintings, and sometimes I will put an unusual colour in places
you wouldn't expect so it shows through the next colour adding interest and depth. It's a lot
about the play and use of the colours.
Alyice: Do you ever experience creative blocks?
Rebecca: I am sure we all go through creative blocksmostly I get tired I think. I paint 5 days a
week; generally 8 to 10 hours a day. . . always seeking a better understanding of my media and
subjects. So when a block happens I just let it be. I take a rest and wait for the next inspiration.
I have a lot of fun. I listen to music or a lecture, (I am fascinated with physics) and strive to keep
a child's heart alive to experiment and never stop studying.
There are an abundance of artists on the web that gladly share from their experiences. As the
saying goes practise, practise, practise. I think I have found my voice in technique, but I still
love to try different colours or experiment with different techniques.
Once I found a YouTube video of an artist doing a time lapse palette knife painting, so I laid out
my paints and started the video. I wish I had taped it; it would have been really funny to see
myself all over the studio, arms swinging, paint flying everywhere. In 20 minutes I had a huge
painting completed. It was fun; a great learning experience and a little sweaty.
Alyice: What, do you believe, is the key element in creating a good oil painting?

36

Rebecca: Key elements, for me, are a central focus point or the first place the eye is drawn into
the painting. . . then to help the eye move through the painting.
Success is creating an energetic, but peaceful setting that I would enjoy seeing (visiting) every
dayand completing this process by having someone connect with the work.
Alyice: What is the worst thing you've seen someone do to an oil painting, and what do you wish
you could've told that artist?
Rebecca: Overworking the paint. If the colour doesn't work like you intended, use your
turpentine to remove it (that's painting too) or wait until it dries. Keep the colours clean, not
muddy.
(a)

Based on reading of the interview, answer the following.

(i)

In your own words, briefly narrate the incident of Rebecca's initiation into art.

(ii) What was the reason for Rebecca's choice of oil paints in her work?
(iii) Elaborate on the subjects of Rebecca's paintings.
(iv) What according to Rebecca are 'creative blocks'? How does she come out of them?
(v) What are the key elements in creating a good painting?
(vi) What is Rebecca's advice to an artist who works with oil paints?
(b)

Choose the most suitable option.

(i)

The word contemporaries means

(a) people of same age

(b) living at the same place

(c) living or happening at the same time

(d) unfamiliar people

(ii) The word avid means

(a) eager

(b) hungry

(c) shun

(d) mercenary

(iii) I have worked diligently. Rebecca means that she is

(a) lazy

(b) lethargic

(c) industrious

(d) unsteady

(c) essential part

(d) unimportant

(iv) The word essence means

(a) not fair
(c)

(b) ordinary

Complete the following table based on your reading.

Name of the person
Notes about growing up years
Education
Work experience
Challenges
Accomplishments

37

6.

GRAMMAR REVIEW: Passive Voice

Rewrite the sentences in the passive form.
(i)

You will have to finish the work by tomorrow.

__________________________________________________________________________

(ii)

Why do you waste time?

__________________________________________________________________________

(iii) Who teaches you English?

__________________________________________________________________________
(iv) We hope that we shall win the match.
__________________________________________________________________________
(v)

The teacher punished the boys who had not done the homework.
__________________________________________________________________________

(vi) People claim to have seen the suspect in several cities.

__________________________________________________________________________
(vii) Somebody told me that there had been an explosion in the town hall.
__________________________________________________________________________
7.

Speaking Skills: Speak on the given topic for about 2-3 minutes. Colours and paints can make
your life colourful. Present your views to the class with suitable examples.

Section - B
1.

The Blind Opera

(a)

Name some famous blind people who excelled in visual arts.

(b)

What are the challenges that blind performers would face?

Share your ideas with the class.

READING
'Seeing the World In their Own Way' by Ranjita Biswas
1.

38

You go up a rickety stairwell, dark even in the

daytime. The building on crowded Nilmoni
Mitra Street in north Calcutta has seen better
days, like many others in this older part of the
city. You enter a small room. The red cement
floor is cool to the bare feet, reminiscent of a
past era. The center of the room is empty but
the corners are stacked with bedrolls,
utensils, water bottles. Musical instruments,
drums, cymbals, gongs are piled in a corner.

2.

Today, the room is filled with the laughter of men and women in colourful attire. Two
garlands of sweet-smelling flowers and boxes of sweets are arranged on a stool. Two
members of the group are getting married. They exchange the garlands, bonding as
husband and wife.

3.

Somebody breaks into a lilting Bengali song. Among the happy chorus of congratulations
and laughter you notice one difference. Both bride Chumki Pal and groom Sandeep
Chatterjee are blind, as are most of the people surrounding them. Pal lost her sight at the
age of two due to wrong treatment for an ailment. She is wearing a bright turquoise blue
sari with gold trimmings for this memorable day. "I know it's blue because people have told
me but I can't imagine how it looks. But believe me, when I dream, I dream only in
colours," she says. Chatterjee is an undergraduate student majoring in music at Rabindra
Bharati University. Their romance blossomed when they met as members of the Blind
Opera, a performing arts group of Calcutta and the only one of its kind in the country as
well as in Asia that consistently puts on shows like professional groups.

4.

The 36 spirited members of Blind Opera, most of whom are totally blind, demonstrate that
physical disability is not an obstacle. They enact plays such as Raja (King of the Dark
Chamber) or Raktakarabi (Red Oleander) by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore,
considered challenging even by veteran theatre groups.

5.

Since it was launched, in 1996, Blind Opera has performed not only in Calcutta but also in
other cities. The Opera is the product of four theatre afficionados - Ashok Pramanik,
Debashish Choudhury, Subhashish Gangopadhyay and Prasanta Chatterjee who took it as a
challenge to get together the talents of these visually impaired men and women. Except
Chatterjee, who is a social activist, all of them used to be members of well-known theatre
groups of the city but broke away to devote their time and energy to developing the Blind
Opera concept.

6.

Why the label "opera" for a drama repertoire? "Well, in older days our plays were all in
opera style," says director Gangopadhyay. "There was singing, dancing and dialogues
accompanied by instrumental music. And that's what we do."

7.

The idea of the Blind Opera germinated in 1994 when they conducted a workshop at the
Calcutta Blind School at Behala in the southern fringe of the city to produce the play
Jata Durei Jai (However Far We Travel) for its centenary celebration. After the event, the
participants wanted to continue their training in performing arts.

8.

The challenge to present the cast on stage is immense since space management is a
problem. To solve this, the directors used ropes to separate the stage and the wings. When
the actors step on the rope they know that it is the entrance to the stage. Gangopadhyay
says that even though the members cannot see, they can smell, hear and touch-three
elements inherent to any theatre. "At Blind Opera, we believe that the blind can see. That
is, they see in their own way, if not in our way, with the help of these abilities."

9.

Gangopadhyay believes that, for the visually impaired, theatre is the best medium for
expression of their creative urges. "They respond instinctively; they cannot copy anyone

39

else because they cannot see. Their body language tells the story and hence it is very
spontaneous." The cast of Blind Opera challenges the audience to judge them on their
merits and not condescendingly. In the beginning there was apprehension even among the
founders: were the productions going to be considered "artistic," or remain just
"productions"? To their credit, the members have earned kudos from Kolkata audiences.
All the members take part in the productions, no one is left out and it is very democratic.
10. However, when they conceived the idea of such a group, the foursome did not visualize it
as just a performing arts troupe. Though artistic qualities were given due importance, the
focus was more on "drama therapy" through which they could communicate better with
the world around them.
11. For the members of the troupe, discovering the language of the body is in a way also a
journey of the persona. Coming from diverse backgrounds but bound together by the same
disability, they have found an outlet for their creativity through the plays. They do not feel
isolated anymore because they can relate to their fellow performers.
12. Blind Opera does not stand isolated from other disabled groups, either. Since 2000, it has
been organizing Pratibondhi or Prantik Natyotsav, a theatre festival of the disabled and
marginal. "By the marginal," says Pramanik, "we mean those discarded or ignored by
society, like street kids, under-privileged children etc., who do not get an opportunity to
perform on a common platform."
13. One day of the festival is marked as a paan-supari utsav (betel nut festival). On this day,
different groups exchange the traditional symbols of friendship, an effort at bridgebuilding within the community.
14. There is also a greater purpose behind it: to use theatre to build a community and
mainstream the huge number of disabled living in isolation. Together they can be a force
to demand better facilities in public life. Without such help, a blind person can experience
theatre only through the whispered asides of a sighted companion. Pramanik also believes
that blind children should enter the mainstream from the beginning and take part in as
many physical activities as possible. "Often, parents hide away a child with a disability or
don't give as much attention. If you suddenly want a grown-up boy to play football, for
example, he cannot because by that time his body is too sedentary and he cannot
respond."
15. The big dream of the group is to establish a Natya Vidyalay, a drama school following the
ideal of Tagore's Santiniketan, offering a platform for creative expression of the disabled
and marginalised-all those who are economically and socially forced to stay in the
periphery. Like Chumki Pal, they all dream in colour.
1.

40

(a)

Answer the following questions briefly.

(i)

The setting of the building and the mood of the inmates are diametrically opposite.
Why?

(ii)

Chumki Pal says, . when I dream, I dream only in colours, What does she mean?

(iii) Physical infirmity has not proved to be a hurdle in the lives of these inmates. Give
reasons.

b)

(iv)

Who does the opera owe its inception to?

(v)

How does the 'opera' get its name?

(vi)

What is the greatest hurdle in stage management? How is it overcome?

Find the words from the passage which mean the opposite of
(i)

Firm (para 1)

__________________

(ii)

Withered (para 4)

__________________

__________________

(iii) Enhanced (para 11)

2

SPEAKING
Learning a new skill such as painting a picture, playing an instrument, or riding a skateboard can
be challenging. Think of a time when you learned a new skill or taught someone else a new skill.
What happened? Why was this experience a challenge to you? Describe your experience to the
class.

3.

GRAMMAR REVIEW: Fill in the blanks with the passive form of the given words.
Three possible plays ________________ (select) and Mohan's friends _____________ (divide)
into groups. Views ___________ (exchange) and a decision _____________ (take). Once the
script was ready the cast __________ (select). Auditions ___________(held) and a preliminary
selection ___________(make). After the final choice __________ (made) and the roles
_______________(assign). Finally the rehearsals ______________ (plan).

4.

VOCABULARY
Read the article that appeared in the national daily.
JUST A CLICK AWAY!
Ace fashion and celebrity photographer, Anil Soman shares his success mantra. Excerpts
from an interview
ON DISCOVERING HIS PASSION: I loved gadgets since childhood, especially the camera. I
enjoyed carrying a camera to school picnics and clicking lots of pictures. Gradually, my
passion for photography developed and intensified.
HEADSTART INTO PHOTOGRAPHY: I bought a semi-professional camera when I was in class X.
I began reading a learner's guide to photography to understand the basics of shutter speed
aperture etc. Once I completed class XII, I decided to pursue my graduation through
correspondence so that I could focus on photography full time. It was an experimental
endeavor for me as photography was not appreciated as a mainstream career choice in those
days. I was 16 years old when I began assisting a professional photographer to puruse my
dream, I took training for four years until I started practising on my own.

41

FROM BASIC TO PROFESSIONAL KNOW-HOW: While training under someone, you cannot
expect to be taught every minute detail. Know the basics in advance. Self-study is very
important. I didn't join any photography school. Keep a camera handy while reading on
photography. I used to do my homework by reading a lot of books to know technical
terminology and camera parts, before heading to my guide. Books like Michael Freeman's
The Photographer's Eye, The Photographer's Mind and international magazines like American
Photo, Popular Photography are very helpful to hone one's photography skills.
ON OPTING FOR THE UNCONVENTIONAL: It is important to have faith in yourself, especially
if you are trying something unconventional. I took a bold step by choosing photography as my
career 25 years ago, when it was very difficult to set up my own studio and buy expensive
camera equipment. But things fall in place if you are good at your work and keen to learn too.
Don't be afraid to face challenges. Read, explore, improvise and evolve. Attending a
professional photography school helps but it is not mandatory. Self-help is the best way to
excel.
Don't choose photography as a career for the sake of money/glamour. Enjoy the art and take
it up as a profession only if it goes beyond the framework of a mere job for you. It should be
your passion. You can't afford to stagnate. Compete with yourself. Learn as much as you can.
Keep a camera handy while reading about the basics of camera and photography. Practise a
lot to polish your skills at still - photography. Remember that self-study is the key to success.
Read a lot, explore and improvise. I feel that attending a professional photography school
helps but it is not mandatory. Self-help is the best way to excel. Hard work pays if you pursue
your goal with zeal and vigour.
2.

3.

The following words are from the article. Choose the correct synonym of the word from
the given options.
(a) ace

(i)

world class

(ii) second rate

(iii) ordinary

(b) endeavour

(i)

manage

(ii) exertion

(iii) effortless

(c) improvise

(i)

discover

(ii) unconditional

(iii) create

(d) unconventional :

(i)

eccentric

(ii) official

(iii) authorised

(e) mandatory

(i)

discretionary

(ii) unimportant

(iii) compulsory

(f) stagnate

(i)

lazy

(ii) decay

(iii) inflate

WRITING:
A Photography Workshop was conducted in your school by Ace Fashion and Celebrity
photographer, Steven Bali. As the Student Editor, write a report for your school magazine in
about 150-200 words about the workshop.

42

Section - C
1.

An Outsider Art

(a) Study these pictures.

(i)

What do you think, are these pieces made of?

(ii) Make a list of some items which are considered waste.

(iii) How would you define 'Art from Waste'?
Share your ideas with the class.
READING
(b) Neck Chand, the creator of the Rock Garden of Chandigarh.
1.

One day in the early 1960s, Nek Chand, a humble transport

official in the north Indian city of Chandigarh, began to clear
a little patch of jungle to make himself a small garden area.
He set stones around the little clearing and before long had
sculpted a few figures recycled from materials he found
at hand. Gradually Nek Chand's creation developed and
grew; before long it covered several acres and comprised of
hundreds of sculptures set in a series of interlinking
courtyards.

2.

After his normal working day Chand worked at night, in total

secrecy for fear of being discovered by the authorities. When
they did discover Chand's garden, local government officials
were thrown into turmoil. The creation was completely
illegal - a development in a forbidden area which by rights
should be demolished. The outcome, however, was the
enlightened decision to give Nek Chand a salary so that he
could concentrate full-time on his work, plus a workforce of
fifty labourers. Nek Chand's great work received immediate
recognition and was inaugurated as The Rock Garden of Chandigarh.

43

Now over twenty five acres of several thousand sculptures set in large mosaic courtyards
linked by walled paths and deep gorges, Nek Chand's creation also combines huge buildings
with a series of interlinking waterfalls. The Rock Garden is now acknowledged as one of the
modern wonders of the world. Over 5000 visitors each day, some 12 million people so far,
walk around this vast creation - the greatest artistic achievement seen in India since the Taj
Mahal.
3.

The place he chose for his exotic kingdom had been designated as a land conservancy,
where any kind of building was forbidden. Nevertheless, there he built a miniature world
depicting Indian village life, as well as a fantasy kingdom of palaces, pavilions and other
structures.
Ten years later, in 1975, city inspectors stumbled across this illegal construction in the
forest. The Chandigarh bureaucracy wanted it destroyed. Nek Chand's creations occupied
government land that had been set aside as green space between the government buildings
of Le Corbusier and the city proper. When word spread, hundreds of people found their way
through the forests to see this enchanted kingdom. After much debate, the Chandigarh
Landscape Advisory Committee relented and allowed Nek Chand to open his creation to the
public.
Think as you read
(i)

Do you think Nek Chand's aesthetic sense / creativity was recognized? Give reasons.

(ii) Mention some traits of Nek Chand.

4.

In order to safeguard the sculptures and still make the pieces available for public viewing,
Nek Chand placed them on high sloping terraces connected by pathways and divided by
tile- embellished walls with narrow, low doorways. Most of the sculptures are smaller than
life size and range in subject from human figures to monkeys, peacocks, elephants, bears
and many imaginary creatures.
In another section of Phase II, Nek Chand created a miniature village with shops, houses,
paths, temples and a cascading waterfall. This make-believe world is enhanced further by
the trees, vegetation and birds that inhabit the remaining forest. Hundreds of birds live in
the garden, using the small nooks and crannies as nesting places.

5.

In Phase III, Nek Chand's work has become monumental in scale. He works without formal
plans but directs his workers to construct what he describes. The heart of this section of
the garden are the "great swings," dozens of swings that hang from huge concrete arches
resembling ancient Roman aqueducts. Each of the swings can hold several people at once,
and visitors take pleasure in this activity. Phase III also has several pavilions for soft rag
sculpture displays, an aquarium and an open-air theater.
Work continues on this section of the garden with additions to the inner boundary wall,
more swings and a planned small museum. Nek Chand has not yet revealed all the details
for what he says will be the most spectacular part of the Rock Garden. The elements of the
garden appear to have been there many years, even though, for the most part, they are of
recent construction.

44

In 1996, while Nek Chand was on a lecture tour of Europe and the United States, local
officials did not prevent vandals from damaging hundreds of sculptures. This destruction
halted the ongoing construction of Phase III. However, since this unfortunate incident,
significant steps have been taken at local and international levels to guarantee that Nek
Chand's vision will be completed and preserved for future generations.
Today, Nek Chand is revered as a national hero. Nearly 3,000 people visit the garden daily,
making it the most visited folk art site in the world and one of the most visited tourist sites
in India.
Anton Rajer

(c) On the basis of your reading, answer the questions briefly.

(i)

Why was Nek Chand's creation considered illegal?

(ii) Which things comprised his garden kingdom?

(iii) Which waste items were used by Nek Chand for decorating his exotic kingdom?
(iv) Why was Nek Chand called "an untutored genius"?
(d) Complete the following table.
Nek Chand's work

Phases
I
II
III
2.

WRITING
You school organized an Educational Trip for classes XI and XII to Chandigarh. You were
mesmerized by the wonderful pieces of sculpture i.e The Rock Garden of Chandigarh. Being a
Cultural Incharge you wish to do something with trash in your school. Your teacher has given you
a set of instructions to plan your activity using the given clues. Work in groups, discuss and
decide
Clues:

Answering all the WH questions i.e. what, when, where and also suggesting the name

Permission letter - Seeking permission from the Principal

Circular, notice, designing pamphlet

Awakening the masses (parents and neighbourhood)

Framing of an invitation card for the chief guest and parents

Display of exhibits

Receiving Feedback Forms from the visitors

3.1 Keeping in mind the set of clues in activity 2, make a plan of action

Name of the event

_____________________________________________________

45


Date and place

_____________________________________________________

Chief Guest

_____________________________________________________

Invitation

_____________________________________________________
DRAFTING A PAMPHLET

1.

Pamphlets are an important way of giving information to the community. They are drafted
to:
mobilise people to support your cause
advertise a meeting or specific event
popularise your slogans and messages.

2.

Essential points about pamphlets.

Pamphlets should be used when you want to give people more information, for example
to:
explain an issue to the community
inform people of their rights
win support for a campaign you are running
win support for your organisation's point of view

3.

How to draft a good pamphlet

Before you start make sure that you
discuss the purpose, the message, the target audience and the content.
Attractive and eye catchy headline
Keep your language simple by avoiding long words and jargon.
They should be short and simple.
Do not make the layout too dens

4.

Leave some space in between for pictures.

Example 1:
HEY KIDZ, ENJOY THE PLEASURE OF A
UNIQUE TWIN SUMMER CLUB
at the
Montessori Public School, Delhi

Let's Chill Out in Summer !!!!!

HOW ????
Come on Let's Play
Badminton, Volleyball, Lawn Tennis, Cricket & Many More
With Specialized Coaches

46

Example 2:

LET US BEAT THE HEAT BY SWAYING TO THE BEATS..

AND
FOLLOW THE FOOTSTEPS OF SHIAMAK DAWAR AND SAROJ KHAN
AND IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN PAINTING YOUR IMAGINATIONS...
WOW !
The canvas of MPS is waiting for your masterstroke.
Contact : Teacher Incharge,

Details Overleaf

Montessori Public School, Delhi

About Formal Invitations

Read the following lines and find out.

How about coming to my house on Sunday for dinner?

Hello, I am throwing a party on Saturday. Can you come?

The reply to the invitation would be thanking and accepting or saying sorry and making an excuse.
For example:

Thanks a lot, I'll surely come. or Oh sorry, it won't be possible. I have an urgent meeting.
But, sometimes, people use statements and expressions that appear like invitations but are not real
invitations. For example:

Do come for a cup of tea someday.

Let's have lunch together.

These are polite ways of conversation, but not real invitations. They do not make a specific
mention of date or time. It is extremely clear that the person is trying to be friendly.
To reply to such statements people just say 'Oh Sure' or 'Thanks'.
On reading the given statements, the real difference can be noticed between an invitation or
something that sounds like an invitation.
Invitations are extended to people for numerous occasions, among them are

47

3.2 Q.

You are Incharge of the cultural activities. Your school is going to put up an exhibition
in the school premises. Draft a letter in about 50-60 words, inviting Dr. B.C. Sabata,
Senior Scientific Officer, Department of Education, Government of NCT of Delhi, to be the
chief guest for the occasion.

Example 4: Letter of Invitation

Dr. B.C. Sabata
Senior Scientific Officer
Deptt of Education
Govt of NCT Delhi
10 March 2014
Subject: Invitation to the Science Exhibition 2014
Dear Dr. Sabata
We are highly honoured to invite you to be the Chief Guest for our School Exhibition which is to be
held on _______from ________ p.m. onwards.
Kindly accept our invitation to preside over the programme.
Yours faithfully
XYZ
Incharge of Cultural Activities
Example 5: Acceptance of Invitation
The Cultural Incharge
XYZ Public School
Delhi
11 March 2014
Subject: Acceptance of Invitation
Dear Sir/Madam
Thanks for inviting me as the Chief Guest for the School Exhibition which is to be held on _______.
from ______________ onwards. I am pleased to confirm my presence at the programme and look
forward to meeting your staff and students.
Yours faithfully
sd/Dr. B.C. Sabata
Senior Scientific Officer

49

Example 6: Cultural Activities

Teacher Incharge
XYZ Public School
Delhi
11 March 2014
Subject: Invitation to Science exhibition 2014-regret
Dear Sir/Madam
Thanks for inviting me as the Chief Guest for the School Exhibition which is to be held on _______.
I regret to inform you that some unavoidable previous engagements keep me tied down that day.
I wish you, your staff and students the very best.
Yours faithfully
sd/Dr. B.C. Sabata
Senior Scientific Officer
Example 7: Formal Invitation (Printed)
The Principal, Staff and Students
of

Boston Public School, Delhi

Cordially invite you all on the
Annual Function
on
15 September, 2013
at
5:00 p.m.
at the
School Auditorium

Smt. Kiran Walia

Hon'ble Minister of Education, Government of NCT, Delhi
has kindly consented to be the Chief Guest.
R.S.V.P.

Programme
Overleaf

50

WRITING
3.3 A grand exhibition Sambhuti Celebrating innovations is going to be put up in your school to
provide a platform for showcasing the creativity of students. Draft a formal invitation to be
sent to parents and other invitees. Dr. B.C. Sabata, Senior Scientific Officer, Department of
Education, Government of NCT of Delhi is the chief guest of the occasion.
4.

GRAMMAR REVIEW: Passive Voice

Given below are instructions for making soup. Use them to complete the paragraph that
follows.
Mix the soup powder with 750 ml of water without allowing it to form lumps.
Pour the mixture into a heavy-bottomed vessel.
Bring it to a boil, stirring continuously.
Simmer the soup for five minutes.
Pour the soup into four soup bowls and serve garnished with fried croutons.

The packet is opened and the contents (a) _______________ with 750 ml of water, without
allowing it to form lumps. The mixture (b) ____________ into a heavy-bottomed vessel. It (c)
___________ continuously and (d) ___________ to a boil. Then the soup (e) ___________ on a
slow flame for five minutes. Finally before the soup (f) _________ it (g) ___________ into soup
bowls and (h) ____________ with fried croutons.
LISTENING
5.1 On the basis of your listening of the passage, complete the following statements.
(a)

Warli Art was discovered in ___________________________________________________.

(b)

They are painted on _________________________________________________________.

(c)

The themes depicted are _____________________________________________________.

(d)

The Warlis are short in stature with ____________________________________________.

(e)

The main occupation of the Warlis is ___________________________________________.

(f)

They also do other jobs such as ____________________________ and repairing roads for
the government.

(g)

Women too give a helping hand by _____________________________________________.

(h)

Warlis live in the ________________________________ of the country and are confined to

their own _____________________________________.

5.2. State whether True or False.

(a)

Katkari painting is the main occupation of the Warlis.

________________

51

(b)

The Warlis use different colours to decorate their paintings.

________________

(c)

Wheat is the main crop of the Warlis and is harvested twice a year.

________________

(d)

The Warlis narrate mythological stories in their paintings.

________________

(e)

The Warlis also work in brick factories.

________________

Section - D
1.

An Accomplished Filmmaker

Theatre and films can bring about a sea change in the life of a waiver. Discuss in groups and
share any theatre show or a film that has had a great impact on the life of a person.
READING
Biographical sketch of the film maker, Mira Nair.

52

2.

Films, like 'Salaam Bombay', 'Monsoon Wedding', 'Vanity Fair' and 'The Namesake', and
recognitions like Golden Lion and UNESCO awards are just a few feathers in her cap. Mira
Nair, the queen of cross-cultural films, who dared to deviate from the mainstream cinema
only to steal the spotlight with her avant-garde celluloid undertakings, is genius
personified. An Indian director, who successfully carved a niche for herself in the realms
of short films, documentaries and feature films with her intense, novel, and at times
controversial approach, Mira Nair's feat in the domain of film-making remains
unparalleled to this day. Some of her best celluloid feats include her debut documentary
'India Cabaret', the zingy 'Salaam Bombay', the award-winning interracial love story
'Mississippi Masala', and much-loved 'Monsoon Wedding'. Mira's movies are never short of
creative excellence, be it about social issues or her biographical foray on the life of
Amelia Earhart in the film 'Amelia'. Mira has never cowed from broaching into the
unfamiliar territory, a thing that has come to be the USP of her films today. A recipient of
several prestigious national and international awards and nominations, the name of Mira
Nair truly deserves to be etched in gold in the domain of cross-continent films.

3.

Mira Nair was born in Rourkela, in a humble Punjabi family on October 15, 1957. Her father
was a government official and her mother was an active social worker. She was the
youngest of the three kids. As a child, she received her basic education from Loreto
Convent, Tara Hall, in Shimla, where she developed her passion for dramatics and
theatre. She later went on to study sociology in Miranda House, Delhi University. Soon
after, in 1976, she moved to Harvard University to study sociology. During her initial
college days, Mira actively participated in several political street theaters for a drama
club before she moved on to the US. There she met Mitch Epstein, a photographer and
Sooni Taraporevala, a screenwriter, who fired up her enthusiasm for movie making.

4.

Even during her university days, Mira knew that she wanted to be a filmmaker. However,
making conventional mainstream 'masala' movies was never on her cards. She debuted
with television documentaries like 'Jama Street Masjid Journal', and 'So Far From India',
before she made it big in the celluloid world with her debut feature film 'Salaam Bombay'.
Though Mira won a string of awards including the Blue Ribbon Award for her documentary

film 'Indian Cabaret' that revolved around the lives of workers in clubs, 'Salaam Bombay'
was her biggest breakthrough. The movie won her several national and international
awards and was nominated for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and BAFTA
Film Award. 'Salaam Bombay' not only established her as a successful director, but also
made her the most sought after Indian director in the international film fraternity. In
1989, she started her own production house called Mirabai Films under which she
produced several box office hits. Two years later, in 1991, she garnered applause for her
work in the movie 'Mississippi Masala', which cast light on inter-racialism in American
society. With this flick, Mira proved her forte in mainstream commercial movies and
received great adulation from her critics. In the following years, she delivered a slew of
successful cinemas of which 'The Perez Family', 'Vanity Fair', 'Monsoon Wedding', 'The
Namesake', and 'Amelia' remain as her chefs-d'oeuvre.
5.

Achievements and Awards

The account of the prestigious awards that Mira Nair has won is hard to keep, as they seem
to grow with every film. Mira Nair hit gold with her very first feature film 'Salaam Bombay',
which was nominated for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1988 and have
received coveted honors like Camera D'Or (for best first feature) and the Prix du Publique
(for most popular entry) at the Cannes Film Festival. Her groundbreaking film 'Mississippi
Masala' won three awards at the Venice film festival. 'Monsoon Wedding', Nair's biggest
commercial success till date, has won the Golden Lion award at Venice Film Festival and
was nominated for Golden Globe award for Best Foreign Language Film. Apart from this,
Mira Nair has bagged several prestigious nominations for her films including Academy
Awards, Golden Globes, BAFTA Awards and more.
Source: www.indobase.co

(a)

On the basis of your reading, make notes using a suitable format.

(b)

On the basis of the notes, make a summary in about 80-100 words.

(c)

Match the items in columns A and B:

Words

Meaning

slew

motion picture / film

chaotic

veer

adulation

frightened

celluloid

muddled

cowed

adoration

SPEAKING
3.

Present your views on the theme: Influence of films on culture and attitudes.

53

Section - E

Reviewing a Film

READING
1.

Read the review of Mira Nair's movie Monsoon Wedding.

Directed by

Mira Nair

Produced by

Caroline Baron
Mira Nair

Written by

Sabrina Dhawan

Starring

Naseeruddin Shah
Lillete Dubey
Shefali Shah
Vasundhara Das
Vijay Raaz
Tillotama Shome

Music by

Mychael Danna

Cinematography

Declan Quinn

Editing by

Allyson C. Johnson

Studio

Mirabai Films

Distributed by

USA Films

Release date(s)

August 30, 2001

(premire at Venice)

54

Running time

114 min

Language

English, Hindi, Punjabi

Budget

US$ 1,200,000

Box office

US$ 30,787,356

1.

Monsoon Wedding is a 2001 film directed by Mira Nair and written by Sabrina Dhawan,
which depicts romantic entanglements during a traditional Punjabi wedding in Delhi.

2.

Writer Sabrina Dhawan wrote the first draft of the screenplay in a week while she was at
Columbia University's MFA film program. Monsoon Wedding earned just above $30 million
[2]
at the box office. Although it is set entirely abroad and the film was an international coproduction between companies in India, the United States, Italy, France, and Germany.
The film won the Golden Lion award and received a Golden Globe Award nomination. A
musical based on the film is currently in development and is scheduled to premiere on
Broadway in April of 2014.

3.

The film's central story concerns a father, Lalit Verma (Naseeruddin Shah), who is trying to
organize an enormous, chaotic, and expensive wedding for his daughter, Aditi
(Vasundhara Das), for whom he has arranged a marriage with a man she has known for only
a few weeks (Parvin Dabas as Hemant Rai). As so often happens in the Punjabi culture,
such a wedding means that, for one of the few times each generation, the extended

family comes together from all corners of the globe including India, Australia, Oman, and
the United States, bringing its emotional baggage along.
4.

It is a story set in the modern upper-middle class of India, where telecommunications and
a western lifestyle mix with old traditions, like the arranged wedding young Aditi accepts.
The groom is an Indian living in Texas, and all relatives from both families, some from
distant places to New Delhi during the monsoon season to attend the wedding. The fourday arrangement and celebrations will see clumsy organization, family parties and
drama, dangers to the happy end of the wedding, and lots of music.

WRITING
2.

(a)

The class is divided into four groups. Each group watches one of the following films or
any other English film approved by the school.
These are the names of four films
(i)

Home Alone Part 1

(1990)

(ii)

To Sir, with Love

(1967)

(iii) The King and I

(1956, 1999)

(iv) Baby's Day Out

(1994)

Each group writes a Film Review of the film. The students discuss it in class. A group
representative presents the central message of the film in about 2 or 3 minutes.
(b)

You are looking for a suitable accommodation for the cast and crew for three months in a
quiet area of Bengaluru. Draft a suitable advertisement to be published in the classified
columns of The Times of India for the Accommodation Wanted column in about 50-60
words.

(c)

As a famous filmmaker, you are looking for a camera man/actor for your film studio. Draft
a suitable classified advertisement in about 50-60 words to be published in the national
daily for the Situations Vacant column.

SPEAKING
3.

On the basis of the Film Review written by the group, pick out moral conflicts in the film you
have viewed. Discuss with your partner how to resolve the conflict/s.

4.

(a)

On the basis of your listening to the text about a traditional dance form of Tamil Nadu,
complete the following statements.
(i)

Bharatanatyam was previously performed ______________.

(ii)

___________ introduced group performances and founded _________________ in

1936.

(iii) There are ____________________________________ kinds of Bharatanatyam such

as ________________________________

55

(iv) It is a solo dance with two aspects which are ________________ and _____________.
(v)
(b)

Ananda Tandava symbolizes the dance of ___________________________________.

State whether True or False.

(i)

Dancers have to wear delicate jewellery during the performance.

_________

(ii)

The music played in the performance is in the Carnatic style.

_________

(iii) Bharatanatyam is considered as a Fire Dance.

_________

(iv) Bharatanatym is the most popular Indian Classical Dance of Orissa.

_________

(v)

It is a dance which depicts expressions, emotions and portrays a

specific character.

_________

Listening Script 01
CULTURE TALK-DECODING BHARTANATYAM
Bharatanaytyam is one of the most popular and widely followed Indian classical dance styles
Origin. The ancient classical dance of Tamil Nadu owes its origin to Sadir, the art of temple
th
th
dancers of devadasis during the 19 and 20 centruries.
Characteristics : Viewed as an act of devotion, it is an embodiment of music in visual form and
was previously performed only within temples. It is commonly considered to be a fire dance (fire
being one of the five elements) and therefore, the movements of the dancer relate to that of a
dancing flame. As in Sadir, Bharatanatyam is characterized by graceful, tender and sculpturesque
poses, it is solo dance with two aspects the feminine side or lasya which includes graceful
movements, and the masculine aspect or tandava ananda thandavam which symbolizes the
dance of the Hindu deity Lord Shiva (in the form of Nataraja). There are three kinds of
Bharatanatyam: Nritta is a pure dance without any emotions and explores a meaning through its
fiastas; and Natya which is the portrayal of a specific character.
Bharatanatyam Exponents : During Marathi King Sarabhoji's reign in Tanjore, four brothers,
Chinnayya, Ponniah, Sivanandam and Vadivelu evolved the dance form as it is known today. Their
descendants became Bharatanatyam teachers in Tanjore. It was Rukmini Devi Arundale who
introduced group performances and founded the Kalakshetra school in 1936. She was also one of
the earlier teachers to teach it to men. Other notable exponents include Dr. Padma
Subrahmanyam, Alarmel Valli Yamini Krishnamurthy, Vani Ganapathy, Shobana, Anita Ratnam,
Mrinalini and Mallika Sarabhai, Ram Vaidyanathan.
Elaborate Costume and Music : Dancers have to wear heavy jewellery, including anklets known as
temple jewellery, during the performance. The costume is charming and elaborate and usually
includes a heavy saree draped in a unique manner. The music accompanying a performance is in
the Carnatic style. Some typical instruments like mridangam (drum), nagaswaram (long pipe
horn), flute, violin and veena [string instrument] are used.

56

Listening Script 02
WARLI ART
The tribal (Warli, Malharkoli, Kokani, Katkari) of Thane district in Maharashtra make Warli
paintings. They do not consist of the myriad primary colours, so intimately associated with folk
painting in India. Instead they are painted on an austere brown surface with the use of only one
colour-white The only exception are red and yellow auspicious dots which are used to decorate
the painting. The first impression of sobriety, however, is countered by the ebullience of the
themes depicted. Men, animals and trees from a loose, rhythmic pattern across the entire sheet.
This results in a light swinging and swirling movement, describing the day to day activities of the
Warlis. Warli art was first discovered in early seventies. In many important respects, it was
different from the folk and tribal idiom known to urban India till then. It did not narrate
mythological stories.
Warli painting though essentially the same, depicting the marriage ceremony with the vegetation
goddess in the center, her guardian in a side cauk and a surrounding landscape in which the
preparations for the wedding are taking place, are far from repetitive for there are considerable
differences in form and content between one area and another. The Warlis are short in stature
with dark, burnt complexions and broad physical features. They share a common religious awe of
the Tiger God and roughly carved wooden statues of him can be found installed in all parts of the
district. Agriculture is their main occupation and provides bare sustenance to the Warlis. With
paddy as their main crop, harvested once a year, there is little or no surplus for the coming year.
An average of two to three acres for a family of five is barely sufficient for the year and the
summer months find the Warlis looking for part-time jobs. The men of the family work during
summer on other farm, constructing bunds, in bricks factories, repairing road for the
Government or with the forest department. The women lend a helping hand by cutting grass to be
sold in the market.
The rough and rugged foothiils of the Sahyadri range, which comprise the main part of Thane,
afford easy refuge to those who shun contact with the outside world. The undulating landscape,
leading to higher and more invincible hills in the east which forms a natural boundary between
thane and the rest of the state. The Warlis live in the rugged part of the country and keep much to
themselves and have their own social organisation. There is no caste differentiation among them.
Source : adiyuva.wordpress.com

57

Unit - 3

Inventors and Inventions

Section - A

1.

Trailblazers

Here are some items from our daily life. Who invented them? Match the invention to the
inventor.
Inventor

Invention

58

computer mouse

Robert Adler

microwave oven

Tim Berners-Lee

compact disc

Johann Vaaler

polyethylene teraphthalateplastic

Douglas Engelbart

zipper

Charles Goodyear

TV wireless remote

Lyda Newman

band-aid

Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak

telephone

Gideon Sundback

World Wide Web

Earle Dickson

vulcanized rubber

James Russell

paper clip

Percy Spencer

personal computer

Levi Strauss

blue jeans

Nathaniel Wyeth

synthetic hairbrush

Alexander Graham Bell

2.

(a) The dictionary definition of a trailblazer is a leader or pioneer in a particular

field.Who, do you think, would be a trailblazer in the field of science?
(b) What do you think are the qualities that go to make a trailblazer?

A Trailblazer is one
who is ____________

(c) Based on the criteria above and your own views, write your definition of a trailblazer
and share it with your partner.
Does his/ her definition tally with yours?
In my opinion, a hero is someone who .............................................................
............................................................................................................
............................................................................................................
3.

READING
(a) Now read about some famous people and note the qualities that made them
trailblazers.
1.

Galileo Galilee was an Italian astronomer and physicist who lived from 1564 to 1642.
He was the first to use a telescope to observe the stars and planets. Earlier in the
century, another astronomer named Nicolaus Copernicus had theorized that the Earth
and other planets travelled around the sun. This was an important theory because it
suggested that the earth was not the centre of the universe, as previous generations
had assumed.

2.

As a result of his own study, Galileo decided to support Copernicus' view of the solar
system. At that time, the Catholic Church was as powerful as the most stringent
dictatorship today. Everything that was done or said or thought had to be preapproved by the Church. The Pope allowed Galileo to write a book on his views. Then

59

one of Galileo's enemies caused him to go before an Inquisition, saying that his
discoveries went against the Church's teachings. He spent the rest of his life under
house arrest but managed to write another book, which was secretly published in
Holland this book. Today we remember that Galileo invented an astronomical
telescope. He tried to prove the things he saw to other people. The Church did not
want people to believe him.
3.

Madame Curie was born Maria Sklodowski in Warsaw, Poland in 1867, the youngest of
five children. When she was born, Poland was controlled by Russia. Her parents were
teachers, and she learned at an early age the importance of education.

4.

Manya, as she was called, became a tutor to a family. She enjoyed her time there, and
was able to send her father and her sister Bronya in Paris, who was studying medicine
some money to support them.

5.

Marie studied physics and mathematics at the Sorbonne University, Paris and quickly
received her masters' degrees in both subjects. She remained in Paris after graduation
and started research on magnetism.

6.

For the research she wanted to do, she needed more space than her small lab. A friend
introduced her to another young scientist, Pierre Curie, who had some extra room. Not
only did Marie move her equipment into his lab, Marie and Pierre fell in love and
married.

7.

A friend of the Curies, A. Henri Becquerel, had been playing with recently discovered
properties of the element uranium. He talked to Pierre and Marie about those
properties and they became interested in them too. Marie Curie set about
investigating the effect, which she named "radio-activity" for her Doctorate research.

8.

Marie Curie checked many other elements to determine whether they too were
radioactive. She found one, thorium, and also came across a source of radiation in a
mixture called "pitch-blend," which was much more powerful than either thorium or
uranium.

9.

Working together, it took Marie and Pierre four years to isolate the radioactive source
in the pitch-blend. Marie named it radium. For the discovery of radium, Marie and
Pierre won a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903, which they shared with their friend A.
Henri Becquerel. Shortly, Marie found that what she had discovered was not pure
radium, but she was able to isolate the element itself after quite a struggle. For this
work, she was given the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1911.

10. During her work, Marie discovered radiation could kill human cells. She reasoned that
if it could kill healthy human cells, it could kill diseased human cells and went about
isolating radium for use in killing tumours.
11. In 1906 Pierre Curie was offered the position of director of the Physics Laboratory at
the Sorbonne. Before he could take the position, however, he was run over by a

60

carriage and killed. After her husband died, Marie was offered and took the position,
the first woman to become director of a research laboratory.
12. During the first World War, Marie Curie went to work for the French building and
designing X-ray machines. Knowing that moving soldiers to a hospital before they
needed surgery was not always possible, she designed the first mobile X-ray machine
and travelled with it along the front lines during the war.
13. On July 4, 1934, Marie Curie died in Paris, killed by her own experiments. She died of
radiation poisoning and may have been the first person to do so. Marie Curie had
brought herself up from poverty, struggling to get her education and succeeding
brilliantly. The work she did, she did with patience, often getting results only after
years of careful experimentation, while struggling for money to support her work. For
her struggles, she received two Nobel Prizes - the first woman to win even one.
Through the knowledge she gained, thousands of lives have been saved.
14. From wheelchair that operates through breathing to anti-theft mechanism for cars, at
20, Susant Pattnaik is a serial entrepreneur. Being a greatly motivated inventor his
areas of interest include scientific innovations & research. His first successful
invention, Susant's Breathing Sensor Apparatus, a device where disabled person can
conduct their daily necessary jobs through breathing actions, which won him
numerical national and international awards and considerations.
15. He has already earned the sobriquet of 'serial innovator', having invented several new
devices and gizmos since his high school days. Now, he is well on his way to become a
serial entrepreneur.
16. Susant Pattnaik, son of a veterinary doctor from Bhubaneswar, has an enviable list of
achievements. He has featured in the investors list of MIT, addressed students of IITs
and has founded a couple of companies to market his inventions. He even has a
supporting NGO for innovators like him.
17. "I have just signed a Rs.50 lakh deal with a company to market the car security system I
have developed," Pattnaik informed enthusiastically while showing off his innovations
at the exhibition of grassroots innovators at Rashtrapati Bhawan campus. He is among
top winners of the seventh National Grassroots Innovation Awards, given by the
National Innovation Foundation.
18. A student of integrated M.Sc. degree course in Physics at Indian Institute of Science
Education and Research at Bhopal, Pattnaik has ten innovations that have made the
critical transition from idea to working prototype. One of them is moving into
commercial production soon. He has founded four start ups. Needless to add, he lists
Dhirubhai Ambani among his role models.
19. An interesting innovation of his is wheelchair which the paralysed can operate just
through breathing. The prototype uses a breathing sensor developed by him and lets
users navigate the chair by giving commands just with their breath. "The sensor acts
both on air and heat in our breath", explains Pattnaik.

61

20. The foundation scouts for innovations from all over the country, gives awards to the
best ones and also converts technologies with potential into products. So far it has
filed 550 patents on behalf of innovators of which thirty nine patents have been
granted in India and four in the US. Its Micro Venture Innovation Fund has provided risk
capital for 183 projects, which are at different stages of incubation.
(b) What are the qualities that go into the making of a scientist? Complete the table about
the three scientists you have read about.
Qualities

Revealed in.

________________

Repudiated the teachings and beliefs of

earlier generations
___________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________

Scientist
Galileo

________________
________________
________________
________________
Marie Curie

Determination
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________

Susant Pattnaik Committed

Creative
________________
________________
________________
________________
4.

___________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
___________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________

LISTENING
You will now listen to an interview with a group of students from IIT, Mumbai who have
developed an underwater vehicle. Listen to the interview, and complete the table .
What team 'Matsya' says about their product
Matsya will be used by
The three groups that the
team was divided into
were

62

They wanted a product

that was
They completed the
vehicle in
The Matsya can be used
by/for

a)

..

b)

Laying underwater power line

c)

..

d)

..

e)

Reconnaissance of shipwreck Academic research

IIT Mumbai helped them

by
SPEAKING
5.

Given below is a list of Indian scientists who have been awarded the Nobel Prize.
Indian Nobel Prize Winning Scientists
CHANDRASHEKAR VENKATA RAMAN (1930) : Nobel Prize for Physics
HARGOBIND KHORANA (1968) : Nobel Prize for Medicine
SUBRAMANIAN CHANDRASHEKAR (1983): Nobel Prize for Physics
VENKATRAMAN RAMAKRISHNAN (2009): Nobel Prize for Chemistry

6.

Walk the Talk: Working in pairs, choose a scientist from the list and research their life and
achievements. Then play the scientist and journalist and act out the interview in class.

WRITING
7.

Write an essay on the scientist that you have chosen from the given list. Share his major
inventions/contribution to science and the difficulties he faced, in about 200 words.

8.

GRAMMAR REVIEW: Tense forms

Verb tenses are tools that are used to express time. They refer to the time of action and tell the
time and state of an action.
Corresponding to the three divisions of time there are three tenses:
The Present Tense referring to present time.
The Past Tense referring to past time.
The Future Tense referring to future time.
Each tense has four forms:

63

Simple or Indefinite it merely states an action or event. It does not say anything about the
completeness of the action.
Continuous or Progressive it indicates that an action is in progress at a given time and is
incomplete at the point of reference
Perfect it indicates that the action is complete
Perfect Continuous it indicates that an action has been in progress for a period of time
Study the table for use of tenses given below:
We use SIMPLE PRESENT for

EXAMPLE

1. Things happening in the present

1. He is a pilot.

2. Something that happens repeatedly.

2. Moni helps his father.

3. A habit or a routine

3. Mehak goes to school by bus.

4. Describe something that is part of a given

situation

4. In summers days are longer than nights.

5. Shut the window.

5. Give instructions or offer advice

6. The sun rises in the east.

6. State a permanent truth

7. This year Christmas falls on a Sunday.

7. To make future time reference when the

event is part of a fixed time-table

8. Here comes the bus!

9. Dravid runs forward and takes a catch.

8. In exclamatory sentences

10. I see smoke.

9. In commentaries

I have a pen.

10. Instead of Present continuous with

certain verbs
We use PRESENT CONTINUOUS for

EXAMPLE

1. To refer to something happening at the

time of speaking

1. Please don't disturb, I am studying for an

exam.

2. When we talk about something

connected with the present time

2. These days more and more people are

learning use of computers.

3. When we refer to a situation that is more

or less temporary

3. She is looking for her spectacles.

4. For an action that is planned for the near

future
5. A persistent habit
VERBS NOT USED IN CONTINUOUS TENSE:
perception: See, hear, smell, notice,
recognise
appearing: Appear, look, seem

64

4. I am going to visit my grandmother

today.
5. My dog is rather silly; she is always
looking out for an opportunity to run out
of the house into the neighbour's yard.

Emotion: want, wish, desire, feel, like, love,

hate, hope, refuse, prefer
Thinking: think, suppose, believe, agree,
understand, remember, forget, know
Possession: have, own, possess, belong to
We use PRESENT PERFECT for
1. To indicate activities completed in the
immediate past.

EXAMPLE
1. He has just gone out.
2. I have read 'The Diary of Anne Frank'.

2. To express past actions when no definite

time is given

3. He has eaten up all the biscuits.

3. To describe past events that have an

impact on the present.

4. I have known him for long.

I have cut my finger.

4. To denote an action that began in the

past but continues up to today (using for,
since etc)
We use PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
for

EXAMPLE

1. To refer to something began in the past

but is still happening at the time of
speaking

1. I have been reading 'The Diary of Anne

Frank' for the last one week.

We use PAST INDEFINITE for

EXAMPLE

1. An action completed in the past

1. She left for Chennai yesterday.

2. A past habit or a routine

2. Last year she went to school by bus but

now he walks to school.

We use PAST CONTINUOUS for

EXAMPLE

1. To refer to something happening at the

time of reference in the past

1. We were eating our dinner when the

earthquake occurred.

2. When we talk about something that was a

persistent habit in the past

2. He was always grumbling.

We use PAST PERFECT for

EXAMPLE

1. To indicate the earlier of the two

activities that happened in the past.

1. The train had already left by the time I

reached the station.

We use PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS for

EXAMPLE

1. To refer to something began in the past

and continued up to a point of reference
in the past.

1. I had been reading 'Black Beauty' for the

last one week when he came to see me.

65

FUTURE TIME: In English, there no separate Future Tense corresponding to Present Tense

and Past Tense. For referring to the future, the modal auxiliaries shall and will are used
with the Bare Infinitive.
Expressing Future Time

1. Will/ shall + infinitive to denote future

actions
2. Is/ am/ are+ going to + infinitive
3. Is/ am/ are+ to + infinitive
4. Is/ am/ are+ about to + infinitive
5. Simple Present (to express an
unalterable plan)
6. Present Continuous (to denote the
future)
7. Will/ shall + be+-ing (Present
Participle)

EXAMPLE
1. We shall go for a picnic tomorrow.
He will reach by 5.30 p.m.
2. We are going to play football this
evening.
3. We are going to play football this
evening.
4. It is about to rain.
5. The Prime Minister leaves for a 10-day
tour of the tsunami-affected areas
tomorrow.
6. Cremica's is opening a new branch in
Amritsar.
7. We shall be going abroad some time next
year.

9.

(a) Use the correct form of the words given in brackets to complete the passages given
below.
(i) Last Sunday when I ___________________ (return) home I was shocked to find my
house unlocked. Someone __________________ (break) into my house in my absence.
All the boxes _____________ (be) open. I _______________ (check) my locker in which
I ___________ (put) my money, but it was nowhere to be seen. I ____________ (report)
the matter to the police. They ______________ (take) some time to register my case.
By that time the thief _________________ (run) away.
(ii) A serious accident __________________ (take) place yesterday when a speeding bus
____________ (collide) with a car near the Yamuna bridge. Two persons ____________
(die) on the spot and one ________________ (injure). The driver of the bus
__________ (run) away from there. The car _______________ (crush, almost) to
pieces. The people ____________ (take) the injured to the hospital. The police also
___________ (reach) there.
(iii) A twelve year old boy ______________ (die) when he _____________ (fall off) the roof
this evening. His body ________________ (discover) from the central lobby. The
policemen who _____________ (come) to enquire the matter __________ (say) that
they ___________________________________ (be) not sure as to which floor the body

66

________________________ (fall) from. The body ___________________ (send) to

the hospital for post-mortem.
(iv) Two persons ____________ (rob) some men of Rs. 3 Lakhs at a traffic junction
yesterday. The robbers __________ (threaten) them with a knife. The victims
__________(keep) the money in the scooters side box. They _________(withdraw)
cash from the branch of a bank located just about a kilometer from there. The robbers
_________(be) on foot and ________(take) advantage of the surroundings.
(b) Pavitra Sree, a graphic designer, has applied to an advertising company for a job. She is
being interviewed by Arnab Gopal, Managing Director of Picture Perfect. Complete the
interview using appropriate tense forms.
Gopal

Do come in, Ms. Sree. Sorry to have kept you waiting.

_______________ (wait) long?

Pavitra

Not too long. I _______________________________ (look) through the

material your assistant gave me.

Gopal

Oh! that's OK then. And ______________ my assistant already

___________ (show) you around the department?

Pavitra

No, not yet.

Gopal

Well, we'll do that afterwards. Do sit down. Now tell me how long
_________________________ (work) for your present firm?

Pavitra

Mmm. Let's see, for almost five years now.

Gopal

And ______________ you ever ___________ (work) for an advertising

company before?

Pavitra

No, not directly.

Gopal

And how long ______________ you ___________ worked (work) as a

graphic designer altogether?

Pavitra

For about 10 years.

Gopal

Fine. So you __________________(have) plenty of experience in the

field already. Perhaps you ____________________(bring along) some
specimens of your work?

Pavitra

Yes, here are some ideas from the project I ______________________

(work on) for the past three months.

Gopal

Excellent! And how long ______________ you ___________ (earn) the

present salary which you mention in your application?

Pavitra

For the last ten months.

Gopal

Well, Ms. Sree, we __________________ (have) a good long chat and

you __________________(give) me an idea of your experience and
ability. You'll be hearing from us in a week or two. Goodbye.

Pavitra

Goodbye.

67

(c) Complete the following passages using the appropriate form of the verb in brackets.
Use the Future forms.
(i) For defying me and coming home late, I _______________________ (ground) you for
a week. Go to your room now! I ________________ (let) you know when you can come
out," the furious father said to his daughter.
(ii) She ___________________(sing) in her first major concert next month.
(iii) Megha: Anita___________________(go) Kerala for her holidays.
Anita: __________ she _____________ (fly)?
Megha: No, she __________________(go) by train.
(iv) Aditya: Have you got a ticket for the big match on Saturday?
Faiz: No, I don't even know who __________________(play).
Aditya: The Rajasthan Royals____________________(play) Kolkata Knight Riders.
(v) ________ he _______________ (wash) the car? Yes he will.
(vi) Rajni__________(be) eighteen next month. Yes, her parents _____________________
__________(give) a party for her. They ___________________(invite) sixty guests.

Section - B
(a)

Robots

Choose the correct option.

(i)

What is a robot?
(a) A machine that does work on its own
(b) A device that gathers information from the environment
(c) A machine capable of performing or extending human tasks
(d) All the above

(ii) The development of Robotics is possible because of:

(a) sci-fi Movies
(b) computers
(c) space Travel
(d) typewriters
(iii) robots cannot be like humans because they lack:
(a) logic
(b) strength
(c) creativity
(d) memory
(iv) The term 'robot' comes from the Czech word robota which means:
(a) labour
(b) man made

68

(c) shiny metal

(d) human being
(v) Choose the jobs robots perform that are dangerous for people
(a) exploring shipwrecks and volcanoes
(b) search and rescue after disasters
(c) diffusing bombs
(d) all the above.
READING
1.

When you hear the word 'robot' what do you think of? Most people may imagine metal
machines from science fiction that look a lot like human beings and also move, act or work
like them.

2.

The term robot is derived from the Czechoslovakian word 'robota' which means tedious
labour or hard work! In 1920, the playwright Karel Capek, created the word robot in his
play RUR or Rossum's Universal Robots. In the play, humanoid machines take over the world
by killing all the humanswell, all but one. Not to worry, though, because those kinds of
robots don't exist..yet.
In reality, robots do not look like human beings. There are already almost a million robots
at work in the world. Almost none of them look like the robots in science-fiction movies.

3.

Robots are machines. They are machines that are controlled by computers. In car
factories, for example, there are robots that look like cranes and are used for welding and
painting. Robots that are used to get rid of bombs look like wheel barrows. Most industrial
robots are just mechanical arms. They are used for lifting and moving things. These arms
are strong enough to carry things across a factory floor. Robot arms can bend. Some robot
arms bend like an elephant's trunk. Some robot arms can make themselves longer or
shorter.
Many robot arms have parts on the end that can hold things. The parts are called 'grippers'.
They work like a human hand, but they often don't look much like a hand. Special kinds of
grippers can handle tools or move things around.
Robots can, of course, work almost like human beings. They can perform more than one
action. Automatic machines can do the same action again and again, but robots are better
because they can perform different actions. This is because they have a small computer,
which functions as their brain, inside them. This tells them what to do. Some robot arms
have sensors. The sensors tell the computer where the arm is. The computer makes the
motors move the arm if it is not in the right place.

4.

In some ways, robots can work better than human beings: some robots handle chemicals
that are dangerous for humans to touch. Some robots go to dangerous places like on top of
volcanoes and in burning buildings, without feeling scared. Robots can go deep underwater
to search for sunken ships or look for minerals to mine.

69

5.

Robots can move quicker than humans can, and they never get bored. Most robots are
designed to do only one specific job. A different robot must be specially made for each job
that needs to be done.
Robots help explore Mars and other planets. They find out what the planets look like and
what they are made of. Robot rovers that look like little wagons landed on the planet Mars.
They rolled around and examined the rocks and soil.
How do robots know what to do? Computer programmers write a programme to give the
robot a series of instructions for carrying out a task. For example, a programme may tell a
robot to pick up an object, do something with it and then put it in the right place. The
computer inside the robot has a memory which remembers these instructions. When the
programme in the computer is changed, the robot learns to do something different.

6.

Some robots can even see. 'Seeing' robots work with the help of a television camera and two
computers. The television camera, which is the 'eye', passes the information to one
computer; this computer than passes the information to the other computer which
controls the robot's movements. These robots help doctors do operations. Robots help
replace hips. They help doctors operate on eyes.
Scientists and engineers are working to make better robots. They are trying to make robots
with computers that are smarter. One day there will be robots that make highways and
build steel skyscrapers. There may someday be robots that help with many chores around
the house. Tiny robots may one day be able to go into clogged blood vessels and clean them
out. Tiny robots may be able to go inside broken machines and fix them. Very smart robots
may eventually be able to run a whole factory by themselves.

c.

On the basis of your reading, complete the following notes. Use suitable abbreviations and
provide a key for the abbreviations.
Title: ___________________________________________________ .
(i)

Meaning: robot
1.

2.

(ii) Working

prfrm. perform

3.

prfrm. programmed

4.

vs versus

5.

&-and

(a) .

6.

__________________

(b) look like giant arms

7.

__________________

(c) .

8.

__________________

Mchns. to prfrm. complex tasks

2.

(iii) Today

70

1. Mchns. Machines
2.

1.

1.

KEY

appearance

2.

Functioning
(a) Pgmd by .
(b) hv grippers to hold & carry things
(c) .
(d) .
(e) .
(f)

(iv) Robots vs humans

(a) .
(b) .
(c) .
(d) .
(v) Imp. uses
(a) .
(b) .
(d)

Based on your notes, write a summary of about 80-100 words.

VOCABULARY
2.

(a) Match the phrases to their meanings.

Phrases

Meanings

take over

remove something or someone unpleasant from an area

get rid of

search for something that is lost or needed

look for

conquer; get control of an area

find out

do or complete an important task

carry out

get information about something

(b) Use the phrases to complete the given sentences meaningfully.

i)

These days Manuj is trying to do his best to __________________________________

his image of a cheat.

ii)

Have you seen my pen? I have ______________________________________________

it everywhere but I can't find it.

iii) Will you call up the picture hall and _________________________________________

if that film is still running.
iv) In 1526, Babar defeated Ibrahim Lodi and _____________________________________
the throne of Delhi.

71

(v) No one thought that the kidnappers will .

their threat and kill the victim.
SPEAKING
3.

(a) Conducting a press conference. First, read the news clipping.

School student creates robot with emotional intelligence
A robot created by a 17-year-old Doon School student possesses emotional
intelligence and can even dish out answers for unexpected questions with the help of the
internet.
The 3-dimension Robo 'iTalk', an award winning working model, talks in English, lisps like
a human and understands human moods of happiness and anger with the help of unique
programmed algorithms and a 'software development kit' offered by the prestigious
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US.
The iTalk is a robot capable of communication in a manner similar to humans. By
interpreting data in the same manner we do, he is able to emulate human behavioural
tendencies, Arjun, a class-12 student at the Doon School, said.
(b) After he created the robot iTalk, Arjun holds a press conference to brief reporters
about his achievements. In groups role play the press conference in class.
How to conduct a Press Conference
Most of you would have seen a press conference on TV. Study Arjun's robot and its unique
features.
As Arjun, prepare a brief to be read out to the reporters.
As reporters, prepare a list of questions pertaining to the creation of life and ask
Frankenstein the questions.
The Brief: The press release to be given out at the press briefing to identify the main
stages in your research, as well as give the media a headline!
The presentation must be no longer than 3 minutes in length, be in powerpoint , must
show pictures of your creation.
Press Corps: The press reporters ask questions based on the press release and
presentation.
*Set your class for the press conference and follow the decorum of the occasion

72

PANEL

M
M

M
M
M

M = MICROPHONE
WRITING
4.

(a) A newspaper report: Based on the press conference, write a newspaper report about
the robot i Talk created by Arjun.
Review: Components of a newspaper report
Headline: Every report has a headline to attract the attention of the reader, state the
topic of the news in a strong, short phrase, or statement. The headline must be
(a) catchy
(b) briefleave out articles, prepositions, etc. and where possible, use
abbreviations / shortened word-forms
Byline: Since this is your report, let the reader know who wrote it. The line with your
name on it is called the 'Byline'. Write the word 'By' followed by your first and last name.
On the next line, write the name of your school and city.
Lead Paragraph (Para 1): Answers the questions: Who? What? Where? When? Why?
Remember to write about the following points:
name / names of the person/s or thing/s that the news is about;
the place where the incident took place;
the day, date, and time of the day when it took place;
the details of the incident;
the reasons why it happened.
Paragraph 2: Informs the reader about details of the incident. Narrate the incident in
chronological order.
Paragraph 3: Eyewitness accounts add to the authenticity. Also, they may interest the
reader. Include some quotes from the eyewitnesses' comments. Also describe what they
felt about the incident.

73

Paragraph 4: The future course of action being planned.

Note: Remember to use simple, clear but formal language.

Section - C
1.

The Machine

As part of the schools Science Week celebrations, there is a slogan writing competition.
Study the slogans given. Working with a partner,, write two slogans about the use of
machines in the space provided.
Nothing is impossible
Solutions for a smart planet
Quality never goes out of style
(a)
(b)
A cliche is a common turn of phrase which you may or may not like, but reflects something about
someone. For example: Knowledge is Power.
Characteristics of a good slogan.
i)

a single sentence, phrase or word.

ii)

A longer slogan should not be too long. About half a dozen words is a good limit .

iii)

The content should get to the root of the issue or express your position at the simplest yet
deepest level possible.

iv) Write in block letters.

v)

Use powerful language. State a point of view clearly, concisely and without making
apologies for a particular point of view.
If you want a slogan for the masses, use terms understood by most .

vi) Use a quotation or some turn of phrase that may summarise some common attitude/
view.
1.2

74

Read the headline. Choose if the statements given below are True or False.
(a)

A new technology could help jeans clean polluted air.

(b)

The new technique came from a fashion expert and a scientist.

(c)

The new jeans could break the ground because of their strength.

(d)

The jeans turn harmful emissions into harmless chemicals.

(e)

The inventors placed a pair of their jeans in a showcase.

READING
Fashion as a Cleaning Machine

1.3

An innovative blend of fashion and science has resulted in the design of a new
technology in jeans that cleans the air. Helen Storey, professor of fashion and science
at The London College of Fashion, teamed up with Dr Tony Ryan, Pro-vice-chancellor
for the Faculty of Science at the University of Sheffield, to create what could be a
ground-breaking solution to our environmental problems. They discovered that when
denim is coated with tiny particles of the chemical titanium dioxide, it reacts with air
and light to absorb and break down harmful emissions in the environment. The
emissions become harmless and are washed away when the jeans are cleaned. This
means we can help clean the air simply by going for a walk.
Ms Story and Dr Ryan have created a company to showcase their invention, called
Catalytic Clothing. Their website says: "Catalytic Clothing seeks to explore how
clothing and textiles can be used as a catalytic surface to purify air, employing existing
technology in a new way." The technology is similar to how a catalytic converter in a
car helps clean the fuel mix. Ryan makes bold claims about how effective the
innovation could be. He maintains that if all of Sheffield's half a million residents wore
the jeans to become walking air filters, the dangerous chemical nitrogen oxide in the
city would disappear. The improvement in air quality could significantly reduce deaths
and respiratory illnesses such as asthma.
WRITING
2.

(a)

Write a magazine article in about 150-200 words about the air quality of your city, town
and how the new innovative jeans could make a difference. Include an imaginary
interview with Ms Story and Dr Ryan.

(b)

As Abeer Tiwary, who has bought a pair of the innovative pollution combating jeans.
However, you discover that the article of clothing has no such properties. Write a letter of
complaint to the company with a request to look into the matter, in about 120-150 words.

SPEAKING
3.

(a)

Share in pairs / groups, decide which of these topics/words/phrases from the article
are the most interesting and which are the most boring. Discuss the topics you liked.
innovative / design / professor / environmental problem / emissions / going for a walk /
showcase / invention / purify / air filters / air quality / reduce deaths / jeans

(b)

How useful could a pair of jeans? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change
partners and share what you wrote.
Jeans and.
computers

An unusual and innovative use

How it can improve our life

walking

75

studying
sleeping
(c)

POLLUTION: Students [Group A] strongly believe we can find ways to make pollution a
thing of the past; Students [Group B] strongly believe this is impossible. Discuss and make
a 3 minute presentation to the class.

Section - D
1

76

Humans Against Virus

(a)

A recent opinion poll listed the following items as the ten most important inventions
that have made our lives better. Working in groups, number these inventions
according to their importance.

(b)

Share your views with your partner. Change your choice if required. Share with the
class.

Answer the following questions briefly.

1.

What was the horrible memory of Pasteur's childhood what made him determined to find a
cure for rabies?

2.

Where does the rabies microbe reside? How did Pasteur discover this fact?

3.

Why did he inject the germs into the rabbits brain?

4.

Who was Paul Bret? What information did Roux give about him?

5.

How did Pasteur discover the seat of the most virulent germ?

6.

Why did he select the most virulent germs for the anti-rabies vaccine?

VOCABULARY
2.

There are a number of medical terminologies in the passage. Find one word in the passage
that fits each of the given descriptions.

(i)

Free from all bacteria : ___________________________

(ii) Moisture secreted from the glands in the mouth, essential for digestion:
_____________
(iii) Minute living organisms visible only under a microscope: ________________
(iv) A carefully prepared substance, usually liquid, that contains a relatively harmless
version of a serious disease : ______________________
(v) Fill air or body with dangerous germs : _________________
(vi) A state of helplessness : ______________
(v) To force a liquid into the body with a syringe : _______________
(vi) Special room for experiments : _________________
(vii) To sear and render insensitive : _______________
(viii) When a person/animal becomes incapable of moving : ___________________
3.

SPEAKING
Prepare a Powerpoint Presentation on A World Without Disease and make a 3-4 minute
presentation to the class.

4.

LISTENING
There are countless inventions that have significantly changed our lives. We often take
them for granted when we should really be thankful to the inventors of these amenities.
As you listen to the passage about some of these inventions, write about them in the spaces
provided.

80

Who invented this ______________

Who invented this ______________

When was it invented?___________

When was it invented?___________

It helped by ___________________

It helped by ___________________

_____________________________

_____________________________

Who invented this ______________

Who invented this ______________

When was it invented?___________

When was it invented?___________

It helped by ___________________

It helped by ___________________

_____________________________

_____________________________

Who invented this ______________

When was it invented?___________
It helped by ___________________
_____________________________

81

WRITING
5.

(a)

As Louis Pasteur, prepare a report on the discovery of the anti-rabies vaccine for
presentation at a Seminar in about 200-250 words.
How to write a Scientific Report - review
1.

Title: Concise and informative, not vague and general, but encapsulates the
essence of the research. e.g. Onset of Autism not linked to Vaccination

2.

Introduction: Let the readers/ audience know why the report is important and what
exactly the report is about. Answer questions such as- What do you hope to learn
from the research? What question is being asked? Why is this research important?
Start generally, introducing the broad context within which your research fits and
end with a statement of your specific hypothesis or hypotheses.

3.

Method: Precisely describe method and materials used to conduct the experiment
with enough detail so that someone else can repeat the same procedure. Explain
and sometimes justify why you chose a particular method. Finally, it is important to
add any extra information or observations of events during the study that may have
happened accidentally.
Write in paragraph form, with few repetitions. Divide it into subsections such as
- participants
- materials
- procedure.
Use the past tense forms and furthermore, as the focus in this section is on what was
done rather than who did it, use the passive voice forms.

4.

Results: Describe but not explain your results; it provides the reader with a factual
account of your findings.

5.

Discussion: Two fundamental aims:

-

to explain the results

to explore the significance of the findings.

Therefore, here,
-

interpret and explain your results

- examine whether and how the questions raised in the introduction section
have been answered;
-

show how your results relate to the literature;

- qualify and explore the theoretical importance/significance of your results;

outline any new research questions or areas for future research that your results
have suggested.
6.

82

References: It is essential to include a reference list or bibliography of the

reference material consulted during the research for the report.

7.

(b)

Appendices: Information that is not essential to explain the findings, but that
supports the analysis (especially repetitive or lengthy information), validates your
conclusions or pursues a related point should be placed in an appendix/
appendices.

A pharmaceutical company has manufactured a new vaccine for the prevention of

polio. As the Head of the Marketing Department, design a brochure for the company in
about 80-100 words.
How to design a brochure

Purpose: Companies often write simple instruction sheets or brochures that outline how to
assemble their product or how to use it properly, how to do something / explain how
something works using simple descriptions, diagrams, or lists of steps. They are a marketing
tool that can take the place of a number of expensive marketing media, allowing you to cut
your budget without cutting marketing presence.
Steps:
-

First, write down what you need to accomplish with your brochure. What product are
you selling? What task should the reader be able to accomplish after reading this
brochure?

Identify the style or format based on how much detail you wish to include.

How to design:
-

Research your topic. If explaining a process, decide what background information the
reader will need. If selling a product, what are the main features of the product to
highlight.

List the major components of the brochure from those listed below.
*Name of business / organization
*Address/ Phone Number/ Fax Number/ Email Address.
*Slogan that creates curiosity, states a major benefit, or otherwise entices the reader to
open and read the brochure.
*Heading that states the name of the product, project, or described process.
*Subheads/ short, easy- to -read blocks of text.
*Key Benefits (2-3).
*Features.
*Logo.
*Image/ Photographs of product, place, people.
*Diagram, flow chart.

Appearance-including any graphics , different formats to fit the text. [Edit your text to
fit your layout].

Print the final design and fold as necessary.

83

Listening Text - 01
Sneh Vaswani,Chintan Raikar, Biswajit Parida, Siddharth Chinoy, Ashish Kumar Budhiraja, Amit
Kumar, Naman Sandeep Kothari, Ranjeet Singh Banthiya, Shivendra Singh, Anay Joshi, Pallav
Dhobley, Dharmik Patel, Satwik Kottur, Mohit Beswal, and Mihir Gupta are a team of 20 students
from IIT-Bombay who have invented an underwater vehicle that nobody has ever heard of. They
belong to various disciplines of engineering namely Aerospace, Electrical, Mechanical, Metallurgy
etc., in different years ranging from first to final year under graduation. complete the team.
Surya Ragunaathan chats with team 'Matsya'.
What is this underwater vehicle all about?
It is called 'Matsya' or fish in Sanskrit. It is an autonomous underwater vehicle designed and
developed to localize itself in an underwater environment and perform real life navy based tasks.
The vehicle will take feedback from visual, inertial, acoustic and pressure sensors which are used
to control the thrusters and pneumatic actuators. The current prototype has 5 degrees of
freedom and is a test bench for integration of all basic systems of mechanical (namely hull and
frame), electronics (namely power management, motion controller, SBC and sensors) and
software(Image processing, Real time framework and control systems).
How did you guys think of this idea (any anecdotes?) How did you all come together?
We all as a team have been participating at ABU Robocon for the past two years. The team has won
awards of "Best Autonomous Machine" and "Best Design Award" at Robocon 2011. Just that, the

84

team felt they must venture into a new dimension of Robotics and further upgrade their skills. Of
all the options Robosub, an annually organized competition in San Diego, California by AUVSI
foundation was the most attractive choice.
Can you describe step-by-step how you built this?
Since we were building an underwater vehicle for the first time, we wanted to build a very basic
one that navigates from one place to the other and see all issues that we face in building one. The
team is divided in to three divisions: Mechanical, Electronics and Software. Discussions began on
an abstract level and slowly each sub-division started with the designing of their subdivisions. The
basic architecture in each subdivision was designed keeping in mind that later complexities could
be easily added in them. Modularity and Robustness were given utmost priority in this process.
After the basic designs were made, they were prototyped and tested. For example,
waterproofing took a month to test and get it perfect etc. All electronic boards were extensively
tested before mounting them in the vehicle. All software modules were tested on test benches
before the hardware team was ready with the vehicle.
How long did you take to build it? Did you bunk lectures and work on it? Or was it done only in
your spare time?
It took us six months and still the vehicle is in the testing phase. All the concepts that we had
learned in classrooms were seen being implemented in practical. We work after class hours. In the
evening, after 5 pm everyone meets up and work the entire evening, most often right up to 4 am.
In what ways can one make use of the vehicle commercially?
As far as applications of 'Matsya' are concerned, there are various options:
a) Defence

Reconnaissance

Monitoring

Detection

Surveillance

b) Underwater power lines

Line monitoring

c) Oil and Gas Industry

Seabed survey

Pipeline monitoring

d) Marine Science Research

Marine Biology Research

Oceanography Studies

e) Shipwreck Reconnaissance
f) Academic

85

Research

Development

Teaching

Do you see it as a commercial viable product in its present state? How do you plan to market
it?
The entire vehicle was built as an exercise for the team towards developing a final product. Ease
for the user to control the vehicle was the primary objective. But we feel the next version, which
we plan to release next year will be a much advanced version, as far as features are concerned
and also commercially. Marketing the vehicle commercially is not in the 'To Do' list currently but
definitely an option the team is currently thinking on.
How has being at IIT-Bombay helped you with this whole thing?
We have received financial support from our deans at IIT Bombay. The project is mentored by
Prof. Hemendra Arya from Aerospace Engineering department and Prof. Leena Vachhani from the
System and Controls Engineering department. They have been a constant source of motivation for
all of us all along.
What do your parents and faculty members have to say about the same?
Everyone seems to be very happy and proud with the output of the team. We feel bad we have to
stay away from our homes in vacations and be in lab working on the vehicle, but fortunately our
parents realize our passion and support us in every form possible.

Listening Text : 02
1. Earmuff s Baby, Its Cold Outside: "Baby, Its Cold Outside" may have been the song running
through 13 year old Chester Greenwood's head one cold December day in 1873. To protect his
ears while ice skating, he found a piece of wire, and with his grandmother' shelp, padded the
ends. In the beginning, his friends laughed at him. However, when they realized that he was
able to stay outside skating long after they
had gone inside freezing, they stopped laughing. Instead, they began to ask Chester to make
ear covers for them, too. At age 17Chester applied for a patent. For the next 60 years,
Chester's factory made earmuff s, and Earmuff s made Chester rich.
2. Windshield Wipers: It was a snowy day in New York City in 1902, and it was Mary Anderson's
first trip on a streetcar. Mary watched the driver shiver as he reached out to clear the snow
that had piled up on the windshield. Mary took out her notebook and began to draw. She
designed an arm that would swing back and forth on the windshield. The arm would be
controlled by a lever near the driver inside the streetcar. Windshield wipers have changed
over the years. Today, every kind of vehicle has windshield wipers so that the driver can drive
safely on a rainy or snowy day and keep warm at the same time.

86

3. Band-Aid: At the turn of the century, Mrs. Earle Dickson, an inexperienced cook, often burned
and cut herself. Mr. Dickson, a Johnson and Johnson employee, got plenty of practice in hand
bandaging. Out of concern for his wife's safety, he began to prepare bandages ahead of time
so that his wife could apply them by herself. By combining a piece of surgical tape and a piece
of gauze, he fashioned the first crude adhesive strip bandage.
4. Ice cream Cones: In 1904, Arnold Fornachou was selling ice cream at the World's Fair in St.
Louis, Missouri. It was a hot summer day, and he had so many customers that he ran out of ice
cream dishes. The baker next to Arnold was named Ernest Hamwi. Ernest was selling very thin
pastries. Arnold and Ernest decided to work together. They rolled Ernest's pastries into a cone
shape and filled them with ice cream. Arnold's and Ernest's idea led to a new invention the
ice cream cone.
5. Velcro: In 1948, while George de Mestral was hiking in the woods, he noticed small, prickly
burrs sticking to his clothes. Later, George looked at one burr under a microscope. He saw it
was covered with hundreds of tiny hooks. He realized that he could use this idea to fasten two
things together. Unlike other fasteners, Velcro can work on many different types of materials
and in many different places. In 1948, George de Mestralinvented Velcro and though people
laughed at first, he stuck by his invention.

87

Unit - 4

Exploring New Avenues

Section - A

1.

Healing

Who takes care of patients and their needs after the doctor has seen the patient,
diagnosed the illness, recommended the treatment and carries out the prescribed
regimen of treatment ? Share your answers with the class.
Match the names of these medical/healthcare professionals with their definitions
NAMES

DEFINITIONS

Physiotherapist

A physician who diagnoses and treats illnesses of animals

Nurse

A person qualified to diagnose and treat foot disorders

Radiologist

A qualified person trained to help children suffering from speech

disorders which could be due to various reasons

Podiatrist/
chiropodist

A physician who diagnoses and cures mental disprders

Speech therapist

A qualified person who uses x-rays, ultrasound and other forms of

imaging technology to examine patients.

Dietitian
Dentist
Optometrist
Pharmacist
Psychologist
Veterinarian

Works within the health care focusing on the care of individuals,

families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover
optimal health and quality of life.
He/she is a therapist who helps patients recover from injury and
illness.
Expert in food and nutrition and advises people on what to eat in
order to lead a healthy lifestyle or achieve a specific health-related
goal

READING
The Lady with the Lamp

2.
1.

From a very young age, Florence Nightingale's compassion for the suffering made her
active in ministering to the ill1 and poor people in the village neighbouring her family's
estate. By the time she was 16 years old, it was clear to her that nursing was her calling.
She believed nursing to be her divine purpose.

2.

When Nightingale approached her parents, they were not pleased and reluctantly
permitted her to pursue her destiny. So determined to pursue her true calling, Nightingale

88

taking care of the ill

enrolled as a nursing student at the Lutheran Hospital of Pastor Fliedner in Kaiserwerth,

Germany in 1844.

3.

In the early 1850s, Nightingale returned to London, where she took a nursing job. The
position proved challenging as Nightingale grappled with a cholera outbreak and
unsanitary conditions. She made it her mission to improve hygiene practices, significantly
lowering the death rate at the hospital in the process. The hard work took a toll on her
health, and soon after, the biggest challenge of her nursing career presented itself.

4.

In October of 1853 the Crimean War broke out. Thousands of British soldiers were sent to
the Black Sea, where supplies quickly dwindled. By 1854, no fewer than 18,000 soldiers
had been admitted into military hospitals.

5.

At the time, there were no female nurses stationed at hospitals in the Crimea. The poor
reputation of past female nurses had led the war office to avoid hiring more. But, after
the Battle of Alma, England was in an uproar about the neglect of their ill and injured
soldiers, who not only lacked sufficient medical attention due to hospitals being horribly
understaffed, but also languished in appallingly unsanitary and inhumane conditions.

6.

In late 1854, Nightingale received a letter from the Secretary of War, Sidney Herbert,
asking her to organize a corps of nurses to tend to the sick and fallen soldiers in the
Crimea. Nightingale rose to her calling. She quickly assembled a team of 34 nurses and
sailed with them.

7.

Although they had been warned

of the horrid conditions there,
nothing could have prepared
Nightingale and her nurses for
what they saw when they
arrived at Scutari. The hospital
sat on top of a large cesspool,
which contaminated the water
and the hospital building itself.
Patients lay on in their own
excrement on stretchers strewn
throughout the hallways.
Rodents and bugs scurried past
them. The most basic supplies, such as bandages and soap, grew increasingly scarce as the
number of ill and wounded steadily increased. Even water needed to be rationed. More
soldiers were dying from infectious diseases like typhoid and cholera than from injuries
incurred in battle.

8.

Nightingale quickly set to work. She procured hundreds of scrub brushes and asked the
least infirm patients to scrub the inside of the hospital from floor to ceiling. Nightingale

(here) destined for

89

herself spent every waking minute caring for the soldiers. In the evenings she moved
through the dark hallways carrying a lamp while making her rounds, ministering to patient
after patient. The soldiers, who were both moved and comforted by her endless supply of
compassion, took to calling her "the Lady with the Lamp." Others simply called her "the
Angel of Crimea." Her work reduced the hospital's death rate by two-thirds.
9.

In addition to vastly improving the sanitary conditions of the hospital, Nightingale created
a number of patient services that contributed to improving the quality of their hospital
stay. She instituted the creation of an "invalid's kitchen" where appealing food for patients
with special dietary requirements was cooked. She established a laundry so that patients
would have clean linens. She also instituted a classroom and a library, for patients'
intellectual stimulation and entertainment.

10.

Based on her observations in the Crimea, Nightingale wrote Notes on Matters Affecting
the Health, Efficiency and Hospital Administration of the British Army, an 830-page
report analyzing her experience and proposing reforms for other military hospitals
operating under poor conditions. The book would spark off the establishment of a Royal
Commission for the Health of the Army in 1857

11.

She returned in the summer of 1856, once the Crimean conflict was resolved. To her
surprise she was met with a hero's welcome, which the humble nurse did her best to avoid.
The Queen rewarded her with an engraved brooch that came to be known as the
"Nightingale Jewel" and granted her a prize of $250,000.

12.

In 1860, she established the Nightingale Training School for nurses at St Thomas' Hospital
in London. Nightingale's theories, published in 'Notes on Nursing' (1860), were hugely
influential and her concerns for sanitation, military health and hospital planning
established practices which are still in existence today. She died on 13 August 1910.

2.1 Choose the right option.

(a) Florence's choice of nursing as a career showed that she was
(i)

a determined person

(ii)

given no other choice

(iii) ready to take care of the sick

(iv) sure that nursing was an honourable career
(b) The nursing job in London proved a challenge because
(i)

she was the only nurse in that hospital

(ii)

of the outbreak of cholera

(iii) unhygienic conditions in the hospital

(iv) cholera and unsanitary conditions
(c) She began improving the state of the military hospital with

90

(i)

scrubs and brushes

(ii)

cleaning people of the hospital

(iii) least infirm patients

(iv) other nurses
(d) In Crimea, Florence's first initiative was to
(i)

improve the sanitary conditions of the hospital

(ii)

set up 'invalid's kitchen'

(iii) establish laundry

(iv) take rounds at night
(e) The soldiers called her 'The Angel of Crimea' because she
(i)

helped them win the war

(ii)

organized good nursing

(iii) was kind and compassionate

(iv) helped the wounded soldiers
(f) 'The Nightingale Jewel ' was an
(i)

solid gold brooch made as a gift for her

(ii)

piece of jewellery gifted to her by soldiers

(iii) engraved 'brooch' presented to her by Queen Victoria

(iv) title given to her by Queen Victoria
(g) Complete the following statements suitably
(i)

Even as a young girl, Florence _______________________________.

(ii)

Florence's parents were ______________________________.

(iii) The death rate in the Middlesex Hospital reduced considerably because _______
(h) Answer briefly:
(i)

Where did Florence train to become a nurse?

(ii)

What challenge did she face in her first nursing job?

(iii) Why was the Royal Commission for the Health of the Army established?
2.2 On the basis of your reading of the passage, complete the following mind-map
Trait

Evidence from the text

Compassionate
Parents reluctant, but Florence enrolled as a nursing student at
Lutheran Hospital of Pastor Fliedner in Kaiserwerth,
Germany in 1844.

Resourceful
Ready to take the first step
Humble

91

Based on this mapping of the qualities of Florence Nightingale, write a character sketch of
about 150-200 words based on her life and achievements.
3.

(a)

In groups of four, discuss the 'healing careers' listed in activity 1. Identify the
qualifications and qualities one needs for success. Note them in the given chart, and write
a paragraph based on your notes.
Trait No.1

Qualities
Career
Chosen

Trait No.2

Trait No.3

SUCCESS

Reason

Qualifications

(b)

Here are a group of words related to various professions that deal with healing. Pick out
the words from the ones given in the box and write them in the appropriate column. Also,
find out what they mean.
bone-scan carbohydrates cornea gums anti-oxidant orthodontics x-ray
bicuspids molars caloriesdietary fibre root-canaling retina folic acid
glaucoma bifocals lipid capping progressives cholesterol myelography
PET scan tomography lens bridge
Dentist

Radiologist

Dietician

Optometrist

VOCABULARY
4.

Find terms related to five other professions and make a similar chart.

GRAMMAR REVIEW
5.

(a)

Recall the rules for capitals and punctuate the following:

(i)

92

bhola would you like to come with us for the movie asked shekhar no said bhola i have
to submit this project tomorrow what project asked vimal we don't know about any

project this is a first aid project we have to assemble our own first aid kits and also
make some charts oh when was this task given shekhar asked how is it we do not know
about it you don't know about it because it was given on the day you all had bunked
school to go fishing in the pond outside the village.
(ii) why can't you keep quiet for sometime mother asked shyama
(iii) shyama smiled and said it is because I have so much to tell you about what happened
at school today
(iv) what happened mother wanted to know
(v) i think i will tell when father comes back not just now shyama replied and went out to
play.
6.

WRITING
As a reporter working living in the times of Florence Nightingale, with the 'Times London', and
you have been asked to cover the war in Crimea where you see how Florence Nightingale has
improved the conditions for the care of the wounded soldiers which has made a quantum
difference in their rate of survival. Write a report in about 150 -200 words about this
achievement. You are Mark, a correspondent with the London Times.

7.

LISTENING
1.

Complete these statements meaningfully with a word or a phrase from the text you
have heard:
(a) Services which assist medical profession in some form or the other are called
______________________________________________________________________.
(b) Since paramedical services help in the right diagnosis of any disease they form the
______________________________________________________________________.
(c) ______________________________________________________________________.

2.

Choose the right answer

(a) Without the paramedical sciences, the medical profession would
(i)

prosper

(ii)

be paralysed

(iii) more recognised

(iv) more efficient
(b) Expansion in health care industry has raised the demand for more
(i)

radiologists

(ii)

physiotherapists

(iii) paramedical professionals

(iv) nurses

93

(c) Which one of these services is not a part of paramedical studies?

(i)

cardiology

(ii)

optometry

(iii) pharmacy
(iv) physiotherapy
(d) Three qualities that make a paramedic professional highly successful are
(i)

team spirit, punctuality and ability to recall and memorize facts

(ii)

dedication, serious attitude, leadership

(iii) punctuality, leadership and logical reasoning

(iv) team spirit, ability to recall, memorize facts and logical reasoning
8.

SPEAKING
Role-play: Ankita/Ankit wants to pursue a graduation degree in Physiotherapy. S/he is at an
interview with the Principal for admission to this course. Work with a partner, read the
given part of the dialogue and fill in what is missing and then share it.

94

Ankit/a

May I come in, Ma'am?

Principal

Yes, and please sit down . I am Ms. Sahaj, what's your name?

Ankit/a

Principal

Tell me Ankit/a, why do you think you should be given admission to this course?

Ankit/ a

Ma'am, I have_______________________________________

Principal

Fine, you have cleared the written exam but ______________________

Ankit/a

I am also interested in helping people who need the help of a physiotherapist.

Principal

Besides educational qualifications, what other qualities do you have to

become a physiotherapist?

Ankit/a

Ma'am, I am a very _________________________________________.

Counsellor :

Besides, that the job also requires lot of patience and ____________.

Ankit/a

I have experience of looking after _______________________________

Principal

Where do you think you will get a job as _______________.

Ankit/a

Any hospital or I can even ________________________________________.

Principal

Thank you, Ankit/a and congratulations. You have qualified for admission. But
remember, this job requires ____________________________________

Ankit/a

Thank you, Ma'am. I promise to be totally committed to helping people to

become healthy again.

____________________________________________________

Section - B

Crafts

1.

Crafts or handicrafts are utilitarian or decorative items that are hand made or crafted with
simple tools. Every state of India has crafts unique to that region. In this section, we shall
explore how our crafts have opened up rewarding career opportunities for those who are
artistically inclined.

2.

Take the following chart and interview at least 4 of your classmates. Write their names with
the names of the state/district/locality they come from, and ask them about the famous
crafts of their place. Find out as many names as possible.
Name

State/District

Craft forms

Most popular/famous

95

3.

Choose the name of crafts from the box below and write them in the appropriate space.
dhokra from Chhattisgarh

pottery from Khurja

phulkari from Punjab

metal craft from Andhra Pradesh

kantha embroidery from Bengal

puppets from Rajasthan

bidri work from Karnataka

96

READING
4.

INDIAN HANDICRAFTS
1.

The crafts of India have been valued universally; their existence as an industry that is
getting highly organized, justifies the need for efforts to be put into their preservation.
Contemporary designers are constantly drawing on the traditional crafts to blend them
into their haute couture designs. Thus, proving their adaptability to the need of the
individual designer catering to international markets. The National Institute of Fashion
Technology (NIFT) includes education of traditional crafts in their course curriculum.
Statistics from the All India Handicrafts Board show that craft export has risen from 23
crores to over 9000 crores since the past 50 years.
It is in recognition of this need that Bangalore has decided to allot a certain space for the
craftsmen from all over India. Read at this report.

2.

Most of our crafts have gained worldwide recognition that has created an ever-growing
demand for them. As a result, artistically aware and enterprising entrepreneurs have
taken it upon themselves to ensure that Indian crafts become an organized industry. This
has not only helped to get recognition and a new lease of life for these crafts , they have
also become a part of the curriculum in institutes like NIFT, NID, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
International School of Textile and Management, to name a few.

3.

The Indian crafts that hold a pride of place in the heart of art collectors globally, are made
from a variety of materials and substances, be it wood or stone, bamboo or silk, all
available aplenty in their natural form. The Indian artisan, over the centuries, perfected
the skill of willing these substances to obey their hands and get moulded into pieces of art.
Let us read about some of these crafts.

4.

Wood, particularly costly ones like sandal, sheesham, rosewood and kadamb are used for
the production of beautiful handicraft items depicting various symbols of India's rich
cultural heritage. There are production centres in Karnataka, Rajasthan and other places.
Objects made of sandalwood are the most famous among the other wooden artefacts for
its intricate carving and its sweet fragrance. Mysore, Tirupati, Madurai and Coimbatore in
Tamil Nadu; Jaipur, Delhi and Varanasi have the most skillfull artisans using their
workmanship to create artefacts. The images of elephant, ambawari, peacock and other
cultural symbols are carved on these woods which make them unique.
Furniture made from the famous sheesham wood from Saharanpur has always held a pride
of place in Indian homes. The ever increasing demand for the beautifully carved furniture
with intricate brass and copper inlays has attracted many young artisans and
entrepreneurs to this industry.

5.

India is the home to a variety of metal craft. The glitter of this craft is universal, be it gold,
silver or any other metal; so, from times immemorial, metal products crafted from brass,
copper and bell metal have held pride of place in homes and royal courts across the
world. The important metal craft centres are Moradabad, Jaipur, Delhi etc. What started

97

in ancient times as small scale ventures is on the threshold of becoming one of the major
industries requiring trained artisans with a vision because although inexpensive they
become invaluable possessions of art lovers across the world.
The handcrafted Indian jewellery studded with precious and semi-precious or
embellished with meenakari work is an eternal process of artistic imagination and fine
craftsmanship from ancient times. Jewellery design in India varies from state. Courses for
specialisation in gemology and designing of jewellery have gained in popularity as
demand for cost effective yet aesthetic costume jewellery has grown beyond conceivable
proportions.
6.

Today Papier Mache artefacts and utility items are favoured by Indians and tourists alike.
A variety of papiermache objects are made raging from utility items to decorative
objects. The most common Papier Mache items are boxes in different shapes and sizes,
Christmas decorations in bell shape and ball shape, masks and animal figures. Apart from
Kashmir, Papier Mache art also became popular in Rajasthan, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and
other centres.

7.

The exquisite art of Marble inlay work from Agra, brought from Persia in the Mughal
period, has been an integral part of our cultural heritage , and has been kept alive by the
descendants of the great artisans who gave the world the mesmerizing Taj Mahal. Marble
inlay today enjoys a renaissance and is geared towards meeting an ever-increasing
demand for decorative gift items.
The world of Indian Haute couture has seen our internationally famous designers draw
copiously on the exquisite work created by the nimble fingers of Indian women, be it
Phulkari from Punjab, Kantha from Bengal, chhikankari from Uttar Pradesh and the
famous Zardozi work to lend that Indian ethnic touch to their products, which makes them
highly sought after. Their patronage of these crafts has not only given them a new lease of
life , they have also become attractive career choices of the younger generation.

8.

Madhubani painting or Mithila paintings from the Mithila region of Bihar were originally
done on walls during festivals and other such occasions. It was artists like Jagdamba Devi
and late Mahasundari Devi whose efforts are responsible in getting it international
recognition. Madhubani paintings find a pride of place in our homes today. One can see the
tourists flocking to the Madhubani stalls in craft bazaars like the Dilli Haat. It needed
educated and ethnically aware people to bring this aspect of our culture on the
international scene and make the younger generations take pride in them so that they
voluntarily made a studied choice of them as career options.

9.

Today's craftsmen not only command respect in society they also ensure handsome
remuneration for their craft. The twenty-first century has brought with it a mind set at
variance with the die-hard

10. Today's craftsmen not only command respect in society but they also ensure a handsome
remuneration for their craft. The twenty-first century has brought with it a mind-set at
variance with the die-hard traditionalists who did not think beyond medicine and

98

engineering as careers. Craft was the choice of the less fortunate, but today craft is a
highly pursued career choice. There is a vast sea of opportunities waiting to be explored
by the discerning, tenacious and artistically inclined youth of today.
(a)

Complete the following statements.

(i)

There is need for preserving our traditional arts because _________________.

(ii)

Our crafts are absolutely adaptable because ___________________________.

(iii) Production centres in Karnataka and Rajasthan are _____________________.

(iv) Cooking has ______________________________________________________.
(v)

Today the word 'craft' ______________________________________________.

(vi) The status of Indian craftsmen _______________________________________.

(b)

Answer the following questions briefly.

(i)

What is the purpose of the 14 acre crafts park?

(ii)

How is the condition of the Indian artisan today different from what it was in
the past?

(iii) What kind of career options have been created by the advancement of
technology?
(iv) What is the contribution of Maha Sundari Devi and Jagdamba Devi in
popularising the folk art of Madhubani paintings?
(v)
5.

What are the three requirements for making the best of new opportunities
available today?

VOCABULARY
Solve this cross-word puzzle with the given hints.
1

7
4

99

Across
1

Most fashionable and influential dress-making and designing.

A revival in the world of art, craft and literature

A trade requiring special manual skill

A person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with
considerable initiative and risk.

Down

6.

An artistic handmade object

Extraordinarily fine

Based on the cultural traditions of a group of people from a particular region:

As killed craftsperson

GRAMMAR REVIEW
Read the dialogue.
Rajita

Manosi, tell us something about your new designs. Can we look forward to
something unique?

Manosi

Yes, of course. In my new line of autumn collection, I have used lot of ethnic
details.

Rajita

Is it easy to get genuine ethnic stuff?

Manosi

I went hunting for things in various places.

Rajita

Where all did you go?

Manosi

went to Karnataka for lambani embroidery. Then I went to Patiala to get some
exquisite phulkari. Both these traditional crafts have been used very
artistically in contemporary dresses.

Rajita

Wow it sounds interesting!

Manosi

and then I went to tribal areas to get some tribal jewellery to embellish the
dresses. Actually you must come and see what I am going to display in the
fashion show.

Rajita

our crafts are really unique

Manosi

Yes. That is why beside haute couture I am going to start an institute and invite
these craftsmen to come and train some young artisans in their crafts.

As Rajita, tell your friends about the conversation you had with Manosi. Begin
with:Yesterday I met Manosi and asked her to tell me _____________________________
[Recall the rules for reported speech to complete the task]
7.

WRITING
While browsing through the job vacancies on the internet, you come across the following
advertisement for an Art Curator in Ahmedabad. Read the advertisement carefully, analyse it

100

and, write a job application in response to it, in about 150-200 words, along with a
resume/curriculum vitae.

Vacancy Art Curator

Satrangi Art Gallery, Ahmedabad,
requires a committed Art curator.
A degree in Art History and good communication skills with
fluency in English mandatory;
highly desirable4 -5 years experience in similar capacity with interest in
preserving Indian heritage crafts and arts, and promoting deserving artists.
A handsome salary for deserving candidates.
Application to reach the Director, Satrangi Art Gallery, within ten days of the
issue of this advertisement.

(a) Let us analyse this advertisement:

(i)

(ii)

The vacancy is for an Art Curator. So find out

What is the job of an Art Curator?

What kind of qualifications should an Art Curator have?

The vacancy exists in an art gallery called Satrangi in Ahmedabad. Therefore, the
application is to addressed to 'The Director Satrangi Art Gallery'

(iii) The requirement, besides the relevant academic degree are: good communication
skills, fluency in the English language and an interest in the fine arts.
(iv)

Experience : 4 to 5 years in a 'similar' job. Remember to create a suitable date of

birth ,catering to the number of years required to finish your education and get an
experience of 4 to 5 years.

Remember: Your application should be based on the analysis.

(b) Now using the suitable format, write an application offering your services for this job.
Self address
__________________
__________________

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Date
Receiver's designation
Address
______________
Subject _______________________________________
Dear Sir/Madam
Body/content
Yours faithfully
Signature
[full name in BLOCK letters]
8.

LISTENING
LailaTyabji, is a designer, writer and founder member and Chairperson of DASTKAR, a society
for crafts and crafts persons. She has worked in the craft and development sector for over 3
decades and Crafts persons was awarded the Aid to Artisans and Preservation of Craft Award
in New York the second-ever recipient. The DASTKAR office is in Shahpur Jat, Delhi. Listen to
this excerpt from an interview with her and complete the following statements.
1.

According to Laila, they don't pick up stuff, rather they ____________________________.

2.

She doesn't want every craftsperson to become an entrepreneur because she wants them
to ________________________________________________________________________.

3.

For fair trade she wants the artisans to ______________ and the buyers to understand the
__________________________________________________________________________.

4.

The objective behind the DASTKAR Ranthambore project was to help the villagers
__________________________________________________________________________.

5.

Laila had to delve into the homes of the villagers to find ____________________________.

6.

Lambani women could not sell lambani embroidery because it ______________________.

7.

The global market is ________________________________________________________.

8.

Indians have also realised that, if they want something unique, they _________________
_________________________________________________________________________

9.

SPEAKING
In groups of four, discuss crafts as a career. Each group can choose one craft and discuss relevant
points about the craft you choose it. Let your discussion revolve around the following points.
You can add more points relevant to the craft you choose:
Reason for its popularity

Growing market for Indian craft work in India and abroad.

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Language help: Remember to use suitable words, phrases and sentences to

Make suggestions:

We could also consider....

Is it possible to look at it from xxx point of view?

Offer opinions

It is possible that .

Let us look at .

Ask for opinions[ very important as a good team player]

Let us hear what _______ feels about.

After the discussion, consolidate the views of your group and a representative shares them. The
presentation can be divided into four parts, so that , each member of the group gets to speak for a
minute tor two.

Section - C
1.

(a)

Warriors

Relate the pictures to the poem.

Today my dear fellowmen,

You will learn about some men,
Who are for their country,
More than just someone who brought them victory,
For when their nation was in danger,
their blood boiled in anger,
Without caring for their personal life,
They left their parents,children,and wife,
And off they went like real heroes,
To make the enemy feel like zeroes,
These men had muscles like Iron,
And had the hearts of a Lion,
When the enemy faced these men,
The enemy didn't know where to go then,

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For one of these men,

Was enough for the enemies then,
The enemy then ran away like rats,
Like rats run after seeing the cats,
Thus these men saved the country,
Giving it a proud victory,
The heroes of this story,
Work for the world's best military,
These are the great and ever victorious,
Our Proud Indian Armed Forces!
(b)

Answer the following questions in a line or two.

(i)

Who are these 'some men'?

(ii) How are they different from the other people of the country?
(iii) Which line tells us that the security of their nation is paramount to them?
(iv) Pick out the words that describe these 'some men' and discuss why these words have
been used in the specific context.
(c)

Test your patriotism quotient. Answer these questions to check your patriotism
quotient:
(i)

On which date did the constitution of India become effective? _________________.

(ii) The Father of the Indian constitution is___________________

(iii) Who was the other leader born on 02 October, but many years after Mahatma
Gandhi's birth? __________________.
(iv) Give the name of the General to whom the enemy forces surrendered to after the
Indo-Pak war of 1971. ____________________________________.
(v)

Who was the first Indian Chief of The Indian air force? ______________________.

(vi) Who is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed forces? ___________________.
(vii) Name the part of ancient Indian literature that has had an immense impact on the
western thinkers. __________________________________.
(viii) Who wrote the national song Vande Mataram?_____________________________.
(ix) Name the leader who gave us the slogan 'Jai Jawan Jai Kissan.' __________________.
(x)

Name the first President of India.________________________.

READING
Defense Service

2.
1.

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It is said that the National Defence Academy not only makes men out of boys it also
trains them to become Officers and Gentlemen for life and so, while they are at the
academy they are referred to as 'Gentlemen Cadets.'

2.

A career in the Indian armed forces is different from all other career options. It is not
just a job. It is a fiery devotion and commitment to the nation fuelled by the spirit of
patriotism and a conviction that 'Nation comes before Self.' A career as an officer in
the Indian armed forces is a prestigious career that offers you an exclusive life style
with the honour of being the defenders of the Nation. If one is ideologically suited to
such a career and considers oneself as patriotic then one may opt for a career in any
one of the three services The Indian army, The
Indian air force or The Indian navy. If the notion
of heroism attached to the defence forces
appeals to you then it is for you, as says the
adline for the SSB You have it in you.

3.

An officer in the Indian Army inherits glorious

heritage and timeless traditions, blended
perfectly with the latest technology in the fields
of management, engineering and medical
sciences. It offers a golden opportunity to be a
part of the world's finest Army and get trained not only to be an Officer but also a
gentleman for life.Life in the army is full of adventure and offers an enviable life
style attractive pay and perks. It creates leaders who are capable of leading from
the front in any field. Army has it all- be it social interaction, finest clubs, golf
courses, medical facilities and ample opportunities to indulge in adventure and
sports.In fact you are paid to lead a healthy life in a healthy environment. The
question is: Do you have it in you?

4.

The Guardians of our Skies, our Air Warriors

with their supersonic jets, state-of-the-art
technology are the blue eyed boys of the
defence services . They are where the action
is. The Indian air force provides the most
modern facilities, and an unparalleled way of
life creating an environment, to bring out the best in its personnel. An officer holds a
position of authority - able to lead and control. Air force helps one develop
leadership and management skills, team work and communication skills. The service
helps one to face pressures with ease. In fact all these are a part of the training of an
Officer. The air force teaches all, thus not only making mature men and women of
young boys and girls but making them leaders in life. The strength of character and
strong moral compass thus acquired makes them stand out in any crowd at all times

5.

Besides being a noble service devoted

to the security of our skies, it is most
certainly an honourable profession to
be proud of. Life in this service is not
just about work alone, it provides best
of recreation facilities, sports,
medical, education and clubs. It helps

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nurture lifetime relations, creating bonds that transcend all barriers of time and
space.
6.

Just as the, the north borders guarded by our vigilant soldiers our vast coast line is
jealously guarded by our navy Our maritime capabilities are as ancient as the seas
that surround us on the three sides of the peninsula. But its organized form into a
regular fighting force is the work of the 17th century Maratha Emperor, Chhatrapati
Shivaji Raje Bhonsle who is considered as the Father of Indian navy. The Indian navy
can trace its lineage back to the Royal Indian Navy, however, the modern navy, as it is
known today, was not officially created until 1947 after independence.

7.

Though the primary objective of the navy is to secure the nation's maritime borders,
India also uses its navy to enhance its international relations through joint exercises,
port visits and humanitarian missions, including disaster relief. Certain core values
given below, are instilled in the cadets of the armed forces during their training
moulding their personalities that make a mark wherever they go.

8.

Our armed forces have produced heroes in keeping with the noble traditions
inherent in the services.
Company Quarter Master Havildar Abdul Hamid was born on
1 July 1933, in Uttar Pradesh. He was enrolled in the 4 Grenadiers
on 27 December 1954. During his Army service he earned the
Sainya Seva Medal with Clasp J&K, the Samar Seva Medal and the
Raksha Medal. During the 1965 Indo-Pak War, 4 Indian Division was
entrusted with a two-fold responsibility - capture Pak territory
east of Ichhogil Canal and contain possible enemy attack on
Kasur-Khem Karan axis. The 4th Indian Division succeeded in
reaching Ichhogil but the powerful Pakistani offensive forced it to fall back on Asal
Uttar. The 4 Indian Division settled here to meet the enemy assault.

9.

On 10 September when the enemy penetrated the forward company positions,

Hamid was commanding a recoilless gun detachment. He realised the gravity of the
situation so he moved out with his gun mounted jeep. Intense enemy shelling did not
deter this brave heart. His accurate fire shot down the leading enemy tank and then
another one but by this time the enemy had spotted him. This made the enemy
concentrate heavy firing towards him. Abdul did not give up and brought down
another enemy tank. At this time he was mortally wounded. His bravery inspired his
comrades to put up a gallant fight. Havildar Abdul Hamid continued fighting with
total disregard to his personal safety. In the highest tradition of
the Indian Army Hamid went down fighting. The nation honoured
Company Quarter Master Havildar Abdul Hamid posthumously with
the highest wartime gallantry medal, The Param Vir Chakra.

10. Lt. Khetrapal, who was 21years old at that time, was
commissioned just six months before the 1971 war in the tank
regiment -17 Pune Horse. His tank was hit but he refused to
retreat, instead he charged after the enemy. He secured the

106

bridge head but died doing so. His mother Maheshwari Khetrapal, now 89, says she's
proud her son died a soldier's death. For courage in the face of death, Lt. Khetrapal
received India's highest gallantry award, the Param Vir Chakra.
th

11. 9
December 1971... amidst the rumbling
sounds of war a desperate struggle took place
about 40 nautical miles off the coast of Diu.
Captain Mahendranath Mulla was determined
to save lives on the Blackwood anti-submarine
frigate INS Khukri. Torpedoed by a submarine,
this became the only Indian ship to sink,a
chapter in its history that Indian Navy will
never forget. One of the most gripping battle
stories which salutes courage. Captain Mulla went about saving as many of the crew
he could, not caring for his own life. Gentleman and a True Guardian of the Nation's
seas he upheld the age old tradition that 'A Captain never abandons his ship, he goes
down with it.' His exemplary courage has motivated generations of naval officers.
For his dedication and gallantry he was awarded The Maha Vir Chakra posthumously.
2.1 (a)

Complete the chart suitably.

CAREER IN THE INDIAN ARMED FORCES

Not just a job _______________________________________________to the nation.

Career and life in the armed forces

Fuelled by _____________________________________

_________________ with their

____________________are the
blue-eyed boys of the armed
forces.

__________________ creates
leaders capable of _________
_________________________

The modern Indian navy created

only in ___________________

Develops _________________
__________________________
_______________

Life full of ________________

_________________________

Not only guard the seas, but

also _____________________
_________________________

Values instilled in the officers

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(b)

Answer briefly in a sentence or two.

(i)

What does the phrase 'makes men out of boys' imply?

(ii)

Why is the career in the Indian army considered as 'prestigious'?

(iii) What makes the Air force officers stand out?

(iv) What creates life long bonds in the armed forces?
(v)
(c)

2.2 (a)
(b)

Why is Chhatrpati Shivaji Raje Bhonsle called the Father of Indian Navy?

Think about it and discuss briefly.

(i)

On the basis of your reading of the text, discuss what a career in the armed forces
means to you. Try to identify the positive aspects and evaluate them against
whatever negative aspects you may attribute to such a career. Why would it appeal /
not appeal to you?

(ii)

Why are the martyrs mentioned in the text called so? Identify the qualities that
make martyrs out of ordinary persons.

Make notes of the above text using suitable abbreviations. Supply a title.
Attempt a summary of about 100 words based on your notes.

2.3 Read the following statements. From the choices given below, choose the correct meaning
of the italicised word/s:
(a)

It is a fiery devotion and commitment to the nation fuelled by the spirit of patriotism and
a conviction that 'Nation comes before Self.
(i)

Adding something that burns

(ii)

Eating food that gives energy

(iii) Energy source for vehicles

(iv) Something that stimulates feelings
(b)

The Guardians of our Skies, our Air Warriors with their supersonic jets, state-of-the-art
technology are the blue eyed boys of the defence services
(i)

People who have blue eyes

(ii)

Favourite personnel

(iii) Men who fly in the blue skies

(iv) Boys whose eyes are on the blue skies
(c)

It helps nurture lifetime relations, creating bonds that transcend all barriers of time and
space.
(i)

Go beyond

(ii)

Confined within

(iii) Create barriers

(iv) Do not build barriers

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(d)

Bring out the best in its personnel.

(i)

Officers in an organisation

(ii)

Personal not sharing with others

(iii) Group of people

(iv) People employed in an organisation
3.

WRITING
Having discussed question no. 3c I & II, write a letter in about 150-200 words to your grand
parents explaining why you wish to join the Armed Forces.
Clues:

What has inspired you to make this choice? Possibilities maybe your Grandfather is a
Retired Army/ Air force/ Naval Officer- you have heard stories of their valour and
inspired by them

Inspired by the stories of the martyrs

Discussion you have had in the class

Desire to serve the nation

Impressed with the life style

Respect accorded to the Armed forces officers

4.

LISTENING
Listen to this CITATION of the Param Vir Chakra awarded to Major Som Nath Sharma and
complete the statements suitably.

5.

(a)

At the first light of 3rd November 1947 Maj. Sharma took up a position _________________.

(b)

The enemy attacked his Coy [here, troop] from __________________________________.

(c)

If the enemy was not held it would pose a grave threat to __________________________.

(d)

He urges his Coy to fight _____________________________________________________.

(e)

Exposing himself to heavy and active enemy fire, he laid air-strips ___________________.

(f)

Inspite of his right hand in plaster he helped his company by _______________________ .

(g)

Maj. SomNath Sharma was killed by a __________________________________________.

(h)

Though outnumbered by the enemy, his men were inspired to fight because of his
______________________, ______________________ and _________________________.

(i)

His last message to Brigade HQs was that, he shall _______________________________.

SPEAKING
(a)

As the Master of Ceremonies at the award ceremony, you are expected to read out the
above citation to the gathering. First practise reading it. With the class being the
gathering, read it aloud with appropriate stress and intonation.

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(b)

Make a powerpoint presentation of about 10-20 slides on the various unexplored

career avenues. You may base your presentation on the options discussed here or
your own choice of careers.

Listening Text 1:
Paramedical (Para- besides) Services are those which assist the medical profession in one or many
forms e.g. Radiography, Medical Laboratory Technology, Nursing, Speech Therapy, Occupational
Therapy etc. Para-medical professional supports the medical team with closely related functions
for complete treatment. In the modern world, Paramedical science has emerged as an important
branch of medical science. It is proved as a milestone in the treatment of communicable, noncommunicable diseases. In other words, we can say that paramedical science is a backbone for
medical science because right diagnosis of any disease is necessary to prevent fatal diseases.
Thus, medical science will be paralysed without paramedical science.
The continuous expansion of the health care industry brings a more demand for trained
paramedical professionals. The main areas in paramedical education include Physiotherapy,
Pharmacy, Nursing, Occupational therapy, Audiology and Speech therapy, Medical laboratory
technology, Radiology/X-Ray technology, Dental hygienist and Dental mechanics, Operation
theatre assistant, Optometry and Ophthalmic assistant and other miscellaneous job oriented
courses. These courses are offered through correspondence as well as full time classes.
The personality of a paramedical professional should be according to the circumstances
provided. As this is a team work, so they should have a blend of qualities like sense of
responsibility and dedication, good communication skill, analytical and logical reasoning skill,
ability to recall and memorize scientific facts, physical stamina to work long and irregular hours,
patience, cool temperament, team spirit, good observation power, understanding of people, and
an ability to inspire confidence in the patient. Apart from all these, one must have a pleasant
smiling face, whatever be the situation.
Listening Text 2:
Interviewer: Laila, tell us something about Dastkar Nature Bazaar.
Laila: The Bazaar is only the public face of Dastkar. It is the culmination of a whole lot of
processes where we work with craftsmen on enhancing skills, capacity building, etc., which is
why the end result is that we register 10000 foot falls each day of the bazaar and that too when so
many craft bazaars have come up. But it drives me crazy when people say, Oh, you have such a
nice job, you travel and pick up stuff.' I dislike these two words 'pick up' and 'stuff'. We don't pick
up, we help them develop their crafts and diversify.
Interviewer: We believe your topmost agenda is of doing away with the exploitative middlemen.
How do you do that?
Laila: This has been something that has been part of our objective right from the beginning when
we began 30 years ago but it didn't mean every middleman but the exploitative ones. I don't want

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every craftsperson to become an entrepreneur when they should be focusing on their craft. The
idea is to educate the artisans about the value of their skill and educate the buyers about the
worth of the craft and only then fair trade can take place. We need the middlemen whether it is
Fab India, hi-end stores or the government emporias.
Interviewer: How do you get to interact with the artistes?
Laila: Every month, I spend around ten days in the rural areas trying to understand their needs
which can't be done sitting in Shahpur Jat. A group of women weavers in a village may not move
out of their village due to the constraints of the society, so their needs would be different from a
set of male leather workers.
Interviewer: Tell us something about your pet projects.
Laila: The objective behind the Dastkar Ranthambore Project was to try and find source of
income generation for the villagers who had lost their homes and had to be resettled. They had
lost access to wood, water and the forests they had been living on for generations. Valmik Thapar
asked me what we could do in terms of economic rehabilitation. So, when I met them they were
all very bitter and said there are no crafts here. I hated doing it but I had to dive into their homes
and houses and find for myself how the people of this agrarian community lived. I discovered that
everything they used from a gudri to toys to basket, a majority of utility items were made out of
waste material. What started from suspicion, hostility turned into 300 families and a turnover of
one crore rupees. Another one was Lambani embroidery. It wasn't known everywhere and the
Lambani women at that time had switched over to making plastic aprons. I shrieked when I saw a
couple of women in Sandur, in now infamous Bellary district, doing that and asked why you make
that ghastly stuff. I was told that nothing sells and lambani is very expensive.
Interviewer: What is the state of affairsnow?
Laila: We are losing 10 per cent of our craftsmen every year as they are shifting to other jobs. On
the other hand the global market is recognising the value of the handicrafts. Around the world,
people are getting bored of the high streets same brands available everywhere. Even in India,
fatigue has set in and there is realisation that if we want something unique we will have to go back
to our handicrafts because that is the only mechanism which can offer experimentation and a
different look.
Interviewer: Tell us some Success stories
Laila: Berozgar Mahila Kalyan Samiti of Bihar were bonded labourers for 20 years because they
couldn't pay a loan of Rs.500 taken years ago. They were paying 18 per cent interest on it. A
donation given to us by a friend was used to repay their loan following which they were trained in
weaving. Today they weave beautiful tussar saris worth Rs.30 to 40 lakhs.
Listening text 3: Citation of Award for Major Som Nath Sharma *4 Kumaon IC -521
On 3rd. November 1947 Maj. Sharma's Coy was ordered on a fighting patrol to Badgam Village in
Srinagar (Kashmir) Valley. He reached his objective at first light on 3rd. November, 1947, and took

111

up a position south of Badgam Village. At 1100 hours, enemy estimated strength 700 attacked his
Coy position being brought to bear on the Coy position from three sides, the Coy began to sustain
heavy casualties. Maj. Sharma fully realizing the gravity of the situation and the direct threat
that would result to both Srinagar and the aerodrome if the enemy attacking him was not held
until reinforcements could be rushed up to close up the gap leading to Srinagar via Hum Hom,
urged his Coy to fight the enemy - tenaciously with extreme bravery. In order to do this, he rushed
across the open ground to his sections exposing himself to heavy and active fire. He took a very
active part in directing the fire of his sections on to the ever-advancing enemy. He exposed
himself to the full fury of the enemy's fire and laid out air-strips in order to guide the aircraft on to
the targets in full view of the enemy. Realising that casualties had affected the efficiency of his
light automatics, this officer, whose right hand was in plaster, personally commenced filling LMG
magazines and issuing them to LMG gunners. A mortar shell landing amongst his ammunition
resulted in an explosion that killed him. Maj. Sharma's Coy held on to its position and the
remnants withdrew when almost completely surrounded. His inspiring example had resulted in
the enemy being delayed for six hours and reinforcements permitted to get into position in HumHom to stem the tide of the enemy's advance. His leadership, gallantry and tenacious defence
was such that his men were inspired to fight the enemy outnumbered by them seven to one for six
hours, one hour of which was after this gallant officer had been killed. He has set an example of
courage, with qualities unequalled in the history of the Indian Army. His last message to Brigade
HQ received a few moments before he was killed was The enemy are only 50 yards from us. We are
heavily outnumbered. We are under devastating fire. I shall not withdraw an inch but will fight to
the last man and the last round.
[ *Before reading the text the teacher should explain that 4 Kumaon is the name of the
regiment into which Maj. Som Nath Sharma had been commissioned. IC stands for Indian
st
Commission and he was the 521 officer to be commissioned, therefore '4 Kumaon IC 521']

112

Unit - 5

Speaking and Listening - A Review

Section - A

Note: It is not always about learning to speak and listen effectively in English only to pass an
assessment , clear a placement test or a job interview!
Have you ever thought about the different forces that are affecting education today? The
emergence of new job markets requires enhanced communication skills, multi-cultural awareness
and better teamwork. These, and a range of other significant factors are continuously defining and
shaping the education scenarios all over the world.
With over 2 billion users of the English language, it has emerged as the most commonly used
language of international business, education and communication. However, at the same time,
English language too is changing as it comes into contact with new cultures, communities and
countries. In this emerging scenario, the knowledge of English and effective communication skills
have become imperative for the 21st century learners.
1

Read the questions and choose the most appropriate option.

(a)

Do you use English words when you are talking in your mother tongue?
(i) some times
(ii) always
(iii) never

(b)

Which of the following words are now part of the English dictionary?
(i) guru; pandit, shawl
(ii) bazar, karma, yoga
(iii) all the above

(c)

How do you react when someone mispronounces a word e.g snakes, instead of snacks ?
(i) Tell the speaker that it is incorrect
(ii) Try to understand his/her pronunciation
(iii) Start laughing

(d)

What is the most important when you talk in English?

(i) good accent
(ii) fluency
(iii) intelligibility

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(e)

Do you make eye contact with your teacher when you are seeking his or her advice?
(i) sometimes
(ii) always
(iii) never

(f)

Do you grope for words when trying to express yourself in English?

(i) some times
(ii) always
(iii) never

What do the answers to these questions tell you? These answers clearly demonstrate that
gestures like eye contact, nodding your head, or hand movements (item e.) play an important
role in good communication. (items b. and c.) convey the message that we use many words of
English in our day-to-day communication like school, station, party, exams. Similarly, many
words, not only from the Indian languages, but from other languages across the globe, have
found a place in the English language. Users of English come from diverse social, cultural and
economic backgrounds so, their spoken English can be influenced by their mother tongue (item
d.). However, it is critical that our speech is intelligible to all speakers of English and therefore
the choice of appropriate words and language structures (item f.) plays an important role in
good communication.
2.

Working in pairs, discuss the given questions.

(a) Why do you greet someone with Good Evening when you meet a friend at 10:00 p.m.?
(b) Why do you focus on the audience when making a presentation?
(c) Why won't you dress up in a casually when you go to meet someone in the office?
(d) Why don't you answer with just yes/no when facing an interview?
(e) Why do you greet different people differently?
What have you learned so far? Share your ideas with the class. You would notice that our use of
the language is strongly dependent on the context, and we always re-phrase our utterances
with reference to the degree of politeness, formality and the choice of register. You continue
to polish your language skills with more and more practice and thus understand its finer
aspects.
Good communication is always more than the correct and grammatical use of language.
You also need to pay attention to accent, tone, pitch, stress, rhythm and intonation, and a
demonstrably good understanding of these aspects makes your speech INTELLIGIBLE.

A3. Given below are a few phrases that we commonly use when we greet someone, and others
when we conclude a conversation and bid goodbye. Separate the Greetings from the
Goodbyes and write them in the right section of the table. Use the given clues.

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Good
evening

Hello

See you
tomorrow

Hi

See you in Good bye I need to

a while
go home

Thank you
for coming

Good to Bye-bye
How're Please
you?
come again see you
Greeting

Section - B
1.

Have a
Take care
nice day

Goodbye

Language Functions

How would you respond to the following questions/statements? Share with your class.
1.

Congratulations! I am so pleased to hear that.'

__________________________________________________________________________

2.

Excuse mebut I really don't understand this point about the need for good connectivity'.
__________________________________________________________________________

3.

'Is this your new phone? Must have cost you a lot?'
__________________________________________________________________________

4.

'Thanks for inviting me, but I have another engagement'.

__________________________________________________________________________

5.

'I doubt if I can make it for the dinner tonight'.

__________________________________________________________________________

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2.

Read some possible 'answers' and match them to the comments given in activity 01:
1.

Thank you so muchI had to work hard for this promotion.

2.

Without good connectivity, we can't download any of the big filesand that slows down
our work!

3.

Not reallyonly twelve thousand!

4.

Oh that's a pity ! Can you make it on the 18th then?

5.

I can do it, only if I don't go home to change.

You are possibly thinking about other options. Of course, there can be many possible
responses.
3.

Discuss this with your partner and write down another set of responses for activity 01.
What does it tell you? You would have also noticed that the responses vary with reference to the
context, the level of formality and also the relationship between the speaker and the listener.
Here's another example to show you how the utterances can be graded starting with the least to
the most formal.

Lunch?

Coming for lunch?

Come for lunch with us?

Why don't you come for lunch with us?

Would you like to come to lunch with us?

We would be really pleased if you could join us for lunch.

Observe how the language changes with the level of formalityamong friends it can be a few
words or phrases and with seniors and elders in formal context, the politeness is maintained
along with the use of complete sentences during communication.
Language Functions
Understanding of different language functions and the accompanying linguistic structures is
extremely helpful in developing a good proficiency of the language. A language function is the
purpose of speaking that sentence or phrase. For example, I'm sorry represents the function
of apologising and, Good Morning! represents the function of greeting. Please note that here
the expressions like I'm sorry, or Good morning, are called exponents i.e., the language used to
describe a function. Here are more language functions.
Functions
Suggesting

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Exponents
What about going to the zoo?
Let's go dancing.
Why don't we have vegetable curry?

Inviting

Could you please join us for dinner on Wednesday?

Coming for coffee?
I am planning a party on the 26th. You better keep that evening free.

Thanking

Thank you so much for this lovely

This is just beautiful, many thanks.
You made my dayit is the perfect colour and design !

Advising

I'd urge you to discuss the matter with Prof Kalia.

To get a clearer picture, it would be good to have a meeting with
the Sales team.
Under these circumstances, you certainly need to consult an
advocate.

Agreeing

You're absolutely right!

That's true.
I couldn't agree more!

Giving warning If you do that again, I'll leave.

You had better not go there again, or else.
Just wait till I get hold of you!
Seeking
Permission

Is it OK if I go now?
Please, may I use your phone?
Do you mind if I bring Gopa with me?

Clarifying

To put it another way

If I understand you correctly
Are you saying that.

Expressing
preferences

On the other hand, I believe

I support Sudha's argument for allocating more funds for the School
building.
The Defense Counsel's arguments are well thought out, but weak on
evidence.

Hypothesising

Imagine you had to...would you?

If I had the chance, I would
If we hadn't paid attention to what he said

There are many other functions like interrupting, expressing wishes/hopes/regrets,

expressing obligation, interrupting, evaluating options and so on.
3.

Working in pairs, complete the following table by writing Exponents for the following
Functions.
Functions

Exponents

Expressing
wishes/ hopes/
regrets

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Expressing
obligation
Interrupting

Evaluating
options
Giving an
opinion
Clarifying

Seeking
permission
Summarising

Appropriacy and Register

Imagine a Regional Manager (Sales) walks into the Meeting room and greets his or her team with,
'Hi, guys! or I'd like to wish you all a very good evening.'They would be surprised, because both
of these greetings are unsuitable or inappropriate for this situation, which is neither very
formal nor completely informal. And so, a simple 'Good evening' is more appropriate. The
context or the situation also plays an important part in selecting the right expression, and this is
called register.'Hi, guys' is an example of the informal register, and, 'A very good evening to all
of you' is an example of the formal register.
4.

Read the following conversation between two friends and match the italisised sentences
with the functions listed.
Simran : This slice of cake isn't nice. Nothing's fresh and it tastes a bit strange!
Rohan : Yes, you're right. (1) Should we complain to the Manager?
Simran : (2)That's going a bit too far, isn't it? May be we could first check with the waiter.
Rohan : (3)Are you saying you'd like to get this sandwich changed?
Simran : No, that's not a great idea. (4) It could be possibly worse than this one.
Rohan : (5)Or, could be nice and fresh!
Simran : (6)OK, call the waiter and let's tell him.

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A - predicting
B- making a suggestion
C- asking for clarification
D- expressing hope
E- agreeing
F- disagreeing
5.

Play this BOARD GAME with a partner using a coin. Head: move one box; Tail: move two
boxes.
You are at the PCM Annual Sales Conference at New Links Conference Centre. Make
conversations with your partner on each square, according to the instructions given in the
box.
1
You arrive at
the entrance of
the Centre. Ask
someone there
about the
venue of the
conference.

2
The receptionist
asks you to spell
your second
name.

3
You ask the
receptionist
where you need
to register for
the
conference.

20
Tell the
receptionist to
get a taxi for
you.

17
Announce where
the lunch is
going to be
served.

15
Your team leader
invited you to
briefly talk about
the sales targets
for the year.

4
Move to 9

5
You meet a
friend form your
college days,
greet him/her

19
Tell your mother,
on the phone,
that you will
reach home by
5 p.m.

6
Ask your friend
about his/her
new job/
company?

7
Introduce your
friend to your
colleague who
has just joined
you.

18
The team leader
wants to speak
to you.

16
Go back to 10

8
Ask your
colleague about
what time will
the meeting
begin.

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14
Your team
leader suggests
you discuss this
with his/her
during the
coffee/tea
break.

12
Inform your
team leader
that you'll need
to leave by
4:30 p.m.
because you
have to take
your mother to
the doctor.

11
You want to
meet your team
leader. Ask your
colleague about
where you can
find him/her

Section - C

10
A passr-by asks
you about the
way to the
nearest bus stand
or metro station.

9
Ask and note
down the
new mobile
number of your
friend.

In My Office

In any office, there is always endless exchange of informationcolleagues asking for or giving
information, callers/visitors asking for information, over the phone, face to face or across the
counter. It is important to use language precisely in such situations.
Giving information and asking for information.
(i) Asking a colleague, over the phone
A

Hello, Aditya ! Reesha here.

Yes, Reesha, what can I do for you ?

Adi, can you please give me the mobile number of Mr Seth who designed the
trophies last year.

Yes, certainly. His number is-98 43 67 89 20

Thanks, Adi.

Note: There is a very brief exchange of greetings/pleasantries and then the caller asks for the
information. The respondent gives the information straightaway and that concludes the
conversation.
(ii) Asking your senior for information face-to-face.
Aditya : Good morning, Mr Mittal. May I come in?
Mr Mittal: Good morning, please come in .
Adiya : Sir, I wanted to invite Mrs Sushma Shrama to the Experts' Committee meeting next
week. Can you please give me her contact details?
Mr Mittal: That's a good idea. Her phone no is 033-***** and you'll need to speak to her P A first.
I'll forward you her e-mail id, which has her designation and other details. Is that all right?
Aditya: Yes, Sir. Thank you very much.

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(iii) Asking for information across the counter

Aditya : Hello. Please give me two tickets for Chandigarh.
Ticket Seller: For deluxe or ordinary?
Aditya: Deluxe please.
Ticket Seller: I'm sorry. All tickets for the 4:30 pm bus are sold out. However, we do have some
for the 5:30 service.
Aditya: Ok, fine. Could you give me 2 tickets for 5:30 please!
Ticket Seller: Sure. Here you are.
Aditya: Thanks.
Notice the differentiating features of these three short conversations.

length of conversation

formal vs informal use of language

use of greetings etc.

A proficient speaker bears these in mind when talking to immediate colleagues, strangers or your
seniors. A good understanding of these features facilitates effective communication.
On the Phone
A great deal of real business in an office happens over the phone when people are calling up to find
out about timings, to take appointments, to discuss something, to make enquiries about prices,
timings availability and a whole range of other things and services may also often take down messages
to be passed on to colleagues or seniors. In such situations, it is important that the speech is clear and
effective and that the appropriate level of politeness is maintained throughout.
Very often, visitors and callers complain about a service, product or a piece of information. In such
situations, one has to be level-headed, speak politely, and be patient to the caller of visitors. Given
below here is a table of phrases and responses that you may need to often use when talking to callers
and visitors:
Stages

Words/phrases

Appropriate responses

Opening

Good morning/hello
This is/It's

Good morning/hello.
Who's calling, please?

Warm up

I'd like to speak to

Could you connect me to?
How are you?

Just a minute/hold on, I'll put you through

Nice to hear from you.

Conveying the
message

I'm phoning/calling about..

Could you give B a message?

I'm sorry, Z is not in.

The line is busy. Would you like to hold on
or call...
I'll certainly pass on your message

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Rounding off

Thanks for your help.

I hope to see you soon/look
forward to meeting you.

Thank you for calling.

OK/Fine/Thanks

Closing

Thanks, bye-bye.

Bye-bye.

Section - D

Sounds of English-Review

As you all I know that the English language has 26 letters in the alphabet, but the total number of
sounds used in English is 44. In many langauges, each consonant or vowel has a unique role , a
function that never changes. However, in English, different letters (both consonants and vowels) can
be pronounced differently depending on where they occur in the words, and there are, sounds which
are not represented by any of the 26 letters. You would have studied them in greater detail in class
XI. Now, let us review these letters and sounds again.
Letters
Sounds
5
20
Vowels
Consonants
21
24
________________________
Total
1.

26

44

Given below are the phonetic symbols along with the words which represents that sound.

Read all these words aloud and circle the letter that corresponds to the phonetic symbol.

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Consonant Sounds
2.

Now study the phonetic symbol for each consonant sound carefully, and underline the
word which DOES NOT represent the corresponding sound.
Consonant Sounds
/p/

Odd one out

pen, copy, happen, ciphon

/b/

back, bomb, baby, job

/t/

tea, tight, listen, button

/d/

day, ladder, odd

/k/

key, clock, Wednesday, school

/g/

get, giggle, might, ghost

/t?/

church, match, nation, nature

/d?/

judge, age,plague, soldier,

/f/

fat, coffee, though, photo

/v/

view, heavy, ,move

/?/

thing, author, matter, path

//

this, other, should, smooth

/s/

soon, cease, kites, sister

/z/

zero, music, measure, buzz

/?/

ship, cycle,sure, national

/?/

pleasure, vision, leisure, ledger

/h/

hot, whole, thought, ahead

/m/

more, hammer, mnemonic, sum

/n/

nice, know, funny, column

/?/

ring, anger, thanks, sung

/l/

light, valley, talk,feel

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3.

/r/

right, wrong, sorry, poor

/j/

yet, use, beauty, jade

/w/

wet, one, suit, queen

Homophone: It is a word which is pronounced in the same way as another word but differes
form it in origin, meaning and spelling. For example: read ( past tense of read) and red ( a
colour).
Homonym: It is a word which has the same spelling and pronunciation as another word, but a
different menaing. For example, 'bank' of a river and 'bank' associated with finanncial
transactions.
(a)

Given below is a box full of words. Read each word aloud, and then find pairs of words
that are pronounced in the same way, but have a different meaning and different
spellings

sea

gate

too

bow

knot

see

blue

sent

fare

cue

pear

fair

there

by

gait

their

not

blew

bye

already

tye

stationery

whole

practise

deer

tie

die

two

bough

sent

queue

pair

practice

already

stationary

hole

dear

dye

(b)

Write the pairs in the table as shown below:

(e.g.) pair

124

(e.g.) pear

4.

Stress on the right syllable

A syllable is a unit of sound which includes a vowel sound. You can check how many syllables a
word has by putting your hand under your chin. Each time your chin moves to make a vowel
sound count a syllable. For example, the word 'difficult' moves your chin three times.
Therefore, difficult has three syllables.
If the word has only one syllable, that syllable is stressed, but, in multi-syllable words, the
stress falls on one of the syllables while the other syllables tend to be spoken over quickly. This
leads to sounds that are not clear (muted) on unstressed syllables. In order to improve your
pronunciation, focus on pronouncing the stressed syllable clearly. However, don't be afraid to
"mute" (not say clearly) the other unstressed vowels.
(a)

Study the examples and practise pronouncing the words by stressing the syllable
written in capital letters.
PersonNEL

TOtally

InDUstrial

ToMAto

FanTAstic

Note: Unstressed syllables keep the correct sound, but they sound muted. Sometimes,
unstressed vowels become a schwa sound - like a soft "uh. At other times, the vowel is
pronounced but not stressed. Now, review the eight common word stress patterns in
English..
One Syllable Stressed
All one syllable words have the stress on the one syllable. The intonation should go down.
EAT

DRINK

SIGN

WELL

Two Syllable - First syllable stressed

Examples:
GIant

PICture

HEAting

Two Syllable - Second syllable stressed

Examples:
toDAY

aHEAD

aLLOW

125

Three Syllable - First syllable stressed

Examples:
ENergy

Operate

ORganize

Three Syllable - Second syllable stressed

Examples:
meMORial

aSSUMPtion

caNAdian

Three Syllable - Third syllable stressed

Examples:
employEE

japanESE

voluntEER

Four Syllable - Second syllable stressed

Examples:
psyCHOLogy

eVAporate

cerTIficate

Four Syllable - Third syllable stressed

Examples:
poliTIcian
(b)

indiVIdual

reputation

Read the following sentences out aloud. Mark them as Type A or Type B according to
the rise or fall in the tone.
You may recall that the pitch rises at the end of the statement/question if the speaker is
uncertain, and it falls when the speaker is certain.

5.

1.

The percentage of women working in banks is rising, isn't it?

2.

You are not going to put this down in writing, are you?

3.

The policy calls for a big change in overtime rules, doesn't it?

4.

You visited Tashi last week, didn't you?

5.

The Agra fort was built by Shah Jahan, wasn't it?

6.

I think this will lower the recruitment standards, won't it?

7.

I should go and fetch the groceries, should I?

8.

I haven't read about eight different types of intelligence have you?

The Silent Letter

You have earlier studied that English is not a phonetic language; it simply means that quite
often, in many of the words, all the consonants may not be pronounced. And, it can be quite

126

difficult to remember which consonants are not pronounced in which words. Given here are
some examples that illustrate this feature.

6.

A- logically, musically, romantically,

L - calf, calm, talk, yolk

B - debt, doubt, numb, subtle,

N - autumn, column, damn, hymn,

C - blackguard, czar, scissors,

P - pneumonia, psychology, receipt

D - handkerchief, Wednesday

R - butter, finger, garden, here,

G - align, champagne, gnaw,

S - aisle, debris, island, isle,

H - choir, exhaust, ghost, heir, hour

T - asthma, ballet, castle, gourmet

K - blackguard, knead, knowledge

U - catalogue, guest, guitar, tongue

Intonation
(a)

Working in pairs, discuss the given situation

Your best friend has started going out with a group of friends who you know to be
undesirable. You have tried to caution your friend about them but she/ he does not pay
any heed. How will you deal with the situation?

Intonation is used to convey feelings and attitudes

The Falling intonation: completeness and definiteness

The rising intonation: incompleteness and uncertainty or questioning

The falling-rising: hesitation, contrast, reservation or doubt

(b)

Which of the following language functions will you use? Write the exponents you
would use.
Functions

Exponents

Expressing opinion/s
Asking for advice
Interrupting
Offering suggestions
Offering help
Summing up

127

7.

The TV is described as an 'idiot box'. Debate AGAINST the motion. Your presentation should
be about 3 to 4 minutes. Use the language of debate appropriately to help you make your
speech more effective.
1. Reacting

agreeing
I agree (with you).
That's true.
Yes, you're right.

2. Expressing

disagreeing
Sorry, I don't
agree (with you).
That's not right;
I don't think
you can say ...
You say ... But ...

In my opinnio...
I think / I feel...

3. Bridging
(from opinion
to reason)
Let me explain
my point...

4. Giving reasons
(facts or examples)
Well, you see...
First... Second ...
And then / finally ...
We must remember ...
Never forget ...

5. Summing up your opinion

That's why...
So, to sum up, I would say...

Language Use

128

1.

Opening statement/Quotation

2.

Respected Chairperson, members of the jury, teachers, and my dear friends ...

3.

I strongly support/reject/oppose the motion ...

4.

First reason for/against

5.

Second reason for/against

6.

My worthy opponent has just pointed out ... but I feel...

7.

Friends, don't you agree with me when I say ...

8.

Although my opponent may feel ...

9.

Summing up

Section - E

Listening - Review

The simplest way to learn a language is to listen. That sounds surprising? But it is true! How do
children learn a language? They only listen, and continue to listen to baby talk, the words, then
phrases and sentences being spoken by all those around them, and that becomes the best stimulus
for them to repeat, reproduce and eventually start speaking. They gradually start speaking in short,
clear sentences and then move on to long and complex sentences. Teachers / parents. We never
teach them parts of speech, sentence structures or stress patterns, but they imbibe theses finer
aspects of language by simply listening and figuring out the 'rules' in their mind, that is unconsciously
Listening is in not less important than reading, writing and speaking. In fact, we always do more
listening than speaking, and that is the key to good communication.

129

In fact, listening is the first skill learnt, but the last skill taught; we certainly need to pay more
attention to it, and start practising listening.
We listen to different conversations when we are travelling in
a bus, metro or train, but you don't mind how the fellowpassengers are speaking. If they happen to be talking in
English, you are likely to listen to many Indian words and
phrases in their conversations, and many words being
pronounced differently. Besides, there are many other unique
features of such conversations like short-forms or
abbreviations, some particular idioms and expressions shared
by a group of people, or even words from their common
dialect. This is one example of a listening situation, when we
are not participating in the conversation. We are only
passive listeners!
There are many other situations when one needs to listen for
specific information. Look at the few situations given in the
pictures. At a railway station, airport or metro station,
the announcements
are being made
continuously. But you
would listen to the
one which is related to your journeythe key words that you
listen/relate to are the arrival/departure time, destination
and train or flight number.
In such situations, you are listening for specific information.
When you are listening to your teacher in the classroom
teaching/revising a lesson, you would probably need to listen to each word carefully, to ensure that
you develop a sound and comprehensive understanding of the new topic. This is also known as
Intensive Listening.
Sometimes, you are listening to the news, or watching a documentary on the television. During this
activity, you are not listening to each and every word or may even miss out on something it happen? It
happens because you are listening for general understanding
i.e. to develop broad understanding of the topic being
discussed.
Sometimes, you don't need to listen to most of the broadcast!
When does that happen? For example, when you listen to
music or to a radio programme, you are listening for pleasure
that is, enjoying what you are listening to becomes more

130

important than the detail of what is being spoken, narrated or

discussed.
Next comes inferential listening. Very often what is being
spoken is not directly relevant to your situation, but may
become so in the near future. The information given in these
situations is not direct or explicit ,but implied. Can you think
of situation when this happens? Yes especially when you don't
get the answer that is expected.
1.

(a)

Read the following conversation:

Raman: Are we going out for lunch with Meenu and Mahesh this afternoon?
Simmy: It would be good idea to invite them home on Sunday, instead.
Here Simmy, rather than answering in 'yes', 'no' or 'may be', suggests that they should consider
inviting them home for dinner instead on Sunday.
Working in pairs, discuss what meaning you could guess from her statements. Her words are
only a suggestion.
(i)

Home food would be less expensive

(ii)

.......................................................................

(iii) ........................................................................
There could be other 'inferences' drawn from this short extract, while a single one can be woven
into the next part of the dialogue, like the one given in the box.
Raman: That's a good idea!
Simmy: I can make their favourite vegetable, pulao too !
So, this is an example of inferential listening. In other words, inferential listening means that
there is a difference between the meaning and the message.
Here is another situation:
The sales assistant at a Garments showroom may ask the customer:
Are you all right?
Are you OK?
He is not enquiring about the customer's wellbeing, but actually saying ( implying) I am willing
to help you make a selection, or I can tell you more about these new designs/products/prices
etc. This is important in cross-cultural communication.

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It is likely that the non-native speakers may just accept the literal meaning of remarks, or
statements made by native speakers of English. Look at some examples given below:
What they say

What they mean

What others understand

That's not bad

That's good

That's poor

I almost agree

I don't agree at all

He's not far from

agreement

I have a few minor

comments

Please re-write completely

He has found a few

mistakes/typos

You often listen to talks, lectures or presentations. What happens in such situations? Here, the
objective of listening is understanding the main point and the supporting points/examples or
details. As a student, you often need to practise this type of listening.
2.

Practise listening
(a)

Listen to the announcement at the airport and complete the statements that follow by
filling in the blanks with one or two words only.
(i)

The flight has landed at the _______________________ airport.

(ii)

The same aircraft will fly to _______________________.

(iii) Passengers should proceed to gate no _______________________ for boarding.

(b)

(iv)

The flight will now leave at _______________________.

(v)

The announcement is made at _______________________.

Listen to the following conversation between two friends and complete the given
form.
TICKET BOOKING FORM
Name: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Address:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Pincode:-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Contact No: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------No of tickets :

132

(c)

Listen to 5 speakers talking about the use of technology in schools. Match the speakers
with the key statements given. There are two extra statements that you do not need.
Speaker

(d)

Statement

Users of technology find learning easier by providing appropriate

visuals.

While most content is filtered and listed, it is the user's duty to ensure
that information is useful and accurate.

Technology helps the user to develop problem-solving skills.

Using technology is a good way of staying in touch with your friends and
family but it has resulted in a rise in crime across the globe.

Technology helps improve students' self-esteem and motivation.

With technology providing easy access to information online, users

often resort to plagarism.

Use of technology promotes equity in schools.

You will listen to a Radio Show about the Indian system of medicine, Ayurveda. As you
listen to the radio show, answer the given questions.
1.

2.

3.

4.

The name of the radio show is

(a)

The Indian System of Medicine

(b)

Ayurveda and You

(c)

A Healthy You

The topic of the programme is

(a)

how to remain healthy

(b)

why ayurveda is good for health

(c)

the origin of ayurveda

The science of Ayurveda developed

(a)

before the 12th century AD

(b)

between the 12th and 15th century BC

(c)

after the 15th century AD

The term Ayurveda means

(a)

the science of long life

(b)

the art of living

(c)

the science of herbal medicine

133

5.

Ayurveda is different from the other systems of medicine as it

(a)

developed so long ago

(b)

believes in herbs for curing diseases

(c)

deals with maintaining health and staying away from diseases.

Listening Script 01
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! Skylark Airways flight DST 342 from Delhi to Patna has now
landed. The same aircraft will fly to for Bangalore after 45 minutes. We are pleased to report
that flight TST 257 will leave at 5:45 p.m. without further delay. Passengers travelling by Skylark
Airways flight TST 257 to Bangalore may now proceed to boarding gate no. 26. We apologise for
the Iinconvenience caused. Have pleasant flight! Passengers requiring wheelchair may contact the
Airlines Staff at the Boarding Gate.
Thank you.

Listening Script 02
Neena

Hi, Sameer. Good you made it on time.

Sameer :

Yeh, it was tough, the traffic at this time is really bad. OK, let's fill up the form and
get the booking done.

Neena

Yeh, sure. So, my name NEENA KALIA, and address- 238/4, M G Road, Gulab Nagar,
Aligarh. Hey, do you remember my pincode ?

Sameer :

Yes, it is 301-201.

Neena

Thanks. We also need to write our contact no. Can I write your mobile no?

Sameer :

Of course! It is 79-65-40-34-32. Is 25th evening show, all right?

Neena

Yes, please! Since the next day is Sunday, I'll get time to prepare for the weekly test.

Sameer :

That's good planning. The tickets will cost 600/-. Is that OK?

Neena

Yes, fine. Is your cousin Rashmi planning to join?

Sameer :

No, I spoke to her yesterday. She's going away for the weekend.

Neena

Good for her !

Listening Script 03
Speaker 1: Many teachers have stressed opportunities that technology provides for acquiring
problem- solving skills - either through instructional software designed to teach problem solving or
through the many requirements for solving problems that naturally emerge when one is trying to
use computer tools to accomplish a task (e.g., the selection of appropriate software, figuring out
what to do when the system doesn't behave as you expect it to).

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Speaker 2: Technology helps the learner acquire complex concepts, for example by graphically
representing abstract concepts such as acceleration, or by providing a structure for your thinking
with tools like imp.
Speaker 3: A third frequently cited rationale by teachers for introducing technology was to
stimulate motivation and self-esteem. Through either personal experience or a review of the
literature, many innovators perceived the dramatic effects that technology can have on students'
interest in class activities and enhancing their belief in their own capabilities. While these
benefits are perceived as occurring across the board, our case study sites, most of whom serve
student bodies coming predominantly from lower literacy areas such benefits would be
particularly important for these students.
Speaker 4: Another good reason for using technology was the promotion of equity. In particular
with the introduction of ShareNet ( the school and community intranet), a number of people
easily recognized the wide disparity in the resources available to them and felt that a unifying
network such as ShareNet could promote a more equitable use of those resources. In the case of
several schools serving students from low-income homes, technology innovators stressed the
importance of giving these students the technology tools that would facilitate the learning
process, socialisation, beside encouraging children to hone their IT skills.
Speaker 5: Assuming we are justified in granting access to some store of information that we may
be in control of, there is a duty to ensure that that information is useful and accurate. While all
searches are filtered to some degree in order to ensure that the information the search provider
believes is most important to the user is listed first, not all searches are equal and it matters which
search provider one uses.

Listening Script 04
Host: Good morning and welcome to A Healthy You our weekly health programme. I am your
host, Pranjol Roy. Today we have with us, Dr. Arvind Dubey who is a well-known doctor of our city.
Dr. Dubey practises Ayurvedic medicine. Dr. Dubey, hello and welcome to our show A Healthy
You.
Dr. Dubey: Good Morning.
Host: Dr. Dubey, will you tell us something about the origin of Ayurveda?
Dr. Dubey: Ayurveda is the ancient Indian medical science, the origin of which can be traced back
to the Vedas. The fourth book of Vedic literature, the Atharvaveda, contains passages devoted to
medicine. It was this that gave birth to Ayurveda, which literally means the science of long life. It
aims to cure disease, protect health, and prolong life through natural herbs.
Host: When did Ayurveda develop as a system of medicine?
Dr. Dubey: Ayurveda developed between 12 to 15 century BC, about 3,500 years ago.
Host: How is Ayurveda different from the other systems of medicine?

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Dr. Dubey: Ayurveda comprises of two words: Ayur and Veda. Ayur means life, and Veda means
knowledge or science. So the literal meaning of the word Ayurveda is the science of life. Ayurveda
is a science dealing not only with the treatment of diseases but is a complete way of life. Ayurveda
is the only science which deals with maintaining health and staying away from diseases. The word
health here does not mean physical health, but also spiritual and mental health.
Host: Thank you very much Dr. Dubey for your very enlightening talk. I am sure all of us have learnt
a lot about traditional Indian medicine today.

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Sample Questions for Practice

READING
1.

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
1.

When I think of my school days, I am reminded of an incident which took place when I was
studying in 5th class. I had a teacher, Shri Siva SubramaniaIyer. He was one of the very good
teachers in our school. All of us loved to attend his class and hear him. One day, he was
teaching about bird's flight. He drew a diagram of a bird on the blackboard depicting the
wings, tail, body structure and the head. He explained how the birds create the lift and fly.
He also explained to us how they change direction while flying. Nearly 25 minutes he gave
the lecture with various information such as lift, drag, how the birds fly in a formation of
10, 20 or 30.

2.

For me, it was not merely an understanding of how a bird flies. The bird's flight entered
into me and created a feeling on the seashore of Rameswaram. From that evening, I
thought that my future study has to be with reference to flight and flight sciences. I am
telling this because my teachers teaching and the event that I witnessed later decided my
future career. Then one evening after the classes, I asked the teacher. "Sir, please let me,
how to progress further in learning flight sciences." He patiently explained to me that I
should complete high school and then I should go to college that may lead to education of
flight. If I do all these I might do something connected with flight sciences. This advice
and the bird flying demonstration given by my teacher really gave me a goal and a mission
for my life. When I went to college, I took Physics. When I went to engineering in Madras
Institute of Technology, I took Aeronautical Engineering.

3.

Thus my life was transformed as a rocket engineer, aerospace engineer and technologist.
That one incident of my teacher's teaching, giving a live demonstration, proved to be a
turning point in my life which eventually shaped my profession.

4.

How it was powered. Bird is powered by its own me and the motivation what it wants. All
these things were explained to us within 15 minutes. We all understood the whole bird
dynamics with practical example. How nice it was! Our teacher was a great teacher, he
could give us a theoretical lesson coupled with a live demonstration. This is real teaching.
I am sure many of the teachers in schools and colleges will follow this example.
Pride of the Nation: Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

(i)

The teacher was teaching about

(a) body structure of birds
(b) flapping of wings
(c) birds flight
(d) creating lift and flying

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(ii)

When the author said he did not understand how the birds fly ,the teacher did not get
upset because
(a) the author was a good student
(b) he wanted to explain it again
(c) he was a real teacher and a very good teacher
(d) many students found it difficult to understand

(iii) The teacher took the students to the seashore because

(a) the students liked roaring sea waves
(b) it was a pleasant evening
(c) the students could hear the sweet chirping of birds
(d) he wanted to teach bird dynamics with practical example
(iv) The students were amazed to see the birds:
(a) in marvelous formation with a purpose
(b) beginning to flap their wings
(c) chirping loudly
(d) flying to their destinations
(v)

The author says his career was decided by

(a) his teacher's advice
(b) his visit to the sea shore of Rameswaram
(c) his teacher's class on birds flight and the event he witnessed
(d) the birds flying in the air

(vi) The turning point in his life which shaped his profession was his
(a) studying in the college
(b) doing Aeronautical Engineering
(c) teacher's advice
(d) teachers' excellent teaching through a live demonstration
(vii) The opposite of "connected" is
(a) linked
(b) disconnected
(c) separated
(d) disjointed
(viii) The word "mission" means a/an
(a) passion
(b) reason
(c) aim or calling
(d) purpose

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(ix) "Transformed" means

(a) modified
(b) redefined
(c) changed completely
(d) reshaped
2.

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
1.

The spiritual training of the boys was a much more difficult matter than their physical and
mental training. I relied little one religious books for the training of the spirit. Of course I
believed that every student should be acquainted with the elements of his own scriptures,
and therefore I provided for such knowledge as best I could. But that, to my mind, was part
of the intellectual training. Long before I undertook the education of the youngsters of the
Tolstoy Farm I had realized that the training of the spirit was a thing by itself. To develop
the spirit is to build character and to enable one to work towards knowledge of God and
self-realization. And I held that this was an essential part of the training of the young, and
that all training without culture of the spirit was of no use, and might be even harmful. I
am familiar with the superstition that self-realization is possible only in the fourth stage of
life, i.e., sannyasa (renunciation). But it is a matter of common knowledge that those who
defer preparation for this invaluable experience until the last stage of life attain not selfrealization but old age amounting to a second and pitiable childhood, lying as a burden on
this earth. I have a full recollection that I held these views even while I was teaching i.e.,
in 1911-12, though I might not then have expressed them in identical language.

2.

How then was this spiritual training to be given? I made the children memorize and recite
hymns, and read to them books on moral training. But that was far from satisfying me. As I
came into closer contact with them I was that it was not through books that one could
impart training of the spirit. Just as physical training was to be imparted through physical
exercise, and intellectual through intellectual exercise, even so the training of the spirit
was possible only through the exercise of the spirit. And the exercise of the spirit entirely
depended on the life and character of the teacher. The teacher had always to be mindful
of his p's and q's, whether he was in the midst of his boys or not.

3.

It is possible for a teacher situated miles away to affect the spirit of the pupils by his way
of living. It would be idle for me, if I were a liar, to teach boys to tell the truth. A cowardly
teacher would never succeed in making his boys valiant, and a stranger to self-restraint
could never teach his pupils the value of self-restraint. I saw, therefore, that I must be an
eternal object-lesson to the boys and girls living with me. They thus became my teachers,
and I learnt I must be good and live straight, if only for their sakes. I may say that the
increasing discipline and restraint I imposed on myself at Tolstoy Farm was mostly due to
those wards of mine.

4.

One of them was wild, unruly, given to lying, and quarrelsome. On one occasion he broke
out most violently. I was exasperated. I never punished my boys, but this time I was angry.

139

I tried to reason with him. But he was adamant and even tried to overreach me. At last I
picked up a ruler lying at hand and delivered a blow on his arm. I trembled as I struck him.
I dare say he noticed it. This was an entirely novel experience for them all. The boy cried
out and begged to be forgiven. He cried not because the beating was painful to him; he
could, if he had been so minded, have paid me back in the same coin, being a stoutly built
youth of seventeen; but he realized my pain in being driven to this violent resource.
Never again after this incident did he disobey me. But I still repent that violence. I am
afraid I exhibited before him and day not the spirit, but the brute, in me.
5.

I have always been opposed to corporal punishment. I remember only one occasion on
which I physically punished one of my sons. I have therefore never until this day been able
to decide whether I was right or wrong in using the ruler. Probably it was improper, for it
was prompted by anger and a desire to punish. Had it been an expression only of my
distress, I should have considered it justified. But the motive in this case was mixed.

6.

This incident set me thinking and taught me a better method of correcting students. I do
not know whether that method would have availed on the occasion in question. The
youngster soon forgot the incident, and I do not think he ever showed great improvement.
But the incident made me understand better the duty of a teacher towards his pupils.

7.

Cases of misconduct on the part of the boys often occurred after this, but I never resorted
to corporal punishment. Thus in my endeavor to impart spiritual training to the boys and
girls under me, I came to understand better and better the power of the spirit.

(i)

Acquaintance with one's religion and scriptures is________________ training

(a) intellectual
(b) spiritual
(c) academic
(d) physical and mental

(ii)

Training of the spirit is

(a) training of the mind
(b) self-realization and working towards knowledge of God
(c) training without culture of the spirit
(d) memorizing and reciting hymns

(iii) Increased self-discipline and restraint Gandhiji imposed on himself was due to
(a) unruly, quarrelsome inmates
(b) those words of Gandhi
(c) cowardly behaviour of teachers
(d) demands of students
(iv) Once Gandhiji struck a wild , unruly quarrelsome boy and he repented later because
(a) the boy begged to be forgiven

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(b) the boy had disobeyed him

(c) it was a violent resource
(d) the boy could have paid back in the same coin
(v)

Gandhiji was always against corporal punishment because

(a) misconduct on the part of the boys not very common
(b) corporal punishments never bring about change in behaviour
(c) it is prompted by anger and desire to punish
(d) it exhibits before him his true spirit

(vi) How does the author describe the training of the spirit?
(vii) According to Gandhiji what is the best method of correcting students?
(viii) The antonym of "improper" is
(a) impolite
(b) appropriate
(c) proper
(d) unwanted
(ix) The synonym of "trembled" is
(a) cried
(b) slipped
(c) waved
(d) shook uncontrollably from fear
(x)

"Scriptures" are
(a) textbooks
(b) religious books
(c) prayer beads
(d) holy books

3.

Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.
1.

The hair, like the skin, is a barometer to the state of your internal health. If you are
generally healthy and have a balanced diet, you will most probably find that your hair
reflects it. On the other hand, illness, tension and deficiencies can affect hair and give
rise to various problems. Hair is fed by blood flowing to the hair follicles, and this means
that a good circulation is necessary for healthy hair. For this reason, the daily diet is of
great importance and so are normal living habits. At some time or other, most of us are
confronted with hair problems. One of the most common among these is dandruff, which
can trigger off other problems like hair loss or acne.

2.

Dandruff is a scalp disease. Some forms of dandruff can cause severe itching and when one
scratches the scalp to relieve itching, further damage is caused. Any damage to the scalp

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with the nails can cause secondary bacterial infections. All these put together give rise to
a more serious problem, accelerating hair loss and undermining the health of serious
problem, accelerating hair loss and undermining the health of the hair. Dandruff as well as
other bacterial and fungal infections of the scalp can be cured, but very often people get
resigned to living with mild forms of dandruff and overlook the necessity of having it
treated.

142

3.

What one needs to know is not only how to cure it but also how to tackle the problem in all
its aspects. The object is to restore health to the scalp, and by doing so, to the hair itself.
If you bring about a change in your diet and living habits, consume more fresh foods and
drink plenty of water, you will be tackling the problem at the grass roots.

4.

Treatment with herbal extracts has been found to be extremely effective. A number of
herbs have appropriate medicinal properties that can control infection. They also help to
stimulate their growth and are so mild in nature that there is no damage to delicate
tresses. In fact, this is one factor which is a definite advantage, as many dandruff
treatments are very harsh on the hair and finally leave it dry, and brittle.

5.

Side by side with clinical treatments, a course of treatment is given for daily use, at home.
This creates an awareness of the right way of taking daily care of hair. Herbs like henna,
shikakai, reetha and amla are antiseptic ingredients provided by nature and have a
wonderful cleansing action, without the harmful effects of detergents.

6.

Light oil massage often helps to dislodge the dandruff flakes, though there is myth about
the effectiveness of head massage. In actuality, when there is hair loss, a vigorous
massage can cause more hair to fall, as the roots are already weak. Besides, it can damage
the hair shaft. Hair is very delicate and should be handled very gently. The scalp should be
massaged gently. The finger tips should be used to move the skin of the scalp in small
circulatory movements.

7.

For dandruff, a light massage with hot oil helps to rid the scalp of the flakes. Pure coconut
oil or olive oil can be heated and applied on the scalp with a gentle massage at night. It
should be left on overnight. Next morning the juice of one lemon should be applied an hour
before shampooing. This can be a good weekly treatment for the scalp.

8.

Henna is a natural product that also helps to control dandruff infections. However, one has
to be very careful about the quality of henna that is used. Specially prepared henna
powder, mixed with other ingredients, is effective in controlling dandruff and improving
the texture of the hair.

9.

Henna promotes hair growth, restores health and also conditions hair to a luxuriant, shiny,
soft texture. It has an effective cleansing action, getting rid of toxic wastes that
accumulate on the scalp, inhibiting natural hair growth.

10.

These treatments help to create an 'acid mantle' on the scalp. The skin and scalp are
normally acid and flourish in an acid medium.

Do as directed:

4.

(i)

Make notes on the passage given above using recognizable abbreviations. Give a suitable
title to the passage.

(ii)

Write a summary on the notes you have made in about 80-100 words.

Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.
1.

A dancer needs to remain fit at all times. Your health can mean the world to you, so it
becomes important that you take good care of what and how much you consume. A
dancer's diet changes with the intensity of his/her rehearsals or practices. Often, when I
meet aspiring dancers and dance enthusiasts, they keep asking me diet-related questions.
For a dancer, diet goes hand in hand with how we look, feel, and perform. But, how do we
find out what's best for our body? We often get nutrition advice from our friends, family,
teachers, studio owners, magazines, the Internet etc. Unfortunately, a few dancers have
across to a professional nutrition expert, who understands the dancer's special dietary
needs. I recently happened to bump into my old nutritionist friend Pooja Bhargava, who
has now opened here own consultancy F.U.N. in Mumbai. We sat down and chatted for old
time sake; that is when I mentioned to advice dancers on the right diet. She helped me
write this piece today.

2.

DO's
Eat a well-balanced diet of three meals, plus two-three healthy snacks per day. Include
plenty of fruits and vegetables, nuts, low fat dairy or calcium-fortified products, lean
meat, fish or vegetarian alternatives like soya, vegetable protein and whole grains. Our
bodies and brains run on fuel called glucose, which is another word for "sugar". In the
morning, our fuel supply is low and needs to be replenished. A light breakfast that
includes a starch, dairy, or fruit will bring glucose levels up and give you the energy you
need to start the day. Taking a daily multi-vitamin with minerals is important, it's not
always easy to get all the nutrients we need in a day. As a safe backup, taking a standard
daily multi-vitamin with minerals ensures that you are getting the Recommended Dietary
Allowance (RDA), or the amount scientific research has found to be safe and adequate for
all healthy people, including athletes and dancers! Drink water throughout the day to
maintain adequate hydration. Limit your intake of protein and energy drinks. Snack
carefully says Pooja: it is okay to have snacks once in a while when access to less processed
whole foods isn't available. Plan ahead: For instance, a peanut or almond, cashew,
soyanut, etc. butter sandwich on whole wheat bread provide comparable nutrition and is
far less expensive.

3.

DON'Ts
Remember eating less will make you lose weight. In fact, under eating can slow your
metabolism, deplete your energy level, and increase body fat storage. If you find it
difficult to eat before dance class, have at least a light snack of, for example, fruit and
yogurt or crackers and hummus. After class, have another snack - perhaps a half or whole-

143

nut butter, peanut, cashew, almond, tahini, soynut sandwich and fresh or dried fruit or
trail mix.
Some dancers overdo supplements, so be careful: taking too much of an individual vitamin
or mineral supplement may do your body more harm than good by interfering with your
body's normal metabolism. Eating a well-balanced diet can provide all the essential
vitamins and minerals your body needs. Do not drink a lot of soda, diet soda, or beverages
during dance breaks. Both can deplete amounts of certain nutrients in your body. Excess
soda intake affects bone health, while in excess of one or two servings per day can
potentially harm the body in a number of ways.
According to Pooja, relying on supplemental foods to replace regular meals or between
meal snacks is also a bad idea. Many are high in sugar and calories; some contain high
amounts of sugar making them low carbon that can create discomfort such as stomach
upset, bloating gas, etc.
Hope all you dance love and dancers find those tips handy.
Do as directed
(i)

Make notes on the given passage using recognizable abbreviations. Give a suitable title for
the notes.

(ii)

Write a summary of the notes, in about 80-100 words.

WRITING
1.

2.

3.

144

Notices:
(a)

An N.G.O. has announced interesting summer jobs for the class XII students of Humanities
stream. Write a notice in about 50-60 words informing the students about the same. Invent
all necessary details. You are Rajni/Raju, Head boy/Head girl of Shikha Public School,
Mysore.

(b)

In view of the recent calamities, the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) is
organizing a Disaster Management Drill in your school. Write a notice in about 50-60 words
informing the students of class XI and XII about the same. You are Reenu/Raman, Activity
In Charge, Prince Senior Secondary School, Panipat.

Posters:
(a)

Children's craze for fast food has played havoc with their eating habits thereby affecting
their health. Draft an e-poster in 50-60 words on "Say No To Junk Food".

(b)

Design a poster in 50-60 words on the topic "Save the Tiger".

Advertisements:
(a)

Design an attractive advertisement announcing the inauguration of a movie theatre in

your posh neighborhood. (50-60 words)

(b)

You have cleared the Engineering Entrance Exams. Now you wish to sell the practice
material which you purchased from Aasman Tutorials. Write a classified to be placed in the
"For Sale" column of a local daily not more than 50-60 words.

4.

Factual Descriptions
(a)

Events:
(i)

Write a description of the social science / science exhibition in your school. (about
80-100 words)

(ii) Describe in about 80-100 words, how Republic Day was celebrated in your locality.
(b)

Processes:
(i)

Describe how a student goes about applying for admission to an institution for higher
studies.

(ii) As a member of your school's champion quiz team, describe how you and your team
would prepare for a national-level competition.
(c)

People:
(i)

Attempt a description of a popular sports personality for a popular magazine.

(ii) Describe an ideal leader, according to you.

(d)

Places:
(i)

Write factual description in about 80-100 words of the recently renovated gym in your
school.

(ii) You have purchased a latest mobile phone with several hi-tech functions. Describe
this phone in 80-100 words.
5.

6.

Invitations:
(a)

Your school has started a literary club. A famous writer has been invited to inaugurate the
club on 30th September 2014. Design an invitation card in about 50 - 60 words for parents
of the school to attend this inauguration. Give all relevant details.

(b)

Your school is celebrating 'Joy of Giving Week'. Design a poster for the event highlighting
the joys of giving and how beneficial it is to the disadvantaged groups of the society. Draft
the poster in 50 - 60 words.

(c)

Draft a formal letter of invitation in 50-60 words on behalf of Mrs. And Mr. Shiv Karan
Khanna to invite their friends and relatives on the 5th birthday of their daughter Sukriti at
their residence. Insert all necessary details.

Formal Acceptance of an invitation

Draft a formal reply in about 50-60 words accepting an invitation to attend the wedding of
Nikita, daughter of Mrs. & Mr. Rajesh Sharma of 20, Yojana Apartments, Ekta Vihar, Kanpur. You
are Vishal Gupta of Agra Cantonment.

7.

Formal Refusal of an invitation

Draft a formal reply in about 50-60 words expressing your inability to attend the inauguration of
a furniture showroom of your friend, Sarthak. You are Vikas Mehra.

145

8.

Informal Invitation
You are Samuel. Your friend, Roger, is studying in a local residential college and is staying in the
hostel. Invite him to join Christmas celebrations with you and your family at your residence.
Include all necessary information. (50 - 60 words)

9.

Acceptance of Informal Invitation

Write an informal reply (in 50-60 words) on behalf of Roger accepting Samuel's invitation to
celebrate Christmas with him.

10. Refusal of Informal Invitation

You are Gaurav Kapoor, a noted yoga expert. You have been invited by Prem Shankar Mishra,
president of Residents Association of 8, Press Enclave, Panchsheel Park, Jaipur to take some
yoga classes for the residents of the society. Write an informal reply expressing your inability to
accept this assignment.
11. Classified Advertisements:
(a)

A Charter Accountant requires a spacious place on the ground floor which can be
converted into an office. It should have adequate parking space in front and should be
commercially viable. Draft a suitable advertisement for the classified To-Let column of
the local Newspaper 'Daily Times' in 50 -60 words.

(b)

You are the Estate Officer of 'Sapan Industries', Faridabad. Your company is shifting to
Panipat. Draft an advertisement stating,' Branded office furniture on Sale,' for the
classified For Sale column of the Newspaper in 50-60 words.

(c)

You are Sunil Chopra living at 44 Mayfair Gardens, New Delhi. You are going abroad on an
official assignment. You wish to sell your brand new car, Honda City ,just 2 months old.
Draft an Advertisement in 50-60 words to be inserted in the classified For Sale column of
TOI, Delhi.

(d)

Suraj Travels has organized a 20-day tour to Europe for Rs 50,000/- per person, inclusive of
stay and three meals. Draft an advertisement to be inserted in the, Tour and Travel
section of, The Hindustan Times in not more than 50 -60 words.

(e)

Write a suitable matrimonial advertisement for your older brother based on the following
inputs in 50-60 words.
(slim, height 6ft, profession- doctor, settled in USA ------ his preference about the girl).

(f)

You are Lalita Rani living at Street 2, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi. While travelling in the DTC
bus route no 165 you lost your suitcase containing important papers and valuables. Draft a
suitable advertisement for the, Lost and Foundcolumn of a newspaper in 50-60 words.XI.

12. Letter of application with a CV/resume:

(a)

146

A - ONE SOLUTION, a leading company in the manufacture of industrial and medical

equipment, requires a PRODUCTION MANAGER. Candidates should have an Engineering
degree in Chemical or Industrial Engineering and should have worked for at least 5 years at
a managerial level. He/she should also possess excellent inter-personal and

communication skills. Interested persons should apply within 10 days to the The Personal
Manager, A-ONE Solutions Ltd., 25, Barron Road, Jaipur. You can email to:
careers@aonesolutions.com.
13. Articles:
(a)

According to an employability measurement company, English learning levels among

engineering graduates is very poor in many states in India. Companies have realized the
growing importance of communication skills and vocabulary and grammar and use that as
an important criteria in selecting their employees. To improve their prospects within and
outside the company and to be successful global citizens, students have to improve their
English communication skills. As Manoj / Manasa write an article in about 200 words for
the Education Plus Magazine titled 'Winning with English'. You may use the input given
below.

25% engineers do not possess English communication skills.

57% cannot write grammatically correct sentences

Companies want best communicators who can work well with clients.

Need to network, present demos, send regular mails has increased.

Colleges to inculcate importance of English and companies to offer training in

English and soft skills.

(b)

Are great friendships a thing of the past? Or have the best friendships always been the
stuff of imagination? These are some of the questions that arise in your mind as prepare to
write an article for a popular magazine titled 'Values of Friendship'. You are Ajay / Aparna.
You may use the following ideas for the article in about 150-200 words.

Celebrated friendships in fiction and mythology

Loyalty & steadfastness - important characteristics of friendship.

It is unaffected by personality, status, wealth etc.

Importance of nourishing friendship.

Friendships in changing times.

14. Reports:
(a)

Your school recently hosted an Education Fair in which many leading universities from
abroad participated. As the School Pupil Leader, write a report in about 150-200 words for
the school magazine giving all details about the fair and how useful such an event was for
the students. You are Aman / Tamanna.

(b)

An important arterial road had recently been cleared of hawkers and other illegal
structures by the Corporation of your city. As a correspondent of a newspaper write a
report for your newspaper giving all details of that incident in about 150-200 words.

147

15. Letters to the Editor

(a)

The following comments are some of the conflicting reactions you come across about
Discount sales.

Discount sales prey on people's obsession for shopping

Prices are invariably increased and huge discounts are offered.

Shopkeepers go on a publicity overkill offering the sky to customers.

Discount sales are of immense help to middle class families.

With limited availability of cash, shopping for the whole family can be done.
Write a letter to the editor of a leading newspaper discussing the genuineness of discount
sales and its positive and negative aspects. Moreover how do customers/consumers
safeguard themselves. You are Reena/Ritesh residing at 24, Park Street, Chennai. Write
the letter in about 150-200 words.

(b)

Today technology has come to dominate our lives. But its greater use has come at a cost.
CCTV and cameras have been installed at public places and educational authorities for
vigilant surveillance. While this has been praised by some, others have criticized this
move as an invasion of their privacy. As a concerned citizen, write a letter to the editor in
about 150-200 words of a leading newspaper evaluating the pros & cons of this move.

GRAMMAR
1.

The following passage has four errors. Identify the error in each line and write them along
with the correction as shown in the example.
If you're looking for a unwinding,

2.

148

Incorrect

Correct

an

(a)

out of this world, experience, much would

____________

____________

(b)

recommend Kerala of its backwaters,

____________

____________

(c)

Ayurveda and Yoga. But do trying the

____________

____________

(d)

mountain and forests of northern Kerala.

____________

____________

Rearrange the following sentences sequentially to make complete sense. It describes the
stages of application for higher studies abroad
(a)

Prepare to pay your application fees.

(b)

Remember that test scores are only one part of your application.

(c)

Think before you search as to why you want to study in the United States.

(d)

Depending on your level and field of study, you will need to take standardized admissions
tests.

3.

Vitamin D is needed for strong bones, muscle growth and general health. As a young medical
representative you talk to Dr. AKS Mallik, Vice-chairman Max Healthcare, New Delhi. Prepar
three sets of dialogues using the given clues.
For example: Good afternoon, Dr. Mallik, I am Varun from AB Pharmaceuticals.
Clues:

Dr. Mallik: Good afternoon, please be seated.

Vitamin deficiency

People at risk

Symptoms in adults

Diagnosis and treatment

4.

You are Mamta/Mohit a reporter from "India Now". India's obsession with cricket reflects
everywhere. Frame six questions to conduct an interview with an eminent personality big shot
in the cricket world based on the clues given.
Clues:

Cricket - king of all sports

Reflects the country's economic as well as political evolution

Brings out the best and worst

Multi-million dollar national entertainment

India-Pakistan match

Brilliant portrait of Indians

5.

The following passage has four errors. Identify the error in each line and write it along with
correction, as shown in the example.
Example: The Rath Yatra re-enacts a sacred journey.

6.

Incorrect

Correct

the

(a)

In Lord Jagannath with his brother

_____________

_____________

(b)

Balabhadra or Sister Subhadra. Three

_____________

_____________

(c)
(d)

different elaborate decorated

chariots are pulled in thousands of
devotees.

_____________
_____________

_____________
_____________

Rearrange the following sentences sequentially to make complete sense. It gives the steps
to remove acne scars.
(a)

The rotating brush is used to peel the top layer of skin.

(b)

The areas to be treated are marked and cleaned.

(c)

A local anaesthetic is used to numb the skin.

(d)

Regrowth of new skin occurs in a weeks' time.

149

7.

JJ Colony in South Delhi was affected by low pressure of water supply. You are Navneet, a
resident of JJ Colony. Prepare three sets of dialogue to be put to the Management
Committee of RWA.
For example:
Resident: Sir, the residents are facing acute crisis of water in the colony; who are the culprits?
RWA: We will look into the matter.
Clues:

Low pressure of water supply

Residents have complained

Provision of overhead tanks

Overflowing tanks

DJP's help

Look for legal connections

8.

You are Ranjana/Ranjeet, an inspiring journalist. You want to write an article on today's
trend of examination result of class XII. You have gone to a renowned career counsellor with
your queries. Frame six questions based on the given inputs.
Clues:

From KG to PG, a mad rush

Hysterical parental anxiety

Competition - the 'new mantra

Pressure on students to perform

Kids are kids - not machines

Guide and mentor

150

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