THE HAPPY PRINCE

ENGLISH LITERATURE CHAPTER – 2

I Word Meanings:-

Peck - strike or bite with its beak

Tossing - moving or causing to move from side to side or back and
forth
Bare room - a room without anything
Mayor - the elected head of the Municipal Corporation
Councillors - members of a council
Whispered - spoke in a low voice
Precious - valuable
Shabby - worn out
Swallow - a migratory song-bird
Paradise - heaven (Garden of Eden)

II Make Sentences:

1. Mayor: My father knows the Mayor of this town very well.

2. Whispered: I whispered a secret to my friend.
3. Precious: This pearl necklace looks to be very precious.
4. Shabby: The poor man was dressed in a shabby way.
5. Swallow: The crow tried to swallow a big piece of food.
6. Paradise: This town in the mountains looks like a paradise.
7. Tossing: After tossing the vegetable in the oil it looked golden in colour.
8. Jewel – The blue jewel in the ring shone brightly in the sunlight.
9. Statue – A big statue was installed in the middle of the park.
10.Pillar – The old church has tall pillars all around it.
11.Begged – The poor beggar begged for food.
12.Garden – The garden has many plants which are commonly used for medicinal
purposes.

III Give another word for the following:-

1. Requested - begged
2. Members of council - councillors
3. Valuable - precious
4. A migratory, song bird- swallow
 5. Heaven - paradise

IV Question and Answers:-

1. Give a brief description of the prince’s statue.

Ans. The prince’s statue was made of lead. His eyes were made of blue jewels and his
clothes were made of gold. It held a long sword which had a red jewel in it.

2. Why did a little swallow stay behind?

Ans. A little swallow stayed behind to help the prince spread happiness in the town by
giving away the jewels and gold studded in the prince’s statue to the poor and needy
people.

3. Why was the prince crying?

Ans. The prince was crying because he could see all the unhappy things happening in the
town.

4. Why did the prince want the swallow to take the red jewel from his sword?
Ans. The prince wanted the swallow to take the red jewel from his sword and give it to the
poor woman whose little boy was very ill so that she could sell it to pay the doctor’s
fees and also buy food for them.

5. How did the swallow feel after giving the red jewel to the poor woman and her ill son?
Why did he feel so?
Ans. After giving the red jewel to the poor woman and her ill son, the swallow did not feel
cold anymore because he had done a good deed.

6. Where was the swallow to take the first jewel to from the prince’s eye?
Ans. The swallow was to take the first jewel to a poor, young man in a bare room where
there was no fire and no food to eat.

7. Where was the swallow to take the second jewel from his eye?
Ans. The swallow was to take the second jewel from his eye to the little girl who had
dropped the matches in the wet while trying to sell matches because her hands were
very cold. The prince wanted to give the jewel to her so that she gives it to her father
and gets saved from her father’s beating.

8. Why did the swallow decide to stay with the prince?

Ans. The swallow decided to stay with the prince so that the prince could use it’s eyes as he
had given away the two jewels which were his eyes and become blind.

9. How did the prince’s statue look when he had given away all his jewels and gold?
Ans. When all the prince’s jewels and golds were given away, he stood on the top of his
pillar, looking dull and grey.

10. What happened when the snow came?

Ans. When the snow came, the poor little swallow got colder and colder and fell at the
statue’s feet and finally died. Also the prince’s heart broke inside the statue.

11. What did the mayor and councilors decide?

Ans. The mayor and councilors decided to take the statue down and put up the mayor’s
statue instead.

12. What did God tell his angel one night?

Ans. One night, God told his angel to bring him the two most precious things in the town.

13. What did the angels bring to the God as the two most precious things in the town?
Ans. The angels brought God the broken heart of the prince and the dead swallow as the two
most precious things in the town.

14. How were the prince and the swallow honoured by God?
Ans. The prince and the swallow were honoured by God by letting the little bird always sing
in the garden of Paradise and the happy prince praise the God’s name forever.
 MY MOTHER
ENGLISH LITERATURE CHAPTER – 4

I Word Meanings:-

Remarkable - unusual
Recipe - a set of instructions for preparing a dish
Fuel - something that we burn to produce heat
Terrace - flat roof
Bits - small pieces
Beads - a small, round piece of stone or plastic, etc
Sequins - small circular shining disc sewn onto clothing as decoration
Golf - a game which uses special fix to hit a small ball into holes
Bridge - a card game
Myths and legends - stories from ancient times
Dress up - put on special clothes
In fashion - to be popular
Step into - attend
Come upto - to approach somebody to talk

II Make Sentences:

1. Recipe – My mother has many recipe books which she refers to regularly.
2. Terrace – It is not safe for children to play on the terrace.
3. Ugly – It is an ugly looking frog.
4. Vessel – My mother prepared a big vessel full of kheer on my birthday.
5. Unbeaten – Mohan is the unbeaten chess champion of our school.
6. Chat – I like to chat with my grandmother in my free time.

III Question and Answers:-

1. What made the writer’s mother a remarkable woman?

Ans. The writer’s mother was a remarkable woman because even though they had many
servants and cook to help she was very busy looking after the household.

2. What things did she do at home?

Ans. At home she used to cook sometimes. She would bake, roll out papads and dry them on
terrace. She would try making new things like toothpowder, fuel for the boiler, etc.
3. What were her hobbies?
Ans. She had many hobbies and one of them were to buy colour pictures of gods and human
beings and dress them up with bits of cloth, mirrors, beads and sequins.

4. What kind of sports did she enjoy?

Ans. She enjoyed playing tennis and badminton. She also played golf. She was the unbeaten
local chess champion. She played carom and card games too.

5. Was she a good story-teller? How do we know that?

Ans. Yes, she was a good story-teller. She knew many myths and legends and used to tell
stories to her children. The writer used to like the stories narrated from Ramayana and
the Mahabharata.

6. Was she fond of reading? How do we know that?

Ans. Yes, she was fond of reading. She used to read a lot. Even though she had never
stepped into school or college, there was nothing she did not know about books in
Sanskrit and Tamil. She learnt about what was happening in English books by reading
translations. She used to make the boys read to her about everything in books and
magazines.

7. What was her source of entertainment?

Ans. Her source of entertainment was cracking jokes with her children, playing and telling
stories to her children.

IV Reference to context:

1. “Whatever I know I learnt from her.”

(i) Was mother literate or illiterate?
Ans. Mother was literate. She had never stepped into school or college but there was
nothing she did not knew about books in Sanskrit and Tamil. She learnt about
what was happening in English books by reading translations.

(ii) What could she read?

Ans. She could read books in Sanskrit and Tamil.

(iii) How was she helped by her sons?

Ans. She was helped by her sons by reading to her from English books and
magazines.
(iv) Which stories did she relate?
Ans. She related the myths and legends she knew. Also she narrated stories from
Ramayana and Mahabharata.

(v) What is the name of the writer of ‘My mother’?

Ans. The writer’s name is R.K.laxman.

(vi) How does the writer feel about his mother?

Ans. The writer feels that his mother was a remarkable woman and cherishes all the
happy times they had spent together. He also feels he was lucky to have such a
wonderful mother.
 A CHILD’S DREAM
ENGLISH LITERATURE CHAPTER – 18

I Word Meanings:-

Treasures - costly things

Sunny day - bright day
Swiftly - quickly
Entreatingly - in a begging sort of way
Dandelions - a kind of flowers
Hedges - bushes
Dumb - silent
Desperate - hopeless
Sank low - set slowly
Bear - withstand
Heaven’s grace - God’s blessing
Golden hour - happy time
Golden place - beautiful place

II Make Sentences:
1. Treasures: My grandmother used to keep her treasures in a big box.
2. Swiftly: My pet dog used to run around swiftly everytime he was set loose.
3. Desperate: The hungry beggar is desperate to earn some pennies.
4. Bear: The little boy was not able to bear the load of his school bag.
5. Hedges: The hedges need to be trimmed regularly.
6. Entreatingly: The poor man asked for some pennies entreatingly.

III Antonyms:

Big X small
Slowly X swiftly
Lovely X horrible
Bravely X timidly
Honoured X humiliated
Desperate X optimistic
Never X always

III Question and Answers:-

1. What kind of a dog did the child have?
Ans. The child had a little dog which was very small. His nose was fresh as morning dew
and blacker than night. His tail he held bravely like a banner in a fight. His body was
covered thick with hair and his little stomach underneath was pink as any shell.

2. What tells you that the child greatly admired his dog?
Ans. We know the child greatly admired his dog because of all the treasures that the child
had, he loved the dog most.

3. Where did they go in the morning?

Ans. The child and the dog went to the field to play in the morning.

4. How did the child react when the dog was not seen?
Ans. When the dog was not seen the child was very worried and looked for him everywhere
and tried calling out in different ways but the dog did not come.

5. “The pathways and the hedges were horrible and dumb.” Why?
Ans. The pathways and the hedges looked horrible and dumb to the child because they did
not tell the child where his dog was.

6. What did the child pray to God for?

Ans. The child prayed to God to help him find his dog.

7. The poet uses the epithet ‘golden’ with ‘hour’ and ‘place’. Why?
Ans. The poet uses the epithet ‘golden’ with ‘hour’ and ‘place’ because the moment he finds
his dog the time and the place becomes precious to him.

8. What does this poem reveal?

Ans. The poem tells us that a dog is man’s best friend and any separation can be very
painful.

9. Do you love dogs? Why/Why not?

Ans. I love dogs very much because they are very loyal. Dogs can become good friends and
play with me. They are so sweet to look at that everybody would love them.

IV Reference to context:

1. “The pathways and the hedges were horrible and dumb.”

(i) Were the pathways and the hedges really horrible?
 Ans. No, the pathways and the hedges were not horrible

(ii) What made them look horrible?

Ans. The pathways and hedges looked horrible and dumb to the child because they
did not tell the child where his dog was.

(iii) What had happened?

Ans. The child had lost his dog and the pathways and hedges were not helping the
child by telling where the dog went, hence the child was sad and felt everything
around him was horrible.

2. “I prayed to God who never heard. My desperate soul grew numb.”

(i) What did the speaker pray to God for?”

Ans. The child prayed to God to help him find the dog.

(ii) Why was the child so desperate?

Ans. The child was so desperate because he had looked for the dog everywhere
possible and prayed to God but he could not find the dog.

(iii) Where did he find the dog?

Ans. He found the dog among the petals of a great yellow flower.

3. “If God has not the power, to find him, let me die.”

(i) Who is saying this?

Ans. The child is saying this.

(ii) Why is the speaker saying he wants to die?

Ans. The child is praying to God that if he does not have the power to find the dog
then he wants to die.

(iii) Who is the poet of this poem?

Ans. The poet’s name is Frances Cornford.
 GULLIVER IN LILLIPUT
ENGLISH LITERATURE CHAPTER – 1

I Word Meanings:-

Attempted - tried
Fastened - tied
Uneasiness - uncomfortable
Astonished - surprised
Ventured - was brave enough to take the risk
Hekinah degul and - words in the native language of the people of Lilliput
Tolgo Phonac
Struggle - make great efforts
Pricked - hurt sharply
Erected - built
Orator - a good speaker
Cask - wine container
Descended - got down

II Unscramble the words given below:

KSRAM - Marks
KSAC - Cask
KCIPR - Prick
ATOROR - Orator
RUSTGGEL - Struggle

III Make Sentences:

1. Descend: Please help the child to descend from the staircase.

2. Fortunate: I was fortunate to have a lovely dog as a pet.
3. Repeat: Mohan was asked not to repeat the naughty act again.
4. Catch: I am planning to go fishing this weekend to catch fishes.
5. Immediately: I am leaving for my grandmother’s house immediately.
6. At least: There are atleast a dozen eggs in the basket.
7. So far as: So far as my memory goes this statement does not stand correct.
8. To get loose: The dog tried hard to get loose from the chain which tied him to the gate.
9. Ran off: On seeing the dog advancing angrily towards me, I ran off immediately.
 10.At a mouthful: The beggar was so hungry that he was eating two slices of bread at a
mouthful.

IV Question and Answers:-

1. Who was Gulliver?

Ans. Gulliver was a doctor of an English ship who reaches an island after his ship gets
wrecked in the Atlantic.

2. Where did Gulliver find himself after he wakes up?

Ans. Gulliver finds himself in an island inhabited by very little people.

3. Why was Gulliver not able to move when he wakes up?

Ans. Gulliver was not able to move because his arms and legs were strongly tied to the
ground. His hair was tied down to in the same manner. His body was tied down with
several strings and he could look only upwards.

4. Who had fastened him to the ground?

Ans. The Lilliputs had fastened Gulliver to the ground.

5. Describe the lilliputs.

Ans. The lilliputs were little men, hardly six inches high.

6. Why could he not see anything around him?

Ans. As Gulliver was tied down to the ground and lay on his back, he could only look
upwards and not see anything around him.

7. How many men were walking on his left leg?

Ans. Over forty men were walking on his left leg.

8. How did he feel when he was hit with arrows?

Ans. He felt that thousand needles pricked him and was in great pain when he was hit with
arrows.

9. Why was he attacked?

Ans. When Gulliver broke the strings and pulled out the pegs that fastened his left arm to
the ground and tried to catch the little men, the lilliputs got scared and attacked him.
10. Why did the little men stop their attack?
Ans. After the lilliputs attacked Gulliver with arrows, they observed that Gulliver was quiet
after it which made the little men stop their attack.

11. How did he show that he was hungry?

Ans. Gulliver showed that he was hungry by putting his finger frequently to his mouth.

12. Who released him?

Ans. One of the little men who seemed to be an officer ordered to release Gulliver.

13. How was he fed?

Ans. Several ladders were put against Gulliver’s side through which people climbed up and
walked towards his mouth with baskets full of meat, sent by the emperor.

14. What was Gulliver fed?

Ans. Gulliver was fed with meat which were the shoulders and legs of several animals but
they were small than the wings of a small bird. They also gave loaves of bread and
many casks full of wine.

V Reference to Context:-

1. “I felt a hundred arrows hit my left hand …….”

(i) Who is the speaker?

Ans. Gulliver is the speaker.

(ii) When was he attacked?

Ans. When Gulliver tried to free himself from the strings which fastened him down to
the ground and tried to catch the little men, the lilliputs got scared and attacked
him.

(iii) How did he feel?

Ans. He felt that thousand needles pricked him and was in great pain when he was hit
with arrows.

(iv) How did he protect himself?

Ans. Gulliver had on him a leather coat which protected him.

(v) Was he afraid of the little men?

 Ans. No, Gulliver was not afraid of the little men because he believed that he could
face the greatest armies the little men could bring against him if they were of the
same size.

2. “When I had performed these wonders, they shouted for joy, …”

(i) Who had performed the wonders?

Ans. Gulliver had performed the wonders.

(ii) What wonders is the above statement talking about?

Ans. Gulliver’s task of eating several baskets full of meats, eating three loaves of
bread at a time and drinking two casks of wine were a wonder for the little men.

3. “I thought it best to be still until I could free myself.”

(i) Who is the speaker?

Ans. Gulliver is thinking within himself.

(ii) From what did the speaker wanted to free himself from?
Ans. Gulliver wanted to free himself from the strings which strongly fastened him to
the ground.

(iii) Name the story from which this extract has been taken from?
Ans. This story has been taken from Gulliver’s Travels.

(iv) Who is the writer of this story?

Ans. It was written by Jonathan Swift.
 SOLITARY REAPER
ENGLISH LITERATURE CHAPTER – 2

I Word Meanings:-

Behold - Look or see

Single in the field - the reaper was working alone
Yon - that
Solitary - lonely
Reaping - harvesting
Highland lass - A Scottish girl who lives among the mountains
Plaintive - sad songs
Maiden - a young unmarried girl
Mounted - climbing up
Welcome note - pleasant music
Weary band - tired group of caravans
Theme - subject matter
Shady haunt - resting place
Melancholy - sad song
Vale - valley
Profound - heartfull

II Make Sentences:-

1. Melancholy – I sensed my brother’s sudden melancholy and tried to deviate his mood
to the game.
2. Theme – The theme for the party is Bollywood.
3. Profound – The old man looks profound and sitting alone in a corner.
4. Solitary –
5. Maiden
6. reaping

III Question and Answers:-

1. What were the poet’s first thoughts when he saw the solitary reaper?
Ans. When the poet saw the solitary reaper, he was very moved by the reaper working all
alone in the fields and singing her song. He found the song very melodious and felt that
the scene should not be disturbed. The slightest noise would be jarring. So he stood
there quietly watching her at her work.
2. What kind of song was the girl singing?
Ans. The girl was singing a sad and lonesome song.

3. Why was the valley filled with music?

Ans. The song was very intense and melodious. The beauty of the girl’s voice was so deep
that the entire valley echoed with the song.

4. To what does the poet compare the reaper’s song?

Ans. The poet compares the reaper song to a nightingale’s song in the desert which is
indicative of an oasis nearby. The song is also compared to a cuckoo’s song in the far
off Islands of the Hebrides.

5. Why was the poet puzzled with the song?

Ans. The girl was singing in a language that the poet did not understand so he was puzzled
about the meaning of the song.

6. How did the reaper song affect the poet?

Ans. The reaper’s song made such an impact on the poet that he carried the music with him.
He could feel the beauty of the song long after he had passed the valley.

7. Where did the poet meet the solitary reaper?

Ans. In Scotland, while walking in the hills, the poet saw an ordinary Scottish girl, single in
the field, reaping the crop and singing to herself. It sounded sad and melancholic. The
entire valley was echoing and overflowing with her sweet song. The poet stood still
and listened silently.

8. Why did the poet compare the song of the solitary reaper with those of the nightingale
and the cuckoo bird?
Ans. The poet was deeply moved by the sweet melancholic song of the Highland lass. The
nightingale and the cuckoo are known as song birds. The song of the solitary reaper
was so profound that he compared it with the song of the nightingale and the cuckoo
bird. The maiden’s singing is being compared to the soothing effect of the
nightingale’s singing which sings to welcome weary travelers in the Arabian Desert.
The poet is also comparing the reaper’s song to that of the cuckoo-bird’s song which
announces the onset of spring in the Hebrides Island.

9. What did the poet think of the maiden’s song?

Ans. The poet thought that like the singing of the nightingale and cuckoo is so pleasant
which breaks the silence of the gloomy winter, the maiden’s song too has the same
effect on the poet. The entire valley was echoing and overflowing with the reaper’s
music and the melody lingered on in the poet’s ears long after she had completed
singing her song.

IV Reference to context:

1. Alone she cuts, and binds the grain

And sings a melancholy strain
O listen! for the vale profound
Is overflowing with the sound.

(i) Who is ‘she’?

Ans. ‘She’ is the solitary reaper.

(ii) What is meant by ‘melancholy strain’?

Ans. ‘Melancholy strain’ means a sad song.

(iii) What does the ‘vale profound’ refer to?

Ans. ‘Vale profound’ refers to a deep valley.

2. Will no one tell me what she sings

Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow
For old, unhappy, far-off things
And battles long ago.

(i) Why does the poet ask the question in the first line?
Ans. The poet asks this question because he is unable to understand the meaning of
the song, as the language is which she was singing was not familiar to the poet.

(ii) What is meant by ‘plaintive numbers’?

Ans. ‘Plaintive numbers’ means sad songs.

(iii) What could have been one of the themes of the song?
Ans. One of the themes could have been about battles fought long ago or some sad
event of the past.
3. I listened, motionless and still
And, as I mounted up the hill
The music in my heart I bore
Long after it was hear no more

(i) How did the poet react to the song?

Ans. The poet stood very quiet and still, listening to the beautiful song.

(ii) Did the song affect the poet greatly?

Ans. Yes, the song made a very deep impact on the poet. He was so touched by it, that
he carried the whole wonderful experience with him as he moved on.

4. No nightingale did ever chant,

More welcome notes to weary bands,
Of travelers in some shady haunts,
Among Arabian sands.

(i) For whom did the nightingale sing? Why?

Ans. The nightingale sang to welcome the tired traveler. They are weary as their
journey through the desert Arabian Desert is long and exhausting, so singing to
them would help relax them slightly.

V Multiple choice answers:-

1. The central idea of the poem ‘The Solitary Reaper is that

(a)well sung songs give us happiness.
(b)melodious sounds appeal to all
(c)the beautiful experiences give us life-long pleasure
(d)reapers can sing like birds.

2. In the poem ‘The Solitary reaper to whom does the poet say Stop her or gently pass?
(a)to the people cutting corn
(b)to himself
(c)to the people who make noise
(d)to all the passers-by

3. The Solitary Reaper is a narrative poem set to music. This form of verse is called a
(a)ballad
(b)soliloquy
 (c)monologue
(d)sonnet

4. The poet’s lament in the poem ‘The Solitary Reaper’ is that

(a)he cannot understands the song
(b)he did not know the lass
(c)she stopped singing at once
(d)he had to move away

5. The setting of the poem is

(a)Arabia
(b)The Hebrides
(c)Scotland
(d)England
 HIS FIRST FLIGHT
ENGLISH LITERATURE CHAPTER – 8

I Word Meanings:-

Timid - scared
Bold - brave/ strong
Seagull - a sea bird
Ledge - narrow, horizontal shelf of a cliff
Flap - unfurl
Starve - go without food
Scrap - piece
Trotted - walked quickly
Chasm - a deep fissure
Plateau - high ground
Dozing - sleepy
Preening - cleaning feathers with the beak
Uttered - said
Cackled - gave a raucous, clucking cry
Motionless - still
Swooped - moved rapidly downwards
Seized - held tightly
Soared - flew
Commenced - began
Curvet - a graceful or energetic leap
Shrieking - crying
Muster up - to collect
Plunge - dive
Expanse - side open
Dived at - jumped at
On the brink of - on the edge of
Take the plunge - take the first step for
Terror seized him - he was overcome by great fear
Uttered a low cackle - gave out a low sound.

III Make sentences:-

1. Seized – I seized the toy from my brother and hid it.

2. Soared – The pigeons soared high in the sky.
 3. Uttered – All the boys uttered a cry together on getting the winners cup.
4. dozing – The old man was dozing under the tree.
5. Scrap – There was no scrap of paper to write.
6. Preening -
7. swooped
8. shrieking
9. commenced
10.motionless
11.terror – We were in terror on seeing a tiger.
12.Halt – The train will halt at the station for two minutes only.

III Question and Answers:-

1. Who was alone on the ledge?

Ans. The young seagull was alone on the ledge.

2. Why was the young seagull alone?

Ans. The young seagull had two brothers and a sister who had flown away from the ledge
the previous day. But as the young seagull could not muster up courage to fly away
too, he remained alone on the ledge.

3. What is the young seagull afraid of?

Ans. The young seagull is afraid of making the first flight of his life.

4. Why was he afraid of flying?

Ans. The young seagull was afraid of flying because he feared that the sea was miles down
and his wings would never support him. To him it is a life-risk to fly over the very vast
ocean beneath which is a mile down from his ledge. He is so phobic that he finds
himself to be unfit for his task.

5. What is significant about the bird’s first flight?

Ans. The significant thing about the bird’s first flight is that fears are natural before the start
of any new task but they are usually self-created and baseless. We find the reality is
very different. Like the seagull we enjoy the real fun of life when we accept the
challenges and not when we surrender to them.

6. How did the parents support and encourage the young seagull’s brothers and sister?
Ans. They flew about with them, trying to perfect them in the art of flight. They taught them
the art of flight. They taught them how to skim the waves and how to dive for fish.
7. How did the parents treat the young seagull?
Ans. The parents encouraged him to take his first flight by calling to him loudly. They
scolded him and even threatened to starve him so that the young seagull puts his best
effort and takes up his first flight. They flew across to a distance and kept monitoring
the young seagull so that he is forced to take his first flight and learns to fend for his
own food.

8. What did the parents do to motivate the young bird when it failed to muster up enough
courage to fly?
Ans. They came around calling to him loudly. They scolded him and even threatened to
starve him so that the young seagull puts his best effort and takes up his first flight.

9. Why don’t his parents, his brothers and sister give him food?
Ans. His parents, his brother and his sister do not give him food because they want the
young seagull should make an attempt to fly like them and learn to search for his food
by himself. They don’t like to see him fearful and coward. They even taunt him for his
cowardice and threaten him to let him die of hunger so that he makes an attempt to fly.

10. For nearly how many hours the young seagull remained hungry?
Ans. He remained hungry for about twenty four hours.

11. How did the bird try to reach its parents without having to fly?
Ans. The young bird trotted back and forth from one end of the ledge to the other, trying to
find some means of reaching his parents without flying. But on each side of him the
ledge ended in a sheer fall of precipice with the sea under. There was a deep, wide
crack between him and his parents.

12. What made him cry impatiently?

Ans. The young seagull was alone on the ledge and hungry for about twenty four hours. He
wanted some food but did not want to take the first flight. He could see his mother with
a piece of fish lying at her feet. The sight of food maddened him and he wanted his
mother to get him some food. This made him cry impatiently.

13. What did the seagull expect of his mother?

Ans. The seagull expected his mother would get him some food as he was hungry and not
eaten for twenty four hours.

14. How does his mother force him to fly?

Ans. The seagull’s mother was very cleaver. She knew that the young seagull was extremely
hungry and so she took a piece of fish and went near him. When he thinks she will give
him food, she stops near him. The seagull is maddened by hunger so much so that he
jumps to catch the food. This is how the seagull is forced to fly by his mother.

15. How was the young seagull able to learn his first flight?
Ans. The young seagull was the only child on the cliff that could not muster the courage to
fly. His parents had tried their best to encourage him but in vain. He was hungry. There
was nothing to eat. He pretended to sleep to get the attention of his family members.
But everyone acted unconcerned about him. His mother took a fish with her beak and
flew towards him. But she halted just in front of him. The sight of the food made the
young seagull mad and he dived at the fish and fell down. In his way down he
struggled to save himself. Very soon his wings spread outwards and he started flying.
All his fear melted away. Thus he learnt his first flight with the help of his mother.

16. What does he feel when he finally spread his wings and finds that he is not falling?
Ans. When he finally flaps his wings and finds that he is not falling, he feels that all his
fears about making his first flight were baseless. He is no longer afraid although he
feels a bit dizzy yet he moves his wings and lies upwards very confidently. He enjoys
this first virgin flight of his life so much so that he flaps his wings again and again and
utters very jubilant cries.

17. Do you think that the young seagull’s parents were cruel?
Ans. No, I don’t think the young seagull’s parents were cruel because they wanted to teach
him the importance of confidence and self reliance and fly to be able to search his own
food. One cannot depend on his parents all his life for his livelihood. He should learn
to find food for himself once he reaches a certain stage of his life. They were trying to
encourage him to fly as it would have been difficult for a bird to survive without
learning the art of flying.

18. Was the seagull a coward?

Ans. No, the seagull was not coward.. He was just scared and apprehensive of taking up his
first flight of life. Like many of us, the young seagull lacked the courage and
confidence to do something new in life.

19. What lesson do you learn from the story?

Ans. The lesson that we learn is that before starting a new work there are always problems,
but losing hope or confidence is not the solution. We should try our level best and
never give up the struggle in despair. Success is never guaranteed but one has to put in
 hard work and continuous practice. One has to try regardless of a possibility of a
failure.

20. What was his experience when he landed on the green flooring?
Ans. The young seagull was very happy that he had conquered his fear of not being able to
fly. He uttered joyous screams and completely forgot that he had not always been able
to fly and commenced to dive and soar shrieking happily.

21. How did his family receive him?

Ans. The young seagull’s family received him warmly once he took his first flight and
reached them.

22. Who all are there in the seagull’s family?

Ans. The seagull’s family consisted of father, mother, three sons and one daughter.

IV Reference to context:-

1. “Then, maddened by hunger, he dived at the fish’.

(i) Why was the seagull hungry?
Ans. The seagull was hungry because he was starving for the last twenty four hours
and he was not ready to fly and search for his own food.

(ii) Why couldn’t he join his family?

Ans. His family had flown away from the ledge to the plateau. But as the seagull was
afraid that his wings would not support him he couldn’t fly down and join his
family.

(iii) Who showed him the fish?

Ans. The seagull’s mother showed him the fish.

(iv) What happened when he tried to catch the fish?

Ans. When he tried to catch the fish which his mother was carrying in his beak, he
dived towards the fish and fell outwards and downwards into the space.

(v) Was his first flight successful? How do you know that?
Ans. Yes, his first flight was successful. We know that his first flight was successful
because he screamed with joy and soared high shrieking with happiness.
 HARRY PUSHED HER
English Literature Chapter - 10

I Word Meaning:

Pushed - moved something/somebody forward from behind

Rhyme - song
Crazy cow - the helpless girl (Harry sister) who is mentally challenged also
Strain - worry or anxiety
Absurd - strange
Care - worry

II Make Sentences:-

1. Rhyme – The little girl keep on singing the same rhyme all the time.
2. Strain – The frequent cricket sessions was putting a strain on my health.
3. Absurd – The idea was absurd but everyone agreed to follow it.

III Question and Answers:-

1. What tells you that Harry’s sister was physically challenged?

Ans. As Harry’s sister was sitting on the wheel-chair all the time and needed someone to
push her around tells us that she was physically challenged.

2. Why does the poet use the word/ time expressions repeatedly in the poem – before
school, after school, on weekdays, school holiday, etc?
Ans. The poet uses these expressions to tell us Harry’s dedication in steering her sister
around all the time.

3. What was the attitude of other children to what Harry was doing for his sister?
Ans. The other children’s attitude was mocking and making fun of Harry because he was
pushing his sister around all the time.

4. What were the things that Harry missed because of self-imposed duty on himself?
Ans. Harry missed his holidays, the company of friends and everything connected with
childhood.

5. ‘It was so absurd’. What was ‘absurd’?

Ans. Harry pushing his sister for years was absurd.
6. Why could Harry not have a normal childhood?
Ans. Harry could not have a normal childhood because if his commitment to serve his
physically challenged sister.

7. ‘Harry never had a childhood like me’. Who is me here?

Ans. ‘Me’ is the poet.

8. Does the poet appreciate Harry’s task? How do you know?

Ans. Yes, he appreciates Harry’s task. We realize it through his tone and attitude.

IV REFERENCE TO CONTEXT:

1. ‘Harry push her, push her now!

Harry push the crazy cow!’

(i) Who is Harry?

Ans. Harry is a twelve years old boy.

(ii) Who is the ‘girl’ referred to here?

Ans. The girl referred to here is Harry’s sister who is twenty three years old and is
physically challenged.

(iii) Why does Harry ‘push’ her?

Ans. Harry pushes her around because his sister is physically challenged.

(iv) What tells you that the girl is physically as well as mentally challenged?
Ans. The lines that tell us that Harry’s sister is physically challenged is
“Harry pushed her without a care; He pushed his sister in her wheelchair.”
The lines that tell us that Harry’s sister is mentally challenged is
“she smiled strangely/ And never said a word.”

(v) What do you think of Harry?

Ans. I think Harry is very sincere, dedicated and caring brother who has sacrificed a
normal life of playing, and other activities of childhood to bring cheer into the
life of his sister by steering her around.

(vi) What is the poet’s name?

Ans. The poet’s name is Peter Thabit Jones.
V Explain the meaning of “push” in the following sentences:

1. Father pushed me into learning computer when I was juts seven. [encouraged]
2. Push yourself a little harder and you’ll be on the top. [try]
3. The meeting was pushed back from 3pm to 5pm. [postponed]
4. This review would certainly give you a chance to push your new novel. [release]
5. The adventures halted here for an hour and then pushed on to their destination. [moved
on]
 THE BEAST WITHIN
English Literature Chapter – 11

I Word Meaning:-

1. Day dreaming - imagining pleasant thought during the day

2. Doodle - draw absent-mindedly
3. Drab - dull
4. Noodle - long, thin strips of pasta
5. Nudge - prod someone with one’s elbow to attract attention.
6. Reason - persuade by giving reasons
7. Reality - the state of things as they actually exist

II Explain the following in your own words or with the help of a sentence:

1. Drift off to another world – move easily to another subject

2. Mumble an apology – say an apology very slowly
3. Try to reason – try to argue
4. Her face wears a frozen look – she has cold and merciless face
5. Right under her nose – right in front of her

III Question and Answers:-

1. What time did the school commence?

Ans. The school commenced at eight o’ clock.

2. Which subject was being taught? What was the topic of the lesson that day?
Ans. Mathematics was being taught in the class. The teacher was teaching the different
angles – 90 degree angles and 180 degree angles.

3. Was the subject being taught in the class liked by the writer?
Ans. No, the subject being taught in the class does not interest the writer.

4. Which two things could the author see outside?

Ans. The author saw a yellow butterfly, a crow and a brilliant blue sky.

5. What was the sky like?

Ans. The sky was a brilliant blue in colour and absolutely cloudless.
6. Who all were there in the writer’s family?
Ans. The writer family consisted of herself, her father, mother, Rahul and her pet Bhondu.

7. What did the family have for dinner the previous night?
Ans. The family had cutlets with sweet-chilly sauce for dinner.

8. Which food items was Sonika remembering during the class?

Ans. Sonika was remembering last night’s cutlets with lots of sweet-chilly sauce.

9. Give any one reason to prove it was rushed morning?

Ans. We know that it was a rushed morning because Sonika’s dad was hurrying to work,
Rahul was whining for something from Sonika’s mom and her darling pet, Bhondu
was refusing to vacate Sonika’s chair at the dining table and there were a many
telephone calls too.

10. Why is Sonika not able to concentrate on what was being taught in the class?
Ans. Sonika was not able to concentrate on what was being taught in the class because she
was hungry and the beast within her kept tempting her to have the noodles which her
friend was offering.

11. Who is the Beast?

Ans. The hunger within the writer is being called the Hungry Beast.

12. How did the beast inside tempt her just before the author gave into the
temptation?
Ans. The beast inside tempted her by saying that the teacher wasn’t looking and one bite
would not be a problem. Also it tempted her by talking about noodles oozing with
chillie oil and delicious vinegar which was her favourite.

13. Who sits next to Sonika in the class?

Ans. Kim Lee sits next to Sonika in the class.

14. What did Sonika’s mate sitting beside her bring in tiffin?
Ans. Sonika’s mate had brought noodles made with lots of soya sauce and vinegar in tiffin.

15. How did the author like her noodles to be served?

Ans. The author liked her noodles made with lots of soya sauce, vinegar and swimming in
oil. It should be served with chillie oil and delicious vinegar.
16. Where was Sonika planning to ask her Dad to take them that night?
Ans. Sonika was planning to request her Dad to take them to the Beijing Restaurant in
Tangra that night.

17. Where did the teacher make Sonika sit after she had caught Sonika eating tiffin in
the class?
Ans. The teacher used to make Sonika sit right under her nose in the front desk in the middle
row after she had caught Sonika eating tiffin in the class.

18. What did author have inside her tiffinbox?

Ans. The author had pasta in her tiffinbox.

IV Reference to context:

1. “The rest is irrelevant-pointless.”

(i) Describe the teacher’s look as she walked up to the author’s desk.
Ans. When the teacher walked upto the author’s desk her face had a frozen look. Her
eyebrows had almost vanished into her and her eyes were blazing with anger.

(ii) What did she order the author to do?

Ans. The teacher ordered the author to go out of the class and the author was never
forgiven for that.

(iii) Why was the rest ‘irrelevant’?

Ans. The res was irrelevant and pointless because inspite of the teacher making her sit
in the front look right under her eyes, the moment the teacher turned her back,
the author would start day dreaming and thinking of her eating food from the
tiffin.

(iv) What precautions did the teacher take to make sure that the author behaved
herself in class?
Ans. The precautions that the teacher took was to make the author sit on the front row
right in front of her.

(v) Was the teacher successful? Write the reason for your answer.
Ans. The teacher was not successful. She was not successful because whenever she
turned to write on the board she used to start day dreaming and think of eating
her tiffin.
 SINBAD THE SAILOR
English Literature Chapter – 17

I Word Meaning:-

Voyage - journey by sea

Ease - comfort
Like a thunderbolt - a sudden misfortune or disaster
Vowed - pledged
Extraordinary - uncommon
In the flesh - alive
Dismissed - sent
Pirates - dacoits who operate in the sea
Prudence - wisdom
Submit - surrender
Resisted - opposed
Vile raiment - dirty clothes
Vast - huge
Provisions - eatables
Crashing and trampling - making terrible noise
Herd - group
Strewn - full of
Sagacity - wisdom
Liberty - freedom
Rendered - provided
Curiosities - rare gifts
Disposed of - sold
Tedious - tiring and troublesome
Disquietened - disturbed
Bestowed upon - gave

II Explain the following expressions:

1. Unheard of sufferings – not aware of sufferings

2. Dispose of – sold/sell
3. Fixed upon – to look fixedly
4. Crash off – moved off/ went off
5. Become of you – what could have happened to you
6. Swore – vowed
 7. Tread heavily on something - trample
8. New, fresh information - news
9. Remove somebody from a position - dismiss
10.A tall plant - Tree

III State True or False:-

1. Sinbad was quite willing to leave for Serendib. False

2. He reached Serendib quite safely. True
3. On the way back, his ship was attacked. True
4. No one got killed in the attack. False
5. Sinbad was sold as a slave. True
6. He was assigned the duty to kill elephants. True
7. The elephants took him to the Ivory Hill. True
8. The master was not happy to release him. False
9. He reached his country with great difficulty. False
10.The Caliph was overjoyed to see him back. True

IV Question and Answers:-

1. Why did Sinbad make up his mind not to go to sea anymore after his sixth
voyage?
Ans. After his sixth voyage, Sinbad had quite made up his mind not to go to sea anymore
because he thought he was old enough to appreciate a quiet life after all the risks he
had run in search of adventure. And also he desired now to end his days in peace.

2. Who commanded Sinbad to accompany him to the king?

Ans. An officer of Caliph Haroun-al-Rashid commanded Sinbad to accompany him to the
king.

3. Why was Sinbad called by the Caliph?

Ans. Sinbad was called by the Caliph because they needed his services. They wanted Sinbad
to carry a letter of friendship and many royal gifts to the king of Serendib in return for
his message of friendship.

4. Why was Sinbad reluctant to leave Baghdad?

Ans. Sinbad was reluctant to leave Baghdad because he had become old and wanted to end
his last days in peace and also he had undergone sufferings in all his voyages which he
wanted to avoid now.
5. What did the Caliph give Sinbad as the expense of the journey?
Ans. The Caliph gave him a thousand sequins for the expenses of the journey.

6. How did Sinbad reach Serendib?

Ans. Sinbad set sail from Balsora and reached Serendib safely.

7. How was he received by the King of Serendib?

Ans. Sinbad was received with joy by the King of Serendib. He was rejoiced to see Sinbad
in person as he had heard of him quite often.

8. What happened when their ship was coming back home from Serendib?
Ans. While sailing back from Serendib, four days went well, but on the fifth day they fell in
with pirates who attacked the ship and seized their vessel. The people who opposed
were killed and the people who submitted were sold as slaves.

9. What fate awaited Sinbad when he started his journey back home?
Ans. When he started his journey back home, fate had him captured by pirates and get sold
as a slave. But he was fortunate to get a good master who took care of him and gave
him the task to kill elephants and get him ivory.

10. How was Sinbad’s master who had bought him as a slave?
Ans. Sinbad’s was bought by a wealthy merchant, who took him home, clothed him
properly, fed him well and asked him what work he could do.

11. What was Sinbad asked to do by his master?

Ans. Sinbad was asked by his master to go to a vast forest which swarms with elephants to
kill elephants and get Ivory for him.

12. How was Sinbad’s first experience in killing an elephant?

Ans. On reaching the forest alone, Sinbad climbed up a huge tree and waited there watching
carefully for elephants. The next day morning when a large heard of elephants came,
he succeeded in wounding one of the huge animals fatally through several arrows.
Once the other elephants had retired to a safe distance, he ran to the town to tell his
master about the good news.

13. What did they do with the dead elephant?

Ans. They dug a mighty ditch in the forest and buried the elephant so that his master could
collect the ivory in due course of time.
14. Was Sinbad able to kill anymore elephants after the first killing?
Ans. Yes, for two months Sinbad continued killing an elephant each day.

15. What happened when one morning a herd of elephants surrounded the tree
Sinbad was hiding on?
Ans. One morning, when a herd of elephants surrounded the tree Sinbad was hiding on, he
was so terrified that his arrows fell off from his shaking hands. The largest of the
elephants wound his trunk round the stem of the tree and tore it up by the roots,
bringing Sinbad to the ground entangled in its branches. Then the elephant picked him
up gently and set him upon his back and took him to the Ivory hill.

16. Why did the elephants not kill Sinbad?

Ans. The elephants did not kill Sinbad because they had understood that they were being
hunted for their tusks so even killing Sinbad would not cease them from being
persecuted.

17. Why was he taken to the Ivory Hill by the elephants?

Ans. The elephants took Sinbad to the Ivory Hill because they wanted him to stop
persecuting them in want of tusks as Ivory Hill was the burying place of the elephants
which contained lots of tusks to enrich the whole town with it.

18. Why did the master feel that he would not see Sinbad again?
Ans. The master felt that he would not see Sinbad again because when he had gone to the
forest, he had found the tree newly uprooted and the arrows lay beside it which made
him fear about Sinbad’s safety.

19. How did Sinbad’s master react to see him alive?

Ans. Sinbad’s master received him with joyful surprise.

20. How did Sinbad get his liberty?

Ans. When Sinbad took his master to the Ivory Hill and he got enriched with loads of tusks,
the master was overjoyed with the prosperity Sinbad had brought to him and released
him from the services of a slave.

21. How did Sinbad reach back home?

Ans. Sinbad waited till the time of the monsoon when the ivory ships came which he
boarded and reached back home.
22. What all did the master give him to carry home?
Ans. The master gave him a good store of choice provisions to last him the journey, ivory in
abundance and all the costliest rare gifts of the country to carry back home.

23. What did Sinbad do with the ivory which his master gave him?
Ans. On reaching the first port, Sinbad fearing the attack of pirates again, sold off all the
ivory for gold, and bought many rare and costly presents.

24. How was he received by the Caliph?

Ans. The Caliph received Sinbad with honour and bestowed rewards upon him.

25. How did Sinbad spend the rest of his life after his return back home from being a
slave?
Ans. After his return from being a slave, Sinbad rested from his labours and gave himself up
wholly to his family and friends.

II REFERENCE TO CONTEXT:

1. “This then must be the elephant’s burying place.”

(i) When did Sinbad make this comment?
Ans. When Sinbad was carried by the elephants to the Ivory Hill and he saw bones
and tusks of elephants strewn all over the place.

(ii) Where had he been taken by the elephants?

Ans. Sinbad was taken to the Ivory Hill by the elephants which was the burying
ground of elephants.

(iii) What did he see?

Ans. He saw bones and tusks of elephants strewn all over the place.

(iv) What did he conclude from the scene?

Ans. He concluded that the elephants had brought him there so that he might stop to
persecute them because he wanted nothing but their tusks and there were loads
there than he could carry away in a life-time.

(v) What shows the sagacity of the elephants?

Ans. The elephants understanding that humans wanted their tusks and hence carried
Sinbad to the place where there a lots of tusks so that he stops the persecution of
elephants shows the sagacity of the elephants.
2. “The caliph’s command fell upon me like a thunderbolt.”
(i) Who is ‘me’ in the above statement?
Ans. Me in the above statement is being referred to Sinbad.

(ii) What is the name of the Caliph?

Ans. The caliph’s name is Haroun-al-Rashid.

(iii) What was the Caliph’s command?

Ans. The caliph’s command was that Sinbad was to carry a letter and many royal gifts
to the King of Serendib in return for his message of friendship.

(iv) Why did the Caliph’s command fell upon him like a thunderbolt?
Ans. Caliph’s command fell upon Sinbad like a thunderbolt because he had
undergone unheard-of sufferings in all his voyages and so he had vowed never
again to leave Baghdad.

(v) Did he carry on the command of the Caliph?

Ans. Sinbad agreed to carry on the command of the Caliph to sail to Serendib.

3. “I did not know how I could sufficiently admire their sagacity.”

(i) Who is ‘I’ in the above statement?
Ans. I here is being referred to Sinbad.

(ii) Who’s sagacity is the speaker admiring?

Ans. Sinbad is talking to the elephant’s sagacity.

(iii) What is the sagacity the speaker is talking about?

Ans. Sinbad is talking about the elephant’s sagacity of carrying Sinbad to Ivory Hill
and showing him the place where he could get lots of tusks without persecuting
them.
 SLUM CHILDREN AT PLAY
English Literature Chapter – 6

I Word Meaning:-
Imps - small devils
Grinning - smiling
Mocking - making fun of
Crust - a slice of bread
Heartless - merciless
Kindred - one’s family and relations
Strive - struggle
Pelf - wealth
Grime - dirt
Fuss and fret - to worry too much
Do all the living - enjoy their life, however hard it is

II Write down few rhyming words from the poem:

Grinning – mocking
Pity – city
Strive - alive

III Make Sentences:-

1. Mocking – Mohan was mocking at the monkeys in the zoo.

2. Strive – I strive to improve my hand writing.
3. Kindred – I love to spend my vacations with my kindred.
4. Guilt – I had a guilt of not speaking the truth to my mother.
5. Heartless – The rich people are generally found to be heartless.

IV Question and Answers:-

1. Why have slum children been called ‘imps of mischief’?

Ans. The slum children have been called imps of mischief because they are young carefree
kids who lead their life in their own way and keep on indulging in frequent mischief.

2. What tells you that these children are not as innocent as they appear to be?
Ans. The slum children do not have a sense of gratitude because they grin and mock at those
who help them. They take money and food from us and consider us funny. This shows
that they aren’t an innocent as they appear to be.

3. Who helps these children? And why?

Ans. People like us help these children sometimes. We help them from a sense of guilt that
we never cared about our social responsibility.

4. ‘You’re just a joke’. Who are referred to as ‘you’ here?

Ans. People like us who are established in life referred as ‘you’ here.

5. How do the rich city folks lead their lives?

Ans. They lead their life in a cosy manner. They are only concerned about their well being.
Their life is full of duties and tension. They fail to enjoy life leading a hectic schedule
of fulfilling their responsibilities.

6. How do the slum children lead their lives?

Ans. The slum children lead their life in hardship. They struggle for living, but they are
carefree. They laugh, play and enjoy their life.

7. How do they feel when they receive some money or food?

Ans. The slum children feel amused when they receive food or money. They do not feel
grateful to others or show any sense of gratitude and do not thank them for it

8. What is the poem’s message?

Ans. The poem leaves a message for us that even if we are established, our life is full of
worry and tension whereas even though the slum children are deprived of all facilities
they lead a joyous life. This teaches us that happiness is not about what physical goods
or comfort we have but a state of mind. Also it’s the responsibility of the society to
help the slum children to ensure they get the few basic necessities of living.

III Answer the following with reference to the context:-

1. ‘Your life is soft

And theirs all grime and smoke.’
(i) Whose life is soft?
Ans. Life of people like us who are established in life is soft and comfortable.

(ii) Whose life is hard?

Ans. The life of slum children is full of hardships as they do not have sufficient to eat
and beg for food or money to survive.

(iii) Who live comfortably?

Ans. People like us live in physical comfort.

(iv) Who live in grime and smoke?

Ans. The slum children live in grime and smoke.

(v) Happiness is a state of mind. How does the poet underline it in the poem?
Ans. The poet tries to highlight that even though people live in all comforts, they keep
striving for more power and wealth and in the process live a life of worries and
unhappiness while the slum children do not have any food or money and they
lead a hard life but live in joy. Hence the poet beautifully underlines that
happiness is a state of mind.

(vi) The rich often give alms to the poor. Why did they do so, according to the poet?
Ans. The rich has a sense of guilt for not carrying about their social duties. So they
give alms to the poor to get rid of their guilt.
 MARVELLOUS EARS
English Literature Chapter – 5

I Word Meaning:-
Enormous - big
Orphans - the children whose parents are dead
Horridest - the most horrible
Astonishment - surprise
Awful - bad
Welled - rose up
Brutes - other gaints
Human beans - (here) human beings
Strawbunkles - strawberries
Elefunt - elephant
Buzzing - making continuous sound like that of a bee
Propsposterous - absurd or shocking
‘I is’ - I am
‘They is’ - They are
Argying - arguing
Langwitch - language
‘eats’ - eating
Fibster - liar
Offended - made him upset

II Make sentences:-

1. Awful – The dish cooked my by sister tasted awful.

2. Hunting – Hunting is not a common hobby anymore.
3. Enormous – The elephant I saw in the zoo today was enormous.
4. Brute – This story is about a brute and a princess.
5. Intently – I heard the story intently.
6. Gallop – The horse could not gallop away because it was tied to the pole.
7. Proud – My father was proud of me when I won the prize in Mathematics competition.

III Explain the following expressions:-

1. Kidsnatched you – kidnapped you

2. Brimful of buzzburgers – full of buzzing noise
3. Dream-blowing giant – a giant who gives dreams to others
 4. Silvery soft – pleasantly soft
5. Tremendous natterboxes – chatterboxes

IV Write True or False:-

1. Sophie was kidnapped by the BFG. True

2. Sophie lived in an orphanage. True
3. The BFG was alone in his cave. False
4. He had little ears. False
5. He could hear plants and trees. True
6. He had a long pole with which to catch dreams. True
7. Sophie was terrified of the BFG. False

V Question and Answers:-

1. Who was the BFG?

Ans. The BFG was the big friendly giant who blew dreams to people.

2. What were the thoughts that worried the giant?

Ans. The giant was worried with the thoughts that Sophie’s mother and father would be
worried about Sophie missing from the house.

3. Was Sophie missing her parents badly?

Ans. No, Sophie was not missing her parent because they had both died when she was a
baby and she never knew them.

4. Where did Sophie live?

Ans. Sophie lived in an orphanage run by Mrs.Clonkers.

5. Did Sophie like staying at the orphanage?

Ans. No, Sophie hated staying at the orphanage because if Mrs.Clonnkers caught her
breaking any of the rules, like getting out of bed at night or not folding up the clothes,
she would get punished.

6. How were the orphans punished incase they were found breaking any rule at the
orphanage?
Ans. Incase the orphans were found breaking nay rule at the orphanage, they were locked up
in the dark cellar for a day and a night without anything to eat or drink. There were rats
down there creeping about the cellar.
7. What was she doing in the giant’s cave?
Ans. Sophie was kidnapped from the orphanage by the giant and kept in the cave.

8. What was the giant’s strong desire?

Ans. The giant’s strong desire was to have an elephant on which he would go riding through
green forests, picking peachy fruits off the trees all day long.

9. What was BFG doing at the orphanage into the bedrooms of the sleeping
children?
Ans. BFG was a dream-blowing giant was blowing dreams into the bedrooms of sleeping
children at the orphanage.

10. What did BFG call dreams?

Ans. BFG called dreams as very mysterious things which were floating around in the air like
little, wispy, misty bubbles. The dreams used to go whiffling through the night air,
making a tiny, little buzzing, humming noise which is so silvery soft that it is
impossible for a human being to hear it.

11. How did BFG catch the dreams?

Ans. BFG used to catch the dreams which were floating around in the air with a buzzing,
humming noise which is so soft that it is impossible for a human being to hear it. He
used to catch the dreams with a pole which was about thirty feet long and there was a
net on the end of it. He used to catch the dreams with the dream catcher and store it in
the bottles in the morning and blow it to children at night.

12. What was absurd about his ears?

Ans. The giant’s ears were very extra-usually big, he could twist his ears, hear the slightest
sound that no human being could hear and also hear all the secret whisperings of the
world.

13. What could he hear?

Ans. The BFG could hear the slightest sound made by any small creature, even the music of
the stars and the sounds made by the plants and trees.

14. Describe the various sounds which the BFG could hear.
Ans. The BFG could hear the following sounds.
- The footsteps of a ladybird walking across a leaf.
- Little ants chittering to each other as they scuddle around in the soil.
 - Faraway music coming from the stars in the sky.
- He could hear heart beat of human beings as loud as a drum.
- He could hear plants and trees making noises when they are plucked or cut.

15. Why would the other giants eat Sophie the moment they saw her?
Ans. The other giants would eat Sophie the moment they saw her because human beings
were like strawberries and cream to them.

16. What is the message of the story?

Ans. We should be merciful and compassionate towards all creatures including plants and
trees because even they are living beings and get hurt when they are plucked or cut.

VI REFERENCE TO CONTEXT:-

1. “You mean you can hear things I can’t hear?

(i) Who spoke, and to whom?
Ans. Sophie said the above statement to Big Friendly Giant (BFG).

(ii) What was the giant’s claim?

Ans. The giant’s claim was that he could hear the slightest sound that no human being
could hear.

(iii) What was surprising about it?

Ans. Sophie is surprised because the giant is claiming that he could hear every single,
twiddly little noise of the world.

(iv) What could the giant hear?

Ans. The giant could hear
- The footsteps of a ladybird walking across a leaf.
- Little ants chittering to each other as they scuddle around in the soil.
- Faraway music coming from the stars in the sky.
- He could hear heart beat of human beings as loud as a drum.
- He could hear plants and trees making noises when they are plucked or
cut.

(v) How does a tree react when it is chopped?

Ans. The giant tells Sophie that when a tree is chopped, he can hear the tree making a
terrible sound like that of an old man moaning when he is dying slowly.
2. “What a strange and moody creature this is!”
(i) Who is the speaker and who is he/she talking about?
Ans. Sophie is talking to herself about the giant BFG.

(ii) Why is the speaker calling the creature strange and moody?
Ans. Sophie is calling BFG strange and moody because one moment the giants tells
her that her head is full of squished flies and the next moment his heart is
melting for her because Mrs.Clonkers locks them up in the cellar.

3. “Those brutes out there are bound to catch me sooner or later and have me for
tea.”
(i) Who is the speaker and who is the speaker referring as brutes?
Ans. Sophie is telling this to Giant BFG and is referring the other giants as brutes.

(ii) Why is the speaker saying the brutes would catch him/her and eat him/her?
Ans. Sophie is saying that the other giants would catch her and eat her because human
beings are like strawberries and cream to those giants.

4. “You is asking me to tell you whoppsy big secrets.”

(i) Who is the speaker and who is he/she talking to?
Ans. The Giant BFG is telling the above statement to Sophie.

(ii) What is the secret the speaker is talking about?

Ans. BFG is talking about the secret that he blows dreams in the bedrooms of children
at night.

(iii) Did the speaker tell the secret to the listener?

Ans. Yes, the giant BFG shared his secret of blowing dreams to children at night with
Sophie.

(iv) Did the listener believe the secrets if it was shared with her?
Ans. Sophie was hearing intently but it seemed unbelievable to her as she was hearing
all this for the first time.
 MY CHILDHOOD
English Literature Chapter – 7

I Word Meaning:-

Erstwhile - former
Innate - natural
Generosity - kindness
Helpmate - one who helps
Ancestral - belonging to forefathers
Austere - strict or secure in manner
Erupted - disrupted
Anna - n old coin, equal to 6.25 paise
Surge - powerful rush of emotions
Inherited - received s an heir
Characteristics - traits
Specific - clearly defined or identified
Orthodox - conservative
Pilgrims - persons who journey to a religious place
Catering - feeding
Utterly - completely
Downcast - feeling sad
Summoned - called
Bluntly - rudely
Segregation - set part from the rest
Conservative - opposed to new ideas
Rebel - person who revolts
Barriers - obstacles, hindrances
Mingle - mix
Horrified - terrified
Ritually - religiously performing ceremony
Optimism - brighter side of things

II Match the word with their meanings:-

Erstwhile - precise [3]

Ideal - common [4]
Exact - effort [6]
Undistinguished - a thing lost or damaged [7]
 Fairly - former [1]
Attempt - quite [5]
Casually - perfect [2]

III Explain these expressions:-

1. Generosity of spirit – broadmindedness

2. Put together – combined
3. Break out – to start
4. Helping hand - a person who is helping
5. In accordance with – according to
6. Do one’s best – to do their level best
7. On par with – equal importance or quality

IV Question and Answers:-

1. Where was Abdul Kalam born?

Ans. Abdul Kalam was born into middle-class Tamil family in the island town of
Rameswaram in the former Madras State.

2. What do you know about his parents?

Ans. Abdul Kalam was born into middle-class Tamil family in the island town of
Rameswaram in the former Madras State. His father, Jainulabdeen had neither much
formal education nor much wealth but possessed great, inborn wisdom and a true
generosity of spirit. Kalam’s mother Ashiamma was an ideal partner to his father. She
used to feed far more outsiders than all the members of the family put together.

3. Describe his ancestral home.

Ans. His ancestral house was built in the middle of the nineteenth century. It was a fairly
large pucca house, made of limestone and brick, on the Mosque street in Rameswaram.

4. How did Abdul Kalam earn his first wages?

Ans. During the Second World War, when the train halt at Rameswaram station was
suspended, the newspaper needed to be bundled and thrown out from the moving train
on the Rameswaram Road between Rameswaram and Dhanuskodi. Kalam became the
helping hand for his cousin, Samsuddin, to catch the bundles and distribute newspaper.
This is how Kalam earned his first wages.

5. What did he inherit from his parents?

Ans. Kalam inherited honesty and self-discipline from his father and inherited faith in
goodness and deep kindness from his mother.

6. How many close friends did Kalam have in his childhood? Name them.
Ans. Kalam had three close friends in his childhood. They were Ramanadha Sastry,
Aravindan and Sivaprakasan.

7. What did Kalam’s friends become when they grew up?

Ans. Ramanadha Sastry took over the priesthood of the Rameswaram temple from his
father, Arvindan went into the business of arranging transport for visiting pilgrims and
Sivaprakasan became a catering contractor for the Southern Railways.

8. What was the task Kalam’s family used to do during the annual Shri Sita Rama
Kalyanam ceremony?
Ans. During the annual Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony, Kalam’s family used to
arrange boats with a special platform for carrying idols of the Lord from the temple to
the marriage site, situated in the middle of the pond, called Rama Tirtha, which was
near Kalam’s house.

9. What were the common bedtime stories told to the children in Kalam’s family?
Ans. Events from the Ramayana and from the life of the Prophet were the common bedtime
stories told to the children in Kalam’s family.

10. Why was the new teacher snubbed by Lakshmana Sastry?

Ans. Lakshmana Sastry snubbed on the new teacher because the new teacher was spreading
the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance in the minds of innocent
children.

11. What happened when the new teacher was snubbed by Lakshmana Sastry?
Ans. When the new teacher was snubbed by Lakshmana Sastry, the new teacher regretted
his behavior and ultimate got completely reformed.

12. How was the society of Rameswaram in terms of the segregation of different
social groups?
Ans. The small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in terms of the segregation of
different social groups.

13. Who was Sivasubramania? How did he treat Kalam?

Ans. Sivasubramania Iyer was Kalam’s science teacher who was an orthodox Brahmin with
a very conservative wife. Sivasubramania did his best to break social barriers so that
people from varying backgrounds could mingle easily.
He used to treat Kalam very well and spend hours with him and would say that he
wanted Kalam to develop so that he is on par with the highly educated people of the
big cities.

12. What kind of a woman was Sivasubramania’s wife?

Ans. Sivasubramania’s wife was an orthodox Brahmin and a very conservative wife.

13. What happened when Sivasubramania invited Kalam to his home for a meal?
Ans. When Sivasubramania invited Kalam to his home for a meal, Sivasubramania’s wife
was horrified at the idea of a Muslim boy being invited to dine in her ritually pure
kitchen, hence she refused to serve Kalam in her kitchen.

14. What happened when Sivasubramania’s wife refused to serve Kalam in her
kitchen?
Ans. When Sivasubramania’s wife refused to serve Kalam food in her kitchen,
Sivasubramania was not perturbed or angry with his wife but instead served Kalam
with his own hands and sat down beside him to eat his meal.

15. Why did Sivasubramania invite Kalam for dinner again the next weekend inspite
of knowing his wife’s dissatisfaction to it?
Ans. Sivasubramania invited Kalam again for dinner the next weekend inspite of knowing
about his wife’s dissatisfaction because he believed that to change the system problems
had to be confronted.

16. What happened when Sivasubramania invited Kalam for dinner again the next
weekend?
Ans. When Sivasubramania invited Kalam for dinner again the next weekend,
Sivasubramania’s wife took Kalam inside her kitchen and served him food with her
own hands.

17. What did Gandhiji declare after the World War II?
Ans. Gandhiji declared that “Indian will build their own India” by the end of the World War
II.

18. Why did Kalam ask his father for permission to leave Rameswaram?
Ans. Kalam asked his father for permission to leave Rameswaram to study at the district
headquarters in Ramanathapuram.

V Reference to Context:-

1. “In fact, I would say mine was a very secure childhood, both materially and
emotionally.” What does it mean?
Ans. Kalam thought to himself. He meant that in his childhood all the necessities as a child
were provided for. By materially he means food, medicine or clothes along with
wisdom and emotionally he means with the love and affection of a family.

2. “The image of him weeping when I shifted to the last row left a lasting impression
on me.” Explain
Ans. This statement was narrated by Kalam. Kalam is refereeing about Ramandha Sastry
who had wept when Kalam was instructed by the new teacher to shift to the last bench
as the teacher could not tolerate a Hindu priest’s son sitting with a Muslim boy.

3. On the whole, the small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in terms of the
segregation of different social groups,” says the author. Which social groups does
he mention?
Ans. The author is talking about the different social groups like Hindu, Muslim, Brahmin,
etc.

4. Narrate the two incidents that show how differences can be created, and also how
they can be resolved. How can people change their attitudes?
Ans. The two incidents that show how differences can be created are
(i)The new teacher had asked Kalam to move to the last bench and created a difference
in the minds of young children about the social inequality.
(ii)When Sivasubramania invited Kalam for dinner at his home, his wife refused to
serve food to Kalam in her kitchen as they were orthodox Brahmins and Kalam was a
Muslim boy.
People can change their attitude by making them face the problems.

5. “I want you to develop so that you are on par with the highly educated people of
the big cities.”
Ans.

6. “Once you decide

 I STARTED TO COUNT THE LEAVES TODAY
English Literature Chapter – 16

I Word Meaning:-

Oak - a tree with tough, hard wood

Blessings - good wishes
One and all - everyone
Distinguish - differentiate
Footfall - footstep, the rich or poor wetting past the tree
Reduce me - bring to
Spake - spoke
Soul - spirit, the body dies but not the soul
Eternal - that does not die, everlasting
I am no more than shade here - All that I can give is shade from the hot sun

II Question and Answers:-

1. Who is ‘I’ referred to in the poem?

Ans. ‘I’ is referred to the speaker in the poem.

2. Who is personified in the poem?

Ans. The old wise oak tree is personified in the poem.

3. When does the oak speak?

Ans. The oak spoke when the speaker started to count the leave of the oak tree.

4. What tells you that the tree is objective and fair?

Ans. The tree is objective and fair because it gives shade to everyone irrespective of whether
he is rich or poor.

5. What tells you that the tree is young or old?

Ans. The tree is old because it had been there for years.

6. ‘There’s a give and take ……..’ Explain.

Ans. There is a give and take between the trees and human as human help the tree to grown
and in return the tree gives us shade after it has grown tall and oxygen to breathe.

7. ‘For parts are never the whole.’ Explain.

Ans. Life is a blessing and we should enjoy it as a whole. We should not start looking at it in
parts as we often do. Each part is important but it is the whole that matters in the end.

8. What should we learn?

Ans. We should learn that we should not see the world as a part and stay happy with what
we have because life is a blessing.

9. ‘Human soul is eternal.’ Explain.

Ans. The human soul is eternal. It means the soul never dies but the human body decays.

10. What effect does it have on the poet after the tree has spoken to him?
Ans. After the tree has spoken to the poet, the poet realizes that life is a blessing and should
be enjoyed as a whole. He should not be looking at small portions and be sad about it.
Though these small parts are important the whole matter sin the end.

III Reference to context:

1. “But distinguish I don’t between footfall.”

(i) Who is the speaker?
Ans. The old wise oak is the speaker.

(ii) When do we hear footfalls?

Ans. We hear footfalls when human beings walk under the tree.

(iii) What does the speaker give to one and all?

Ans. The old oak gives shade to one and all without differentiating between them.

(iv) The speaker is very generous. How?

Ans. The speaker is very generous because it gives shade to everyone without
distinguishing between people.
(v) Can you think of any other object in Nature which is as generous as the speaker
here?
Ans. Another object which is very generous to us like the speaker is the Sun. The Sun
gives us sunshine which is very essential for us to keep warm. Without the sun
rays the earth would be very dark and no living being would be able to survive.
 ROBOTS ARE BECOMING CLEVER
English Literature Chapter – 15

I Word Meaning:-

Chubby - round and slightly fat

Fury - great anger
Rude - impolite
Yell - shout
Impassive - expressionless
Contradict - oppose
Puzzled - confused
Carton - a light box, made of cardboard or plastic
Stretched - extended
Bits - pieces
Amazement - surprise
Leaned - bent
Earnest - serious
Absolutely - completely
Fatigue - tiredness
Fiddle with - move or touch
Dismantled - took something apart so that it is in pieces
Convinced - made certain

II Question and Answers:-

1. Why did Deepa call Doxie a liar?

Ans. Deepa called Doxie a liar because Doxie was denying the fact that Deepa had asked it
to bake chocolate biscuits for her.

2. How did Doxie answer Deepa?

Ans. Doxie answered without a trace of expression in it’s face and said that he was not a liar
and that Deepa had not given him any such instruction.

3. What made Deepa angrier with the robot?

Ans. No trace of expression on Doxie’s face and the usual pleasant tone of Doxie made
Deepa angrier.

4. What did mother do at last?

Ans. Mother dismantled Doxie, packed it into a carton and sent it to the robotics Centre,
with a complaint form attached to the carton.

5. How did Doxie behave after it was repaired?

Ans. After Doxie was repaired, it seemed to be in a perfect working condition and was
working well for somedays but on the following Sunday morning when Deepa woke
up and asked Doxie to tell her mother to give her milk, but Doxie did not follow her
order.

6. What was the salesman’s suggestion when the mother took the robot again for
repair?
Ans. When Deepa’s mother took the robot to the salesman for repair again, the salesman
requested her to make a little experiment on Doxie by watching it at night with letting
the robot know that it is being watched.

7. Where was Doxie left every night?

Ans. Doxie was left in the storeroom every night.

8. What did Deepa find Doxie doing?

Ans. Deepa found Doxie opening her father’s tool box with a soft, metallic stick and Doxie
pulled out a screw driver with which it unscrewed a few screws on it’s belly and
removed a metal plate having some programming chips.

9. What was Doxie’s explanation?

Ans. Doxie explained that metal too can suffer from fatigue due to overuse. He said that it
was not a new model and has been used before it came to Deepa’s house. He also said
that his parts were old, and they were tired. It was suffering from metal fatigue. Doxie
said that robots were supposed to follow orders but it knew if it acted strangely and
created enough trouble and made enough mistakes, it would be sent back to the centre
where it would be dismantled and left to rest. So it planned to fiddle with the knobs
which controlled its behavior.

10. What solution was found to provide rest to Doxie?

Ans. Deepa’s family found out the solution of dismantling Doxie every night so it gets the
rest it needs.
11. What were the family’s feelings towards Doxie?
Ans. The family considered Doxie as a part of their family and loved him very much.

III Reference to context:

1. “Do you dismantle Doxie every night?”

(i) How had Doxie been behaving?
Ans. Doxie had been behaving very strangely. It seemed to go completely out of
control. It sang and it danced at unlikely moments. It began to dance with atre
tray in its hands and all the crockery fell to eth ground, scattering brow tea stains
all over the family’s new white carpet.

(ii) Where was it taken for repair?

Ans. It was taken to Robotics Centre for repair.

(iii) What solution was offered by the salesman?

Ans. The salesman requested her to make a little experiment on Doxie by watching it
at night with letting the robot know that it is being watched.

(iv) What was Doxie seen doing at night?

Ans. Doxie was seen opening Deepa’s father’s tool box with a soft, metallic stick and
Doxie pulled out a screw driver with which it unscrewed a few screws on it’s
belly and removed a metal plate having some programming chips.

(v) What did Doxie want? Why?

Ans. Doxie wanted to rest as it was suffering from metal fatigue due to overuse. It
was not a new model and had been used before it came to Deepa’s house. His
parts were old, and they were tired. So it wanted to be sent back to the Robotics
centre where it would be dismantled and left to rest.
 GEORGE WHO PLAYED WITH A DANGEROUS TOY
English Literature Chapter – 13

I Word Meaning:-

Immense - big
Sort - kind
Reeking - giving strong, unpleasant smell
Shrieks - painful cries
Yells - shouts or loud calls
Mingled - mixed
Masonry - bricks, stones, etc
Crunching - crushing
Tottered - moved or tilted, as if about to fall
Savile Row - a very fashionable and famous street
Nasty lump - a bad, large swelling under the skin

II Question and Answers:-

1. What did George receive?

Ans. George received a big balloon which was of a dangerous kind.

2. Why was he given the gift?

Ans. George’s Grandma had promised to buy him a balloon if he would be very obedient.
So George was given the gift as he had been very obedient.

3. What do you think of the Immense Balloon? Can it be dangerous?

Ans. The big

4. How did the explosion take place?

Ans.

5. What was the immediate result?

Ans.

6. How did the family react?

Ans.

7. What was the most tragic thing to happen?

Ans.

8. Describe the loss of life and property.

Ans.

9. Was George responsible for the catastrophe?

Ans.

10. Did you enjoy reading this poem? Why? Why not?
Ans.

III Reference to context:-

1. “The House itself began to fall.”

(i) What happened earlier in the context?
(ii) How did the family members react?
(iii) How did the house fall?
(iv) Who got killed in the mishap?
(vi) Who would be permanently deaf?

2. “She promised in the Afternoon ….To buy him an immense Balloon.”

(i) Who said this to whom?
(ii) What did she promise to buy him the balloon?
(iii) What is the name of the poem from which these lines has been taken from?
(iv) Name the poet.

3. “And being of a dangerous sort…Exploded with a loud Report!”

(i) What exploded with a loud noise?
(ii) Why is it being considered of a dangerous kind?

4. “It tottered shuddering to and fro, ….then crashed into the street below-
(i) What was shuddering to and fro?
(ii) Why was it shuddering to and fro?
(iii) What was the name of the street where it crashed into?