Tuesday, 27 September 2016

Three Men In A Boat

Character sketch

Montmorency

He belongs to the fox terrier breed. He is the narrators dog. He is different from all the other three characters in the novel taken from the real life situations. He may be viewed as the consciousness of Jerome, the narrator.
When Jerome had found his pet he never thought that he would survive for too long. But he was not only proven wrong by surviving but also turn out to be high spirited dog, killing chickens chasing cats and fighting against other dogs.
It is only he who is not happy with the idea of the boating trip. he feels that there is nothing to do for him on a boat trip as he neither cares for scenery nor smoking. He believes the idea of boating to be a 'bally foolishness.'
He is, by nature a violent dog and is found of noise and action. We have various instances in the novel that would describe him vividly. The packing scene, fighting with other dogs during their journey and the dead rat incident, all of them are pointing towards the same.
He is not portrayed as a mere dog but par with the other human characters. He is clever and adventurous. He also creates humour in the novel. The humour created are often resulted from the actions. He is keen on being a 'perfect nuisance' and to make people go mad at him. His ambition in life is to be 'sworn at' and be cursed he feels proud after achieving such ambitions. he spoils the task of packing as he creates mess by putting his leg into the jam, worrying teaspoons and playing with the lemons taking it to be a rat.
His natures is marked by curiosity and a desire to help as seen by his attempt to hold the boiling kettle where he burns his nose and the contributions of the dead rat
His encounter with the cat 'Tom' is amusing. When he could not frighten the cat with his quick dash a, he had to return embarrassed. He is quick to get into quarrel but when faced with more determined adversaries quick to fall back.

Sunday, 5 June 2016

summary of mrs Packletide's tiger

Mrs. Packletide’s Tiger – Saki
Bit/Bits
·         Mrs. Packletide was always in a struggle to defeat her society rivals such as Mrs. Loona Bimberton.
·         Recently Mrs. Loona Bimberton flew in an Algerian airplane. Everyone discussed this and Loona became the centre of attraction and subject of talk.
·         Packletide was forgotten – like the frog felt in the poem ‘Frog and the Nightingale.’
·         She decided to do anything to get her fame back from Loona.
·         She thought of hunting a tiger that is unusual even in these days. Mrs. Packletide was very much smart in her decision to kill the tiger.
·         She made her tiger hunt easy by choosing an infirmed, too aged tiger.
·         She paid a big amount of money to the village headman to get his people to assist her till the end of the much publicised hunt. Besides, she got the help of Miss Louisa Mebbin to assist her for the tiger hunt and be a witness of her brave act.
·         Most of the villagers readily helped Mrs. Packletide for money while some of them liked this idea for the fun and adventure of hunting.
·         There were chances that the tiger could have run away from the jungle where Mrs. Packletide had decided to hunt it down. If it ran away, then the villagers would miss their chance to assist Mrs. Packletide to hunt it and thereby their reward. To keep the tiger in the same forest, children were posted on the outskirts of the jungle.
·         The tiger that Mrs. Packletide decided to hunt was aged and infirm. It was not able to hunt anything that was bigger than a hare. To keep the tiger in the same jungle and to stop it from running away, goats that bleated at all times were left near the tiger to.
·         The goat’s bleat was persistent. It was a gift that the goat possessed such a bleat because it could easily attract the tiger to the tree on which Mrs. Packletide was waiting to kill it.
·         The tiger that Mrs. Packletide chose to hunt was extremely aged and infirmed. Mothers carrying their babies back home were asked not to sing songs for their babies because it was believed that the tiger could be scared away if it heard them sing.
·         Miss Lousa Mebbin was a shrewd woman. She used to assist people for money and traveled abroad with them for any amount of time. She pretended to be a wellwisher to anyone she assisted but in fact she exploited them in all possible ways.
·         Miss Louisa Mebbin was shrewd woman who pretended to be a protective elder sister. She behaved with the people she assisted in their tasks as if she didn’t want them incur any loss of any kind as long as she served them. Her asking Mrs. Packletide not to shoot the goat in case it is not eaten by the tiger is an instance of this.
·         When the tiger appeared, Mebbin was thinking about selling the leftover of the tiger when it is killed by Mrs. packletide. She had come to the sad conclusion that there could be no profit out of selling the remnants of the dead tiger.
·         The aged and infirmed tiger didn’t attack the goat instantly when it sighted it tied to a tree. Instead, the tiger lay down as if to take a brief rest before eating the goat.
·         Miss Mebbin always exhibited such an attitude in front of the people she served that they felt that she was their well-wisher.  To give Mrs. Packletide a similar impression, she suggested that the goat not killed so as to save Mrs. Packletide’s money.
·         The natives had been offered an amount of rupees one thousand for helping Mrs. Packltide kill the tiger and because of this they were excited to hear the news of the tiger being shot.
·         Miss Louisa Mebbin discovered that the tiger had died of heart failure. This discovery annoyed Mrs. Packletide because she feared that people would soon come to know the truth about real hunting story if Louisa Mebbin opened her mouth. Her sudden annoyance is pardonable because she had all the reasons to feel annoyed about such an unpleasant and disturbing discovery which threatened her hard earned fame.
·         The villagers were offered and later paid an amount of Rupees one thousand for helping Mrs. Packletide shoot a tiger.
·         They were to get the oldest of the tigers, they were to make sure that the tiger didn’t run away, they had to provide the tiger’s food in time and they had to hide in ambush in case the tiger escaped while being hunted.
·         For this enormous reward, the villagers did everything as expected and more.
·         Louisa Mebbin was the master player in the Packletide episode. Whether she had in her mind this blackmail plan or not, she was aware of the big disgrace the pompous woman was going to suffer if the truth was out. Later, with a view to make Packletide pay for her dream villa, she told her that everyone would be amused if they knew the tiger had not really been shot dead. It was intended to make the lady know that she was prepared to break the truth to the public.
·         Doubtlessly Miss Mebbin intended to betray Mrs. Packletide if the latter had refused to pay for the villa. By announcing to the public that she had been Mrs. Packletide’ paid companion during the tiger hunt and that she had witnessed the tiger faking unhurt by the gun and that the tiger died of a heart failure, she could bring Packletide to a great disgrace.
·         Mrs. Packletide was never heard in connection with another tiger hunt.
·         What cost her for the tiger hunt with Louisa Mebbin was more than she could bear.
·         The shock it gave her and the loss of a big amount of money to save her face drew her life out.
·         Though the tiger hunt had brought enormous name to Mrs. Packletide, yet when she faced the media cameras, she felt her heart very light, frightened by the anxiety about the fact that Miss Louisa Mabbin was aware of the nature of the tiger’s death.
·         If Miss Mebbin told the truth, the fat would be in the fire.
·         Miss Louisa Mebbin had in her mind a plan to make Mrs. Packletide pay for a villa that she longed to buy. She could do that only if the neighborhood learnt that Mrs. Packletide’s bullet had missed the tiger and that it had been a lie. Once the news of the tiger hunt spread out, she could easily threaten Mrs. Packletide to buy the villa for her. By declaring in the local language that the tiger hadn’t been killed by the gun, Miss Mebbin was securing a large number of witnesses for her to stand against Mrs. Packletide.
·         It is nowhere hinted that Louisa Mebbin had preplanned the idea of blackmailing Packletide. This idea struck her somewhere in the course of her assisting the pompous lady. Knowing that, well, Louisa Mebbin was an opportunist, the lady could sacrifice anything for a name, Louisa devised this idea of profiting something for herself – a villa as it turned out at the end.
·         Yes, Miss Mebbin had devised the idea of blackmailing Packletide from the very beginning. She was such a character who drew the goodwill of the rich people for whom she was a paid companion. By pretending to be angered at the mere loss of money that her employers used to spent and by advising them to avoid such extravagance, she won their trust. This showy attitude is a primary evidence against her. Her loudly declaring to the local villagemen that the tiger was not shot dead, supports the suspicion that she was convincing the local witnesses the truth for a later benefit. If she didn’t have this betraying plan in mind, she would have threatened Mrs. Packletide before the luncheon party. Having waited for the party to pass, she got a better stand to threaten her prey.
·         ​It is nowhere hinted that Louisa Mebbin had preplanned the idea of blackmailing Packletide. This idea struck her somewhere in the course of her assisting the pompous lady. Knowing that, well, Louisa Mebbin was an opportunist, the lady could sacrifice anything for a name, Louisa devised this idea of profiting something for herself – a villa as it turned out at the end.
·         Miss Mebbin had devised the idea of blackmailing Packletide from the very beginning.
·         She was such a character who drew the goodwill of the rich people for whom she was a paid companion.
·         By pretending to be angered at the mere loss of money that her employers used to spent and by advising them to avoid such extravagance, she won their trust.
·         This showy attitude is a primary evidence against her. Her loudly declaring to the local village-men that the tiger was not shot dead, supports the suspicion that she was convincing the local witnesses the truth for a later benefit. If she didn’t have this betraying plan in mind, she would have threatened Mrs. Packletide before the luncheon party. Having waited for the party to pass, she got a better stand to threaten her prey.
Character Traits
Packletide
1.     Competitive
2.     High-headed
3.     Ambitious
4.     Jealous
5.     Manipulative
6.     Overbearing
7.     Patronizing
8.     Condescending
Louisa Mebbin
1.     Opportunistic
2.     Mercenary
3.     Fawning
4.     Hypocrite
5.     Conniving
6.     Money-minded
7.     Calculative
8.     Sly
9.     Crafty
10.  Stingy
11.  Cunning
12.  Witty
13.  Scheming

14.  Presumptuous

Wednesday, 2 March 2016

Best Seller

Best Seller
1.  John is hypocrite. Do you agree?
 Yes,
- made fun of romantic stories
-He had a romantic marriage.
- followed a girl whom he found in a train journey and got married.
2. Irony in the story ‘The Best – Seller’
-The story is full of ironical instances. The main protagonist of the story John denounces bestselling novels as something inferior to real life but we find that the story of his marriage is even more dramatic and adventurous than any fictional romance. He ridicules the story of Trevelyan’s romance for a princess by saying that he finds it difficult to believe that people would like to marry people from different strata of society or different background. According to him people generally marry people from same social circle, form the same background, or old school friends. Ironically, he himself marries a girl from aristocratic background, and goes to great extend to ensure that the marriage takes place. In fact even at the end he gets down at coke town to look for a petunia sapling for his wife just because she had admired it on a previous trip.

Keeping It From Harold

Keeping it from Harold
Characters:
Mrs. Jane Bramble
  • Good natured, Affectionate,
  • Very caring towards husband, Bill and son, Harold
  • Ever ready to hear Harold's Lessons/poem
  • Held truth as a principle of life
  • Sensitive to Harold's feelings- Told lie about Bramble's profession, felt he would be embarrassed to knew his father was a professional boxer
  • Extremely concerned about Harold's future- Not willing to give up the last fight as it would fetch them sufficient money to educate Harold.
Mr. Bill Bramble
  • Thirty-one year old, professional boxer but mild natured, obliging, fondly called 'young Porky';had now planned to give up boxing after the last fight at the national sporting club
  • yield to other's requests
  • gave his wife's desire to name son Harold
  • Jane, senir curate of parish and brother-in-law suggested he should not reveal his profession to Harold
  • agreed to hid his real profession from Harold
  • agreed  not to fight at the National sporting club
  • agreed to fight when asked by Harold to continue with his profession
before Harold was born
  • Was proud of being a professional boxer
  • enjoyed great publicity through newspaper
once Harold began schooling
  • kept his profession secret
  • told Harold he was a commercial traveller
  • decided to give up boxing and become an instructor
Harold
  • Child prodigy- seemed a class above parents
  • unlike parents- brilliant at school
  • focused- worked hard to attain perfection
  • meticulous- kept books and things in order
  • courteous- even shut doors softly
  • talented- sang in the choir, won prize for spelling and dictation
Major Percy Stokes
  • Mrs. Bramble's brother, belonged to salvation army
  • persuasive- persuades Bill to keep profession secret from Harold because he did not consider boxing a dignified profession
  • aggressive- compelled Bill not to fight against jimmy Murphy
Jerry fisher
  • Bill Bramble's trainer
  • did not allow people to meet people he trained
  • aggressive temperament- wanted to fight with Percy for influencing Bill
  • Revengeful- wished to avenge bill for letting him down,


1.What kind of boy was Harold.
-Intelligent boy – deep interest in academics.
- Self absorbed, self occupied- did not take much interest in his parents.
-interested in boxing, has deep knowledge about it.
2. Who was major Percy Stokes? What kind of man was he?
- Brother of Mrs. Bramble
- Trouble maker
- Seems to not have involvement in any constructive work..
- - Instigates Mr. Bramble into quitting boxing before the big fight.

3. Harold’s parents were too perceptive and concerned. Yet they failed to see the reality of their son’s interests. Bring out the truth of this statement by giving evidence from the text.

 Ans. Harold’s parents were extremely proud of his intelligence. They knew that he was a prodigy and were highly concerned that Bill’s profession should be hidden from him. They regarded him as a person showing a bit too much class for them. But they failed to see the reality of their son’s interests. This is evident from the reaction of Harold when he comes to know the reality. He cries and says that it was a rotten thing to hide everything from him. He tells them that he had a bet with his friend, Dicky Saunders, that Jimmy Murphy would not last ten rounds. Harold also tells Jerry that he’s been interested in all these things since he was a kid. He also says that all the fellows with him were very keen on discussing about the boxers' performances. Harold himself names the boxers one after the other, which amazingly shows his field of interest which his parents were completely unaware of.
4. Do you agree that Mrs Bramble is obsessed of dominating not only her husband but also her son?
I do believe that Mrs. Bramble is obsessed with dominating both her husband and her son. She refers to herself in the third person when she talks to her son. Harold doesn’t like this because he feels that she does so as she considers him a baby. While talking to her husband too, Mrs. Bramble is quite blunt. When she sees Bill who has come home while he was supposed to be training, she gets angry and says, “I want a plain answer to a plain question. What are you doing here, Bill, instead of being at the ‘White Hart?” When Bill tells her that he is not going to fight with Murphy, she’s furious and says, “How about the money?” She also says,“ Goodness knows I’ve never liked your profession, Bill ....” These instances show clearly that she fully dominates and controls the life of her husband too.

5. Give a character-sketch of Harold. OR Harold was just like any other child. How was his personality reflected in the end different from what you had read in the beginning? Discuss. [CBSE 2010 (Term-II)]

 Harold is just ten-years old, and for his age he has achieved far more. He is a ‘prodigy’, a child who has exceptional intellectual qualities, and so his parents regard him as ‘being of a superior order’. He is hard working and a brilliant student, who is devoted to his books. His behaviour is also exemplary, and he is a model of goodness and perfect intelligence. In spite of all this, he is not proud of his intellectual level. In fact, when he comes to know of his father’s boxing profession, the way he associates so much value to it, is amazing for everybody present there. He is an absolutely down-to-earth person, with no airs about himself. His character surely reveals that he believes in perfection and has a lot of respect for excellence, be it in the field of studies or sports. He is not a dumb bookworm, but an active and smart person who carries his own opinion, and knows how to express it too.
6. Do you think Bill Bramble was cut out to be a professional boxer on all counts?
Ans. Bill Bramble’s character reveals that to be a professional boxer one need not be violent in nature, specially with people in one's private life. So far as his profession was concerned, he was a tough boxer to fight with. This is evident from the admiration millions of people had for him, and from the way newspapers liked to cover his achievements. So his nature and his profession can be considered as absolutely contradictory to each other. But his ability to hit his fellow-man in the eye while apparently aiming an attack on his stomach, and vice versa, had won him laurels. Among the London’s teeming millions there was not a man, weighing eight stone four, whom he could not overcome in a twenty round contest. Thus in my opinion he was surely cut out to be a professional boxer on all counts.

7. Do you think that Harold’s parents did the right thing by hiding that his father was a professional boxer?
 The bond between parents and a child is not only very close and emotional, but also based on the firm ground of total trust. All ethics, values are imparted to the child by his parents. Love, tender care grows manifold as the child grows. In case of the Bramble family, they thrived in the glory of their prodigy–Harold. No wonder, Harold always performed better than their expectations. He was of keen intellect, winning prizes everywhere. In fact they basked so much in the sunshine of his achievements that they started getting an inferiority complex. They hesitated to do anything that would bring disgrace or make him feel that they were less respectable than others. Bill Bramble had immense pride in his boxing skills. Media, fame, money that once attracted him the most, faded away once Harold was born. They thought that boxing was uncultured, was meant for “men of wrath and they could never bring anything of this type to Harold’s notice. So began the season of deceit, hiding secrets, though it is all for their dear son’s welfare. In the process of hiding the truth, they end up hurting their son the most. Parent’s achievements means the world for the children. This falsehood had caused permanent scars on the psyche of Harold. He may not show, but deep within, he would never forgive his parents. In their over protectiveness, they had failed to note that Harold was a young boy, with natural craze for games and betting. He suffered due to peer-pressure; his natural desire was the subject of envy among his classmates, which his parents had deprived him of. So parents should be cautious, shield their child from problems, but not overshadow his growth. Honesty and trust are the most important factors for any relationship to grow.
8. How was Mr. Bramble’s nature in total contrast to his physical abilities?

Ans. Mr. Bramble was a successful boxer by profession, which requires immense physical strength to defeat the opponent. He was a tough fighter and was affectionately known to a large section of the inhabitants of London, as “Young Porky”. Among all London’s teeming millions, there was not a man, weighing eight stone four, whom he could not overcome in a twenty round contest. But Mr. Bramble’s nature was a total contrast to his physical abilities. In private life, he was the mildest and the most obliging of men, and always yielded to everybody. At one place in the story, the writer describes his walk as that of a ‘diffident crab’ implying that he did not have much self-confidence. His sensitive nature and sense of sacrifice for his son also show how soft he was at heart.
 9. Harold's reaction to Parent's sacrifice of truth

  • Harold was extremely disappointed that Bill's true profession had been kept a secret 
  • other children had autographs and pictures of famous boxers
  • he was mockingly called 'goggles' and wouldn't  be if children in school knew he was young Porky son
  • wished he had known his father was the famous professional boxer people talked about
  • felt cheated, wished he would continue boxing and win the match at the National sporting club he would feel proud to be called Young Porky's son

Tuesday, 1 March 2016

The man who Knew too much SA2 Notes

Notes for SA-II
The Man Who Knew Too Much
1. Character sketch of Private Quelch.
-Dedicated, committed and focused man.
-set his heart on becoming an army officer and getting a stripe and he left no stones unturned to achieve his goal.
- Borrowed the training manual and read it thoroughly, even staying late into night
-keen to acquit himself with all the aspects of army and would badger his instructor with all sorts of questions.
- Never tired or exhausted during marches
- Not popular because of his attitude of showing off and behaving ain a condescending manner.
- If anyone made any mistake he corrected them publically unmindful of their feelings.
-he offended corporal and sergeant (refer the text for the incident).
2. Private Quelch though knew too much could not win the admiration of his superior officers and colleagues. Why?
-Correcting colleagues publically
- If any one shown at his work, he outshone them.
- Always tried to patronise them.
- showed off his knowledge

Private Quelch’s knowledge :


About muzzle velocity:
Once a Sergeant was describing the mechanism of a service rifle, “The muzzle velocity or speed at which the bullet leaves the rifle is well over two thousand feet per second.” On this, The Professor interrupted and corrected the Sergeant, “Two thousand, four hundred and forty feet per second.”
After a thirty mile walk:
 The Professor used to drill with enthusiasm and was miraculously never tired after route marches and used to infuriate all with his horrible heartiness. Afterwards, he would say, “What about a song, chaps?” This was not greeted by anybody after a walk of thirty miles.

His salute on payday:
 The professor flashed a model to behold at the pay table. Always tireless, like a Guardsman, he would march and raise his skinny arms and flash a perfect salute whenever an officer was around.

The loud sound of a high flying invisible aeroplane:

The soldiers used to pride themselves on aircraft recognition. Once, while all were out for a walk, they heard the drone of a plane flying overhead. The sun was glaring and none of them could see the plane. But The Professor didn’t need even a sight of the plane and announced, “That of course, is a North American Harvard Trainer. It can be unmistakably identified by the harsh engine note, due to the high tip speed of the airscrew.” The rest felt like louts and felt out of place with Private Quelch.of peeling potatoes” wasted the vitamin values of the vegetable. The narrator and his friend heard and fled.

About hand grenades:

 One afternoon Corporal Turnbull was taking a session on hand grenades. The Corporal began by telling about how the outside of a grenade is divided up into a large number of fragments to assist segmentation. However, The Professor interrupted by pointing out with the exact number of fragments, which was 44, and went on suggesting that Corporal should have started his lecture by first explaining the five characteristics of the grenade. In reaction the Corporal let Quelch take the lecture. After The Professor was through and all had fallen in, Corporal Turnbull assigned Private Quelch, the permanent cookhouse duties. Of course, it was a joke for days afterwards; a joke and joy to talents.
-
During cook house duties:

One day while the narrator and his friend were returning from the canteen to the hall. They saw three cooks through the open door and they heard The Professor criticising the method of peeling potatoes. He was telling the other two cooks that their “abominably unscientific and unhygienic method


                                                                                                                                            

Preposition of Time

A number of prepositions may be used to denote time: from Monday; after my return; during the night; till tomorrow; before the bell rings; a quarter to ten.
In most cases, it is easy to decide which preposition to use. The following prepositions, however, need special attention.

1. At, on, in

(a) At usually denotes a definite point of time but can also be used for indefinite periods:
at 7 p.m.; at this moment; (Definite at midnight; point of time)
at the end of the class;
at night; at dawn; (indefinite at Durga Puja; at Diwali. periods)
(b) On is used with days and dates:
on Monday; on 1st May;
on the annual day; on a May afternoon.
(c) In is used with parts of the day, and with months, years, seasons:
in the morning; in September;
in 2004; in winter.
(d) In is also used with the future tense to show the period in which an action will happen:
in a week; in four hours.
(e) In and within. In means at the end of; within means before the end of:
I shall be back in a week. (when a week is over)
I shall be back within a week. (before a week is over)

2. By

By refers to a point of future time and denotes the latest time at which an action will be over:
The competition will be over by 6 p.m.
(It should be over before it is 6 p.m., but the latest time at which it can be over is 6 p.m.)
They will have declared the result by tomorrow evening.

3. For

For is used with periods of time to show the duration of an action. It is mostly used with perfect continuous tenses though it may be found with other tenses as well:This discussion has been going on for two hours.
I have worked in this office for two years.
For may sometimes be omitted also:
I have been busy the whole morning. (for the whole morning)

4. Since

Since marks the point of time at which an action began. It is used only if the action has continued till the time of speaking; hence it is found with perfect continuous tenses. Unlike for, it can never be ommitted:
She has been teaching in this college since 2001.
A cool breeze has been blowing since morning.

5. From

From denotes the starting point of an action and is used in all cases except when the action has continued till the moment of speaking. It is almost invariably used with to or till:
The examination will be held from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
He was the Chief Minister of the state from 1999 to 2002.

6. At, in

(a) At has the idea of an exact point and is, therefore, used with houses, villages, small towns. In has the idea of a larger area and is used while speaking of bigger towns, states, countries, etc.:
at Karol Bagh in New Delhi;
at Ambala; in England;
at the end; in the middle.
(b) At conveys the idea of a general neighbourhood; in conveys the idea of something contained:
We say at the table to take our lunch.
Please wait for me at the Regal PVR.
Turn left at the next crossing.
There are two Pepsi bottles in the refrigerator.
You will find the stapler in the drawer.

7. On, upon

On is used while speaking of things at rest; upon is used with things in motion:
The file is on the table.
The dog sprang upon the table.

8. Above, over

Both above and over mean higher than. Sometimes we can use either of them:
The flags waved over our heads.
The flags waved above our heads.
But over can also mean coverning, or vertically above:
My father put a blanket over me.
There is a fan exactly over the table.

9. Below, under

Both below and under mean lower than and sometimes we can use either of them. But under means vertically below. It also has the idea of contact:
There was a beautiful lake below us in the valley.
His shoes were lying under the table.
She put the keys of the wardrobe under her pillow.

10. Into

Into denotes movement towards the interior of something:
He jumped into the well.
One stream flows into another.
Figuratively: We have entered into an agreement to export handicrafts to some European countries.

11. For

For is used to denote direction when the verb shows the beginning of a movement:
The children leaves for the school at 7 a.m.
We shall soon set off for Mumbai.

12. Against

Against shows pressure or contact:
He threw the goods against the wall.
Prepositions of direction from. Most common among these are: from, off, out of:

13. From

From is used with the point of departure:
He brought these books from the market.
He had already gone from home.

14. Out of

It is the opposite of into. It means from the interior of:
He took a few books out of the almirah

Friday, 26 February 2016

Grade 10 Sample question paper


Class X

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT II

ENGLISH

Code No. 101 (COMMUNICATIVE)


Section A

Reading

Q1. VSA (1 mark each)

Read the following passage carefully

First introduced in 1927, The Hardy Boys Mystery Stories are a series of books about the adventures of brothers Frank and Joe Hardy, teenaged detectives who solve one baffling mystery after another. The Hardy Boys were so popular among young boys that in 1930 a similar series was created for girls featuring a sixteen-year-old detective named Nancy Drew. The cover of each volume of The Hardy Boys states that the author of the series is Franklin W. Dixon; the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories are supposedly written by Carolyn Keene. Over the years, though, many fans of both series have been surprised to find out that Franklin W. Dixon and Carolyn Keene are not real people. If Franklin W. Dixon and Carolyn Keene never existed, then who wrote The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries?

The Hardy Boys and the Nancy Drew books were written through a process called ghostwriting. A ghostwriter writes a book according to a specific formula. While ghostwriters are paid for writing the books, their authorship is not acknowledged, and their names do not appear on the published books

.Ghostwriters can write books for children or adults, the content of which is unspecific. Sometimes they work on book series with a lot of individual titles, such as The Hardy Boys and the Nancy Drew series.

The initial idea for both the Hardy Boys and the Nancy Drew series was developed by a man named

Edward Stratemeyer, who owned a publishing company that specialized in children’s books.

Stratemeyer noticed the increasing popularity of mysteries among adults, and surmised that children would enjoy reading mysteries about younger detectives with whom they could identify. Stratemeyer first developed each book with an outline describing the plot and setting. Once he completed the outline, Stratemeyer then hired a ghostwriter to convert it into a book of slightly over 200 pages. After the ghostwriter had written a draft of a book, he or she would send it back to Stratemeyer, who would make a list of corrections and mail it back to the ghostwriter. The ghostwriter would revise the book according to Stratemeyer’s instructions and then return it to him. Once Stratemeyer approved the book, it was ready for publication. Because each series ran for so many years, Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys both had a number of different ghostwriters producing books; however, the first ghostwriter for each series proved to be the most influential. The initial ghostwriter for The Hardy Boys was a Canadian journalist named Leslie McFarlane.

A few years later, Mildred A. Wirt, a young writer from Iowa, began writing the Nancy Drew books. Although they were using prepared outlines as guides, both McFarlane and Wirt developed the characters themselves. The personalities of Frank and Joe Hardy and Nancy Drew arose directly from

McFarlane’s and Wirt’s imaginations. For example, Mildred Wirt had been a star college athlete and gave Nancy similar athletic abilities. The ghostwriters were also responsible for numerous plot and



setting details. Leslie McFarlane used elements of his small Canadian town to create Bayport, the Hardy Boys fictional hometown.

1.1 On the basis of your reading of the above passage, fill in the blanks with appropriate words / phrases:

1)      The ‘Hardy Boys’ mystery stories are a series of books that contain__________________

2)      _________ was a similar series created like ‘The Hardy Boys’ created for the girls.

3)      The process of writing the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew was called ______________

4)      The initial idea for both the Hardy Boys and the Nancy Drew series was developed by______________________________


5)      The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books were created based on the idea that children___________________________


6)      Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys both had a number of different ghostwriters producing books___________

7)      The personalities of Frank and Joe Hardy and Nancy Drew arose directly from

__________and___________ imaginations.

8)      The ghostwriters were responsible for __________ plot and _________ details.

Q 2 VSA (1 mark each)

Read the following passage carefully:

Here’s why effective communication is important. In a large organization, when a CEO addresses a live webcast — a must in today’s day and age — even a single question from an employee, no matter how unimportant it might be, will resonate across centres. It then becomes absolutely necessary for the leader to respond in a precise and unambiguous manner and use the platform to deliver his message across to the people. When the spotlight is on the leader, onlookers will hold on to every word he or she utters. Rhetoric can make many a hero.

Usage of words chosen to deliver a message is equally important. “Communication is not about company information. It’s more like, if you want to drink water, do I presume you want to drink Coke,” an HR head once remarked. If strategy is important, what’s even more critical is communication of the strategy. One can either be vague and leave it to the imagination of others or be precise without any obscurity. Either way, depending on what the situation demands, it’s a leader’s call and he or she can be sure, people are going to judge.

The importance of effective communication is not restricted to the leadership level alone. Companies are looking at innovative and effective ways to communicate with employees and also enable employee-to-employee communication, what one can term as E-2-E. So there are Facebook like tools that are being created to encourage active discussion among employees, irrespective of where they are based. It also ensures any gap in communication is bridged and there are no excuses at that.

An engineering company I know uses SMS as a means to communicate with employees. They started this practice even when others were just about warming up to sending mailers to meet their communication needs. Others may take a cue from this and start using platforms



like WhatsApp, who knows. The fact is companies are using technology in a big way because they understand that the biggest challenge today is communicating with the Gen-Yers and Gen-Xers. The logic is simple: if the new generation is used to modes like ATM and online shopping, how can archaic communication methods work?

Effective communication can work at multiple levels in an organization like training, learning and development, education opportunities, among others. Moreover, in a chaotic world, the only thing that will work is sane communication. If communication fails, organizations run the risk of falling into a trap where ideas emerge from all corners but don’t get executed. So when it comes to people matters, silence is not always golden.

2.1 On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the following questions briefly:

a.               Why is effective communication absolutely necessary for theleader?

b.              In what way should companies productively communicate to benefit the employees?

c.Why don’t‘archaic communication’ methods work today?

d.       What happens if communication fails in an organization?

VSA (1 mark each)

2.2 Choose the most appropriate meaning of the given word from the options provided:

a.                   The word ‘chaotic’ means

i) peaceful                   ii) puzzled                   iii) disordered              iv) composed

b.                  The word ‘innovative ‘means

i) original & new           ii) invention                  iii) adventurous            iv) energetic

c.                   The word ‘unambiguous means

i) not certain                 ii) clear iii) doubtful                   iv) incorrect

d.                  The word ‘strategy’ means

i) technology                ii) a plan of action          iii) process                    iv) result

Section B
Writing & Grammar – 25 Marks

Q 3 LA – II (5 marks)















The tiger is more than just our national animal; it is an indicator of the environmental health of India. The whole country must unite to protect it.’ Based on the given input, ideas from the MCB unit ‘Environment’ and your own ideas,write an article on the need to protect the tiger in the national


and environmental interest in about 100-120 words

OR

It has been rightly said “United we stand, divided we fall. “A nation which is not united falls like a house of cards. Write an article in about 100-120 words, emphasising on the significance of national integration. You may use ideas from the MCB unit ‘National Integration’ and same of your ideas.

Q 4 VLAQ ( 10 marks)

Write a short story in about (150-200 words) on the basis of the hints provided:

Going for long walks has always been a passion with me. As usual I was walking amongst the thick green forest till I heard that voice…………

OR

As the ticket inspector asked for the ticket, I dug my hand into my pocket only to discover that the purse along with the ticket had disappeared………..

Q 5 VSA (1 mark each)

Read the following passage. Fill in the blanks by choosing the most appropriate options from the ones given below. Write the answer in your answer sheet against the correct blanks. Do not copy the whole passage.

In a novel approach, drug-eluting stents are now being used a)___________ cure chronic sinusitis, which is not treatable with medicines. The technique b)______ also advisable for diabetics and those suffering c) ________ hypertension.

e.g  are

the, are, an, some

(a)

(i)are
(ii)were
(iii)is
(iv)to
(b)
(i)are
(ii)is
(iii)has
(iv)have
(c)
(i)from(ii)for
(iii)of
(iv)from

Q 6 VSA ( 1 mark each)

There is a word missing in each line. Write the missing word along with the one that come before and the one that comes after it.

Before  Missing word After

e.g. I had been thinking naming my pet  thinking  of naming

Corvus is the Latin name the crow family.          a) ____________

I have started calling my pupil this name.          b) ____________

At first, he would turn stare at me.c) ____________
Now, he has begun respond verbally.   d) ____________
Corvus learning English now.   e) ____________

His training takes place between eight and


nine in morningf) ____________

The rest of the time, he hangs about here; theg) ____________

evening, he still prefers to go back the mangoh) ____________

tree in my garden.

Q 7 VSA (1 mark each)

Re-arrange these words phrases to make meaningful sentences.

E.g. since times immemorial/have been respected/teachers. Techers have been respected since times immemorial.
(a)a special / child’s life / in every / teachers hold / place

(b)for his or her / it is they / in the society / who prepare / life / the child

(c) progressive society / teachers are / of a sound / one of the / and / main pillars

Section – C

Literature – 25 Marks

Q 8 VSA (1 mark each)

Read the extract and answer the following questions briefly:-

"But suddenly that part of him that was left behind convulsed in undignified haste. Writhed like lightning and was gone into the black hole,

a)  Why did the snake "convulsed in undignified haste"?
b)  How was the snake's movement in contrast to its earlier movement?
c)   Find the literary device in 'writhed like lightning'.

OR

O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth,
That I am meek and gentle with these butchers
Thou art the ruins of the noblest man,
That ever lived in the tides of times
a)  Who is referred to as “bleeding piece of earth”?
b)  When does the speaker say these lines?
c)   Who are the butchers referred to here? Why does he call them ‘butchers’?

Q 9 SA ( 8 marks)

Answer any four of the following questions in 30-40 words each

1.What happened when Hallock sat down at his desk and waited for ideas for his story?

2.  Some of the psycho-drive games that Michael bought at the Computer Fair were not new. Who had they belonged to and what was the insignificance?

3.  What does the expression on the shattered visage' tell you about the sculptors skill in the poem 'Ozymandias'?
4.  What ‘hellish thing’ had the Mariner done?

5.  PatolBabu doesn’t collect his payment after his role is over. Why?

Q 10 LAQ – 1 (4 marks)

A faint memory was stirred in PatolBabu’s mind. Some priceless words of advice given in a deep mellow voice. The advice of our elders and teachers always comes to our rescue as they have wisdom and experience of life Explain in about 80 – 100 words.


OR

The traveller from the antique land makes a diary entry about his feelings about Ozymandias’ broken statue buried in the dust and what he has learnt from it. As a traveller and write the diary entry in about 80-100 words

Q 11 (A) & B  VLAQ (10 marks)

Attempt any one section (A/B)

What are the two sides of Anne’s character? Identify the values that make her appealing and attractive to the reader.

Or

Anne’s diary was not simply a record of everyday events. It has several themes. Select at least four and using them to write an article on AnneFrank, highlighting the values that helped her overcome her problems.

a.    isolation and loneliness

b.  growth of a person from childhood to adolescence
c.   family relationships

d.   selfishness ( of Mrs. Van Daan ) e. fear of being caught, uncertainty of future.

OR

Q 11 (B) Helen’s illness at the age of nineteen months made her a prisoner in a totally dark and silent world. Yet, she overcame all the problems and became a role model for many. Discuss Helen’s life in the light of the statement.

OR

Describe the various pleasures that Helen enjoyed other than reading.