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Kerala State Syllabus 10th Standard English Solutions Unit 2 Chapter 1 Project Tiger (Memoir)

Std 10 English Textbook Project Tiger Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Do you know that a paragraph normally contains a topic sentence in it? It is general in nature and can be anywhere in the paragraph. The other sentences in the paragraph support, prove, give examples and present additional information on the topic sentence. Identify the topic sentence in the first paragraph. How many examples are given to support the topic sentence? What are they?
Answer:
Topic sentence: No one can beat Hollywood when it comes to making films with animals in them.
Two examples are given. One is the Alsatian called Rin-tin-tin. The other is the collie called Lassie.

Question 2.
Does the second paragraph introduce a new topic sentence? If not, what supporting detail about the animal actors of Hollywood do you get from this paragraph?
Answer:
No, there is no new topic sentence. The second paragraph elaborates on the first. Here we see another large dog in Disney Studio in Hollywood.

a. What additional information do you get about standings?
Answer:
We come to know that there are stand-ins even for animals.

b. What is the puzzling incident described in the paragraph 3?
Answer:
When the cameraman shouted to everyone to take their positions, the dog, the main actor, remained where it was.

c. Which incident shows that the animal-actors in Hollywood were treated with reverence?
Answer:
The incident of bringing a stand-in fora dog. Usually stand-ins are used only for celebrity actors who are held in high reference.

Question 3.
What were the difficulties Alfred Hitchcock had to face while making the film ‘Birds’?
Answer:
Hitchcock wanted a variety of trained birds, especially many ravens, as actors in his film. It was not easy to get trained birds.

Question 4.
How did Hitchcock manage to get a large number of ravens for his film?
Answer:
He placed advertisements all over the USA asking for people who had trained ravens with them. Then a man, with nearly a 100 trained ravens, responded.

Question 5.
What is described as ‘pretty impressive’?
Answer:
The sight of fifty ravens perching quietly in a row on a specified spot, obeying the order of their trainer.

Question 6.
Identify the main topic of the article from para 8.
Answer:
Shooting films using tigers.

Question 7.
What other details are given about the topic in the paragraph?
Answer:
In the film ‘Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne’, Goopy and Bagha suddenly come across a tiger that is walking about in the forest without paying them any attention.

Question 8.
How did Ray manage to get a tiger?
Answer:
He managed to get one from ‘Bharat Circus’ which was performing in Calcutta at that time.

Question 9.
What is the role of a ringmaster in a circus?
Answer:
A ringmaster is a master of ceremonies. He introduces the various acts in a circus show and guides the audience through the experience, directing their attention to the various areas of the circus arena. In some places, the name ringmaster is used to mean the person who arranges the various performances by trained animals.

Question 10.
What were the difficulties faced in bringing the tiger before the camera?
Answer:
The main problem was how to keep the people safe from the tiger, once it is let out of the cage. In the shots for the film, the trainer should not be seen. On the first occasion, the tiger pranced about. Later, the scenes that were shot were not good enough. The second time the tiger charged towards the crowd, terrifying them.

Question 11.
What does the expression ‘to go down the drain’ mean?
Answer:
It means the efforts were wasted. There was no gain from the work one did.

Question 12.
What was Mr. Thorat’s suggestion to control the tiger?
Answer:
He suggested putting a ring made of thin wire around the neck of the tiger. The ring would be hooked to a length of wire so that the tiger does not go out of control.

Question 13.
What made Ray think of a collar made of tiger skin?
Answer:
The scene to be shot was Goopy and Bagha getting terrified at the sight of a tiger. If the tiger has a ring on its neck, and it seen in the shot, the scene will have no meaning as people don’t get frightened when they see a tiger under the control of a trainer. Ray wanted to hide the wire and that is why he thought of a collar made of tiger skin. The wire will be hidden in the collar.

Question 14.
Why did Mr. Thorat bring two tigers instead of one?
Answer:
He brought two so that in case one does not behave properly, the other could be used for shooting the scene.

Question 15.
Why was Mr. Thorat taken aback?
Answer:
Mr. Thorat was taken aback because of the unexpected behaviour of the tiger. Instead of walking quietly in a dignified manner, it started jumping and running about with a lot of energy.

Question 16.
What might be the reason for the tiger’s unexpected behaviour?
Answer:
The reason was ‘the call of the wild’. When it saw itself in the open forest, he must have forgotten for a while that he is a circus animal! Probably he was showing his original instinct to be free.

Question 17.
How does Ray describe the situation humorously?
Answer:
Ray describes the situation humorously by saying that they were getting to see a strange kind of circus for free.

Question 18.
What did Ray mean when he said, This should have been the end of the story?
Answer:
When the tiger calmed down, they took a few shots as needed. This should have been the end f the story. But when they went back to Calcutta, they found the shots were not clear and they had to reshoot the scenes again at another time.

Question 19.
Why was Mr Thorat asked‘to give it another go?
Answer:
Mr Thorat was asked ‘to give it another go’ because the first shots were not clear and they had to shoot the scenes again.

Question 20.
What was the ‘magic’ performed by the tiger?
Answer:
There were nearly 150 villagers who had come to see the shooting. They were told to keep a safe distance because of the tiger. But they ignored instructions and came as close to the camera as they could. When the cage was opened, the tiger jumped down with a roar and charged towards the crowd. They melted away as if my magic.

Question 21.
What was really required of the tiger in that scene?
Answer:
The tiger was required to pace quietly about without paying any attention to the characters Goopy and Bagha who were exiled into the forest by their king.

Question 22.
What did Ray and his team realize two days later?
Answer:
They realized that this time the tiger and the camera had behaved well and they got the type of shots they had wanted.

Project Tiger Textual Activities and Answers

Activity 1

Question 1.
Satyajit Ray and his friends had to shoot scenes involving the tiger twice, M Notun Gram and Boral. Write the events that took place in both the places in a sequential order and then describe the shooting:
Answer:

Shooting at Notun Gram

Shooting at Boral

Found a suitable bamboo grove in Notun Gram. A lorry arrived with two well-fed tigers. A tripod was placed facing the bamboo grove to mount the camera. The audience was instructed to get behind the camera. Goopy and Bagha were placed close to the bamboo grove so that they could be seen along with the tiger. A five-foot iron rod was fixed to the ground, some 30 feet from the area where the tiger was to walk A tiger-skin collar with a thin wire inside was placed in the neck of the tiger. The door of the cage was opened and the tiger jumped out. But instead of walking calmly it started running and jumping about. When it became calm some shots were taken. But the shots were dark owing to poor light.

Found bamboo grove near Calcutta in Boral. The lorry arrived with Thorat, the tiger, the steel wire, the special collar and the iron rod. The whole village came to watch the shooting. The villagers were told to keep at 70 feet away from the scene of the shot. Without listening to the instructions, the entire crowd got as close to the camera as they could. Thorat opened the cage. With a roar the tiger charged towards the crowd. The crowd disappeared as if my magic. The tiger calmed down and the shots were’ taken as required This time the tiger and the camera behaved well.

Description of the shooting:
We found a suitable bamboo grove in Notun Gram. As arranged with Mr. Thorat of Bharat Circus, a lorry arrived with two well-fed tigers. He brought two so that if one did not do things properly the other could be used. Atripod was placed facing the bamboo grove to mount the camera. The audience was instructed to get behind the camera. Goopy and Bagha were placed close to the bamboo grove so that they could be seen along with the tiger. A five-foot iron rod was fixed to the ground, some 30 feet from the area where the tiger was to walk. A tiger-skin collar with a thin wire inside was placed in the neck of the tiger. The door of the cage was opened and the tiger jumped out. But instead of walking calmly it started running and jumping about. When it became calm some shots were taken. But the shots were later found to be dark owing to poor light.

The scenes had to be shot a second time. A bamboo grove near Calcutta in Boral was found. The lorry arrived with Thorat, the tiger, the steel wire, the special collar and the iron rod. The whole village came to watch the shooting. The villagers were told to keep at least 70 feet away from the scene of the shot. Without listening to the instructions, the entire crowd got as close to the camera as they could. Thorat opened the cage. With a roar the tiger charged towards the crowd. The crowd disappeared as if my magic. Soon the tiger calmed down and the shots were taken as required. This time the tiger and the camera behaved well.

Activity 2

Question 2.
Ray and his friends visited the Bharat Circus camp in Calcutta to hire a tiger to be filmed for his movie Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne. He spoke to the manager of the circus company.
What would Ray have spoken? Attempt a conversation between Ray and the Manager.
Answer:
Ray : Good morning, Manager! I am Ray, Satyajit Ray, a film director.
Manager : Good Morning Mr. Ray. I have heard a lot about you. What brings you here?
Ray : I am shooting a film with a tiger in it. The tiger has only a small role. It has to be seen along with two of our actors.
Manager : Well, our ringmaster is Mr. Thorat, a nice gentleman. I will ask him if it is possible to send our tiger out on such missions. If he agrees, I will have no problem. I will definitely help you.
Ray : Thank you, very, much. I should meet Mr. Thorat, or will you speak with him?
Manager :’I will speak with him first, and then you can meet him for making the final arrangement. By the way, for how long do you want the tiger?
Ray : Actually the shooting will be just for two hours. But then there is the travelling time. We intend to take the shots at Notun Gram which is a bit far from here.
Manager : No problem. Thorat will be the one to decide finally as he handles the animals here. But I’m sure he will agree.
Ray : Thank you very much.
Manger : It’s okay.

Activity 3

Question 3.
Read the instructions on below
Draft the likely notice that was published in the newspaper.

Answer:
Notice
Alfred Hitchcock Productions, Trinity Street, Hollywood, is planning to make a movie titled “Birds”. In the story binds from all overthe world are seen attacking humans. We need a variety of trained birds, especially a large number of ravens. If you have trained birds of any kind, especially birds of prey, you have an opportunity here to display them and their skills to the entire world. Handsome payments will be made forthe chosen binds. The shoots may last up to a couple days and so the owners or trainers of the birds must be ready to come with their birds to Hollywood and stay for the duration of the shooting. For more information, contact:

Manager, Hitchcock Productions, Trinity Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles 90028
E-mail: hitchcockmovies@hotmail.com
Phone: 2635-555-2332

Activity 4

Question 4.
Read the instructions on below:

Answer:
From:
Satyajit Ray
Ray Film Productions
Karol Bagh
Calcutta – 52
Phone: 1256778240
E-mail: RavDroductions@hotmail.com
20 June 2016

To:
The Chairman
Animal Welfare Board of India
Connaught Plage
New Delhi -11

Dear Sir,
Permission To Use A Tiger In Film
We are planning shoot a new film titled ‘Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne’. In the film, there is a scene where Goopy and Bagha come across s tiger calmly walking about in the forest. We have discussed with Bharat Circus and they have agreed to give us a tiger for the shot. They told us we have to get permission from the Broad for using their animal in the film. This is to request you to give us the necessary permission. The actual shot will be only for about 2 hours. The location is Notun Gram. The tiger will be transported there in a cage in a lorry. All precautions are taken as suggested by the Animal Welfare Department and their conditions for the prevention of cruelty to animals are strictly followed.

Looking forward to getting your permission, and thanking you,

Yours faithfully,
Satyajit Ray
Film Director

Activity 5

Question 5.
Ray begins his article with the topic sentences, “No one can beat Hollywood when it comes to making films with animals in them. How does Ray substantiate his argument?
Answer:
Ray substantiates his argument by giving the examples of two dogs. He talks the films in which there was an Alsatian named Rin-tin-tin. It acted even better than humans. Later there were some films with a collie called Lassie. It looked as if the director could make Lassie act the way he wanted it to act. These dogs were like stars and they were paid like any other big actor. Their owners could easily get one lakh rupees from just one film. Later we also see how stand-ins are provided even for dogs which are as famous as the celebrity actors.

Activity 6

Question 6.
Are the new generation film-makers serious about film-making?
Conduct a debate on this topic in the class. You may first think about the points for and against the topic and then develop a speech to be made in favor of or against new-generation films and film-makers.

Points in favour of new generation films and filmmakers	Points against new-generation films:
……………………………………………………….	……………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………….	……………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………….	……………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………….	……………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………….	……………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………….	……………………………………………………….

Answer:

Points in favor of new generation films and filmmakers	Points against new-generation films:
a. Films are made with less cost.	a. No proper planning and research
b. Actors and actresses need not be celebrities.	b. Scripts are often written on the location
c. Stories from everyday life.	c. Too much of drinking and drug-taking are shown
d. Acting is more natural and not theatrical.	d. Dialogues often too colloquial
e. Ordinary costumes.	e. Music is horrible and anything goes in the name of music
f. Use of social media for publicity.	f. Some of the stories are too daring (like student falling in love with the teacher).

Project Tiger Let’s Learn More About Words

Activity 1

Question 1.
Go through the film terminology given on page 53 & 54 and answer the questions.
Answer:
1. close-up
2. dolly/tracking
3. high angle
4. tilt
5. medium shot

Activity 2

Question 2.
Note: Base forms of words take prefixes and suffixes to make new word forms. Sometimes two base forms are added to make new words. Word-formation by using these methods are called prefixation, suffixation and compounding.
impossible, making, films, invisible, childhood, unfastened, cameraman, customary, film-maker

Base word/ words	Prefixation	Suffixation	Compounding
……………………………..	……………………………..	……………………………..	……………………………..
……………………………..	……………………………..	……………………………..	……………………………..
……………………………..	……………………………..	……………………………..	……………………………..
……………………………..	……………………………..	……………………………..	……………………………..
……………………………..	……………………………..	……………………………..	……………………………..
……………………………..	……………………………..	……………………………..	……………………………..
……………………………..	……………………………..	……………………………..	……………………………..
……………………………..	……………………………..	……………………………..	……………………………..

Answer:

Base word/ words	Prefixation	Suffixation	Compounding
possible	im
make		ing
film		s
visible	in
child		hood
fasten	un	ed
custom		ary
film			maker

Activity 3

Question 3.
Fill in the blanks with suitable words given in below:
1. In Chaplin’s film The Circus, the lion in the cage does not seem to be ………………………… .
2. It is …………………………. to take a screen test before casting an actor for a role.
3. In the fight scene, the boys were …………………………. at the thought of having to dive from the ledge.
4. They were looking for a …………………………. youth to do the role of an army personnel.
5. Prem Nazir is one of the most …………………………. remembered actors in Malayalam cinema.
Answer:
1. ferocious
2. customary
3. petrified
4. robust
5. reverentially

Project Tiger About the author:

– Satyajit Ray – 1921–1992

Ray (1921-1992) decided to make his own films after meeting the French filmmaker Jean Renoir and viewing Vittorio De Sica’s Italian neorealist 1948 film Bicycle Thieves. Ray directed 36 films. He was also a fiction writer, publisher, illustrator, calligrapher, music composer and film critic. He has written many short stories and novels.

Project Tiger Summary in English

Page – 43
1. No one can beat Hollywood when it comes to making films with animals in them. I remember many such films in which there was an Alsatian named Rin-tin- tin. It acted even better than humans. Later there were some films with a collie called Lassie. It looked as if the director could make Lassie act the way he wanted it to act. These dogs were like stars and they were paid like any other big actor. Their owners could easily get one lakh rupees from just one film.

2. I saw how these animal actors were reverently treated when I went to the Disney Studio in Hollywood. The main character in this particular film was a large dog. When I went to the studio, the shooting had not started.

Page – 44
The cameraman was getting the lights ready. It is usual for the actors to be present when the lights are arranged. This is to show the cameraman how they will walk, or where they will stand in a particular shot. In the case of big stars, this job is done by their stand-ins. A stand-in is usually physically similar to the star. The stars come when the lights are ready to take the shots.

3. I saw some actors moving about in the set. On one side there was a large dog. The cameraman shouted to everyone to take their positions. The dog stayed where it was. This puzzled me. Was it not required in the next shot?

4. Before I could ask someone, something strange happened. From nowhere, there appeared a little dwarf, followed by another man carrying a hairy dog skin. Then, to my surprise, the dwarf went down on all the fours on a chalk mark on the floor. The dog skin was draped over him. Then he crawled from one mark to another. The cameraman got busy with the lights. The dwarf was the dog’s stand-in!

Page – 45
Every animal in a Hollywood film is well trained. It is easy to train horses and dogs. But in Hollywood there were even nearly a hundred trained ravens! Alfred Hitchcock, the creator of some qf the best suspense films, used them in his film ‘Birds’. Hitchcock wanted different kinds of birds. He needed many ravens. Advertisements were placed all over the USA, asking people to contact Hitchcock if they knew how to get trained ravens.

He got a response from a man soon. The man was asked to come with his birds. He came with nearly a hundred trained ravens. The ravens would not do many wonderful things. But if 50 ravens were asked to perch quietly in a row on a specified spot, they would do it immediately.

In India it is not easy to find trained animals. It is true that some films were made in Bombay and Madras using trained elephants, horses and tigers. Their performance showed that they just obeyed commands. In Bengal, it is possible to find clever dogs, particularly police dogs, that are very intelligent. If one is patient, we can use them nicely as I did with Bhulo in ‘Pather Panchali’.

A dog might be difficult, not impossible, to handle. What is to be done if there is a need for a tiger in a film? When shooting the film ‘Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne’ (The Adventures of Goopy and Bagha), we had this problem. Goopy is banished by the king. Goopy wanders in the forest and meets Bagha who is also banished. They see a tiger and are terrified. But the tiger simply walks about in the forest without paying them any attention.

Page – 46
I decided to make this film. But the problem was how to find a tiger. The solution was to contact a circus as they have trained tigers. At that time Bharat Circus was giving shows in the Marcus Square in Calcutta. Its manager was a Tamilian. We went to meet him. He greeted us warmly and gave us South Indian coffee. When he came to know the reason for our visit, he called MrThorat, vi/ho was the ringmaster. He was also a South Indian, very strong, with features like a Nepali. He was about 40. He showed us a scar on his forearm. It was caused by a tiger.

We told him why we came. The shooting was at Shiuri in Birbhoom. We wanted to show a tiger in a thick bamboo grove. The tiger had to do only one simple thing. It had to come out of the bamboo grove into the open space, walk gently for a while, look at the camera if possible, and then go back. Could the tigerfrom Bharat Circus do it? Thorat said yes. The manager asked us how long we would need the tiger.

I said only two hours forthe shooting and the additional time needed for travel. The travel would take about 2 days. The manager agreed to put the tiger in a cage and send it in a lorry. He then asked us to go and have a look at the tiger. I asked him if it would be okay to let the tiger out of the cage in the bamboo grove.

11. Thorat was not sure. He said that he had never let the tiger out of the cage on his own. I was worried. We could not let the tiger be seen with the trainer in the film. How could Goopy and Bagha get frightened if the tiger is accompanied by a man? We could not allow that.

Page – 47
12. Thorat found a solution. He would tie a thin but strong wire round the tiger’s neck. If the wire was very thin, it would not be seen in the shot. But if the hair on the tiger’s neck was flattened by the wire, the wire would be seen. I suggested to get a collar made of tiger skin, fix the wire to this collar, and then tie it around the neck of the tiger.

13. In a village named Notun Gram we found a suitable bamboo grove to shoot the first meeting between Goopy and Bagha and the tiger. Thorat came to the location with the tiger. There were some 25 people there. A few villagers took our permission to come and watch the shooting.

14. The cage on the lorry was covered. When the cover was removed we saw two well-fed and strong tigers. Thorat said that he brought two because if one failed, the other could be used for the shot.

15. The camera was placed on the tripod and it faced the bamboo grove. The audience was asked to be behind the camera so that they are far away from the tiger. We had to stay close to the bamboo grove. Goopy and Bagha had to be within yards of the camera. At least in one shot they should be seen with the tiger.

Page – 48
16. Thorat’s men had fixed a five foot iron rod to the ground. It was about 30 feet from the area where the tiger was to take a walk. They took a thin long wire and fixed one end to the tiger skin collar. The other end was tied to the rod. The door of one cage was opened and Thorat called out to the tiger. It responded quickly and jumped out of its cage to land on the open space. What followed was totally unexpected. We were all shocked and so was Thorat. Instead of walking calmly, the tiger started running around with great energy. It ran fast, jumped and rolled about, dragging the poor trainer with it. He was trying to control the tiger with the wire he held. But he was not succeeding. We all stood around foolishly, watching the free show! The camera was still on the tripod, facing the grove. The tiger was showing no sign of making its way there.

Page – 49
17. When the tiger calmed down, we took a few shots. But when we returned to Calcutta, we found that the camera had failed to record the scenes with the tiger. The shots were so dark that the tiger could not be seen distinctly from the trees and leaves. We had to reshoot the scenes again. We spoke to Thorat and he agreed to give us another chance. This time we found a bamboo grove in a village called Boral, near Calcutta. The lorry once again came with Thorat, the tiger, the steel wire, the special collar and the rod. The whole village came to see the shooting. We told the villagers to keep themselves at least 70 feet away from the scene of shooting. But nobody paid attention. The people came as close to the camera as they could. We had no time to explain and argue. We got the camera ready and signaled to Thorat.

18. He opened the door of the cage. The tiger came out with a loud roar, and charged straight at the villagers. The crowd, some 150 people, melted away as if by magic. After that the tiger calmed down. Like an obedient child, it walked over to the spot we had chosen, paced about as it was required to do, and then went back to its trainer. The camera also behaved well and the scenes were properly shot.

Project Tiger Summary in Malayalam

Project Tiger Glossary

You can Download Blowin’ in the Wind Questions and Answers, Summary, Activity, Notes, Kerala Syllabus 10th Standard English Solutions Unit 2 Chapter 3 help you to revise complete Syllabus and score more marks in your examinations.

Kerala State Syllabus 10th Standard English Solutions Unit 2 Chapter 3 Blowin’ in the Wind (Song)

Std 10 English Textbook Blowin’ in the Wind Questions and Answers

Question 1.
What does the word ‘roads’ refer to here?
Answer:
The word ‘roads’ here refers to the age, and experiences and sufferings of the person.

Question 2.
Do these questions demand a specific answer? What do you call such questions?
Answer:
No, they don’t need. They are called rhetorical questions.

Question 3.
Why does the writer say that the answer is blowing in the wind?
Answer:
The writer says that the answer is blowing in the wind because nobody knows the answer. Everybody tries to get it, but it slips away from our hold.

Question 4.
How is the question about the mountain related to the other two questions in stanza 2?
Answer:
They all are unanswerable and thus they are related.

Question 5.
Who may be the ‘people’ and ‘man’ referred to in Stanza 2? What is the attitude of the writer towards them?
Answer:
The people are those who are denied their civil rights, like the Blacks in America or the people in colonies. ‘Man’ is the ruler or the Authority who does not want to see the suffering of those without freedom. He sympathizes with the people, but is angry at the man.

Question 6.
Pick out lines from the song that refer to the denial of civil rights.
Answer:
“How many times must a man look up before he can see the sky? How many ears must one man have before he can hear? How many deaths will it take till he knows that too many people have died?”

Question 7.
What attitude of the people is reflected in the refrain, ‘The answer is blowin’ in the wind’?
Answer:
It is the indifference of the people that is reflected in the refrain.

Blowin In The Wind Textual Activities and Answers

Blowin In The Wind Let’s find out how language elements work

Activity 1

Question 1.

a. Read the following sentences and place them along appropriate headings in the box.

• Had they finished shooting?
• Theirtraining had not gone very bad.
• The shots were too dark.
• Do you think it is easy to set the animal free in the bamboo grove?
• Goopy is banished by the king.
• Could a tiger from Bharat circus do this job?
• Bharat circus has two tigers with them.
• MrThorat was the ring master of the circus.
• Bagha has also been banished.
• Were all ourplans going to go down the drain?.

Statements	…………………………………………..
Questions	…………………………………………..

Answer:
Statements

• Their training had not gone very bad.
• The shots were too dark.
• Goopy is banished by the king.
• Bharat circus has two tigers with them.
• Mr Thorat was the ring master of the circus.
• Bagha has also been banished.

Questions

• Had they finished shooting?
• Do you think it is easy to set the animal free in the bamboo grove?
• Could a tiger from Bharat circus do this job?
• Were all our plans going to go down the drain?

b. Analyse the statements that you have listed in the activity. Identify the verbs in them and out them in the appropriate column, according to their function as main verb or helping verb.

Main verb	Auxiliary/helping verb
………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. …………………………..	………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. …………………………..

Answer:

Main Verb	Auxiliary/Heloina verb
finished	had
gone	had
were	think
do	………………………………
banished	is
has	………………………………
was	………………………………
banished	has been
going	were

Fill in the blanks with suitable verbs:
Answer:
1. They are planning something different.
2. He was reading a book when I visited him.
3. MrThorat had (has) two tigers with him.
4. A tiger will be impossible to handle.
5. The shooting will need two more days’ time.

c. Fill in the blank columns in the table below. One is done for you.

Modal auxiliary	Functions	Used in meaningful sentences
will	1. Making predictions 2. Offering to do something task. 3. Expressing determination 4. Making a formal request 5. Denoting future	1. It will rain in the evening. 2. I will help you complete this 3. I will speak to him tomorrow. 4. Will you open the window, please? 5. The train will leave at 4 o’clock.
would	…………………………………………	…………………………………………
shall	…………………………………………	…………………………………………
should	…………………………………………	…………………………………………
can	…………………………………………	…………………………………………
could	…………………………………………	…………………………………………
may	…………………………………………	…………………………………………
might	…………………………………………	…………………………………………
must	…………………………………………	…………………………………………
need	…………………………………………	…………………………………………
dare	…………………………………………	…………………………………………
ought to	…………………………………………	…………………………………………
used to	…………………………………………	…………………………………………

Answer:

Modal Auxiliary	Functions	Used in meaningful sentences.
Will	1. Making predictions 2. Offering to do something 3. Expressing determination 4. Making a formal request 5. Denoting future	It will rain this evening. I will help you complete this task. I will speak to him tomorrow. Will you open the window, please? The train will leave at 4 o’clock.
would	1. improbable condition 2. Polite request	If I had the money I would buy a car. Would you open the window, please?
Shall	1. showing future 2. giving command	I shall do it tomorrow. You shall do as you are told.
Should	1. giving advice 2. polite request	You should study hard. Should I help you to carry that bag?
Can	1. showing ability 2. giving and taking permission	I can drive. Can I go now? Yes, you can.
Could	1. showing past ability 2. making polite request	I could dance well when I was young. Could you pick that book for me?
May	1. combines possibility with doubt 2. Used for wishing. 3. Asking and giving permission	It may rain. (Probability is more.) May you live long! May I go out? Yes, you may.
Might	1. combines possibility with doubt.	It might rain. (Doubt is more.)
Note : Old grammars said ‘might’ as the past tense of ‘may’. But modern grammarians consider may and might as two independent verbs with their own separate past tenses. The past tense of ‘mav’ is ‘may have’ and the past tense of ‘might’ is ‘might have’. May shows more probability and might shows more doubt. Thus when we say “It may rain” the chances of rain are more than when we say “It might rain”.
Must	shows obligation	You must do it.
Need	shows necessity	I need to complete this work today.
Dare	gives challenge	Dare you call me a fool?
Ought to	shows obligation	You ought to do it today.
Used to	shows past habits	I used to smoke a lot.

d. Now consider the questions you have listed in section ‘a’.
“Had they finished the shooting?” How will you answer this question?
Yes, they had finished shooting.
Or
No. they hadn’t finished shooting.

These types of questions are called : Yes/No Questions or Affirmative Questions or Closed Questions.
Read the following sentences:
They are going to Madras.
Are they going to Madras?
Nandu was working all night.
Was Nandu working all night?
How do these questions begin?
What change is made in the word order of the statements to frame questions?
Answer:
They begin with the auxiliaries. The subject comes after the auxiliary. Then there is a question mark in the end instead of a full stop. Now try to frame questions for the following statements.

a. Are they planning the same thing again?
Answer:
No, they are planning something different this time.

b. Have you ever travelled through a jungle?
Answer:
No, I have never travelled through a jungle.

c. Was he scolding the public when you reached there?
Answer:
Yes, he was scolding the public when I reached there.

d. Is it snowing?
Answer:
Yes, it is snowing.

e. Can he speak German?
Answer:
Yes, he can speak German.

Consider the following sentences:
He likes oranges. Does he like oranges?
They went to the nearby school. Did they go to the nearby school?
I drink tea. Do you drink tea?
(Note: In these sentences the auxiliary verb is hidden. So we use dummy auxiliaries according to the tense of the verb.)
Like – do + like (present)
Likes – does + like (present singular)
Liked – did – like (past)

Now, construct questions for the following sentences.
1. Yes, they come here frequently. Do they come here frequently?
2. Yes, I met him yesterday. Did you meet him yesterday?
3. Yes, they lived here for a long time. Did they live here for a long time?
4. Yes, we play cricket every day. Do you play cricket every day?
5. Yes, she speaks fluent French. Does she speak fluent French?

Note : Questions beginning with an auxiliary verb are called ‘Yes/No’ Questions or Affirmative questions. They are also called closed questions because they have two possible answers only: Yes or No. It is impossible to ask a Yes/No question without an auxiliary verb. Such questions do not ask for more information. They only seek confirmation or negation.

Activity 2

Question 2.
Read the following sentences from the memoir: Where is the shooting location?
How did the tiger react when the cage was opened? The words in bold are question words. Who, When, Why, Where, What. Which and How are question words normally used to ask questions. They are called ‘Wh-‘ questions.
Imagine you have an interview with Mr. Satyajit Ray. What questions will you ask? Complete the following conversations.
Answer:
You : Sir, where did you learn film technology? Ray : I learned it from Hollywood.
You : Who helped you there?
Ray : My friend Alfred Hitchcock helped me there. You : Which film’attracted you most?
Ray : Adventures of Rin Tin Tin attracted me the most.
You : What was your wish?
Ray : My wish was to make a film that beat Hollywood.
You : Why did you take such a risk with tigers?
Ray : I took such risk with tigers to make a wonderful film.
You : How long did it take to shoot the scene? Ray : It took two days to shoot the scene.
You : How far away was Notun Gram from here?
Ray : Notun Gram was twenty kilometres away from here.
You : How often do you visit Hollywood?
Ray : I visit Hollywood once in three months.
You : What kind of animals are used in Hollywood films?
Ray : Well trained animals are used in Hollywood films. ,
You : Thank you very much, Sir!
Ray : It’s okay!

Activity 3

Question 3.
Read the sentences given below and identify the noun phrase jmd verb phrase in them. One is done for you/
1. MrThorat nodded.
2. This puzzled me.
3. He was a South Indian.
4. MrThorat reached the shooting location.
Answer:
1. Mr. Thorat (Noun Phrase) + nodded (Verb Phrase).
2. This (NP) +puzzled me (VP).
3. He (NP) + was a South Indian (VP).
4. Mr Thorat (NP) + reached the shooting location (VP).

b. Consider the following sentence.

Now analyse the verb phrases in the following sentences.
1. went (verb) + to meet (Infinitive) + the manager (NP).
2. reached (V) + the shooting location (NP) + with the tiger (Prep. Phrase).
3. gives (V) + Ali (NP) + a small black bag (NP) + to put potatoes (Inf.).
4. was (aux.) + covered (past participle).
5. Question 2 is repeated.
6. were (Aux) + placed (Past Part.) + in the press (Prep. Phrase) + all overthe US (adverbial phase).
7. were (aux) + watching (ing-form) + a new and strange kind of circus (NP).

Thus the following forms, may appear along with a verb to form a verb phrase.
1. Auxiliary verbs
2. Prepositional Phrases
3. Adverbial phrases
4. Noun Phrases

It is to be noted that a verb phrase can even have a noun phrase accompanied by a determiner and an adjective.

c. Now let’s us analyse the function of a noun phrase and a verb phrase and its elements in the following sentences.
In sentence 1, ‘Mr. Thorat nodded.’
The noun phrase ‘Mr. Thorat’ functions as the subject of the sentence. The verb phrase acts as the verb.

In sentence 2, This puzzled me.
‘This’ is the noun phrase and it is the subject of the sentence. In the verb phrase, ‘puzzled me’ ‘puzzled’ is the verb and ‘me’ does the function of the object of the sentence.

In sentence 3, He was a South Indian.
‘He’ is the subject. The verb phrase here is ‘was a South Indian’. In it ‘was’ is the verb and ‘a South Indian’ is the complement.

In sentence 4, Mr. Thorat reached the shooting location.
The pattern is Mr. Thorat (Subject) + reached (verb) + the shooting location (adverbial).

The sentence pattern of the four sentences given above can be written as:
1. S + V
2. S + V + O
3. S + V + C
4. S + V + A

Write four sentences in the same pattern.
1. Mr. Bachan laughed. (S+V)
2. My uncle taught English. (S+V+O)
3. Shah Rukh Khan is a North Indian. (S+V+C)
4. The train came in time. (S+V+Adverbial)

Apart from these 4 sentence patterns there are 3 more basic sentence patterns in English.
They are:
1. S + V + O + O (e.g. Mr. Thorat gave Ray two tigers)
2. S + V + O + C (e.g. They painted the cage yellow)
3. S + V + O + A (e.g. Ray placed the camera on the tripod)

Write three sentences keeping the same pattern:
Answer:
1. My father gave me a pen. (S + V + O + O)
2. They coloured the house green. (S + V + O + C)
3. The teacher placed the book on the table. (S + V + O + A)

Activity 4
Look at the following sentences from the memoir.
1. This job is done By their stand-ins.
2. Notices were placed in the press all over the United States.
3. Some films have been made in Bombay and Madras.
4. Goopy and Bagha could be petrified by the tiger.

Discuss:
Do the sentences have the similar pattern to those mentioned in Activity 4?
No.
What difference do you notice?
They all are in passive voice.

→ Write the above sentences in the S + V + Q Pattern.
Answer:
1. Their stand-ins do the job.
2. They placed notices in the press all over the United States.
3. They have made films in Bombay and Madras.
4. The tiger could petrify Goopy and Bagha.

Blowin In The Wind About the author:

– Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan (b. 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, artist and writer. His early songs like ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ and The Times They are a-Changing’ became anthems for the American Civil Rights and Anti-War Movements. His mid-1960 songs, backed by rock musicians, were some of the very best.

Blowin In The Wind Summary in English

Page 64 & 65
Line 1-8: How many roads should a man walk down before you can call him a man? How many seas should a white dove sail Before she sleeps on the sand? How many times should the cannon balls fly before they are banned forever? The answer to these questions, my friend, is blowing in the wind.

Lines 9-16: How many years can a mountain exist before it is washed to the sea? How many years can some people live before they are allowed to be free? How many times can a man turn his head and pretend that he just does not see?

Lines 17-24: How many times must a man look up before he can see the sky? How many years must one man have before he can hear people cry? How many deaths will it take till he knows that too many people have died?

The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind.

Blowin In The Wind Summary in Malayalam

Blowin In The Wind Glossary

You can Download Adventures in a Banyan Tree Questions and Answers, Summary, Activity, Notes, Kerala Syllabus 10th Standard English Solutions Unit 1 Chapter 1 help you to revise complete Syllabus and score more marks in your examinations.

Kerala State Syllabus 10th Standard English Solutions Unit 1 Chapter 1 Adventures in a Banyan Tree (Short Story)

Std 10 English Textbook Adventures in a Banyan Tree Questions and Answers

Question 1.
“house and grounds were of Grandfather’s domain. But the magnificent old banyan tree was mine.” Why did the boy say so?
Answer:
IP The boy said so because he was free to do whatever he liked on the banyan tree. But in the house and the grounds, he was not so free as they were strictly controlled by the Grandfather.

Question 2.
How did the squirrel become a friend of the bõy?
Answer:
The squirrel found that the boy had no catapult or airgun. Then the boy started giving him pieces of cake and biscuits. He grew bolder and took food from his hands. He even searched for the boy’s pockets.

Question 3.
What did the friends of the squirrel think about his ‘ friendship with a human? What might have made them think so?
Answer:
They thought he was headstrong and foolish for trusting a human being. They thought so because human beings kill the squirrels for their meat, skin and even for fun. (Many people eat the meat of squirrels.)

Question 4.
How was the banyan tree the noisiest place during the fig season?
Answer:
It was the noisiest place during the fig season because different birds and animals came to eat the figs. The birds were mainly bulbul, rosy-pastors, parrots and crows. These birds and animals made different noises.

Question 5.
How did the boy make the spring season exciting for himself?
Answer:
He built a platform on the banyan tree and he spent the cool afternoons there. He brought cushions to sit on and he propped himself on a branch. Sitting there he read books or observed the things going on around.

Question 6.
What was the incident that triggered a long-lasting excitement for the boy in summer?
Answer:
It was a fight between a black cobra and a mongoose. A myna and a crow were also involved in the fight. At the end of the fight, the cobra and the crow die. Cobra dies because of the bites by the mongoose and the crow dies as it is struck by the cobra.

Question 7.
How did the cobra regard his opponent? Were they true warriors?
Answer:
The cobra regarded his opponent as a superb fighter, clever and aggressive. They were true warriors as they fought valiantly.

Question 8.
How did the mongoose manage to escape from the snake’s bite?
Answer:
The mongoose bushed his tail. The long hair on his spine stood up. The very thickness of his hair saved him from the bites of the snake.

Question 9.
The cobra was a good fighter. Pick out one of his fighting techniques.
Answer:
The cobra stood on the defensive, swaying slowly from side to side, trying to mesmerize the mongoose into making a false move. His great hood came down so swiftly that the writerthought the mongoose would be killed.

Question 10.
The mongoose proved that he was clever. Can you cite any instance of his cleverness?
Answer:
When the cobra struck, the mongoose jumped neatly to one side and darted in swiftly biting the snake on the back. Then he darted away from the snake, out of his reach.

Question 11.
What were the reactions of the spectators when the cobra struck?
Answer:
When the cobra struck, the spectators, the crow and the myna, hurled themselves at him. But they collided in mid air and returned to the cactus making angry noises at each other.

Question 12.
How did the crow push itself into trouble?
Answer:
The myna and the crow dived at the cobra, but they missed him. The myna flew back to safety. But the crow tried to pull up in midair and turn back. In the second that it took him to do this, the cobra struck him with great force and it proved fatal forthe crow.

Question 13.
Why is the myna said to be wise? ‘
Answer:
When the myna saw it missed the cobra when it dived at it, it flew ^way into safety and perched on the cactus. That is why it is said to be wise. But the foolish crow got killed.

Question 14.
Who won the battle? What made the myna peer into the bushes?
Answer:
The battle was won by the mongoose. The myna peered into the bushes to see if the cobra was really dead so that it could congratulate the mongoose.

Question 15.
What prevented the Grandfather from taming the mongoose?
Answer:
Grandfather knew that a wild mongoose was more useful than a tamed one. This knowledge prevented him from taming it.

Question 16.
Why would Grandmother forgive the mongoose for stealing the eggs?
Answer:
Grandmotherforgave the mongoose for stealing the eggs because it kept the garden clear of snakes and it did not do any harm to the chicken.

Question 17.
Who was the new friend of the squirrel?
Answer:
The new friend of the squirrel was a white rat that Grandfather had bought from the bazaar. They enjoyed their friendship by going off together on excursions among the branches. Finally the squirrel and the white rat mated and had babies.

Question 18.
How did the boy come to know that the squirrel was building a nest?
Answer:
m The boy came to know that the squirrel was building a nest when he discovered straw and grass falling out of his pockets. Later he saw the knitting of his grandmother in the nest on the tree. There were three baby squirrels in the wool.

Question 19.
What was the wonder that nature had kept for them in the nest?
Answer:
The wonder nature had kept for them was the three white baby squirrels in the nest. Grandfather said that rats and squirrels were related and it was possible for them to have offspring if they mated.

Adventures in a Banyan Tree Textual Activities and Answers

Activity 1

Question 1.
Revisit the story and complete the story tree:

Answer:

Activity 2

Question 2.
The boy was very much thrilled by his acquaintance with the squirrel. He writes a letter to his friend telling him about his new friend. Help him complete the letter.

Answer:

Activity 3

The Squirrel	The squirrel was very young. It was small and grey in colour. Finding the boy not harmful, it became very friendly with him. It trusted the boy and even took food from his hands.
The snake	The cobra was huge and black. It was skilful and an experienced fighter. He could move swiftly and strike with the speed of light. The sacs behind his long, sharp fangs were full of deadly poison. But the mongoose proved too clever forthis cobra.
The Mongoose	The mongoose was grey in colour. It was three feet long. It was a superb fighter, clever and aggressive. When the snake raised high off the ground and spread his broad spectacled hood, the mongoose bushed his tail. The long hair on his spine stood to prevent the bite from the snake harm his body. Ultimately, it killed the snake and dragged it into the cactus bush. The Grandfather of the boy used to give the mongoose scraps from the kitchen. It also stole eggs from the poultry but it did not harm the chickens there.

Answer:

The Squirrel	The squirrel was very young. It was small and grey in colour. Finding the boy not harmful, it became very friendly with him. It trusted the boy and even took food from his hands.
The snake
The Mongoose

Activity 4

Question 3.
The boy was thrilled at seeing the fight between the cobra and the mongoose. You may also have the same feeling. Narrate the fight scene in your own words.
……………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………….
Answer:
The boy was sitting on the platform half way up the tree. It was an April afternoon. Warm breezes had sent everyone indoors. The boy was thinking of going for a swim, when he saw a black cobra coming out of a group of cactus. It was looking for a cooler place in the garden. A mongoose also came out and went towards the cobra. They came face to face.

The Cobra knew that the 3 feet long mongoose is a fine fighter, clever and aggressive. But the cobra was also an experienced fighter. He could move with great speed and strike the mongoose. His sharp teeth were full of poison. It was a battle of champions.

The cobra hissed. His tongue darted in and out. It was6feet long. It raised its three feet high and raised its broad, spectacled hood. The mongoose was also ready to fight, its hair on the spine stood up like bristles. They would help him to prevent his body from getting bitten. A myna and a jungle crow were watching the fight. At one stage they dived towards the cobra, but they missed it. The myna went back. The crow was trying to turn around when it was struck by the cobra. It died soon. The mongoose proved too clever for the cobra and finally it was killed by the mongoose which dragged it into the bush.

Activity 5

Question 4.
‘And amongst the wool were the three baby squirrels – all of them white!’ The boy couldn’t stop wondering about the white squirrels. If he scribbled down this unforgettable sight in his diary, how would it be?
Answer:
When I saw the glint from the nest of the squirrel I went to investigate. To my utter surprise What do I see there? Among the wool, which was actually my Grandmother’s knitting, there were three white baby squirrels. I had never seen another squirrel in that area. Then how can the baby squirrels appear in the nest? I was puzzled. I decided to tell my Grandfather about it. Grandfather was also puzzled as he had never seen white squirrels. Then he said that rats and squirrels were of the same family group and they could cross-breed. The squirrel was the father and the white rat was the mother of the white babies. This world is full of wonders, isn’t it?

Activity 6

A. The silhouettes of some scenes from the story are given here. Identify the scenes and give cutlines.

Answer:

B. Based on the outlines, prepare a narrative:

The first friend of the boy was a small squirrel. He used to give the squirrel pieces of cakes and biscuits. The squirrel then became bold enough to eat from his hands. The boy built a platform in a banyan tree. He used to sit there and read books and watch the things around.

One day he saw a cobra and mongoose having a fight. As he was watching the fight he saw there were also a myna and a crow watching the fight. These birds wanted to attack the cobra. But the cobra kills the crow. Finally the cobra is killed by the mongoose and its body is dragged into the bush.

The Grandfather of the boy had bought a white rat and brought it home. The boy took it to the squirrel and soon the white rat and the squirrel became close friends. They mated. The squirrel built a nest and crammed it with the wool of the boy’s Grandmother’s knitting. When the boy went to investigate he was surprised to see 3 white baby squirrels. His Grandfather told him that the squirrel was the father and the white rat was the mother. Since rats and squirrels are related species, they could have offspring, if they mated. It was news to the boy.

Activity 7

a) A single banyan tree creates such beauty and harmony. How will it be if we have such beauty everywhere? What should we do for the conservation of nature? Discuss
Answer:
The great poet John Keats said, “A thing of beauty is a joy forever.” Indeed we would be happy to have beauty everywhere. But what do we see now? Even on the roads people throw their waste. We see plas¬tic bags and other things lying all around killing our environment.

We can do many things to conserve nature. We should plant trees. Reduce deforestation for cultivation and building industries and houses. Reduce the use of artificial fertilizers and pesticides. Keep our rivers, lakes, ponds and wells clean. Reduce our dependency on motor vehicles which use petrol and diesel.

b. Prepare a digital poster on the theme; “Conservation of Nature”.

Activity 8

The story “Adventures in a Banyan Tree’ portrays the happy childhood of the writer blended with enchanting nature. Can the future generation enjoy such a beautiful life? Analyse the following pictures and identify the environmental issues portrayed in them.

Issue : Cutting Down Trees – Deforestation What is the dreadful impact of this?
The dreadful impact is global warming. The trees give us oxygen. The roots protect the soil from erosion. The tree itself gives dwellings to various birds and animals. By cutting down the trees, we are making deserts.

Issue: Plastic Waste Dumps Everywhere How will this affect the environment?
The whole place becomes a Plastic waste dump. Water bodies will be clogged and polluted. There will be no clean water. People, animals and birds will be struggling to get good water. Peaceful and healthy life becomes impossible.

Issue: Carbon Emission – Over-Industrialization What are the reasons and consequences?
Overindustrialization pollutes the atmosphere and even the air becomes poisonous with dust and smoke. Diseases spread rapidly and people die of various diseases.

Discuss the following questions:

Question 1.
Do you think these are very serious threats to our earth? What are the possible solutions for these issues?
Answer:
Of course deforestation, dumping of plastic waste everywhere and excessive carbon emission are serious threats to our earth. They cause global warming and climate change.

But there are solutions to the problems:

• Afforestation
• Planting trees wherever possible
• Conduct awareness programmes
• Avoid plastic carry bags
• Use cloth bags
• Dispose the waste properly
• Control carbon emission
• As far as possible avoid using motor vehicles using petrol and diesel as fuel.
• Avoid the use of pesticide sprays and such polluting agents.

Things To Be Done By Students
Conducting a seminar on the topic “Save the Earth”. Making a documentary on the topic as suggested in the Text.

Let’S Learn About Words

Activity 1

Question 1.
Pick out the words and phrases used to describe the fight of each warrior.

Snake	Mongoose
Moved swiftly Struck with the speed of light …………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………….	Made a feint to one side Darted swiftly …………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………….

Answer:

Snake	Mongoose
Moved swiftly Struck with the speed of light Spread his broad, spectacled hood Swayed from side to side Tried to mesmerize the mongoose His great hood came down swiftly	Made a feint to one side Darted swiftly Bushed his tail Refused to meet the un-winking eyes of the snake Jumped neatly to one side to avoid the bite Bit the snake on the back

Activity 2

Question 2.
Rewrite passage using synonyms of the words underlined:
In the spring, when the banyan tree was full of small red figs, birds of all kinds would flock into its branches – the red-bottomed bulbul, cheerful and greedy; gossiping rosy pastors; and parrots and crows, sguabbling with each other all the time. During the fig season, the banyan tree was the noisiest place on the road.
Answer:
In the spring, when the banyan tree was full of small red figs, birds of all kinds would throng into its branches – the red-bottomed bulbul, happy and avaricious; slandering rosy pastors; and parrots and crows, Quarrelling with each other all the time. During the fig season, the banyan tree was the noisiest place on the road.

Now, read the following sentence:
He had never tried taming it, because a wild mongoose was more useful than a domesticated one.

• He – pronoun, subject,
• had – auxiliary verb helping to form the past perfect tense of the verb
• tried – verb
• because – conjunction
• wild – adjective
• mongoose – noun
• more useful – comparative adjective

See the word card in the text on below:

Prepare more word cards by picking words from the lesson.
Here are three examples:
1.

• word – magnificent
• category – adjecive
• synonyms – brilliant, elegant, excellent, glittering, gorgeous, grand
• antonyms – mediocre, common, ordinary Sentence using
• the word – Taj Mahal is a magnificent building.
  Sentence using
• antonym – His performance as a Minister was mediocre.
  An activity with
• the word – magnificently (adverb), magnify Dence (noun).

2.

• Word – invasion
• category – noun
• synonyms – aggression, assault, breach, incursion, incursion, intrusion
• antonyms – resIstance, retreat, surrender Sentence using
• the word – Hitler’s invasion of Poland was condemned by all peace-loving nations.
  Sentence using
• antonym – The Polish people put up a strong resistance when Hitler invaded their country
  An activity with
• the word – invade (verb) invading (participle).

3.

• Word – aggressive
• category – adjective
• synonyms – antagonistic, belligerent, bellicose, militant, pugnacious
• antonyms – amicable, unaggressive
  Sentence with
• the word – Powerful nations should be not aggressive.
  Sentence with
• antonym – Nations should be amicable towards one another.
  An activity with
• the word – aggression (noun).

Question 3.
Read the following sentences.
1. It was an old banyan tree.
2. The tree was older than the house.
3. It was the oldest banyan tree in the town.
In sentence 1, the adjective ‘old’ merely tells us that banyan tree was old.
In sentence 2, the adjective ‘older’ is used to show that it was olderthan the house. Thetree was already there when the house was built.
In sentence 3, the adjective ‘oldest’ tells us that it was the oldest banyan tree in the town. Oldest is the superlative degree of old.
Fill in the blanks Suitably:
Answer:

1. clever
2. more aggressive
3. noisiest
4. skillful
5. hotter
6. contented
7. worst
8. most unforgettable
9. eldest
10. swiftly

Adventures in a Banyan Tree About the author:

– Ruskin Bond

Ruskin Bond was born on 19 May 1934. He is an Indian author of British descent. His father was an officer at the Royal Air Force. Ruskin’s first novel, The Room on the Roof was written when he was only 17. His first children’s book was The Angry River’. In 1992, he got the Sahitya Akademi Award for his collection of short stories titled “OurTrees Still Grow in Dehra”. He got Padma Shri in 1999. He now lives near Mussoorie.

Adventures in a Banyan Tree Summary in English

The house and grounds of our home in India belonged to the Grandfather. But the beautiful old banyan tree was mine because grandfather could not climb it as he was 65 years old. Grandmother often teased him telling him the story of an English woman who died at the age of 117. She would have lived longer if she had not fallen while climbing an apple tree. The branches of the banyan tree curved to the ground and took root again. Thus there were many trees all connected together. It gave me much pleasure. Dehra was a valley at the foot of the Himalayas and the banyan tree was older than anything there.

My first friend was a small grey squirrel. At first he did not like my spoiling his privacy. But I did not have a catapult or airgun. So, soon the squirrel became friendlier. I started giving him pieces of cake and biscuit and he grew bolder. He even started taking food from my hands. Slowly he even started searching my pockets and taking whatever was there. He was very young. His friends and relatives must have thought he was foolish to trust a human being, In the spring, when the banyan tree had small red figs, different kinds of birds would come to eat them. The birds included bulbul, rosy pastors, parrots and crows. During the fruit season, the banyan tree was the noisiest place on the road.

Halfway up the tree I made a small platform. When it was not very hot I spent the afternoons there. I could sit and read there. Sitting here I read Treasure Island’, ‘Huckleberry Finn’, The Mowgli Stories and the novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Louisa May Alcott. When I did not read, I would look down through the banyan leaves at the world below. I could see grandmother hanging up or taking down the washing, the cook quarreling with the fruit seller or grandfather complaining that the strong Indian marigolds growing up all over his English garden. Usually only ordinary things happened. But one day there was something very exciting. I saw a mongoose and a cobra fight to death in the garden as I was sitting above them.

It was in an April afternoon. The warm breezes kept people inside their homes. My grandfather was also inside. I was feeling drowsy and was thinking of going for a swim in the pond behind the house. Soon I saw a black cobra coming out of a group of cactus. It was looking for a cooler place in the garden. A mongoose also came out and went towards the cobra. They came face to face.

The Cobra knew that the 3 feet long mongoose is a fine fighter, clever and aggressive. But the cobra was also an experienced fighter. He could move wjth great speed and strike the mongoose. His sharp teeth were full of poison. It was a battle of champions.

The cobra was not a coward. It hissed. His tongue darted in and out. It was 6 feet long. It raised its body three feet high and raised its broad, spectacled hood. The mongoose was also ready to fight. Its hair on the spine stood up like bristles. They would help him to prevent his body from getting bitten. Although the mongoose and cobra did not know I was sitting up, two other spectators arrived. One was a myna and the other was a jungle crow. They settled down on the cactus to watch the fight.

The cobra swayed slowly from side to side trying to make the mongoose make a false move. But the mongoose knew the power of the glassy eyes of the snake and did not look at them. He was looking at a point just below the cobra’s hood. Moving quickly near the cobra, he made a move to one side. The cobra struck immediately. I thought it was the end of the mongoose. But he neatly jumped to one side and bit the snake on the back and moved away from the reach of the snake.

The. moment the cobra struck, the crow and the myna flew fast towards it but they collided in mid-air, and making angry noises, they returned to the cactus.

There was some blood on the cobra’s back. He struck again but missed. The mongoose jumped again and bit the cobra. Again the birds flew towards the snake and bumped into each other and went back.

The 3rd round was different. The crow and the myna dived at the cobra, but they missed their mark. The myna went back, but the crow came again. The cobra struck the crow with great force and it died soon, a little away from the cobra.

The cobra was weakening. The mongoose raised himself on his back legs and picked the cobra by its nose. The cobra tried hard to get free! It coiled around the mongoose. But soon it stopped fighting. The mongoose then dragged it, catching it by the hood, into the bushes. The myna flew away making some noise as if congratulating the mongoose.

I also got down from the tree and went to*my house. I told my grandfather about the fight. He was happy that the mongoose had won. He had encouraged the mongoose to live in the garden to keep the snakes off. He often gave it food. He never wanted to tame it because a wild mongoose is better than a tame one.

I often saw the mongoose going round the garden. Once I saw him with an egg in his mouth and. he took it from the poultry house. But he did not harm the birds. Grandmother would forgive him because he kept snakes away from the house.

The banyan tree was also the setting for the Strange Case of the Grey Squirrel and the White Rat. The Grandfather had bought the white rat from the bazaar for four annas. I would often take it to the roots and branches of the old tree. It soon made friendship with the squirrel. They would together go for excursions among the branches.

Then the squirrel Started building a nest. First it tried to build the nest in my pockets. When I vent home I would find straw and grass falling out. One day my Grandmother’s knitting was missing. We looked for it everywhere without success. The next day I saw something shining in the banyan tree. I realized it was the end of the steel knitting needle of Grañdmother. The hole was filled with knitting. Among the wool there were three white baby squirrels.

Grandfather had never seen white baby squirrels. When I mentioned that the white rat often visited the tree, Grandfather told me that the squirrel must be the father of the white baby squirrels. He said that rats and squirrels were related to each other and it was possible for them to have babies if they mated.

Adventures in a Banyan Tree Summary in Malayalam

Adventures in a Banyan Tree Glossary

You can Download The Best Investment I Ever Made Questions and Answers, Summary, Activity, Notes, Kerala Syllabus 10th Standard English Solutions Unit 3 Chapter 1 help you to revise complete Syllabus and score more marks in your examinations.

Kerala State Syllabus 10th Standard English Solutions Unit 3 Chapter 1 The Best Investment I Ever Made (Anecdote)

Std 10 English Textbook The Best Investment I Ever Made Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Have you come across any person with importunate behaviour? How did ypu feel about it? Describe your experience.
Answer:
Yes, I have come across a person with importunate behaviour. I felt very bad about it. This person sells lottery tickets. He goes on pestering me to buy tickets from him. I feel very bad as I have to repeatedly tell him I don’t need any lottery ticket.

Question 2.
Why was the narrator not interested in the man who was watching him?
Answer:
The narrator was not interested in the man who was watching him because he wanted to rest and avoid strangers who would bore him with unnecessary questions.

Question 3.
The narrator observed the man and described him in vivid terms. How did he describe him?
Answer:
He was in his early 40s. He was fair in complexion and short. He had clear blue eyes. He had thin hair and a large forehead. He wore a dark suit, sober tie and rimless spectacles. All these gave him a look of seriousness and reservation.

Question 4.
Why did the narrator notice the fellow voyager the next day?
Answer:
The narrator noticed the fellow voyager the next day because he was watching the narrator very earnestly from his deck chair. Then he came and introduced himself handing over a visiting card.

Question 5.
What was the purpose of the visit of the voyager and his wife to America?
Answer:
The purpose of their visit was to learn about some of the summer recreational camps for young people there. They also visited settlement houses in New York and other cities. They wanted to study the methods used in dealing with backward, maladjusted and delinquent youth.

Question 6.
“I found liking him instinctively.” Why?
Answer:
I found liking him instinctively because there was much enthusiasm in his voice, manner and his personality

Question 7.
What did Cronin learn about the man after questioning him further?
Answer:
He learned that the man and his wife had been active for the past 15 years in the field of youth welfare. He was a solicitor by profession but in addition to his practice in courts, he found time to act as the director of a charitable organization devoted to the care of boys and.girls who were punished by the courts.

Question 8.
How did the couple help derelict adolescents to lead normal lives?
Answer:
They took derelict adolescents from the juvenile courts and placed them in a healthy environment. They healed them in mind and body and sent them back into the world. They were given training in some handi craft so that they could live as worthy citizens.

Question 9.
What did Cronin mean by the expression ‘the veils parted’?
Answer:
The man told him of the incident 25 years ago, when Cronin had helped him. Now Cronin remembered everything. The veils parted. Now he knew why the man was keen on talking to him.

Question 10.
‘… I was awakened by a loud banging on the door. ’Who was banging on the door’? Why?
Answer:
A sergeant of police was banging on the door. There was a case of attempted suicide and he had come to call Cronin as he is a doctor.

Question 11.
What did the doctors to save the life of the young man?
Answer:
With the help of the sergeant, the doctor began the work of resuscitation. They laboured hard for an entire hour. As they were about to give up, the young man started breathing and soon he was sitting up.

Question 12.
“Utterly friendless, he had fallen victim to the loose society of the streets…” What does the author mean by this statement?
Answer:
The young man was without friends and slowly he got into bad company. He started living a life beyond his means. He began to bet on horses and it ruined him.

Question 13.
Why did the young man try to commit suicide?
Answer:
He had lost heavily on horse betting. To recover his losses he decided to make a final bet. For that he had no money and so he stole money from the safe where he was working. He lost that bet also. He knew he would be caught and so he decided to commit suicide.

Question 14.
Why does the author say that it was the best investment he had ever made?
Answer:
He had made many investments for material gain, but he had lost. The losses brought him only anxiety, disappointment and frustration. But here he made a small investment that changed the life of a man, who has become an excellent citizen doing service to the society.

Question 15.
The sergeant, the landlady and the narrator helped the young man, Complete the following table:

Persons who helped Mr John	How they helped	The risk involved
Sergeant
Landlady
The narrator		Loss of seven Pounds and ten shillings

Answer:

Persons who helped Mr John	How they helped	The risk involved
Sergeant	not reporting the case	Loss of his job
Landlady	offered a month’s free board	She may not get the money.
The narrator	Gave him 7 Pounds and ten shillings to put back in the office safe.	He is not sure if he will put it back in the office safe. However he loses the money.

The Best Investment I Ever Made Textual Activities and Answers

Activity 1

Question 1.
How does the writer contrast thp past the present lives of Mr. John?
Pick out appropriate sentences/expressions from the story and complete the following table.

Past	Present
The young man had fallen victim to the loose society of the streets.	Interested to study the methods employed in dealing with cases of backward, maladjusted and delinquent youth,

Answer:

Past	Present
The young man had fallen victim to loose society of the streets.	Interested in studying the methods employed in dealing with cases of backward, maladjusted and delinquent children.
He started betting on horses.	He is a solicitor by profession.
He lost all his savings and pledged his belongings.	He visits summer recreational camps and settlements in New York.
He took money from the office safe.	He is active in the youth welfare.
To commit suicide he had turned on the gas an shut himself in the rodm.	He is working as a director of a charitable organization which tries to resettle derelict children.

Activity 2

Question 2.
Do you think the title ‘The Best Investment I Ever Made’ is appropriate to the story? Why? Consider the following questions:
a) What does the word investment mean with special reference to the story?
b) What are the other meanings of the word investment?
c) Why does the narrator describe his investment the best?
Answer:
a) In the story the word investment means the help the narrator gave the boy who was in trouble,
b) Investment means the process of putting money forgetting profit, like buying shares or starting a business or company.
c) The narrator describes his investment the best because it changed the life of a man. With 7 pounds and 10 shillings, the narrator changed a bad boy into a«^blicitor and the director of a charitable organization doing the work of rehabilitating delinquent children.

PARAGRAPH
a) I definitely think the title The Best Investment I Ever Made’ is the most appropriate forthe story. In its normal meaning investment means the process of putting money for getting profit, like buying shares or starting a business or company. In the story the word investment meant the help the narrator gave the boy who was in trouble. If the narrator had not given the money to the boy, he would have been caught for stealing money, and he would be dismissed from service and sent to the jail. But the narrator saved him and later we see that bad boy becoming a solicitor and the director of a charitable organization doing the work of rehabilitating delinquent children. The author may not have gained any material benefit from his investment, but still it was the greatest investment he ever made.

Activity 3

Question 3.
Read the notes on Page on below:
‘He was in his early 40s, rather short in build, with a fair complexion and clear blue eyes. His thin hair had begun to recede from his forehead. His dark suit, sober tie and rimless spectacles gave evidence of a serious and reserved disposition.’

Now prepare a brief description about your friend/ a film star.

Answer:
Selina is my friend. She is a beautiful girl of 15. We have been friends right from the LKG. We have been studying in the same school all these years. She has fair complexion. Her hair is long. Her eyes are wide with a bluish tinge and they are always bright. She smiles nicely and I jocularly call her Aishwarya Roy. She is tall and slim. Her parents are rich and she often helps poor students by buying them books and writing material. She dresses modestly and she walks and talks gracefully. She is very clever and she is one of the best five students of the class. All the students like her because of her amiable behaviour. I am lucky to have a friend like Selina.

Activity 4

Question 4.
From a state of loss and despair, John came to a life of success and joy. He intervened wholeheartedly to bring about a change in the miserable life of many young men. What helped him do so? What lesson do we learn from the eventful life of John? Discuss. In the light of the discussion, prepare a speech on the topic. “Self help is the best help.”
Answer:
My dear Principal, teachers and students, Today I am going to talk on the topic “Self help is the best help.” We all heard about the story of John. John’s parents were dead. His uncle helped him to get the job of a clerk in a London lawyer’s office. He had no friends and he fell into bad company. He started enjoying pleasures beyond his means. He started betting on horses. Soon he lost all his savings. In an effort to get money he stole some money from his office safe to make a final bet. But again he lost. He now wanted to commit suicide. He went to the room and turned on the gas.

A doctor was called in to attend to him as he was found unconscious. There was also a policeman as well as the land lady of John. The doctor soon revived him. John told them his story. The doctor, the policeman and the landlady felt pity for him and they agreed to help him. The doctor gave him the money to replace what he took from the office safe. The policeman would not report against John. The landlady would give him a month’s free board.

John changed completely. He worked hard and he became a success in life. Now he and his wife are helping children with problems to settle in life. John learned to help himself and others. Self help is the best. If you are determined to succeed, no one can stop you. “Where there is a will, there is a way.” Thank you for listening.

Activity 5

Question 5.
The story is told from the point of view of the narrator. This is called “the first person point of view”. The pronoun used here is “I”.
Now, change the perspective of the narrative to the third person point of view using the pronoun “he” and narrate the events in the story.
Answer:
It was the second day of the narrator’s voyage. Suddenly he became aware that one of the passengers was watching him closely. The narrator felt that the man was not confident enough to go to him and ask for clarification. He was in his early 40s. The narrator learned that the man’s name was John. On the final evening at sea Mrs. John persuaded John to meet the narrator.

After introducing himself and his wife, John started telling his story to the narrator. His parents were dead. His uncle helped him to get the job of a clerk in a London lawyer’s office. He had no friends and he fell into bad company. He started enjoying pleasures beyond his means. He started betting on horses. Soon he lost all his savings. In an effort to get money he stole some money from his office safe to make a final bet. But again he lost. He now wanted to commit suicide. He went to the room and turned on the gas.

The narrator, who was a doctor, was called in to attend to him as he was found unconscious. There was also a policeman as well as the land lady of John. The doctor soon revived him. John told them why he wanted to die.

The doctor, the policeman and the landlady felt pity for him and they agreed to help him. The doctor gave him the money to replace what he took from the office safe. The policeman woufd not report against John. The landlady would give him a month’s free board.

John now changed completely. He worked hard and became a success. Now he’ and his wife are helping the backward, maladjusted and delinquent youth to return to normal life. The narrator felt that the money he gave John was the best investment he ever made.

Activity 6

Go through the following diary entry.
Saturday, 23 August
What a terrible experience……..!
In that moment of despair. I tried to embrace death. Hope came in the form of the sergeant and the doctor They saved my life. The landlady also helped me, I will never again follow that dark and evil life of mine. Definitely I will change …. Just like the doctor, the sergeant and the lady, I will also try to change the lives of many …,. thus brining light to others.

Now I see that the light never fades out!

Question 6.
In which period of his life do you think Mr. John wrote this diary entry? Why?
Answer:
He wrote this diary entry after he was saved and , helped by the sergeant, the doctor and the land lady. Soon John realized his mistake. He knew that suicide is not the answer to problems. He decided to succeed in life and help the backward, maladjusted and delinquent children to live normal lives.

Question 7.
Imagine that Mr John, after meeting the narrator for the second time, writes his diary. What would be the possible diary entry? Write down.
Answer:
Today is one of the happiest days in my life. For almost 25 years I had been trying to find out this man, who had changed my life. This man, this doctor, had not only revived me after my suicide attempt, but also gave me the money to put back into the place from where I had stojen it. He is not just a man but an angel for me. Without his help, I would have been dead. Today I met him while I was returning from the States. This doctor has grown slightly old, but the cheerful expression is still on his face. I recognized him at the first look. But he did not recognize me. So I went and told him who I was and how he had helped me 25 years ago. He was happy to see me and hear about my work. I was also extremely pleased to meet him. I pray God there should more and more persons like him in this world.

Activity 7

Question 8.
Drug addiction and alcoholism are major social issues today.
A programme is to be held in the School campus to make the children aware of the dangers of these issues.
The following are some of the activities that can be conducted to create awareness.
a) seminar
b) poster/collage
c) cultural events: skit, street play, etc.
d) screening films, short videos.
Select any one of these and prepare it. You may present it before the class.
Answer:
A Seminar Paper
Drug addiction is one of the greatest evils that is destroying our society. This is the worst among school and college going children. Drug addiction is a psychological and sometimes physical problem. It is a compulsion to use a drug to experience psychological or physical satisfaction. Drug addiction takes several forms: tolerance, habituation, and addiction.

Tolerance is the first stage. It occurs when the body becomes accustomed to a drug and requires ever- increasing amounts of it to achieve the same effects. This condition is worsened when certain drugs are used at high doses for long periods (weeks or months), and may lead to more frequent use of the drug. However, when use ofthedrug is stopped, drug withdrawal may result, which is characterized by nausea, headaches, restlessness, sweating, and difficulty in sleeping. The severity of drug withdrawal symptoms varies depending on the drug involved. Habituation is characterized by the continued desire fora drug, even after physical dependence is gone. A drug often produces an elated emotional state. A person abusing drugs soon believes the drug is needed to function at work or home. Addiction is a severe craving forthe substance and interferes with a person’s ability to function normally. It may also involve physical dependence.

In addictive stage, one feels that he would die without the drug. To get it he will do anything – beg, steal or even murder. Once this stage is reached, the person will need outside help.

Of course there are awareness programmes against the dangers of drug abuse in our schools and colleges. But more direct action is needed to stop this danger which kills ouryouth and makes them useless people, useless to themselves and humanity at large.

The Best Investment I Ever Made Let’s Learn About Words

Activity 1

Question 9.
Read the following sentences from the story.
He was by profession, a solicitor
I was a young doctor at the doctor the time.
It was a sergeant of sergeant police.

The words given in bold refer to various professions.
The names of different professions are given on the left column and the details are
given on the right. Match the items by drawing lines.

Accountant	a person who works with electric circuits.
Astronomer	a person who makes things from wood.
Botanist	a person who cuts your hair or gives it a new style.
Carpenter	a person who puts out fire.
Dentist	a person who works with money and accounts.
Electrician	a person who studies plants.
Firefighter	a person who can fix problems of your teeth.
Hairdresser	a person who studies stars and the universe.

Answer:

Accountant	works with money and accounts.
Astronomer	studies stars and the universe.
Botanist	studies plants.
Carpenter	makes things from wood.
Dentist	fixes problem with your teeth.
Electrician	works with electrical circuits.
Fire-fighter	puts out fire
Hairdresser	cuts your hair and gives it a new style.

Activity 2

Question 10.
Words are divided into two classes – Closed Word Classes and Open Word Classes. When we say Closed Word Classes, we mean those classes to which no more new words will be added. Thus Determiners, pronouns, prepositions and conjunctions are Closed Word Classes.
Open Words classes are Nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs. New words are added to these categories. That is why they are called Open Word Classes.
Here is a passage from the text. It contains both Closed Word Classes and Open Word Classes. Pick out the words and decide to which category they belong.
On thd second day, out from New York, while making the round of the promenade deck, I suddenly became aware that one of the passengers was watching me closely following me with his gaze every time I passed.
I wanted to rest, to avoid the tedium of casual and importunate shipboard contacts. I gave no sign of having noticed the man.
Answer:
Closed Word Classes

• Determiner : the,one,every
• Pronoun : I, me, his
• Preposition : On, out, from, of, with, to
• Conjunction : while, that, and

Open Word Classes

• Noun : day, New York, promenade, deck, passengers, gaze, time, tedium, shipboard, contacts, sign, man
• Verb : making, became, was watching, following, passed, wanted, rest, avoid, gave, having, noticed
• Adjective : round, second, aware, casual, importunate, no Adverb: suddenly, closely

Activity 3

Question 11.
Read the following sentences.
Listening to a single story is the refusal of truths.
Applauds of the audience energise the athletes.
Racism had deeply affected the life of the African Americans.
Freedom is the birthright of an individual.
Nightingales have a musical voice.
Climate changes threaten the life on earth.
These paintings are very creative.
Each of us should be a protector of nature.
The argument against fossil fuel consumption is stronger nowadays.
He seemed affected by a troubled, rather touching diffidence.
Education will enlighten the minds of people.
He went on with the same awkwardness.
He found time to act as director of a charitable organisation.

Pick out the words highlighted in these sentences and complete the table.

Word	Root word	suffixes
Refusal …………………………………. …………………………………. ………………………………….	Refuse …………………………………. …………………………………. ………………………………….	-al …………………………………. …………………………………. ………………………………….

Answer:

Word	Root word	Suffix
refusal	refuse	al
energise	energy	ise
racism	race	ism
freedom	free	dom
musical	music	al
threaten	threat	en
creative	create	ive
protector	protect	or
argument	argue	ment
diffidence	diffident	ce
enlighten	light	en
awkwardness	awkward	ness
organisation	organise	ation

Question 12.
The root words had changed their forms or class after suffixation. Categorise them on the basis of derivation as shown in the table below:

Noun Suffixes	Verb suffixes	Adjective suffixes

Answer:

Noun Suffixes	Verb suffixes	Adiective suffixes
refusal	energise	musical
racism	threaten	creative
freedom	enlighten
protector
argument
diffidence
awkwardness
organisation

Activity 4

Question 13.
Fill in the following passage using appropriate words given below:
(maladjusted, paltry, disarming, go on, awkwardness, genuine, importunate, given up, tedium, apparently)
Answer:
The tedium of life in old age homes has been pointed out by many. The awkwardness old people face there is mainly out of the importunate curiosity of the visitors who come there. Many of the old people are maladjusted because of the long and solitary lives they have to lead there. Apparently there are no genuine cases of abandoned parents because of the financial conditions of the family. Most of them are given up by their wealthy children. We have to go on enlightening our youths against the tendency to fly away from their parents. The paltry sum they send ¡s nothing if they really know the value of the disarming smiles that bloom on the faces of their parents when thêy are properly cared for in their old age.

The Best Investment I Ever Made About the author:

– Archibald Joseph Cronin

Cronin (1896-1981) was a Scottish physician and novelist. His best-known novel is “The Citadel”. It is about a doctor in a Welsh mining village, who quickly moves up the career ladder in London. Cronin also worked as a Medical Inspector of Mines. His short novel “Country Doctor” was adapted for a long-running BBC Radio and TV Series.

The Best Investment I Ever Made Summary in English

Page – 77
1. I was travelling in a ship from New York. On the second day, as I was walking around on the deck, I noticed that a passenger was observing me. I did not want to answer questions from strangers and so I pretended I did not notice him.

2. But the man continued to observe me. I felt he was not confident enough to come to me and ask for clarification. He was in his early 40s. He was fair in complexion and short. He had clear blue eyes. He had thin hair and a large forehead. He wore a dark suit, sober tie and rimless spectacles. All these gave him a look of seriousness and reservation. It was time for dinner and I went below.

Page – 78
3. On the following afternoon also I noticed that he was observing me from his deck chair. His wife was with him. I was puzzled. I discovered from the steward that they were Mr and Mrs John S. from near London. After another day, I felt that John was too shy to come to me. On the final evening at sea, Mrs. John S. persuaded her husband to come and talk to me as I passed along the deck.

4. He came to introduce himself and gave me his visiting card. The name did not mean anything to me. Then with great difficulty, he told me he and his wife would like to talk to me.

5. I went and sat near them. He told me that this was their first visit to America. It was not an entirely holiday trip. They had been making a tour of the New England states, inspecting many of the summer recreational camps for young people there. They also visited settlement houses in New York and other cities. They wanted to study the methods used in dealing with backward, maladjusted and delinquent youth.

Page – 79
6. There was much enthusiasm in his voice and manner. I liked him. I found out that he and his wife had been active in youth welfare for the last 15 years. He was a lawyer by profession. In addition to his work in the court, he was the director of a charitable organization devoted to the welfare of boys and girls. These boys and girls were mostly law-breakers from city sums.

7. I learned about their work. They took derelict adolescents from the juvenile courts and placed them in a healthy environment. They healed them in mind and body and sent them back into the world. They were given training in some handi craft so that they could live as worthy citizens. I wanted to know why he did such a work.

8. The question had a strange effect on him. He took a deep breath and asked me if I still did not remember him. I said no.

9. He said that he had wanted to get in touch with me for many years. But he was not able to do so. Then he whispered to me something that took me back to the incident that happened 25 years ago. I had then met him, just once.

10. I was a young doctor then. I had begun my practice in a working-class district of London. On a foggy night, around 1 o’clock, somebody banged at my door. I went down to see who it was. It was a police sergeant. He told me there was a suicide case and I should go with him at once.

Page – 80
11. We walked in silence. Even our footsteps were muffled by the fog. We entered an old building. As I climbed the steps, there was the smell of gas. The landlady showed me the body of a young man. It was on a narrow bed in the attic.

12. The young man was not dead, although the chance of his recovery was minimal. We tried to revive him, for almost one hour. We were about to give up, when the patient started breathing. We tried again and in half an hour the youth was sitting up, looking at us in a surprised manner. He soon realized the horror of the situation.

13. As he regained his strength, he told us his story. His parents were dead. His uncle helped him to get the job of a clerk in a London lawyer’s office. As he had no friends, he had fallen into bad company. He started enjoying the pleasures of life beyond his means. He started betting on horses. Soon he lost all his savings and he incurred a lot of debt. In an effort to get money, he stole money from his office safe to make a final bet. But again he lost. He was desperate and returned to the room. He wanted to die. He turned on the gas.

Page – 81
14. The policeman wanted to know how much he had stolen. He had stolen only seven pounds and ten shillings. For this small amount he was throwing his life away.

15. The landlady, the policeman and I were the only witnesses to this confession. Together, we decided to give the young man a fresh start.

16. The policeman agreed not to report the case so that there would be no trial. The landlady offered a month’s free board to the youth. I gave him the 7 pounds and 10 shillings to put back into the safe.

17. The ship moved. There was no need for any speech. With a tender gesture, Mrs. John took her husband’s hand. We sat in silence. I realized that it was the best investment I had ever made in my life. It had paid me no dividends in worldly goods. I had made many investments for material gain, but I had lost. The losses brought me only anxiety, disappointment and frustration.

The Best Investment I Ever Made Summary in Malayalam

The Best Investment I Ever Made Glossary

You can Download Lines Written in Early Spring Questions and Answers, Summary, Activity, Notes, Kerala Syllabus 10th Standard English Solutions Unit 1 Chapter 3 help you to revise complete Syllabus and score more marks in your examinations.

Kerala State Syllabus 10th Standard English Solutions Unit 1 Chapter 3 Lines Written in Early Spring (Poem)

Std 10 English Textbook Lines Written in Early Spring Questions and Answers

Question 1.
What does the expression “I sate reclined” indicate about the poet’s state of mind.
Answer:
It indicates that the poet was quite relaxed.

Question 2.
Why does the poet feel sad while reclining in the grove?
Answer:
He feels sad because sad thoughts come to his mind. He thinks how man mistreats man and brings unhappiness around.

Question 3.
How does the poet associate himself with nature?
Answer:
He associates himself with nature by thinking that his soul is linked with Nature. Nature and man share the same soul and they are connected.

Question 4.
‘And much it grieved my heart to think/What man has made of man.” What do these lines convey?
Answer:
These lines convey the sadness of the poet who sees . how man mistreats his fellow beings. The wars and bloodshed that man makes is against the principle of nature. Nature asks us to enjoy the peace and beauty that God has given us. But we quarrel and fight making us unhappy all the time.

Question 5.
What makes the poet think that every flower enjoys its existence?
Answer:
When the flower blooms it is like smiling. Naturally, the flower is enjoying its time on earth. It will not last long, but when it is alive it enjoys its time and that is why it opens its petals and gives a broad smile to all.

Question 6.
What is the nature’s holy plan? How does man work against it?
Answer:
Nature’s holy plan is to make everything and everybody happy, enjoying the good things that Gpd has created. But man works against this and spends his time quarreling and fighting. He is greedy and often spends his life getting and spending money without enjoying the beauty of nature.

Question 7.
Suggest an alternative title for the poem.
Answer:
The Beauty Of Nature

Lines Written in Early Spring Textual Activities and Answers

Activity -1

Question 1.
What man has made of man’ is one of the most sinking expressions in the peom ‘Lines Written in Early Spring’. It describes the feelings of Wordsworth, the poet and his thoughts about human actiyities against nature. What made the poet think so?
Answer:
Wordsworth’s thoughts about the human werid.

• The human world is full of quarrels and fights.
• It is full of pain and misery, disease and death.
• The misery is caused by man himself as he does not love his fellow beings and help others.

Activity – 2

Question 2.
William Wordsworth’s poem ‘Lines Written in Early Spring’ is appealing to the readers because of its poetic devices. Fill in the boxes with suitable examples from the poem.
Answer:
Personification
Examples:

• To her fair works (Nature is personified as a woman).
• The periwinkle trailed (periwinkle is personified as a follower)
• The flower enjoys the air (The flower is treated as a person.)

Imagery:

• The birds around me hopped and played (visual).
• I heard a thousand blended notes (auditory).
• Through primrose tufts, in ttjat green bower, the periwinkle trailed its wreaths, (visual)
• The budding twigs spread out their fan to catch the breezy air (visual) Rhyme scheme: abab

Activity – 3

Question 3.
To her fair works did nature link The human soul that through me ran’
These lines speak about man’s vital relationship with nature. Discuss and write an appreciation of the poem.
Answer:

An appreciation of the poem:

The poet says that while sitting reclined on a woodland grove, his mind was filled with several thoughts. While he finds solace in the nature’s beauty, the same beauty also reminds him of sad thoughts, The speaker appreciates the nature for her god like abilities of linking a human soul to herself but he also feels grief while thinking about how cruelly man has separated himself from mother nature. The poet is highly appreciative of nature’s beauty. He finds delight in the green bowers and has faith that the beautiful flowers enjoy every ounce of the air they breathe and they are thankful for living beside the nature. The speaker observes the birds which sing and hop around him. He is in awe of these creatures.

Though the speaker does not understand their language and ways, he does recognize that the birds are creating all these movements out of sheer pleasure and joy. The breeze blowing is sweet and light, the twigs are spreading out as if to catch the sweet air and ail the poet can do is gather pleasure in their existence. The speaker questions that if this is heaven and this is the holy plan of nature then what man has done to himself is really bad. Man has separated himself from such joy and is spending his time hating one another and fighting wars.

The poem has 6 quatrains and the rhyming scheme is abab. There are examples of personification. There is fine visual and auditory imagery. We too feel like the poet reclining in the grove watching the flowers and listening to the music of,the birds. Nature is really beautiful.

Activity – 4

→ To be done individually by the students. Listen and enjoy as suggested in the Text.

Lines Written in Early Spring Language Activities

Activity -1

Question 1.
Read the following sentences and punctuate them.
Answer:

• The tree was older than the house.
• I saw a cobra and a mongoose fighting.
• What a spectacular sight!
• Will the mongoose kill the snake?
• Son, get down from the tree.
• Please answer me.
• Oh! What happy times those had been!
• What did man do to nature?

Question 2.
Discuss:

a. Based on the punctuations marks how many sentence types can you identify?
Answer:
I can identify 4 sentence types.

b. Are there two types of sentences in the above set that end in a full stop?
Answer:
Yes, there are.

c. What difference do you notice between these sentences?
Answer:
The difference is they are statements and imperatives.

d. Based on yourdiscussion, how many sentence types you can identify.
Answer:
Four types.

e. Which are the types of sentences you have identified?
Answer:
Statements, questions, imperatives and exclamations.
Statements: 1 and 2.
Command/Request: 5 and 6 Questions: 4 and 8 Exclamations: 3 and 7

• Statement sentences are called Assertive.
• Sentences that express command, order, request are called imperatives.
• Sentences that ask questions are called Interrogatives.
• Sentences that express emotions and feelings are called Exclamations.

Now, wnte two examples each for the sentence types you have identified.

1. Assertive:
a) MyfatherworksinDubai.
b) Our teacher teaches well.

2. Imperatives:
a) Open the window.
b) Please give me that book.

3. Interrogatives:
a) Where are you going?
b) Why do you sleep in the class?

4. Exclamatory:
a) What a beautiful girl!
b) How nicely he sings!

Activity – 2

Question 3.
Read the following sentences.
1) I had built a small platform on the tree.
2) I was not afraid.
3) Grandfather had a very beautiful garden.
4) The combatants were not aware of my presence in the banyan tree.
5) I don’t get any sleep at all.
6) My first friend was a small grey squirrel.
7) The house was not electrified.
8) The snake slithered along my shoulder.
9) I was no mere image cut in granite.
10) The snake looked into the mirror and saw its reflection.

Categorise the above sentences into affirmative and negative and complete the following table.
Answer:

Affirmative (Positive)	Negative
I had built a small platform on the tree.	I was not afraid.
Grandfather had a very beautiful garden.	The combatants were not aware of my presence in the banyan tree.
My best friend was a small grey squirrel.	I don’t get any sleep at all.
The snake slithered among my shoulder.	The house was not electrified.
The snake looked into the mirror and saw its reflection.	I was no mere image cut in granite.

Question 4.
Sentences Which State Positve Facts Are Called Affirmative Or Positive Sentences.
Sentences That Express Negative Ideas Are Called Negative Sentences.
Now look at the following sentences:
1. Grandfather rarely smoked a pipe.
2. The maid would hardly clean the garden
3. He could scarcely control his joy.
4. I will seldom pray for you.
5. There are few snakes in the garden.
6. There is little water in the pond.
Identify the words that make the sentences negative.
Answer:
1. rarely
2. hardly
3. scarcely
4. seldom
5. few
6. little

Question 5.
Rewrite the given sentences into negative sentences using the words you have identified.
1. Most of the students read their textbooks at home.
2. The boys do daring tasks.
3. It rains heavily.
4. The students have completed their work.
5. The boys play on the ground.
6. I write letters to my friends.
Answer:
1. Most of the students hardly read textbooks at home.
2. The boys rarely do daring tasks.
3. It seldom rains heavily.
4. Few students have completed their work.
5. The boys seldom play on the ground.
6. I scarcely write letters to my friends.

Question 5.
Rewrite the following affirmative sentences as negative sentences without changing their meaning. (Note that this might involve replacing a word with its antonym.)
(Note: Sentences containing ‘never’ are treated as negative sentences.)
1. Jack always agrees to help his friends.
2. He drivers his car very carefully.
3. Stella is prettier than Mary.
4. They have accepted the invitation.
5. A fox is cleverer than a jackal.
6. This shop sells expensive articles.
7. She always keeps her room tidy.
8. He is polite to everyone.
9. He is very industrious.
10. He is always late for his class.
Answer:
1. Jack seldom agrees to help his friends.
2. He hardly drives his car very carefully.
3. Stella is not prettier than Mary.
4. They have not accepted the invitation.
5. Afoxisnotclevererthanajackal.
6. This shop never sells expensive articles.
7. She never keeps her room tidy.
8. He is never polite to everyone.
9. He is rarely very industrious.
10. He is never late for his class.

Activity – 3

Question 6.
Let’s consider the following sentences:

1. The boys are playing in the ground.

2. The old grandfather was helpless.

Question 7.
A noun phrase can either be a single word (head noun) or more than one word (head noun + modifier).
Identify the Noun Phrase and its modifiers from the following sentences:
1. The magnificent old banyan tree was mine.
2. An old tree was the centre of attraction.
3. The cobra was a skilful and experienced fighter.
4. The small rented room was not electrified.
5. A long supporting gable rested on the beam over the wall.
Answer:
1. The magnificent old banyan tree. The (article) magnificent, old (adjective) banyan tree (Noun)
2. An old tree: (An – article), old (adjective), tree (noun). Centre of attraction (centre – noun, of-particle, attraction – noun).
3. The cobra (The – article), cobra (noun) a skilful and experienced fighter (a – article, skilful – adjective, and – conjunction, experienced – participle, fighter – noun)
4. The small rented room: The -article, small – adjective, rented – participle, room-noun).
5. A long supporting gable: (A – article, long, . adjective, supporting – participle, gable – noun). on the beam over the wall (on – preposition, the – article, beam – noun, over – preposition, the – article, wall – noun).

Question 8.
Words that can modify a noun are as follows:
Answer:
1. Articles (a, an, the)
2. Possessives (Grandfather’s, teachers’s, my, his, her, your, their, etc.)
3. Demonstratives (this, that, these, those)
4. Adjectives (old, long, smart, beautiful, etc.)
5. Numerals (three, five, twelve, etc.)
6. Ordinals (first, second, last, etc.)
7. Quantifiers (all, some, few, many, etc.)

Articles, Possessives and Demonstratives are called Determiners.
Sometimes a quantifier can appear before a determiner. In that case, we call it a pre-determiner.
E.g.

• All the students…
• Some of the books…

Lines Written In Early Spring About the author:

– William Wordsworth – 1770-1850

William Wordsworth (1770-1850) is a major English Romantic poet. The collection of poems called “Lyrical Ballads” written by him and Samuel Taylor Coleridge made him a great figure in the literary circle. He was made the poet Laureate in 1843. Some of his famous poems are “Daffodils”, “Lucy Gray” and the “The Prelude”.

To him Nature was a guru, a philosopher and a nurse. He is known as the High Priest of nature. In simple language, he extolled the beauty of Nature and asked his readers to enjoy that beauty. His poems are about simple people and simple things.

Lines Written in Early Spring Summary in English

Stanza 1: The poet is sitting in a small woodland grove. He hears the birdsong around him. Although happy thoughts are prompted by the birdsong, sad thoughts also come to his mind.

Stanza 2: Nature has forged a strong connection between itself and the soul of mankind, but man has repaid the favour by making a mess of his relations with his fellow man.

Stanza 3: The poet admires the flowers-the primrose, the blue of the periwinkle, the greenness of the woodland area in which he sits. He is very sure that every flower enjoys the air it breathes. Man must do the same.

Stanza 4: Birds hopped and played around him. The poet is not able to guess what they are thinking. But their movements showed they were very happy and enjoying their time.

Stanza 5: The twigs of the trees spread out as if to catch the breezy air. The poet thinks they too were happy and contented with the enjoyment they had.

Stanza 6: This belief is sent from heaven. This is the way nature is and nature is the work of God. Nature wants us to be happy. The poet laments at the sad state of man who spends his time in quarrelling and fighting instead of enjoying the blissful things God has given him.

Lines Written in Early Spring Summary in Malayalam

Lines Written in Early Spring Glossary

You can Download The Snake and the Mirror Questions and Answers, Summary, Activity, Notes, Kerala Syllabus 10th Standard English Solutions Unit 1 Chapter 2 help you to revise complete Syllabus and score more marks in your examinations.

Kerala State Syllabus 10th Standard English Solutions Unit 1 Chapter 2 The Snake and the Mirror (Short Story)

Std 10 English Textbook The Snake and the Mirror Questions and Answers

Question 1.
What was the topic that came up for discussion between the doctor and his friends?
Answer:
The topic was encounter with snakes.

Question 2.
What does the expression ‘full-blooded cobra’ suggest?
Answer:
It suggests it was fully grown, strong and energetic.

Question 3.
“The sound was a familiar one.” What was the sound?
Answer:
The sound of rats running across the beam.

Question 4.
“In those days I was a great admirer of beauty…” Pick out the phrases and expressions from the story that justify the statement.
Answer:
Taking a close look at my face in the mirror, shave daily, grow a moustache to look more handsome.

Question 5.
What are the two ‘important’ and ‘earth-shaking’ decisions that the doctor takes while looking into the mirror?
Answer:
One was to grow a moustache and the other was to keep the attractive smile on his face to look more handsome.

Question 6.
‘Again came that noise from above.’ Did the doctor pay much attention to the noise? Why?
Answer:
He didn’t pay much attention to the noise. It was the noise of rats running across the beam. It was a familiar sound.

Question 7.
What kind of a woman does the doctor want to marry? Why?
Answer:
He wants to marry a lady doctor with plenty of money and a good medical practice. She should also be fat. He wanted her to be fat so that in case he makes a mistake and wants to run away, she should not catch up with him.

Question 8.
What happened when the doctor was sitting on his chair?
Answer:
A full-blooded cobra fell from the roof. It came over the back of the chair and coiled itself on the doctor’s shoulder.

Question 9.
How did the doctor react when the snake landed on him?
Answer:
He sat there holding his breath like a stone. He was too afraid to make any move.

Question 10.
Why did the doctors in the chair ‘like a stone image in the flesh’?
Answer:
He did not know what to do. He had no time to react. He was terrified and was almost turned into a stone.

Question 11.
In the story the snake is compared to three objects. What are they?
Answer:
A rubber tube, a leaden rod and a human being.

Question 12.
Why did he feel that he was a stupid doctor?
Answer:
He had rats in his room. He could naturally expect a snake some day. He should have kept with him some antidote for snake poison. But he did not have any.

Question 13.
“I was suddenly a man of flesh and blood.” What does the doctor mean by.this statement?
Answer:
When the snake was on him, he was sitting like a stone. But when it moved away, he acted like a man. He got up from his chair and went out through the door into the veranda. From there he jumped tb the yard and fled for his life.’

Question 14.
Why did the doctor run to his friend’s house? Did the snake harm the doctor? Why?
Answer:
He ran to his friend’s house so that he could have a bath and clean himself after being touched by the snake. The snake did not harm him, except that it terrified him. The snake must have thought it had fallen into a stone as the man sat like one. Moreover, the snake got busy admiring itself looking into the mirror.

Question 15.
“…the thief had left behind one thing ass final insult!” What was the insult?
Answer:
The thief took everything except the dirty vest of the doctor. If people saw the dirty vest, they would have a poor opinion of the doctor. And this was adding insult to injury.

The Snake and the Mirror Textual Activities and Answers

Activity 1

Question 1.
Pick out sentences from the story ‘The Snake and the Mirror’ and complete the table below. These sentences tell you the condition of the narrator. Some hints are given.

Was afraid of the snake	Was proud of his appearance
I was turned to a stone.	I looked into the mirror and smiled.

Answer:

Was afraid of the snake	Was proud of his appearance
I was turned to a stone.	I looked into the mirror and smiled.
I sat there holding my breath.	It was an attractive smile.
I wanted to write the words ‘O God’ on my little heart.	I would shave daily.
I sat like a stone image in flesh.	I would grow a thin mustache to look more handsome.
I felt the presence of the creator.	I would keep smiling to be more attractive.
At my slightest movement, the snake would strike me.	I was a bachelor and a doctor.

Activity 2

Question 2.
The story is about a frightening incident narrated in a humorous way. What makes it humorous?
The writer has made use of certain striking contrasts in the sto,y to bring about humour. Pick out such expressions from the story and write them.
Answer:
A. i) The kind of person the doctor was : He is a poor man. His earnings were meagre. He had, only Rs. 60 with him. He lived in a small rented room. There was no electricity in the room. It was infested with rats. He is concerned with his appearance He is also conscious that he is a doctor. He realizes that he is capable of committing blunders.

ii) The kindof person he wanted to be : He wants to appear more handsome. For that he will keep a thin moustache and keep smiling. He wants to be a successful and rich man.

B. i) The person he wanted to marry : He wants to marry a lady doctor with money and also good practice. He wants her to be fat so that she does not catch up with him if he makes a mistake and wants to run away.

ii) The person he actually married : He marries a thin and slender woman. She could run like a spnnter.

C. i) His thoughts when he looked into the mirror : He was proud of his looks. He wanted to appear more handsome, For that he would shave daily and he would grow a thin moustache. He also would keep smiling to add to his glamour.

ii) His thoughts when the snake coiled around him : He was so terrified that he turned into a stone. He thought of God. He felt pain when the snake coiled around his arm. He would be in trouble ¡f the snake bit him. He had no medicine against snake poison. He considers himself as a poor, foolish and stupid doctor.

Question 3.
Now based, on what you have written, prepare short paragraphs on the use of contrasts in the story to bring out the humour.
Answer:
Basheer has used contrasts to bring humour into a frightening story where a full-blooded cobra coils around a doctor. The doctor is a poor man. His earnings were meager. He had only Rs. 60 with him. He lived in a small rented room. There was no electricity in the room. It was infested with rats. He is concerned with his appearance. He is conscious that he is a doctor. He realizes that he is capable of . committing blunders. But he wants to appear smart and more handsome. For that he will keep a thin mustache and keep smiling. He wants to be a successful and rich man.

He wants to marry a lady doctor with money and also good practice. He wants her to be fat so that she does not catch up with him if he makes a mistake and wants to run away. But he ends up marrying a thin and slender woman. She could run like a sprinter. He was proud of his looks. He is a doctor and he would marry a rich woman. He wanted to appear more handsome. He was feeling happy when suddenly from the beam a cobra fell down and coiled around him. All his thoughts about making himself more handsome and getting married vanished like mist in sunshine. He was so terrified that he turned into a stone. He thought of God. He felt pain when the snake coiled around his arm. He would be in trouble if the snake bit him. He had no medicine against snake poison. He considers himself as a poor, foolish and stupid doctor. When the snake releases its hold on him we see him fleeing for his life.

Activity 3

Question 4.
In the story the snake did not harm the homeopath. The homeopath in turn did not hurt it. Keeping Basheeris vision on nature and its beings, commend on this story.
Answer:
In the story the snake did not harm the homeopath. The homeopath in turn did not hurt it. By saying this, Basheer is emphasizing the principle of “Live and Let Live”. Man and animals are supposed to co-exist in this world. As man has the right to live, the animals also have the right to live.

It is a known fact that animals do not harm people unless they are provoked and feel threatened. No snake will deliberately come and bite you. But we deliberately kill snakes. A snake will attack only if it feels threatened and its escape route is blocked. If they see people, they will either try to hide or run away. They bite only when people step over them unknowingly or chase them and block their escape route. In that sense man is the only ‘animal’ that kills for pleasure. Animals of prey may kill to satisfy their hunger. But we do it for fun.

Basheer is of the view that we should let animals live their life without interfering with them, unless they prove dangerous to us. Peaceful coexistence is what he insists. It is an interesting story in which the homeopath has fine dreams about his future wife.

Extended Activity

Collect similar stories in English or Malayalam, showing the harmony of nature. An example is “Bhoomiyude AvakSsikal” by Basheer.

The Snake And The Mirror About the author:

– Basheer – 1908-1994

Basheer (1908-1994) is called Beypore Sultan. He is a humanist, freedom fighter, novelist and short story writer. He is (iked by the critics and the common people. His important works are Balyakalaskhi, Shabdangal, Pathummayude Aadu, Mathilukal, Ntuppuppakkoranendarnnu, Janmadinam and Anargha Nimisham. He received Padma Shri in 1982.

The Snake And The Mirror Summary in English

1. We were discussing snakes. Then suddenly a homeopath asked, “Has a full-blooded cobra ever coiled itself round any part of your body?” We all fell silent. The doctor continued with his story.

2. “It was 10 o’clock on a hot summer night. I had my meal at a restaurant and returned to my room. I heard a noise when I opened the door. There were rats in my room. I lighted the kerosene lamp on the table.

3. The house was not electrified. It was a small rented room. I had started my medical practice. The income was very little. I had Rs. 60 in my suitcase. With drier shirts and dhotis I had also a black coat which I was then wearing.

Page – 24
4. I took off my black coat, white shirt and vest and hung them up. I opened the two windows. It was an outer room with one wall facing the open yard. It had a tiled roof with long supporting gables, resting on the beam over the wall. No ceiling. Rats ran along the beam. I made by bed and pulled it close to the wall. I could not sleep. I went to the veranda. There was no breeze.

5. I went back and sat on a chair. I opened my box and took out a book The Materia Medica’. There was a table with a lamp, a large mirror and a comb.

6. One feels tempted to look at the mirror if it is close. I took a look. I admired beauty and I wanted to make myself handsome. I was unmarried. I felt I had to make my presence felt. I combed my hair and adjusted the parting to look straight and neat. Again I heard that sound from above.

7. I looked closely at my face. I made an important decision. I would shave daily and grow a small mustache. I was a bachelor and a doctor.

Page – 25
8. I looked into the mirror and smiled. I made another important decision. I would keep smiling to look more handsome.

9. I lit a beedi and paced up and down the room. Another nice thought came to me. I would marry. I would marry a woman doctor with a lot of money and good practice. She should be fat, for a good reason. If I made some foolish mistake and needed to run away, she should not be able to run after me and catch me.

10. I sat back on the chair. There were no sounds from above. Suddenly there was a dull thud as if a rubber tube had fallen to the ground. I looked back. A fat snake came over the back of the chair and landed on my shoulder. The snake’s landing on my shoulder and my turning my head happened at the same time.

11. I did not jump, tremble or cry out. There was no time to do any such thing. The snake slithered along my shoulder and coiled around my left arm. Its hood was spread out and it was just 3 or 4 inches from my face!

12. I was turned to a stone. But my mind was active. The door opened into darkness. The room was dark.

13. I thought of God, the creator of this universe. God was there. If I said something and he did not like it, there would be trouble. I wrote in my imagination the words “O God” on my heart.

14. There was some pain on my left arm. It was as if a rod of fire was slowly but powerfully crushing my arm. The arm was losing its strength. What could I do?

Page- 29
15. Even if I moved a little, the snake would bite me. Death was just 4 inches away. Suppose the snake bites me, what medicine would I take? There were no medicines in the room. I was a poor, foolish and stupid doctor. I forgot my danger and smiled at myself.

16. God liked it. The snake turned its head. It looked into the mirror. It saw its reflection. It may not be the first snake to look into a mirror. Was it admiring its beauty? Was it planning to grow a mustache or using eye shadow and mascara or wearing a vermilion spot on its forehead?

17. Was it a female snake? I will never know. It slowly unwound itself from my arm and slithered into my lap. From there it crept onto the table and moved towards the mirror. Perhaps it wanted to see itself more clearly.

Page – 27
18. I was no more a stone. I was suddenly a man of flesh and blood. I got up from the chair. I went quietly into the veranda. From there I jumped into the yard and ran for my life.”

19. The story ended. All the listeners were relieved. Somebody asked, “Doctor, is your wife very fat?” The doctor said his wife was thin and a great runner. Somebody wanted to know if the snake came after him.

20. The doctor replied: “I ran till I reached a friend’s house. Then I put oil on my body and took a bath. I changed my clothes. The next morning with my friend I went to the room to take my things. Some thief had removed everything except my dirty vest.”

Somebody wanted to know if the doctor saw the snake the following day. The doctor said he had never seen it again. It was a snake which was proud of its own beauty.

The Snake And The Mirror Summary in Malayalam

The Snake And The Mirror Glossary

You can Download The Ballad of Father Gilligan Questions and Answers, Summary, Activity, Notes, Kerala Syllabus 10th Standard English Solutions Unit 3 Chapter 2 help you to revise complete Syllabus and score more marks in your examinations.

Kerala State Syllabus 10th Standard English Solutions Unit 3 Chapter 2 The Ballad of Father Gilligan (Poem)

Std 10 English Textbook The Ballad of Father Gilligan Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Why was Father Gilligan ‘weary night and day’?
Answer:
Father Gilligan was ‘weary night and day’ because half of his parishioners were either sick or dead. He had to perform his priestly duties to them and so he was tired day and night.

Question 2.
What is the significance of the word ‘flock’?
Answer:
Flock is the collective noun meaning a collection of sheep. In Christianity, the parish priest is supposed to be the shepherd and the parishioners are the flock.

Question 3.
Why were his flock either in bed or lying under green sod?
Answer:
His flock were either in bed or lying under green sod because an epidemic had hit the parish. People were sick and dying.

Question 4.
Why did another man send for Father Gilligan? Why is the man referred to as ‘poor’?
Answer:
Father Gilligan was needed to give the sick man his sacrament of ‘anointing the sick’. He is referred to as poor because he is poor in soul. A person with sin is supposed be poor in soul as he will not get heaven if he dies in a state of sin.

Question 5.
Why did Father Gilligan seek forgiveness from God? What justification does he give to God for his errant words?
Answer:
Father Gilligan seeks forgiveness from God because as a priest it is his obligation to go and give the sick man his last sacraments. But he is too tired to go. The justification he gives for his errant words is that the words were spoken by his body and not himself.

Question 6.
Why is the time called moth-hour?
Answer:
It is early evening and at this time moths are seen in large numbers.

Question 7.
What is meant by ‘Upon the time of sparrow-chirp’?
Answer:
It refers to early morning when sparrows start chirping.

Question 8.
What does the line ‘And rode with little care’ indicate?
Answer:
He rode very fast, recklessly. He had failed to go when the call came and now he is rushing to reach the sick man as fast as he can.

Question 9.
Why is the sick man’s wife surprised to see Father Gilligan?
Answer:
The sick man’s wife was surprised to see Father Gilligan because she thought he had come earlier and given the last sacraments to her dying husband. In fact it was an angel that came earlier and not Father Gilligan. She did not know that.

Question 10.
Why was the priest overcome with grief at the words of the widow?
Answer:
The priest was overcome with grief at the words of the widow because he had failed to come and do his duties. The man is dead.

Question 11.
‘He knelt him at that word.’Why?
Answer:
He knew that God had done a miracle to send an angel to do the work Fr. Gilligan must have done.

Question 12.
How did God save Father Gilligan from damnation?
Answer:
God saved FrGilligan from damnation by sending an angel to give the sacraments to the dying man. If the man had died without getting forgiveness for his sins, Fr. Gilligan would have been damned for neglecting his priestly duties.

Question 13.
‘He who hath made the night of stars/For souls who tire and bleed’. What do these lines mean?
Answer:
They mean that God made the beautiful night of stars so that the tired and suffering people can find some rest and comfort.

Question 14.
What do you understand about the character of Fr Gilligan from the words ‘Had pity on the least of things’?
Answer:
It shows Fr. Gilligan was very humble. He considers himself the least of things, an unimportant being. But God had pity on him and sent his angel to do his duties.

Activity 1

Question 1.
Answer the questions by choosing the most appropriate answer from the options given.
i. The people of Father Gilligan’s parish were ___________.
a) toiling in the field
b) suffering from an epidemic
c) celebrating Easter
d) nodding their chairs

ii. The old priest was ___________.
a) energetic
b) weary
c) fresh
d) angry

iii. Mavrone means __________.
a) My dear one
b) An expression of sorrow
c) God bless you
d) God be with you

iv. Father Gilligan awoke with a start, realising that he had not __________.
a) done his duty
b) roused his horse
c) finished his homework
d) said his prayers

v. The word ‘flock’ in the context of the poem means:
a) a flock of sheep
b) sparrows
c) stars in the sky
d) people in the parish

vi. Who is ‘wrapped in purple robes’?
a) Father Gilligan
b) The stars
c) God
d) Sparrows

vii. The expression ‘green sods’ refers to
a) graves covered over by green grass
b) the stars in the sky
c) the people in the parish
d) God’s angels

viii. What is referred to as ‘moth-hour of eve’?
a) dawn
b) noon
c) evening
d) the night of stars
Answer:
i) b. suffering from an epidemic.
ii) b. weary
iii) b. An expression of sorrow
iv) a. done his duty.
v) d. the people of the parish
vi) c. God
vii) a. graves covered over by green grass
viii) c. evening

Activity 2

Question 2.
The poem is in the form of a ballad. A ballad is a poem or song narrating a story in short stanzas. Ballads are usually musical and dramatic. What are the features that make this poem a typical ballad?
The features are:
Answer:
The Ballad of Father Gilligan by W.B. Yates has many features of a typical ballad. It tells a story. It uses simple language. Ballad stanzas are used. It has fine rhythm and music. It has rhyme. The scheme is abcb. There is repetition. There are also dialogues.

Activity 3

Question 3.
How does Yeats describe the character of Fr Gilligan in the poem?
Complete the following word web.

Answer:

Activity 4

Question 4.
Read the poem again and pick out an instance of simile used in the poem.
Answer:
Simile – as merry as a bird.

Activity 5

Question 5.
Yeats uses a number of images in the poem to provide a sensory experience to the readers. Pick out instances of visual and auditory images from the poem.
Answer:

Visual	Auditory
flock in their beds
green sods	sparrow chirp
ñodding in a chair	cned
leaning on the chair
stars
moth
leaves shaking in the wind
rousing the horse
riding
rocky lane
fen
sick man’s wife opening the door
merry as a bird
souls who tire and bleed
God in his purple robes

Activity 6

Read the explanations on below:
The old priest Peter Gilligan
Was weary night and dadayy
For half his flock were in their beds
Or under green sods lay.
Once, while he nodded in a chair
At the moth-hour of the eveeve
Another poor man sent for him,
And he began to grieve.grievegrieve
Pick out other rhyming words from the poem . Identify the rhyme scheme of the poem.
Answer:
die-l, asleep-peep, wind-mankind, more-floor, chair- care, fen-again, ago-fro, bird-word, bleed-need, care- chair

Rhyme Scheme: abcb

Activity 7 and 8

→ To be done by students orally in the class.

The Ballad Of Father Gilligan About the author:

– William Butler Yeats – 1865–1939

Yeats (1865-1939) is an Irish poet. In 1923 he received the Nobel Prize. In fact his greatest works came after he got the Nobel Prize. They are The Tower (1928) and The Winding Stair and Other Poems (1929).

The Ballad Of Father Gilligan Summary in English

Page – 89

Stanza 1 & 2 :
Peter Gilligan was an old priest. He was tired day and night because half of his parishioners were either sick or dead. One evening he was sitting in a chair quite sleepy and tired when he was called to go and administer the sacrament of anointing the sick to a poor sick man. Father Gilligan was unhappy to be called at this time.

Page – 90

Stanza 3 & 4:
He murmured, “I have no rest, nor joy nor peace. People are going on dying.” After saying this he felt he should not have said it. He asks for forgiveness from God and said that it was his body, and not he, that made him say so. He knelt. Leaning on the chair he started praying. He soon fell asleep. Night came. Stars appeared in the sky.

Stanza 5 & 6 :
There were millions of stars. The wind shook the leaves. God covered the land with darkness and whispered to mankind. Early morning, when the sparrows began to chirp and moths came once again, Father Gilligan stood up on the floor.

Stanzas 7 & 8: “Alas, alas! The man may have died as I was sleeping,” he thought. He immediately took his horse and rushed to the place of the sick man. He rode very fast over the rocky paths and wetlands. The sick man’s wife opened the door. She was surprised and said, “Father, you have come again!

Page – 91

Stanzas 9 & 10 :
Father asked the woman about the sick man. She said he died an hour ago. Father was sad and he walked restlessly to and fro. The woman said that after the Father had left, the man died happily like a bird. On hearing these words, the Father knelt down. He knew that God had sent another priest in his place.

Stanzas 11 & 12 :
He prayed: “The One that has made the night of stars to comfort the souls that are tired and suffering sent one of his angels to help me in my need. God, who is dressed in purple robes, taking care of the planets, had pity on me, a small creature, and sent a priest tq do my work as I was asleep on a chair.”

The Ballad Of Father Gilligan Summary in Malayalam

The Ballad Of Father Gilligan Glossary