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Kerala State Board New Syllabus Plus One English Textbook Answers Unit 4 Chapter 3 The Wreck of the Titanic Text Book Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes.

Kerala Plus One English Textbook The Wreck of the Titanic Questions and Answers Unit 4 Chapter 3 (Poem)

Activity -1 (Read and respond)

Question 1.
Why was the Titanic called ‘a poem of iron and steel’?
Answer:
The Titanic called ‘a poem of iron and steel’ because it was grand and beautiful like a poem.

Question 2.
What was the feeling of the people on board when they started the journey?
Answer:
The people on board felt that they were very safe and they would not meet any danger.

Question 3.
What was the ‘ominous form ’ that loomed out of the darkness?
Answer:
The ‘ominous form’ that loomed out of the darkness was the huge iceberg that would collide with the Titanic and break it up.

Question 4.
Why was Captain Smith, the commander of the ship called, ‘brave’?
Answer:
Captain Smith, the commander of the ship was called, ‘brave’ because for not even for one moment he thought of saving his life when he knew the ship was sinking. He stood on the bridge and told his crew that they were British and they should remember their country and should do their duty. They should save the passengers first.

Question 5.
Who got the top priority to be rescued from the sinking Titanic?
Answer:
Women and children got the top priority to be rescued from the sinking Titanic.

Question 6.
What was the only hope for the people of the sinking Titanic when the all boats sailed away?
Answer: When the all boats sailed away the only hope for the people of the sinking Titanic was ‘eternity’-the hope that they will go to heaven.

Question 7.
What were the bandsmen doing when the Titanic was sinking?
Answer:
When the Titanic was sinking, he bandsmen were playing the hymn ‘Nearer my God to Thee’. It shows how courageous they were even in the face of danger.

Question 8.
What was the ‘awfully grand’ scene, according to the poet?
Answer:
According to the poet the ‘awfully grand’ scene was the courage displayed by those who were left out in the sinking ship. One of them could have saved his life but he offered his place to his friend and willingly accepted death. Definitely that was ‘awfully grand’.

Question 9.
Why would the story of the Titanic be remembered always?
Answer:
The story of the Titanic would be remembered always because of two reasons. First, it was the greatest maritime tragedy ever occurred in world history. Second, the sacrifice one sailor made by sending another person in his place, accepting death voluntarily, will be remembered always. There is no sacrifice greater than giving up one’s life one’s friend.

Activity – II:

Question 10.
Have you heard/read about any such persons? Share your answers with your friends. The crew of the Titanic were real heroes because even in the face of death, they were duty-bound, upholding certain values and principles. Do you know any such person who has upheld moral values and principles, even in the moment of death?
Answer:
I have read about one such person. He is Sydney Carton in the novel ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ by Charles Dickens. In the end we see Sydney Carton willingly dying in place of Charles Darnay, who was the husband of Lucie Manette. Sydney Carton had loved Lucie before she married Charles. Charles was to be guillotined. Sydney, who had some resemblance to Charles, saves him from the prison and dies on his behalf.

Activity – III (Appreciation)

Question 11.
Read the poem more critically again, and think of it in terms of it theme, emotion, language and relevance. Add more points to each of the boxes given related to the theme, emotion, language and relevance of the poem.

Answer:
Theme: 1. Shipwreck, 2. Duty, 3. Sacrifice
Emotion: 1. Patriotism. 2. Love for one’s fellow-beings, 3. Pity
Language: 1. Simple, 2. Lucid (clear), 3. Conversational
Relevance: 1. Insights about crisis management,
2. The need for compassion,
3. Fortitude and heroism in times of crises.

Share your ideas with your friends in your group. Collect more views from them and enrich your understanding of the poem.

Based on your analysis, write a critical appreciation of the poem, ‘The Wreck of the Titanic’.

The poem The Wreck of Titanic’ by Benjamin Peck Keith is an excellent one. The poem tells how noble people could be even in times of danger. It talks about the sinking of the Titanic and brings out the best in men even in the most adverse circumstances threatening their lives.

From Southampton the Titanic starts her voyage. It was a beautiful and grand ship. She was a sea dream. Thousands of people standing on the shore watched her steaming away. She was the largest and the grandest of all the ships made until then. There were thousands of passengers in the ship. They felt very secure. Nobody thought of any danger, as the captain stood at the wheel. He was directing the course of the ship. The ship was speeding on her first voyage when suddenly, out of the darkness, in the night, a ghostly white, iceberg appeared. Soon it collided with the ship wrecking it. It soon began to sink and people knew it was sinking.

Captain Smith was the commander of the ship. He was brave. Not even for one moment he thought of saving his life. He stood on the bridge and told his crew that they were British and they should remember their country and shocfld do their duty. They decided to send the women and children in the lifeboats. The crew had no hope of saving themselves. The Titanic sank from sight, as the band played ‘Nearer my God to Thee’. There never was a scene grander or more tragic than this. The ship was sinking but the band was playing. All credit goes to Smith, the crew and the men of Titanic. Their bravery and courage will be remembered forever. They had showed such courage and nobility during the great tragedy.

The poem has different themes which include shipwreck, duty and sacrifice. It appeals to our emotions like patriotism, love for one’s fellow-beings and pity. The poet has used simple, lucid and conversational language. The poem is in rhyme and the rhyming scheme is aabb. It has a fine rhythm and it sounds melodious. It has fine imagery and the poet has used a number of figures of speeches, especially metaphor and personification. The poem has great relevance as it gives insights about crisis management, the need for compassion, fortitude and heroism in times of crises.

Activity – IV: (Newspaper report)

Question 12.
We know that newspaper reports are non- fictional. They give us factual information about an incident.

Study the features of a good newspaper report as given on below.

• Headline : Short and attention-grabbing.
• Byline : Usually written below the headline. It may carry the writer’s name.
• Paragraphs : Follow the inverted pyramid principle. The most important details come in the initial paragraphs.
• Quotes : It will be interesting and useful to quote the words of people involved in the incident.
• Facts and opinions : Try to add all the facts possible using the five W’s (who, what, why, where, when).
• Third Person : The report is written in the third person, as the reporter is retelling the incident without being involved in it.

Work in groups and Till up the table given below:

Features	Details
Headline
Byline
Paragraphs
(Number and broad outline of each paragraph)
Who
What
Why
Where
When
Quotations (Narration and opinions of the survivors)

Answer:
Features – Details
Headline – The Titanic Sinks – 1500 passenger feared dead
Byline Paragraphs Broad outline of Each paragraph – Report by Rahul Binoy five
a. Start of the voyage, number of passengers, a description of the ship.
b. How happy and confident the people were
c. The iceberg hitting the ship and wrecking it; it begins to sink.
d. The heroic captain and the crew deciding to evacuate passengers, the band playing and the crew and male passengers going down.
e. The lesson to be learnt. Nobility and heroism of people.
Survivor’s opinion – “I have never seen anything more tragic and nobler in all my life.”

Question 13.
Use the clues in the table and prepare a newspaper report about the wreck of the Titanic.
Answer:
The Titanic Sinks, More Than 1500 People Dead
Southampton: 15 April 1912: The Titanic which began its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York collided with a huge iceberg and sank in the icy waters off Newfoundland. It was the biggest passenger ship ever made and it was supposed to be unsinkable. There were 2220 passengers and nearly 60 crew members. The captain was Mr. Smith. Since the ship was thought to be safe, it earned only a few lifeboats.

Captain Smith and the crew behaved gallantly. Instead rushing to safety, they allowed the passengers to go into the. lifeboats. They asked the women and children to enter the life boats first. More than 1500 people could not get to safety and they sank with the Titanic. What Captain Smith, the crew and the male passengers did was a heroic act. It will be remembered by the posterity. England has declared a day of mourning for the dead. The government has announced some financial relief to the relatives of the victims.

One survivor- Marianne Monroe – remarked: “”l have never seen anything more tragic and nobler in all my life.”

Activity – V (Pronunciation)

Find out how the following words are pronounced:
Sank = /saet]k/
Band = /baend/
Grand = /graend/

Question 14.
Which is the vowel sound used in these words?
Answer:
/ae/

Question 15.
How do you pronounce this sound?
Answer:
As the ‘a’ in man /maen/.

Question 16.
Do you have this vowel sound in your mother-tongue?
Answer:
No, we don’t.

Question 17.
Find out more words from the poem with this vowel sound:
Answer:
The words are: and, gigantic, as, captain, that, act, than.

The Wreck Of The Titanic About the Author:

– Benjamin Peck Keith

Benjamin Peck Keith (18561927): He was an American poet. The Wreck of the Titanic’ is one of his most famous poems.

The Wreck Of The Titanic Summary

Stanza 1:
From Southampton, the Titanic started her voyage. She was a poem of iron and steel. She was a sea dream. Thousands of people standing on the shore watched her steaming away. She was the largest and the grandest of all the ships made until then.

Stanza 2:
There were thousands on board. They felt very secure. Nobody thought of any danger, as the captain stood at the wheel. He was directing the course of the ship. This would be her (the ship’s) first and the last trip as she will never reach a port again.

Stanza 3:
She was the best shipman had made. She was speeding on her first voyage when suddenly, out of the darkness, in the night, a ghostly white form appeared.

Stanza 4:
It was a huge mountain of ice. Such a huge iceberg was never seen ^n the North Atlantic. It hit the ship, sending a shiver throughout the entire length of the ship. It soon began to sink and people knew it was sinking.

Stanza 5:
Captain Smith was the commander of the ship. He was brave. Not even for one moment, he thought of saving his life. He stood on the bridge and told his crew that they were British and they should remember their country and should do their duty.

Stanza 6:
England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales proved to the world that their courage never fails. They said that the women and children should go in the lifeboats. All the crew stood by and watched.

Stanza 7:
The lifeboats were lowered and the women and children were sent away to safety. The crew had no hope of saving themselves. The Titanic sank from sight, as the band played ‘Nearer my God to Thee’.

Stanza 8: Was there ever a scene gander than this? The ship was sinking but the band was playing. Al credit goes to Smith and the men of Titanic. Once again they bring to memory the heroes of Trafalgar. (There the Royal Navy of England fought against the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies.)

Stanza 9:
It also brings to memory the thrilling story of the Alamo (The Texians defeated the Mexican Army, ending the revolution). It also brings to memory the battle of Waterloo (where Napoleon was defeated). It also reminds us of the charge of. The Light Brigade’ (the English forces fighting against the Russians in 1854) and also Jim Bludso’s courageous act (He was an engineer who died while saving the lives of the passengers on a boat named Prairie Bell sinking in the Mississippi river).

Stanza 10:
Along with all these stories of bravery and courage, the story of the crew of Titanic will be remembered forever. They had showed such courage and nobility during that great tragedy.

The Wreck Of The Titanic Glossary

Kerala State Board New Syllabus Plus One English Textbook Answers Unit 4 Chapter 2 The Serang of Ranaganji Text Book Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes.

Kerala Plus One English Textbook The Serang of Ranaganji Questions and Answers Unit 4 Chapter 2 (Short Story)

The Serang of Ranaganji Textual Questions and Answers

Question 1.
What was notable about the appearance of the Indian sprang?
Answer:
He was squat and looked very ugly. He was with short legs and a large disproportionate head.

Question 2.
Who were the passengers were on the Ranaganji?
Answer:
The passengers were on the Ranaganji were tourists and pleasure seekers.

Question 3.
Who was Miss Jope-Smith? Write a short character sketch.
Answer:
Miss Jope-Smith was a passenger on the Ranaganji. She was a thrusting person. She was over thirty but she dressed herself smartly and in a dashing style to look younger. She was a first class passenger on the Ranaganji. She was always seen with her male companion Ronnie. She was a snob and a big bore. Her comment aboutjhe serang was ‘an absurdly comic creature’. When, aTthe end of the story, she asks the narrator whether he had kept the serang in a cage, the narrator gave her a befitting reply. He said that he had kept the serang in a cage but all the animals were outside. He meant that she was an animal with her rude remark about people and her showing off nature.

Question 4.
What was the condition of the seamen who were brought by the serang to Dr Cronin?
Answer:
The seamen did not look well. They complained of general illness, strong headache and severe bone pains. They looked frightened, as the doctor began to examine them. Both had fever. Theirtongueswere covered with thick sputum. They had dry skin, which is nature’s gravest warning. The doctor then discovered hard little nodules under the wrist skin of each man. It was the sure symptom of smallpox.

Question 5.
How did AJ Cronin conclude that the seamen were inflected with smallpox?
Answer:
AJ Cronin concluded that the seamen were inflected wi.th smallpox because he discovered hard little nodules under their wrist skin. It was the sure symptom of smallpox.

Question 6.
Describe Captain Hamble. What was his reaction when he heard about the breakout of smallpox on the ship?
Answer:
Captain Hamble was a thickset man of fifty five. He was known as a strict disciplinarian. When the doctor told him that two of the deckhands had small pox, Captain Hamble’s lips drew tightly together showing his tension. He was also a just and fair-minded officer. When he heard about the breakout of smallpox on the ship, he asked the doctor to do his best to keep the disease frorn spreading. He also wanted others not to know of the disease as passengers would then get panicky.

Question 7.
Where and how was the shelter for the infected patients made?
Answer:
The shelter for the infected patients was made in the back part of the ship where it wouldn’t be so visible to others. Hasan was the main person who made the shelter. In an hour he erected a large canvas shelter. Mattresses and sheets were then brought up and the two patients were placed there.

Question 8.
How did the serang take care of the diseased patients?
Answer:
The serang was very sincere and compassionate in caring for the diseased patients. It was a situation to test the strongest nerves. But the serang was calm and undisturbed. In attending the patients, he seemed untiring. The doctor had to beg him to be careful and asked him not to go too close to the patients. But the serang was not afraid and he continued taking care of the patients in all possible ways.

Question 9.
What information did Dr Cronin collect about the serang?
Answer:
Dr Cronin I gathered some information about the serang’s past history. His name was Hasan. He was from the Punjab. But his parents had moved into south India. There like many others in the coastal region he had taken to the sea-faring life. For nearly 40 years, he had been travelling in the various oceans of the world. In the Ranaganji he had spent 15 years. He had no place on shore; he had no friends or family. He had never married. He was a Muslim. All his life he had acquired nothing, neither money nor property. What he had was worth a few rupees and it was in the ship.

Question 10.
What was Hasan’s attitude to life, as explained to Cronin?
Answer:
Hasan thought money was of no use for someone who had all that he needed. He was quite happy with the way he was. He needed no extra money for his service. He had no respect for money and he despised it. He was never worried about tomorrow.

The Serang of Ranaganji Textual Activities Questions and Answers

Activity -1 (Think and Respond)

Question 1.
Do you agree with A.J. Cronin’s remark that ‘the animals were all outside.’ Why?
Answer:
I partly agree with A.J. Cronin’s remark that ‘the . animals were all outside.’ People like Miss Jope- Smith and her companion Ronnie were definitely animals. They could not see a man as a man but as an animal. I don’t think all the 1500 passengers and the crew outside were as bad as these two people. That is why I said I partly, and not wholly, agree.

Question 2.
Do you think that A.J. Cronin should have reported the selfless efforts of Hasan to the authorities and recommended him for rewards and promotion?
Answer:
In normal circumstances, I would say ‘yes’. But in the case of Hasan he is already happy with his life and his position. I don’t think any rewards and promotion would make him happier. His is a contented man and contentment can’t be got through rewards and promotion.

Question 3.
How is the world view of the passengers in general different from that of Hasan?
Answer:
The .passengers are mostly tourists and pleasure seekers. They find joy in partying and such things. They strive all their life for success and earning more wealth, as the doctor himself testifies. But for Hasan, happiness is service and he is contented. He is neither interested in parties nor in wealth or success.

Question 4.
“Why, naturally it is me.” These words show that Hasan is very ready to shoulder any responsibility happily. Comment on Hasan’s ability to volunteer at the time of an emergency.
Answer:
Smallpox is a deadly disease and it is very contagious. Nobody would like to go near a person afflicted with smallpox. Hasan is a serang and he is no way obliged to nurse the sick people. He could have easily said he would not take care of the sick, as it does not form part of his job obligations. But the moment the doctor asked who would help him the ready reply comes from Hasan. By volunteering to nurse the sick men, he was risking his life. It is not easy to find such good people in the world which strives for success and wealth. People like Hasan are very rare and such people will always come forward in case of any emergency.

Activity – II (Letter)

Question 5.
You know that A.J. Cronin, the physician of the ship is extremely impressed by the service of Hasan. Imagine that after the voyage, Cronin writes a letter to the director of the company which owns the ship Ranaganji, detailing the selfless service Hasan rendered during the voyage. He also requests the director to reward Hasan with a promotion in return for his service. Draft the letter which Cronin would write.
Answer:
Government Hospital
Lord Curson Lane
Calcutta
17 July 1940

The Director
Eastern Import Export Company
Strand
London

Dear Sir,
Sub: Hasan, the Serang on Ranaganji

Our last trip to Calcutta was quite eventful. Ranaganji had nearly 1500 passengers – mostly tourists and pleasure seekers. The voyage to Calcutta began favourably in calm, clear weather and we passed Aden without any incident. Now we were in the Arabian Sea.

To our dismay and horror we discovered that two of our lascar deck hands had small pox. When I reported the matterto the Captain, Mr. Hamble, he told me to keep the matter a secret as the news would spread panic among the passengers. I was quite worried and did not know what to do and how to cope with the problem. It was then I realized what a good man Hasan, our serang, was. He told me not to worry. He made a shelter in the stern of the ship into which the infected patients were moved. He volunteered to nurse them without worrying about his own safety. Later more workers were diagnosed with smallpox. In all we had 14 cases and Hassan took care of all of them without murmur and complaint. I was astonished at his selfless service and devotion.

Later two sick men died. Hasan sewed their shrouds and read loud a short passage from the Ramayana. We should know that he himself was a devout Muslim but he read the Ramayana because the persons who died were Hindus. It showed his religious tolerance. After that he cast the bodies overboard at midnight. When we reached Colombo the sick men were taken to the hospital. Hasan was in the forefront to help them, although some of them were with running sores of smallpox. Normally no one would dare to do such things. But Hasan did it. He really loved men.

It is difficult to find such unselfish and self-sacrificing people like Hasan. I strongly recommend that Hassan be given a promotion in recognition of his great services to the company. He should be made the Chief Petty Officer of Ranaganji.

I will talk to you more about the trip to Calcutta when I return to London.

With regards,

(A.J. Cronin)
Chief Physician of Ranaganji

Activity – III (Speech)

Question 6.
The Director of the Company receives a letter from A.J. Cronin. He is pleased with the service rendered by Hasan throughout the voyage. They arrange a special get-together of all the officials and crew of the ship. In that get-together, the Managing Director of the company announces that the company appreciates the service of Hasan and promotes him as the Chief Petty Officer of the ship. The Director invites Hasan to speak a few words on this occasion.
Answer:
Imagine that you are Hasan. What would be your reaction and feelings at this moment? Draft a speech that you would deliver on the occasion. My reaction would be that of gratitude to God and the company. Of course I will be happy on getting the promotion. When I am in a better position I will be able to give better service to people.

Dear Director, Dr. Cronin, respected officers and crew members, I am so happy to be given this kind of recognition by the Company and the officers. I don’t think I did anything great in serving the sick people in the ship.

Wasn’t it my duty to serve the suffering? Allah has given us this life to love and serve others. When we get a chance we should be able to of service to others.

I am a Muslim. But I believe we all are children of God. That is why I even read from the Ramayana some relevant part when I sewed the shroud for the dead people and wanted to cast them overboard. I was not worried about getting the disease because I felt that life is a gift from God. He will take it way whenever he likes. Whatever precautions you might take, you can’t prevent death from coming to you.

I don’t value money or position much. But I am happy that I am given promotion because it will help me to do more service to my brethren. I would like to end my humble words with a quotation from the Bible. It asks: What is the use of earning so much wealth in this world,’ if you lose your soul? So my advice to my friends is ‘Help others as much as possible.’

Before I close I want to thank Dr. Cronin and the Chairman forgiving me the promotion. I assure them that I will continue doing my best for the Company. May the Almighty Allah bless you all and thank you!

Activity – IV (Role-play)

Question 6.
Miss Jope-Smith soon hears about the promotion given to Hasan and the reason for the promotion. She feels sorry for her prejudiced remarks about him. She decides to meet Hasan in person, and congratulate him for his efforts and the promotion he has received.

Form pairs. Imagine that one of you is Ms Jose- Smith and the other is Hasan. Role-play the whole conversation between Jope-Smith and Hasan.
Answer:
Jope-Smith: Good evening, Hasan! I’m Jope-Smith, one of the travellers in the Ranaganji, going to Calcutta. Hasan: Good evening! Glad to you were on the ship.

JS: Congratulations on your promotion! You really deserve it.

Hasan: Thank you, Ms Jope-Smith. I thank Allah for all this wonderful things happening to me.

JS: I want to say one more thing to you. I want to say ‘sorry’.

Hasan: Say‘sorry’for what?

JS: For thinking ill of you and laughing at you. When I saw you first I talked ill of you for no reason. I guess I was very proud. I could never imagine that you were such a nice and brave person.

Hasan: I don’t think I am such a nice and brave person. I did what I ought to have done in the circumstances. When I knew some workers were having smallpox, had to take care of them. Does not Allah want us to help one another?

JS: You’re right, Hasan! We ought to help one another. I am ashamed of my prejudice. I’m sorry!

Hasan: It’s okay Madam! We all make mistakes. Forget it and be happy.

JS: Thank you, Hasan, I feel quite relieved now. Thank you very much.

Activity – V (Word power)

Question 7.
The parts of a ship Here is a picture of a ship. Mark as many parts as you know.

Answer:
1. funnel
2. stern
3. anchor
4. hull
5. tank
6. bow’
7. mast
8. deck
9. cabins.

Question 8.
The crew of the ship Who are the professionals working in a ship? What do they do?

Professionals	Duties
Captain	the person in charge of a ship

Answer:

Professionals	Duties
Captain	the person in charge of a ship
Master	supervises the officers.
Boatswain	In charge of maintenance of the ship
Gunner	trains gun operators and is in charge of ammunition
Quartermaster	in charge of navigation and signals
Mate	Petty officer who assists and warrant officer
Doctor	in Charge of health
Lascars	Workers who do various small jobs in the ship

Activity – VI

Question 9.
The past participle as Adjective Study the following expressions carefully:
a. smartly-dressed woman
b. Well-bred voice
c. amused gaze
d. titled friends

The expressions smartly-dressed, well-bred, amused and titled are used as adjectives. They are participle forms of the verbs dress, breed, amuse and title.

A.J. Cronin has used many such expressions in the story. Find out more expressions from the story where the past participle forms of the verbs have been used as adjectives. Explain the meaning of these expressions to your friends.
Answer:
Added source – a source which is added to something,
Looked frightened – looked afraid
Thickly furred tongues – like fur
Young and inexperienced – not having enough experience
Lined and battered face – face full of creases and looked sad
I am overloaded and understaffed -1 have too much work, and very few workers
Baffled, I looked – worried and confused
Serang, who, undismayed – calm and cool
Protected from view-safe, hidden
Calm and unperturbed – undisturbed

Note: Prefixes like under-, over-, etc. can also be added to the past participle form of a verb to function as an adjective, e.g. over-crowded ship, understaffed crew.

Activity – VII (Think and discuss)

Question 10.
Adverbs of frequency
Read the notes and explanations given on below.
a. He had never married.
b. Money had no interest for him, he had always despised it.

• What is the meaning of the words underlined?
• What is the function of these words?

Language tips

• ‘Never’ and ‘always’ are adverbs of frequency – which tell you how often an action is done.
• Here is a continuum which will help you to understand some of the adverbs of frequency and their meanings.

Practise: (Inversion of word order with adverbs)
The sentences 1-5 given on below contain errors. Identify the errors and correct them.
1. Seldom they have reached the office on time.
2. Only when the last visitor left the museum he closed the gate.
3. Little he knew about the nature of the job he was undertaking.
4. Not until next year, there will be a new vacancy.
5. Hardly I had reached the station when the train arrived.
Answer:
1. Seldom have they reached the office on time.
2. Nosoonerdidthe last visitor leave the museum than he closed the gate.
3. Little did he know about the nature of the job he was undertaking.
4. Not until next year will there is a new vacancy.
5. Hardly had I reached the station when the train arrived.

Activity-VIII (Passivisation)

Question 11.
Study the following sentences carefully:
a. Soon the sick men had been taken off to the hospital.
b. Mattresses and sheets were then brought up and the two patients were comfortably installed.

In both the above sentences, we are not told who did the action. The doer of the action is unknown.

Rewrite these sentences without changing the meaning. (Begin tije sentences with ‘they’)
Answer:
Soon they had taken off the sick men to the hospital. They brought mattresses and sheets and installed the two patients comfortably.

there is a chart that offers clues about the steps taken by Cronin and Hassan to prevent the spreading of smallpox in the ship. Go through it carefully and prepare a report of how they controlled the spreading of smallpox in the ship.

Hasan found two deck lascars with fever and he brought them to Dr. Cronin. Dr. Cronin examined both the patients. He found that they had smallpox. Hasan prepared an evacuation room and moved the patients there. On examining all the crew members Dr. Cronin discovered fresh cases of small pox. Dr. Cronin isolated all the patients and gave them treatment. He kept the outbreak of smallpox a secret from other passengers because it might scare them. There were altogether 14 patients. Two of the patients died. But the others survived. Dr. Cronin and Hasan were successful in preventing the killer disease from spreading.

The Serang of Ranaganji Textual Extended Activities Questions and Answers

Activity -1

Question 12.
Given below is a list of some of the cases in which first-aid would be required. You may add more to the list.
Answer:

• Injured leg – bleeding
• Fractured hand
• Burnt fingers
• Fits
• Snake bite
• Fainting
• Asthmatic attack

What first aid would you give in these situations? Get the information from the internet or from a medical practitioner.

Here is an example: In the case of a snake bite, the first thing to be done is to prevent the spreading of the infected blood. Using a long piece of cloth tie the limb above the site of the bite. This will prevent the blood from spreading. Then with a sterilized blade or a knife widen the wound so that the infected blood can flow out. Then try to get medical help as fast as you can.

Activity – II (Read and compare)

Read the story “On Courage” by A.G Gardiner given on below of the Text.

On Courage

… But if I were asked to name the instance of individual action which had most impressed me, I should find the task more difficult. Should I select something that shows how war depraves, or something that shows how it ennobles? If the latter, I think I would choose that beautiful incident of the sailor on the Formidable.

He had won by ballot a place in one of the boats. The ship was going down, but he was to be saved. One pictures the scene: The boat is waiting to take him to the shore and safety. He looks at the old comrades who have lost in the ballot and who stand there doomed to death. He feels the passion for life surging within him.

He sees the cold, dark sea waiting to engulf its victims. And in that great moment – the greatest moment that can come to any man – he makes the triumphant choice. He turns to one of his comrades. ‘You’ve got parents,’ he says. ‘I haven’t.’ And with that word – so heroic in its simplicity – he makes the other take his place in the boat and signs his own death warrant.

I see him on the deck among his doomed fellows, watching the disappearing boat until the final plunge comes and all is over. The sea never took a braver man to its bosom. ‘Greater love hath no man than this …’

Can you read that story without some tumult within you – without feeling that humanity itself is ennobled by this great act and that you are, in some mysterious way, better for the deed? That is the splendid fruit of all such sublime sacrifice. It enriches the whole human family. It makes us lift our heads with pride that we are men – that there is in us at our best this noble gift of valiant unselfishness, this glorious prodigality that spends life itself for something greater than life. If we had met this nameless sailor, we should have found him, perhaps, a very ordinary man, with plenty of failings, doubtless, like the rest of us, and without any idea that he had in him the priceless jewel beside which crowns and coronets are empty baubles. He was something greater than he knew.

Question 13.
“The sea never took a braver man to its bosom. ” What does Gardiner mean by this expression? Do you agree with Gardiner? Write your views in a paragraph.
Answer:
I quite agree with Gardiner. The ship named ‘Formidable’ was sinking. Only a few could be saved by using the life boats. So lots were taken to see who will be taken in the boats to safety. A sailor gets the lot and he can board the boat to safety. The boat is waiting for him. He looks at his comrades who are doomed to death. The he turns to one of his comrades and tells him, ‘You’ve got parents, I haven’t.’ He then makes the comrade take his seat on the boat and thus signs his own death warrant. The doomed ship sinks taking with it the courageous sailor who offered his place to his comrade.

The sea never took a braver man to its bosom. Jesus said, “There is no greater sacrifice than giving up one’s life for his friend.” Here we see that happening. What a sacrifice! The story brought tears to my eyes and I was proud to know that there are still people like the sailor who chose to die for his comrade.

Now, examine the pictures on below carefully.

Question 14.
Can you recognise the ship and the incident?
Answer:
The ship is The Titanic’ and the incident is its sinking on 14th April 1912, as it collided with an iceberg.

Question 15.
Do you know how the passengers and the crew of the ship responded to this situation?
Answer:
Yes, I know. They responded quite bravely and gallantly. Some passengers showed the greatest acts of courage, heroism and sacrifice.

Read and Enjoy

Question 1.
This poem is about one of the greatest tragedies at sea. On 14 April 1912, the Titanic, which carried 2100 passengers and crew, collided with an iceberg and sank into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean. However, this tragedy brought out some of the greatest acts of courage and heroism.

The Serang of Ranaganji About the Author:

– A.J. Cronin

A.J. Cronin (1896-1981) was a Scottish novelist. He was a physician by profession. He has published a number of world-famous novels. His strengths are his keen observation, his graphic description and his narrative skill. The excerpt is taken from ‘Adventures in two Worlds’, his autobiographical novel. It is an anecdote from his experience as a surgeon in the Royal Navy.

The Serang of Ranaganji Summary

Page 112:
A smartly dressed woman, who was a first class passenger on the Ranaganji asked her companion, pointing to a man, if he had seen such an absurdly comic creature. They were standing before me. The Ranaganji is a ship and it was about to sail from Liverpool to Calcutta. I and the lady and her companion were on the ship’s upper deck. Following their gaze, I saw a squat, very ugly native seaman, with short legs and a large disproportionate head. He was the Indian serang, orquarter-master(a small naval officer, in charge of navigational matters) of the ship. He was quietly supervising the crew of lascars (petty naval workers) who were completing the loading of the luggage. The companion of the woman said that the serang looked hardly human. He further added that by seeing the serang, one would think that Darwin was right.

The voyage began in calm, clear weather. We crossed the Bay of Biscay without suffering much from the turbulent waters. Soon we passed through the Strait of Gibraltar, passing through the calm Mediterranean under blue skies. The Ranaganji was a big ship, manned by white officers. The crew was entirely Indian. I was the physician on tie ship.

Page 113:
The ship was crowded with pleasure seekers and tourists. There was a large number of Anglo- Indian army officers. Many of them were with their wives and families. From the start, there was gaiety on board. The chief among the social promoters was Miss Jope- Smith. She was over 30, but she had a dashing style to look younger. She was snob and a bore. We reached Port Said. Everyone went ashore excitedly. They bought silks, shawls, cigarettes, scent and jewellery. We passed the Red Sea, and the barren rock of Aden. Now we were in the Arabian Sea.

The following morning, the serang, Hasan, came bringing with him two of his lascars (deck hands). He greeted me and then told me that those two men were sick. The seamen did not look well. They complained of general illness, strong headache and severe bone pains. They looked frightened, as I began to examine them. Both had fever. Their tongues were covered with thick sputum. They had dry skin, which is nature’s gravest warning. I then discovered hard little nodules under the wrist skin of each man. It was the sure symptom of smallpox.

I was young and inexperienced in my profession. I had not learned to control my feelings. My expression must have altered visibly. Although the serang said nothing, his face assumed a look of seriousness. I quickly went to the ship’s control room.

Captain Hamble was not there. He was in the chartroom below. He looked up as I burst in. I told him that two of the deckhands had small pox. I saw his lips drawing tightly together. He was a thickset man of 55 and a strict disciplinarian. But he was also a just and fair-minded officer.

Page 114:
He came close to me and told me that I was in charge of the health of the ship. It was entirely up to me. He could not give me any of his officers as he was overloaded and understaffed. But he would give me the serang, who was the finest man he had. He wanted me to keep the disease from spreading. He also wanted others not to know of the disease as passengers would then get panicky.

I left the chartroom realizing my grave responsibility. We were in the middle of the Arabian Sea with 1500 passengers aboard. There was no way of vaccinating them. Smallpox was the most deadly contagion.

Back in my surgery I found that one lascar was in the grip of violent rigour (rigidity of body) and his body was shaking. I told the serang that we had to isolate these men. There was no sick bay on board and not even an inch was available in the cabin space. Worried.

I looked at the serang. He looked undisturbed and told me that a shelter could be made on the rear-deck. It was very cool there with plenty of fresh air.

In the back part of the ship, he began to work. In an hour he erected a large canvas shelter. Mattresses and sheets were then brought up and the two patients were comfortably installed there.

Our next step was to get the crew for a thorough medical inspection. One of the stokers (people who tend the furnace) who complained of fever and headache showed signs of the rash. He was placed with the other cases. I then asked Hasan who would help me in attending these men. Hasan told me that he would help me. I then told him that he should be careful as the disease was most contagious. Hassan told me he was not afraid.

Hasan and I sponged the patients and gave them medicines. We hung sheets soaked in disinfectant round the shelter. We set up a cooking stove where liquids could be heated and simple meals prepared.

The next day there was fresh cause for worry. Three new cases were found among the deckhands. The segregated men were much worse. The same afternoon 4 more of the crew were sick. We now had ten cases in our small isolated shelter. It was a situation to test the strongest nerves. But the serang was calm and undisturbed. In attending the patients, he seemed untiring. I had to beg him to be careful. I asked him not to go too close to the patients. Smilingly he asked me whether I was careful rrjyself. I told him I was and it was my work.

I was so weighed down by responsibility that I was a bit worried for myself. The ship was going with maximum speed. Colombo was the nearest port and it was still 8 days away. In the course of another 2 days, 4 more stokers became sick. Now there were 14. One of the earlier victims had gone into a coma. He seemed likely to die any time. Under this added worry I could not sleep.

The serang was always there helping me. When he stood in meditation, his long arms folded on his bare chest, motionless as a statue, even I felt comforted. When a sick man made any sound of pain, he would move towards him with help. He would return and then again fold him arms in prayer. The ship was moving forward with speed.

Hasan had no liking for speech. Still I gathered some information about his past history. He was from the Punjab. But his parents had moved into south India. There like many others in the coastal region he had taken to the sea-faring life. For nearly 40 years, he had been travelling in the various oceans of the world. In the Ranaganji he had spent 15 years. He had no place on shore; he had no friends or family. He had never married.

He was a Muslim. All his life he had acquired nothing, neither money nor property. What he had was worth a few rupees and it was in the ship. This thought pained me. In a moment of sympathy, I told him that in that emergency, the company ought to give him extra pay. He was silent for a moment and then asked me what use money had for someone who has all that he needs. He was quite happy with the way he was.

He was sincere and he needed no extra money for his service. He had no respect for money and he despised it. He had courage, self-control and faith. The men among whom he worked lived poor and died poor. It had become his habit not to worry about tomorrow.

Standing with him in the moonlight I felt a strange pain. Beside his simplicity the world’s values seemed worthless. A great party had started in the saloon. I had a passionate desire for success and wealth and I felt ashamed when I compared myself with this serang.

On the next day two patients died. Hassan sewed their shrouds. In his hoarse dnd low voice he read a short passage from the Ramayana before their bodies. They were wrapped in sailcloth, with a weight at their feet and were thrown overboard at midnight. No fresh cases developed. A week later we reached Colombo. Soon the sick men were taken to hospital. Most patients had passed the crisis. But three were in bad shape with running sores. They were carried in the arms of Hassan. I could see tears flowing through his dark cheeks.

Our passage through the Bay of Bengal was brief and uneventful. We soon reached Calcutta. Suddenly I heard the voice of Miss Jope-Smith. She was pointing to Hasan and telling her companion Ronnie that the ‘absurd creature’ was there again. Hasan was busy in the procedure of unloading the baggage. Then she turned to me and asked me where I had kept the absurd creature during the entire voyage. Did I keep him in a special cage? I told her that in a way he was in a cage. But all the animals were outside.

The Serang of Ranaganji Glossary

Kerala State Board New Syllabus Plus One English Textbook Answers Unit 4 Chapter 1 Disasters and Disaster Management in India Text Book Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes.

Kerala Plus One English Textbook Disasters and Disaster Management in India and Answers Unit 4 Chapter 1 (Essay)

Disaster and Disaster Management in India Textual Questions and Answers

Question 1.
What does the recent World Disaster Report say about disasters?
Answer:
The recent World Disaster Report says that disasters have increased in number and intensity.

Question 2.
What are some of the common disasters?
Answer:
Some of the common disasters are earthquakes, floods, cyclones, landslides, droughts, accidents, plane crashes and forest fires.

Question 3.
What is true about both developed and developing countries?
Answer:
The fact that disasters like earthquakes, floods, cyclones, landslides, droughts, accidents, plane crashes and forest fires have increased in their number and intensity is true about both developed and developing countries.

Question 4.
What is the relationship between human development and disaster preparedness?
Answer:
There is a direct correlation between human development and better preparedness to manage disasters. The less developed countries are more prone to suffer damages caused by disasters.

Question 5.
Which is the deadliest disaster?
Answer:
The deadliest disaster is drought. It accounts for 48% of deaths due to natural disasters.

Question 6.
What makes India more vulnerable do disasters?
Answer:
Its geographical location and geological formation make India more vulnerable to disasters. Its long coastline, snow-covered peaks and high mountain ranges and the perennial rivers of the north combine to make the problems worse. India has only 2% of the total geographical area, but it supports 18% of the total population. So, there is a great pressure on the natural resources. This directly or indirectly leads to disasters like floods, droughts, landslides and earthquakes.

*Question 7.
What causes tremendous pressure on the natural resources in India?
Answer:
India has only 2% of the total geographical area, but it supports 18% of the total population. This causes a tremendous pressure on the natural resources.

Question 8.
Which is a relatively new natural disaster in India?
Answer:
Tsunami is a relatively new natural disaster in India. Due to the lack of an adequate warning system, the tsunami of 2004 destroyed a large portion of the coastal regions of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and also the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It killed many people and destroyed properties worth many crores.

Question 9.
Which is the man-made disaster that India witnessed in the last century?
Answer:
The man-made disaster that India witnessed in the last century is the Bhopal Gas Tragedy of 1984.

Question 10.
Name some of the major natural disasters faced by India during this century.
Answer:
Some of the major natural disasters faced by India during this century are: The Gujarat earthquake (2001), the Mumbai-Gujarat floods (2005), the tsunami (2004), the Uttarakhand flash-floods and the hurricane Phailin in coastal Orissa and Andhra Pradesh (2013).

Question 11.
Which are the lifeline support systems that get damaged in disasters?
Answer:
The lifeline support systems that get damaged in disasters are communication, power supply and water supply systems. Drainages get are damaged. Healthcare and hospitals come under severe stress. Commercial and economic activities are badly affected. Life, then, almost comes to a standstill.

Question 12.
Which is the man-made disaster mentioned here? Which section of the society is most affected by disasters? Why?
Answer:
The man-made disaster mentioned here is riots. The most affected are the poor sections of society. It is so because they have to work daily to earn their livelihood.

Question 13.
What are the major limitations in constructing safe and secure buildings?
Answer:
The major limitations in constructing safe and secure buildings are people don’t follow the regulations laid down for ensuring safety and security. In developing countries, only 30% of the buildings are constructed in accordance with the regulations. The lack of a master-plan and the inferior quality of materials used for construction are also major limitations.

Question 14.
What measures need to be taken to ensure the safety and security of the buildings?
Answer:
To ensure the safety and security of the buildings, both private and public buildings should be constructed according to the guidelines prescribed by law. Construction should be according to the master plan approved by the authorities. Good quality materials should be used for construction.

Question 15.
What is the requirement in the areas vulnerable to earthquakes in order to reduce damage and death?
Answer:
In areas vulnerable to earthquakes, the existing buildings should be technically assessed and owners should be informed about the weaknesses in their construction. It is estimated that nearly a million buildings are constructed in India each year and an equal number of them gets damaged as a result of disasters. To reduce the damage to buildings, a monitoring mechanism should be set up. It should work in proper coordination with the concerned authorities to ensure the fulfilment of building codes.

Question 16.
What is the structure of the state and central level committees of disaster management?
Answer:
At the state level^Jiere is a State Level Disaster Management Committee consisting of the senior secretaries of various departments and the representatives of NGOs. At the national level, there is a Crisis Management Committee, headed by the Cabinet Secretary and the secretaries from the major departments of the government.

Question 17.
How does the central government coordinate disaster management activities in India?
Answer:
The central government, with proper coordination with various ministries, give the necessary support to the states. This includes defence services like air dropping, rescuing, searching, transport of relief goods, etc. and availability of railway and ferry services, health personnel and medical support.

Question 18.
What are the special requirements of the rescue team, according to the author?
Answer:
The rescue teams should have special skills and attitudes in dealing with disasters. They need to be well equipped and should have the latest technologies.

Question 19.
What is the purpose of disaster management?
Answer:
The purpose of disaster management is to reduce the destructive impact of disasters. It is not possible to prevent or avert many of these disasters but with proper disaster management, we can definitely reduce the deaths and damages caused by them.

Disaster and Disaster Management in India Textual Activities Questions and Answers

Activity -1 (Note-making)

Question 1.
You have read the essay ‘Disasters and Disaster Management in India.’ Given below is an outline of the notes on this essay. Read the essay carefully again and complete the notes.
Answer:
Disasters and Disaster Management in India
1. Disasters – the global scenario
1.1 a challenge for all humanity
1.2 increase in frequency and intensity
1.3 the world becoming more prone to disasters
1.4 developed and developing countries are affected
1.5 floods-more common, India, China, Bangladesh – most affected
1.6 drought – deadliest (40% of all deaths and disasters)

2. Disasters-Indian Context
2.1 highly prone to disasters
2.2 reasons for vulnerability
2.2.1 geographical location and geological formation
2.2.2 long coastline, snow-clad peaks, high mountain ranges, perennial Rivers
2.2.3 overpopulation and inadequacy of natural resources
2.3 different kinds of disasters in India – Regional
2.3.1 Northern region
2.3.2 Eastern region
2.3.3 The North-eastern region
2.3.4 The western region
2.3.5 The southern region
2.3.6 The Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep & coastal areas
2.4 major disasters in this century
2.4.1 Gujarat earthquake (2001)
2.4.2 the Mumbai-Gujarat floods (2005)
2.4.3 the tsunami (2004)
2.4.4 the Uttarakhand flash-floods
2.4.5 Hurricane Phailin in coastal Orissa & AP (2013)

3. The direct and indirect impact of disasters
3.1 damage, destruction, death
3.2 lifeline support systems are damaged
3.3 Healthcare and hospitals come under stress
3.4 Commercial and economic activities badly affected
3.5 poorer sections – most affected

4. Risk due to disaster – need for safer buildings
4.1 cyclones, tsunami, earthquakes, defects in construction of buildings can cause greater destruction.
4.2 scenario in the developing countries
4.2.1 only 30% of the buildings are constructed as per regulations
4.2.2 lack of master plan
4.2.3 using inferior quality materials
4.3 suggestions for safer infrastructure
4.3.1 both private and public buildings to be constructed as per guidelines
4.3.2 constructions to be adhere to the master plan
4.3.3 only good quality materials be used for construction

5. Management in India
5.1 purpose – not prevention, but reduction of impact
5.2 state government
5.2.1 – role- state level disaster management committee
5.2.2 – structure – senior secretaries and representative of NGOs
5.3 centre government
5.3.1 – role – Crisis management committee
5.3.2 – structure – cabinet secretary and secretaries of major departments
5.3.3 – support offered – air dropping, rescuing, searching, transport of relief goods, rail and ferry services, health personnel, and medical support.
5.4 rehabilitation of victims
5.4.1 – integral part of disaster management
5.4.2 – proper coordination among various departments
5.4.3 – rescue teams – additional skills, equipped with latest technology

Activity – II (Writing precis)

Question 2.
You have read the essay and prepared notes on ‘Disasters and Disaster Management in India.’ Based on the notes you prepared, write a precis on the essay. A precis, usually, is one-third the size of the original text.
Answer:
Disasters have become a big challenge for all humanity. There has been an increase in the frequency and intensity of disasters. It seems that the world becoming more prone to disasters. Disasters affect both developed and developing countries. Some of the disasters are floods, windstorms, droughts, and earthquakes. Floods are more common in India, China and Bangladesh. Drought is the deadliest. Nearly 40% of all deaths and disasters are caused by droughts.

India is highly prone to disasters. There are many reasons for this. The geological formation, Geographical location, the long coastline, snow-clad peaks, high mountain ranges, perennial rivers, etc. are some of them. Overpopulation and the inadequacy of natural resources add to them problem. India faces many different kinds of disasters. In all regions there are problems. Some of the major disasters India had in this century are the Gujarat earthquake (2001), the Mumbai-Gujarat floods (2005), the tsunami (2004), the Uttarakhand flash-floods and the Hurricane Phailin in coastal Orissa & AP (2013).

There are direct and indirect impacts of disasters. Some of the impacts are the damage, destruction, death caused by them. Following the disaster, the lifeline support systems are damaged. Healthcare and hospitals come under stress. Commercial and economic activities get badly affected. The poorer sections are the most affected.

To reduce the damages caused by disaster, there is a need for safer buildings.,Disasters like cyclones, tsunami, earthquakes, etc. can cause greater destruction if there are defects in the construction of buildings. The scenario in the developing countries is pathetic. Only 30% of the buildings are constructed as per regulations. There is a lack of any master plar and people construct buildings using inferior quality, materials.

There is a need for safer infrastructure. Both private and public buildings should be constructed as per the guidelines given by the government. Constructions should adhere to the master plan and only good quality materials should be used for construction purposes.

It is true that we can’t prevent disasters and we can reduce their impact. For this, the state government and the central government have to work together. At the state level, there has to be a disaster management committee with all the senior secretaries of various departments and representatives of NGOs. At the centre, there must be a Crisis management committee with the cabinet secretary as the chairman and secretaries of major departments as members. The centre can offer support like air dropping, rescuing, searching, transport of relief goods, rail and ferry services, health personnel and medical support. The rehabilitation of victims is an integral part of disaster management. There should be proper coordination among various departments. The rescue teams should have additional skills, and they should be equipped with the latest technology. If these things are carried out, the impact of the disasters can be reduced and many lives saved.

Activity – III (Think and respond)

Question 3.
What are some of the disasters (natural/man-made and industrial) your locality has witnessed in the last ten years? What were the impact of these disasters on man and nature?
Answer:
My locality has witnessed two major disasters. Bothe of them are man-made. One is water pollution. The local farmers, in their eagernare to get bumper harvests, used a lot of chemical rertilizers and later insecticides on a large scale. Ttoe result is that the water in the area is polluted. The fish in the stream and ponds nearby have died.

Another disaster is the mindless cutting down of trees and building concrete jungles everywhere. With high- rise buildings around you, you feel choked. There is no place for the children to run about and play. Every available piece of land is used for various types of construction. In the summer season the place becomes very hot. All the birds that nestled on the trees around have left the place, which looks barren.

Question 4.
Is your locality prepared to manage any potential disaster? If not, what precautions can be taken to prevent and manage possible disasters?
Answer:
My locality is not at all prepared to manage any potential danger. The streets are so narrow in the township that not even a fire-truck can enter the place in case of a fire disaster. At least the Municipality should take steps to widen the roads so that the victims can be reached in case of a disaster.

Question 5.
The author says that disaster management in India is the responsibility of the state and central governments. Do you agree with this view? Do you think that the people of our country have a role in preventing and managing disasters?
Answer:
I don’t agree with The view of the author that that disaster management in India is the responsibility of the state and central governments. I fully agree with the view that the people of our country should have a role in preventing and managing disasters. Preventing natural disasters may not be possible but we can do many things to reduce the impact of such disasters. Without the people’s active cooperation, no scheme of any kind will succeed.

Question 6.
What do you think about the measures of rehabilitation that are adopted after each disaster? Do you think the measures are sufficient?
Answer:
The measures of rehabilitation that are adopted after each disaster are not good enough. When a disaster happens, the chief ministers and some other ministers run to the spot of disaster. Some half-hearted measures are carried out just to please the people. Often these measures are just temporary solutions. After the tsunami, some houses were constructed to rehabilitate the victims. After two seasons of heavy rain most of the houses became so bad people could not live there. The measures taken are insufficient. Corruption is the main cause for our troubles. The contractors who make the buildings use defective material and the buildings they make do not last. We have seen what happens to our roads. There is no determined effort on the part of anybody to make things work properly. Authorities become immune to criticism.

Activity – IV (Explore the roots)

Question 7.
Disaster = Dys + aster
‘Disaster’and ‘disastrous’ originate from the Greek word ‘astron’ which means star. In ancient times, it was believed that stars shaped human destiny; any misfortune or calamity, therefore, happened to someone because the stars were not favorable. The prefix ‘dys’ here means against. Here is a list of words which are derived from the Greek root ‘astron’: All these words are related to stars. Find out the meaning of these words:
Answer:
1. astronomy = scientific study of the universe
2. astrophysics = the physics of astronomical objects
3. astronaut = space traveller
4. aster – Star-shaped structure in cells
5. asterisk = star shaped symbol
6. astrologer = one who studies stars in relation to human behaviour
7. asteroid = rocky object orbiting the sun

Activity – V (Crossword puzzle)

Question 8.
Here is a crossword puzzle about natural calamities. Use the clues below to solve the puzzle.

Answers :
1. Twister
2. Tsunami
3. Earthquake
4. Avalanche
5. Lava
6. Famine
7. Ice
8. Landslide
9. Storm
10. Tornado
11. Hurricane

Activity – VI (Project)

Question 9.
The author says that ‘Of all the disasters, floods are the most common. … India, China and Bangladesh are the most affected by floods. ’ In Kerala also we experience floods during the monsoon. The water levels of rivers rise, flooding cities and towns. What are the reasons for this flooding?
Answer:
There are many reasons for the flooding. We can divide them into two categories. In the first group we have natural causes like high rainfall, snowmelt, relief (in low-lying areas rivers flow very slowly and so the water volume increases suddenly) and coastal flooding because of high tides. In the second group we have human causes which include deforestation, poor farming (over-grazing, over-cultivation, etc. which makes the top soil washed away), poor water management and population pressure. All these factors can be found in India, China and Bangladesh.

Question 10.
Investigate the reasons for flooding in your locality. Write a report of your finds. Make an ICT assisted presentation.
Answer:
The reasons for flooding in my locality are high rainfall, poor farming, poor water management and population pressure.

Activity – VII (Collection)

We are highly vulnerable to many natural disasters. While some fail to act in the moments of crisis or become victims of these disasters, some others rise up to the occasion and help the victims. Here is a newspaper report about 4 children who won bravery awards for their timely and heroic action in a moment of crisis.

Read the report on below of the Text.

Bravery award for children

Thiruvananthapuram: Four children from Kerala will be among the recipients of this year’s National Bravery Awards at the next Republic Day function, in New Delhi.

They include Jismi P. M., who was selected for the Geetha Chopra Award, Vishnudas K., the winner of the Bapu Gayadhani Award; and Anoop M. and Raj Narayanan, both selected for the general award.

Jismi, 12, a native of Perinchery in Thrissur district, was chosen for the award for saving a woman and her two children from drowning in a pond. A Class IX student of the Government Vocational Higher Secondary School at Cherpu, Jismi is the daughter of a manual labourer.

Vishnudas won the award for saving two children from a watery grave. A native of Palakkad, he is a Plus One student of the Sri Sankara Oriental Higher Secondary School, Lakkidi.

Anoop, a Class VIII student of the Bishop Kuriyalanchery Public School at Chambakulam, bagged the award for saving a 5-yearold from drowning in a lake. Raj Narayanan, the fourth nominee, was selected for saving a boy from drowning in a river in Alappuzha. Raj is a Class IX student of the NSS High School, Kuttanad. The General Secretary of the Kerala State Child Welfare Council P. Krishnan, said Jismi is the first winner of the Geetha Chopra Award, from Kerala.

Collect such newspaper reports and discuss with your friends how children can act timely in moments of crisis.

Read and Reflect

Question 1.
This story is about a voyage from Liverpool to Calcutta during the British rule in India. It tells how the author and the* hero of the story manage a potential calamity, silently and bravely.

Disaster and Disaster Management in India Summary

Disaster is something that often happens to people. People have experienced disasters in different forms from the beginning of time. The latest World Disaster Report shows that disasters have increased in number and intensity.

People are becoming more and more exposed to disasters of all kinds. They include earthquakes, floods, cyclones, landslides, droughts, accidents, plane crashes, forest fires, etc. This is quite true in the case of both developed and developing countries. The floods in the UK and France, and the heat waves in Europe, especially the one in France in 2003, claimed many lives. In the last few years, America has also faced devastating disasters in the form of tornadoes, hurricanes and cyclones. They caused many deaths and much destruction. Although progress in technology is helping man to reduce the impact of disasters, it is still not enough.

There is a direct correlation between higher human development and better preparedness to manage disasters. The less developed countries are more prone to suffer damages caused by disasters.

Of all the disasters, floods are the most common. They are followed by windstorms, droughts, and earthquakes. Drought is the deadliest, accounting for 48% of deaths due to natural disasters. Asia has the highest number of death toll from disasters. India, China and Bangladesh are in the Asian continent.

India, due to its geographical location and geological formation, is highly prone to disasters. Its long coastline, snow-covered peaks and high mountain ranges and the perennial rivers of the north combine to make the problems worse. India has only 2% of the total geographical area, but it supports 18% of the total population. So, there is a great pressure on the natural resources. This directly or indirectly leads to disasters like floods, droughts, landslides and earthquakes.

The northern region of India faces problems due to landslides, floods, droughts and earthquakes because it falls under the seismic zones III to V. The eastern region has the problem of floods in the perennial rivers which include the Brahmaputra, the Ganga, etc. Drought, heat waves, hailstorms, cyclones, heavy winds and earthquakes are also common here. The north-eastern region has floods, landslides and earthquakes. This region comes under seismic zones IV & V.

The western region is known for severe droughts, wind erosion of land and soil, floods and cyclones. It is also prone to earthquakes. The southern region, particularly the coastal area, is vulnerable to cyclones, sea erosion, tsunami and landslides. The islands of Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep are open to the problems of Sea erosion and tsunami. The Indian coastal areas have faced some of the worst cyclones.

Among all the disasters in India, the tsunami is a relatively new thing. Due to the lack of an adequate warning system, the tsunami of 2004 destroyed a large portion of the coastal regions of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and also the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It killed many people and destroyed properties worth many crores.

India has faced a number of natural disasters. There was also the man-made disaster of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy of 1984. During this century, India faced the Gujarat earthquake (2001), the Mumbai-Gujarat floods (2005), the tsunami (2004), the Uttarakhand flash-floods and the hurricane Phailin in coastal Orissa and Andhra Pradesh (2013).

The direct and indirect impacts of disasters, either natural or industrial, are damage, destruction and death. When disaster strikes, the lifeline support systems like communication, power supply, watersupply and drainage are damaged. Healthcare and hospitals come under severe stress. Commercial and economic activities are badly affected. Life almost comes to a standstill. The psychological traumas caused by disasters are so severe that they last the entire life of the victim. So along with other rehabilitation works, psychological rehabilitation should be given.

The impact is the same even in the case of man made disasters like riots. The most affected are the poor sections of society, who have to work daily to earn their livelihood.

In some natural disasters like cyclones, tsunami and earthquake, it is the building structure that causes the destruction and death. In developing countries only 30% of the buildings are constructed in accordance with the regulations laid down for ensuring safety and security. The lack of a master-plan and the inferior quality of materials used for construction also increase the casualties arising out of disasters. Both private and public buildings should be constructed according to the guidelines prescribed by law. Construction should also be according to the master plan approved by the authorities. Good quality materials only should be used for construction.

The UNDAC (United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination), along with the Indian Government, has jointly prepared an action plan for cities and towns prone to earthquakes. In vulnerable areas, the existing buildings should be technically assessed and owners should be informed about the weaknesses in their construction. It is estimated that nearly a million buildings are constructed in India each year and an equal number of them gets damaged as a result of disasters. To reduce the damage to buildings, a monitoring mechanism should be set up. It should work in proper coordination with the concerned authorities to ensure the fulfillment of building codes.

In the case of disaster management, the state governments play a major role. The central government plays only a facilitating role. At the state level, there is a State Level Disaster Management Committee consisting of the senior secretaries of various departments and the representatives of NGOs. At the national level, there is a Crisis Management Committee, headed by the Cabinet Secretary and the secretaries from the major departments of the government. Thfffcentral government, with proper coordination with various ministries, gives the necessary support to the states. This includes defence services like airdropping, rescuing, searching, transport of relief goods, etc. and availability of railway and ferry services, health personnel and medical support.

Rehabilitation is an integral part of disaster management. Disasters are non-routine events and so they need non-routine services. It means the Government can’t rely on normal procedures to take urgent action. There should be proper coordination among the various departments of the government to bring speedy relief to the victim. The rescue teams have to learn special skills and attitudes in dealing with disasters. They need to be well equipped and should have the latest technologies.

Disaster management has acquired greater importance of late. The purpose is not to prevent natural or man-made disasters. We may not be able to prevent many of these disasters but we can definitely reduce their destructive impact.

Disaster and Disaster Management in India Glossary

Kerala State Board New Syllabus Plus One English Textbook Answers Unit 3 Chapter 3 The Sacred Turtles of Kadavu Text Book Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes.

Kerala Plus One English Textbook The Sacred Turtles of Kadavu Questions and Answers Unit 3 Chapter 3 (Based on Fijian Legend)

The Sacred Turtles of Kadavu (Based on Fijian Legend) Textual Questions and Answers

Question 1.
How, according to the legend, did the warriors of Kadavu save themselves a long journey by sea?
Answer:
According to the legend, the warriors of Kadavu saved themselves a long journey by sea by sliding their canoes on rollers up over the narrow neck of land. This way they could avoid the long journey around the east and the west of the Kadavu island.

Question 2.
The turtles will not rise to the surface of the bay if any member of the nearby village ofNabukulevu is present there. What could be the reason?
Answer:
It was the fishermen of Nabukelevu who tried to take away Tinaicoboga, the wife of the chief of Namuana, and herdaughterRaudalice. These two women saved themselves by turning into turtles. The turtles that now live in the bay are descendants of these two women. The people of Namuana and Nabukelevu are great rivals. That is why the turtles will not rise to the surface if any member of the village ofNabukulevu is present during the turtle calling by the Namuana maidens.

Question 3.
Are all rituals strange? Why?
Answer:
Yes, all the rituals strange. They are strange because in all of them some impossible things are described. As they are passed from generation to generation, people go on adding things to the original story according to their imagination.

Question 4.
Comment on the opening sentence of the legend.
Answer:
The opening sentence is the typical way of starting a story. Here the syntax (the order or the arrangement of words) is also changed. It says ‘Many, many years go,…. lived a very lovely princess called Tinaicoboga”. The verb here comes before the subject.

Question 5.
What happens to the two women when they go fishing?
Answer:
When the two women go fishing, they are seized by the fishermen from the neighbouring village. Their hands and feet are tied and they are thrown into the hold of the canoe of the fishermen. As the women are taken away a storm rises in the sea and the canoe is in danger of drowning. The women turn into turtles and they are thrown into the sea by the fishermen. The belief is that the turtles that live in the Kadavu bay are the descendants of these two women.

Question 6.
What does the change in weather signify?
Answer:
The change in weather signifies that the gods of the sea-answered the prayers of the two women – Tinaicoboga and her daughter Raudalice. The changed weather would help them to escape from the captivity of the fishermen from Nabukelevu.

Question 7.
Why are the women dressed in mourning?
Answer:
They are dressed in mourning because they had lost the wife of their chief and her daughter – Tinaicoboga and Raudalice. Since they changed into turtles and never returned to their village, they were as good as dead.

Question 8.
What do the lines of the song indicate?
Answer:
The lines of the song indicate that the women of Namuana love the wife of their chief and her daughter – Tinaicoboga and Raudalice and they also want to have a look at them.

The Sacred Turtles of Kadavu (Based on Fijian Legend) Textual Activities Questions and Answers

Activity -1 (Debate)

Question 1.
Who do you think are really punished; The Nabukelevu fishermen or the two women from Namuana?
Answer:
I think the two women from Namuana are really punished. From two beautiful human beings they were changed into turtles!

Question 2.
Discuss the situation in the present context of atrocities against women. Conduct a debate on the topic: Are women empowered in our society?
Answer:
For:
a. Women are empowered in our society.
b. We have powerful woman like Sonia Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee and Mayawati.
c. Mrs. Indira Gandhi was the strongest Prime Minister India had.
d. Women have the same political rights as men.
e. In government services and public undertakings, women get the same salary for the same job.
f. Women are given preferential treatment when it comes to education and health care.
g. There are many programmes today meant for the empowerment of women.

Against:
a. The equal rights for women are limited to the paper.
b. Women don’t get equal pay with men especially in the private sector.
c. Women are treated as second class citizens.
d. In the home, man commands and the woman obeys.
e. There are so many limitations to the mode of dressing and such things for women.
f. No religion lets women to be priests. Some religions even deny access to women to their places of worship.
g. Because Manu had said in the past ‘Na Sthree Swatantryamarhati’, many people don’t let their women have any kind of freedom.
h. Even now the dowry system is very much active in different names like share & pocket money.

I Rapes and such heinous crimes against women are rampant.

Activity – II (Write-up)

Question 3.
You have read the story of an unusual Fijian ritual. Can you think of similar rituals practised in your locality?
Answer:
Onam is festival that is celebrated by all the Malayalees. It is commemorated every year because of a legend. King Mahabali ruled Kerala and he was a just ruler. All the people were treated equally. There was liberty, equality and fraternity in the land. There was happiness everywhere. People here were happier than the inhabitants of heaven. So they became jealous. So one god, disguised as an ascetic, Vamana, came to Mahabali and requested him to give him three feet of land to sit and do his ‘tapassu’. The generous Mahabali gladly granted his wish. Then suddenly Vamana began to grow in size and he was as tall as the sky. With one foot he measured the entire land of Mahabali, with the second foot he measured the skies above the land.

Then he asked Mahabali where he duld have his third foot of land. Mahabali bent his head and told him he can have it there. Vamana put his foot on Mahabali’s head and Mahabali was pushed deep down into the underworld. As he was going down, he asked Vamana to give him a boon: He should be allowed to come back and visit his beloved people once a year. His request was granted. The Kerala people believe that Mahabali comes to earth to see them every year on Thiruvonam day.

To receive their beloved king, the people make pookkalams in their yards. They make sumptuous meals. They wear new clothes and adorn themselves as best as they can. They also have some folk dances and other entertaining things to welcome their great king. It is a festive season in Kerala and everybody looks happy on that day. The occasion is commercially exploited by businessmen to sell all kinds of things. It is the holiday season for Keralites and people organise tours and various other activities.

Activity – III (Travel Brochure)

Question 4.
Let’s prepare a travel brochure of a place of your choice.

Tips
A travel brochure should

• open with a catchy sentence which is followed by short, concise sentences.
• satisfy the interest of the target audience.
• highlight the main features:
  • description of scenic beauty
  • scope for adventures (sky diving, mountaineering, etc.)
  • reference to local culture, customs and traditions.
• appeal to the five senses.
• present one or two positive testimonials from past visitors.
• include attractive photographs of the destination.

Answer:
Niagara in Kerala? Yes, Athirappally Falls in Kerala is nicknamed The Niagara of India’. It is a 24-metre (80 ft).waterfall near the Vazhachal Forest Division and the Sholayar ranges. It is a thrilling sight especially in the monsoon season. At the Athirappally Falls, the water of the Chalakudy River surges around big rocks and cascades down in three separate paths. Below the falls the river remains turbulent for about 1 km. Then it calms down and flows smoothly until reaching the dam at Thumboormuzhi.

Wildlife in the area includes the Asiatic elephant, tiger, leopard, bison, sambar and the lion-tailed monkey. Different types of hornbill live in this area. Plantations in the area contain teak, bamboo and eucalyptus. This area is renowned for its biodiversity. You will see God’s plenty here. Visitors can reach the top of the waterfall via a paved path that leads through thick bamboo clusters. A steep narrow path also leads to the bottom of the falls. The best time to visit this wonderful place is between June and September. Many films are shot here because of its glory, splendour and scenic extravaganza. If you love Nature, beauty and adventure, come to Athirappally and enjoy its breathtaking view. It is truly the Niagara of India. Niagara is much bigger but it does not have the wildlife and the biodiversity seen in this miraculous place.

Athirappally is 30 km to the west of Chalakudy. The journey from Chalakudy to the Falls passes through a landscape of winding roads, small villages and lush green trees. If you enjoy local food, you will find a lot of small restaurants on your way where you can enjoy local dishes. But be careful! Some of them could be very spicy and hot!

The Sacred Turtles of Kadavu (Based on Fijian Legend) Textual Extended Activities Questions and Answers

Read the English translation of the Malayalam excerpt taken from S.K. Pottekkattwho has written several books of travel.

Tips

• Transfer the meaning; avoid word for word translation.
• Be aware of the cultural differences in languages.
• Ensure that the translation is in tune with the linguistic features of the target language.

Read the passage in Malayalam given on below. Here is the translation.

Athiranippadam is a village that gradually developed from a large muddy area. In the ancient times, a small river flowed through it and emptied its waters into the sea one mile west of the place. In the course of time, centuries perhaps, the river was filled with mud and reduced itself into a canal. That part is still known as the bank of the river. Even that canal stopped flowing and the entire area became a vast muddy field. As the muddy field began to dry up, men entered and started living here.

Question 5.
You decide to conduct a tour programme. What are the different stages involved in it? Discuss.
Answer:
a. How many are ready to come?
b. How long is the tour programme?
c. What is the destination?
d. What are the things to be done there?
e. The cost per person.
f. The type of transport.
g. Food and Stay
h. Safety precautions to be taken

Activity – II (Travel Info)

Read the Travel Info given below:
Getting There

• Heathrow Airport is one of the largest and busiest airports in Britain which connects the major cities in the world.
• The London Metro connects you to the major tourist destinations of the city.

Don’t miss out

• The National Gallery
• The British Museum
• The Tower of London
• Windsor Castle

The cuisine

• Fish and Chips-a true English treat of freshly caught fish and crisp potato fries.

Question 6.
Let’s prepare a Travel Info of a place of your choice.
Answer:

Travel Info – Malampuzha Dam

Getting there : You can get to Malampuzha by road, train or plane, The nearest railway station is Palakkad Junction. The distance will be then 7km by road. The nearest airport is Coimbatore, From there the distance to Malampuzha is 55 km by road.

Information about Malampuzha Dam : It is the largest reservoir in Kerala, with the scenic hills of the Western Ghats in the background. It is a combination of a masonry dam with a length of 1,849 metres and an earthen dam with a length of 220 metres. The dam is 6,066 feet high and crosses the Malampuzha River, a tributary of Bharathappuzha.

Don’t miss out: The Dam, amusement park, boating facilities, rock garden and ropeway.

Around the reservoir of the dam are gardens and amusement parks. Boating facilities are available on the lake.

Cuisine : Fried Karimeen – A true treat for you – fish are freshly caught and fried – supplied with potato chips and special hot chutney.

Activity – III (Conversation)

Question 7.
Decide on a place to visit and approach a travel agency to make arrangements. Write a conversation between you and the travel agent.
Read the tips given below of the Text.

Tips You should book the cheapest holiday possible, inquire about distance, price, travel time, etc. The travel agent should try to sell the most expensive package and try to impress the client. Structure the conversation, using appropriate expressions. This interactive activity aims at establishing and maintaining social relations i.e., requesting, offering, asking/granting/refusing permission, etc. Request Asking to do things Could I /May I / Can I / Do you mind if I Asking people to do things Can you / Could you / Will you /Would you / Do you think you could (Avoid Do you think you can) Asking for things Can I have/Could I have/May I have / I’d like to have Offers Can I /Would you like (Avoid Do you like) Permission Asking Permission Can I / Could I / May I Giving permission You can /You may (Avoid You could ) Could I borrow the book? Of course, you can. Refusing permission You can’t / You may not Could I borrow the book? I am sorry. I’m afraid you can’t

Answer:
You : Is that Intersight, the Tour Company?

Agent: Insight here, I am Tom. How can I help you?

You : I saw your advert in Malayala Manorama about the 8-days tour of Europe, starting on 19th April. I would like to join you.

Agent: You are welcome. To book you have to pay an initial amount of Rs. 30,000/-. Then you send us your passport. We have to get you a European visa.

You : When should I pay the rest of the amount?

Agent: It should be paid when you get the visa. We will let you know of the date.

You : How many are there in the group?

Agent: You are the 33rd member of the group.

You : What are the things I must bring with me?

Agent: You will need warm clothes as Europe is still cold in April. You should also bring your essential medicines. You can’t buy medicines in Europe as you buy them in India. You will need a doctor’s prescription and seeing a doctor could be quite expensive and time-consuming. Carry your camera with you as you will like to take photographs. Keep some Euros with you, in case you want to buy something special.

You : How much luggage can I carry?

Aent: You can carry 30 kgs. Bu I suggest you take the minimum luggage. Less luggage, more comfort.

You : Okay, thanks. I will send you the passport and the money soon.

Agent: That’s fine. I assure you that it will be a memorable trip. Bye!

You : Bye!

Activity – IV : (Introductory speech)

Question 8.
Imagine yourself to be a travel guide. A group of tourists visits one or the most popular tourist spots of your locality. How would you welcome them?

Prepare the script of a speech you will make o the occasion, introducing the tourist spot to the visitors.
Answer:
Welcoming Tourists : Ladies and gentlemen, you are welcome to God’s Own Country, Kerala! I am your guide Joe. I will be with you during the entire tour of this place. I assure you that you will enjoy here. Here you are going to see some amazing sights. Be ready with your camera. These are some sights and sounds that will thrill you and you will come back again and again to see them and hear them!

Describing the location : This is Athirappally Falls. It is called The Niagara of India’. It is a 24-metre (80 ft) waterfall near the Vazhachal Forest Division and the Sholayar ranges. It is a thrilling sight especially in the rainy season. At the Athirappally Falls, the water of the Chalakudy River surges around big rocks and cascades down in three separate paths. Below the falls the river remains turbulent for about 1 km. Then it calms down and flows smoothly until reaching the dam at Thumboormuzhi.

Introducing special events/highlights: Here soon you are going to see the Asiatic elephant, tiger, leopard, bison, sambar and the lion-tailed monkey. Different types of hornbill are also here. You will see teak, bamboo and eucalyptus. This area is renowned for its biodiversity. You will see God’s plenty here. We will go to the top of the waterfall via a paved path that leads through thick bamboo clusters. A steep narrow path also leads to the bottom of the falls. Many films are shot here because of its glory, splendour and scenic extravaganza. If you love Nature, beauty and adventure, you will love this place. Niagara may be much bigger but it does not have the wildlife and the biodiversity seen in this miraculous place. Don’t forget to shoot these sights!

Offering advice: If you are weak or tired, don’t climb up to the top or go down to the bottom. The place could be slippery. Make sure your shoes have good grips: Taking a stick with you will be helpful.

Closing remarks: I hope you have enjoyed the sights and sounds. Thanks for coming. Come again!

Activity – V (Discussion)

Question 9.
In the poem given on below:

Friends,
Our dear sister
is departing for foreign
in two-three days, and
we are meeting today
to wish her bon voyage.

You are all knowing, friends,
what sweetness is in Miss Pushpa.
I don’t mean only external sweetness
but internal sweetness.
Miss Pushpa is smiling and smiling
even for no reason
but simply because she is feeling.

Miss Pushpa is coming
from very high family.
Her father was renowned advocate
in Bulsar or Surat,
I am not remembering now which place.

Surat? Ah, yes,
Once only I stayed in Surat
with family members
of my uncle’s very old friend,
his wife was cooking nicely…
that was long time ago.

Coming back to Miss Pushpa
she is most popular lady
with men also and ladies also.

Whenever I asked her to do anything,
she was saying, ‘just now only
I will do it.’ That is showing
good spirit. I am always
appreciating the good spirit.
Pushpa Miss is never saying no.
Whatever I or anybody is asking
She is always saying yes,
And today she is going
to improve her prospect
and we are wishing her bon voyage.

Now I ask other speakers to speak
and afterwards Miss Pushpa
will do summing up.

there are grammatical mistakes, strange arrangement of words, phrases and idioms which are direct translations of expressions from Indian languages. They sound very odd ¡n English. Identify them and discuss.
Answer:
a. departing for foreign (going abroad)
b. We are all knowing (We all know)
c. What sweetness is in Miss Pushpa (How sweet Miss Pushpa is)
d. I don’t mean only external sweetness but internal sweetness (She is sweet both externally and internally)
e. Miss Pushpa is smiling and smiling even for no reason but simply because she is feeling (Miss Pushpa always smiles because of her good feelings).
f. Miss Push is coming from very high family (Miss Pushpa comes from a noble family)
g. was renowned advocate (was a renowned advocate)
h. I am not remembering (I don’t remember)
i. Once only I stayed in Surat (Only once I stayed in Surat)
j. With family members of my uncle’s very old friend (with the family members of a very old friend of my uncle)
k. His wife was cooking nicely (his wife was a good cook)
l. She is most popular lady with men also and ladies also (Miss Pushpa is very popular with men and also ladies)
m. Whenever I asked her to do anything, she was saying, ‘just now only I will do it.’ (Whenever I asked her to do something she would say she would immediately do it)
o. That is showing good spirit (that shows good spirit)
p. I am always appreciating (I always appreciate)
q. Pushpa Miss is never saying no. (Pushpa Miss never says no)
r. Whatever I or anybody is asking she is always yes. (Whatever I or anybody asks her she agrees)
s. improve her prospect (improve her prospects) we are wishing her (we wish her)

Now I ask other speakers to speak and afterwards, Miss Pushpa will do summing up. (Now I ask other speakers to speak and later Miss Pushpa will respond)

The Sacred Turtles of Kadavu (Based on Fijian Legend) About the Author:

It is a multicultural island nation. It has the cultural traditions of the people of Oceanic, European, South Asian, and East Asian origins. It consists of nearly 320 islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, 3152 kms from Sydney, Australia. Nearly 100 of these islands are inhabited.

The Sacred Turtles of Kadavu Summary

Kadavu is one of the larger of islands of the Fiji Group. Some 50 miles by water from the capital city of Suva is the Fijian village of Namuana. Namuana is at the foot of a beautiful bay close to the Government Station in Vunisea Harbour. Here, the island of Kadavu narrows down to an isthmus (a narrow strip of land connecting two large land masses). Legend says that in the days gone by, the warriors of Kadavu slid their canoes on rollers up over the narrow neck of land to save the long journey around the east and the west of Kadavu Island.

The women of Namuana village still preserve a very strange ritual – that of calling turtles from the sea. If you visit Namuana village to see turtle calling, your boat anchors in a beautiful bay under the cliffs of a rocky headland. You land on the beach and sit on the rocks. Or climb to a rocky tract to a point some 150 or 200 feet up the rock face. From here you can have a splendid view. You will find all the maidens of the village of Namuana assembled and singing a strange chant. As they chant, you will see giant turtles rise one by one on the surface, listening to the music.

This is not fairy tale. It actually takes place. The fishing of turtles is prohibited in this area.

There is another interesting sideline to this performance. If any member of the nearby village of Nabukelevu is present, then the turtles will not rise to the surface of the bay and the turtle calling has to be abandoned.

As is usually the case with such strange ceremonies and customs, in Fiji, the turtle calling is based on an ancient legend. This legend is passed on from father to son among the Fijian people of Kadavu.

Many, many years ago, in the beautiful village of Namuana, on the island Kadavu, lived a very lovely princess called Tinaicoboga. She was the wife of the chief of Namuana village. She had a charming daughter called Raudalice. The two women often went fishing on the reefs around their home.

Once they went farther than usual. They waded out on the submerged reefs. They became so involved with their fishing that they did not see the approach of a big war canoe. I was full of fishermen from the nearby village of Nabukelevu. This village is situated in the shadow of Mount Washington, which is the highest mountain on Kadavu Island. Today this mountain is well known to the mariners because there is a fine light-house there. It warns them of the dangers of the rocky coastline.

Suddenly the fishermen jumped out of their boats and caught the two women. They tied their hands and feet with the vine (the plant on which grapes grow) and threw them into their canoe and they went home in a great hurry. The women begged for their lives. But the cruel fishermen from Nabukelevu did not listen to their requests.

But the gods of the sea were kind. A great storm arose and the canoe was tossed about by huge waves, which almost drowned it. As the canoe was in serious difficulty, the fishermen were surprised to see that the two women lying in the water in the hold of the canoe had turned into turtles. To save their own lives, the fishermen threw the turtles into the sea. Immediately the weather changed and there were no more waves.

The Nabukelevu fishermen continued their journey home. The two women from Namuana who had changed to turtle lived on in the water of the bay. It is their descendants today who rise from the water when the maidens of their own village sing songs to them from the cliffs.

This is the translation of the song chanted by them:
“The women of Namuana are all dressed in mourning
Each carries a sacred club each tattooed in a strange pattern
Do rise to the surface Raudalice so we may look at you
Do rise to the surface Tinaicoboga so we may also look at you.”

You may doubt the truth of the legend. But the chanting of this strange song does bring the giant turtles to the surface of the blue waters of the bay, near Namuana village.
(From a Fijian legend)

The Sacred Turtles of Kadavu Glossary

Kerala State Board New Syllabus Plus One English Textbook Answers Unit 3 Chapter 2 The Trip of Le Horla Text Book Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes.

Kerala Plus One English Textbook The Trip of Le Horla Questions and Answers Unit 3 Chapter 2 (Short Story)

The Trip of Le Horla (Short Story) Textual Questions and Answers

Question 1.
What is special about the sentences in the telegram?
Answer:
The sentences are not grammatical. The message is conveyed through short phrases.

Question 2.
What does the author compare the balloon to?
Answer:
The balloon is compared to a cake made of yellow cloth.

Question 3.
What is the other thought that occurs to every mind?
Answer:
The other thought that occurs to every mind is a baby in the womb that is nourished through the umbilical cord until its birth.

Question 4.
Express the attitude of the spectators and passengers towards the sport of ballooning.
Answer:
Some spectators think that the balloon will come down before reaching its destination. They also criticise several other things about the balloon. But the passengers are happy and excited about what they are going to do and they are optimistic about their success.

Question 5.
What is the established custom mentioned here?
Answer:
Dining in the canteen of the gas-works by the passengers is the established custom mentioned here.

Question 6.
When travellers come out, what do they see?
Answer:
When the travelers come out they see that the balloon is moving from side to side, enormous and transparent, a big golden fruit, a wonderful pear which is still ripening with the last rays of the setting sun. The basket is attached. The barometers and the siren are brought. Two trumpets, the eatables, overcoats, and raincoats were also there.

Question 7.
Name the passengers in the balloon.
Answer:
Jovis is the Captain. Then there are Lieutenant Mallet, M. Etierine Beer, M. Paul Bessand and the narrator, Guy de Maupassant.

Question 8.
Who is posted as the officer on watch?
Answer:
Lieutenant Mallet is posted as the officer on watch.

Question 9.
Why does M. Eyries get out of the balloon? Is he regretful? Why?
Answer:
M. Eyries gets out of the balloon because the basket carrying the passengers has become too heavy for the balloon. He is regretful. He had planned for this flight and since he had to abandon it at the last minute he was unhappy. He would miss all the adventure and fun.

Question 10.
What does M. Joliet’s deeds and words tell us about him?
Answer:
His words and deeds tell that M, Joliet is a chivalrous gentleman. He gallantly asks the ladies to stand aside a little because the rising balloon might throw sand on their hats. It shows how considerate he is to the ladies.

Question 11.
Comment on the use of the word ‘liberty’.
Answer:
Maupassant has used the word ‘liberty’ in the most appropriate fashion. By cutting the rope that holds Le Horla to the ground, Le Horla is given the liberty to fly freely in the infinite skies like a bird.

Question 12.
Describe the aerial view of Paris.
Answer:
Paris is like a dark bluish patch, cut by its streets. Domes, towers, and steeples of Paris are visible in the sky. Around it there is the plain, traversed by long roads amidst green fields and forests.

Question 13.
Have you ever had an aerial view of a place?
Answer:
Yes, I had. Once I flew from Cochin to Mumbai and I had an aerial view of Mumbai.

Question 14.
Can a view from an aeroplane be as picturesque as this balloon view? Why?
Answer:
No, it can’t be. Because an aeroplane flies at a much greater height and at a greater speed and so your view can’t be as picturesque as from a balloon which flies at a lower height and with less speed.

Question 15.
How do the travellers know whether they are rising or sinking?
Answer:
Travellers know whether they are rising or sinking by throwing a cigarette paper out of the basket. If the paper falls down like a stone, it means the balloon is rising. If it appears to shoot skyward, the balloon is sinking.

Question 16.
All the noises are easily recognisable. Mention the diverse sounds that reach the travellers’ ears.
Answer:
The noises that reach the travellers ears are the sound of wheels rolling on the streets, the snap of a whip, the shouts of drivers, the rolling and whistling of trains and the laughter of the boys running after one another. When they pass over a village, the noise of children’s voices is heard above the rest with much clarity.

Question 17.
How do the animals receive the balloon? How does the balloon appear before them?
Answer:
The dog’s bark. The cows low. To all the animals the balloon appears as a monster moving through the air. They are scared of it.

Question 18.
The delicious odours of the soil rise toward us, the smell of hay, of flowers, of the moist, verdant earth, perfuming the air … Identify the type of imagery used here.
Answer:
The imagery is that of a wedding – the bride eagerly and happily welcoming the groom.

Question 19.
What do you think would be the fate of the balloon?
Answer:
I think the balloon would get out of control.

Question 20.
Why does the Mallet ask the Captain to throw down half a handful of sand?
Answer:
Mallet asks the Captain to throw down half a handful of sand because by doing that the weight of the balloon would be reduced helping it to rise.

Question 21.
The balloon is both a free toy and a slave of the wind. Express your views on this statement.
Answer:
The balloon is both a free toy and a slave of the wind. The travellers raise and sink the balloon as they wish making use of the bag of ballast (sand, stones etc.) with them. This way it is a toy for them. But they can do nothing if it is caught by a storm and then the balloon becomes a slave and the travellers lose their control over it.

Question 22.
Can you observe odour? Why does the author say so?
Answer:
Normally we can’t observe odour. We can only smell it. The author says that it could be observed because he can see the balloon expanding because of the current of warm air and the gas going out by the escape-valve.

Question 23.
Comment on the expression: ‘losing its invisible blood by the escape-valve.’
Answer:
Blood keeps the body alive. In the case of the balloon, it is the gas that keeps it ‘alive’ – flying in the air. Gas is thus the invisible blood.

Question 24.
What do the mist-covered earth and star-studded sky indicate?
Answer:
The mist-covered earth and star-studded sky indicate that it is night and the balloon and its passengers are at a great height.

Question 25.
How is the rising of the moon described?
Answer:
A silvery light appears and makes the sky turn pale. It is rising from unknown depths, behind the horizon, on the edge of a cloud.

Question 26.
Look at the expression ‘delicious inertia. ’ Can you identify the figure of speech used here?
Answer:
The figure of speech used here is a Metaphor.

Question 27.
Why is space travel considered as ‘delicious inertia by the narrator?
Answer:
Inertia means apathy, unwillingness to move or . act. The narrator feels that space travel is wonderful and compares it to having delicious food. There is a great sensation of satisfaction and happiness while travelling in space in a state of inertia. They feel like birds that don’t even have to flap their wings.

Question 28.
Coin expressions to describe the balloon just like the author who calls the balloon’ a world wandering in the sky’ and ‘a wandering, travelling world.’
Answer:
‘Soaring, fleeting world’ and ‘a fleeting world in the sky’.

Question 29.
When does the balloon stop? Why?
Answer:
The balloon stops when it reaches a height of two thousand three hundred and fifty metres. The air pressure must have come down so the balloon stops rising and then it starts to descend.

Question 30.
How does the author describe the rapid descent of the balloon?
Answer:
The author says that they are going down very rapidly. M. Mallet asks the passengers to throw out more ballast. They are throwing out sand and stones to lighten the balloon so that it can fly upwards but their descent is so fast that the sand they throw flies back into their eyes.

Question 31.
How does the shadow of the balloon appear to the travellers?
Answer:
The travellers look down and see something running on the ground with great speed , jumping over ditches, roads and trees so easily but they cannot guess what it is until the captain tells them that it is the shadow of the balloon.

Question 32.
How far does the polar star guide the travellers?
Answer:
The polar star guides the travellers to Belgium which borders France on the south.

Question 33.
Do you think it is a scientific way to travel?
Answer:
Yes. The polar star is also called the North Star. It has been used by travellers for centuries to help them to know the direction as it remains constant in its position.

Question 34.
Who is the bewildered man? Why is he bewildered?
Answer:
Lieutenant Mallet who was watching the course of the balloon is the bewildered man. He is bewildered or confused because the balloon is moving so fast that he does not even know where they are. Comment on the reaction of the captain to the roaring wind.

Question 35.
Can you justify the Captain’s behaviour?
Answer:
The Captain knows that the sound they hear is the sound of a storm coming. He does not want to frighten his passengers so he says it is the sound of the waterfalls and nudges the narrator to keep silent. I can justify the Captain’s behaviour. If the passengers are frightened they may do something foolish and this would be very dangerous as they are in a small basket of a flying balloon.

Question 36.
Identify the sights and sounds that welcome the dawn.
Answer:

Question 37.
‘The world fleeing under our feet’ —what experience does the author try to convey?
Answer:
The world is running under our feet. The author uses a personification to convey the experience of rapid movement of the earth while he was travelling in the balloon.

Question 38.
If you were ¡n such a situation how would you react?
Answer:
If I were in a flying balloon and a storm was coming and we had to descend fast, I would do as the passengers in the balloon did. I would certainly be scared but would help out to ensure that we land as safely as possible.

Question 39.
‘Religiously enclosed’- what ¡s your opinion about the adverb used here? How ¡s the adverb connected with the verb ‘enclosed’?
Answer:
It shows how seriously and carefully things have to be dohe while travelling in a balloon. The phrase ‘religiously enclosed’ is a personification. The adverb ‘religiously’ denotes seriousness and care and it is used to describe the verb ‘enclosed’. The narrator means that the escape valve had been very carefully enclosed in a white bag so that all the passengers would be careful and treat it with respect and not meddle with it or touch it.

Question 40.
Why do you think the birds are hesitant to follow the balloon?
Answer:
The thunder is rumbling and so the birds are hesitant to follow the balloon which looks like a monster. They don’t want to be caught in the storm and by the monster.

Question 41.
List out the words and expressions that indicate the mad flight of the balloon.
Answer:
The mad flight of the balloon is described:

• The basket trembles and tips over.
• The guy-rope touches the tall trees.
• The balloon passes with frightful rapidity.
• Bewildered chickens, pigeons, and ducks fly away
• Cows, cats and dogs run, terrified, toward the house.

Question 42.
What action does Mallet perform?
Answer:
Mallet reaches for the rope to the escape valve and hangs on to it. Then the cord to the anchor is cut with a knife.

Question 43.
Comment on the visual effect of ‘the balloon landing’.
Answer:
The balloon landing is visualized like the fall of a wounded beast during a hunt. It is very effectively pictured as a wounded beast trying to escape. But then it falls down and struggles, finally breathing its last.

Question 44.
Describe the reception of the balloon by the peasants.
Answer:
The peasants ran towards the landing balloon and as they waited for the balloon to deflate, a few of the peasants were jumping and gesturing like savages. The peasants were accommodating and hospitable and helped the travellers to pack all their material and carry it to the nearest station.

The Trip of Le Horla (Short Story) Textual Activities Questions and Answers

Activity -1 (Think and respond)

Question 1.
Imagine that you get a chance to be the captain of a tour programme. What type of a captain would you like to become?
Answer:
I would like to be a smart and efficient tour programme captain. Everyone in the programme should enjoy and have fun.

List the qualities of an ideal Captain.

• Helpful
• Efficient
• Smart
• Resourceful
• Courageous
• Humorous

Activity – II (Live TV report)

Question 2.
Draft a live TV report of Le Horla’s take off.
Answer:
Next on our infotainment section we have Rahul Binoy reporting live on the story “Le Horla Conquers the Skies’ from the Gas works at La Villette.

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Today is the day, 8th July, forLe Horla is taking off from La Villette. We are right in front of Le Horla, the hot air balloon. It is getting filled up and is swelling and wriggling like a huge worm. It is surrounded by some 300 enthusiastic people. Now the passengers are getting in. The Captain is Jovis. The others in the basket attached to the balloon are Lieutenant Mallet, M. Etierine Beer, M. Paul Bessand, and M. Patrice Eyries.

I see them talking animatedly. Now Patrice Eyries is coming down. It seems he can’t go because the balloon can’t take the weight of all of them. He walks away dejectedly. Poor guy! All his dream of an adventure is gone!

M. Joliet tells the ladies to keep off. When the balloon lifts sand will be thrown into their hats. He cuts the ropes that hold the balloon to the ground. Look! Le Horla is lifting upward like a bird lifts off. Up, up and up goes the balloon! People scream with joy! Le Horla climbs above the city of Paris and it is slowly disappearing! The sight of the earth from the balloon will be fantastic. We wish the passengers a lot of luck!

Activity – III (Dos and Don’ts)

Question 3.
While planning a trip, we have to consider many things. What are the dos and the don’ts while doing so?
Answer:
DOs

• Take a first aid kit.
• Wear appropriate clothes.
• Wear proper shoes.
• Ensure you have some drinking water.
• Keep enough money.
• If you are going abroad, ensure you have your . passport and visa with you.
• Have your camera.

DON’Ts

• Don’t carry expensive things
• Don’t overeat before you start a trip.
• Don’t carry too much luggage. Less luggage more comfort.
• Don’t try to show off by doing very risky things.
• Don’t get upset with small irritants.

Activity – IV (Comparison)

Question 4.
Nothing is more amusing, more delicate, more interesting than the manoeuvring of a balloon. What degree of comparison is used here?
Comparative Degree Read the passage on p. 88. Rewrite it comparing it with the life on earth.
Answer:
Now our minds and thoughts are more independent than they were when we were on earth. We are happier here because we have no regrets. We look and feel better here. Our journey here is wilder and more fantastic than any journey on earth because here the only thing we an see is the moon. We are a wandering, travelling world, like our sisters, the planets. The five of us have almost forgotten that we belong to the earth as we move in the space like birds. No crowds, no noise, no dust, no smoke! Beautiful blue sky and the right moon! We feel we are in heaven, floating through a stream of joy!

Activity – V (Narration)

Question 5.
Read the notes on the mode of narration given below:
Narrate the landing of the balloon from the point of view of one of the peasants there.

Mode of Narration	Description
First-person narration	In this mode, the narrator is usually the protagonist or central character in the story.
Second-person narration	Directions and instructions are usually narrated from the second- person’s perspective.
Third-person narration There are three distinct modes of third-person narration: objective, limited, and omniscient.
Third-person objective	The narrator does not reveal any of the characters’ thoughts or feelings.
Third-person limited	The narrator reveals the thoughts and feelings of one character through explicit narration.
Third-person omniscient V	The narration will reveal more than one character’s internal workings; the narrator is all-knowing.

Answer:
I see a huge balloon from which a basket is hanging over the canal at a distance. The basket trembles and tips over slightly. I can see a rope trailing behind touching the tall trees on both banks. Now it is passing with frightful speed over a large farm. The bewildered chickens, pigeons and ducks fly away. The terrified cows, cats and dogs run towards the house. I don’t know what is happening. Now the balloon is passing over the trees. I see the balloon and the basket shaking. Something falls down and suddenly the balloon stops. Soon it touches the ground. The basket touches the earth. Then it goes up again. Once more, it falls and bounds upward again and at last, it settles on the ground. The balloon is struggling madly like a wounded beast. Now it comes to a standstill. I see five men climbing out of the basket. There is the joy of success on their faces. My companions and I help them. They say they want to go to Heyst, a railway station nearby. They want to take the 20:20 train to Paris. We help them to carry their luggage to the station.

Activity – VI (Travel Essay)

Question 6.
Read the notes on Travel Writing on below:

Description of physical features	Paris spreads out beneath us, a dark bluish patch, cut by its streets, from which rise, here and there, domes, towers, steeples…
Practical issues related to travel	…two trumpets, the eatables, the overcoats and raincoats, all the small articles that can go with the men in that flying basket.
Experiences of the place	With the help of the accommodating and hospitable Belgian peasants, we are able, in a short time, to pack up all our materials…
Personal impressions	…we float along through space in delicious inertia. We have become something indescribable, birds who do not even have to flap their wings.

Now, write a travel essay, describing a ravel experience you had recently.
Answer:
My parents had promised me a foreign trip if I passed my SSLC with very high scores. I worked very hard and I passed with distinction. So my parents allowed me to go on a trip to Europe. Since travelling alone would be difficult, I decided to join a tour group organized by the company called Intersight, Kochi. The first problem was getting a European visa. The company said it would get it for me. I was planning to go in April. April is hot in Kerala, but in Europe it is still cold. So I had to get warm clothes for the trip. I also needed a good camera.

We started ourtravel from Kochi. The representative from the Intersight was there to organize things. I reported to the airport 3 hours before the take off time. After completing the check-in, I went for the immigration formalities. After a thorough body check, I was allowed to go into the comfortable waiting lounge.

We were flying by Qatar Airways to Zurich. The flight was announced and we got into the aircraft. It was a huge aircraft. The smiling airhostesses showed us to our seats. Soon we took off. We were served refreshments. Afterthat I watched an in-flight movie. After 3 hours, we landed at Qatar airport. It is a huge airport. We had to spend some time at the airport lounge to get our flight to Zurich.

The flight to Zurich was also by Qatar airways. We were served meals in the flight. After the meals I went off to sleep. Eight hours later, we landed at Zurich. We were taken to our hotel in a coach. It was then I came to know who the people in the group tour were. There was another boy of my age and soon we became friends.

Our first visit was to the Titlis Mountains, in the Alps. On our way, we saw the life of the people. How disciplined people were. How nicely they behaved on the roads. No animals and birds crossed the roads. We hardly saw anyone walking on the roads. On both sides there were fields. We could see cattle grazing. Switzerland is a beautiful country.

Soon we reached Titlis. We would be taken to the top by rope ways and lifts. We reached the top. The scene was breathtaking. The whole area was covered with snow and ice. People were skating. We went for an ice-tunnel walk. They have built a tunnel in the ice and I walked for nearly a kilometre inside the tunnel. Ice on top, ice at the bottom and ice on both sides. It was a wonderful experience. I was exhilarated. Tomorrow we would go to Paris by coach to see the Eiffel Tower and other wonderful sights of that great city.

Activity – VII (Progressive Tenses)

Question 7.
a. Read the notes and explanations given on page 89 of the Text.

But the clouds are gathering behind us…
Crows are crowing…

In the above segments, the action continues to take place even at the moment of speaking. The present continuous tense form of a verb is used in such a context. The verbs in the above segments of sentences (‘gather’ and ‘crow’) are in the present continuous tense form. Continuous tenses are also called progressive tenses.

We use the present continuous tense to denote

• something that is happening at the moment of speaking.
• something which is happening before and after a given time.
• something which we think is temporary.
• something which is new and contrasts with a previous state.
• something which happens again and again.
• for talking about the future; for something which has been arranged or planned.

Pick out the instances in the story where the present continuous tense form the verb is used.

Answer:

b. Form a sentence on your own:

Context	Sentence
happening at the moment of speaking	…………………………………..
happening before and after a given time	…………………………………..
something which is temporary	…………………………………..
something new which contrasts with a previous state	…………………………………..
happens again and again	…………………………………..
has been arranged or planned	…………………………………..

Answer:

To use the Simple Present and the Present continuous tenses correctly.

The simple present tense is usually used to

• refer to regular actions, current situations, or facts in general.
• refer to more long-lasting or permanent situations.
• refer to actions which are going to happen very soon.
• refer to short actions happening at the time of speaking; generally, in reviews of films or books.
• ……………………………………………………………………………….
• ……………………………………………………………………………….

Read and Reflect

Question 1.
Travel is more than a mere exploration of the physical features of a landscape. It takes us beyond the features of the landscape into its customs, traditions and rituals. This travel experience tells us about a strange ritual on a Fijian island.

The Trip of Le Horla (Short Story) About the Author:

– Guy de Maupassant

Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) was a popular French writer. He is considered to be one of the masters of the modern short story. The Trip of Le Horla is about his ride in a hot air balloon.

The Trip Of Le Horla Summary

Page 78 :
I got a telegram on the morning of July 8th. It read: “Fine day. Always my predictions, Belgian frontier. Baggage and servants leave at noon at the social session. Beginning of maneuvers at three. So I will wait for you at the works from five o’clock on, Jovis.’

At five o’clock sharp, I entered the gas works of La Villette.

The balloon is lying in the courtyard and appears like a cake made of yellow cloth. It is lying flat on the ground under a rope.

Page 79 :
Two or three hundred people are looking at it. Some are sitting and some are standing. Some are examining the basket. It is a nice little square basket for a human cargo. On its side in golden letters was written ‘Le Horia’ on a mahogany plate.

Suddenly the people begin to stand back as gas is entering into the balloon through a long tube of yellow cloth. The cloth is on the oil. It swells and moves about like a big worm. But another thought occurs to every mind. It is thus nature itself nourishes being until their birth. The creature that will rise soon begins to move. The attendants of Captain Jovis spread and put in place the net which covers it as Le Horia grows larger. The net will help the pressure to be regular and equally distributed at very point.

The crowd has begun to talk. Some men who look to be specialists ask us to come down. Many things have been criticised in this new type of balloon. We are about to experiment with it with so much pleasure and success. The balloon is growing slowly but surely.

Captain Jovis and his assistants are busy with the last details. The travellers go to dine in the canteen on the gas-works according to the established custom.

When we come out the balloon is swaying. It is big and transparent. It looked like a big fruit, a wonderful pear which is still ripening, covered by the last rays of the setting sun. The basket is now attached and the barometers are brought. The siren is also brought. There were also two trumpets, the eatables, the overcoats and raincoats – that the men can take in the flying basket. Captain Jovis is ready and he calls all the passengers.

Page 80 :
Lieutenant Mallet jumps aboard, climbing first on the aerial net between the basket and the balloon. From it he will watch, during the night, the movements of Le Horia across the skies. M.Etierine Beer gets in after him. Then comes M. Paul Bessand. Then comes M. Patrice Eyries. I am the last. (Note: In French M before a name means Mr. M. is the abbreviation for Monsieur which means Mr.) But the basket is too heavy for the balloon and M. Eyries has to get out. He was very sorry to do that.

M. Joliet stood erect on the edge of the basket. He begs the ladies very courteously to stand aside a little. He thinks he might throw sand on their hats in rising. Then he commands: ‘Let is loose’. He cuts with one stroke of his knife the ropes that keep the balloon to the ground. Le Horla gets it liberty!

In one second we fly skyward. Nothing can be heard. We float, we rise, we fly, we glide! Our friends shout with joy. They applaud but we can hardly hear them or see

them. We are already so far, so high! We are surprised. Are we really leaving these people down there? Is it possible? Paris spreads out under us. It looks like a dark bluish patch, cut by its streets. From there rise here and there domes, towers, steeples (church towers). Then there is the plain, traversed by long roads amidst green fields and black forest. The sun which could not be seen from below now appears.

We can see whether we are rising or sinking only by throwing a cigarette paper out of the basket now and then. If the paper falls down like a stone, it means the balloon is rising. If it appears to shoot skyward, the balloon is descending.

Page 81 :
The two barometers mark about 500 metres. We look with admiration the earth we are leaving. We are not attached to it in any way. It looks like a coloured map. But all its noises rise to our ears very distinctly. We hear the sound of wheels rolling on the streets, the snap of a whip, the shouts of drivers, the rolling and whistling of trains and the laughter of the boys running after one another. When we pass over a village, the noise of children’s voices is heard above the rest with much clarity.

The view is superb. It is dark on the earth. But we are still in the light. It is now past ten o’clock. Now we begin to hear slight country noises, especially the double cry of the quail. We can hearthe mewing of cats and the barking of dogs. The dogs have caught the smell of the balloon. They have seen it and they are giving the warning. We can hear them barking all over the plain. The cows also wake up in their barns. We can hear them lowing. All the beasts are scared of the monster moving through the air.

The delicious odours of the soil rise towards us. The smell of hay, of flowers, of the wet, green earth is scenting the air.

At times we rise, and then descend. Every few minutes Lieutenant Mallet says to Captain Jovis: ‘We are descending; throw down half a handful.’ And the captain takes a handful of sand from a bag kept between his legs and throws it overboard.

Page 82 :
Nothing is more amusing, more delicate and more interesting than the manoeuvring of a balloon. It is a big toy, free and Qjcile, but obedient. It is the slave of the wind which we can’t control. Any small thing that we throw overboard will make the balloon go up quickly. It can be a pinch of sand, half a sheet of paper, one or two drops of water or the bones of a chicken we have eaten.

The earth is sleeping. The beasts are awakened by our approach and they announce it everywhere. We now ‘observe’a strong and continuous odor of gas. We must have met with a current of warm air. The balloon expands, losing its invisible blood by the escape-valve.

We are rising. The earth no longer gives back the echo of our trumpets. We have risen almost 2000 feet. There is no light to consult our instruments. We know we are always rising. We can no longer see the earth. A light mist separates us from it. Above our heads twinkle innumerable starts.

A silvery light appears before-us and makes the sky turn pale. Suddenly the moon rises on the edge of a cloud. It seems to be coming from below and we are looking down at it from a great height. Clear and round it comes out of the clouds and slowly rises in the sky.

The earth now does not seem to exist. It is buried in milky vapours that resemble a sea. We are now in space with the moon which looks like another balloon. Our balloon looks like a larger moon, wandering amid the stars. We no longer speak, think nor live; we float along through space in delicious inertia. We have become something indescribable. We are now like birds that don’t even have to flap their wings.

Page 83 :
All memory has disappeared from our minds, all troubles from our thoughts. We have no more regrets, plans or hopes. We wildly enjoy the fantastic journey. We are a wandering travelling world. The planets are our sisters. This world has five men and they have forgotten the earth. The barometers mark twelve hundred metres, then thirteen, fourteen, fifteen hundred. The little rice papers fall about us.

We are now at two thousand metres. Then we go to 2350 and the balloon stops. We blow the siren but no one answers us. Now we go down rapidly, M. Mallet goes on screaming: Throw out more sand!’ The sand and stones we throw come back into our faces as if they are going up, thrown from below. Our descent is rapid.

Here is the earth! Where are we? It is now past midnight and we are crossing a broad, dry well-cultivated country. To the right is a large city. Suddenly from the earth rises a bright fairy light. It disappears and reappears. But one has no time to see clearly as the balloon passes quickly in the wind.

We are now quite near the earth. Beer exclaims: “See, what is that running over there in the fields? Isn’t it a dog? Something was running along the ground with great speed but we could not understand what it was. The captain says it is the shadow of our balloon and it will grow as we descend.

I hear a great noise of foundries in the distance. According to the polar star, we are heading straight for Belgium.

Page 84:
Our siren and our two horns are continually calling. We ask, “Where are we?” But the balloon is going so rapidly that the startled man has not even time to answer us. The growing shadow of Le Horla is fleeing before us over the field, roads and woods. It goes along steadily, going before us by about a quarter of a mile. I am leaning out of the basket, listening the roaring of the wind in the trees and across the harvest fields. I say to Captain Jovis that the wind is fast.

Jovis says they may be waterfalls. I insist it is the wind. Then Jovis nudges me. He does not want to frighten his happy, quiet passengers because he knows that a storm is pursuing us. Suddenly the lights of a town appear. There is such a wonderful flow of light that I feel I am in a fairyland. The clouds are gathering behind us, hiding the moon. But towards the east the sky is becoming clear blue, tinged with red. It is dawn. It grows rapidly and shows us all the little details of the earth – the trains, the brooks, the cows, the goats. All these pass beneath us with surprising speed. Cocks are crowing, but the voice of ducks drowns everything.

The early rising peasants are waving their arms telling us to drop. But we go along steadily watching the world fleeing under our feet. Ahead of us lies a bright highway. It looks like a big river full of islands.

Page 85 :
The captain asks us to get ready for the descent. He makes M. Mallet leave his net and return to the basket. We then pack the barometers and everything that could be damaged by possible shock. M. Bessand asks us to look at the masts to the left. He says we are at the sea. Fogs have hidden it from us until then. The sea is everywhere.

It is necessary to descend within a minute or two. The rope to the escape-valve was religiously enclosed in a little white bag. It was kept in sight of all so that no one would touch it. It is now unrolled and M. Mallet holds it in his hand. Captain Jovis looks for a favourable landing. Behind us the thunder is rumbling and not a single bird follows our mad flight.

We are passing over a canal. The basket trembles and tips over slightly. The guy-rope (the rope that keeps something fixed to the ground) touches the tall trees on both banks. We pass with frightful speed over a large farm. The bewildered chickens, pigeons and ducks fly away. The terrified cows, cats and dogs run towards the house. Only one-half bag of sand (stones) is left. Jovis throws it overboard. Le Horla flies lightly across the roof. The captain shouts The escape valve!’

M. Mallet reaches for the rope and hangs to it and we drop like an arrow. With the slash of a knife the cord which retains the anchqjais cut, and we drag this behind us through a field of beets. Here are the trees. He shouts: “Take care! Hold fast! Look out for your heads!” We pass over the trees. Then a strong shock shakes us. The anchor has taken hold. We are told that we are going to touch the ground. The basket touches the earth. Then it flies up again. Once more, it falls and bounds upward again and at last, it settles on the ground, while the balloon struggles madly like a wounded beast.

Page 86 : Peasants run toward us. They don’t dare to come near. One can’t set foot on the ground until the bag is nearly completely deflated. Some surprised men jump with the wild gestures of savages. All the cows that are grazing along the coast come towards us. They surround our balloon with a strange comical circle of horns, big eyes, and blowing nostrils.

With the help of the Belgian peasants, we pack up all our materials and carry them to t(ie station at Heyst. At 8.20, we take the train to Paris. The descent occurred at 3.15 in the morning.

Thanks to Captain Jovis, we were able to see in a single night, from far up in the sky, the setting of the sun, he rising of the moon and dawn of day, and to go from Paris to the mouth of the Scheldt (a river that flows through Belgium and empties into the North Sea).

The Trip Of Le Horla Glossary

Kerala State Board New Syllabus Plus One English Textbook Answers Unit 3 Chapter 1 Sunrise on the Hills Text Book Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes.

Kerala Plus One English Textbook Sunrise on the Hills Questions and Answers Unit 3 Chapter 1 (Poem)

Sunrise on the Hills (Poem) Textual Activities Questions and Answers

Activity -1 (Read and Respond)

Question 1.
Look at the expressions ‘heaven’s wide arch and ‘returning march’. What does the poet describe here? What else does it remind you of?
Answer:
The poet describes here the sky and the return of the sun in the morning. It reminds me of a king returning after a long absence or even my own returning to life in the morning after the night’s sleep.

Question 2.
Comment on the expression of ‘soft gales’.
Answer:
This is the poetic way of describing the early morning breeze.

Question 2.
What makes the glory of the clouds fade?
Answer:
The rising sun makes the glory of the clouds fade. The mist melts away and the glory fades.

Question 3.
What are the clouds compared to?
Answer:
They are compared to the army defeated in battle, ready to flee from the conqueror.

Question 4.
What picture of the valley is unveiled?
Answer:
The valley is rich. The water that flows in the river gets darkened at times by the shade of the forest, but in the cascade it glistens. The bittern is flying upward spirally making noise as the dawn is softly and smoothly turning into morning.

Question 5.
How does the valley respond to the rising sun?
Answer:
The valley responds to the rising sun in a lively manner. The water in the river is dashing down and currents whirl and flash. The trees of the forest are bending as if to touch the water and the silver sands of the beach of the lake. The valley is filled with the echoing noise of the wild horn, the screeching owl. Thin smoke is rising from the huts of the valley-dwellers through the thick-leaved branches as they are preparing their morning meals.

Question 6.
What message does the poet convey?
Answer:
The poet says that if you are tired and are troubled with problems and sorrows that you want to forget, if you want read a book that will prevent your heart from losing hope and wake your soul up with optimism, you should go to the forest and hills. The sweet look that Nature has is not dimmed by tears of any kind.

Question 7.
Are all the three stanzas of equal length? Why do you think the last stanza is short when compared to the previous stanzas?
Answer:
No, the three stanzas are not of equal length. The first stanza has 18 lines, the second 12 and the third only 6-. The last stanza is short when compared to the previous stanzas because in it the poet is giving us a piece of advice. In the other two stanzas he is describing the hills, the valley, the river, the lake and the beautiful sights and sounds there. Naturally they have to be longer. Descriptions take many lines, but a piece of advice does not have to be so long.

Activity – II (Read and reflect)

Question 8.
You may listen to the recital of the poem.
Now, discuss and answer the following questions:
Comment on the musical quality of the poem.
Answer:
The poem is highly musical. The rhyming couplets (arch¬march, gales-vales, light-height, etc.) give a highly’ melodious quality to the poem. The poem has fine rhythm as the stressed and unstressed syllables alternate regularly. There is alliteration that adds to The musical quality. Examples of alliteration are ‘blasted, bare’, ‘faint and far’, ‘sudden shot’, ‘from fainting’. There are also many instances of assonance which make the poem sound sweet: The poem gives a smoothing effect as it sounds so soft and sweet to the ear.

Question 9.
Identify the symbols used in the poem.
Answer:
There are many symbols in the poem. Examples are: ‘Heaven’s wide arch’, ‘returning march’, ‘soft gales kissing the sun-clad vales’, ‘hosts in battle overthrown’, ‘shattered lance’, ‘pine, blasted, bare and cleft’, ‘the veil of cloud’, ‘woods bending with silent reach’.

Question 10.
How does figurative language, like the simile, make the poem effective?
Answer:
Longfellow has used many figures of speech in his poem to make it effective. His figurative language includes simile, metaphor, personification and onomatopoeia, among others. He speaks of the clouds losing their glory “like hosts in battle overthrown”. This is a fine smile. There are excellent personifications in “the sun’s returning march” and “soft gales Went forth to kiss the sun-clad vales”. Metaphors can be seen in ‘Pinnacles thrusting up shattered lances’ and The dark pine blasted, bare and cleft’. There is a superb onomatopoeia in ‘the whirl and flash of currents’.

Activity – III (Appreciation)

Pick out the descriptions of sights, sounds and movements in the poem.

Question 11.
Does any image stand out as the most important? Why do you think so?
Answer:
The image of the current whirling and flashing stands out as the most important. I think so because it represents man’s desire to explore and reach further and further.

Question 12.
What is your overall assessment of the poem?
Answer:
I think the poem is superb as it depicts some of the most alluring sights, sounds and movements of nature. Here Longfellow can stand comparison to William Wordsworth, the high priest of Nature.

Question 13.
Based on the above discussions, prepare an appreciation of the poem.
Answer:
The poem ‘Sunrise on the Hills’ by the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is a lyric that extols the beauty of Nature and how Nature can soothe you when you are in trouble or difficulty. The poet stands upon the hills when the sky is glorious with the rays of the rising sun. The forests are brightened. Mild breezes are kissing the valleys brightened by the dawn. The clouds are under him and they are bathed in light. As the mist clears away in the rising sun, many peaks with their sharp spear-like projections appear. Soon he will see the rich valley. The river is flowing.

As the dawn breaks into the morning, birds fly away chirping noisily. The poet hears the distant waters rush. He sees the current whirl and shines in the light. The lake is blue with a beach of silver sand and near it the thick forest is bending as if to reach and kiss the lake. Over the valley, the gentle and melodious sound of the village bell is echoing on the hills. The thin smoke starts coming out from the wooded valley through the thick-leaved branches, from the huts of the people living in the valley.

The poet says that if you are tired and are troubled with problems and sorrows that you want to forget, if you want to read a book that will prevent your heart from losing hope and wake up your soul with optimism, you should go to the forest and hills. The sweet look that Nature has is not dimmed by tears of any kind.

The poet has used exquisite phrases to depict the sights, sounds, and movements of Nature. He has used many figures of speech to drive his points home. The message is clear. Go to nature to forget your sorrows and troubles. A glorious sunrise can life even the gloomiest person with hope and optimism.

The poem is full of visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic imagery. In this poem, Longfellow stands comparison to the greatest Nature Poet, William Wordsworth. Wordsworth is called the High Priest of Nature. The world today is full of problems and one reason for them is our contempt and disregard for nature. We destroy the beauty of nature. Now we have concrete jungles instead of jungles full of trees, wild animals, and birds. Longfellow wants us to return to Nature and enjoy its superb sights, melodious sounds, and exquisite movements.

Read and discuss :

Question 14.
The modes of travel differ. Some may result in more intense and interesting experience.
Answer:
Christ Foster is a 48-year teacher from Southern California. He has completed the first part of a solo motorcycle journey around the world, travelling 13,343 miles. He has gone across 3 continents, and eleven countries. By travelling on his motorcycle he wants to get close to everything – the weather, the smells, the sights, and the people. His main motivation is to get to know the various countries and the customs there.

Question 15.
What does the travel experience of this teacher tell us?
Answer:
It tells us that he is a very adventurous person. He wants to have a first-hand experience of everything – the weather, the smells, the sights, and the people of different countries. He wants to learn about the different customs people have in the countries he visits.

Question 16.
What do you think interests him more: where to travel dr how to travel?
Answer:
I think where to travel interests him more as one of his main motivations is to get first-hand knowledge of various countries and their customs.

Read and Reflect

How interesting does the earth look when viewed from a different angle from+1&r away, from out there? Let’s read ‘The Trip ofLe Horia’. It chronicles Maupassant’s ride in a hot air balloon called ‘Le Horia’.

Sunrise on the Hills (Poem) About the Author:

– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) was a popular American poet and translator. He was a Professor at Harvard University. During his lifetime, Longfellow was considered the best American poet. His work was translated and published in many other languages. The poem ‘Sunrise on the Hills’ presents the experience of the poet as he watches the sun rise among the hills.

Sunrise On The Hills Summary

Stanza 1 : I stood upon the hills when the sky was glorious with the rays of the rising sun. The forests were brightened. Mild breezes were kissing the valleys brightened by the dawn. The clouds were under me. They were bathed in light and they gathered midway round the height covered with trees. Their glory was fading and they looked like armies defeated in battle. As the mist cleared away in the rising sun, many peaks with their sharp spear-like projections could be seen.

On the cliff there was a dark pine moving in the wind. It was withered, without any leaves and was split here and there. Soon the veil of the clouds was lifted and below I could see the rich valley. The river was flowing and its water was sometimes darkened by the shade cast by the forest. But sometimes the water glistened in its downward flow. As the dawn broke into morning, a bittern (a bird belonging to the heron family) flew upward in a spiral way making a lot noise.

Stanza 2 : I heard the distant waters rush. I saw the current whirl and shine in the light. The lake was blue with a beach of sliver sand and near it the thick forest was bending as if to reach and touch the lake. Over the valley the gentle and melodious sound of the village bell was echoing on the hills. The sound of the screeching owl filled the forest. li?A/as as if the owl was replying to the merry, but faint shout sent out by the valley. Then thin smoke started coming out from the wooded valley through the thick leaved branches, probably from the huts of the people living in the valley.

Stanza 3 : If you are tired and are troubled with problems and sorrows that you want to forget, if you want to read a book that will prevent your heart from losing hope and wake up your soul with optimism, you should go to the forest and hills. The sweet look that Nature has is not dimmed by tears of any kind.

Sunrise On The Hills Glossary