DELHI PRIVATE SCHOOL DUBAI

ASSIGNMENT FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER 2018-19

THEME-FOOD

It is easy to make a delicious-looking hamburger at home. But would this hamburger

still look delicious after it sat on your kitchen table under very bright lights for six or
seven hours? If someone took a picture or made a video of this hamburger after the
seventh hour, would anyone want to eat it? More importantly, do you think you could
get millions of people to pay money for this hamburger?

These are the questions that fast food companies worry about when they produce
commercials or print ads for their products. Video and photo shoots often last many
hours. The lights that the photographers use can be extremely hot. These conditions
can cause the food to look quite unappealing to potential consumers. Because of this,
the menu items that you see in fast food commercials are probably not actually edible.

Let’s use the hamburger as an example. The first step towards building the perfect
commercial hamburger is the bun. The food stylist—a person employed by the
company to make sure the products look perfect—sorts through hundreds of buns
until he or she finds one with no wrinkles. Next, the stylist carefully rearranges the
sesame seeds on the bun using glue and tweezers for maximum visual appeal. The bun
is then sprayed with a waterproofing solution so that it will not get soggy from contact
with other ingredients, the lights, or the humidity in the room.

Next, the food stylist shapes a meat patty into a perfect circle. Only the outside of the
meat gets cooked—the inside is left raw so that the meat remains moist. The food
stylist then paints the outside of the meat patty with a mixture of oil, molasses, and
brown food colouring. Grill marks are either painted on or seared into the meat using
hot metal skewers.

Finally, the food stylist searches through dozens of tomatoes and heads of lettuce to
find the best-looking produce. One leaf of the crispest lettuce and one centre slice of
the reddest tomato are selected and then sprayed with glycerine to keep them looking
fresh.

So the next time you see a delectable hamburger in a fast food commercial, remember:
you’re actually looking at glue, paint, raw meat, and glycerine! Are you still hungry?

Questions

1. The author’s primary purpose is to

a. convince readers not to eat at fast food restaurants
b. explain how fast food companies make their food look delicious in
commercials
c. teach readers how to make delicious-looking food at home
d. criticize fast food companies for lying about their products in commercials
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2. According to the passage, fast food companies use things like glue and
glycerine on hamburgers that appear in advertisements because
I. no one actually has to eat the food used in the commercial
II. it is important that people who see these advertisements would pay for the
food being advertised
III. filming a commercial or a print ad can take a very long time

a. l only
b. I and II only
c. II and III only
d. I, II, and III

3. As used in paragraph 2, something is edible if it

a. can safely be eaten
b. looks very delicious
c. seems much smaller in real life
d. tastes good

4. According to the passage, a food stylist working on a hamburger commercial

might use glue to

a. make sure the meat patty stays attached to the bun

b. keep the sesame seeds on the bun in perfect order
c. arrange the lettuce on the tomato
d. hold the entire hamburger together

5. Based on information in the passage, it is most important for the lettuce and
tomato used in a fast food hamburger commercial to

a. have a great taste

b. be the perfect shape and size
c. appear natural
d. look fresh

6.Imagine that the author decides to change this passage so that it talks about a
cheeseburger instead of a hamburger. Assume that the cheese goes directly on
top of the hamburger patty. If the author wants to include a paragraph about
how the food stylist designs the cheese and places it on the meat patty, this new
paragraph would best fit into the passage

a. between paragraph 2 and paragraph 3

b. between paragraph 3 and paragraph 4
c. between paragraph 4 and paragraph 5
d. between paragraph 5 and paragraph 6

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 7. As used in the final paragraph, which is the best synonym for delectable?

a. disgusting
b. familiar
c. fake
d. delicious

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 SIMILES AND METAPHORS
Both similes and metaphors are forms of comparison that compare words in a
sentence. They can be used to make your sentences more interesting. How are they
different from each other?

A simile is a phrase that uses the words like or as to describe someone or something
by comparing it with someone or something else that is similar.

1. Don ate his salad like a vacuum cleaner.

2. His arms were weak and felt like noodles.
3. The thunder was as loud as fireworks.

Like a simile, a metaphor compares words in a sentence; however, instead of saying

that one thing is like something else, a metaphor actually makes one thing become
something very different by renaming it.

He was a walking encyclopedia.

1. You are my hero.

2. The sun was a furnace.
3. Rooney is a goal machine.
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Ex1. Below are sentences that contain similes and metaphors. Underline the two
words in each sentence that are being compared and write whether it denotes a
simile or a metaphor.

1. The cat’s fur was a blanket of warmth.

2. The lamp was a beacon of sunshine.

3. The fireworks were a lantern in the sky.

4. Mary was as sweet as pie.

5. George is lightning as he runs the race.

6. Gwen sings like an expert.

7. Mark’s voice is velvet.

8. Cindy is a fish when she swims.

9. Tom is like a computer when he does his math.

10. The twins are as alike as two peas in a pod.

Ex2. Do as directed-

a. Mom said my bedroom is a pig pen. What does she mean?

__________________________________________________________________
b. My friend Joey is a clown. Explain.
__________________________________________________________________
c. Everyone calls me an angel. What do they probably mean?
__________________________________________________________________
d. Write a metaphor about your pet dog.
__________________________________________________________________
e. Write a metaphor about your sister.
_________________________________________________________________
Ex3. Complete these similes. Use your creativity. Try to write four or more words
on each line.

As happy as
__________________________________________________________________
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As white as
__________________________________________________________________

As smart as
__________________________________________________________________

As slow as

__________________________________________________________________

As beautiful as

__________________________________________________________________

Write a simile about a community helper. See the given example.

1. My bus driver is as gentle as a dove.

2. The nurse is ______________________________________________________

3. My dentist is _____________________________________________________

4. The plumber is ____________________________________________________

5. The policeman is __________________________________________________

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 PREFIX AND SUFFIX

Prefix -A prefix is a group of letters placed before the root of a word. For
example, the word "unhappy" consists of the prefix "un-" [which means "not"]
combined with the root (stem) word "happy"; the word "unhappy" means "not
happy."

A Short List of Prefixes:

PREFIX MEANING EXAMPLES

de- from, down, away reverse, opposite decode, decrease

dis- not, opposite, reverse, away disagree, disappear
ex- out of, away from, lacking, former exhale, explosion
il- Not illegal, illogical
im- not, without impossible, improper
in- not, without inaction, invisible
mis- bad, wrong mislead, misplace
non- Not nonfiction, nonsense
pre- Before prefix, prehistory
pro- for, forward, before proactive, profess, program
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 re- again, back react, reappear
un- against, not, opposite undo, unequal, unusual
uni One unicycle, uniform
bi- Two biannual, bicycle, bisect
tri- Three tripod, triangle
semi Half semicircle, semiannual
multi many, several multinational, multicultural
trans- Across transfer, transform
inter between, among interschool, interclass, interact

Below are rules regarding the addition of prefixes and suffixes to words.

Prefixes

Prefixes are those additions that usually do not change the spelling of the word. The
prefix is attached to the word despite any consonant duplications, accents, or
syllabication. Examples are:

- Unavailable - the prefix is the "un" and it is easy to see that the remainder of the
word, available, does not change.

- Misspell - Ironically, this word is the most misspelled word. A great way to
remember how to spell misspell is that "mis" is the prefix and "spell" is the main
word. The spelling of the main word does not change at all, but it is amazing how
often this word is not spelled correctly.

Suffixes

When adding a suffix, the main part of the word usually changes the spelling of the
word, but sometimes there are exceptions. Take the word treatment, for instance.
"ment" is the suffix of the word and "treat" is the original word. Simply add the
"ment" to "treat" and you have treatment without any spelling modifications.

For those words that have a short vowel sound and end with a single consonant, the
consonant is doubled when adding on a suffix that starts with a vowel. These suffixes
can be ed, ing, or er. Some examples:

- Biggest- big is the main word that has a short vowel sound and ends in a single
consonant. As a result, we add another "g" and then the "est" since it starts with a
vowel.

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There are exceptions, though. There are some words that end in r, x, w or y and don't
require doubling. Such a word is blowing. The suffix is "ing," but because the single
consonant is a 'w', there is no need for doubling.

If there are two consonants at the end of your main word, or two vowels, the
consonant doesn't need to be doubled. An example is the word keeper. The vowels are
e+e, so the "er" can be added on without doubling the consonant. Another thing to
keep in mind is that when a suffix is added that begins with a vowel and the main
words ends with a silent "e", that silent "e" should be dropped like it is in the words
pricing and surprising. However, if the suffix used begins with a consonant, the silent
"e" should be kept such as in the words likeness and advancement.

It is also necessary to drop the final "Y" in the main word when adding a suffix if the
"Y" has a consonant before it. The word worry becomes worried and supply becomes
supplies. But this rule does not apply to words ending in why in which the "ing" suffix
is added. Examples are: Crying and obeyed.

It is important to know the rules regarding prefixes and suffixes when learning
English. It is easy to see that there is more involved with adding a suffix than a prefix,
but with practice suffixes can be added on without even thinking about them. These
rules are vital for effective communication, so knowing the rules is very important.

Ex 1: Write a single word with a prefix that matches each definition.

Example: to pay back – repay

1. not polite - _____________________

2. charge again - __________________
3. not safe - ______________________
4. spell wrong - ___________________
5. behave badly - __________________
6. tie again - ______________________
7. not certain- _____________________
8. not logical- _____________________
9. not legal- ______________________
not normal- _____________________

Ex 2: Highlight the prefix in each word. Then use the word to make a meaningful
sentence.
Example: refill – You can refill your water bottle from this dispenser.

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1. unusual -
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

2. misunderstand -
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

3. reheat -
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

4. semifinal -
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

5. unimportant-
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

6. misguide-
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

7. underestimate-
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

8. recycle-
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
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9. unsuitable-
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

. misjudge-
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

Suffix -A suffix is a group of letters placed after the root of a word. For example,
the word flavorless consists of the root word "flavor" combined with the suffix "-
less" [which means "without"]; the word "flavorless" means "having no flavor."

A Short List of Suffixes: ness, ly, ous, ful, less, tion, sion

SUFFIX MEANING EXAMPLES

-able able to, having the quality of comfortable, portable
-al relating to annual, comical
-er Comparative bigger, stronger
-est Superlative strongest, tiniest
-ful full of beautiful, grateful
-ible forming an adjective reversible, terrible
-ily forming an adverb eerily, happily, lazily
-ing denoting an action, a material, or a gerund acting, showing
-less without, not affected by friendless, tireless
-ly forming an adjective clearly, hourly
-ness denoting a state or condition kindness, wilderness
-y full of, denoting a condition, or a diminutive glory, messy, victory,
-ous having the quality of superstitious, furious
-ful full of harmful, wonderful
-tion act of, state of, result of formation, duration
-sion result of expansion, invasion
A poem on suffixes-
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Listen up, I don't know if you heard,

But if you have a need for the meaning of a word,

Just take a look and check at the end;

If a suffix is there then that'll be your friend.

Like -able or -ible, it's able to be done,

If it's visible it’s able to be seen like the sun.

I'm capable of having fun but now I’ve to run to

'-A-L', -al is another one.

That means it relates to the root word,

Like natural is all about nature; observe

How the suffix, -en means made of whatever,

Wooden is made out of wood, now that’s clever.

I dig golden nuggets like a miner, ‘cause

-er or -or means one who does.

A baker, no doubt, that’s the one who bakes,

What about the suffix -ful? Let’s get it straight.

Of course it means full of, I hope that's helpful,

I mean full of help with this lesson,

What about -ous — ‘O-U-S’?

That also means full of; there’s no need to guess.

Like someone who's gracious is full of grace,

If you’re feeling nervous, you might want to meditate.

If it ends with -y that means it tends to be,

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You tend to feel good when you’re cheery, so cheer for me.

Suffixes, these are the suffixes —

At the end of a word, they tell you what it is.

If you need the meaning of a word, you can trust:

If you look at the end, you can tell by the suffix.

Ex1. Write the correct suffix in the gap.

1. Jake slowly walk_____ (ed, ing) down the street, hope_____ (ed, ful) of finding the

keys that he had lost so care_____ ly (ful, less).

2. Although Jill was the fast_____ (est, er) runner in the class, she was far young____

(er, est) than the others.

3. Kim’s room is the untidi_____ (est, er) I have ever seen but she is always very

care_____ (less, ful) with her appearance.

4. Mom always recycl_____ (ed, ing) the wrappings after she pack_____(ing, ed)
away the groceri_____ (s, es).

5. The shop_____ (s, es) in this street were the old_____ (er, est) in town. They all

need_____ (ing, ed) care_____ (less, ful) cleaning and painting.

Ex2. Write a single word ending with -ful or -less to complete each sentence.

1. Martha thought she was _____________ at math. (without hope)

2. Don’t be afraid of the dog, it’s ____________ . (without harm)

3. Jane said the lawnmower was a ____________ piece of junk. (without any worth)

4. Pranav was ____________ that his project would do well at the Science fair. (full
of hope)

5. The ______________ rainbow seemed to be just over the next hill. (full of beauty)

6. The medicine was white and ______________ . (without any odour)

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7. Mom said it was ______________ to see Robert swimming so confidently. (full of
wonder)

8. Please be ____________ when you go into the forest and don’t pick any of the
mushrooms. (full of care)

Ex3. All of the words below contain a root word. Look at the example.

Wrongfully root word - wrong

Underline or highlight the root word in each example.

foolish, gardening, disapprove, disorder, documentary, unusual, rewrite, dishonest,

photography, interested, clearer, dearest, suspension, creating, suitable, sweeter.

Ex4. See how many words you can grow from each root, as in the example.

Act- acting, acted, react, reaction, actor, reactor, active, reactive.

1. heat:

2. bake:

3. cook:

4. serve:

5. taste:

6. create:

7. sweet:

8. salt:

9. freeze:

Ex5. Next to each root word are three suffixes. Only one suffix is right for the
root word. Choose the correct suffix and add it to the root word to make a new
word.

decide able/ est/ sion

hope er/ less/ ible

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act ful/ ly/ or

confuse ion/ tion/ cian

soft ing/ less/ ly

health est/ y/ ary

prime ary/ ery /ly

Complete the words with appropriate suffix.

A technical expert especially one exercising managerial authority – techno_______

CHANGING THE ENDING OF A STORY

Fiction Writing Exercises

Fiction writing exercises help improve your writing by challenging you, providing
you with fresh ideas, and forcing you to approach fiction writing from new angles.

This is a flexible writing exercise that could also be called Change the Tale, but
interestingly, we’re going to refer to it as “change the tale by changing the tail”.

The idea is to take an existing plot and change the ending to make it completely
different. This will help you understand the basics of story structure, particularly the
part where you bring the story to a close.
Ending Matters
Think of a story as a reference point, for example- “The Hare and the tortoise”, then
ask yourself the following questions-
a. Who are the main characters in the story?
b. What type of ending does the original story have?
c. What if the hare had not slept?
15
e. What happens if the setting or the events of a story change?
A few known stories / movies are discussed and students are asked to categorize the
ending. Cinderella, Sound of Music (happy ending), Hare and The Tortoise (twist
ending), Mr. Beans, Daffy Duck (comical ending), Shrek, Aesop’s Fable (moral
ending)
Ask yourself the following questions:
a. What if Cinderella had not lost her slipper in the ball?
b. What if the Hare had not slept?
c. What if the grapes had been within the reach of the fox?
d. What if Snow White had not been as beautiful as she was?
e. What happens to the original story when the ending changes?
Types of endings
1. Happy Ending: An ending where all the problems of the main character are
resolved. E.g. The Ugly Duckling
2. Twist /Dramatic/ Suspense Ending: An ending where something dramatic
happens. E.g. The Three Little Pigs
3. Moral Ending: An ending with a message. E.g. Hare and the Tortoise
4. Comical or Humorous Ending: An ending that makes the readers laugh. e.g.
Akbar and Birbal.

Now, take the tail end of a story, right after the climax, and change it to something
else. Choose a story from a book, magazine, newspaper, or film, and change the
ending!

16
 DELHI PRIVATE SCHOOL, DUBAI
ASSIGNMENT FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER 2018-19
THEME-SHELTER AND COMMUNITY

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow.
Cesar Estrada Chavez (1927-1993) was a Mexican- American labor leader who used
non-violent methods to fight for the rights of migrant farm workers in the southwestern
United States. Migrant workers often move from farm to farm or from town to town to
find work. It is usually difficult work and does not pay a high wage. Chavez was
17
influenced greatly by the peaceful philosophies of St. Francis of Assisi and Mohandas
Gandhi.
Chavez was born in Arizona. When he was ten-years- old, his parents lost the family
farm because of the Great Depression. They were forced to become migrant workers
themselves. Chavez worked part-time in the farm fields with his family in Arizona and
later in California, when his family lived there. After graduating from 8th grade, Chavez
worked full-time to help support his family.
He served in the U.S. Navy during WWII, married Helen Fabela in 1948. He and his
wife helped teach Mexican immigrants to read and helped them with voting registration.
Chavez was concerned over the health and working conditions of the migrant
population. He did not like the use of pesticides, the name of the chemicals used to kill
bugs on the crops. He knew that pesticides could make human beings sick. He organized
a group of people to help work for the rights of farm workers. They worked on many
goals like increasing the wages for the workers, improving their working conditions,
and improving the safety for the farm workers.
Chavez helped organize strikes, whereby the workers chose to stop working to protest
some important issues related to work. For example, the migrant workers went on strike
to protest the poor wages, poor working conditions, and lack of safety on their jobs.
They refused to work until something changed regarding their salary and these working
conditions. The public, that is consumers like you, sometimes chooses to support the
strike by not buying certain products or not buying from a certain store, etc. This is
called a boycott. Boycotts put pressure on the people who make decisions regarding
those who are protesting and striking.
Chavez went on many hunger strikes, too, which is another type of strike to prove a
point and draw attention to what his concerns were. In a hunger strike, you basically do
not eat until the demands are met. Chavez was able to use the hunger strikes to move
legislators to change the laws to improve the lives of farm workers. Because of Chavez’s
actions, he was jailed many times. Despite this, he continued his goal of helping to fight
for the migrant worker.
Chavez, with aid from Dolores Huerta and Gilbert Padilla, started a union called the
National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) to help fight for social justice. He
organized a national boycott of lettuce and grapes.
The name NFWA was changed to the United Farm Workers (UFW) in 1974. In 1978,
some of the demands for better wages and working conditions were met, so the boycott
for the lettuce and grapes was lifted.
Throughout his life, Chavez’s motto was “Si, se puede”. This meant, “Yes, it can be
done”. Chavez proved that it could be done. His work for fair treatment and better pay
for migrant workers helped make the lives of millions of people better.
After a lifetime of working to help these people, Chavez died in 1993. He received the
Presidential Medal of Freedom after his death. Chavez’s children and grandchildren
continue in his footsteps to help fight for the rights for migrant workers.

I. Multiple-Choice Questions Put a tick in front of the correct answers.

1. What are the 3 reasons that there were migrant farm worker “strikes”
mentioned in the text?
a. to protest poor wages
18
b. to protest working conditions
c. to protest safety conditions
d. to be able to go on vacation

2. What is the name of the union that Chavez started?

a. The Migrant Association
b. The National Farm Workers Association
c. Farmers All United
d. All for One

3. The union name changed to ______ in 1974.

a. Si, Se Puede
b. United Farm Workers
c. Workers All
d. Farming for All

II. Vocabulary - Write the meaning of each word as it is used in the text.
1. migrant- _______________________________
2. boycott- _______________________________
3. pesticides- _____________________________

III. Detailed question answers

1.What were some of Chavez’s non-violent methods used to fight for the rights of
farm workers? Were these successful? If so, how?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

2. What did Chavez and his wife Helen do to help Mexican immigrants regarding
literacy (i.e., the ability to read and write)?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

3. What were some of the concerns regarding farm work? How did Chavez’s
motto play a role in his action toward changing the working conditions for the
migrant farmer?
19
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

What is the big idea of the passage? Relate it to the theme of the month.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

INTERVIEWING A PERSONALITY

Interviewing high profile people is certainly a

challenge. These are the people who are famous
and have probably worked hard to achieve
20
success in life. It is very important that you frame your questions carefully and get out
the information that you really want to share with your viewers or readers.

A few important tips-

1. Don’t be nervous- Be confident and smile often.

2. Ask open-ended questions so that your guest has an opportunity to respond.
3. Don’t obsess about the next question you are going to ask. You need to listen so
that you can make your interview successful. If you stick to your questions, you can
miss the best stories, and the exclusive stories.
4. Remember that they’re human.
So often we are lead to believe that high profile aren’t actually people at all. If you
address real human emotions, you will be able to connect with your subject on a
deeper level.
5. Keep the conversation light- Add your wit and sense of humour to make the
interview interesting.
6. Do not get personal- Do not ask questions related to personal life, unless it is of
extreme importance.

These are a few questions that you might ask a celebrity at an interview-

1. Who influenced you?

2. What is your favorite childhood memory?
3. What is the one thing that you would like to redo in life?
4. Who is your role model?
5. How do you define "happiness"?
6. Whom would you like to attribute your success to?
7. What, in your opinion is the most essential quality for a human being to have?
8. What message would you like to give to the youngsters of today?

BIOGRAPHY

A biography is a written account of the series of events that make up a person's life. It
is simply the history of a lifetime. It narrates the most important facts of someone’s
21
 life, his or her childhood, adolescence, military service, wars he or she lived through,
educational background, professional life, marriage, children, and most outstanding
achievements. It also speaks about character, feelings, trips and dearly cherished
moments. A biography involves a whole life, building a bridge between generations,
bringing us close to our grandchildren, great grandchildren and future generations.
Many students are turned off to history because it is old, dry and boring. One way to
connect with students is to have them discover the real people behind history.
Biographies can do that. However, biographies don't have to be limited to history
classes. Read on to find out why.

Reasons for Using Biographies

Biographies can bring history to life. When we find out what motivated great
individuals from the past it helps us understand their actions. We keep them alive by
reading about them, learning from their mistakes and success stories.

Every student will write a biography at some point, but the level of detail and
sophistication will differ. A fourth grade biography will be much different from a
middle school-level biography or a high school or college-level biography.

However, each biography will include the basic details. The first information you
should gather in your research will include biographical details and facts. You must
use a trustworthy resource to ensure that your information is accurate.

Basic details include:

 Date and place of birth and death

 Family information
 Lifetime accomplishments
 Major events of life
 Effects/impact on society, historical significance
While this information is necessary, these dry facts, on their own, don't really make a
very good biography . Once you've found these basics, you'll want to dig a little
deeper.
You choose a certain person because you think he or she is interesting, so you
certainly don't want to make it boring. Your goal is to impress your reader!

You'll want to start off with a great first sentence.

It's a good idea to begin with a really interesting statement, a little known fact, or
really intriguing event.

You should avoid starting out with a standard but boring line like:

"Mahatma Gandhi was born in 1869"

22
 Instead, try starting with something like this:

In 1869, the Earth witnessed the birth of a legend, Mahatma Gandhi……

You'll have to make sure your beginning is motivating, but it should also be relevant.
The next sentence or two should lead in to the main message of your biography.
Now that you've created an impressive beginning, you'll want to continue the flow.
Find more intriguing details about the man and his work, and weave them into the
composition.
Fill the body of your biography with material that gives insight to your subject's
personality. For instance, in a biography about Mahatma Gandhi, you would write
about his principles of non-violence and tolerance.

Questions to consider in your biography:

 Was there something in your subject's childhood that shaped his/her personality?

 Was there a personality trait that drove him/her to succeed or impeded his progress?
 What adjectives would you use to describe him/her?
 What were some turning points in this life?
 What was his/her impact on history?
Be sure to link your paragraphs and make your composition paragraphs flow. It is
normal for good writers to re-arrange their sentences to create a better impact.
The final paragraph will summarize your main points and re-assert your main claim
about your subject. It should point out your main points, re-name the person you're
writing about, but it should not repeat specific examples.

Sample of a biography
Mubarakka truly testifies the saying “Attitude, not aptitude determines altitude”.
Mubarakka was born on September 26th in Mumbai. She has one sister and speaks
about her with great passion. I recall, once she said to me “I missed my sister so much
when she was away on a school trip that I would not get out of bed!” Her father is a
very famous doctor. Her mother is an English teacher and this could be one of the
reasons why she uses such impeccable vocabulary.
A typical Libran at heart, she admires beauty and is always very fair to everyone.
This is another reason why she is very popular in class. She is also very helpful and
goes out of her way to help others. On one occasion, she missed her school bus
because she was tending to an injured bird!
She lives her life by following her father’s wise words. To sum it all, Mubarakka has a
heart of gold and never misses an opportunity to help others!

23
 Writing a Biographical Sketch
Sample Student Questionnaire (Biography)

Name________________________ Date _______________________

Interviewer’s name (that’s you!)

___________________________________________________________________

Interviewee’s name (your friend!)

___________________________________________________________________

Please provide me with some information about your family.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

What is your favorite subject in school and why?

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

What hobbies do you enjoy? (swimming, sports, sewing, models, skateboarding, etc.)
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Tell me something interesting or funny about yourself/ funny incident of your life.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

24
What is your ambition in life?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

Now include two things you like and two things you dislike about the
person.(Interviewer’s views)
________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

25
 DELHI PRIVATE SCHOOL, DUBAI
ASSIGNMENT FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2018-19
THEME-TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION
A cloze test is an exercise, test, or assessment consisting of a portion of text with
certain words removed (cloze text), where the participant is asked to replace the
missing words. Cloze tests require the ability to understand context and vocabulary in
order to identify the correct words or type of words that belong in the deleted passages
of a text.

Giving Directions

Cloze Passage-

Put the words in the box into the blank spaces below:
across front miss take
your how moment to
corner left next transfer
down looking off way
exit lost on where
far

Directions by Street Name and Nearby

Landmarks:
A: You look like you are _________________.
Can I help you?
B: Yeah. I’m __________________ for the
Caprice Theater. Do you know ______________
it is?
A: It’s on the _________________ of Elm Street
and 22nd Avenue. It’s ______________ to the Art
Gallery. You can’t _________________ it.

Directions by Subway or Bus:

A: Excuse me. Can I trouble you for a _____________?
26
B: Sure. What’s wrong?
A: I’m lost. Do you know _________ to get ________ the Stadium?
B: The easiest _________ to get there is probably by subway. Just ___________ the
Central Line to Broadway Station. ______________ to the Green Line and get
__________ at Harbour Station. If you go out from ___________ number four it
should be right in ____________ of you.

Directions by Foot or Car:

A: Can I get to
the

Harlton Hotel from here _____________ foot?

B: Sure. It’s not that ______________. Just go ______________ 4th Avenue to Main
Street. Turn ______________ on Main. It should be on ______________ right. It’s
_______________ from the park.

HOMOPHONES, HOMONYMS AND HOMOGRAPHS

Explanation

Homonyms: Words that have the same spelling and same pronunciation, but
different meanings.

Example: I hope you are not lying _(a)_ to me. (a) telling a lie

My books are lying _(b)_ on the table. (b) being in a horizontal position

Homographs: Words that have the same spelling, but different pronunciations and
meanings.

Directions: Choose (a) or (b)

27
Example: The wind _(a)_ is blowing hard. (a) moving air

I have to wind _(b)_ my clock. (b) turn the stem (rhymes with find)

Homophones: Words that have the same pronunciation, but different spelling and
different meanings.

Example: Please try not to (waste, waist) paper.

Exercise1- The following words are homonyms (have two different meanings).
Write out their meanings and use them suitably in two different sentences,
bringing out their correct meaning-

play- 1st meaning- __________________________

__________________________________________________________________
2nd meaning- _______________________________
__________________________________________________________________
bit-1st meaning- ___________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2nd meaning- ______________________________
__________________________________________________________________

pen-1st meaning _______________________________

__________________________________________________________________
2nd meaning ___________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
hit- 1st meaning-____________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2ndmeaning-_____________________________
__________________________________________________________________
watch- 1st meaning_______________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2nd meaning-____________________________________

28
__________________________________________________________________
lying- 1st meaning________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2nd meaning ____________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Homographs: Words that have the same spelling, but different pronunciations and
meanings.
Ex2- Find out the meanings of the underlined homographs in the following pairs
of sentences and check out the two different pronunciations too-
1. The wind is blowing hard.
wind- _______________________________________________________
2. I have to wind my clock.
wind- _______________________________________________________
1. The singer made a low bow to the audience.
bow- ________________________________________________________
2. Maria placed a red bow on the birthday gift.
bow- ________________________________________________________
1. All the students are present today.
present- ______________________________________________________
2. The boss will present the award at 10:00.
present- ______________________________________________________
1. The rope was wound around his ankles.
wound- _______________________________________________________
2. The soldier received a wound in the battle.
wound- _______________________________________________________
1. I don’t know if I will live or die.
live- _________________________________________________________
2. Last night I saw the band play live in concert.
live- _________________________________________________________

Homophones: Words that have the same pronunciation, but different spelling and
different meanings.

29
Ex-3: Choose the correct word from the brackets-
Example: Please try not to (waste, waist) paper.
1. Can I go to the party ____________ (to, too, two)?
2. This is my favorite _____________ (pare, pair, pear) of jeans.
3. I _____________ (sent, scent, cent) a letter to my aunt in Vietnam.
4. The children got ____________ (bored, board) during the lecture.
5. Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez like to work in ____________ (there, they’re, their) garden.
6. Alec is going to______________ (wear, ware) his work boots today.
7. Do you think it is going to _______________ (rein, rain, reign) this afternoon?
8. I saw a restaurant just off the ________________ (rode, road) about a mile back.
9. David’s brother is in a ______________ (band, banned) which plays Russian music.
10. The teacher walked down the ____________ (aisle, isle) between the rows of desks.
12. Hadil has a __________________ (pane, pain) in her shoulder.
13. The school _________________ (principal, principle) spoke to a group of parents.
14. I need to take a ______________ (break, brake) from this exercise!
15. Humans have hands. Dogs have ____________________ (paws, pause).

Write two words which are both homonyms and homophones.

PHRASAL VERBS
Phrasal verbs are usually two-word phrases consisting of verb + adverb or verb +
preposition. Think of them as you would any other English vocabulary. Study them
as you come across them, rather than trying to memorize many at once. Use the list
below as a reference guide when you find an expression that you don't recognize. The
examples will help you understand the meanings. If you think of each phrasal verb as
a separate verb with a specific meaning, you will be able to remember it more easily.
Like many other verbs, phrasal verbs often have more than one meaning.

As well as learning their meanings, you need to learn how to use phrasal verbs.

30
The following is a list of most commonly used phrasal verbs. Please see the meanings
and make an effort to use them in your daily conversations.

No. Verb Meaning Example

1. back someone up support My wife backed me up over my

decision to quit my job.

2. break in force entry to a Somebody broke in last night and

building stole our stereo.

3. call something off cancel Jason called the wedding off

because he.

4. calm down relax after You are still mad. You need to
being angry calm down before you drive the
car.

5. come across something find I came across these old photos

unexpectedly when I was tidying the closet.

6. wear off fade away Most of my make-up wore off

before I got to the party.

7. do away with discard It's time to do away with all of

something these old tax records.

8. drop in/by/over come without I might drop in/by/over for tea

an appointment sometime this week.

9. drop out quit a class, I dropped out of Science because

school etc. it was too difficult.

10. figure something out understand, I need to figure out how to fit the
find the answer piano and the bookshelf in this
room.

11. get along/on like each other I was surprised how well my new
girlfriend and my sister got
along/on.

12. get over something overcome a The company will have to close if
problem it can't get over the new
regulations.

13. give something up quit a habit I am giving up smoking as of

January 1st.
31
14. go over something review Please go over your answers
before you submit your test.

15. hand something in submit I have to hand in my essay by

Friday.

16. let someone down fail to support I need you to be on time. Don't
or help, let me down this time.
disappoint

17. look forward to be excited I'm looking forward to the

something about the Christmas break.
future

18. look up to someone have a lot of My little sister has always looked
respect for up to me.

19. pass away die His uncle passed away last night
after a long illness.

20. put up with tolerate I don't think I can put up with

someone/something three small children in the car.

21. run into meet I ran into an old school-friend at

someone/something unexpectedly the mall.

22. run over drive a vehicle I accidentally ran over your

someone/something over a person bicycle in the driveway.
or thing

23. run out have none left We ran out of shampoo so I had
to wash my hair with soap.

24. take after someone resemble a I take after my mother. We are

family member both impatient.

25. turn up appear Our cat turned up after we put

suddenly posters up all over the
neighbourhood.
Exercise 1-Pick five phrasal verbs from the ones given above and use them in
your own sentences-
1. ________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

32
 2. ________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

3. ________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

4. ________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

5. ________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

Exercise 2-Fill in the blanks using the most suitable phrasal verbs from the list
given below.
to come across, to look forward to, to put up with, to get over, to drop out, to wear out,
to pass away, to get along, to drop in, to calm down
1. How are you __________________ with your new neighbours? Are they okay?
2. Their grandfather ______________________, so we are going to offer our
condolences.
3. She __________________________ all his tantrums.
4. Please __________________________, it’s all over!
5. Diana was _______________________ to the New Year’s party.
6. Sana _______________________ a cute puppy when she was out for her walk.
7. He ____________________________ his phobia of great heights.
8. The tyres of the car ________________________ in two years.
9. We will ________________________ tomorrow to see you.
10. Nehad ________________________ of his music class as he found it boring.
Write the meaning of this phrasal verb. Now use it in a sentence.
To take after
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

Diary Entry

33
 A diary entry is a record which has minute details on what has happened over
the course of a day or any other time. A personal diary entry includes a person’s
personal experience, thoughts or feelings.
Points to be kept in mind while writing a diary entry-
1) Writing in a chronological order. Start with events that happened early in the day,
and end with events that took place last thing in the evening.

2)Writing the entries in the first person. Use ‘I’, ‘we’, ‘us’, ‘we’re’, ‘they’, etc

3)Making your entries detailed, but avoid over describing what is not needed.

4)Talking about events that involved you, or your familiar, or close friends. Avoid
talking about strangers, and events you were not involved in.

5)If you are feeling sad, explain what is making you feel sad. If you are happy, write
down why. Include your emotions in your diary. Do not be afraid to write about your
thoughts and feelings.
Example of a diary entry of a child who had just visited Disneyland
March 10th 2013
Dear Diary,
Today seemed to be the best day of my life! I always wanted to visit Disneyland and
finally today my wish came true! It is a wonderful place! As I walked through the
place all the story book characters came alive. They all were in front of my eyes and I
couldn’t believe it. I pinched myself to assure that I wasn’t dreaming! I met those
lovely princesses, Toy story characters and my most adorable one Mickey Mouse! We
went to a couple of rides, which were awesome! I was feeling terrible to leave them
back and come out, and started sobbing like a baby.Dad promised me to take me back
there tomorrow too! What an experience I had when he came and shook my hands. I
can’t wait till tomorrow. The night should come to an end soon and I want to get back
to Disneyland.
Until then,
Susan

DELHI PRIVATE SCHOOL, DUBAI

ASSIGNMENT FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY 2018-19
34
 THEME-AIR AND WATER

Water on Earth can be found in three different forms, or states. These states are solid,
liquid and gas. When it is frozen, it is solid ice. When it is liquid, it is liquid water.
When it is a gas, it is water vapor. The water cycle is the set of processes that water
goes through as it changes from one state to another.

When the heat of the sun shines on the water in oceans, lakes, rivers and streams, the
water evaporates, rising up into the air as water vapor. As it moves higher into the sky,
it cools. The cooled water vapor begins to form liquid drops, which gather together as
clouds. This process is called condensation. Little by little, more microscopic drops of
water join together in the cloud. Finally, the cloud becomes so heavy that the drops
start to fall. Any form of water that falls from the sky is called precipitation.

Precipitation will take on different forms. The form depends on the conditions that
exist inside the clouds and the condition of the air the water travels through on its way
to the ground. Drops of liquid water fall as rain, the most common form of
precipitation.

If the drops of water fall through air that is warmer than water’s freezing point, they
will remain as rain. Sometimes cold temperatures inside clouds produce ice crystals
that melt in warmer air on their way down, ending up as rain as well.

If raindrops fall through air that is below the freezing point of water, they form tiny
frozen drops known as sleet. If the air inside the cloud and the air on the way down
are both below the freezing point, ice crystals will form and fall as snowflakes. There
is a lot of variation in snow, depending on how cold it is when it falls. Warmer
temperatures mean “wetter” snow, while colder temperatures mean drier, fluffier
snow.

Perhaps the most interesting form of precipitation is hail. Hail forms when windy
conditions combine with freezing temperatures. Drops of frozen rain begin to fall, and
are then repeatedly caught up by the wind and pushed back up through the clouds
where they gather more and more layers of ice. When they become too heavy for the
wind to lift, they fall to the ground as hail.
No matter what form the precipitation takes, much of it will become runoff and find
its way back to the sea. Most of the rest will join surface water in lakes and streams or
soak into the ground and become groundwater. Some will spend some time atop tall
mountains as ice and snow.
All water awaits its turn to participate once again in each state of the water cycle.
Water continually changes from one state to another. The water cycle never ends.
Answer the following questions based on the reading passage. Don’t forget to go
back to the passage whenever necessary to find or confirm your answers.

1) How does the water cycle ensure that we have water?

35
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
2) What are the three stages of the water cycle?
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
3) Describe the conditions that are necessary for snow to fall.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
4) How does precipitation return to the water cycle?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

5) What is your favourite form of precipitation? Why?

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

36
FORMING ANTONYMS USING PREFIXES

An antonym is
a word which
means the opposite of
another word. For
example, the
following are
antonyms:
big ↔ small
fat ↔ thin
male ↔ female

Some words will have

more than one antonym depending on the context. For example
big ↔ small, tiny, miniature

What is the antonym of antonym? That is synonym- a word which has the
same meaning as another word.

Forming Antonyms
In many cases there's no obvious relationship between a word and its
antonym. For example these two words are completely different from each
other-
hot ↔ cold
However, English also sometimes forms antonyms by using prefixes such as:
de-dis-il-im-in ex-ir non-re-un-

Examples of opposite pairs formed like this include:

arm ↔ disarm
code ↔ decode
complete ↔ incomplete
internal ↔ external
legal ↔ illegal
possible ↔ impossible
regular ↔ irregular
sense ↔ nonsense Worksheet Two: Antonym Prefixes
This worksheet accompanies slides 8–10 of Prefixes.ppt

Ex1. Find out the meaning of the following words?

37
 1. inaccurate- ____________________________________
2. impolite- ______________________________________
3. illegal- ________________________________________
4. unhelpful- _____________________________________
5. irregular-______________________________________
6. immoral-______________________________________
7. disqualify-

______________________________________
8. misinform- _____________________________________
9. deseed- ________________________________________
10.unintentional- _________________________________
Ex2. Add prefixes to these words to form their antonyms-
1. _____legible
2. _____polite
3. ____satisfactory
4. _____qualify
5. _____understand
6. ____code
7. ____perfect
8. _____behave
9. _____employed

_____ active

38
CONNECTORS

A connector is a word that is used to join words or sentences.

And, as well as, but, or, yet, nevertheless, however, so that, as long as, while, until, as
if, because, when, after, though, before- are called connectors/conjunctions

 A boy and a girl

 An elephant and a giraffe
 A toy or a book
 The music was loud nevertheless it was enjoyable.

Types of connectors-

Coordinating conjunctions
Coordinating conjunctions join together clauses of equal importance.
Some examples of coordinating conjunctions are - and, but, or,

Use of 'and'-
'And' is used as a conjunction when the words or phrases are of equal importance and
both conditions exist. Other words that can be used in place of and are: moreover, in
addition to, along with, plus, as well as, further more

 Tom and Harry play hockey.

 A lion and a fox live in this cave.
 We need some gloves and a ball in addition to bats.
 The soldiers rose moreover they cheered the leader.
 We found the thief along with the bags.
 The gurgling stream along with the howling wind added to the charm of the
place.

Use of 'but'

The conjunction 'but' is used to show a contradiction between two phrases. Let's say
the first phrase leads you to expect a certain event and the second phrase tells you
quite a contradictory outcome. In such an event, but, is used.

Other words like: nevertheless, yet, however, can be used in place of 'but'

 He ran, but he missed the bus.

 She studied hard but could not score well in the test.
 The hill was very steep but the old man could climb it easily.
 Sharon fell from the horse nevertheless she did not cry.
 The lion was hungry yet it did not attack Andre.
 He is from England however he speaks Chinese very well.

39
Use of 'Or'
When we need to express a choice between two words or phrases we use 'or'. Here
only one of the two conditions exists.
Example:
Would you take a cup of tea or coffee?
Shall we buy a book or a toy?

Sit on the bench or on the grass.

Are you tired or shall we go out for a walk?

We can learn to talk English or we can depend on sign language.

Correlative conjunctions:
Conjunctions used in pairs are correlative conjunctions

Either..... or Either Peter or John has taken the book.

Neither.....nor It is neither hot nor tasty.
Both.....and My sister is both smart and intelligent.
Whether..... or Tell me whether you know the route or not.
Not only..... but also Not only is she stupid but also stubborn.

Compound conjunctions
Compound conjunctions are groups of words that behave like conjunctions.
In order that, on condition that, provided that, as soon as
Conjunction Usage
In order that I bought all the books in order that you may study
On condition The teacher excused him on condition that he would not repeat the
that mistake.
Even if Sarah would not marry him even if he proposed to her.
So that I kept away my work so that I could spend time with my daughters
Provided that You can take leave provided that you work overtime later
As though Rex behaves as though he is the boss.
As well as Monica as well as veronica was present there
As soon as Mr. Ford plans to pay off his loan as soon as he gets his bonus.
As if It looks as if there is going to be a storm.

Subordinating conjunction
A subordinating conjunction joins a clause to another on which it depends for its full
meaning. The chief subordinating conjunctions are after, because, if, that, though,
although, till, before, unless.

 I will not go to the market if it rains.

 You could go and play after you have done the dishes.
40
  King Midas was unhappy because his daughter turned to gold.
 You must dig the earth till you find water.

Exercise-1 Fill in the blanks with suitable connectors-

1. Lydia likes to sing _______ dance.

2. We can paint our house red or white, ______ we must select a good painter.

3. Harry is intelligent __________ he is lazy.

4. I left the party ___________ I was bored.

5. He is cheerful ____________ he has worked the whole day.

6. I allowed him in as I thought he was a friend _____ he tried to rob me.

7. You will do well ___ you study hard.

8. My daughters either watch TV _____ sleep on Sundays.

9. Susan is fat ________ very active.

10. I met by friend in the park _______ invited her to tea.

Ex-2 Choose the best option from the brackets and fill in the blanks-

1. A student must obey _____ he may leave. (either/or)

2. Jane ______ Peter have been chosen to receive the guest. (or/and)

3. After the trip Sam came to work ________ he was very tired. (still/but)
4. Bring some sandwiches ______ you will be hungry. (or/and)
5. They jumped over the stream _______ ran home. (yet/and)

6. The dog ran after the rabbit _______ could not catch him. (and/but)

7. My aunt is ill ____ I will visit her tomorrow.(because/so)

8. The show started _____________ the chief guest arrived. (as soon as/so)

9. You will enjoy the concert ________ you love music. (yet/since)

10. The bridge fell _________ it was made of stones. (though/and)

11. You will pass _____ you work hard. (if/and)
12. He will not try __________ he is forced to. (so/unless)

41
 Letter Writing – Informal
Informal letter writing –

Friendly Letter Format

In the friendly letter format, your address, date, the closing, signature, and printed
name are all indented to the right half of the page (how far you indent in is up to you
as long as the heading and closing is lined up, use your own discretion and make sure
it looks presentable). Also the first line of each paragraph is indented.

Your Address
All that is needed is your street address on the first line and the city, state and zip on
the second line. (Not needed if the letter is printed on paper with a letterhead already
on it.)

Date
Put the date on which the letter was written in the format Month Day Year i.e. August
30, 2003. Skip a line between the date and the salutation.

Salutation
Usually starts out with Dear so and so, or Hi so and so. Note: There is a comma after
the end of the salutation

Body
The body is where you write the content of the letter; the paragraphs should be single
spaced with a skipped line between each paragraph. Skip 2 lines between the end of
the body and the closing.

Closing
Let's the reader know that you are finished with your letter; usually ends with
Sincerely, Sincerely yours, Thank you, and so on. Note that there is a comma after the
end of the closing and only the first word in the closing is capitalized.

Signature
Your signature will go in this section, usually signed in black or blue ink with a pen.
Skip a line after your signature and the P.S.

42
TASK _1

Write a letter to your friend to tell him /her about the annual day

________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________

DELHI PRIVATE SCHOOL DUBAI

ASSIGNMENT FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY 2018-19

43
 THEME-SEASONS AND FESTIVALS

Winter Cloze
Fill in the blanks with words from the box:
snowmen frost blizzards Build
season breaking fireplace slip
icicles snow angels blackouts gloves
hot chocolate heavy enjoy snowball
slide below freezes drop
snowfall forms keep covers
scarves catch boots hockey

Winter Weather:
Winter is the _________________ when temperatures ________________, snow
_____________ the ground, ________________ covers windows and
________________ hang from roofs. When the temperature is _______________
zero, water ___________________ and ice ________________ on puddles, ponds
and lakes. Children have great fun _________________ the ice in puddles on their
way to school.
Winter Fun:
After a heavy __________________, children play in the snow. They _____________
snow forts, make _______________ and ______________, and have
_________________ fights. People also ________________ skiing, skating, and
sledding in the winter. Another popular winter sport is _______________.

Winter Dangers:
The cold weather can also be dangerous; people ______________ on the ice and cars
______________ down hills crashing into each other. As well, heavy snowstorms
called _________________ can knock down power lines and cause
_________________. Some people also _________________ a cold when they stay
out in the cold.

44
Keeping Warm:
Because winter is so cold, people have to find ways to
________________ warm. People wear ___________
coats, ______________ for their necks,
_______________ for their hands, and ______________
on their feet. Children drink __________________ when
they come in from the cold. And families sit around the
_________________ at night and talk about what they did
during the day.

45
 ADVERBS
We have already been introduced to adverbs earlier. A brief recapitulation-
Adverbs are words that describe or modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs.
They often answer the questions HOW- (adverb of manner), WHERE- (adverb
of place), WHEN-(adverb of time), HOW MUCH-(adverb of degree)
For example:

 Even after one year of lessons, Luke plays the piano badly.(adverb of manner)
“Badly” is an adverb that modifies the verb “play” and tells us how Luke plays the
piano.
 The class is very difficult. Many students don’t pass it.
“Very” is an adverb that modifies the adjective “difficult” and tells us how difficult
the class is. (adverb of degree)

There is also adverb of frequency which can be categorized as adverb of time that
tells you how frequently something occurs-
Eg- She rarely calls me up. (rarely- adverb of frequency)

Ex1-Complete the sentences with the best adverb from amongst the following-

slowly carefully beautifully well loudly carelessly easily

excitedly finally suddenly quickly quietly

Ex1-Complete the sentences with the best adverb from amongst the following
and state its kind.
1. Come here ____________. You have to see this!
2. We knew that she had got the job when we saw her _________ talking on the
phone.
3. He ______________ put the vase on the table. It fell to the floor.
4. Sharon is throwing a party on Saturday. She ___________ finished her PhD.
5. Let’s walk ________________. I don’t want to be the first one at the meeting.
6. Alex _____________ put up the bookshelves. It was too difficult for me to do on
my own.
7. Everything happened so ______________. We had to move to California in less
than a month.
8. Why does he always have to talk so ____________. You can hear him in the next
room!
46
9. Although she speaks five languages, she did not do ___________ on the
translation exam.
10. I was so surprised. His new apartment was _____________ decorated.

MODALS
Modal verbs and their meaning

What are modal verbs?

Modals (also called modal verbs, modal auxiliary verbs, modal auxiliaries) are
special verbs which behave irregularly in English. They are different from normal
verbs like "work, play, visit..." They give additional information about the function of
the main verb that follows it.

Here are some characteristics of modal verbs:

 They never change their form. You can't add "s", "ed", "ing"….
 They are used to indicate modality allow speakers to express certainty,
possibility, willingness, obligation, necessity, ability

List of modal verbs

Here is a list of modal verbs:

can, could, may, might, will, would, shall, should, must

The verbs or expressions dare, ought to, had better, and need not behave like modal
auxiliaries to a large extent and might be added to the above list

Use of modal verbs:

Modal verbs are used to express functions such as:

1. Permission
2. Ability
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 3. Obligation
4. Prohibition
5. Lack of necessity
6. Advice
7. possibility
8. probability

Examples of modal verbs

Here is a list of modals with examples:

Modal
Expressing Example
Verb
Strong obligation You must stop when the traffic lights turn
red.
must
logical conclusion / He must be very tired. He's been working all
Certainty day long.
must not prohibition You must not smoke in the hospital.
ability I can swim.
can permission Can I use your phone please?
possibility Smoking can cause cancer.
ability in the past When I was younger I could run fast.
could polite permission Excuse me, could I just say something?
possibility It could rain tomorrow!
permission May I use your phone please?
may
possibility, probability It may rain tomorrow!

Ex1-Choose the right modal verb-

1. There are plenty of tomatoes in the fridge. You _________ buy any more!
2. It's a hospital. You ________ smoke.
3. He _________ be tired since he has been working so hard.
4. I _____________ speak Arabic fluently as a child.
5. The teacher said we ___________ read this book for our own pleasure.
6. _______ you stand on your head for more than one minute?

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7. If you want to learn to speak English fluently, you ________ to work hard.
8. It ______ rain today, please carry an umbrella.
9. _________ I ask you a question?
10. Drivers _________ stop when the traffic lights turn red.

Ex-2 Choose the correct option from the brackets and fill in the blanks-
1. __________ (may/can) I go the movies?
2. He ___________ (should/could) speak five languages!
3. Where __________ (can/may) I find a good pair of socks?
4. You _______ (must/may) watch the film; it is really good.
5. Please do not play outside, there _______ (may/should) be ants.
6. __________ (may/can) you speak Italian?
7. We _________ (can’t/shouldn’t) speak loudly in the library.
8. You don’t look so well, _________ (can/may) I call a doctor?
9. Sit still, I _________ (shall/should) tell you a story.
10. You __________ (ought/should) to save some money.

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50
 DELHI PRIVATE SCHOOL, DUBAI
ASSIGNMENT FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH 2018-19
THEME- UNIVERSE
Few scientists know about condors, but many are aware that these giant birds of
incomparable majesty have dwindled to less than 35 in the 1970s. In an effort to solve
the mystery and save this species, scientists gathered for a brainstorming session. Abe
and a few others proposed fitting some condors with radio transmitters to tack them
and learn about their nesting and feeding habits. With radio telemetry, they could also
locate dead birds and discover the cause of their death. Other condors would be
trapped for breeding in captivity. To produce a captive stock rapidly, Abe suggested
taking eggs from nests to hatch in incubators. He knows that most bird species will
'double-clutch' and lay a second egg in the same breeding season if the first is lost. He
thinks that condors are no exception.
As expected, Abe's proposals sparked off a howl of protest from a group of equally
concerned conservation groups. They claimed that a bird raised in captivity would
never adjust in the wild. One even proclaimed that the condor 'is not an electric toy to
play with, blindfold, manhandle, peer into, wire for sound, or put behind bars'. After
months of bureaucratic infighting, Abe was finally granted a permit to carry out his
program. With a few members of the rescue condor team, Abe set out the task of
tracking the bird. Before long, they spotted two condors at a nesting cave. Watching
through a telescope, they were enthralled to see one of the birds lay a pale blue egg.
54 days later, a member saw a beak cutting through the shell. On the morning of the
56th day, there was a new born chick. With the parents away foraging, Abe decided to
weigh and measure the nestling.
The scientists continued to observe the bids from afar. By photographing each bird in
flight, they developed method of individual identification that led to an accurate
census. They managed to have two condors flying with a radio transmitter and a
numbered tag on each wing. The captive-breeding program was also fully launched in
the early 1980s as the scientists began pulling eggs from nests. All were successfully
hatched at the San Diego Zoo. The breeding pairs in the wild promptly laid second,
even third, eggs proving Abe right about double-clutching. One day, a transmitter
signal alerted scientists that a condor in the High Sierra was not moving. The bird's
frost-covered body was found. A post-mortem revealed a silver of a lead bullet in the
bird's gut plus toxic levels of the metal in its blood. The condor had probably ingested
the bullet fragment while feeding on a hunter-killed deer.
In captivity, the wild birds bred easily. Their keepers worked behind one-way mirrors
and used hand puppets, shaped and textured like an adult condor's head and neck, for
feeding and preening. This was done so that the chicks would not catch a glimpse of
people and could not imprint to them. When a total of 13 chicks hatched in 1990, the
scientists were convinced that the captive condor flock would continue to increase
rapidly. They were also encouraged by the arrival on the market of all-copper bullets
that had superior ballastics to lead bullets. If hunters chose them and if copper proved
less toxic to condors, the bullets might be a major step in saving the majestic birds.
In late 1991, four young condors were flown by helicopter to a high ridge in a
sanctuary. They were freed into a spacious roost box, stuccoed to simulate a cave.
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Outside the door was a nylon-netted feeding ledge from which the four could gaze out
over the mountains and fell the wind in their feathers. They remained in the pen for
two months to become acclimatised. On the day the scientists were waiting for, a
cloudless morning, the door from the roost to the ledge was opened. During the night,
the nylon mesh had been taken away, and now nothing stood between the birds and
freedom. One after the other, heads bobbing in curiosity, the birds spread their glossy
wings and hopped into the air. Clumsily plopping back to the ledge, they flapped and
hopped until, one by one, they managed a brief wobbly flight.
A month later, the four condors were spotted near the cliffs, soaring and gliding in the
thermals. By December 1992, eight condors had been freed. More birds would be
freed in the coming years. The scientists knew that they were right on schedule and
that the California condor would be back.

From paragraph 1 :
1(a) Why do scientists worry about the condors?
.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
(b) How would scientists learn about the nesting and feeding habits of condors?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
From paragraph 2 :
2(a) Who did not accept Abe's 'double-clutch' proposal?
.
____________________________________________________________________

52
(b) Why?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
From paragraph 3 :
3(a) How did Abe and his team manage to get an accurate census of the condors?
.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
(b) How successful was the captive-breeding program?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
From paragraph 4 :
4Explain why the keepers had to use hand puppets shaped like an adult condor's head
.
and neck.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

From paragraph 5 :
5(a) How did the condors react when the nylon mesh was removed?
.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
(b) How successful were the condors in learning to fly initially?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

53
 STORY WRITING

How to Write a Short Story:

1. Collect ideas for your story. Inspiration can strike at any time, so carry
a notepad with you wherever you go so that you can write down story
ideas as they come to you.
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 Most of the time, you’ll just think of small snippets of information (a
catastrophic event around which you can build a plot, a character’s
name or appearance, etc.), but you will sometimes get lucky and a
whole story will reveal itself to you in a couple of minutes.
If you have trouble finding inspiration or if you need to write a story in
a hurry (for, as an example, a class), learn how to brainstorm. If you
can't come up with any ideas, you might have to look to family and
friends for inspiration.
Experience usually helps to build good plots. Many of Isaac Asimov's
mysteries came from experience of certain incidents.

2. Begin with the basics of a short story. After you've chosen an idea,
you need to remember the basics of a short story before writing one.
The steps to a good short story are:
 Introduction: introduce characters, setting, time, weather, etc.
 Initiating action: the point of a story that starts the rising action.
 Rising action: events leading up to the climax or turning point.
 Climax: the most intense point or turning point of the story.
 Falling action: your story begins to conclude.
 Resolution: a satisfying ending to the story in which the central conflict
is resolved—or not! You don't have to write your short story in order. If
you have an idea for a great conclusion, write it down. Move backward
or forward from your starting idea (it may or may not be the beginning
of the story) and ask yourself questions. “What happened before this?”
and “What happens next?”

3. Find inspiration from real people. If you have trouble understanding

or finding attributes of a character, turn to your life. You can easily
borrow attributes of people you know or even strangers you notice.
For example, you might notice that someone is always drinking coffee,
talks in a loud, booming voice, is always typing away at the computer,
etc. All of these observations would together make a very interesting
character. Your character can even blend attributes of a number of
people.

4. Know your characters. For a story to be believable, the characters

have to feel genuine and realistic. It can be a difficult task to create
interesting and realistic characters. But here are a few strategies to
create "real people" to populate your story:
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 Write a list, titled with the character's name, and write all the attributes
you can think of, from their position in the orchestra to their favourite
colour, from their central motivations to their favourite foods. Do they
talk with an accent? Do they have any quirky mannerisms? You won’t
include all this information in your story, but the more you know, the
more your characters will come to life, both for you and for the reader.
Make sure your characters' personalities are not perfect. Every
character needs to have some flaws, some problems, some
imperfections and some insecurities. You might assume that people
wouldn't like to read about a character with a lot of flaws, but that
couldn't be farther from the truth. Batman wouldn't be The Dark Knight
if he weren't a borderline sociopath!
People can relate to characters with problems, as that's realistic. When
trying to come up with flaws, you don't need to give your character
some huge, bizarre issue (although you definitely can). For most
characters, try to stick with things you know about. For example, the
character could have anger issues, be afraid of water, be lonely, dislike
being around other people, smoke too much, etc. Any or all of these
could be developed further.
5. Limit the breadth of your story. A novel can occur over millions of
years and include a multitude of subplots, a variety of locations, and an
army of supporting characters.
The main events of a short story should occur in a relatively short period
of time (days or even minutes), and you typically won’t be able to
develop effectively more than one plot, two or three main characters,
and one setting. If your story has much more breadth, it probably needs
to be a novella or novel.

6. Decide who will tell the story. There are three main points of view
from which to tell a story: first-person (“I”), second-person (“you”), and
third-person (“he” or “she”). In a first-person story, a character in the
story tells the story; in the second-person the reader is made a character
in the story; and in the third-person, an outside narrator tells the story.
(Second-person narration is rarely used.)
Keep in mind that first-person narrators can only tell what they know
(which will be limited to what they see firsthand or are told by others),
while third-person narrators can either know everything and explore
56
 every character’s thoughts, or be limited to only that which can be
observed.
You can also mix and match. For example, you could switch between a
first-person narrative in one chapter, and third-person in another, or
even have more than one first-person point of view. An excellent
example of this is the short story "Rashōmon", by Akutagawa
Ryunosuke[1]. This was later turned into a movie of the same name by
Akira Kurosawa.
7. Organize your thoughts. After you've prepared the basic elements of
your story, it can be helpful to make some sort of time-line to help you
decide what should happen when.
Your story should consist at least of an introduction, initiating incident,
rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. You can draw or
write a visual with very simple descriptions of what should happen in
each of these stages. Having this done will help you keep focused when
writing the story, and you can easily make changes to it, so that you are
able to keep a steady flow as you write the full story.
8. Start writing. Depending on how thoroughly you've sketched out your
plot and characters, the actual writing process may simply be one of
choosing the right words.
Generally, however, writing is arduous. You probably won’t know your
characters and plot as well as you thought, but it doesn't matter—in a
sense, they will tell you what they need, even if you paint them into a
corner. Plus, there's always the second draft!
9. Come out swinging. The first page—some would say the first
sentence—of any writing should grab the reader’s attention and leave
him/her wanting more.
A quick start is especially important in short stories because you don’t
have much room to tell your story. Don’t dillydally with long
introductions of the characters or uninteresting descriptions of the
setting: get right into the plot, and reveal details about the characters
and setting piece-by-piece as you go along.
10. Keep writing. You’re almost certain to hit some bumps in the road to
finishing your story. You've got to work through them, though. Set
57
 aside a time to write each and every day, and make it a goal to finish,
say, a page each day. Even if you end up throwing away what you
wrote on that day, you've been writing and thinking about the story, and
that will keep you going in the long run.
Consider participating in writing groups or activities. One very good
activity for writers of all kinds is "National Novel Writing Month," or
NaNoWriMo. Every year, from November 1 through November 30th,
you are tasked with writing a novel of at least 50,000 words. Brilliance
and quality are off the table—the goal is the act of writing. Check out
the reference link for more information.
11. Let the story write itself. As you develop your story, you may want to
turn your plot in a different direction than you had planned, or you may
want to substantially change or remove a character.
Listen to your characters if they tell you to do something different, and
don’t worry about scrapping your plans altogether if you can make a
better story as you go.

12. Revise and edit. When you've finished the story, go back through it and
correct any mechanical mistakes, as well as logical and semantic errors.
In general, make sure the story flows and the characters and their
problems are introduced and resolved appropriately.
If you have time, put the completed story down for a few days or weeks
before editing. Distancing yourself from the story in this way will help
you see it more clearly when you pick it back up.

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