Chapter 1

The Fun they had

Question 1.
How old are Margie and Tommy?
Answer: Margie is eleven and Tommy is thirteen years old.

Question 2.
What did Margie write in her diary?
Answer:
Margie wrote in her diary. “Today, 17 May, 2157, Tommy found a
real book.”

Question 3.
Had Margie ever seen a book before?
Answer:
No, Margie had never seen a book before.

Question 4.
What things about the book did she find strange?
Answer:
The book had yellow and wrinkled pages.
The words of the book were still. They did not move as the words
move on the computer screen. She found these things strange.

Question 5.
What do you think a telebook is?
Answer:
A telebook is displayed on the television screen and the text of a
telebook is similar to a book.
Question 6.
Where was Margie’s school? Did she have any classmates?
Answer:
Margie’s school was near her own bedroom. She did not have any
classmate.

Question 7.
What subjects did Margie and Tommy learn?
Answer:
Margie learnt Geography and Mathematics. Tommy learnt History
and Mathematics.

Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30

words).

Question 1.
What kind of teachers did Margie and Tommy have?
Answer:
Margie and Tommy had mechanical teachers. They were taught on
computers and television screens. They didn’t have a living person as
a teacher who would teach the pupils in a classroom.

Question 2.
Why did Margie’s mother send for the County Inspector?
Answer:
Margie’s mother sent for the County Inspector because the
mechanical teacher was not functioning efficiently. It had been giving
her test after test in geography and she had been doing worse and
worse.

Question 3.
What did he do?
Answer:
He slowed down the mechanical teacher’s speed upto an average
ten-year level. The mechanical teacher’s speed was controlled and
adjusted according to the IQ level of Margie.

Question 4.
Why was Margie doing badly in geography? What did the County
Inspector do to help her?
Answer:
Margie had been doing badly in geography. This was because the
mechanical teacher was very fast in displaying the questionnaire. The
County Inspector adjusted its speed upto an average ten-year level.
Thus, the mechanical teacher’s speed was controlled appropriately.
The County Inspector assured that the overall pattern of Margie’s
progress was quite satisfactory.

Question 5.
What had once happened to Tommy’s teacher?
Answer:
Tommy’s teacher was taken away for nearly a month because the
history sector had blanked out completely. So, Tommy had nothing
to do during that period. He only relaxed and enjoyed.

Question 6.
Did Margie have regular days and hours for school? If so, why?
Answer:
Yes, Margie had regular days and hours for school because her
mother said little girls learned better if they learned at regular hours.

Question 7.
How does Tommy describe the old kind of school?
Answer:
Tommy says that the old schools were different. They had a special
building and all the kids went there to study. They laughed and
shouted in the schoolyard. They enjoyed time together and learned
lessons together in a classroom.

Question 8.
How does he describe the old kind of teachers?
Answer:
He says that the old teachers did not live in the house. They had a
special building and all the kids went there. They gave homework to
students. They were not mechanical teachers, but living human
beings.

Answer each of these questions in two or three paragraphs. (100-

150 words).

Question 1.
What are the main features of the mechanical teachers and the
schoolrooms that Margie and Tommy have in the story?
Answer:
Margie and Tommy have mechanical teachers. They need not go to
school for getting a formal education. The mechanical teacher is
placed in one of the rooms of the house and they can get the
knowledge of various subjects of individually from the mechanical
teacher. They don’t have such classrooms where students sit
together. They study from the telebooks. So they don’t require books
and exercise books. The examination system is very different. They
do homework in a different way. Margie has to write them out in a
punch code. She leamt it when she was six years old. So the system
of their education is technologically advanced and not based on
printed books.

Question 2.
Why did Margie hate school? Why did she think the old kind of
school must have been fun?
Answer:
Margie hated her school because she had a mechanical teacher. It
was in her house. She was supposed to sit in that room alone to
complete her hometask or assignments. The part Margie hated most
was the slot where she had to put homework and test papers. She
thought that the old schools must have been fun because the
students used to sit together in the classroom. They enjoyed,
laughed and shouted in the schoolyard. Children needed company to
enhance their skills. If they are isolated, they get depressed and
dejected.

Question 3.
Do you agree with Margie that schools today are more fun than the
school in the story? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
There is no doubt that today’s schools are more funny than the
future school discussed in the story. This school has nothing but a
mechanical teacher with no emotions and sentiments. It does not
have the ability to understand the psychology of a child. Moreover, it
guides a pupil according to its adjusted modes. But today’s schools
work for the overall development of a child. They learn the same
thing. The teaches are real human beings. They leam how to adapt
themselves to the new surroundings and cope with the strangers.
The students sit and leam together. These activities don’t give vent
to the feelings of depression, alienation and segregation.
 Chapter 2
The Sound of music

Answer these questions in a few words or a couple of sentences

each.

Question 1.
How old was Evelyn when she went to the Royal Academy of Music?
Answer:
Evelyn was not even seventeen when she went to the Royal
Academy of Music.

Question 2.
When was her deafness first noticed? When was it confirmed?
Answer:
Her deafness was noticed when she was eight-year-old. It was
confirmed by the time she was eleven.

Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (30-

40 words).

Question 1.
Who helped her to continue with music? What did he do and
say?
Answer:
Ron Forbes helped her to continue with music. He spotted her
potential and said, “Don’t listen through your ears, try to sense
it some other way.” He began by tuning two large drums to
different notes.

Question 2.
Name the various places and causes for which Evelvn
nerforms.
Answer:
Evelyn performed free concerts in prisons and hospitals. She
made music her life and performed many regular concerts.

Question 3.
Where was the shehnai played traditionally? How did Bismillah
Khan change this?
Answer:
The shehnai was played traditionally in the temple at the royal
courts and on the occasion of weddings. The credit must go to
Bismillah Khan to take this instrument onto the classical stage.

Question 4.
When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break?
Answer:
Bismillah Khan got his big break with the opening of the All
India Radio in Lucknow in 1938.

Question 5.
Where did Bismillah Khan play the shehnai on 15 August
1947? Why was the event historic?
Answer:
Bismillah Khan played the shehnai on 15 August 1947 at the
Red Fort. He was the first Indian to greet the nation with his
musical instrument. This event was historic because We got
independence on that day. He poured his heart out in the
presence of a large number of people including Pt. Jawahar Lai
Nehru.

Question 6.
Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to start a shehnai school in the
U.S.A.?
Answer:
He refused to start a shehnai school in the USA because he
never wanted to leave India. He loved India so much and he did
not want to settle anywhere except India. That is why whenever he
was in a foreign country, he kept yearning to see Hindustan.
Question 7.
Find at least two instances in the text which tell you that
Bismillah Khan loves India and Benaras.
Answer:
Bismillah Khan loves India and Banaras The sound of Music
197 from the bottom of his heart. He says that he misses the
holy Ganga and India when he goes abroad. While in Mumbai,
he thinks of only Benaras and the holy river. And when he is in
Benaras, he remembers the unique mattha of Dumraon.

Answer the question in two or three paragraphs (100-150

words).

Question 1.
How does Evelyn hear music?
Answer:
Evelyn became deaf by the time she was eleven. But she did
not give up. She was determined to lead a normal life and
pursue her interest in music. Ron Forbes, a percussionist
spotted her potential. He asked her not to listen through ears
but try to sense it some other way. She realized she could feel
the higher drum from the waist up and the lower one from the
waist down. Forbes repeated the exercise and soon Evelyn
discovered that she could sense certain notes in different parts
of her body. She learnt to open her body and mind to sounds
and vibrations. She herself explained, “It pours in through every
part of my body. It tingles in the skin, my cheekbones and even
in my hair.” When she played on the xylophone, she could
sense the sound passing up the stick into her fingertips. By
leaning against the drums, she could feel the resonances
flowing into her body. On the wooden floor she used to remove
her shoes so that the vibrations may pass through her bare feet
and up her legs.
 Chapter 3
The Little Girl

Answer the following questions in one or two sentences:

Question 1.
Why was Kezia afraid of her father?
Answer:
Kezia was afraid of her father because he used to talk to her harshly.
He was in a habit of finding out her mistakes.

Question 2.
Who were the people in Kezia’s family?
Answer:
Kezia’s family had her grandmother, mother and father.

Question 3.
What was Kezia’s father’s routine?

1. before going to his office?

2. after coming back from his office?
3. on Sundays?

Answer:

1. He used to kiss Kezia casually before going to his office.

2. He would ask for the newspaper and tea after coming back from
his office.
3. On Sundays, he would take rest. He would enjoy sound sleep on
the sofa.

Question 4.
In what ways did Kezia’s grandmother encourage her to get to know
her father better?
Answer:
Kezia’s grandmother sent her to her father’s room to have a nice talk
with him. Besides, she asked her to make a gift of a pin-cushion on
her father’s birthday.

Discuss these questions in class with your teacher and then write
down your answers in two or three paragraphs each.

Question 1.
Kezia’s efforts to please her father resulted in displeasing him very
much. How did this happen?
Answer:
Kezia used to be afraid of her father because her father talked to her
harshly. One day her grandmother told her to make a pin-cushion to
gift him on his birthday which was approaching. Kezia took it an
opportunity to please him. So, she stitched cotton cloth three sides
and looked for the things that could be stuffed into the stitched
cloth. Soon she found out many sheets of paper. Actually they
contained her father’s speech for the Port Authority. She tore them
into pieces and stuffed her case.

One day when her father looked for the papers, he did not find them.
After some time, he came to know that Kezia had tom them into
pieces to make a pin-cushion. He got infuriated and beat her with a
ruler. Thus, her efforts to please her father resulted in displeasing
him very much.

Question 2.
Kezia decides that there are “different kinds of fathers”. What kind of
father was Mr Macdonald, and how was he different from Kezia’s
father?
Answer:
In Kezia’s opinion, her father was very harsh. He did not talk to her
affectionately but rather he used to speak to her stringently. So she
avoided him. She did not want to be in front of him because she was
afraid of him. Moreover, her father never spent time with her.
Macdonald family lived next door to her house. One evening she saw
him playing tag with his children. A baby was on his shoulders and
two little girls were hanging on to his coat pockets. They were
laughing. Also, she saw some boys turn the hose on Macdonald and
he tried to catch them laughing all the time. She found them feel
friendly with their father. So, she wished if her father were like them.

Question 3.
How does Kezia begin to see her father as a human being who needs
her sympathy?
Answer:
One night Kezia had a nightmare which made her too terrified. She
was crying out of fear. When she woke up, she found her father
beside her bed with a candle in his hand. He asked her what the
matter was. When he came to know about her nightmare, he blew
out the candle, bent down and caught up the child in his arms. He
carried her to the big bedroom. He laid her on the bed and pulled the
covers up around her. Apart from this, he lay down beside her.

After some time, still half asleep, she crept close to him, snuggled her
head under his arm and held tightly to his shirt. Now she felt
comfortable.

Her father told her to rub her feet against his legs and get them
warm.

Now, Kezia realised that her father was not as harsh as she thought.
She realised that her father had to work all day long and got so tired
that he could not play with her. She realised that her father wanted
her to understand his compulsion. At bottom, he was a very good
person.
 Chapter 4
A Truly beautiful mind

Short Answer Type Questions (2 marks each)

(About 30-40 words each)

Question 1:
Why did the people call Einstein a world citizen ?

Answer:
People called Einstein a world citizen because he campaigned for
peace and democracy and was agitated against arms and bombs
especially after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Question 2:
Why did Albert Einstein leave his school ? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-
015)
Answer:
Albert Einstein left his school because he was not happy with the
education system. He was not at
ease with the strict regimentation of the school. He felt suffocated
because of which he had to leave school.

Question 3:
Why did Einstein hate school ? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-018)
Answer:
He hated school regimentation because of its extreme sense of
discipline. He felt tired and suffocated
with this atmosphere. He often clashed with his teacher.

Question 4:
Why does the world remember Einstein as a world citizen ? (Board
Term 1,2012, ELI-019)
Answer:
The world remembers Einstein as a world citizen as he was deeply
hurt by the mass destruction in
Japan and campaigned for peace and democracy – worked for
humanity.

Question 5:
Why did Einstein write a letter to Franklin Roosevelt ?(Board Term
1,2012, ELI-020)
Or
Why did Einstein write a letter to the American President Roosevelt ?
(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-042)
Answer:
Einstein wrote a letter to Franklin Roosevelt when the Nazis were in
Germany and he had to migrate
from there. The discovery of Nuclear fission in Germany made the
American physicists upset that the Nazis could use an atom bomb.

Question 6:
What is Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity ? (Board Term 1,2012,
ELI-021)
Answer:
According to Einstein’s special theory of relativity, time and distance
are not absolute. From this followed the world’s most famous
formula which describes the relationship between mass and energy
i.e., E = me2.

Question 7:
Why did Einstein’s play mates call him “Brother Boring” ? (Board
Term 1,2012, ELI-023)
Answer:
Einstein could not mix up with other children. He did not find their
games interesting. He often uttered every word twice. He was often
teased for his abnormally huge head. And so his friends nicknamed
him “Brother Boring.”
Question 8:
How was Einstein’s private life unraveling after he finished his
studies ?(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-026)
Answer:
He had wanted to marry Mileva but his mother was against it. She
thought Mileva was three years older than her son and toq
intelligent for him.

Question 9:
What did Einstein call his desk drawer at the patent office and why ?
(Board Term 1,2012, ELI- 028)
Answer:
Einstein called his desk drawer at the patent office the “bureau of
theoretical physics” because he was working as a technical expert in
the patent office in Bern where he was supposed to be assessing
other peoples’ inventions.

Question 10:
How did Einstein react to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ?
(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-034)
Answer:
Einstein was shocked at the extent of destruction caused by the
bombing. He wrote a long letter to the United Nations and suggested
that there should be a World Government.

Long Answer Type Questions (4 marks each)

(About 80-100 words each)

Question 1:
Write down the achievements of Albert Einstein. (Board Term
1,2012, ELI-022)
Answer:
Albert Einstein was really a scientific genius. He felt at home in
Mathematics but he showed keen interest in physics. After
graduating from the university in Zurich he started working
vigorously. With his university education he was working on
relativity. After his graduation, he remained jobless. So, he gave
private lessons. In 1902, he secured a job as a technical expert in the
patent office in Bera. But he went on developing his own ideas. The
world showered on him honors invitations. He was honored with
Noble prize in 1921.

Question 2:
Einstein was an unusual child with no indication of his potential
greatness. Comment.(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-039)
Answer:
Einstein’s head was larger than the usual head. He was called
“Brother Boring” because he never mixed up with his classmates. He
left school because he was not happy with the strict regimentation.
He loved mechanical toys and thought his sister to be a toy. The head
master thought him to be stupid and good for nothing and that he
would never succeed in life. He also told Einstein’s father that
whatever profession he chose would not matter, because “he will
never make a success at anything”. This proves that Einstein was an
unusual child with no indication of his potential greatness.

Question 3:
What was the outcome of Einstein’s letter which he wrote to the
American President, Roosevelt ? Did his warning have any impact on
America ?(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-051)
Answer:
On his colleague’s insistence, Einstein wrote a letter to the American
President, Roosevelt when the Nazis were in Germany and he had to
migrate from there. The discovery of Nuclear fission in Germany
made the American physicists upset that the Nazis could use the
bomb. He warned him of the consequences of the atomic bomb. His
words had a great impact. The Americans developed the atomic
bomb secretly. They dropped it on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki irf August 1945. Einstein was greatly moved by the
destruction. He wrote a long letter to the United Nations and
suggested that there should be a world government. This definitely
helped ending the world war.

Value Based Question (4 marks)

Question 1:
Do you think that in today’s context national boundaries are
overcome by global issued ?
Answer:
The world is undoubtedly a global village. Any issue cannot be
resolved at the national level alone. This has been reflected in die
case of Albert Einstein. He wrote to the President of the U.S.A. about
the evils of a nuclear war, requesting him to take some measures. It
is definitely the responsibility of each one of us to shoulder the
responsibility of protecting the world.
 Chapter 5
The Snake and the mirror

Short Answer Type Questions (2 marks each)

(About 30-40 words each)

Question 1:
What was the doctor thinking while he was seated before the
mirror ? (SA-1,2014-15)
Answer:
The doctor thought of various medicine he had and if any medicine
was good enough to save him if the snake did bite him. He also
realized that God had punished him for being so proud and arrogant.

Question 2:
Why did the doctor run from his house ? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-
014)
Or
Why did the doctor run away to his friend’s house ? (Board Term
1,2012, ELI-052)
Answer:
From writer’s arm the snake slithered into his lap, crept onto the
table and then moved towards the mirror. The writer revived, got up
from the chair and leapt into the yard and ran to his friend’s house to
save his life.

Question 3:
How did the doctor show the presence of mind when he
encountered the snake ?
(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-021)
Answer:
The doctor showed great presence of mind on seeing the snake: He
neither jumped nor cried out.
He sat on the chair holding his breath. His body was still but his mind
remained very active.

Question 4:
How did the snake change the writer’s opinion about
himself ? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-025)
Answer:
The writer was proud of being a doctor. Coming face-to-face with the
snake made him humble. He
thought he was only a poor and stupid doctor who should not be
proud of his profession.

Question 5:
While looking into the mirror, what important and earth-shaking
decisions did the doctor make ? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-027)
Or
What were the two important decisions taken by the doctor while
looking into the mirror ?(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-039)
Answer:
The important decision m^de by the doctor was that he would shave
daily and grow a thin moustache, to look more handsome.
The earth-shaking decision made by the doctor was that he would
always keep that attractive smile on his face.

Question 6:
What did the doctor do on seeing the snake ? (Board Term 1,2012,
ELI-029)
Answer:
The doctor saw the snake’s reflection in the mirror. He, then, went to
have a closer look. He got up from the chair and ran away from the
house.

Question 7:
What type of woman did the doctor in the story “The Snake and the
Mirror”, want to get married to and why? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-
031)
Answer:
The doctor, who had plenty of money and good medical practice,
wanted to get married to a woman who was fat. The reason he gave
was that if he, the doctor husband ever made any mistake, and tried
to run away, she would not be able to catch him and stop him from
escaping.

Question 8:
Why did the author of “The Snake and the Mirror” fantasize a fat
woman as his wife ?(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-037)
Answer:
The author of “The Snake and the Mirror’ fantasizes a fat woman as
his wife since she would never be able to catch the doctor on his
mistakes. She would not be able to run after him and he would be
saved of all kinds of punishments. Thus, the author fantasizes a fat
woman as his wife.

Question 9:
Why did the snake leave the doctor’s arm? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-
040)
Answer:
The snake left the doctor’s arm because it saw its reflection in the
mirror and was fascinated by it and so wanted to enjoy its own
reflection by having a closer look. Like his parents even he respects
all religions.

Question 10:
What made the doctor utter “Death lurked four inches
away” ? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI- 048)
Answer:
The doctor was under the grip of the snake, and sat motionless as a
statue, his body was inactive but mind was completely active. He
knew very well that the snake would bite him at the slightest
movement. This is what made his utter these words.
Long Answer Type Questions (4 marks each)
(About 80-100 words each)

Question 1:
“Birds of the same feathers flock together” goes the saying. Does the
encounter between the snake and the doctor in the story “The Snake
and the Mirror” support the saying? Why or why not ? (Board Term
1,2012, ELI-016)
Answer:
Yes, the story supports the saying which means that the people of
similar habits and tastes find each other. The doctor enjoyed self-
appreciation and could not resist the temptation of looking at his
reflection in the mirror. He also takes a number of decisions, so as to
improve his looks. The snake that coiled itself on the doctor’s arm,
kept staring at its reflection in the mirror for a long time, enjoying its
beauty and appreciating its form. The snake was so much engrossed
in its beauty that it forgot as to why it had come to the author’s
house.

Question 2:
Without mirror, the story will lose its charm and reality.
Justify. (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-018)
Answer:
The story would lose its charm and reality without the mirror
because it fascinates both the characters i.e., doctor and the snake.
The doctor makes two important decisions – saving daily and
growing thin moustaches to make himself more handsome and
keeping a smile on the face all the time while looking at himself in
the mirror. The snake also feels attracted to look at his face in the
mirror and leaves the doctor’s arm. It sits on the table in front of
mirror and the doctor finds an opportunity to move away to save
himself. Thus, the story does revolve around the mirror and
therefore its important.
Question 3:
What are the similarities between the doctor and the snake ? (Board
Term 1,2012, ELI-019)
Answer:
The doctor and the snake had striking similarities. Both were victims
of self-adoration. This is clearly visible in two decisions of the doctor-
to shave daily and a grow moustache and also to wear an attractive
smile on his face to look handsome. While the snake enjoyed looking
at his reflection at closer quarters. It did not move the doctor’s arm
and later crept into the table and moved towards the mirror. ,

Question 4:
Justify the title of the story ‘The Snake and the Mirror’. (Board Term
1,2012, ELI-020)
Answer:
The story revolves round th#narrator, the snake, and the mirror. The
narrator hears some fanjiliar sounds – a dull thud and a snake lands
on his shoulder. The doctor is terrified and sits there like a stone. He
suddenly feels the presence of the cfeator of the world and death 4-
inches away. He forgets danger and smiles feebly. The snake looks
into the mirror, moves towards the mirror and wants to enjoy a close
reflection in the mirror. Thus the title is justified as the story revolves
around the snake and the mirror.

Question 5:
Describe in detail the doctor’s feelings when he saw the snake coiled
around his arm ?(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-043)
Answer:
The doctor was so engrossed in his day dreaming that he did not
realize that a snake had wriggled
over the back of the chair and landed on his shoulders and could
round his left arm with its hood spread out. The doctor sat there
without moving an inch, he was afraid lest the snake might strike.
He thought of various medicines he had and if any one of them was
good enough to save him if the * snake struck him. He realized the
presence of God and felt that it was a punishment for being proud
and arrogant.

Value Based Question (4 marks)

Question 1:
God has a lot of ways of controlling Our lines. Discuss this in the light
of the story ‘The Snake and the Mirror’. .
Answer:
Our life is definitely in the hands of God. He is fire supreme power in
control of our lives. At times we forget this like the young doctor. He
was under the false belief that he was the one who would decide
what was going to happen in his life. He was standing in front of the
mirror with a lot of pride thinking about his future. The snake was a
symbol of God’s control over him. It made him realize that he was
close to death and not to life. He was not the master of his life.
 Chapter 6
My Childhood

Short Answer Type Questions (2 marks each)

(About 30-40 words each)

Question 1:
Why did A.P.J. Abdul Kalam call his childhood a secure childhood ?
(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-015)
Or
“Kalam’s childhood was a secure one, both materially and
emotionally”. Illustrate the fact.(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-042)
Answer:
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam called his childhood a secure one because he had
loving and caring parents.-He had all necessary things which included
food, clothes, medicine, etc.

Question 2:
Do you think the new teacher deserved the treatment meted out to
him ? Why/why not ?(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-016)
Answer:
Yes, he deserved the treatment meted out to him. He was spreading
the poison of communal intolerance among the young minds which
was a serious crime. If a teacher indulges in such a mean act he
deserves no sympathy.

Question 3:
What was the difference in the attitudes of the science teacher and
his wife towards A.P.J. Abdul Kalam ?(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-029)
Answer:
Though his science teacher was an orthodox Hindu, he broke the
social barriers, and mixed with other religions and commjmities. He
invited Abdul home and served him meals and even sat and ate with
him. On the contrary, his wife was conservative and refused to serve
Abdul.

Question 4:
How did Second World War give opportunity to Kalam to earn his
first wages ?(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-030)
Answer:
Kalam’s cousin was a news agent. Train halt at Rameshwaram station
was suspended. So, the newspapers were bundled up and thrown
out from a moving train. Kalam helped his cousin to catch the
bundles. He was given money for it.

Question 5:
How does Abdul Kalam describe his mother ?(Board Term 1,2012,
ELI-035)
Answer:
Abdul Kalam describes his mother by saying that she was an ideal
wife and a gentle lady. He learnt from his mother to be gentle and
kind. She even used to feed a lot of outsiders every day.

Question 6:
What did Abdul Kalam’s family do during the annual Shri Sita Ram
Kalayanam Ceremony ?(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-038)
Answer:
Abdul Kalam’s family arranged for a boat with a special platform for
carrying the idols of Lord Shri Sita Ram from the temple to the
marriage sites situated in the middle of a pond called as Rama Tirtha.
His parents even told him stories from the Ramayana.

Question 7:
What characteristics did Abdul Kalam inherited from his
parents ? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-043)
Answer:
Abdul Kalam inherited honesty and self discipline from his father and
faith in goodness and kindness from his mother. Like his parents
even he respected all religions.

Long Answer Type Questions (4 marks each)

(About 80-100 words each)

Question 1:
What do you know about A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s family after reading
the lesson “My childhood”? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-013)
Answer:
A.PJ. Abdul Kalam tells us that his family was a Tamil middle class
family from Rameshwaram. His father Jainulabdeen was not much
educated, wasn’t rich but was generous, wise, simple man
but very strict and severe. His mother Ashiamma was a generous
lady, and used to feed unlimited numbers of people in their home.
Kalam’s family respected all religions. They took part in Hindu
festivals. His mother and grandmother told him stories from
Ramayana. They always showered their love on their children and
never forced their thoughts on them.

Question 2:
What incident took place at the Rameshwaram Elementry School
when a new teacher came to the class ? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-
023)
Answer:
Kalam used to wear a cap and Ramanandha Sastry wore a sacred
thread which marked him to be a Brahmin. When the new teacher
came he could not tolerate a Hindu priest’s son sitting with a Muslim
boy. He ordered Kalam to go and sit on the back bench. This made
Ramanandha sad. Abdul started to sit in the last row but it left a bad
impression on Abdul. Both the kids narrated the incident to their
parents. As a result the teacher was rebuked and reprimanded for
spreading communalism and hatred among children.
Question 3:
How did Abdul Kalam earn his “first wages” ? How did he feel at that
time ?(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-024)
Answer:
Kalam was only 8 years old when the second world war broke out in
1939. Then there was a great demand for tamarind seeds. Abdul
used to collect those seeds and sell them in the market. His cousin
Shamsuddin distributed newspapers. The train would not stop at
Rameshwaram and the bundles of newspapers were thrown from
the running train. Abdul was employed by his cousin to collect them.
This way he earned his first wages. He felt very proud on earning his
first wage.

Question 4:
“Once you decide to change the system, such problems have to be
confronted.” What system is being refer in the sentence from the
chapter “My Childhood”? What are such problems ?(Board Term
1,2012, ELI-025)
Answer:
System means system of discrimination on the basis of religion. The
system includes the narrow-mindedness and poison of social
inequality and communal intolerance. The Brahmins did not allow
Muslims to enter their kitchen. The science teacher – a rebel by
nature, invited Kalam to his home and proved that if one is
determined to face problems and change the system, he will
definitely succeed. Though, such indifferences come in everybody’s
life but a person should have a broader outlook and overcome the
obstacles.

Question 5:
How was the Science teacher Siva Subramaniam Iyer, though an
orthodox. Brahmin with a very conservative wife, a friend of Abdul
Kalam. Give incidents to support your answer.(Board Term 1,2012,
ELI-025)
Answer:
The Science teacher, Siva Subramaniam Iyer, wanted to break the
social barriers between the Hindus and the Muslims. He wanted
Kalam to be very highly educated as he recognized his intelligence.
One day, he invited him over to a meal. His orthodox wife was totally
horrified at the idea of a Muslim boy dining in her ritually pure
kitchen. He did not mind anything said by his very conservative wife.
He rather served the food to Abdul by his own hands. He also sat
with him and dined together as well as invited him over again for
another meal the coming weekend. Thus, this shows that he was a
friend of Abdul Kalam even though Kalam was a Muslim and he
himself was an orthodox Brahmin.

Value Based Question (4 marks)

Question 1:
‘Childhood’ is the formative period of a child’s life. The lessons learnt
here always stays with a person. Comment on it in the light of the
lesson A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
Answer:
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is one of the finest scientists in our country and
was also our eleventh President. From his autobiography “Wings of
Fire” it is amply clear that lessons learnt in our childhood not only
shape our personality but also decide the kind of person we become.
He learnt the lessons of religious tolerance, honesty and self-
discipline early in his life. These qualities stayed with him throughout
his life and have helped to make him one of the finest President of
our country with so many diverse cultures.
 Chapter 7
Packing

Discuss in pairs and answer each question below in a short

paragraph. (30-40 words)

Question 1.
How many characters are there in the narrative? Name them. (Don’t
forget the dog!).
Answer:
There are four characters in the narrative including the dog. They are
the narrator, George, Harris and the fourth is the dog named
Montmorency.

Question 2.
Why did the narrator (Jerome) volunteer to do the packing?
Answer:
The narrator felt that he knew more about packing than any other
person living. Moreover, he would get an opportunity to boss the job
and George and Harris would do the job under his directions.
Question 3.
How did George and Harris react to this? Did Jerome like their
reaction?
Answer:
George and Harris accepted the narrator’s suggestion readily. But
Jerome did not like it.

Question 4.
What was Jerome’s real intention when he offered to pack?
Answer:
Jerome’s real intention was to boss the job. He wanted that Harris
and George should work under his guidance and instructions. But
they accepted the proposal and sat idle on the chairs comfortably.
Question 5.
What did Harris say after the bag was shut and strapped? Why do
you think he waited till then to ask?
Answer:
Harris asked the narrator to put the boots in the bag after strapping
the bag. He did it with an intention to irritate the narrator.

Question 6.
What ‘horrible idea’ occurred to Jerome a little later?
Answer:
Jerome was going to close the bag after putting the boots in it. He
suddenly thought of his toothbrush. While travelling, he must
needed the toothbrush which he packed in the bag. Now he had to
search for it in the bag.

Question 7.
Where did Jerome finally find the toothbrush?
Answer:
Jerome tried his best to find the toothbrush. He unpacked the bag
but could not find it. He put the things back one by one, and held
everything up and shook it. At last, he found it inside a boot.

Question 8.
Why did Jerome have to reopen the packed bag?
Answer:
Jerome packed his spectacles in the bag. So he had to reopen the
packed bag.

Question 9.
What did George and Harris offer to pack and why?
Answer:
George and Harris offered to pack hamper because they wanted
Jerome to take some rest. They decided to pack the rest of things
themselves.
Question 10.
What does Jerome say was Montmorency’s ambition in life? What do
you think of Montmorency and why?
Answer:
Montmorency’s ambition in life is to interfere with others and be
abused. He wants to be a perfect nuisance and make people mad. If
things are thrown at his head, he feels his day has not been wasted.
To get somebody to stumble over him, and curse him steadily for an
hour is his highest aim and object. He came and sat on things, just
when they were going to be packed. He put his leg into the jam and
worried the teaspoons and pretended that lemons were rats and got
into the hamper and killed three of them.

It is the natural, original sin that is bom in him that makes him do
things like that.

III. Discuss in groups and answer the following questions in two or

three paragraphs.

Question 1.
Of the three, Jerome, George and Harris, who do you think is the
best or worst packer? Support your answer with details from the
text.
Answer:
Of the three, Harris is the worst packer in this world. But none of
them is the perfect packer. All of them are confused and do not
know what is to be placed and where. So far as Jerome is concerned
he unpacked the bag to find his toothbrush in a boot. He also packs
his spectacles in the bag. Harris and George start their work in a light
hearted spirit. There are piles of plates, cups, kettles, bottles, jars,
pies, stoves, cakes and tomatoes. They break a cup. Harris packs the
strawberry jam on top of a tomato and squashes it. They have to pick
out the tomato with a teaspoon. George treads on the butter. He
gets it off from his slipper and puts it in the kettle. He puts it down
on a chair and Harris sits on it. It sticks to him and then they look for
it all over the room. In this way they created chaos in the room.

Question 2.
How did Montmorency ‘contribute’ to the packing?
Answer:
Montmorency’s contribution to the packing cannot be forgotten. His
ambition in life was to disturb others and be abused by them. He
came and sat on things, just when they were going to be packed and
he put his leg into the jam. He disturbed everything. He pretended
the lemons to be rats and got into the hamper and killed three of
them.

Montmorency wanted to be a perfect nuisance and make people

mad. If things are thrown at his head, he feels his day has not been
wasted. To get somebody to stumble over him, and curse him
steadily for an hour was his highest aim and objective. When he got
succeeded in accomplishing it, his conceit became quite unbearable.

Question 3.
Do you find this story funny? What are the humorous elements in it?
(Pick out at least three, think about what happens, as well as how it
is described.)
Answer:
The story is really humorous and funny. Jerome’s episode of packing,
Harris’s and George’s way of packing and Montmorency’s
contribution have made the story funny and interesting. Jerome was
confused about his toothbrush and found it in a boot. He also packed
his spectacles in the bag. The incident of butter makes the reader
laugh. George treads on the butter and it sticks to his slipper. Later
he puts it on the chair. Harris sits on the chair and it sticks to his
bottom. They squash the tomatoes by putting the strawberry jam on
them.
 Chapter 8
Reach for the top

Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30

words).

Question 1.
How did Santosh begin to climb mountains?
Answer:
She wished to climb mountains when she watched villagers from her
room, going up the hill and suddenly vanishing after a while. One
day, she decided to check it out herself. She found nobody except a
few mountaineers. Later she saved money and enrolled in a course
at Uttarkashi’s Nehru Institute of Mountaineering. Then she began
climb mountains every year.

Question 2.
What incidents during the Everest expedition show Santosh’s
concern for her team-mates?
Answer:
Santosh Yadav provided special care to a climber who lay dying at
the south pole in 1992 Everest Mission. She saved Mohan Singh, who
would have lost his life had she not shared her oxygen with him.

Question 3.
What shows her concern for the environment?
Answer:
Santosh was really concerned for the environment. She collected and
brought down 500 kilograms of garbage from the Himalayas.

Question 4.
How does she describe her feelings at the summit of the Everest?
Answer:
She said that it took some time for the enormity of the moment to
sink in. She was delighted at this moment and proudly unfurled the
Indian tricolour.

Question 5.
Santosh Yadav got into the record books both times she scaled Mt.
Everest. What were the reasons for this?
Answer:
She is the youngest woman who scaled the Everest. She is the only
woman who climbed the Everest twice.
 Chapter 9
The Bond of love

Answer the following questions in 30 to 40 words each.

Question 1.
On two occasions Bruno ate/drank something that should not be
eaten/ drunk. What happened to him on these occasions?
Answer:
Bruno ate Barium Carbonate which was put to kill the rats and mice.
Paralysis set in to the extent that he could not stand on his feet.
Once he drank one gallon of old engine oil. But it had no ill effects
whatever.

Question 2.
Was Bruno a loving and playful pet? Why, then, did he have to be
sent away?
Answer:
Yes, Bruno was a loving and playful pet. But he was mischievous also.
The bear became very attached to the narrator’s two Alsatian dogs
and the children of the tenants. Bruno had grown many times the
size he was when he came. Now her name was changed to Baba.
Now he was getting too big to be kept at home. So he was sent to a
zoo.

Question 3.
How was the problem of what to do with Bruno finally solved?
Answer:
Bruno was not feeling happy after getting separated from the
narrator’s family. He was getting weak everyday. The narrator’s wife
went to Mysore to meet Bruno. Bruno. After seeing his pitiful
condition she decided to get Bruno back home. The narrator and his
wife made special arrangement for Bumo and created all facility for
him. At last Bruno was got back home in a small cage.
 Chapter 10
Kathmandu

Answer these questions in one or two words or in short phrases.

Question 1.
Name the two temples the author visited in Kathmandu.
Answer:
Pashupatinath and Baudhnath Stupa.

Question 2.
The writer says, “All this I wash down with Coca Cola.” What does ‘all
this’ refer to?
Answer:
Com-on-the-cob and marzipan.

Question 3.
What does Vikram Seth compare to the quills of a porcupine?
Answer:
The flutes tied on the top of the flute seller’s pole.

Question 4.
Name five kinds of flutes.
Answer:
The reed neh, the recorder, the Japanese shakuhachi, the deep
bansuri, the breathy flutes of South America, the high pitched
Chinese flutes.
Answer each question in a short paragraph.

Question 1.
What difference does the author note between the flute seller and
the other hawkers?
Answer:
The author finds a difference in selling the articles. The flute seller
does not shout out his wares. He makes a sale in a curiously
offhanded way as if this was incidental to his enterprise.

Question 2.
What is the belief at Pashupatinath about the end of Kaliyug?
Answer:
People believe that when a small shrine emerges fully on Bagwati
river, the goddess inside will escape, and the evil period of the
Kalyug will end on earth.

Question 3.
The author has drawn powerful images and pictures. Pick out three
examples each of

1. the atmosphere of ‘febrile confusion’ outside the temple of

Pashupatinath (for example: some people trying to get the
priest’s attention are elbowed aside…)
2. the things he sees
3. the sounds he hears

Answer:

1. The author describes the monkey’s fight vividly and graphically.

A fight breaks out between two monkeys. One chases the other,
who jumps onto a shivalinga, then runs screaming around the
temples and down to the river.
2. The author observes a princess of the Nepalese royal house.
Everyone bows to her. He sees monkeys. He sees felt bags,
Tibetan prints and silver jewellery. He looks at flute sellers,
hawkers of postcards, shops selling western cosmetics, etc.
3. He hears film songs from the radios, car horns, bicycle bells,
stray cows low and vendors shout out their wares. He also
listens to the various flutes played by the flute seller.
4. Answer the following questions in not more than 100-150
words each.
5. Question 1.
Compare and contrast the atmosphere in and around the
Baudhnath shrine with the Pashupatinath temple.
Answer:
At Pashupatinath there is an atmosphere of ‘febrile confusion’.
Priests, hawkers, devotees, tourists, cows, monkeys, pigeons
and dogs roam through the grounds. There are so many
worshippers that some people trying to get the priest’s
attention are elbowed aside by others pushing their way to the
front. At the Baudhnath stupa, the Buddhist shrine of
Kathmandu, there is a sense of stillness. Its immense white
dome is ringed by a road. Small shops stand on its outer edge.
Most of the shops are owned by Tibetan immigrants. There are
no crowds and this is a haven of quietness in the busy streets
around.
6. Question 2.
How does the author describe Kathmandu’s busiest streets?
Answer:
The author says that Kathmandu is vivid, mercenary, religious,
with small shrines to flower-adorned deities along the
narrowest and busiest streets. There are fruit sellers, flute
sellers, hawkers of postcards, shops selling western cosmetics,
film rolls and chocolate or copper utensils and Nepalese
antiques. Film songs blare out from the radios, car horns sound,
bicycle bells ring, stray cows low, vendors shout out their
wares. The author buys a com-on- the-cob roasted in a charcoal
brazier on the pavement. He also buys coca cola and orange
drink.
7. Question 3.
“To hear any flute is to be drawn into the commonality of all
mankind.” Why does the author say this?
Answer:
The author says this because he is aware of the fact that music
appeals to senses. It gives pleasure to every listener. The flute
seller does not sell only one kind of flute. He has various types
of flutes that represent different customs and culture. The flute
seller is a wise sales person. He does not shout out his wares.
He plays melodious tunes which fascinate others. Mankind
does not have multiple appearances and shapes. It is universal
and cosmopolitan. Music soothes everyone’s heart irrespective
of their caste, colour and creed. So the author says that to hear
any flute is to be drawn into the commonality of all mankind.