Higher Secondary Course

ENGLISH

CLASS - XI

Government of Kerala
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
State Council of Educational Research and Training
(SCERT), Kerala
2016
 THE NATIONAL ANTHEM
Jana-gana-mana adhinayaka jaya he
Bharatha-bhagya-vidhata
Punjab-Sindh-Gujarat-Maratha
Dravida-Utkala-Banga
Vindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-Ganga
Uchchala-Jaladhi-taranga
Tava subha name jage,
Tava subha asisa mage,
Gahe tava jaya gatha
Jana-gana-mangala-dayaka jaya he
Bharatha-bhagya-vidhata
Jaya he, jaya he, jaya he,
Jaya jaya jaya, jaya he!

PLEDGE
India is my country. All Indians are my brothers and
sisters.
I love my country, and I am proud of its rich and varied
heritage. I shall always strive to be worthy of it.
I shall give my parents, teachers and all elders respect,
and treat everyone with courtesy.
To my country and my people, I pledge my devotion.
In their well-being and prosperity alone lies my
happiness.
Prepared by :
State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT)
Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram 695012, Kerala
Website : www.scertkerala.gov.in e-mail : [email protected]
Phone : 0471 - 2341883, Fax : 0471 - 2341869
Typesetting and Layout : SCERT
© Department of Education, Government of Kerala
To be printed in quality paper - 80gsm map litho (snow-white)
 FOREWORD

The objectives of teaching and learning English at the secondary

school level have undergone radical changes. A paradigm shift in
approach has given equal emphasis to the development of literary
and communicative competence. Hence, the learners are to be
provided with ample opportunity for the constructive use and further
enrichment of language and literary skills.
The English Reader for Class XI has been developed on the basis of
the Revised Curriculum introduced in the state of Kerala. This
Textbook is activity-based, process-oriented and learner-centred. It
is aimed at realizing and refining the language potential developed in
the lower classes.
The basic premise of the Textbook is that the learners will read the
materials provided, perform various language-learning activities
individually and in groups and become well-equipped to use English
most effectively in real life situations. To this end, the Textbook has
been divided into six units, each of which explores a common theme
and provides space for the desired outcome.
The individual literary pieces included in this Textbook have been
selected judiciously to engage the imagination of the secondary school
students and to enrich their aesthetic appreciation. Attempts have
also been made to establish a link between the learning expectations
and the learning outcomes.
The Textbook has been developed in a series of workshops organized
by the SCERT in which a team of teachers from various Higher
Secondary Schools, Colleges and Universities was involved. We extend
our gratitude to them for their creative contribution and whole-hearted
support.
Constructive criticism and creative suggestions regarding this book
are most welcome.

Dr P. A. Fathima
Director
SCERT, Kerala
 Textbook Development Team
Members
Dr Bindu S. V.
HSST (English), JPHSS, Ottasekharamangalam, Thiruvananthapuram.
Smt. Beena Sebastian K.
HSST (English), St. Josephís Girls' HSS, Changanasserry.
Sri. Mohammed Shiyas M. V.
HSST (English), GHSS, Beypore, Kozhikode.
Smt. Jyolsna P. K.
HSST (English), Sree Ramakrishna Mission HSS, Kozhikode.
Sri. Rakesh R.
HSST (English), SRKGVM HSS, Puranattukara, Thrissur.
Sri. Vasanthakumaran Nair K.
HSST (English), Govt. Girls HSS, Cotton Hill, Thiruvananthapuram.
Sri. Bitter C.
HSST, Govt. HSS for Girls, Nedumangad, Thiruvananthapuram.
Sri. Anand Kumar S.
HSST (English), Govt. Model HSS, Varkala, Thiruvananthapuram.
Sri. Satheesh
HSST (English), HSS Chempazhanthi, Thiruvananthapuram.
Sri. Haridasan N. K.
Art Teacher, GHSS, Azhiyoor, Kozhikode.

Experts
Dr K. Reghunathan Pillai
Professor of English (Rtd.), University College, Thiruvananthapuram.
Dr Thomas Kuruvilla
Principal, Govt. Victoria College, Palakkad.
Dr Beena Gopinath
Principal (Rtd.), Govt. College, Attingal.
Dr D. Radharamanan Pillai
Professor of English (Rtd.), NSS College, Nilamel.
Prof. S. Bindu Sasibhooshan
Professor of English (Rtd.), University College, Thiruvananthapuram.

Academic Coordinator
Dr S. Raveendran Nair
Head, Department of Curriculum, SCERT, Kerala
 CONTENTS
UNIT 1 GLIMPSES OF GREATNESS Pages 07 - 37
r His First Flight - Liam OíFlaherty
r I will Fly - Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
r Quest for a Theory of Everything - Kitty Gail Ferguson
r If (Poem) - Rudyard Kipling

UNIT 2 WORDS AND DEEDS Pages 38 - 71

r And then Gandhi Came - Jawaharlal Nehru

r The Price of Flowers - Prabhat Kumar
Mukhopadhyay
r Death the Leveller (Poem) - James Shirley
UNIT 3 BEYOND THE HORIZON Pages 72 - 100

r Sunrise on the Hills (Poem) - H. W. Longfellow

r The Trip of Le Horla - Guy de Maupassant
r The Sacred Turtles of Kadavu (A Fijian Legend)

UNIT 4 BRAVING THE HAZARDS Pages 101 - 129

r Disasters and Disaster

Management in India - Anjana Majumdar
r The Serang of Ranaganji - Dr A. J. Cronin
r The Wreck of the Titanic (Poem) - Benjamin Peck Keith

UNIT 5 HARMONY OF LIFE Pages 130 - 161

r Gooseberries - Anton Chekhov

r To Sleep (Poem) - William Wordsworth
r Going out for a Walk - Max Beerbohm
UNIT 6 LEAPS AND BOUNDS Pages 162 - 182

r The Cyberspace - Esther Dyson

r Is Society Dead? - Andrew Sullivan
r Conceptual Fruit - Thaisa Frank
Unit

ëSuccess is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to

continue that counts.í
-†Winston†Churchill
About the Unit
Success†is†undoubtedly†the†fruit†of†perseverance.†The†great
achievements†of†others†can†inspire†us,†and†we,†in†turn,†can†be
an†inspiration†to†many.†The†first†unit†of†this†textbook†ëGlimpses
of†Greatnessí†highlights†the†personality†traits†of†some†great
people.†It†throws†light†on†the†qualities†that†are†to†be†developed
so†as†to†become†successful†in†life.
†This†unit†includes†an†anecdote†from†the†life†of†Abraham†Lincoln
--†ëAbeís†First†Speech,í†a†story†by†Liam†Oí†Flaherty†--†ëHis†First
Flight,í†a†speech†by†Dr†A.†P.†J.†Abdul†Kalam†--†ëI†will†Fly,í†a†profile
of†Stephen†Hawking†--†ëQuest†for†a†Theory†of†Everythingí†and†a
poem†by†Rudyard†Kipling†--†ëIfí.†It†aims†at†equipping†the†learners
to†face†the†challenges†of†life†with†courage,†confidence†and
perseverance,†and†to†become†unique†in†their†own†ways.†While
doing†so,†they†must†uphold†the†values†of†life.†The†unit†also†aims
at†building†confidence†in†learners†to†use†English†effectively†and
to†help†them†acquire†a†strong†linguistic†foundation†that†will
improve†their†application†of†the†language†in†other†contexts.
 Textbook† for† Class† XI† -† ENGLISH

Letís begin
1.†ëSome†are†born†great;†some†achieve†greatness;†some†have†greatness
thrust†upon†them.í† --†William†Shakespeare†(Twelfth†Night).
Is† greatness† an† innate† trait?† Is† it† acquired† by† the† successful† or
thrust† upon† them?† Discuss.
2. What† qualities† make† people† great?† Discuss† with† your† friends† and
write† them† in† the† boxes† below.

Hard work

Greatness Perseverance

3. We† strive† to† reach† heights,† achieve† greatness† and† be† successful
in† life.† But† at† times,† it† seems† difficult.
Now,† look† at† the† picture† given† below.

m What†thoughts†and†feelings†does†it†evoke†in†you?
m Give†a†suitable†caption†to†the†picture.
m Have† you† had† any† similar† experience?† If† so,† share† it† with† your
friends.

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 Unit†-†1†GLIMPSES†OF†GREATNESS

4. Read and discuss:

r Abraham†Lincoln†is†one†of†the†greatest†of†American†statesmen.†He†is
known†for†his†celebrated†speeches.†Here†is†the†story†of†his†first†speech
as†a†little†boy.
ABEíS†FIRST†SPEECH
ëAbeí†made†his†first†speech†when†he†was†a†boy,†going†barefoot,†his
trousers†held†up†by†one†suspender,†and†his†shock†of†hair†sticking
through†a†hole†in†the†crown†of†his†cheap†straw†hat.
Abe,†in†company†with†his†rail-splitting*†companion†Dennis†Hanks,
attended†a†political†meeting,†which†was†addressed†by†a†typical†stump
speaker**--†one†of†those†loud-voiced†fellows,†who†shouted†at†the†top
of†his†voice†and†waved†his†arms†wildly.
At† the† conclusion† of† the† speech,
which†did†not†meet†the†views†either
of†Abe†or†Dennis,†the†latter†declared
that†Abe†could†make†a†better†speech
than†that.†Whereupon,†he†got†a†dry
goods†box†and†called†on†Abe†to†reply
to†the†campaign†orator.
Little†Abe†threw†his†old†straw†hat†on
the† ground,† and,† mounting† the† dry
goods†box,†delivered†a†speech†which
held†the†attention†of†the†crowd,†and
won†him†considerable†applause.†Even†the†campaign†orator†admitted
that†it†was†a†fine†speech†and†answered†every†point†in†his†own†ëorationí.
Dennis† Hanks,† who† thought† Abe† was† the† greatest† man† who† ever
lived,†was†delighted,†and†he†often†spoke†of†how†young†Abe†got†the
better†of†the†trained†campaign†speaker.
(From†ëAbe†Lincolnís†Anecdotes†and†Storiesí†by†R.†D.†Wordsworth.)
Think and respond:
m What† made† little† Abe† stand† on† the† dry† goods† box† and† deliver† the
speech?
m Do† you† think† good† dress,† appearance,† position† in† society,† etc.,
are† needed† to† present† yourself† before† the† public† for† a† speech?
m What†is†the†role†of†Dennis†in†bringing†out†the†best†in†young†Abe?
r Do† you† think† that† everybody† has† some† potential† in† them?† Some
people† take† the† initiative,† while† others† do† not† dare† to† showcase
their† talents.† What† do† you† think† are† the† reasons† for† this?† Write
down† your† views.
m Lack†of†opportunity m Lack† of† confidence
m m
* Lincoln† has† often† been† portrayed† as† a† ërail-splitter,í† wielding† a† heavy† axe† and† splitting
logs† to† make† rail† fences. †
** A† stump speech†was† a† speech† addressed† to† the† general† public† during† a† political† or
social† campaign,† where† political† candidates† stood† upon† tree† stumps†to† deliver† a† speech
---† the† custom† in† 19th† century† America.

9
 Textbook† for† Class† XI† -† ENGLISH

I. Read and reflect:

Letís read the story of a young seagull that was afraid to make its
first flight, and how its parents goaded it into action and thereby
equipped it to face the challenges of life.

HIS†FIRST†FLIGHT Liam†OíFlaherty

The†young†seagull†was
alone†on†his†ledge.†His
two† brothers† and† his
sister†had†already†flown
away†the†day†before.†He
had† been
ï Why†was†the†young†seagull
afraid†to†fly afraid† to† fly?
with† them.
Somehow,†when†he†had
taken† a† little† run
forward†to†the†brink†of†the†ledge†and†attempted†to†flap†his
wings,† he† became† afraid.† The† great† expanse† of† sea
stretched†down†beneath,†and†it†was†such†a†long†way†down
ó†miles†down.†He†felt†certain†that†his†wings†would†never
support†him;†so†he†bent†his†head†and†ran†away†back†to
the†little†hole†under†the†ledge†where†he†slept†at†night.
Even†when†each†of†his†brothers†and†his†little†sister,†whose
wings† were† far† shorter† than† his† own,† ran† to† the† brink,
flapped†their†wings,†and†flew†away,†he†failed†to†muster†up
courage† to† take† that† plunge† which† appeared ï What†did†the†parents†do†to
to† him† so† desperate.† His† father† and† mother motivate† the† young† bird
had† come† around† calling† to† him† shrilly, when†it†failed†to†muster†up
scolding†him,†threatening†to†let†him†starve†on enough†courage†to†fly?
his†ledge,†unless†he†flew†away.†But†for†the†life†of†him,†he
could†not†move.
That†was†twenty-four†hours†ago.†Since†then,†nobody†had
come†near†him.†The†day†before,†all†day†long, ï How† did† the† parents
he†had†watched†his†parents†flying†about†with support†and†encourage†the
his†brothers†and†sister,†perfecting†them†in†the young† seagullís† brothers
and† sister?
art† of† flight,† teaching† them† how† to† skim† the
waves†and†how†to†dive†for†fish.†He†had,†in†fact,†seen†his
older† brother† catch† his† first† herring† and† devour† it,
standing† on† a† rock,† while† his† parents† circled† around
raising† a† proud† cackle.† And† all† the† morning,† the† whole

10
 Unit†-†1†GLIMPSES†OF†GREATNESS

family†had†walked†about†on†the†big†plateau†midway†down
the†opposite†cliff,†laughing†at†his†cowardice.
The†sun†was†now†ascending†the†sky,†blazing†warmly†on
his†ledge†that†faced†the†south.†He†felt†the†heat†because
he† had† not† eaten† since† the† previous† nightfall.† Then,† he
had† found† a† dried† piece† of† mackerelís† tail† at
the†far†end†of†his†ledge.†Now,†there†was†not†a ï Cite† an† instance† which
shows† the† pathetic
single†scrap†of†food†left.†He†had†searched†every condition† of† the† young
inch,† rooting† among† the† rough,† dirt-caked bird.
straw† nest† where† he† and† his† brothers† and
sister† had† been† hatched.† He† even† gnawed† at† the† dried
pieces†of†eggshell.†It†was†like†eating†a†part†of†himself.
He†then†trotted†back†and†forth†from†one†end†of†the†ledge
to†the†other,†his†long†gray†legs†stepping†daintily,†trying†to
find†some†means†of†reaching†his†parents†without†having
to†fly.†But†on†each†side†of†him,†the†ledge†ended†in†a†sheer
fall† of† precipice,† with† the† sea† beneath.† And ï How† did† the† bird† try† to
between† him† and† his† parents,† there† was† a reach† its† parents† without
having†to††fly?
deep,†wide†crack.
Surely† he† could† reach† them† without† flying† if† he† could
only†move†northwards†along†the†cliff†face?†But†then,†on
what†could†he†walk?†There†was†no†ledge,†and
he†was†not†a†fly.†And†above†him,†he†could†see
ï Why†could†the†seagull†not
nothing.†The†precipice†was†sheer,†and†the†top succeed†in†its†attempt?
of†it†was,†perhaps,†farther†away†than†the†sea
beneath†him.
He† stepped† slowly† out† to† the† brink† of† the† ledge,† and,
standing†on†one†leg†with†the†other†leg†hidden†under†his
wing,†he†closed†one†eye,†then†the†other,†and†pretended†to
be†falling†asleep.†Still,†they†took†no†notice†of†him.†He†saw
his†two†brothers†and†his†sister†lying†on†the†plateau†dozing,
with† their† heads† sunk† into† their† necks.† His† father† was
preening†the†feathers†on†his†white†back.†Only†his†mother
was†looking†at†him.
She†was†standing†on†a†little†high†hump†on†the†plateau,
her†white†breast†thrust†forward.†Now†and†again,†she†tore
at† a† piece† of† fish† that† lay† at† her† feet,† and† then† scraped
each†side†of†her†beak†on†the†rock.†The†sight†of
ï Do†you†think†that†the†young
the†food†maddened†him.†How†he†loved†to†tear seagullís† parents† were
food†that†way,†scraping†his†beak†now†and†again cruel?

11
 Textbook† for† Class† XI† -† ENGLISH

to† whet† it!† He† uttered† a† low† cackle.† His† mother† cackled
too,†and†looked†at†him.
ëGa,†ga,†ga,í†he†cried,†begging†her†to†bring†him ï Can†you†justify†the†attitude
over† some† food.† ëGawl-ool-ah,í† she† screamed of†the†parents?
back†mockingly.†But†he†kept†calling†plaintively, ï Your† parents† sometimes
behave† in† the† same
and†after†a†minute†or†so,†he†uttered†a†joyful manner.† They† may† seem
scream.†His†mother†had†picked†up†a†piece†of cruel† and† unrelenting.
fish†and†was†flying†across†to†him†with†it.†He Does†it†mean†that†they†do
leaned†out†eagerly,†tapping†the†rock†with†his not†love†you?
feet,† trying† to† get† nearer† to† her† as† she† flew† across.† But
when†she†was†just†opposite†to†him,†abreast†of†the†ledge,
she†halted,†her†legs†hanging†limp,†her†wings†motionless,
the† piece† of† fish† in† her† beak† almost† within† reach† of† his
beak.
He† waited† a† moment† in† surprise,† wondering ï What†prompted†the†young
why† she† did† not† come† nearer,† and† then seagull† to† fly† finally?
maddened† by† hunger,† he† dived† at† the† fish.† With† a† loud
scream,†he†fell†outwards†and†downwards†into†space.†His
mother†had†swooped†upwards.†As†he†passed†beneath†her,
he†heard†the†swish†of†her†wings.
Then†a†monstrous†terror†seized†him†and†his†heart†stood
still.†He†could†hear†nothing.†But†it†only†lasted†a†moment.
The† next† moment,† he† felt† his† wings† spread
ï Why† was† the† young† bird
outwards.†The†wind†rushed†against†his†breast terrified?† How† did† it
feathers,†then†under†his†stomach†and†against overcome†its†fear?
his† wings.† He† could† feel† the† tips† of† his† wings† cutting
through†the†air.†He†was†not†falling†headlong†now.†He†was
soaring†gradually,†downwards†and†outwards.†He†was†no
longer†afraid.†He†just†felt†a†bit†dizzy.†Then,†he†flapped†his
wings†once†and†he†soared†upwards.
He†uttered†a†joyous†scream†and†flapped†them†again.†He
soared†higher.†He†raised†his†breast†and†banked ï How†did†the†family†support
against†the†wind.†ëGa,†ga,†ga.†Ga,†ga,†ga.í†ëGawl- the† seagull?
ool-ah.í† His† mother† swooped† past† him,† her
wings†making†a†loud†noise.†He†answered†her†with†another
scream.†Then,†his†father†flew†over†him†screaming.†Then,
he† saw† his† two† brothers† and† sister† flying† around† him,
soaring†and†diving.
Then,†he†completely†forgot†that†he†had†not†always†been
able† to† fly,† and† commenced† to† dive† and† soar,† shrieking
shrilly.

12
 Unit†-†1†GLIMPSES†OF†GREATNESS

He† was† near† the† sea† now,† flying† straight† over† it,† facing
out†over†the†ocean.†He†saw†a†vast†green†sea†beneath†him,
with†little†ridges†moving†over†it;†he†turned†his ï Why† couldnít† the† young
beak† sideways† and† crowed† amusedly.† His seagull†stand†on†the†green
parents†and†his†brothers†and†sister†had†landed sea?
on†this†green†floor†in†front†of†him.†They†were†beckoning†to
him,†calling†shrilly.†He†dropped†his†legs†to†stand†on†the
green†sea.†His†legs†sank†into†it.†He†screamed†with†fright
and† attempted† to† rise† again,† flapping† his ï Do†you†think†that†the†birdís
wings.†But†he†was†tired†and†weak†with†hunger parents†loved†him?†Why?
and†he†could†not†rise,†exhausted†by†the†strange
exercise.† His† feet† sank† into† the† green† sea,† and† then† his
belly†touched†it†and†he†sank†no†farther.
He† was† floating† on† it.† And† around† him,† his† family† was
screaming,† praising† him,† and† their† beaks† were† offering
him†scraps†of†dog-fish.
He†had†made†his†first†flight.

Your teacher will help you watch the

visualisation of the story.

Glossary: About the Author

ledge†(n) : a†narrow†horizontal Liam† OíFlaherty†(1896-
projection† from† a† vertical 1984)†was††an†Irish†novelist
surface and† a† short-story† writer.
His† works† are† noted† for
muster†up†(v) : gather their†psychological†insight
skim† (v) : glide into†lifeís†problems†and†the
trot†(v) : run†at†a†moderate†pace ways†of†overcoming†them.
precipice† (n) : very†steep†rock†face/cliff His First Flight†relates†the†importance
preen†(v) : clean of†independence†and†self-confidence,
as†well†as†the†need†to†remain†involved
whet†(v) : sharpen in†family†life.†Through†the†story†of†the
plaintively†(adv) : sadly birds,†the†writer†conveys†the†importance
monstrous†(adj) : frightening of†self-esteem†and†self-reliance.

Activity I (Read† and† respond)

m What† is† the† theme† of† the† story?
m What† do† you† think† is† the† real† crisis† faced† by† the† young† bird?
m What† is† your† impression† of† the† reaction† of† the† parents† in† the
story?

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 Textbook† for† Class† XI† -† ENGLISH

m Identify† the† words† or† expressions† used† in† the† story† to† express
thoughts,† attitudes,† movements,† sounds,† emotions,† appearance,
descriptions† of† the† birds/† places,† etc.
e.g.†description†of†the†young†seagull's†legs†as†ëlong†gray,톆the†ledge†as
ëa†sheer†fall†of†precipice,톆its†walk†as†ëtrotted†back†and†forth,í†etc.
m Do† you† think† such† expressions† make† the† narrative† more† effective
and† engage† your† interest† and† attention?
m What† is† the† message† of† the† story?
Activity II† (Review)

r Based†on†the†discussion,†prepare†a†review of†the†story.

Activity III (Tree† diagram)

r Read† the† story† once† again.† Identify† the† factors† that† prevented
the† seagull† from† flying† and† those† that† favoured† his† flight.† Now,
complete† the† tree diagram.

Seagullís life

failure success

fear need

Activity IV (Think† and† respond)

m Do† you† believe† that† you† also† can† fly† high† in† your† life?
m What†sort†of†support†do†you†expect†from†your†family?
m Can† their† support† alone† help† you† in† fulfilling† your† ambition?
m What† do† you† think† are† the† requirements† to† attain† success† in† life?
Write† them† below:
m m

m m

m m

14
 Unit†-†1†GLIMPSES†OF†GREATNESS

II. Read and reflect:

Letís examine what Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam has to tell us about
being successful and unique.

I†WILL†FLY
Dr†A.†P.†J.†Abdul†Kalam
When†I†wish†upon†a†star,
Makes†no†difference†who†I†am.
Anything†my†heart†desires
Will†come†to†me.
Dear† friends,
I† realize† how† the† contributions† of† the† youth† in† the† past
have† continuously† contributed† to† the† world† of† today† in
many† fields.† I† would† like† to† assert† that†no† youth† today
needs† to† fear† about† the† future.† Why?† The ï Why† does† Dr.† Kalam† say
ignited†mind†of†the†youth†is†the†most†powerful that†ëNo†youth†needs†to†fear
about†the†futureí?
resource† on† the† earth,† under† the† earth,† and
above†the†earth.†Dear†young†friends,†I†would†like†to†talk
to†you†on†the†topic†ëI†am†born†with†wings.í
Last†year,†I†went†to†a†village†to†inaugurate†a†programme
called† Sasthrayaan,† which† means† ëthe† propagation† of
Scienceí.† The† mission† of† Sasthrayaan† was† to ï What† was† the† mission† of
ensure†the†preparation†of†about†two†thousand ëSasthrayaaní?
students† from† different† schools,† towards
making†them†eligible†to†be†engineers,†scientists,†doctors,
qualified† managers,† and† civil† servants.† This
action† would,† in† turn,† empower† about† two ï Dr††Kalamís†talk†was†on†the
thousand†families†of†the†village.†My†inaugural topic† ëScience† Empowers
the† Nation.í† How† does
address†to†a†mixed†audience,†consisting†of†five science† empower† the
thousand†students†and†their†family†members, nation?
was† on† the† topic,† ëScience† Empowers† the
Nationí.
After† my† address,† hundreds† of† hands† were† raised† for
asking†questions.†Due†to†the†limited†availability†of†time,†I
selected†twelve†students†at†random,†from†the†last†row†to
the†first,†to†ask†questions.†I†would†like†to†share†with†you
one† question† of† great† concern† which† was† asked† by† a
student.
The†question†was†from†a†teenager†who†had†come†from†a
far† away† village.† He† was† nervous† and† a† typical
representative† of† the† youth† of† India.† The† boy† began

15
 Textbook† for† Class† XI† -† ENGLISH

speaking,†ëSir,†I†donít†know†what†I†should†ask. ï Why† couldnít† the† boy

I†am†nervous.†I†have†not†asked†any†question†in gather†confidence?
ï If† you† were† there,† would
my†class.†I†need†to†have†confidence,†but†I†have you†dare†to†ask†Dr†Kalam†a
not† gained† any† confidence† through† my question?
education† during† all† these† years.† I† am† afraid
to†talk†to†my†teachers,†I†am†afraid†to†talk†to†my†friends.
Whenever† I† talk,† I† compare† myself† with† other† students
and†their†elegant†dress.†Please†tell†me.†I†want†to†become
a†marine†engineer.†I†want†to†travel†in†a†ship.†I†want†to†be
the† captain† of† the† ship.† I† want† to† build† the
engine† of† the† ship.† Shall† I† be† able† to† do† all ï What† was† the† boyís
these,† sir?† How† can† I† achieve† this† mission? concern?
What†should†I†do?í†When†the†boy†completed†the†question,
the† entire† audience† and† the† dignitaries† on† the† dais,
including† the† Chief† Minister,† were† looking† at† me
wondering† what† Kalam† was† going† to† say† to
the†sincere†question†of†a†young†village†boy. ï Why†did†the†audience†look
at†Dr†Kalam†when†the†boy
I† thought† of† it,† and† breaking† the† silence,† I completed†the†question?
said,†ëMy†dear†friend,†you†have†put†the†most
difficult†question†among†the†many†questions†that†I†have
received†from†millions†and†millions†of†students
ï Why† did† Dr† Kalam† value
whom†I†have†met.†I†value†your†question.†I†know the†boyís†question?
you† are† echoing† the† fear† of† many.† Let† me
recite†a†beautiful†ancient†poem†named†ëI†will†flyí.
I†am†born†with†potential.
I†am†born†with†goodness†and†trust.†
I†am†born†with†ideas†and†dreams.†
I†am†born†with†greatness.
I†am†born†with†confidence.†
I†am†born†with†wings.†
So,†I†am†not†meant†for†crawling,†
I†have†wings,†I†will†fly†
I†will†fly†and†fly.
Young†friends,†let†me†discuss†with†you,†how†you†can†be
unique.† I† have,† so† far,† met† fifteen† million† youth† in† a
decadeís†time.†I†learnt,†ëEvery†youth†wants†to†be†unique,
that† is† YOU!í† But† the† world† all† around† you† is† doing† its
best,†day†and†night,†to†make†you†just†ëeverybody†elseí.†In
your† home,† dear† young† fellows,† you† are† asked† by† your
parents† to† be† like† the† neighboursí† children† for† scoring
good†marks.†When†you†go†to†school,†your†teacher
ï How†can†you†be†unique?

16
 Unit†-†1†GLIMPSES†OF†GREATNESS

says,† ëWhy† donít† you† become† like† the About the Author
first† five† rankers† in† the† class?í
Wherever†you†go,†people†say,†ëYou†have Dr†A.†P.†J.†Abdul†Kalam
to†be†somebody†else†or†everybody†elseí. Dr† Kalam,† the† former
Now,†dear†young†friends,†how†many†of President† of† India,† is† a
distinguished† † scientist,
you†would†like†to†be†unique†yourself? well-known† for† his
significant† contribution
The†challenge,†my†dear†young†friends, to†the†field†of†space†research.†His†vision
is† that† you† have† to† fight† the† hardest is†to†transform†India†into†a†developed
nation†by†2020.
battle†which†any†human†being†can†ever
Born† on† 15† October,† 1931,† at
imagine,† and† never† stop† fighting† until Rameswaram† in† Tamil† Nadu,
you†arrive†at†your†destined†place,†that Abdul† Kalam† specialised† in
Aeronautical† Engineering† from† the
is,†a†UNIQUE†YOU! Madras† Institute† of † Technology.† He
became†Professor†of †Technology†and
(Adapted) Societal† Transformation† at† Anna
University,†and†was†involved†in†teaching
and†research.
Glossary:
dais†(n) : platform/stage
propagate†(v) : spread/†promote

Activity I (Think† and† respond)

m Are† you† confident† enough† to† ask† questions† or† express† your† views
in†public?
m Have† you† ever† felt† inferior† to† others† in† any† way?
m How† can† you† overcome† your† fear† or† inhibition?
m What† is† your† ambition† in† life?
m Are† you† confident† that† you† can† fulfil† your† dream?
m How†do†you†think†you†can†attain†your†goal?

Activity II (Speech)
r Imagine†that†you†get†the†opportunity†to†address†Class†X†students
before† their† public† examination.† On† the† basis† of
Dr† Kalamís† message,† prepare† a† speech to† motivate† and† prepare
them† for† the† examination.

Activity III (E-mail)

r You†get†inspired†by†Dr†A.†P.†J.†Abdul†Kalamís†message†and†decide
to† communicate† your† thoughts† and† ideas† to† your† friend† who† is
studying† abroad.† Draft† an† e-mail to† your† friend.

17
 Textbook† for† Class† XI† -† ENGLISH

III. Read and reflect:

Dr Kalam exhorts everybody to be unique in his/ her own way. There
are many people who have proved their uniqueness even while
fighting adversities and limitations. Stephen Hawkingís profile
reveals how he has overcome his disabilities to become the
ësupernovaí of physics.

QUEST†FOR†A†THEORY†OF†EVERYTHING

Kitty†Gail†Ferguson

In† the† Cockcroft† Lecture† Room,† on

April† 29,† 1980,† scientists† and
university† dignitaries† gathered† in
steep† tiers† of† seats,† facing† a† two-
storey† wall† of† chalkboard† and† slide
screen.† The† occasion† was† the
inaugural† lecture† by† a† new† Lucasian† Professor† of
Mathematics,†the†thirty†eight-year-old†mathematician†and
physicist,†Stephen†Hawking.
The† title† of† the† lecture† was† a† question:† ëIs† the† End† in
Sight† for† Theoretical† Physics?í† Hawking† startled† his
listeners†by†announcing†that†he†thought†it†was.†He†invited
them† to† join† him† in† a† sensational† escape† through† time
and†space†to†find†the†Holy†Grail*†of†science:†the ï How† did† Hawking† startle
theory† that† explains† the† universe,† and the†audience?
everything†that†happens†in†it.
Stephen†Hawking†sat†silently†in†a†wheelchair ï Stephen† Hawking† did† not
appear† to† be† a† promising
while† one† of† his† students† read† his† lecture† to choice† to† lead† any
the†assembled†company.†Judged†by†appearance adventure.†Why?
alone,†Hawking†didnít†seem†a†promising†choice
to†lead†any†adventure. ï Can†a†person†be†judged†by
appearance† alone?† Justify
Stephen† William† Hawking† was† born† on† 8 your†response.
January,†1942,†in†Oxford,†England.†It†was†exactly†three
hundred† years† after† the† death† of† Galileo,† the† father† of
modern† science.
Frank† and† Isobel† Hawking,† Stephenís† parents† were† not
*† Holy† Grail-† (in† medieval† legend)† the† cup† said† to† be† used† by† Jesus† Christ† at† the† Last† Supper

18
 Unit†-†1†GLIMPSES†OF†GREATNESS

wealthy,†but†they†believed†in†the†value†of†education.†So
they†planned†for†Stephen†to†go†to†Westminster,†a†famous
public† school† in† the† heart† of† London.† Unfortunately,
Stephen†was†ill†at†the†time†of†the†scholarship†examination
for† Westminster.† Therefore,† he† attended† the† local† Saint
Albanís†School.
By†the†time†he†was†eight,†he†was†thinking†seriously†about
becoming†a†scientist.†Frank†Hawking†encouraged†his†son
to†follow†him†into†medicine,†but†Stephen†found†biology†too
imprecise.†He†wanted†a†subject†in†which†he ï What† do† you† learn† about
could†look†for†exact†answers†and†get†to†the Stephen† Hawking ís
root†of†things. childhood?

Young†Stephen†was†no†prodigy.†He†was†just†an†ordinary
English† school† boy,† slow† in† learning† to† read,† his
handwriting†the†despair†of†his†teachers!†He†was†ranked
no†more†than†halfway†up†in†his†class,†though†he†now†says
in†his†own†defence,†ëIt††was†a†very†bright†class.í
At† fourteen,† Stephen† knew† that† he† would† pursue
mathematics†and†physics.†His†father†called†this†impractical
for† there† were† no† jobs† in† mathematics† except† teaching.
Moreover,† he† wanted† his† son† to† attend† his† own† college
and†Oxford†offered†no†mathematics.†He†followed†his†fatherís
advice† and† studied† chemistry,† physics† and† only† a† little
mathematics,†in†preparation†for†the†entrance†into†Oxford.
He† did† well† in† physics† and† the† interview† was† brilliantly
accepted.
In†1959,†at†the†age†of†seventeen,†Hawking†went†to†Oxford
to†study†natural†science†and†to†specialize†in†physics.†He
joined†University†College,†his†fatherís†college†and†the†oldest
at†Oxford,†founded†in†1249†AD.
Nevertheless,† for† about† a† year† and† a† half, ï Comment†on†Hawkingís†life
Hawking† was† lonely† and† bored.† He† was† not at†Oxford.
inspired† to† relieve† his† boredom† by† exerting† himself
academically.† But† halfway† through† his† second† year,† he
began†enjoying†Oxford.
He†became†popular†and†well-accepted†among†his†peers.
They† remember† him† as† lively,† buoyant,† and
adaptable.†He†wore†his†hair†long,†was†famous ï What† opinion† did
Hawkingís††peers†at†Oxford
for†his†wit,†liked†classical†music†and†science have†about†him?
fiction,†and†took†part†in†sports.

19
 Textbook† for† Class† XI† -† ENGLISH

However,† at† the† end† of† the† third† year,† Hawking† almost
floundered.† He† selected† theoretical† physics† as† his
specialty.†He†had†then†applied†to†do†a†Ph.D.†at†Cambridge
and†was†accepted†on†condition†that†he†got†a†ëFirstí†from
Oxford.†Hawking†was†confident†that†he†could†get†through
successfully.†But†as†the†examination†day†approached,†his
confidence†failed.†Hawking†ended†up†disastrously†on†the
borderline†between†a†first†and†a†second.
Faced†with†a†borderline†result,†the†examiners†summoned
Hawking†for†an†interview†and†questioned†him†about†his
plans.†In†spite†of†the†tenseness†of†the†situation,
ï Cite† an† example† to† prove
Hawking†managed†to†come†up†with†the†kind†of that†Stephen†Hawking†was
remark† for† which† he† was† famous† among† his sharp-witted.† Did† his† wit
friends.†ëIf†I†get†a†first,†I†shall†go†to†Cambridge. help†him†in†any†way?
If†I†receive†a†second,†I†will†remain†at†Oxford.†So†I†expect
that† you† will† give† me† a† first.í† He† got† his† ëFirstí† and† he
went†to†Cambridge.
His† first† year† at† Cambridge† was† worse† than
that† at† Oxford.† His† slipshod† mathematical ï Stephenís† first† year† at
Cambridge†was†worse†than
background†caught†up†with†him,†and†he†found that†at†Oxford.†Why†?
general†relativity†extremely†tough.†Another†far
more†disastrous†problem†arose†then.†During†his†third†year
at† Oxford,† Hawking† started† getting† clumsy.† Heíd† fallen
once† or† twice† for† no† apparent† reason.† The† following
autumn,† at† Cambridge,† he† had† trouble† tying† his† shoes
and†sometimes,†he†had†difficulty†talking.
Shortly†after†his†twenty-first†birthday†in†1963, ï How† did† tragedy† strike
Hawking†contracted†a†rare†disease,†amyotrophic Hawking† shortly† after† his
lateral†sclerosis,†for†which†there†was†no†known twenty†first†birthday?
cure.†It†caused†a†gradual†disintegration†of†the†nerve†cells
in†the†spinal†cord†and†the†brain.†At†first,†he†went†into†a
deep†depression.†He†did†not†know†what†he†ought†to†do,†or
what†his†future†would†be†like.
ëMy† dreams† at† that† time† were† rather† confused,í† he
admitted.†ëBefore†my†condition†was†diagnosed,†I†had†been
very† bored† with† life.† There† did† not† seem† to† be† anything
worth† doing.† But† shortly† after† I† came† out† of† hospital,† I
dreamt† that† I† was† going† to† be† executed.† I ï What†drastic†change†came
suddenly† realized† that† there† were† a† lot† of over† Hawking† after† the
worthwhile† things† to† do,† if† I† were† reprieved. diagnosis† of† the† disease?

20
 Unit†-†1†GLIMPSES†OF†GREATNESS

Another† recurring† dream† was† the† idea† of ï What† trait† of† Hawking's
sacrificing†my†life†to†save†others.†After†all,†if†I character† do† you† note
were†going†to†die,†I†might†as†well†do†some†good.í here?
Hawkingís†doctors†hoped†that†his†condition†would†stabilize,
but† the† disease† aggravated† rapidly.† They† soon† informed
him†that†he†had†only†about†two†more†years†to†live.
Two† years† passed.† The† progression† of† the† disease† had
slowed.†ëI†didnít†die.†In†fact,†although†there†was†a†cloud
hanging†over†my†future,†I†found†to†my†surprise†that†I†was
enjoying† life† in† the† present,† more† than† beforeí.† Total
disability† and† death,† though† still† a† not-too-distant
certainty,† were† postponed.† Hawking† had† his† reprieve,† a
precarious†and†a†temporary†one,†but†life†was†precious.
At† a† New† Yearís† party† at† Saint† Albanís,† just† before† he
entered† the† hospital† for† tests,† Hawking† met ï What†was†Janeís†impression
Jane†Wilde.†To†her,†this†dishevelled†graduate of†Hawking?
student† seemed† terribly† intelligent,† eccentric
and†rather†arrogant.†But†he†was†interesting†and†she†liked
his†wit.
When† Jane† met† him† again† after† his† discharge† from† the
hospital,† he† was† really† in† a† pathetic† state.† ëI† think† heís
lost†his†will†to†live.†He†was†very†confused,í†she ï Write† a† note† on† the
commented.†She†was†not,†however,†put†off†by character†of†Jane.
his† physical† or† mental† condition.† She† was† rather† a† shy
teenager,† serious-minded,† with† a† strong† faith† in† God
ingrained†from†childhood†by†her†mother,†and†a†belief†that
good†can†come†out†of†any†adversity.
Hawking† admired† her† optimism† and† their† friendship
developed†slowly.†After†a†while,†the†two†began†to†realize,
in†Janeís†words,†ëthat†together,†we†could†make ï How† did† Janeís† optimism
something†worthwhile.í†For†Stephen,†that†made influence†Hawking?
ëall†the†difference.í†He†applied†for†a†research†fellowship†at
Caius,†one†of†the†colleges†in†Cambridge†University.
In†1965,†at†the†age†of†twenty-three,†Hawking†received†his
fellowship†at†Caius.†And†in†July†of†the†same†year,†Jane
and†he†were†married.
People† who† remember† Hawking† in† the† University† in† the
late†1960s,†recall†him†making†his†way†around†the†corridors
with†a†cane,†supporting†himself†against†the†wall.†He†spoke
with†what†sounded†like†a†slight†speech†impediment.†But

21
 Textbook† for† Class† XI† -† ENGLISH

more†than†that,†they†remember†his†brashness†in†sessions
involving†some†of†the†worldís†most†distinguished†scientists.
While†other†young†researchers†kept†a†reverential†silence,
Hawking† daringly† asked† unexpected† and† penetrating
questions.†He†clearly†knew†what†he†was†talking ï Is† Stephen† Hawking† really
about.† His† reputation† as† ëa† genius,í† ëanother a† great† mind† on† par† with
Einstein,í†began†then. the† likes† of† Einstein† and
Newton.† Justify† your
In†1980,†a†practical†need†for†funds†launched answer.
him†into†a†new†enterprise†that†was†to†have†a
far†reaching†impact†on†the†Hawkings†and†others†all†over
the†world.†He†thought†of†writing†a†book†about†the†universe,
about†the†most†interesting†questions†that†had†made†him
want†to†study†cosmology†and†quantum†theory:†Where†did
the†universe†come†from?††Is†the†universe†infinite†or†does
it†have†any†boundaries?†Will†it†come†to†an†end; ï List† the† interesting† facts
if† so,† how?† Is† there† a† complete† theory† of† the dealt† with† in† Hawkingís
universe† and† everything† in† it?† Is† there† a book.
beginning†of†Time?†Could†time†run†back?†The†book†begins
by†rewinding†the†great†theories†of†the†cosmos†from†Newton
to† Einstein.† He† wrote† the† book† to† make† science
understandable†to†non-scientists.
He†completed†the†first†draft†in†1984.†While†the†revision
process†was†going†on,†he†made†a†trip†to†Switzerland.†There
he†was†down†with†pneumonia†and†was†left†on†a†life-support
system.†Doctors†gave†a†choice†as†to†whether†a†tracheotomy
operation† which† would† remove† his† windpipe† should† be
conducted†or†not.†It†might†save†his†life,†but†afterwards†he
would†never†again†be†able†to†speak†or†make†a†vocal†sound.
With†grave†misgivings,†Jane†consented.
ëThe†future†looked†very†bleak,í†Jane†remarked. ï What†could†have†been†the
Hawking†could†no†longer†breathe†through†his misgivings†of†Jane?
mouth†and†nose,†but†only†through†a†permanent
opening†made†in†his†throat.†After†many†weeks†of†intensive
care,†he†went†home†to†join†Jane†and†his†three†children.
He† was† still† too† weak† and† ill† to† continue† his ï How† could† he† overcome
research.†Walt†Woltosz,†a†computer†expert†in his† difficulties† after† the
California,† sent† him† a† programme† he† had tracheotomy†operation?
developed,† called† the† Equalizer,† which† allowed† Hawking
to†select†words†from†the†screen.
He† thought† he† would† be† unable† to† finish† his† book.

22
 Unit†-†1†GLIMPSES†OF†GREATNESS

With†the†support†of†his†student†Brian†Whitt,†A†Brief†History
of†Time†was†published†in†1988.†September,†2005,†saw†the
release†of†an†abridged†version†of†the†original†book.†This
version†was†updated†to†address†the†new†issues†that†had
arisen†due†to†further†scientific†developments.
One†will†encounter†a†multitude†of†paradoxes†in†the†book:
ëIn† science† and† with† people,† things† are† often† not† what
they†seem,†and†pieces†that†ought†to†fit†together†refuse†to
do†so.†Youíll†learn†that†beginnings†may†be†endings;†cruel
circumstances†can†lead†to†happiness,†although†fame†and
success† may† not;† two† great† scientific† theories† taken
together† seem† to† give† us† nonsense;† empty† space† isnít
empty;† black† holes† arenít† black;† and† a† man
ï Mention† some† of† the
whose† appearance† inspires† shock† and† pity unique† ideas† and
takes†us†laughing†to†where†the†boundaries†of paradoxes† put† forward† by
time†and†space†ought†to†be,†but†are†not.í Stephen†Hawking.

It† is† of† course† a† miracle† that† Hawking† has† been† able† to
achieve†everything†he†has;†that†he†is†still†alive.†However,
when† you† experience† his† intelligence† and† humour,† you
begin†to†take†his†unusual†mode†of†communication†and†his
obviously†catastrophic†physical†problems†no†more†seriously
than†he†seems†to†himself.†That†is†exactly†the
way† he† wants† it.† He† chooses† to† ignore† the ï What† was† Hawking's
difficulty† and† he† expects† others† to† adopt† the attitude† to† his† disability?
How†do†you†estimate†it†in†a
same† attitude. wider†social†context?
Stephen† Hawking† has† overcome† his† crippling
disease†to†become†the†ësupernovaí†of†world†physics.
(Adapted)
About the Author
Kitty†Gail†Ferguson†is†a†science†writer,
lecturer† and† a† former
professional†musician.† She† has
authored† numerous† science† books
including†books†on†biographical†facts.
Your teacher will help you watch the Fergusonís†works†are†recognized†for
visualisation of the profile. their†degree†of †detail†and†accuracy.†She
is†known†for†her†ability†to†explain†very
complicated†scientific†concepts.

23
 Textbook† for† Class† XI† -† ENGLISH

Glossary:
apparent†(adj) : clear
brashness†(n) : boldness
buoyant†(adj) : cheerful
dishevelled†(adj) : untidy
flounder†(v) : struggle
imprecise† (adj) : inexact
misgivings† (n) : doubts
penetrating†(adj) : sharp
precarious†(adj) : unstable
prodigy†(adj) : genius
reprieve† (n) : release
slipshod†(adj) : careless
summon†(v) : call
supernova†(n) : a†star†that†suddenly†becomes†brighter†(often,†because
of†an†explosion)

Activity I† (Writing)
r Attempt†an†assessment†of†the†personality†of†Hawking†in†a†short
paragraph.
Activity II (Timeline)
r List† the† facts† you† have† learned† about† Stephen† Hawking,† in
chronological†order,†in†the†timeline given†below:

2005 Release of the abridged version of

‘A Brief History of Time’

1959

1950
1942 Birth

24
 Unit†-†1†GLIMPSES†OF†GREATNESS

r Now,†look†at†the†list†you†have†made.†What†facts†do†the†readers
expect†in†a†profile?
ï Date† of† birth
ï ....................
ï ....................
ï ....................
ï ....................
ï ....................
ï ....................† etc.
Activity III † (Interview)
r Read†the†excerpt†from†the†interview†of†Stephen†Hawking†by†Kitty
Gail† Ferguson.† She† interviews† him† to† collect† details† for† his
biography.† Find† out† Stephenís† responses† from† the† profile† and
complete†the†interview.
Interviewer : Shortly† after† your† twenty-first† birthday,† your† doctors
diagnosed† that† you† had† amyotrophic† lateral† sclerosis,
a† rare† disease† for† which† there† is† no† known† cure.† How
did† you† react† to† the† diagnosis?† How† did† you† manage
to† cope† with† the† situation?
Interviewee : ...............................................................................
...............................................................................
...............................................................................
Interviewer : What†made†you†think†that†life†was†precious?†Can†you
recollect† any† † particular† instance† in† your† life† that
has† become† crucial?
Interviewee : ...............................................................................
...............................................................................
...............................................................................
Interviewer : It† is† said† that† you† wrote† a† book† to† make† science
understandable† to† non-scientists.† Is† that† so?
Interviewee : ...............................................................................
...............................................................................
...............................................................................
r Now,† prepare† a† set† of† questions,† and† conduct† † an† interview with
a† person† who† has† become† successful† in† any† field† in† your† locality.
You† can† identify† people† who† became† successful† in† any† walk
of† life,† such† as† farming/† entrepreneurship/† the† civil† services/
competitive† examinations,† etc.

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 Textbook† for† Class† XI† -† ENGLISH

Activity IV† (Profile)

Using† the† responses† you† received† from† the† person† you
interviewed,† prepare† his/her† profile.
Activity V (Speech)
r Read† the† following† statements† from† the† profile† of† Stephen
Hawking.
ëShortly† after† I† came† out† of† hospital,† I† dreamt† that† I† was
going† to† be† executed.† I† suddenly† realized† that† there† were† a
lot† of† worthwhile† things† I† could† do.í
Can†you†find†out†similar†incidents†that†happened†in†the†lives†of†other
great† people† (such† as† Helen† Keller,† Wilma† Rudolf,† Valentina
Tereshkova,† etc.).† Prepare† a† short† speech on† any† one† of† them† so† as
to† deliver† it† before† the† school† assembly.
Activity VI (Group† Discussion)
r Now,† conduct† a† group discussion† on† the† topic† ëAdversities† in† life
should† make† you† better,† not† bitter.í
Tips
The† Group† Discussion† is† a† comprehensive† tool† for† assessing† a
candidateís† personality.† Most† organizations† today† are† very† clear
about† the† skills† and† knowledge† that† they† look† for† in† a† candidate,
while†screening.†The†GD†has†become†a†part†of†the†selection†process
for† admission† to† any† reputed† institution.
Skills†judged†in†Group†Discussions
ï how† good† you† are† at† communication
ï how† you† behave† and† interact† with† others
ï how† open-minded† you† are
ï your† listening† skills
ï the† way† you† present† your† views
ï your† leadership† and† decision† making† capacity
ï your† knowledge† of† the† subject† and† ability† to† analyze
ï problem† solving† and† critical† thinking† skills
ï your† attitude† and† confidence

Your teacher will help you watch the visualisation of model GDs

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 Unit†-†1†GLIMPSES†OF†GREATNESS

Activity VII (Cohesive† devices)

r Note† the† use† of† words† like† ëmoreoverí,† ëneverthelessí,† ëhoweverí,
etc.† in† the† profile.† These† words† which† show† the† relationship
between† sentences† and† hold† a† text† together,† are† known† as
cohesive devices.† Identify† a† few† such† expressions/words† and
complete† the† following.
Words used Writerís purpose Whether effective or not
........................... ........................... ...........................
........................... ........................... ...........................
........................... ........................... ...........................

A† table† showing† commonly† used† Cohesive† devices† for† different† func-

tions† are† given† below.† You† may† add† more.

Function Cohesive devices

Reason/† Cause† and† Effect because† of/† as/† since/† due† to/
owing† to/for/† ...
Result so/as† a† result/† therefore/
consequently/† ...
in†order†(not)†to†/†so/so†that/†so†as
Purpose (not)† to/† ...
even†though/†but/†however/†while/
Contrast/† Qualify nevertheless/† yet/† although/† in
spite† of/† despite/† though/
whereas/† still/† ...
Contradicting on† the† contrary/† even† so/† ...
and/† too/† moreover/† also/
Adding furthermore/† in† addition† to/
besides/† ...
for† instance/† for† example/in
Illustrating
particular/† ...
Comparing similarly/† in† the† same† way/
likewise/† like/† equally/† ...
on† the† whole/† in† some† cases/† in
Generalising general/† in† all† /† many/† most/
broadly† speaking/† ...
firstly/† secondly/† lastly,† etc./† first
Sequencing† /† Structuring of† all/† finally/† to† begin† with/† to
start† with/† meanwhile/† then/
after/† subsequently/† ...

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 Textbook† for† Class† XI† -† ENGLISH

Letís practise

r Choose† the† correct† cohesive† devices† from† the† box† given† to

complete†the†sentences.†Each†one†is†to†be†used†only††once.

moreover firstly
on† the† other† hand whereas
at† last then
however actually
besides though

1. I† had† a† terrible† day† at† work† and† lost† my† umbrella† too.
______† I† spoke† to† that† nice† guy† who† works† in† the† coffee
shop.
2. Television† turns† people† into† lazy† couch† potatoes.† ______,
there† are† some† educational† programmes† on.
3. ______,† I† would† like† to† welcome† you† all† to† the† conference
today.
4. ______† the† film† was† a† little† boring,† we† still† had† a† nice
evening† out.
5. I've† always† known† Caroline† as† a† miser.† ______,† she† lent
me† † 1000† yesterday† without† my† having† to† ask† twice!
6. I† got† up† at† 9† o'clock† yesterday† and† had† a† cold† shower.
______,† I† had† breakfast† and† left† for† work.
7. My† brother† works† in† a† large† office† ______† I† work† on† my
own† at† home.
8. Why† do† you† think† I† don't† want† to† go† out† tonight?† ______,
I† would† be† delighted† to† get† out† of† the† house.
9. You† should† participate† in† the† school† youth† festival† as† it
gives† you† a† chance† to† meet† many† people.† ______,† it† gives
you† an† opportunity† to† showcase† your† talents.
10.† I† don't† want† to† go† to† the† football† game.† Football† bores† me
and† I† don't† want† to† pay† 40† for† a† ticket.† ______,† look† at
the† weather!† All† that† rain!

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 Unit†-†1†GLIMPSES†OF†GREATNESS

Activity VIII† (Collocation)

r Look†at†the†expressions†used†in†the†biography†of†Stephen†Hawking.
ëStephen† Hawking† has† overcome† his† crippling† disease† to† become† the
supernova† of† world† physics.í
The† words† in† italics† go† together.† In† other† words,† crippling† collocates
with† disease.
Given† below† are† a† set† of† collocations which† can† be† used† to† express
ësuccessí:
crowning† achievement/† dramatic† improvement/† made† a
breakthrough/† brilliant† success/† enjoy† the† fruits† of† hard
work/†brought†out†the†best/†won†the†respect†of/†remarkable
achievement

Letís practise
Arunís† teacher† is† talking† about† his† merit† and† achievement
to† his† parents† while† giving† the† end-of-term† report.† Imagine
what† the† teacher† would† say,† and† complete† the† sentences
using†suitable†collocations†from†those†given†in†the†box†above.
Arun† has† ______† in† Maths† this† year,† doing† excellent† work
compared†to†last†year.†It†is,†of†course,†a† ______†on†his†part.
This† year† has† seen† a† ______† in† Arunís† English.
His† ______† is† his† performance† in† the† schoolís† staging† † of
ëOthelloí.
He† has† found† some† effective† ways
of† working† with† natural† materials
this† year,† and† his† self-portrait† is Collocation† is† the† way† in
a† ______ which† some† words† are† used
He† is† now† able† to† ______.† Playing together† or† in† combination.
for† the† school† cricket† team† has e.g.† ëcommit† a† crimeí† is† a
certainly† ______ † in† him† and† he standard† collocation† in
rightly†______†of†all†his†teammates. English.†(ëDid†a†crimeí†is†not.)

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 Textbook† for† Class† XI† -† ENGLISH

IV. Read and enjoy:

We have read about a few great personalities and identified some
of the qualities of greatness. ëIfí is a didactic poem which suggests
the idea of conditional fulfillment, where the poet describes the
traits of the perfect man. Enjoy reading the poem.

IF
Rudyard† Kipling
If†you†can†keep†your†head†when†all†about†you
Are†losing†theirs†and†blaming†it†on†you;
If†you†can†trust†yourself†when†all†men†doubt†you,
But†make†allowance†for†their†doubting†too:
If†you†can†wait†and†not†be†tired†by†waiting,
Or,†being†lied†about,†donít†deal†in†lies,
Or†being†hated†donít†give†way†to†hating,
And†yet†donít†look†too†good,†nor†talk†too†wise;
If†you†can†dream†−†and†not†make†dreams†your†master;
If†you†can†think†−†and†not†make†thoughts†your†aim,
If†you†can†meet†with†Triumph†and†Disaster
And†treat†those†two†impostors†just†the†same:
If†you†can†bear†to†hear†the†truth†youíve†spoken
Twisted†by†knaves†to†make†a†trap†for†fools,
Or†watch†the†things†you†gave†your†life†to,†broken,
And†stoop†and†build†íem†up†with†worn-out†tools;
If†you†can†make†one†heap†of†all†your†winnings
And†risk†it†on†one†turn†of†pitch-and-toss,
And†lose,†and†start†again†at†your†beginnings,
And†never†breathe†a†word†about†your†loss:
If†you†can†force†your†heart†and†nerve†and†sinew
To†serve†your†turn†long†after†they†are†gone,
And†so†hold†on†when†there†is†nothing†in†you
Except†the†Will†which†says†to†them:†ìHold†on!î
If†you†can†talk†with†crowds†and†keep†your†virtue,
Or†walk†with†Kings†−†nor†lose†the†common†touch,
If†neither†foes†nor†loving†friends†can†hurt†you,
If†all†men†count†with†you,†but†none†too†much:
If†you†can†fill†the†unforgiving†minute
With†sixty†secondsí†worth†of†distance†run,
Yours†is†the†Earth†and†everything†thatís†in†it,
And†−†which†is†more†−†youíll†be†a†Man,†my†son!

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 Unit†-†1†GLIMPSES†OF†GREATNESS

Glossary: About the Author

build†íem†up : build†them†up
Joseph† Rudyard
impostor†(n) : a†person†who†pretends†to Kipling† (1865ñ1936),
be† someone† else an† English† short-story
knave† (n) : a†dishonest†man writer,† poet,† and
novelist,† is† chiefly
making†allowance†for remembered†for†his†tales
their†doubting : understand†their†doubts and† poems† of†British
soldiers†in†India†and†his
sinew† (n) : (here)† something† that tales†for†children.
gives†strength†or†support
Kiplingís†ëIf,í†perhaps†his†most†famous
poem,†attracted†immediate†nationwide
Your teacher will help you to listen to the attention,†and†it†soon†became†a†popular
recitation of the poem. anthem.

Activity I (Read† and† respond)

m The†first†stanza†of†ëIfí†speaks†about†the†need†for†self-confidence.
Do†you†agree?†Why?
m What†does†the†poet†say†about†patience?
m Explain†the†poetís†views†on†honesty†and†fortitude†of†character.
m Lines† 5-7† speak† about† the† need† for† righteous† behaviour† in† the
face†of†unrighteousness.†How†far†do†you†agree?
m What†is†the†poetís†approach†to†dreams†and†longings?
m The† poet† believes† that† success† comes† from† self-control† and† a
true†sense†of†the†value†of†things.†Express†your†views†on†this.
m ëNever†breathe†a†word†about†your†loss.í†What†impression†do†you
get†about†the†poet†when†you†read†this?
m What†is†the†message†conveyed†in†the††last†stanza†of†the†poem?
Activity II (Read† and† † reflect)
m What† is† the† central† theme† of† the† poem?
m What,† according† to† the† poem,† are† the† two† impostors† in† life?
m What,† according† to† the† poet,† should† be† oneís† attitude† to† unex-
pected† loss?
m What† is† the† poem† about?† (Consider† the† speaker,† theme,† symbols,
comparisons,† contrasts† and† conflicts)
m Identify† the† poetic† forms,† figurative† language† and† poetic
structure.
m When† the† poet† says,† ëIf† you† can† dream† −† and† not† make† dreams
your† master,í† he† is personifying dreams.† i.e.† dreams† are† spoken
of† as† masters† who† can† control† our† lives.† In† this† case,† dreams
assume† a† human† role/quality.

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 Textbook† for† Class† XI† -† ENGLISH

Pick†out†the†other†expressions†where
the† poet† uses† personification. Personification†means† giving
human† traits† and† qualities† to† an
m ëUnforgiving†minutesí†is†a†metaphoric
inanimate† object.
expression† as† it† refers† to† time† that
waits† for† no† man;† it† is† like† a† race Metaphor†is†a†figure†of†speech†that
where† every† second† is† important. describes† a† subject† by† asserting
that† it† is,† at† some† point† of
Now,† identify† other† metaphoric† ex- comparison,†the†same†as†another,
pressions† used† in† the† poem. otherwise,† unrelated† object.
m What† do† knaves† represent? Symbol† is† an† object† that
What† other† symbols† are† used† in† the represents††an†idea,††image†or†an
poem†ëIfí? action.

Activity III (Appreciation)

r Based†on†the†responses†you†have†got,†prepare†an†appreciation†of
the† poem† ëIfí† (Consider† theme,† language,† style,† figures,† symbols,
relevance,† etc.).
The†following†tips†will†help†you†prepare†an†appreciation†of†the†poem.

about†the†poet
Introduction
theme

meaning
Brief† summary implied† meaning† (if† any)
structure
sound† effects
(rhyme,† alliteration,† assonance† etc.)
images
Poetic† devices symbols† (if† any)
language
mood
figures† of† speech

message/intention† of† the† poet

Conclusion
personal† comments/opinions

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 Unit†-†1†GLIMPSES†OF†GREATNESS

Activity IV (Conditionals/† If† clause)

r The†poem†'If'†is†explicitly†an†exploration†of†the†'If†clause.'†As†the
'If†clauses†refer†to†condition,†they†are†called†conditional†clauses.
You† may† examine† the† If† clauses† in† the† poem† and† write† them
below.
If clause (Subsidiary clause) Main clause
• If† you† can† keep† your† head† when • Yours†is†the†earth†and†everything
all†about†you†are†losing†theirs....... that†is†in†it.
......You'll†be†a†man,†my†son.
• .................................................... • ....................................................
• .................................................... • ....................................................
Usually†there†are†three†common†patterns†with†'If'†which†are†often
called†first,†second†and†third†conditionals.
Tense
Conditional Nature Example
If clause Main clause
clauses

First If + Will / shall / Open • If you work with confidence,

can / may + condition you will succeed.
conditional present
infinitive • If you get here before eight,
we shall catch the early train.

Second If + past Would / Unlikely to be • If I worked with confidence I

conditional should / fulfilled would succeed.
could / might • If I knew her name, I would
+ infinitive tell you.

Third If + past Would / Unreal past • If you had gone there, you
could have met him.
conditional perfect should / situation
could / might • If I had worked with
+ have + past confidence, I would have
participle succeeded.
Letís practise

Would you like to know the story of ëThe Cat and the Mouse.í
Complete the conditional sentences to get the full story.
Once†upon†a†time,†a†cat†bit†a†mouseís†tail†off.†ëGive†me†back†my
tail,í†said†the†mouse.†And†the†cat†said,†ëWell,†I†would give†(give)
your†tail†back,†if†you†fetched me†some†milk.†But†thatís†impossible
for†a†little†mouse†like†you.í
The†mouse,†however,†went†to†a†cow.†ëThe†cat†will†only†give†(give/
only)†me†back†my†tail†if†I†fetch†her†some†milk.í

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 Textbook† for† Class† XI† -† ENGLISH

And†the†cow†said,†ëWell,†I†would†give†you†some†milk,†if†you†____
(get)† me† some† hay.† But† thatís† impossible† for† a† little† mouse† like
you.í
The†mouse,†however,†went†to†a†farmer.†ëThe†cat†will†only†give††my
tail†back†if†the†cow†____†(give)†me†some†milk.†And†the†cow††____
(only/†give)†me†some†milk†if†I†get†her†some†hay.í
And†the†farmer†said,†ëWell,†I†would†give†you†some†hay†if†you†____
(bring)†me†some†meat.†But†thatís†impossible†for†a†little†mouse†like
you.í
The†mouse,†however,†went†to†a†butcher.†ëThe†cat†will†only†give††my
tail† back† if† the† cow† ____† (give)† me† some† milk.† And† the† cow† will
only†give†me†some††milk†if†she†____†(get)†some†hay.†And†the†farmer
____†(only/†give)†me†some†hay†if†I†get†him†some†meat.í
And† the† butcher† said,† ëWell,† I† would† give† you† some† meat† if† you
____†(make)†the†baker†bake†me†a†loaf†of†bread.†But†thatís†impossible
for†a†little†mouse†like†you.í
The†mouse,†however,†went†to†a†baker.†ëThe†cat†____†(give/†only)
my†tail†back†if†I†fetch†her†some†milk.†And†the†cow††____†(give/†not)
me†some†milk†if†I†donít†get†her†some†hay.†And†the†farmer†will†only
give†me†some†hay†if†the†butcher†____†(have)†some†meat†for†him.
And† the† butcher† will† not† give† me† some† meat† if† you† ____† (bake/
not)†him†a†loaf†of†bread.í
And†the†baker†said,†ëWell,†I†____†(give)†you†a†loaf†of†bread†if†you
promise†never†to†steal†my†corn†or†meal.í
The†mouse†promised†not†to†steal,†and†so†the†baker†gave†the†mouse
a†loaf†of†bread;†the†mouse†gave†the†butcher†the†bread.†The†butcher
gave†the†mouse†some†meat;†the†mouse†gave†the†farmer†the†meat.
The† farmer† gave† the† mouse† some† hay;† the† mouse† gave† the† cow
the†hay.†The†cow†gave†the†mouse†some†milk;†the†mouse†gave†the
cat†the†milk.†And†the†cat†gave†the†mouse†her†tail†back.
But†imagine†what†would†have†happened†otherwise:
If†the†mouse†had†not†promised†(promise/†not)†never†to†steal†the
corn†or†meal,†the†baker†would†not†have†given†(not/give)†the†mouse
the†bread.
If† the† baker† ____† (not/† give)† the† mouse† the† bread,† the† butcher
____†(refuse)†to†give†her†the†meat†for†the†farmer.

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 Unit†-†1†GLIMPSES†OF†GREATNESS

If† the† butcher† ______† (refuse)† her† any† meat,† the† farmer† ______
(not††be)†willing†to†give†the†mouse†the†hay.
If†the†farmer†______†(not/†be)†willing†to†give†the†mouse†the†hay,†the
mouse†____†(not/†receive)†the†milk†from†the†cow.
If† the† mouse† ____† (not/† receive)† the† milk† from† the† cow,† she† ____
(not/†get)†back†her†tail.

Extended Activities
Activity I† (Read† and† respond)
r Read†the†extract†from†the†newspaper†article.

TEACHERíS†PRIDE
Many†of†the†old†teachers†of†the†University†College†in†the†city†would†have
felt†a†thrill†of †pride†and†joy,†on†reading†in†the†newspapers†the†news†that
their†old†student†Arun†M.†Kumar†has†been†selected†by†President†Obama
to†a†very†important†post†in†his†government.†Arun†is†now†Assistant†Secretary
and† Director† General† of † the† United† States† and† Foreign† Commercial
Service,† International† Trade† Administration,† in† the† Department† of
Commerce.†The†President†has†spoken†appreciatively†of†the†new†team†he
has†chosen.
A†rare†honour,†indeed,†and†a†well-deserved†recognition†of †merit.†Arun
did†his†three-year†undergraduate†course†in†Physics†in†the†University†College.
I†taught†that†class†their†English†prose.†It†was†a†very†bright†class,†with†some
of†the†students†brilliant†without†any†self-consciousness†of†their†brilliance.
And†Arun†was†among†the†most†brilliant.†Well-read†in†many†subjects,†keen
in†understanding,†quick,†sensitive,†and†cultured†beyond†his†years†in†his
responses,†it†was†a†privilege†and†a†pleasure†to†have†him†in†my†class,†and
sometimes,†to†discuss†things†with†him†outside†the†class.†Over†the†years,†as
his†mind†matured,†his†sense†of†language†had†become†fine†ñ†a†sure†pointer
to†deeper†changes.†Confined†to†my†academic†pursuits,†I†know†little†about
the†wider†world†of †Arunís†enterprises.†To†see†him†trusted†with†the†intricate
problems†of†international†finance†is†enough†to†make†me†feel†that†his†choices
and†decisions†were†right.
Arun†and†his†friends†were†responsible†for†starting†the†Science†Society†of
Trivandrum†for†the†benefit†of †school†children.†It†has†done†a†lot†of †good
to†school†students,†both†in†terms†of †financial†help†and†academic†training.

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 Textbook† for† Class† XI† -† ENGLISH

You† have† now† read† an† extract† from† the† article† written† by
Prof.†B.†Hrdayakumari†about†Mr†Arun†M.†Kumar,†her†former†student,†who
was† nominated† by† Mr† Barack† Obama,† (the† President† of† USA)† to† a† key
administrative†post.
r This† is† an† unusual† excerpt† wherein† a† teacher† makes† an
assessment† of† a† student† † after† several† years.† Don't† you† think
that† each† of† your† classmates† has† his/† her† own† special† qualities?
List† out† the† qualities† that† you† have† noticed.
r Now,† based† on† your† findings,† prepare† an† article† on† your† views† of
an† ideal† person,† for† your† school† magazine.

Activity II (Cohesive† devices† ---† Practice)

r Fill† in† the† blanks† using† the† appropriate† cohesive† device† from† the
ones† given† in† brackets.
1. All† the† assignments† should† be† submitted† on† time.† ________,† they
will† not† be† evaluated.
(† therefore,† otherwise,† on† the† contrary)
2. The† price† of† petrol† has† gone† up† considerably† in† the† last† few† years.
________,† the† sale† of† cars† has† not† seen† any† decrease.
(in† addition† to,† therefore,† however)
3. Cycling† is† a† good† exercise.† ________,† it† helps† you† to† save† money.
(however,† moreover,† consequently)
4. Desktop† computers† are† cheaper† and† more† reliable† than† laptops;
________,† they† last† longer.
(whereas,† furthermore,† alternatively)
5. There† is† a† stiff† competition† between† mobile† phone† companies† to
win† customers.† ________ ,† they† are† slashing† prices† to† attract
customers.
(as† a† result,† in† contrast,† in† conclusion)

Activity III (Documentary)

r Watch† the† documentary† on† Stephen† Hawking† and† prepare† a
presentation† on† the† life† and† works† of† an† eminent† person† who
has† overcome† many† obstacles/difficulties† and† become† successful
in† life.

Activity IV (Collection)
r Collect† inspiring† speeches† (both† script† and† audio/video)† of† great
persons† like† Martin† Luther† King,† Swami† Vivekananda,† Winston
Churchill,† Jawaharlal† Nehru,† etc.† Make† a† presentation† based† on
the† common† factors† in† the† speeches.

36
 Unit†-†1†GLIMPSES†OF†GREATNESS

The†major†learning†outcomes†of†this†unit†are†listed†below.

Thematic outcomes

Students† demonstrate† the† ability† to

ï face†challenges†and†emerge†successful†even†against†limitations
and† hardships.
ï Overcome† hardships.
ï present† their† views† to† others.
ï develop† qualities† needed† for† an† ideal† personality.

Linguistic outcomes
Students†demonstrate†the†ability†to
ï speak†and†express†their†views†in†a†speech,†group†discussion,
etc.
ï write†reviews,†appreciations,†profiles,†newspaper†and†magazine
articles,† letters,† e-mails,† etc.
ï prepare†questions†and†interview†others.
ï participate†actively†in†group†discussions.
ï read†and†comprehend†a†given†story†or†reading†material†and
prepare† notes† on† it† in† the† form† of† a† tree† diagram,† timeline,
short†points,†etc.
ï use†cohesive†devices†and†collocations†appropriately.
ï use†conditionals†effectively.
ï browse†the†Internet†for†additional†information.

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

Unit

2
Keep your thoughts positive
because your thoughts become your words.
Keep your words positive
because your words become your behaviour.
- Mahatma Gandhi

About the Unit

The theme of this unit is the necessity of the symbiotic

relationship between words and deeds. The unit aims at
inculcating the right values through a few examples. It consists
of the essay 'And Then Gandhi Came' by Jawaharlal Nehru; the
story 'The Price of Flowers', written by Prabhat Kumar
Mukhopadhyay, and translated by Lila Ray; and the poem 'Death
the Leveller', by James Shirley.
The texts and the activities are designed to help the learners
imbibe the values of good citizenship. They enable them to acquire
a strong linguistic foundation that will improve their application
of the language in other contexts.

38
 Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS

Letís begin:
r Deeds must be an execution of words. Mahatma Gandhi, the
Father of our Nation, was true to his words in his deeds. His life
was, in fact, his message.
In 1939, Albert Einstein wrote thus about Gandhiji, on his
seventieth birthday:

Mahatma Gandhi
of force; a man of wisdom and
humility, armed with resolve
and inflexible consistency, who
has devoted all his strength to
the uplifting of his people and
the betterment of their lot; a
A leader of his people, man who has confronted the
unsupported by any outward brutality of Europe with the
authority; a politician whose dignity of the simple human
success rests not upon craft nor being, and thus, at all times risen
the mastery of technical superior.
devices, but simply on the Generations to come, it may be,
convincing power of his will scarce believe that such a
personality; a victorious fighter one as this, ever in flesh and
who has always scorned the use blood, walked upon this earth.

Letís discuss
m What impression of Gandhiji do you get from the brief
description given above? Discuss.
m What kind of a 'fighter' is Gandhiji?
m 'One must practise what one preaches'. How far is the
statement true of Mahatma Gandhi?

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

I. Read and reflect:

Jawaharlal Nehru writes about the timely arrival of Gandhiji to
Indian politics, when the country was in dire need of such a
leadership. Gandhiji was like a beam of light that removed the
darkness. Jawaharlal Nehru makes a right assessment of
Gandhiji in his 'Discovery of India' . Read the excerpt.

AND THEN GANDHI CAME Jawaharlal Nehru

....World War I ended at last, and the peace, instead of
bringing us relief and progress, brought us repressive
legislation and martial law in the Punjab. A bitter sense
of humiliation and a passionate anger filled our people.
We had become a derelict nation. Yet what could we do,
how to change this vicious process? We seemed to be
helpless in the grip of some all-powerful ï What is referred to as the
monster; our limbs were paralysed, our minds ëall powerful monster?í
deadened. Large numbers of people, cut off from the land
and incapable of any kind of manual or technical work,
joined the swelling army of the unemployed, ï What was the impact of
and helpless, hopeless, sank ever deeper into the First World War?
the morass. They did not know where to look, for neither
the old nor the new offered them any hope.
What could we do? How could we pull India out of this
quagmire of poverty and defeatism? Not for a few years of
excitement and agony and suspense, but for long
generations our people had offered their 'blood and toil,
tears and sweat.' And this process had eaten its way deep
into the body and soul of India, poisoning every aspect of
our life....
And then Gandhi came. He was like a powerful current of
fresh air that made us stretch ourselves and take deep
breaths; like a beam of light that pierced the ï What does Nehru mean by
darkness and removed the scales from our ëAnd then Gandhi cameí...?
eyes; like a whirlwind that upset many things,
but most of all the working of people's minds. He did not
descend from the top; he seemed to emerge from the
millions of India, speaking their language.
ëGet off the backs of these peasants and workersí, he told
us, ëall of you who live by their exploitation; get rid of the
system that produces this poverty and miseryí. Political

40
 Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS

freedom took a new shape then and acquired a new

content. Much that he said we only partially ï What was the essence of
accepted or sometimes did not accept at all. Gandhijiís teaching?
But all this was secondary. The essence of his teaching
was fearlessness and truth, and action allied to these,
always keeping the welfare of the masses in view. The
greatest gift for an individual or a nation, so we had been
told in our ancient books, was abhaya
(fearlessness), not merely bodily courage but ï What does the word
ëabhayaí mean?
the absence of fear from the mind. The
dominant impulse in India under British rule was that of
fear -- pervasive, oppressing, strangling fear; fear of the
army, the police, the widespread secret service; fear of
the official class; fear of laws meant to suppress and of
prison; fear of the landlord's agent; fear of the
moneylender; fear of unemployment and starvation, which
were always on the threshold. It was against this all-
pervading fear that Gandhi's quiet and ï What did Gandhiji exhort
determined voice was raised: Be not afraid. the people to do?
Was it so simple as all that? Not quite. And yet, fear builds
its phantoms which are more fearsome than reality itself,
and reality, when calmly analysed and its consequences
willingly accepted, loses much of its terror.
So, suddenly, as it were, that black pall of fear was lifted
from the people's shoulders, not wholly of course, but to
an amazing degree. As fear is close companion to falsehood,
so truth follows fearlessness. The Indian people did not
become much more truthful than they were, ï What did Gandhiji do to
nor did they change their essential nature remove fear from the
overnight; nevertheless, a sea change was minds of the people?
visible as the need for falsehood and furtive behaviour
lessened. It was a psychological change, almost as if some
expert in psycho-analytical methods had probed deep into
the patient's past, found out the origins of his complexes,
exposed them to his view, and thus rid him of that burden.
There was the psychological reaction also, a feeling of
shame at our long submission to an alien rule that had
degraded and humiliated us, and a desire to ï Why was Gandhiji
submit no longer, whatever the consequences compared to a
might be. We did not grow much more truthful psychologist?
perhaps than we had been previously, but

41
 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

Gandhi was always there as a symbol of uncompromising

truth to pull us up and shame us into truth.
What is truth? I do not know for certain, and perhaps our
truths are relative and absolute truth is beyond us.
Different persons may and do take different views of truth,
and each individual is powerfully influenced by his own
background, training, and impulses. So also ï What, according to
Gandhi. But truth is, at least for an individual, Gandhiji, was truth?
what he himself feels and knows to be true. According to
this definition, I do not know of any person who holds to
the truth as Gandhi does. That is a dangerous quality in
a politician, for he speaks out his mind and even lets the
public see its changing phases.
Gandhi influenced millions of people in India in varying
degrees. Some changed the whole texture of their lives,
others were only partly affected, or the effect ï How did Gandhiji
wore off; and yet not quite, for some part of it influence the people of
could not be wholly shaken off. Different India?
people reacted differently and each will give his own
answer to this question.
His call of action was two-fold. There was, of course, the
action involved in challenging and resisting foreign rule;
there was also the action which led us to fight against
our own social evils. Apart from the fundamental objective
of the Congress − the freedom of India − and ï What was the two-fold
the method of peaceful action, the principal action involved in
Gandhijiís exhortation?
planks of the Congress were national unity,
which involved the solution of the minority problems, and
the raising of the depressed classes, and the ending of
the curse of untouchability.
Realizing that the main props of British rule were fear,
prestige, the co-operation of the people, and certain
classes whose vested interests were centred in British
rule, Gandhi attacked these foundations. Titles were to
be given up and though the title-holders ï What was the visible
responded to this only in small measure, the change in the value system
popular respect for these British-given titles of the country?
disappeared. New standards and values were set up and
the pomp and splendour of the viceregal court and the
princes suddenly appeared supremely ridiculous. Rich men

42
 Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS

were not so anxious to flaunt their riches; outwardly at

least, many of them adopted simpler ways, and in their
dress, became almost indistinguishable from humbler folk.
He sent us to the villages, and the countryside hummed
with the activity of innumerable messengers of the new
gospel of action. The peasant was shaken up and he began
to emerge from his shell. The effect on us was different
but equally far-reaching, for we saw, for the first time as
it were, the villager in the intimacy of his mud- ï What was the influence of
hut, and with the stark shadow of hunger Gandhiji in the villages?
always pursuing him. We learnt our Indian economics more
from these visits than from books and learned discourses.
The emotional experience we had already undergone was
emphasized and confirmed, and henceforward, there could
be no going back for us to our old life or our old standards.
What was the idea of India which he was setting out to
mould according to his own wishes and ideals?
ëI shall work for an India in which the poorest shall feel
that it is their country, in whose making they have an
effective voice, an India in which there shall be no high
class and low class of people, an India in which all
communities shall live in perfect harmony.... There can
be no room in such an India for the curse of untouchability
or the curse of intoxicating drinks and drugs.... Women
will enjoy the same right as men.... This is ï What was the India of
the India of my dreams.í Proud of his Hindu Gandhijiís dream?
inheritance as he was, he tried to give to
Hinduism a kind of universal attire and included all
religions within the fold of truth. He refused to narrow
his cultural inheritance. 'Indian culture,' he wrote, 'is
neither Hindu, Islamic, nor any other, wholly. It is a fusion
of all.' Again he said: 'I want the culture of all
ï What, according to
lands to be blown about my house as freely as Gandhiji, was the essential
possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet culture of India?
by any. I refuse to live in other peoples' houses
as an interloper, a beggar, or a slave.' Influenced by modern
thought currents, he never let go of his roots and clung to
them tenaciously.
It is not surprising that this astonishingly vital man, full
of self-confidence and an unusual kind of power, standing

43
 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

for equality and freedom for each individual, fascinated

the masses of India and attracted them like a magnet. He
seemed to them to link up the past with the future and to
make the dismal present appear just as a ï What was the
stepping-stone to that future of life and hope.... psychological revolution
Thus he effected a vast psychological that Gandhiji brought
about?
revolution not only among those who followed
his lead but also among his opponents and those many
neutrals who could not make up their minds what to think
and what to do.
(Adapted)
(An excerpt from Jawaharlal Nehru's ëThe Discovery of Indiaí)

Glossary:
About the Author
agony (n) : extreme physical or
mental pain Jawaharlal Nehr u
derelict (adj) : not cared for (14 November 1889 - 27
dismal (adj) : gloomy May 1964) was the first
Prime Minister of India.
flaunt (v) : to show something you are Jawaharlal Nehru
proud of to others promoted democracy, socialism,
furtive (adj) : secret secularism and unity, while adapting
interloper (n) : intruder modern values to Indian conditions.
Nehru was a prolific writer in English
monster (n) : a creature that is very ugly and wrote a number of books, such as
and frightening The Discovery of India, Glimpses of World
morass (n) : a complicated situation History, and An Autobiography. In 1955,
that is difficult to escape Nehru was awarded the Bharat Ratna,
India's highest civilian honour.
from
phantom (n) : frightening vision
prop (v) : support
quagmire (n) : a difficult and dangerous
situation
repressive (adj) : controlling people by force
strangle (v) : to kill by pressing on the throat
threshold (n) : door step

44
 Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS

Activity I (Note making)

Make a note of the above passage. Read the passage again and
complete the following.
humiliation
m The uncertain
condition of .......................
India .......................
.......................
saw political freedom
taking a new shape
removed the black pall
m The arrival of of fear
Gandhiji .......................
.......................
.......................

fearlessness
truth
m His teachings .......................
and methods
.......................
.......................

challenging and
resisting foreign rule
m His two-fold minority problem
action
....................... .......................
.......................

even the poorest shall feel

that it is their country
m The moulding
all communities shall live in
of India,
perfect harmony
according to
Gandhijiís wishes .......................
and ideas .......................

full of self confidence

unusual kind of power
m The amazing .......................
qualities of
Gandhiji .......................
Have you completed the note? Now, prepare a summary of the passage.

45
 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

Activity II (Think and write)

r How did Gandhiji enlighten the freedom fighters? What kind of a
leadership did Gandhiji take? What was the effect of his
leadership?
Answer in a paragraph of about 100 words.
Activity III (Speech)
r In connection with Gandhi Jayanthi, your school is organizing a
programme to propagate the relevance of Gandhian values in the
present day. Prepare and deliver a speech before the class.

Hints
ï Peace
ï Fearlessness
ï Truthfulness
ï Influence
ï ...............................
ï ...............................
ï ...............................

Tips for public speaking

ï body language/posture
ï eye contact
ï voice modulation
ï pause
ï gesture
ï pronunciation
ï logical development
ï clarity of presentation
ï illustrations and examples
ï comprehensiveness of content

Activity IV (Group discussion)

'Women will enjoy the same right as menÖ
This is the India of my dreams', Gandhiji said.
There is a role for each individual citizen, society and political party
to ensure equal rights to women. Conduct a group discussion on the
topic.

46
 Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS

Activity V (Letter to the editor)

Here is the sample of a letter to the editor expressing an individualís
concern over a common issue. Examine it carefully.

A Letter to the Editor

From
Senderís Nandini P.
address Nilakkal House
MRA - 347, Jawahar Lane
Bangalore -3
Date 15 June 2014
Addressee To
The Editor
The Xanadu
Hyderabad
Salutation Sir,
Reason I am writing this letter to express my concern about
for writing the article, ëEnglish should not be taught up to Class
the letter
X' (May 25th), by Mr. Santha Rao. I wonder what made
him write such an article. How can one ignore the
role of English in a fast developing world? From his
article, I understand that he has some hidden
Feelings agenda. In this fast developing world, even an ordinary
and person thinks about giving better education to his or
arguments
her children. English is being taught in the
Saksharatha classes as well. The medium of
instruction for various courses at a higher level of
education is English. I strongly believe that English
Suggestion is the only global language and the language of science
/opinion
and technology. It should be taught right from the
lower classes.
Yours truly
Subscription (Sd/-)
Nandini P.

r Now, refer to three national dailies of a week, and collect reports

on instances where women are deprived of their rights, and analyse
how the issues related to women are presented.
Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper, about the way in
which womenís issues are presented.

47
 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

Note : For the management of space, the editor may edit your letter,
omitting the address and other unnecessary details. But when
you draft a letter to the editor, you should write your full name
and address.
Activity VI (Concord)
r Look at the following sentence from the given passage.
ëDifferent people react differently and each gives his/her own
answer to the question.í
Here, ëeachí agrees with a singular verb.
Generally, a singular subject agrees with a singular verb and a
plural subject agrees with a plural verb. However, a deeper
understanding of agreement (concord) will help us to write
correctly when certain nouns, phrases or combinations of nouns
come in the subject position.

Language Tips
m When a singular subject and a plural subject are joined by
either...or, neither...nor, etc., the verb agrees with the sub-
ject nearer to it.
e.g. Ram or his brothers go home every month.
m When two subjects are joined by ëas well as,í ëmore than,í and
ëas much as,í the verb agrees with the first subject.
e.g. The girls, as well as their teacher, have left.
m When two subjects are joined by ëwith,í ëalong with,í ëtogether
with,í ëin the company of,í ëin addition to,í ëbesides,í ëaccompa-
nied by,í etc., the verb agrees with the first subject.
e.g. My friend, with all his students, has arrived.
m One of/each of/everyone of/either/neither of + plural noun
(pronoun) carries a singular verb.
e.g. One of the players was selected for the national team.
m When every or each is used with two singular subjects con-
nected by and, we use a singular verb.
e.g. Every school and college has a playground.
m A (good/great) deal (of) + singular noun + singular verb.
e.g. A good deal of time was wasted on this case.
m When ëoneí means ëanyoneí, ëeveryoneí, it is called the ëindefi-
nite one.í The indefinite one is not usually replaced by any
other pronoun.
e.g. One should do oneís duty for oneís country.
m Expressions like ëfive poundsí, ëten rupeesí, ëtwo weeksí, ëthree
milesí, etc. are singular when they are thought of as indicat-
ing a single amount, period or distance.
e.g. Five rupees is not a big sum.
Three weeks is not a long time.

48
 Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS

m ëA lot (of)í takes a singular verb when it denotes amount, and a

plural verb when it denotes number.
e.g. A lot of money is spent on construction.
A lot of petitions have been received.
m Nouns like ëfurniture, machinery, equipment, traffic, luggage,
crockery, cutlery, clothingí, etc. are called class collectives.
Though plural in meaning, they are singular in form, and are
followed by singular verbs.
e.g. The furniture was bought from Italy.
m Plural words and phrases used as the titles of books take
singular verbs.
e.g. Great Expectations is one of Dickensí great novels.
m The determiners ëthisí and ëthatí go with singular nouns, and
ëtheseí and ëthoseí with plural nouns.
e.g. This girl speaks English better than these boys.
Choose the correct alternative.
1. Either Rajesh or his friends come. (has, have)
2. Neither of us coffee. (likes, like)
3. The boy, along with the tourists, gone. (has, have)
4. Five miles not a short distance. (are, is)
5. Everyone of you to attend the meeting. (have, has)
Correct the following sentences.
1. Each of the employees are working hard.
2. One of the students are absent today.
3. Neither Lal nor his relatives has arrived.
4. One of us have brought a globe.
5. Neither the man nor his wife are very careful.
6. The books placed on the table needs binding.
7. There is a lot of people waiting outside.
8. The police is closely watching all his movements.
9. The price of vegetables are going up.
10. Keep all the luggages in the cloak room.

Activity VII (Wordfinder)

r Look at the following sentence from the passage:
Gandhiji was ëlike a beam of light that pierced the darkness and
removed the scales from our eyes....í
Do you know the exact meaning of the word ëpierceí ?
Letís see how the meaning of this word is given in the Oxford Advanced
Learnerís Dictionary.

49
 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

pierce/pI s; AmE pIrs/ verb 1~ (through) sth to make a small hole in

sth, or to go through sth, with a sharp object: [VN] The arrow pierced
his shoulder. t He pierced another hole in his belt with his knife.
t to have your ears/ nose pierced (= to have a small hole made in
your ears /nose so that you can wear jewellery there) t (figurative)
She was pierced to the heart with guilt. t [V] The knife pierced
through his coat. 2~ (through) sth (literary) (of light, sound, etc.) to
be suddenly seen or heard: [VN] Sirens pierced the silence of the
night t Shafts of sunlight pierced the heavy mist. [also V] 3~
(through) sth to force a way through a barrier: [VN] They failed to
pierce the Liverpool defence. [also V]

m What are the items given in this entry?

ï Spelling
ï Pronunciation /........../
ï ..........................
ï ..........................
ï ..........................
m The meaning of the word ëpierceí in this context is the second
one given in the dictionary i.e., ëto be suddenly seen or
heardí. You can also take note of the sentence given after the
meaning.

We can make use of a dictionary to check the

ï spelling ï pronunciation
ï meaning ï usage
ï word stress ï word class
ï derivatives ï phrasal verbs
A word has a variety of meanings - literal, contextual and so on.
It is the context that determines the exact meaning of a word.

I. The words given below are taken from the passage.

Refer to a dictionary and find out the meaning and the parts of speech
of the following words and make your own sentences.
Word Part of Meaning Sentences
speech
convince .....................................
pervasive .....................................
attires .....................................
dismal .....................................
vicious .....................................

50
 Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS

II. Read and reflect:

The bonds of human relationship are very strong. They are so
complex that it is difficult for us to explain. Words and deeds
have a soothing effect and they cement the bonds of relationship.
Here is a story about the impact of words. Read on.

THE PRICE OF FLOWERS

Prabhat Kumar Mukhopadhyay
It was nearly one o' clock and I was feeling extremely
hungry. So, I made my way slowly to a vegetarian
restaurant which was not far away, in St. Martin's Lane.
Lunch hours in London restaurants were not so crowded
in those days.
I found not more than three or four hungry people scattered
around the room. I chose a table, seated myself and opened
the newspaper.
A waitress came up and waited politely for my order. I
raised my eyes from the paper, glanced at the menu and
told her what I required. 'Thank you, sir,' she said and
went briskly and noiselessly away.
At that moment, my attention was drawn to a table not
far from mine. A young English girl was sitting there. She
had been watching me with interested surprise but turned
her eyes away as soon as I looked at her.
The girl was thirteen or fourteen years old. ï Why was the narratorís
attention drawn to the
Her clothes betrayed her poverty. Her hair English girl?
hung in a heavy stream down her back. Her
eyes were large. They had a sad expression. I watched
her when she was not looking so that she would not notice.
My lunch was served as she was finishing hers. The
waitress brought her the bill. Bills are paid at the desk as
one goes out. The desk is near the door.
ï What is your impression of
The girl stood up. My eyes followed her. As the girl?
she paid her bill, she asked the cashier in a
low voice, 'Please, Miss, can you tell me if that gentleman
is an Indian?'
'I think so,' the cashier answered.
'Does he come here all the time? '
'Perhaps not. I do not recall having seen him before.'

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

'Thank you,' said the girl and looked at me once more

with a startled air and went out.
It surprised me. Why? What was the matter? ï How do you know that the
Her interest in me aroused my interest in girl was interested in
her. When I had finished my lunch, I asked knowing the identity of the
the waitress, 'Do you know the girl who was narrator?
sitting over there?'
'No, sir, I do not know her, to speak of. Iíve noticed she
has lunch here on Saturdays.'
'Doesn't she come on any other day?'
'I never see her on other days.'
ëHave you any idea who she is? '
'Perhaps she works in a nearby shop.'
'How do you know? '
ëSaturday is pay day. That is when she comes. On other
days, she may not be able to afford lunch. ï What do you understand
Perhaps, she does not earn very much.' about the probable
I was moved by what she said. financial condition of the
girl?
The curiosity I felt about the girl persisted.
Who was the child? Why had she inquired about me? Was
some mystery the cause of her interest? Her poverty-
stricken, sad and anxious figure took possession of my
thoughts. On Sundays, all London shops are ï Why was the narrator
closed. So, I set out to look for her after curious about the girl?
breakfast, on Monday morning. I looked into What did he do to meet her?
the shops on the streets near St. Martin's
Lane, and especially, the shops on the Strand, but I found
no trace of the girl.
The week passed. Saturday came again. I ï Why did the narrator go to
presented myself at the vegetarian restaurant the restaurant again?
once more. As I entered, I saw her sitting at
the same table as before. She was eating. I walked up
and took the chair opposite hers, saying, 'Good afternoon!'
'Good afternoon, sir,' she responded hesitantly.
By making one brief remark after another, I was able,
slowly, to start a conversation. At last she asked, ' Are
you an Indian?'
'Yes.'
'Excuse me, are you a vegetarian?'
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 Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS

'Why do you ask that? '

'I have heard that most Indians are vegetarians.'
'How is it that you know anything about India? '
'My elder brother is in India. He is a soldier.'
'I am not much of a vegetarian,' I answered her question,
'but I enjoy a vegetarian meal, now and then.' The girl
seemed disappointed.
I learned that her only guardian was this elder brother.
She lived with her old widowed mother.
'Do you hear from your brother?'
'We have not had a letter from him for a long time. My
mother is very worried. People tell her that
ï What impression did the
India is full of tigers and snakes and fevers. girl have about India?
She is afraid something has happened to him.
Is it true, sir, that India is full of tigers and snakes and
fevers?'
'No,' I smiled, 'how could people live there if it were?' The
girl sighed softly. 'Mother says she would like to ask an
Indian about these things if she can find an Indian,' the
girl looked at me with eyes full of entreaty.
I understood how she felt. She wanted me to see her
mother, but she did not have the courage to ask me to
accompany her home. A keen desire to meet this poor
anxious mother took hold of me. I had not had the
opportunity to visit an impoverished English home. I wished
to see how the poor lived in this country, to know what
they think.
'Will you introduce me to your mother some time? Would
you like me to accompany you home? I can go some day.'
The girl's eyes brimmed with gratitude. 'Thank you ever
so much!' she said. 'It is so kind of you! Can you come
now?'
'With pleasure.'
'It will not interfere with anything else you have to do?'
'No, no, not at all. This afternoon is entirely my own.'
The girl was delighted. We finished our lunch and got up
together.

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

As we walked, I asked her, ëMay I know your name?'

'My name is Alice Margaret Clifford.'
'Would you mind walking ?' she asked.
' Not at all,' I answered,' if it is not difficult for you.'
' No, I walk home every day.'
I asked the girl, ' Do you come this way often?'
'Yes,' she answered,' I work as a typist in the Civil Service
stores. Every afternoon, I come home this way. Today is
Saturday, so I am off early.'
'Shall I call you Miss Clifford or Alice? '
'I am not grown-up yet. You may call me what you like.
I am usually called Maggie.' She laughed.
'Are you very anxious to grow up?'
'Yes.'
'Tell me why.'
'When I grow up, I shall be paid more for my ï Was Maggie satisfied with
her job? If not why?
work. My mother is old.'
'Is the work you do to your liking?'
'No. The work is very mechanical. I want work ï What do you understand
that will make me use my head, brain work. by ëbrain workí?
Like the work of a secretary.'
We crossed the bridge and arrived in Lambeth. It is a poor
neighbourhood. 'If I ever become a secretary,' Maggie said,
'1 shall take mother away from here.'
'Did your father call you Maggie or Magsy?'
'When he was very affectionate he called me Magsy. How
did you know?'
'Yes, yes,' I answered mysteriously, 'we are Indians, you
know. We know about the future and all kinds of magic.'
'That is what I have heard,' she said.
'Indeed?' I was surprised. 'What have you heard?'
'I have heard that there are many people in India who
have occult powers. They are called yogis. But you are not
a yogi.'
'How do you know that I am not a yogi, Maggie?'

54
 Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS

'Yogis do not eat meat.'

ï Why did Maggie ask the
'Is that why you asked me in the beginning narrator whether he was a
whether I am a vegetarian or not?' vegetarian?

She smiled without answering.

We had reached a narrow doorway. Maggie took a thin
latch key out of her pocket and opened the door. She
entered and said, 'Please come in'.
When I was inside, Maggie closed the door. She went to
the foot of the stairs and, raising her voice a little, called,
'Mother, where are you?'
'I am in the kitchen, child,' the answer came from below.
ëCome down.'
It is necessary to explain here that London streets are
above ground. Kitchens are often below street level.
Maggie looked at me questioningly, 'Do you mind?'
'Not in the least. Come on.' I said.
Together we descended the stairs to the kitchen.
'Mother,' said Maggie from the doorway,' an Indian
gentleman has come to see you.'
'Where is he?' the old woman asked eagerly. ï Why did Mr Gupta go to
With a smile I stepped into the kitchen behind Maggieís house?
Maggie. She introduced us. 'This is Mr Gupta, mother,'
she said, 'Mr Gupta, my mother.'
'How do you do?' I said and held out my hand.
'Excuse me, my hands-' she said, holding them out for me
to see. They were covered with flour. 'Today ï What do you understand
is Saturday,' she explained, 'I am making about the living conditions
cakes. People will come to buy them this of Maggie and her mother?
evening. They'll be sold on the streets tonight. This is the
way we make our living - lots of trouble!'
Saturday night is a time of festivity in poor neighbourhoods.
All sorts of things are sold from countless ï Why is Saturday special to
lighted pushcarts. The streets are more Maggie and her mother?
crowded than on any other day. Saturday is
the day the poor are able to spend a little, for they receive
their weekly wages.
Ingredients for cake making, flour, sugar, fat, raisins, eggs

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

and so forth were set out in readiness upon the dresser.

Several freshly baked cakes in tins were also there.
'Sitting in such a poor kitchen will not be very pleasant
for you, will it?' Mrs. Clifford said. 'I have almost finished
my work. Maggie, take him into the sitting room, I'll come
in a minute.'
'No, no,' I protested, 'I can sit here well enough. The cakes
you make are nice ones, I must say.'
Mrs. Clifford thanked me with a smile.
'What kind of a country is India, sir?í asked Mrs. Clifford,
as she resumed her cooking.
'A beautiful country.'
'Safe to live in?'
'Certainly. But not cold like this country. It is somewhat
hot.'
'Aren't there too many snakes and tigers? ï How did Mr Gupta
describe India to Mrs.
Don't they kill people?' Clifford?
'Don't believe that,' I laughed. 'Snakes and
tigers keep to the jungles. They get killed themselves if
they come too close to places where people live.'
'And fevers?'
'In some places in India, there is more fever than in others.
It is neither the same everywhere nor the same all the
year around.'
'My son is in the Punjab. He is a soldier. What kind of a
place is the Punjab?'
'The Punjab is a fine place. There is little fever there. It
is very healthy.'
'I am glad to hear it,' Mrs. Clifford said.
Her baking was finished. 'Maggie,' she said, 'take Mr. Gupta
upstairs, I'll wash my hands and bring tea.'
Maggie showed the way to their sitting room and I followed.
The furniture was cheap and there was not much of it.
The carpet was old, torn in places. But everything was
extremely clean. Maggie drew the curtains back and
opened the windows. There was a glass bookcase. I stood
in front of it.
Mrs. Clifford came in carrying the tea tray, a few minutes

56
 Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS

later. All trace of the kitchen had vanished from her

person.
As we drank tea, I talked about India. Mrs. ï Who is Francis? What do
you know about him?
Clifford showed me a photograph of her son. It
had been taken before he left. His name was Francis or
Frank. Maggie brought out a book of pictures he had sent
her for her birthday. There were many pictures of Simla
and the surrounding mountain country. On the inside
page was written, 'To Maggie, on her birthday, from her
loving brother Frank.'
'Maggie,' said Mrs. Clifford, 'show Mr Gupta the ring.'
'Has your brother sent you a ring?' I asked her. 'Let me
see what kind of a ring it is.'
'It is a magic ring, 'Maggie explained. 'A yogi gave it to
Frank.'
She brought it and asked, 'Can you see the past and the
future in it?'
I had heard a lot about crystal gazing. A crystal was set in
the ring. I took it up and examined it.
'When Frank sent the ring,' Mrs. Clifford said, 'he wrote
that if you concentrate on a distant person as you gaze
into it, you will be able to see him and what he is doing.
This is what the yogi told Frank. Maggie and I have
concentrated upon it, again and again, because we have
not had any news of Frank for a long time. But we have
not been able to see anything. Why don't you try? You are
a Hindu. You may be able to do it!'
I realised that superstition was not confined ï What is your opinion
to India. I did not have the heart to tell the about superstitions? Do
you believe in any?
mother and daughter that the ring was
nothing much, brass with a piece of ordinary glass stuck
into it. They believed their Frank had sent them a new
and miraculous thing from a distant land, a dream India.
How could I shatter their faith?
Urged by Mrs. Clifford and Maggie, I took the ring into my
hand and stared at it intensely for a long time. 'I cannot
see anything,' I exclaimed at last, giving up.
The mother and daughter were disappointed. To change
the subject, I said, 'Here is a violin. It is yours, isn't it,

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

Maggie?'
'Yes,' Mrs. Clifford answered, 'Maggie plays quite well.
Maggie, please play something for us.'
'Oh, Mother!' Maggie looked at her in protest.
'Maggie,' I pleaded, 'please play something! I am very fond
of the violin. I have a sister at home about your age. She
used to play for me.'
'The way I play is not at all worth listening to,' Maggie
said.
My entreaties at last persuaded her to play. 'I do not know
many pieces,' she said. 'What would you like to hear?'
'Shall I choose something? All right, then, give me your
music. Let me see what you have.'
Maggie brought out an old music case bound in black
leather. I opened it. Most of the pieces were light airs
like, 'Good-bye Dolly Grey,' 'Honeysuckle and the Bee',
etc. There were a few really good, though old-fashioned
ones, things like 'Robin Adair', ' Annie Laurie', 'The Last
Rose of Summer,' etc. There were several Scotch songs.
So I selected 'The Blue Bells of Scotland' and handed
Maggie the music. Maggie played and I hummed the tune
to myself.
When the song was over, I praised her playing lavishly as
I thanked her. 'Maggie has never had the opportunity to
study,' Mrs. Clifford said. 'She has learned what she knows
by herself. If our circumstances ever improve, I shall
arrange for her to have lessons.' On my way back, I was
filled with astonishment. The incident touched me very
deeply. ï Describe the incident
Three months passed. I visited Maggie and her which touched the narrator
mother several times, at their home, and took deeply.
Maggie to see the Zoo once. She rode the elephant 'Indian
Rajah,' like all the other boys and girls. How delighted
she was!
But no news had come from her brother. Urged by Mrs.
Clifford, I went to India House, one day, and made
inquiries. I was told the regiment to which Frank belonged
was fighting on the Northwest Frontier. Mrs. Clifford
became extremely worried when she heard it. One day, I

58
 Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS

received a postcard from Maggie. She wrote:

'Dear Mr Gupta,
My mother is very ill. I have not been able to ï Why was Maggie unable to
go to work?
go to work for a week. We shall be extremely
grateful if you take the trouble to come to see us.
Maggie'
I had told the family with whom I lived about Maggie and
her mother. At breakfast, I spoke of the letter.
My hostess said, 'When you go, take some money with
you. The girl has not been able to go to work for a week.
She had not received any pay. It is probable that they are
hard up.'
ï Why did Mr Gupta take
After breakfast, I took some money and set some money with him when
out for Lambeth. I knocked at the door. Maggie he went to see Mrs.
Clifford?
opened it.
She was looking much pulled down. Her eyes were hollow
and ringed. 'Oh, thank you, Mr Gupta!' she exclaimed when
she saw me. 'It is so kind of you.'
'How is your mother, Maggie?' I asked.
'She is sleeping now. Her condition is very serious. The
doctor says it is aggravated by her anxiety over Frank.
There is no news from him yet. She may not live.'
I tried to console Maggie, drying her eyes with my
handkerchief. Maggie controlled herself with an effort and
said, ëI have a request to make of you, Mr. Gupta.'
'What is it, Maggie? 'I asked.
'Come into the sitting room and I'll tell you,' she answered.
We tiptoed carefully into the sitting room lest the sound
of our footsteps should disturb the sick woman.
I turned when I reached the centre of the ï Why did Mr Gupta and
room, and remained standing there. 'What is Maggie tiptoe into the
sitting room?
it, Maggie?' I repeated my question.
Maggie gazed up into my face with beseeching eyes.
I waited. Then, she covered her face with her hands and
wept silently.
I was in a fix. What could I say to console this child? Her
brother was fighting on the Frontier. Only God knew
whether he was alive or dead. Her mother was the only

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

person she had on earth. If she lost her, what would

happen? Where in London could this girl, on the threshold
of adolescence, go?
I pulled her hands away from her face. 'Maggie, tell me
what you wish me to do. If there is anything I can do to
help you, I shall not hesitate.'
'Mr Gupta,' the girl said, ëI do not know what you will
think of the request I am going to make. Please forgive me
if it is very, very wrong.'
'What is it? What do you wish to ask?í
'All day yesterday, Mother kept saying that if Mr Gupta
would come and gaze into the crystal, he might learn
something about Frank. Mr Gupta is a Hindu, she said. If
only he would come, she said. That is why l wrote to you.'
'If you want me to try once more, go and bring me the
ring, Maggie. Of course I'll do it.'
'But if you don't see anything again this time?' I understood
what Maggie meant. I was silent.
'Mr Gupta, I have read in books that Hindus
are extremely truth-loving. If you could bring ï make What request did Maggie
to Mr Gupta?
yourself to tell Mother only once, after looking
into the crystal, that Frank is all right, that he is alive --
will it be too much of a lie? Will it be very, very wrong?' As
she spoke, tears streamed from her eyes.
I thought it over. I am not very virtuous. I have done my
sinful things. So I decided to do this. It would be the least
of my offences. 'Please, Maggie, don't cry.
Where is the ring? Let me take a good look at ï Why was the crystal ring
so special to Mrs. Clifford?
it this time. If I do not see anything I shall do
as you suggest. God will forgive me if it is wrong.'
Maggie brought me the ring. I took it and said, 'See if your
mother is awake.'
Fifteen minutes passed before Maggie came back. 'Mother
is awake,' she said. 'I have told her you are here.'
'May I see her now?'
'Please come.'
I approached the mother's bedside. The ring was in my
hand. Wishing her a good morning I said. 'Mrs. Clifford,

60
 Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS

your son is alive. He is well.'

The old woman raised her head a little off the
pillow. 'Did you see that in the crystal?' she ï What made Mrs. Clifford
recover?
asked.
'Yes, Mrs. Clifford,' I answered without any hesitation, '1
have seen it.'
Her head dropped back. Tears of happiness welled from
her eyes. She whispered faintly. 'God bless you! God bless
you!'
Mrs. Clifford recovered.
It was almost time for me to return to my country. I wished
to go to Lambeth to say good-bye to Maggie and her mother.
But the family was in mourning. Frank had been killed in
the fighting on the Frontier. A month ago,
Maggie had sent me a card with a black border. ï Why was Mr Gupta
ashamed to face
I calculated from the date and found that
Mrs. Clifford?
Frank had been dead some days when I told
his mother he was alive and well. I felt ashamed to face
Mrs. Clifford. So I wrote a letter to them, announcing my
departure and bidding them good-bye.
The morning of my last day in London dawned. I was to
leave before night. As I was breakfasting with the family,
there was a knock at the door. A minute or two later,
the maid came in and announced, 'Please Mr Gupta,
Miss Clifford has come to see you.'
My breakfast was unfinished. Maggie had come to say
good-bye. Lest she be late for office because of me, I took
the permission of my hostess and got up from the table.
Maggie was standing in the hall. She was wearing black.
I took her into the adjoining library and made her sit
down.
'Are you leaving today?í she asked.
'Yes, Maggie, today is the day of my departure.'
'How long will it take you to reach your country? '
'A little more than two weeks.'
'In what part of the country do you live?'
'I have entered the Punjab Civil Service. I shall not know
exactly where I am posted until I arrive there.'

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

'Is the Frontier very far from there? '

'No, not very.'
'Frank is buried at Fort Monroe, near Dera-Ghazi-Khan.'
The girl's eyes were filled with tears as she spoke.
'When I go to that part of the country, I shall visit your
brother's grave and write to you.'
'It won't be troublesome for you? Or ï What was the promise
inconvenient?' Maggie asked. given to Maggie?

'Why should it be? Dera-Ghazi-Khan is not very far from

where I shall be. It will certainly be possible for me to go
there someday. I'll write and tell you about it.'
Maggie's face was filled with gratitude. As she thanked
me, her voice choked. She took a shilling out of her pocket
and put it down on the table in front of me, saying, 'Please
buy flowers with this shilling when you go, ï Why did Maggie give a
and lay them on my brother's grave for me.í shilling to Mr Gupta?
In my emotion, I lowered my eyes. The child had earned
the shilling with so much toil! I felt like returning it to
her, explaining that in our country flowers grow in great
profusion and do not have to be purchased.
ï Explain the reason why
But I reconsidered. Why should I deprive her Mr Gupta accepted the
of the joy this sacrifice would give her? All shilling.
that this shilling could have given her she was foregoing
for the love of her brother. The joy of doing it was beyond
all price. The grief in her heart would be eased a little.
What good would it do to deprive her of it? I picked up the
shilling.
'Maggie,' I said, 'I shall use this shilling to buy flowers and
put them on your brother's grave.'
Maggie stood up. 'How can I thank you?' About the Author
she said. 'Now it is time for me to go to Prabhat Kumar Mukhopadhyay
work. Good-bye, remember to write.' (1873-1932) was one of the best short
story writers in Bengali literature. He
I got up and took her hand in mine. was also a novelist. His short stories
'Good-bye, Maggie, God bless you,' I said are mainly based on real-life situations
and pressed her hand to my lips. Maggie and his characters belong to the middle
left. I wiped a tear or two from my eyes class families. Their hopes and
and went upstairs to pack my bags. aspirations, joys and sorrows are
woven finely into his stories.
(Adapted)
(Translated from Bengali by Lila Ray)

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 Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS

Glossary:

aggravate (v) : worsen

beseech (adj) : showing that you want something very much
(of a look, a tone of voice, etc.)
betray (v) : reveal
entreaty : a serious and often emotional request
Lambeth : a suburb of London
music (n) : (here) a book with printed notes of music

Activity I (Read and respond)

1. ëIt is neither the same everywhere nor the same all the year
round in India.í Why?
2. Why did the narrator decide to take the shilling given by Maggie?
3. What is the role of faith in the story?
Activity II (Discussion)
r Discuss the significance of the title ëThe Price of Flowersí. You
may also suggest alternate titles to the story.
Activity III (Character sketch)
r Pick out the words used by the author to describe the character
of Maggie.
Establish the above points with the help of related evidence from
the text, and sketch the character of Maggie.

Appearance Attitude towards others

ï thirteen years old ï respectful
ï anxious figure ï caring
ï large eyes ï
ï ï
ï ï
ï ï
Qualities/traits Your opinion about the girl
ï hard-working ï
ï disciplined ï
ï polite manners ï
ï ï
ï ï

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

Activity IV (Web diagram)

r The following web diagram shows different types of stories. Add
more types to it.

Fable Adventure
story

Myth Anecdote

.............
Story .............

Detective
Folk tale
story

Fairy tale Tale

r Now, match the following with the help of a dictionary.

A B
1. Story a. a very old traditional story from a particular place,
that was originally passed on to people in a spoken
form
2. Anecdote b. a story from ancient times, especially one that was
told to explain natural events or to describe the early
history of a people
3. Tale c. an imaginative story, especially one that is full of
action and adventure
4. Folk tale d. a description of events and people that the writer or
the speaker has invented in order to entertain people
(adventure story, detective story, love story)
5. Fable e. a story about magic or fairies, usually meant for
children
6. Fairy tale f. a traditional short story that teaches a moral lesson,
especially one with animals as characters
7. Fiction g. an interesting or amusing story about a real person
or event
8. Myth h. a type of literature that describes imaginary people
and events

Which category, does the story 'The Price of Flowers' belong to? Discuss.

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 Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS

Activity V (Write-up)
r 'I want work that will make me use my head, brain work.'
How far can you relate this statement to your life? What kind of
profession do you like? Why? Prepare a write-up.
Activity VI (Letter)
r ëWhen I go to that part of the country, I shall visit your brotherís
grave and write to you.í A few weeks after the narratorís departure,
Maggie receives a letter from him. What might be the content of
the letter? Draft a letter, assuming that you are the narrator.

Activity VII (Role-play)

r Maggie reads the letter. She cannot sleep for many days. Imagine
that one day, Mr Gupta receives a call from her. What would she
say? Discuss with your friend, and prepare a likely conversation
between them. Enact the scene by taking up different roles.

Activity VIII (Review)

r Read the story ëThe Price of Flowersí again and discuss the
following with your friends.
ï the theme
ï style of narration
ï language
ï impact of words and expressions
ï location
ï characterisation
ï dialogues
ï the opening and the ending of the story
Now, attempt a critical review of the story.
Activity IX (Reporting)
The following sentences are from the story ëThe Price of Flowersí.
Read them.
She asked, 'Are you an Indian?'
'Yes.'
'Excuse me, are you a vegetarian?'
'Why do you ask that? '
'I have heard that most Indians are vegetarians.'
'How is it that you know anything about India?'
'My elder brother is in India. He is a soldier.'

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

The very next day the narrator told his friend about the girl and their
conversation.
Read and find out how he presented it.
The girl asked me whether I was an Indian.
I answered in the affirmative.
Then she asked me politely if I was a vegetarian.
I enquired why she asked that.
She said (that) she had heard that most Indians were
vegetarians.
I further asked her how it was that she knew anything about
India.
She replied that her elder brother was in India and added
that he was a soldier.

r What differences do you notice between direct speech and

reported speech? Discuss.
Note 1 : If the reporting verb is in the simple present tense or present
perfect, the tense in the direct speech can be retained.
e.g. It is said that the earth moves around the sun.
Shakespeare has said that one may laugh and laugh and
yet be a villain.
Note 2 : The context of the conversation should be borne in mind
while reporting it. The reporting verbs and adjectives may
be selected accordingly.
e.g. The convict : Yes, yes, Iíll lie down.
The convict agreed that he would lie down.

r Now, rewrite the following sentences in reported speech.

'Shall I call you Miss Clifford or Alice? '
'I am not grown-up yet. You may call me what you like.
I am usually called Maggie.' She laughed.
'Are you very anxious to grow up?'
'Yes.'
'Tell me why.'
'When I grow up, I shall be paid more for my work. My
mother is old.'
'Is the work you do to your liking?'
'No. The work is very mechanical. I want work that will
make me use my head, brain work. Like the work of a
secretary.'

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 Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS

III. Read and enjoy:

Deeds speak louder than words. Good deeds will be remembered
for ever. Here is a poem which tells us about the glory of deeds.
Read on.

DEATH THE LEVELLER

James Shirley
THE glories of our blood and state
Are shadows, not substantial things;
There is no armour against Fate;
Death lays his icy hand on kings:
Sceptre and Crown
Must tumble down,
And in the dust be equal made
With the poor crooked scythe and spade. About the Author
James Shirley, (1596-1666),
Some men with swords may reap the field, is known as the last of the
Elizabethans. He was a
And plant fresh laurels where they kill: prolific writer for the stage.
But their strong nerves at last must yield; He also published four
small volumes of poems
They tame but one another still: and plays.
Early or late 'Death the Leveller' is a funeral song.
They stoop to fate, However, it appeals to the reader to
And must give up their murmuring breath think about human actions. The central
idea of the poem is the vanity and
When they, pale captives, creep to death. impermanence of earthly glory and
power. Death knows no distinction,
and carries off all alike - high and low,
rich and poor, strong and weak -
The garlands wither on your brow; reducing them all to dust. It is only the
Then boast no more your mighty deeds! memory of the good deeds done
during our lifetime that will remain for
Upon Deathís purple altar now ever.
See where the victor-victim bleeds;
Your heads must come
To the cold tomb;
Only the actions of the just
Smell sweet and blossom in their dust.

Your teacher will help you to listen to the

recitation of the poem.

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

Glossary:
altar (n) : a holy place in a church or temple
blood (n) : family origins
captive (n) : kept as a prisoner or in a confined space
crooked (adj.) : dishonest
laurels (n) : a bush with dark smooth shiny leaves; also, represents
honour and praise
sceptre (n) : the ornamental rod of a king, a symbol of power
scythe (n) : a tool with a long handle and a slightly curved blade, used
to cut grass or grain
spade (n) : a garden tool with a broad metal blade and a long handle
stoop (v) : surrender
tame (v) : control
tumble : fall down

Activity I (Read and respond)

1. Why does the poet think that the glories of our blood and state
are shadows?
2. What do 'sceptre and crown', and 'scythe and spade' stand for and
what do they symbolize?
3. Why does the poet say that 'there is no armour against fate'?
4. 'Some men with swords may reap the field'. What does this mean?
5. What is the fate of the men with swords who hope to reap the
field?
6. What does 'Death's purple altar' refer to?
7. What does the phrase 'victor-victim' mean?
8. What can survive death? What are the things that blossom in the
dust? Why?
9. Why is Death called the Leveller?
Activity II (Read and reflect)
r Elaborate the ideas in the following lines:
(i) Only the actions of the just
Smell sweet and blossom in the dust.
(ii) The glories of our blood and state
Are shadows, not substantial things;
There is no armour against Fate;

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 Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS

r The following words are taken from the poem. Parse them with
the help of a dictionary.
armour : ÖÖnounÖ wither : ÖÖÖÖÖÖ
but : ÖÖÖÖÖÖ tame : ÖÖÖÖÖÖ
murmuring : ÖÖÖÖÖÖ stoop : ÖÖÖÖÖÖ
boast : verb crumble : ÖÖÖÖÖÖ
where : ÖÖÖÖÖÖ reap : ÖÖÖÖÖÖ
cold : ÖÖÖÖÖÖ boast : ÖÖÖÖÖÖ
sweet : ÖÖÖÖÖÖ bleeds : ÖÖÖÖÖÖ

Activity III (Analysis)

r Examine the rhyme scheme of the poem. What effect does it
produce?
Couplet : A couplet consists of two lines of poetry that rhyme with
each other and are of the same length.
e.g. 'Sceptre and crown
Must tumble down,í
Can you identify more couplets from the poem?

Figures of speech:
Personification --- a figure of speech in which human qualities
are attributed to inanimate objects. e.g. O wild west wind!
Metaphor --- a word or expression used to describe somebody/
something in a way that is different from its normal use. One is
identified with the other.
e.g. O, my love is a red, red rose (metaphor)
O, my love is like a red, red rose (simile)
Metonymy --- when one thing is mentioned instead of another
with which it has become closely associated, because of a
recurrent relation in common experience.
e.g. ëthe crowní stands for a king
ëHollywoodí for the film industry
Oxymoron --- when two terms which, in ordinary usage, are
contraries are used together.
e.g. pleasing pains, loving hate; I burn and freeze.
Identify the figure of speech in 'Death lays its icy hand on kings:'
Pick out examples of metaphor, metonymy and oxymoron in the poem.
Discuss the poetic effect of these figures of speech.

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

Activity IV (Appreciation)
Men are mortal. Triumph and failures are a part and parcel of life.
However, we have to think of the consequences of our action before
we do something. The effect of our mistaken deeds cannot often be
rectified.
..........................................................................................
..........................................................................................
Think and add your views.
r Now attempt an appreciation of the poem. What should be in-
cluded in it?
- introduction
- brief summary
- poetic devices
- message
- your opinion
-
Activity V (Collection)
r Collect articles, biographies, poems, memoirs, etc., on great people
like Mahatma Gandhi and Abraham Lincoln, and prepare a Class
Magazine.

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 Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS

The major learning outcomes of this unit are listed below.

Thematic outcomes
Students demonstrate the ability to
ï maintain the unity between words and deeds.
ï uphold the importance of values in life.
ï realise the role of each individual to enrich the
culture of India.
ï appreciate literature.
ï develop an empathetic attitude.

Linguistic outcomes
Students demonstrate the ability to
ï use correct subject-verb agreement in discourses.
ï use reported speech in various contexts.
ï use dictionary reference skills.
ï prepare and deliver speeches.
ï participate in Group Discussions.
ï draft different types of letters.
ï prepare an appreciation of poems / short stories.
ï make notes and summarise passages.

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

Unit

3
Ö all experience is an arch wherethro'
Gleams that untravell'd world whose margin fades
For ever and forever when I move.
Alfred Lord Tennyson

About the Unit

Travel, for Ulysses, the speaker of Tennyson's poem, is the
means to satisfy his unquenchable thirst for knowledge. With
his unflinching determination, ëto strive, to seek, to find, and not
to yieldí he intends to go beyond horizons of knowledge and
experience. In the modern world the amenities of travel have
improved and the opportunities of travel have increased
tremendously.
The unit focuses on travel and the diverse experience it provides.
It takes the learners through different facets of travel, such as
an adoration of natural beauty, a craving for adventure and an
exploration of new cultures, customs and traditions.
It comprises:
ï Sunrise on the Hills (a poem)
ï The Trip of Le Horla (a short story)
ï The Sacred Turtles of Kadavu (a Fijian Legend)

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 Unit - 3 BEYOND THE HORIZON

Letís begin:
r 1.† Look† at† the† illustration† given† below.
†††Give†a†suitable†caption†to†it.

What† more† would† you† like† to† include† in† this† illustration?
r Travel†is†an†integral†part†of†modern†life.†It†opens†up†new†horizons
of†experience.†Imagine†that†you†are†planning†a†tour†to†a†place†of
importance.
What† are† your† criteria† for† selecting† your† tourist† destination?
List†them†below:
m Scenic†beauty m .............................
m ............................. m .............................
2. Read and discuss:
r The† lush† beauty† of† a† place† is† a† real† feast† for† the† eyes.† It† never
fails† to† attract† us.† Here† is† an† account† of† the† magical† beauty† of
nature†-†the†panoramic†view†from†the†top†of†Thamarasseri†Ghats*
towards†the†Arabian†Sea.

'High† mountains† rise† to† the† left† with† water† glistening† on† bare
black† rocks† like† tears† of† gladness† in† the† eyes† of† sorrow;† forests
stretch†away†here†with†gentle†slope†and†easy†undulation;†far†below
lie†swamps†choked†with†thorny†thickets†and†rank†coarse†grasses
in†whose†bosoms†are†stored†the†streams†which†water†those†large
stretches† of† rice† fields,† here† sere† and† yellow† after† the† sickle† of
the† reaper,† there† whitening† unto† harvest† or† again† a† vivid† green
where†the†second†crop†matures.
* Thamarasseri†Ghats†is†a†hilly†highway†with†nine†hairpin†curves†from†Adivaram
(Valley)†to†Lakkidi,†in†Wayanad.†It†is†also†known†as†Thamarasseri†Churam.

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

Hills† everywhere,† some† arid,† red† and† unfruitful,† more† covered† in

the† feathery† foliage† of† the† Eastern† orchards...† As† the† distance
grows† farther,† hill† and† field† all† merge† into† one† green† plain,† and
beyond† gleams† the† sea,† hard† to† be† discerned† from† heaven† that
bends† down† and† meets† it.† The† thought† rises† from† the† heart† that
in† such† fair† and† well-ordered† beauty,† the† affairs† of† this† world† may
perchance† appearÖ† so† strange,† so† little† comprehendible† by† us,
the† dwellers,† amid† its† hills† and† valleys.
(Wayanad: It's Peoples and Traditions
by†C.†Gopalan†Nair,†1911)

m Discuss† the† colours† mentioned† in† the† passage.

m What† gives† Thamarasseri† its† well-ordered† beauty?
m Pick† out† the† word-pictures† found† in† the† passage.

thorny†thickets .......................... ..........................

.......................... .......................... ..........................

r Think† of† a† place† in† your† locality† which† is† noted† for† its† scenic
beauty.
Is† it† as† attractive† and† beautiful† as† the† place† described† in† the
above†passage?†Discuss†with†your†friends.

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 Unit - 3 BEYOND THE HORIZON

I. Read and enjoy:

Travel is, in fact, an eye-opener. It opens up new, refreshing snapshots
before us and often helps us change our philosophy of life.
Now, read the poem ëSunrise on the Hillsí.

SUNRISE†ON†THE†HILLS
H. W. Longfellow
I†stood†upon†the†hills,†when†heavenís†wide†arch
Was†glorious†with†the†sunís†returning†march,
And†woods†were†brightened,†and†soft†gales
Went†forth†to†kiss†the†sun-clad†vales.
The†clouds†were†far†beneath†me;†bathed†in†light,
They†gathered†midway†round†the†wooded†height,
And,†in†their†fading†glory,†shone
Like†hosts†in†battle†overthrown.
As†many†a†pinnacle,†with†shifting†glance,
Through†the†gray†mist†thrust†up†its†shattered†lance,
And†rocking†on†the†cliff†was†left
The†dark†pine†blasted,†bare,†and†cleft.
The†veil†of†cloud†was†lifted,†and†below
Glowed†the†rich†valley,†and†the†riverís†flow
Was†darkened†by†the†forestís†shade,
Or†glistened†in†the†white†cascade;
Where†upward,†in†the†mellow†blush†of†day,
The†noisy†bittern†wheeled†his†spiral†way.†

I†heard†the†distant†waters†dash,
I†saw†the†current†whirl†and†flash,
And†richly,†by†the†blue†lakeís†silver†beach,
The†woods†were†bending†with†a†silent†reach.
Then†oíer†the†vale,†with†gentle†swell,
The†music†of†the†village†bell
Came†sweetly†to†the†echo-giving†hills;
And†the†wild†horn,†whose†voice†the†woodland†fills,
Was†ringing†to†the†merry†shout,
That†faint†and†far†the†glen†sent†out,
Where,†answering†to†the†sudden†shot,†thin†smoke,
Through†thick-leaved†branches,†from†the†dingle†broke.†

If†thou†art†worn†and†hard†beset
With†sorrows†that†thou†wouldst†forget,
If†thou†wouldst†read†a†lesson,†that†will†keep

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

Thy†heart†from†fainting†and†thy†soul†from†sleep,
Go†to†the†woods†and†hills!†No†tears
Dim†the†sweet†look†that†Nature†wears.

Glossary:
beset†(v) : affect†somebody†/†something About the Author
in†a†harmful†way
bittern†(n) : a†small,†speckled†bird†of†the H.W.† Longfellow†
heron†family,†found†in†North (1807-1882)† was† an
influential† American
America poet,† translator† and
cascade†(n) : a†small†waterfall professor† at† Harvard
cliff†(n) : a† high† area† of† rock† with† a University.† During† his† lifetime,
very† steep† side,† often† on† a Longfellow†was†considered†the†best†of
all†American†poets,†and†his†work†was
coast widely† translated† and† published† in
dingle†(n) : a†deep†wooded†narrow†valley various† other† † languages.† The† poem
glen†(n) : valley ëSunrise† on† the† Hillsí† presents† the
horn†(n) : the† great† horned† owl† of experience†of†the†poet†as†he†watches
the†sun†rise†amidst†the†hills.
America,†or†the†screech†owl
lance† (n) : a† very† long† thin† pointed
weapon† used† in† the† past† by† soldiers† on† horses.† (here)† the
sharp†pointed†top†of†hills†/rocks.
mellow†(adj) : smooth†and†soft
pinnacle† (n) : the†top†of†a†very†high†mountain;†a†tall†thin†pointed†piece†of
stone†or†rock
thy† (determiner) : your,†the†possessive†form†of†thou†(you)
wooded†(adj) : covered† with† trees

Activity I (Read† and† respond)

m Look† at† the† expressions† 'heaven's† wide† arch',† and† 'returning
march'.† What† does† the† poet† describe† here?† What† else† does† it
remind†you†of?
m Comment†on†the†expression†ësoft†gales.í
m What†makes†the†glory†of†the†clouds†fade?
m What†are†the†clouds†compared†to?
m What†picture†of†the†valley†is†unveiled?
m How†does†the†valley†respond†to†the†rising†sun?
m What†message†does†the†poet†convey?
m Are†all†the†three†stanzas†of†equal†length?†Why†do†you†think†the
last†stanza†is†short†when†compared†to†the†previous†stanzas?

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 Unit - 3 BEYOND THE HORIZON

Activity II (Read† and† reflect)

You† may† also† listen† to† the† recital† of† the† poem.
Now,† discuss† and† answer† the† following† questions:
m Comment†on†the†musical†quality†of†the†poem.
m Identify†the†symbols†used†in†the†poem.
m How† does† figurative† language,† like† the† simile,† make† the† poem
effective?

Your teacher will help you listen to the recitation of the poem.

Activity III (Appreciation)

r Pick†out†the†descriptions†of†sights,†sounds†and†movements†in†the
poem.
Sights Sounds Movements
ï glowed† the† rich ï distant† waters ï wheeled† his
valley dash spiral† way
ï ï ï
ï ï ï

r Does† any† image† stand† out† as† the† most† important?† Why† do† you
think† so?
r What† is† your† overall† assessment† of† the† poem?
r Based† on† the† above† discussions,† prepare† an† appreciation† of† the
poem.† You† may† follow† the† format† given† below.

ï The† sights† listed† above† are

m Introduction images†that†create†strong††word
pictures† in† the† minds† of† the
m Brief† summary readers.†They†belong†to†a†type
of† imagery† called† visual
m Features† (sound† effect,† symbols,
imagery.
figures† of† speech,† etc.)
m Message ï The†sounds†that†you†identified
in† the† poem† are† vital† in
m Concluding† comments imagining† and† feeling† the
situation.† They† are† instances
of†auditory imagery.
ï The†words†in†the†poem†that†are
used† to† describe† a† sense† of
movement† † form† a† type† of
imagery† called† kinesthetic
imagery.

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

Read and discuss:

r The†modes†of†travel†differ.†Some†may†result†in†more†intense†and
interesting†experiences.†Here†is†a†traveller†who†broke†the†physi-
cal†barrier†between†him†and†the†people†of†different†countries.
Chris† Foster,† a† 48-year-old† teacher† from† Southern
California,† has† just† completed† the† first† part† of† a† solo
motorcycle† journey† around† the† world.† He† roared† his† way
through† 14,343† miles,† across† three† continents,† and† eleven
countries,† starting† his† journey† in† late† June,† by† dipping† his
feet† in† the† Pacific† Ocean.† To† him,† travelling† by† motorcycle
is† a† one-of-a-kind† experience,† to† get† close† to† everything:
the† weather,† the† smells,† the† sights,† and† most† importantly,
the† people.† One† of† the† main† motivations† for† this† journey† is
to† gain† a† first-hand† knowledge† of† various† countries† and
their† customs.

m What† does† the† travel† experience† of† this† teacher† tell† us?

m What† do† you† think† interests† him† more:† where† to† travel† or† how† to
travel?

II. Read and reflect:

How interesting does the earth look when viewed from a different angle
from far away, from out there? Letís read ëThe Trip of Le Horla,í which
chronicles Maupassantís ride in a balloon called ëLe Horlaí.

THE†TRIP†OF†LE†HORLA
Guy de Maupassant

On† the† morning† of† July† 8th,† I† received† the† following

telegram:† ëFine† day.† Always† my† predictions.† Belgian
frontier.† Baggage† and† servants† leave† at ï What is special about the
noon† at† the† social† session.† Beginning† of sentences in the telegram?
manoeuvres† at† three.† So† I† will† wait† for
you†at†the†works†from†five†o'clock†on.†Jovis.í
At†five†o'clock†sharp,†I†entered†the†gas†works†of†La†Villette.
The† balloon† is† lying† in† the† courtyard† and† has† the
appearance†of†a†cake†made†of†yellow†cloth, ï What does the author compare
flat†on†the†ground†under†a†rope. the balloon to?

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 Unit - 3 BEYOND THE HORIZON

Two†or†three†hundred†people†are†looking†at†it,†sitting†or
standing,†and†some†are†examining†the†basket,†a†nice†little
square†basket†for†a†human†cargo,†bearing†on†its†side†in
gold†letters,†on†a†mahogany†plate,†the†words:†Le†Horla.
Suddenly,†the†people†begin†to†stand†back,†for†the†gas†is
beginning†to†enter†into†the†balloon†through†a†long†tube†of
yellow† cloth,† which† lies† on† the† soil, ï What is the other thought that
swelling†and†undulating†like†an†enormous occurs to every mind?
worm.† But† another† thought,† another† picture† occurs† to
every†mind.†It†is†thus†that†nature†itself†nourishes†beings
until†their†birth.†The†creature†that†will†rise,†soon†begins
to†move,†and†the†attendants†of†Captain†Jovis,†as†Le†Horla
grows†larger,†spread†and†put†in†place†the†net†which†covers
it,† so† that† the† pressure† will† be† regular† and† equally
distributed†at†every†point.
The†crowd†has†begun†to†talk,†and†some†men,†who†appear
to†be†specialists,†affirm†with†authority†that†we†shall†come
down† before† reaching† the† fortifications. ï Express the attitude of the
Several†other†things†have†been†criticized spectators and passengers
in† this† novel† type† of† balloon† with† which towards the sport of ballooning.
we†are†about†to†experiment,†with†so†much†pleasure†and
success.† Meanwhile,† the† balloon† is† growing† slowly† but
surely.
While†Captain†Jovis†and†his†assistants†are†busy†with†the
last† details,† the† travellers† go† to† dine† in ï What is the established custom
the†canteen†of†the†gas-works,†according mentioned here?
to†the†established†custom.
When†we†come†out†again,†the†balloon†is†swaying,†enormous
and†transparent,†a†prodigious†golden†fruit,†a†fantastic†pear
which†is†still†ripening,†covered†by†the†last
rays†of†the†setting†sun.†Now,†the†basket ï When the travellers come out,
what do they see?
is†attached,†the†barometers†are†brought;
the† siren,† which† we† will† blow† to† our† hearts'† content,† is
also† brought;† also† the† two† trumpets,† the† eatables,† the
overcoats†and†raincoats;†all†the†small†articles†that†can†go
with†the†men†in†that†flying†basket.
Captain†Jovis†is†now†ready,†and†calls†all†the†passengers.
Lieutenant†Mallet†jumps†aboard,†climbing ï Name the passengers in the
first†on†the†aerial†net†between†the†basket balloon.
and†the†balloon,†from†which†he†will†watch,

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

during† the† night,† the† movements† of† Le

Horla†across†the†skies,†as†the†officer†on ï watch?
Who is posted as the officer on
watch†standing†on†starboard†watches†the
course†of†a†ship.†M*.†Etierine†Beer†gets†in†after†him,†then
comes†M.†Paul†Bessand,†then†M.†Patrice†Eyries,†and†I†get
in†last.
But†the†basket†is†too†heavy†for†the†balloon, ï Why does M.Eyries get out of the
considering†the†long†trip†to†be†taken,†and balloon? Is he regretful? Why?
M.†Eyries†has†to†get†out,†not†without†great†regret.
M.†Joliet,†standing†erect†on†the†edge†of†the†basket,†begs
the† ladies,† in† very† gallant† terms,† to† stand† aside† a† little,
for†he†is†afraid†he†might†throw†sand†on
ï What does M. Jolietís deeds and
their†hats†in†rising.†Then,†he†commands: words tell us about him?
ëLet†it†loose,í†and,†cutting†with†one†stroke
of†his†knife†the†ropes†that†hold†the†balloon†to†the†ground,
he†gives†Le†Horla†its†liberty! ï Comment on the use of the word
ëlibertyí.
In† one† second† we† fly† skyward.† Nothing
can† be† heard;† we† float,† we† rise,† we† fly,† we† glide!† Our
friends†shout†with†glee†and†applaud,†but†we†hardly†hear
them,†we†hardly†see†them.†We†are†already†so†far,†so†high!
What?†Are†we†really†leaving†these†people†down†there?†Is
it†possible?†Paris†spreads†out†beneath†us,†a†dark†bluish
patch,†cut†by†its†streets,†from†which†rise,†here†and†there,
domes,† towers,† steeples,† then† around† it
the†plain,†the†country,†traversed†by†long ï Describe the aerial view of Paris.
roads,†thin†and†white,†amidst†green†fields†of†a†tender†or
dark†green,†and†woods†almost†black.
The† sun,† which† we† could† no† longer† see ï Have you ever had an aerial view
down†below,†now†reappears. of a place?
In†fact,†we†can†see†whether†we†are†rising ï Can a view from an aeroplane be
or† sinking† only† by† throwing† a† cigarette as picturesque as this balloon
paper†out†of†the†basket,†now†and†then.†If view? Why?
this†paper†appears†to†fall†down†like†a†stone,†it†means†that
the†balloon†is†rising;†if†it†appears†to†shoot
ï How do the travellers know
skyward,†the†balloon†is†descending. whether they are rising or
The† two† barometers† mark† about† five sinking?
hundred† metres,† and† we† gaze† with
enthusiastic† admiration† at† the† earth† we† are† leaving
and†to†which†we†are†not†attached†in†any†way;†it†looks†like
* The† initial† M.† before† the† names† stands† for† ëMonsieur,í† a† French† courtesy† title
which† is† equivalent† to† the† English† ëMr.í

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 Unit - 3 BEYOND THE HORIZON

a†coloured†map,†an†immense†plan
of† the† country.† All† its† noises,
however,† rise† to† our† ears† very
distinctly,†easily†recognizable.†We
hear† the† sound† of† the† wheels
rolling† in† the† streets,† the† snap† of
a† whip,† the† cries† of† drivers,† the
rolling†and†whistling†of†trains†and
the†laughter†of†small†boys†running
after† one† another.† Every† time† we† pass ï All the noises are easily
recognisable. Mention the
over† a† village,† the† noise† of† children's diverse sounds that reach the
voices†is†heard†above†the†rest,†and†with travellersí ears.
the† greatest† distinctness.
The†view†is†superb;†it†is†dark†on†the†earth,†but†we†are†still
in†the†light,†and†it†is†now†past†ten†o'clock.†Now,†we†begin
to†hear†slight†country†noises,†the†double
cry† of† the† quail† in† particular,† then† the ï How do the animals receive the
balloon? How does the balloon
mewing†of†cats†and†the†barking†of†dogs. appear before them?
Surely,†the†dogs†have†scented†the†balloon;
they†have†seen†it†and†have†given†the†alarm.†We†can†hear
them†barking†all†over†the†plain,†and†making†the†identical
noise†they†make†when†baying†at†the†moon.†The†cows†also
seem† to† wake† up† in† the† barns,† for† we† can† hear† them
lowing;† all† the† beasts† are† scared† and† moved† before† the
aerial†monster†that†is†passing. ï The delicious odours of the soil
The† delicious† odours† of† the† soil† rise rise toward us, the smell of hay,
of flowers, of the moist, verdant
towards†us,†the†smell†of†hay,†of†flowers, earth, perfuming the airÖIdentify
of†the†moist,†verdant†earth,†perfuming†the the type of imagery used here.
air.
At†times,†we†rise†and†then†descend.†Every ï What do you think would be the
few† minutes,† Lieutenant† Mallet, fate of the balloon?
suspended†in†his†cobweb†of†netting,†says
to†Captain†Jovis:†ëWe†are†descending;†throw†down†half†a
handful.í†And†the†captain,†who†is†talking ï Why does Mallet ask the Captain
and†laughing†with†us,†with†a†bag†of†ballast to throw down half a handful of
between†his†legs,†takes†a†handful†of†sand sand?
out†of†the†bag,†and†throws†it†overboard.
Nothing†is†more†amusing,†more†delicate,†more†interesting
than†the†manoeuvring†of†a†balloon.†It†is†an†enormous†toy,
free†and†docile,†which†obeys†with†surprising†sensitiveness,

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

but†it†is†also,†and†before†all,†the†slave†of ï The balloon is both a free toy and

the†wind,†which†we†cannot†control.†A†pinch a slave of the wind. Express your
of†sand,†half†a†sheet†of†paper,†one†or†two views on this statement.
drops†of†water,†the†bones†of†a†chicken†which†we†have†just
eaten,†thrown†overboard,†makes†it†go†up†quickly.
The†earth†sleeps†now,†or†rather,†men†sleep†on†the†earth,
for† the† beasts† awakened† by† the† sight† of† our† balloon,
announce†our†approach†everywhere.
A†strong†and†continuous†odour†of†gas†can
be† plainly† observed.† We† must† have ï Can you ëobserveí odour? Why
does the author say so?
encountered† a† current† of† warm† air,† and
the† balloon† expands,† losing† its† invisible ï Comment on the expression:
blood†by†the†escape-valve. ëlosing its invisible blood by the
escape-valve.í
We† are† rising.† The† earth† no† longer† gives
back†the†echo†of†our†trumpets;†we†have†risen†almost†two
thousand†feet.†It†is†not†light†enough†for†us†to†consult†the
instruments;†we†only†know†that†the†rice†paper†falls†from
us†like†dead†butterflies,†that†we†are†rising, ï What do the mist-covered earth
always† rising.† We† can† no† longer† see† the and star-studded sky indicate?
earth;† a† light† mist† separates† us† from† it;
and†above†our†head†twinkles†a†world†of†stars.
A†silvery†light†appears†before†us†and†makes†the†sky†turn
pale,†and†suddenly,†as†if†it†is†rising†from†unknown†depths,
behind†the†horizon†below†us,†rises†the†moon†on†the†edge†of
a† cloud.† It† seems† to† be† coming† from† below,† while† we† are
looking†down†upon†it†from†a†great†height,†leaning†on†the
edge†of†our†basket,†like†an†audience†on†a ï How is the rising of the moon
balcony.†Clear†and†round,†it†emerges†from described?
the†clouds†and†slowly†rises†in†the†sky.
The† earth† no† longer† seems† to† exist,† it† is† buried† in† milky
vapours†that†resemble†a†sea.†We†are†now†alone†in†space
with†the†moon,†which†looks†like†another†balloon†travelling
opposite† us;† and† our† balloon,† which† shines† in† the† air,
appears† like† another,† larger† moon,† a† world† wandering† in
the†sky†amid†the†stars,†through†infinity.†We†no†longer†speak,
think† nor† live;† we† float† along† through† space† in† delicious
inertia.† We† have† become† something ï Look at the expression ëdelicious
indescribable,†birds†who†do†not†even†have inertia.í Can you identify the
to†flap†their†wings. figure of speech used here?
ï Why is space travel considered
All† memory† has† disappeared† from† our as ëdelicious inertiaí by the
narrator?

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 Unit - 3 BEYOND THE HORIZON

minds,† all† trouble† from† our† thoughts;† we† have† no† more
regrets,†plans†nor†hopes.†We†look,†we†feel,†we†wildly†enjoy
this†fantastic†journey;†nothing†in†the†sky ï The author calls the balloon ëa
but† the† moon† and† ourselves!† We† are† a world wandering in the skyí and
wandering,† travelling† world,† like† our ëa wandering, travelling world.í
Can you coin similar
sisters,† the† planets;† and† this† little† world descriptions of the balloon?
carries†five†men†who†have†left†the†earth,
and† who† have† almost† forgotten† it.† The† barometers† mark
twelve† hundred† metres,† then† thirteen,† fourteen,† fifteen
hundred;†and†the†little†rice†papers†still†fall†about†us.
We†are†now†at†two†thousand†metres;†we†go†up†to†two†thousand
three†hundred†and†fifty;†then†the†balloon
ï When does the balloon stop?
stops.†We†blow†the†siren†and†are†surprised Why?
that†no†one†answers†us†from†the†stars.
We† are† now† going† down† rapidly.† M.† Mallet† keeps† crying:
ëThrow†out†more†ballast!†throw†out†more†ballast!í†And†the
sand† and† stones† that† we† throw† over,† come† back† into† our
faces†as†if†they†are†going†up,†thrown†from†below†toward†the
stars,†so†rapid†is†our†descent. ï How does the author describe the
rapid descent of the balloon?
Here†is†the†earth!†Where†are†we?†It†is†now
past† midnight,† and† we† are† crossing† a† broad,† dry,† well-
cultivated†country.†To†the†right†is†a†large†city,†and†farther
away† to† the† left† is† another.† But† suddenly† from† the† earth
appears† a† bright† fairy† light;† it† disappears,† reappears† and
once†more†disappears.†But†one†hardly†has†time†to†see†them
as†the†balloon†passes†as†quickly†as†the†wind.
We†are†now†quite†near†the†earth,†and†Beer†exclaims:†ëLook
at†that!†What†is†that†running†over†there†in†the†fields?†Isn't
it† a† dog?í† Indeed,† something† is† running† along† the† ground
with† great† speed,† and† this† something† seems† to† jump† over
ditches,†roads,†trees†with†such†ease†that
we†could†not†understand†what†it†might†be. ï How does the shadow of the
balloon appear to the travellers?
The† captain† laughs:† ëIt† is† the† shadow† of
our†balloon.†It†will†grow†as†we†descend.í
I†distinctly†hear†a†great†noise†of†foundries
in†the†distance.†And,†according†to†the†polar ï How far does the polar star guide
the travellers?
star,†which†we†have†been†observing†all†night, Do you think it is a scientific way
we†are†heading†straight†for†Belgium*. to travel?

* Belgium† borders† the† Netherlands† to† the† north,† Germany† to† the† east,† Luxembourg† to
the† southeast,† France† to† the† south† and† the† North† Sea† for† 70† km† to† the† north† east.
Brussels† is† the† capital† of† Belgium.

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

Our†siren†and†our†two†horns†are†continually†calling.†We
bellow:†ëWhere†are†we?í†But†the†balloon†is†going†so†rapidly
that†the†bewildered†man†has†not†even†time†to†answer†us.
The†growing†shadow†of†Le†Horla,†as†large
ï Who is the bewildered man? Why
as†a†child's†ball,†is†fleeing†before†us†over is he bewildered?
the†fields,†roads†and†woods.†It†goes†along
steadily,†preceding†us†by†about†a†quarter†of†a†mile;†and
now,†I†am†leaning†out†of†the†basket,†listening†to†the†roaring
of† the† wind† in† the† trees† and† across† the† harvest† fields.† I
say†to†Captain†Jovis:†ëHow†the†wind†blows!í
He†answers:†ëNo,†those†are†probably†waterfalls.í†I†insist,
sure† of† my† ear† that† knows† the† sound† of† the† wind,† from
hearing† it† so† often† whistle† through† the
rigging.†Then†Jovis†nudges†me;†he†fears ï Comment on the reaction of the
to†frighten†his†happy,†quiet†passengers, Captain to the roaring of the
wind. Can you justify the
for† he† knows† full† well† that† a† storm† is Captainís behaviour?
pursuing†us.
Suddenly,†the†lights†of†a†town†appear†before†us.†Such†a
wonderful†flow†of†fire†appears†below†us†that†I†think†myself
transported† into† some† fairyland† where† precious† stones
are†manufactured†for†giants.
The† clouds† are† gathering† behind† us,† hiding† the† moon,
whereas† towards† the† east† the† sky† is† growing† lighter,
becoming†clear†blue,†tinged†with†red.†It†is†dawn.†It†grows
rapidly,† now† showing† us† all† the† little
details† of† the† earth,† the† trains,† the ï Identify the sights and sounds
that welcome the dawn.
brooks,†the†cows,†the†goats.†And†all†this Sights Sounds
passes†beneath†us†with†surprising†speed.
Cocks†are†crowing,†but†the†voice†of†ducks
drowns†everything.
The†early†rising†peasants†are†waving†their†arms†and†crying
to† us:† ëLet† yourselves† drop!í† But† we† go† along† steadily,
neither†rising†nor†falling,†leaning†over†the
edge†of†the†basket†and†watching†the†world ï ëThe world fleeing under our feetí
- What experience does the
fleeing†under†our†feet. author try to convey?
And,†indeed,†far†ahead†of†us†stretches†a
bright† highway,† in† the† light† of† the† dawning† day.† Yes,† it
looks†like†a†river,†an†immense†river†full†of†islands.

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 Unit - 3 BEYOND THE HORIZON

ëGet†ready†for†the†descent,í†cries†the†captain.†He†makes
M.†Mallet†leave†his†net†and†return†to†the†basket;†then,†we
pack†the†barometers†and†everything†that†could†be†injured
by†possible†shocks.†M.†Bessand†exclaims:†ëLook†at†the†masts
over†there†to†the†left!†We†are†at†the†sea!í ï If you were in such a situation,
how would you react?
Fogs† have† hidden† it† from† us† until† then.
The†sea†is†everywhere,†to†the†left†and†opposite†us.
It† is† necessary† to† descend† within† a† minute† or† two.
The†rope†to†the†escape-valve,†which†has ï ìReligiously enclosedî -
been†religiously†enclosed†in†a†little†white What is your opinion about the
adverb used here? How is it
bag†and†placed†in†sight†of†all†so†that†no connected with the verb
one† will† touch† it,† is† unrolled,† and ëenclosed?í
M.† Mallet† holds† it† in† his† hand† while
Captain†Jovis†looks†for†a†favourable†landing.
Behind†us,†the†thunder†is†rumbling†and ï Why do you think the birds are
not†a†single†bird†follows†our†mad†flight. hesitant to follow the balloon?
We† are† passing† over† a† canal.† The† basket† trembles† and
tips†over†slightly.†The†guy-rope†touches†the†tall†trees†on
both† banks.We† pass† with† frightful† rapidity† over† a† large
farm,† from† which† the† bewildered
ï List out the words and
chickens,† pigeons† and† ducks† fly† away, expressions that indicate the
while† the† cows,† cats† and† dogs† run, mad flight of the balloon.
terrified,†toward†the†house.
Just† one-half† bag† of† ballast† is† left.† Jovis† throws† it
overboard,†and†Le†Horla†flies†lightly†across†the†roof.
The†captain†once†more†cries:†ëThe†escape-valve!í
M.†Mallet†reaches†for†the†rope†and†hangs ï What action does Mallet
to†it,†and†we†drop†like†an†arrow.†With†the perform?
slash† of† a† knife† the† cord† which† retains
the† anchor† is† cut,† and† we† drag† this† grapple† behind† us,
through†a†field†of†beets.†Here†are†the†trees.
ëTake†care!†Hold†fast!†Look†out†for†your†heads!í
We†pass†over†them.†Then†a†strong†shock†shakes†us.†The
anchor†has†taken†hold.
ëLook† out!† Take† a† good† hold!† Raise† yourselves† by† your
wrists.†We†are†going†to†touch†the†ground.í
The†basket†does†indeed†strike†the†earth.†Then†it†flies†up
again.†Once†more,†it†falls†and†bounds†upward†again,†and

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

at† last,† it† settles† on† the† ground,† while ï Comment on the visual effect of
the† balloon† struggles† madly† like† a ëthe balloon landing.í
wounded†beast.
Peasants†run†toward†us,†but†they†do†not†dare†approach,
for† one† cannot† set† foot† on† the† ground† until† the† bag† is
almost†completely†deflated. ï Describe the reception of the
Then,† almost† at† the† same† time† as† the balloon by the peasants.
bewildered†men,†some†of†whom†show†their†astonishment
by†jumping,†with†the†wild†gestures†of†savages,†all†the†cows
that† are† grazing† along† the† coast† come† towards† us,
surrounding†our†balloon†with†a†strange†and†comical†circle
of†horns,†big†eyes†and†blowing†nostrils.
With†the†help†of†the†accommodating†and†hospitable†Belgian
peasants,†we†are†able,†in†a†short†time,†to†pack†up†all†our
materials†and†carry†it†to†the†station†at†Heyst*,†where,†at
twenty†minutes†past†eight,†we†take†the†train†for†Paris.
The†descent†occurred†at†three-fifteen†in†the†morning.
Thanks† to† Captain† Jovis,† thanks† to† this† brave† man,† we
were†able†to†see,†in†a†single†night,†from†far†up†in†the†sky,
the† setting† of† the† sun,† the† rising† of† the† moon† and† the
dawn† of† day,† and† to† go† from† Paris† to† the† mouth† of† the
Scheldt**†through†the†skies.
(Adapted) About the Author
Glossary: Guy†de†Maupassant†(1850
ballast†(n) : a†substance†such†as†water, ñ†1893)†was†a†popular†19th-
sand†or†metal†that†is†carried century† French† writer,
considered† one† of† the
in†ships†or†large†balloons†to masters†of†the†modern†short
help†them†remain†steady story†and†one†of†its†finest†exponents.
barometer†(n) : a† device† that† measures† air The††short†story†called†ëThe††Trip†of †Le
pressure† and† shows† when Horla,í†appeared††in†the†Figaro,†in†1887,
the† weather† is† likely† to under†the†title†ëFrom†Paris†to†Heystí.
change ëThe††Trip†of †Le††Horla,í†is†about†the
bellow†(v) : utter† in† a† loud,† powerful authorís†ride†in†a†hot†air†balloon.
voice
deflate†(v) : let†out†air†or†gas†from†a†tyre†or†balloon
ditch†(n) : a†long,†narrow†open†hole†that†is†dug†into†the†ground,†usually
at†the†side†of†a†road†or†field,†used†especially†for†supplying†or
removing†water†or†for†dividing†land
docile†(adj) : quiet†and†easy†to†influence,†persuade,†or†control

* Heyst† is† a† place† with† a† very† small† population† in† the† province† of† West† -† Vlaanderen,
Belgium.† The† closest† major† cities† include† Antwerp† and† Brussels.
** Scheldt† is† a† river† that† rises† in† France,† flows† through† Belgium† and† empties† into† the
North† Sea.

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 Unit - 3 BEYOND THE HORIZON

fortification† (n) : strong†walls,†towers,†etc.,†that†are†built†to†protect†a†place

gesture† (n) : a†movement†of†the†hands†or†head,†etc.,†to†express†an†idea†or
feeling.
grapple†(n) : an†iron†shaft†with†claws†at†one†end,†usually†thrown†by†a†rope
and†used†for†grasping†and†holding,†especially†one†for†drawing
and†holding†an†enemy†ship†alongside
guy-rope†(n) : a†rope†or†wire†that†keeps†a†tent†fixed†in†position†on†the†ground
inertia† (n) : resistance†or†disinclination†to†motion,†action,†or†change
manoeuvre† (n) : an†action†or†movement†that†needs†care†or†skill†to†perform;
(here)†the†balloon†ride
nudge†(v) : push†against†gently,†especially†in†order†to†gain†attention†or
give† a† signal
prodigious†(adj) : very† great† or† impressive
quail†(n) : a†small†brown†bird
steeple† (n) : a†tall†tower†forming†the†superstructure†of†a†building,†such†as
a†church†or†temple,†and†usually†surmounted†by†a†spire
tinge† (v) : contain†a†slight†amount†of
undulate†(v) : move†gently†up†and†down†in†the†shape†of†waves†on†the†sea
verdant†(adj) : green

Activity I (Think† and† respond)

r Imagine† that† you† get† a† chance† to† be† the† captain† of† a† tour
programme.†What†type†of†a†captain†would†you†like†to†become?
List†the†qualities†of†an†ideal†captain.
m† m
m† m
m† m
Activity II (Live† TV† report) Tips
r Draft† a† live TV Report† of† † Le† Horla's ï Make† maximum† use† of
the† simple† present.
take†off. ï Report†exactly†what†you
Activity III (Dos†and†Doníts) see.
ï Have†a†good†start†and†a
r While† planning† a† trip,† we† have† to good†wrap-up.
consider†many†things.†What†are†the†dos ï Explain† the† event† in
and†the†don'ts†while†doing†so? detail;†do†not†avoid†key
information.
ï Dos ï Link† your† live† report
Take† a† first† aid† kit. with† similar† instances.
.................................................
................................................. Tips
ï Doníts Dos and doníts are
Avoid† carrying† expensive† things. ï usually† imperatives
................................................. ï short†and†meaningful
.................................................

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

Activity IV† (Comparison)

r Nothing† is† more† amusing,† more† delicate,† more† interesting† than
the† manoeuvring† of† a† balloon.
Which† degree† of† comparison† is† used† here?
Read† the† passage† below.
All† memory† has† disappeared† from† our† minds,† all† trouble
from† our† thoughts;† we† have† no† more† regrets,† plans† nor
hopes.† We† look,† we† feel,† we† wildly† enjoy† this† fantastic
journey;† nothing† in† the† sky† but† the† moon† and† ourselves!
We† are† a† wandering,† travelling† world,† like† our† sisters,† the
planets;† and† this† little† world† carries† five† men† who† have
left† the† earth,† and† who† have† almost† forgotten† it.
r Now,†rewrite†the†passage†comparing†it†with†the†life†on†earth.†You
may†begin†like†this:
Now our minds and thoughts are more independent than it was
when we were on earth..........................................................
..............................................................................................
...............................................................................................
Activity V (Narration)
r Narrate†the†landing†of†the†balloon†from†the†point†of†view†of†one†of
the† peasants† present† there.
Mode of Narration Description
In† this† mode,† the† narrator† is† usually
First† person† narration the† protagonist† or† central† character
in† the† story.
Directions† and† instructions† are
Second† person† narration usually† narrated† from† the† second-
personís† perspective.
Third† person† narration
There† are† three† distinct† modes† of† third† person† narration:† objective,
limited,† and† omniscient.
The† narrator† does† not† reveal† any† of
Third† person† objective the† charactersí† thoughts† or† feelings.
The† narrator† reveals† the† thoughts
Third† person† limited and†feelings†of†one†character†through
explicit† narration.
The† narration† will† reveal† more† than
Third† person† omniscient one† characterís† internal† workings;
the† narrator† is† all-knowing.

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 Unit - 3 BEYOND THE HORIZON

Activity VI (Travel† essay)

r Travel†writing†is†a†person's†account†of†a†journey†to†another†coun-
try† or† place.† It† blends† the† description† of† physical† features† with
practical† issues† related† to† travel,† experiences† of† the† place† and
personal†impressions.†The†story†you†have†read†includes†all†these
aspects.
Description†of†physical†features Paris†spreads†out†beneath†us,†a†dark†bluish
patch,†cut†by†its†streets,†from†which†rise,
here†and†there,†domes,†towers,†steeples...

Practical† issues† related† to ...two†trumpets,†the†eatables,†the†overcoats

travel and† raincoats,† all† the† small† articles† that
can†go†with†the†men†in†that†flying†basket.

With†the†help†of†the†accommodating†and
Experiences†of†the†place hospitable†Belgian†peasants,†we†are†able,
in† a† short† time,† to† pack† up† all† our
materials...

Personal† impressions ...we†float†along†through†space†in†delicious

inertia.† We† have† become† something
indescribable,†birds†who†do†not†even†have
to†flap†their†wings.
Now,† write† a† travel essay† describing† a† travel† experience† you† had
recently.
Activity VII† (Progressive† tenses)
r Have†a†look†at†the†following†segments†of†sentences.
But† the† clouds† are† gathering† behind† usÖ
Crows† are† crowingÖ
In† the† above† segments,† the† action† continues† to† take† place† even† at
the† moment† of† speaking.† The† present† continuous† tense† form† of† a
verb† is† used† in† such† a† context.† The† verbs† in† the† above† segments† of
sentences† (ëgatherí† and† ëcrowí)† are† in† the† present† continuous† tense
form.† Continuous† tenses† are† also† called† Progressive tenses.
We† use† the† present† continuous† tense† to† denote
m something†that†is†happening†at†the†moment†of†speaking.
m something†which†is†happening†before†and†after†a†given†time.
m something†which†we†think†is†temporary.
m something†which†is†new†and†contrasts†with†a†previous†state.
m something†which†happens†again†and†again.
m for†talking†about†the†future;†for†something†which†has†been†arranged
or†planned.
m

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

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

Sentence/Segment We†are†crossing...

Context At†the†moment†of
speaking

r Frame†a†sentence†on†your†own.

Context Sentence
happening†at†the†moment†of†speaking

happening† before† and† after† a† given

time

something† which† is† temporary

something† new† which† contrasts† with

a† previous† state

happens† again† and† again

has† been† arranged† or† planned

r Most† Indian† speakers† of† English,† however,† have† a† tendency† to

confuse††the†simple†present†with†the†present†continuous††tense.

The simple present tense† is† usually† used† to

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

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 Unit - 3 BEYOND THE HORIZON

III. Read and reflect:

Travel, at times, crosses the frontiers of a mere exploration of the

physical features of a landscape, and takes us far beyond to the
exploration of the real self of a land which is embedded in its customs,
traditions and rituals. Here is a travel experience that acquaints us
with a strange ritual on a Fijian island. Read on:

THE†SACRED†TURTLES†OF††KADAVU

On†the†island†of†Kadavu†(pronounced Kandavu),†one†of†the
larger†islands†of†the†Fiji†Group,†and†some†fifty†miles†by
water†from†the†capital†city†of†Suva,†is†the
Fijian† village† of† Namuana.† Namuana ï How, according to the legend, did
the warriors of Kadavu save
nestles† at† the† foot† of† a† beautiful† bay themselves a long journey by sea?
adjacent† to† the† Government† Station† in
Vunisea†Harbour.†Here,†the†island†of†Kadavu†narrows†down
to†an†isthmus,†and†by†climbing†the†hill†behind†Namuana
village,†one†can†stand†on†the†saddle†and†look†out†to†the
sea†to†the†south†and†to†the†north.†Legend†says†that†in†the
days†gone†by,†the†warriors†of†Kadavu†slid†their†canoes†on
rollers†up†over†the†narrow†neck†of†land†to†save†the†long
journey†around†the†east†and†the†west†of†Kadavu†island.
The†women†of†Namuana†village†still†preserve†a†very†strange
ritual,† that† of† calling† turtles† from† the† sea.† If† you† visit
Namuana†village†to†see†the†turtle†calling,†your†schooner
anchors†in†a†beautiful†bay†right†under†the†cliffs†of†a†rocky
headland.†You†land†on†the†beach†and†then,†either†sit†on
the†rocks†under†the†bluffs†on†the†beach†or†climb†a†rocky
tract† to† a† point† some† 150† or† 200† feet† up† the† rock† face.
Here,†you†have†a†splendid†view†and†will†find†assembled
all†the†maidens†of†the†village†of†Namuana,†singing†a†strange
chant.†As†they†chant,†if†you†look†very†carefully†down†into
the†water†of†the†bay,†you†will†see†giant†turtles†rise†one†by
one†to†lie†on†the†surface,†listening†to†the†music.
This†is†not†a†fairy†tale;†it†actually†does†take†place†and†the
water†in†this†area†is†forbidden†for†the†fishing†of†turtles.
Another†interesting†sideline†to†this†performance†is†that†if
any†member†of†the†nearby†village†of†Nabukelevu†is†present,
then† the† turtles† will† not† rise† to† the† surface† of† the† bay,

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

and† the† turtle† calling† will† have† to† be ï The turtles will not rise to the
surface of the bay if any member
abandoned.
of the nearby village of
As†is†usually†the†case†with†such†strange Nabukelevu is present there.What
ceremonies†and†customs,†in†Fiji,†the†turtle could be the reason?
calling†is†based†on†an†ancient†legend†still
passed†on†from†father†to†son,†among†the ï Are all rituals strange? Why?
Fijian†people†of†Kadavu.
Many,†many†years†ago,†in†the†beautiful†village†of†Namuana,
on†the†island†of†Kadavu,†lived†a†very†lovely†princess†called
Tinaicoboga† who† was† the† wife† of† the† chief† of† Namuana
village.† Tinaicoboga† had† a† charming
daughter† called† Raudalice,† and† the† two ï Comment on the opening
women† often† went† fishing† on† the† reefs sentence of the legend.
around†their†home.
Once,†Tinaicoboga†and†Raudalice†went†further†afield†than
usual.†They†waded†out†onto†the†submerged†reefs†which
stretch†out†from†the†rocky†headline†to†the†east†of†the†bay
on†which†Namuana†village†is†situated.
They† became† so† engrossed† with† their† fishing† that† they
did†not†notice†the†stealthy†approach†of†a†great†war†canoe,
filled† with† fishermen,† from† the† nearby† village† of
Nabukelevu.†This†village†is†situated†in†the†shadow†of†Mount
Washington,† the† highest† mountain† on† Kadavu† island.
Today,† Mount† Washington† is† well† known† to† mariners
because† there† is† a† splendid† lighthouse† there,† warning
them†of†the†dangers†of†the†rocky†coastline.
Suddenly,†the†fishermen†leapt†from†their†canoe†and†seized
the†two†women,†bound†their†hands†and
feet† with† vine,† † tossed† them† into† the ï when
What happens to the two women
they go fishing?
bottom†of†the†canoe,†and†set†off†in†great
haste† for† home.† Although† the† women† pleaded† for† their
lives,†the†cruel†warriors†from†Nabukelevu†did†not†listen†to
their† entreaties.
The†gods†of†the†sea,†however,†were†kind, ï What does the change in weather
and† soon,† a† great† storm† arose† and† the signify?
canoe† was† tossed† about† by† huge† waves† which† almost
swamped† it.† As† the† canoe† foundered† in† the† sea,† the
fishermen†were†astounded†to†notice†that†the†two†women,
lying†in†the†water†in†the†hold†of†the†canoe,†had†suddenly
changed†into†turtles,†and†to†save†their†own†lives,†the†men

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 Unit - 3 BEYOND THE HORIZON

seized†them†and†threw†them†into†the†sea.
As† they† slipped† over† the† side† of† the† canoe,† the† weather
changed†and†there†were†no†more†waves.
The†Nabukelevu†fishermen†continued†their†journey†back
to†their†home†village,†and†the†two†women†from†Namuana
who†had†been†changed†to†turtles†lived†on†in†the†water†of
the†bay.†It†is†their†descendants†today†who†rise†from†the
water†when†the†maidens†of†their†own†village†sing†songs
to†them†from†the†cliffs.
The†translation†of†the†strange†song,†which†is†chanted†on
such†occasions,†is†as†follows:
ëThe†women†of†Namuana†are†all†dressed ï Why are the women dressed in
mourning ?
in†mourning
Each† carries† a† sacred† club† each† tattooed† in† a† strange
pattern
Do†rise†to†the†surface†Raudalice†so†we†may†look†at†you
Do†rise†to†the†surface†Tinaicoboga†so†we ï What do the lines of the song
may†also†look†at†you.í indicate?

You† may† doubt† the† truth† of† the† legend,† but† you† cannot
doubt†the†fact†that†the†chanting†of†this†strange†song†does,
in† fact,† lure† the† giant† turtles† to† the† surface† of† the† blue
waters†of†the†bay,†near†Namuana†village,†on†the†island†of
Kadavu.
(From a Fijian Legend)

Glossary:
afield†(adv) : a†long†distance†away
entreaty† (n) : an†attempt†to†persuade†someone†to†do†something
founder†(v) : fill†with†water†and†sink
isthmus† (n) : a† narrow† piece† of† land† that† joins† two† larger† areas† and† has
water†on†both†sides.
mourning†(n) : sadness†felt†because†someone†has†died;†also,†the†black†clothes
that†are†worn†in†some†countries†as†an†expression†of†sadness
at†someoneís†death
reef† (n) : a†line†of†rocks†or†sand†just†above†or†just†below†the†surface†of
the†sea,†often†dangerous†to†ships
schooner†(n) : a†sailing†ship†with†at†least†two†masts†{tall†poles}
swamp†(v) : fill†or†cover†something†with†a†lot†of†water;†(here)†the†canoe†is
surrounded†by†huge†waves†which†tossed†it.

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

About Fiji
The†Republic†of†the†Fiji†Islands†is†a†multicultural†island†nation
with†the†cultural†traditions†of†the†people†of†Oceanic,†European,
South† Asian,† and† East† Asian† origins.† Fiji† consists† of
approximately†320††islands†in†the†southwest†Pacific†Ocean,†about
1,960†miles†(3,152†kms)†from†Sydney,†Australia.†About†100†of
these†islands†are†inhabited.

Your teacher will show you the visuals of Fiji.

Activity I (Debate)
r Who†do†you†think†are†really†punished:†the†Nabukelevu†fishermen
or†the†two†women†from†Namuana?
Discuss†the†situation†in†the†present†context†of†atrocities†against
women.
Conduct†a†debate†on†the†topic†ëAre† women†empowered†in†our†soci-
ety?í
For
................................................................................................
................................................................................................
................................................................................................
Against
................................................................................................
................................................................................................
................................................................................................

Activity II† (Write-up)

r You†have†read†the†story†of†an†unusual†Fijian†ritual.
Can†you†think†of†similar†rituals†practised†in†your†locality?
Discuss† and† prepare† a† write-up† on† a† ritual† popular† in† your
locality.
Hints
† The† write† up† should† include
ï a† description† of† the† ritual† (plot,† characters,† climax).
ï the† cultural,† social† and† historical† significance† of† the† ritual.
ï the† relevance† of† the† ritual† in† the† present† scenario.

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 Unit - 3 BEYOND THE HORIZON

Activity III† (Travel† Brochure)

r Letís†prepare†a†travel brochure Tips
of† a† place† of† your† choice† (a A†travel†brochure†should
ï open† with† a† catchy† sentence
place†of†tourist†importance†in which† is† followed† by† short,
your†locality†or†a†tourist†spot concise† sentences.
you†visited†recently). ï satisfy†the†interest†of†the†target
audience.
It†could†be ï highlight† the† main† features
m a† paper† travel† brochure * description†of†scenic†beauty
(handmade) * scope† for† adventures† (sky
a† paper† travel† brochure diving,†mountaineering,†etc.)
(printout) * reference† to† local† culture,
customs†and†traditions.
m a†power†point†travel†brochure
ï appeal†to†the†five†senses.
m a† virtual† travel† brochure† (web ï present† one† or† two† positive
design). testimonials†from†past†visitors.
m a† travel† brochure† on† a ï include†attractive†photographs†of
presentation†poster-board the† destination.

Extended Activities
Activity I (Translation)
r Travel†writing†is†popular†not†only†in†English†but†also†in†Malayalam.
We†have†noted†travel†writers†in†Malayalam.†S.†K.†Pottekkatt†is†a
prominent†figure†who†has†several†books†on†travel†to†his†credit.
Here†is†a†excerpt†from†his†novel†'Oru†Desathinte†Katha'†followed
by†its†English†translation†ëTales†of†Athiranippadamí†.*
{io[-cs\ kw_-‘n-®n-StØmfw Ce-™n-s∏m-bn¬ ]pXn-sbmcp ambm-temI-
am-bn-cp-∂p. AXn-cm-Wn-∏m-SsØ sNfn-tØm-Sp-Ifpw HmSn-°f - n-°m-\n-Sa
- n-√mØ
CSp-ßnb ]d-ºp-Ifpw hn´p hnim-e-kp-µ-c-am-sbmcp temIØv kz—µw
hnlcn°mw. Fs¥mcp am‰w! ]®-°-dn-tØm-∏p-I-fn-eqsS Np‰n-\S°mw.
\nd∏In-´m¿∂ ]m∏m-Øn-If - p-sSbpw Xpºn-If
- p-sSbpw ]n∂mse \rØw-sh®p
\oßmw. Infn-I-fpsS ]m´p-Iƒ tIƒ°mw. N°bpw amßbpw Xn∂p
aSp°pw.
To Sreedharan, Elanjippoyil was a world of wonder.
Athiranippadam had only small muddy streams and narrow
stretches of land where he could hardly move about freely. The
difference between the two places was overwhelming. At
Elanjippoyil, he could walk for hours and hours through the
vegetable gardens where bright, multi-coloured butterflies,
beetles and dragon flies fluttered about. He could run after them
with wild delight, and listen to the sweet melody of the birds. He
could stuff his tummy with jackfruits and mangoes.

*† Translated† by† Sreedevi† K.† Nair† and† Radhika† P.† Menon.

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

ï Discuss†the†above†translation.
Tips
ï Transfer†the†meaning;†avoid†word†for†word†translation.
ï Be†aware†of†the†cultural†differences†in†languages.
ï Ensure† that† the† translation† is† in† tune† with† the† linguistic
features†of†the†target†language.
r Now,† read† the† following† passage† in† Malayalam,† from† the† same
novel,†and†translate†it†into†English.
Hcp henb NXp-∏p-]mSw Ime-{I-taW Xq¿∂p-≠mb Hcp IpSn-∏m¿∏p tI{µ-amWv
AXn-cm-Wn-∏m-Sw. ]pcm-X-\-Im-eØv Hcp sNdnb ]pg AXn-eqsS Hcp ssa¬ ]Sn-
™m-dp≈ kap-{Z-Øn-te°v Hgp-In-t®¿∂n-cp-∂p. iXm-_vZ-߃°n-S-bn¬ B ]pg
h‰n, Nfn-sI´n aqSn hen-sbmcp tXmSmbnØo¿∂p. B `mK-Øn\v ]pg-h-°Øv
F∂mWv Ct∏mgpw ]d™p hcp-∂-Xv. B tXmSpw {ItaW Xq¿∂p-Xq¿∂v Ahn-
sS-sa√mw NXp-∏p-\n-e-ßfmbn-Øo¿∂p. B NXp∏p-\n-e-ßfpw Xq¿∂p XpS-ßn-
b-t∏mƒ B ]mS-ß-fn¬ a\p-jy≥ {]th-in®p.
r You† decide† to† conduct† a† tour† programme.† What† are† the† different
††††††stages†involved†in†it?†Discuss.
Activity II (Travel† info)
r We†get†information†about†tourist†destinations†from†Travel†Info.

Travel Info
Getting There
Heathrow Airport is one of the largest and busiest airports in Britain which
connects the major cities in the world.
The London Metro connects you to the major tourist destinations of the city.
Don't miss out
The National Gallery
The British Museum
The Tower of London
Windsor Castle
The cuisine
Fish and Chips-a true English treat of freshly caught fish and crisp potato
fries.

Travel Info may include appropriate visiting time, how to get there, where to
dine, cultural highlights, etc.
Letís†prepare†a†Travel Info†of†a†place†of†your†choice.
Activity III (Conversation)
r Decide†on†a†place†to†visit,†and†approach†a†travel†agency†to†make
arrangements.

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 Unit - 3 BEYOND THE HORIZON

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

Activity IV† (Introductory† speech)

r Imagine† yourself† to† be† a† travel† guide.† A† group† of† tourists† visits
one†of†the†most†popular†tourist†spots†of†your†locality.†How†would
you†welcome†them?
Prepare† the† script† of† a† speech† you† will† make† on† the† occasion,
introducing†the†tourist†spot†to†the†visitors.
Welcoming Tourists
..........................................................................................
..........................................................................................
..........................................................................................
Describing the location
..........................................................................................
..........................................................................................

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

..........................................................................................
†Tips
Introducing special events / highlights
.............................................................. Speech† should† be
.............................................................. m interpersonal
............................................................... m spontaneous
Offering advice (Dos & Doníts) m loosely† structured
..............................................................
m informal
..............................................................
...............................................................
m event† oriented
Closing remarks m concrete
..............................................................
..............................................................
...............................................................

Activity V† (Discussion)
r You†may†read†the†poem†ëGoodbye Party for Miss Pushpa T. S.í†by
Nissim†Ezekiel†which†is†given†below.
In†the†poem,†Ezekiel†uses†a†variety†of†Indian†English.†It†is†in†the
form†of†a†speech†made†by†one†of†Miss†Pushpaís†friends.
There†are†grammatical†mistakes,†strange†arrangements†of†words,
phrases†and†idioms†which†are†direct†translations†of†expressions
from†Indian†languages;†all†of†which†sound†very†odd†in†English.
Identify†them†and†discuss.

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

You†are†all†knowing,†friends,†
what†sweetness†is†in†Miss†Pushpa.
I†donít†mean†only†external†sweetness†
but† internal† sweetness.†
Miss†Pushpa†is†smiling†and†smiling†
even†for†no†reason
but†simply†because†she†is†feeling.†

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 Unit - 3 BEYOND THE HORIZON

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

Surat?†Ah,†yes,
Once†only†I†stayed†in†Surat
with†family†members
of†my†uncleís†very†old†friend,
his†wife†was†cooking†nicelyÖ
that†was†long†time†ago.†

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

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

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

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

The major learning outcomes of this unit are listed below.

Thematic outcomes
Students†demonstrate†the†ability†to
ï appreciate†tourist†destinations†from†different†angles†(physical
features,†scope†for†adventure,†traditional†and†cultural†aspects).
ï plan†and†organise†tour†programmes†following†the†various†steps
systematically.
ï handle†practical†issues†related†to†travel†--†arranging†mode†of
travel,†accommodation,†etc.
ï adopt† precautionary† measures,† foresee† the† problems† they
might†encounter†during†travel.
ï analyse† rituals,† highlighting† their† social† and† cultural
significance†in†the†present†scenario.

Linguistic outcomes

Students†demonstrate†the†ability†to
ï narrate†events/incidents†from†different†perspectives.
ï design†Travel†Brochures/†Travel†Info†etc.
ï establish†and†maintain†social†relations†focusing†on†requesting,
offering,†asking/†granting/†refusing†permission.
ï write†about†their†travel†experiences.
ï discuss†the†pros†and†cons†of†an†issue.
ï draft†the†script†of†a†live†TV†Report.
ï translate†to†English†passages†written†in†Malayalam.
ï differentiate†between†the†use†of†the†simple†present†and††the
present†continuous†tense†forms.
ï prepare† and† give† short† speeches† introducing† a† tourist
destination.

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 Unit 4 BRAVING THE HAZARDS

Unit

About the Unit

Disasters,†both†natural†and†man-made,†have†become†very
common†today.†Whatever†the†form,†thousands†die†each†year†due
to†disasters.†They†also†cause†widespread†destruction†and
damage.†It†is†the†need†of†the†hour†to†be†informed†and††equipped
to† face† impending† disasters.† The† concept† of† disaster
management†has†gained†great†currency††across†the†globe†in
recent†times.
The†unit†entitled†'Braving†the†Hazards'†comprises†three†texts.
The†first††is†an†essay†written†by†Anjana†Majumdar†about†disaster
management† in† India.† The† second† is† a† short† story† by
A.†J.†Cronin.†The†third†is†a†poem†by†Benjamin†Peck†Keith†about
the† wreck† of† the† ship† Titanic.† In† addition,† there† is† also† a
newspaper†report†and†an†excerpt†from†the†essay†'On†Courage',
by†A.†G.†Gardiner.
The†texts†and†the†activities†of†this†unit†aim†to†make†the†learners
aware†of†different†disasters,†and†to†equip†them†to†act†promptly
in†moments†of†crisis.

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

Letís begin:
1. Examine the pictures given below.

Letís discuss

m What do these pictures tell us about?

m Note down all the ideas that come to your mind about them.
m Share your thoughtss with your friends. Collect ideas from
them, and enrich your understanding of the subject.

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 Unit 4 BRAVING THE HAZARDS

I. Read and reflect:

Disasters --- both natural and man-made cause widespread damage
and destruction. It is high time that we became aware of and equipped
ourselves to face impending disasters. Here is an essay about disasters
and their management in the Indian context.
DISASTERS AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN INDIA
†Anjana†Majumdar
Disaster is a very common phenomenon for humanity.
Human beings have experienced disasters in different
forms since time immemorial. The latest World ï What does the recent
Disaster Report suggests that disasters have World Disaster Report
increased both in frequency and intensity. say about disasters?

People are becoming more and more vulnerable ï What are some of the
to disasters of all types, which include common disasters?
earthquakes, floods, cyclones, landslides,
droughts, accidents, plane crashes, forest fires, etc. This
is quite true in the case of both developed and
ï What is true about both
developing countries. The floods in the UK and developed and
France, and the heat waves in Europe, developing countries?
particularly the one in France in 2003, claimed
lots of lives. In the last few years, America has also faced
devastating disasters in the form of tornadoes, hurricanes
and cyclones. They caused great loss of lives and property.
Even though the progress in technology is helping human
beings to reduce the impact of the disasters, it is still
inadequate.
There is a direct correlation between higher human
development and better preparedness to manage ï What is the relationship
disasters. The countries which have lower between human
human development are more vulnerable to the development and
risks of disasters and damage. disaster preparedness?

Of all the disasters, floods are the most common, followed

by windstorms, droughts and earthquakes. ï Which is the deadliest
However, drought is the deadliest, accounting disaster?
for 48 per cent of deaths due to natural disasters. Of all
the continents, Asia has the highest number of death toll
from disasters. India, China and Bangladesh are situated
in the Asian continent.
India, due to its geographical location and geological
formation, is highly prone to disasters. Its long coastline,
snow-clad peaks and high mountain ranges and ï What makes India more
the perennial rivers in the north, combine to vulnerable to disasters?

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

add to this problem. India, which has only two per cent of
the total geographical area, has to support 18 per cent of
the total population of the world. Therefore, ï What causes tremendous
there is tremendous pressure on the natural pressure on the natural
resources, which directly or indirectly leads resources in India?
to the occurrence of disasters, namely floods, droughts,
landslides, earthquakes, etc.
The northern region of India faces problems due to
landslides, floods, droughts, and earthquakes, because
this region falls under the seismic zones III to V. The
eastern region is confronted with heavy floods in the
perennial rivers which include the Brahmaputra, the
Ganga, etc. Drought, heatwaves, hailstorms, cyclones,
heavy winds and earthquakes are also common in this
region. The north-eastern region encounters floods,
landslides, and earthquakes. This region comes under
the seismic zones IV and V.
The western region is widely known for severe droughts,
wind erosion of land and soil, floods and cyclones. This
area is also prone to earthquakes. The southern region,
particularly the coastal region, is vulnerable to cyclones,
sea erosion, tsunami, and landslides. The islands of
Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep are confronted
with the problems of sea erosion and tsunami. The Indian
coastal areas have faced some of the severest cyclones
both along the eastern and western coasts.
Among all the disasters in India, the tsunami
ï Which is a relatively new
is a relatively new phenomenon. Due to the natural disaster in
lack of an adequate warning system, the India?
tsunami of 2004 devastated a large portion of
the coastal regions of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra
Pradesh, besides the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It
claimed a large number of lives and destroyed property
worth crores of rupees.
India has faced a number of disasters, ranging from
natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, ï Which is the man-made
cyclones, tsunami, drought and landslides to disaster that India
witnessed in the last
man-made disasters like the Bhopal Gas century?
Tragedy (1984). During this century, India has
witnessed some major disasters which include the Gujarat

104
 Unit 4 BRAVING THE HAZARDS

earthquake (2001), the Mumbai-Gujarat floods ï Name some of the major

(2005), the tsunami (2004), the Uttarkhand natural disasters faced
by India during this
flashfloods and the hurricane Phailin in coastal century.
Orissa and Andhra Pradesh (2013).
The direct and indirect impacts of disasters, ï support
Which are the lifeline
systems that get
either natural or industrial, are always damage, damaged in disasters?
destruction and death. When disaster strikes,
the lifeline support systems, namely communication,
power supply, water supply, drainage, etc. are damaged.
Moreover, healthcare and hospitals are also put under
severe stress. Commercial and economic activities are
also badly affected. Life almost comes to a standstill. The
psychological traumas caused by the disasters are
sometimes so severe that they span the whole life of the
victim. Therefore, along with other rehabilitation works,
psychological rehabilitation should also be given ï Which is the man-made
due importance. disaster mentioned here?
The impact is almost the same even in the case ï Which section of the
of man-made disasters like riots. The most society is most affected
by disasters? Why?
affected are the poor sections of society, who
have to work daily to earn their livelihood.
In some natural disasters like cyclones, tsunami and
earthquake, it is the building structure which becomes
the cause of destruction and death. In developing
countries, only 30 per cent of the buildings are constructed
in accordance with the regulations laid down for ensuring
safety and security. Similarly, the lack of a ï What are the major
master-plan and the inferior quality of limitations in constructing
materials used for construction also aggravate safe and secure buildings?
the casualties arising out of disasters.
Therefore, both private and public buildings
should be constructed according to the ï What measures need to
be taken to ensure the
guidelines prescribed by law. Moreover, safety and security of the
constructions should strictly adhere to the buildings?
master-plan approved by the authorities. Above
all, good quality materials should be used for
ï What is the requirement
construction. in the areas vulnerable
The UNDAC,* along with the Government of to earthquakes in order
to reduce damage and
India, has jointly prepared an action-plan for cities
death?
and towns vulnerable to earthquakes. In
*(UNDAC - United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination)

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vulnerable areas, the existing buildings should be

technically assessed and individual owners and group-
housing authorities should be informed about the
weaknesses in their construction. Presently, it is estimated
that around one million buildings are constructed every
year in India, and an equal number of them gets damaged
as a result of disasters. In order to reduce the damage to
buildings, a monitoring mechanism should be set ï What is the structure of
up in disaster prone areas which must act in the state and central
proper coordination with the concerned level committees of
authorities to ensure the fulfilment of building disaster management?
codes.
In the case of disaster management, the state governments
play a major role while the central government only plays
a facilitating role. At the state level, there is a State Level
Disaster Management Committee consisting of the senior
secretaries of various departments and the representatives
of NGOs. At the national level, there is a Crisis Management
Committee, headed by the Cabinet Secretary and
the secretaries from the major departments of ï How does the central
the government. The central government, with government coordinate
disaster management
proper coordination with various ministries, activities in India?
provides necessary support to the states, which
includes defence services like air dropping, rescuing,
searching, transport of relief goods, etc., and availability of
rail and ferry services, health personnel and medical
support.
Rehabilitation is an integral part of disaster management.
Since disasters are non-routine events, they require non-
routine responses for effective management and ï What are the special
rehabilitation. This means that the Government requirements of the
cannot rely on normal procedures to implement rescue team, according
appropriate responses. There should be proper to the author?
coordination among the various departments of the
government to bring speedy relief to the victim. Moreover,
the rescue teams require the learning of special skills and
attitudes in dealing with disasters. Additionally, they need
to be well-equipped with the latest technologies.
Disaster management has assumed greater ï What is the purpose of
disaster management?
importance in recent times. The whole purpose
of disaster management is not to prevent these natural or
man-made disasters. We may not be able to avert many of
these disasters, but we can definitely mitigate their impact.
(Adapted)
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Glossary:
seismic (adj) : related to the vibration of the earth or
earthquake
tectonic forces (n) : forces arising out of the movements of the
earth's crust
vulnerable (adj) : susceptible

Activity I (Note-making)
r You have read the essay ëDisasters and Disaster Management in
India.í Given below is an outline of the notes on this essay. Read
the essay carefully again and complete the notes.

ëDisasters and Disaster Management in Indiaí

1. Disasters --- the global scenario
1.1. a challenge for all humanity
1.2. increase in frequency and intensity
1.3.
1.4.
1.5. floods --- more common. India, China and Bangladesh - most
affected
1.6. drought --- deadliest (40% of all deaths from disasters)
2. Disasters --- Indian Context
2.1. highly prone to disasters
2.2. reasons for vulnerability
2.2.1.
2.2.2.
2.2.3.
2.3. different kinds of disasters in India --- Regional
2.3.1. Northern region
2.3.2.
2.3.3.
2.3.3.
2.3.4.
2.3.5.
2.3.6.
2.4. major disasters in this century

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2.4.1
2.4.2
2.4.3.
2.4.4.
2.4.5.
3. The direct and indirect impact of disasters
3.1.
3.2.
3.3.
3.4.
3.5. poor sections --- most affected
4. Risk due to disaster --- need for safer buildings
4.1. cyclones, tsunami, earthquakes, defects in construction of
building can cause greater destruction.
4.2. scenario in the developing countries
4.2.1.
4.2.2.
4.2.3.
4.3. suggestions for safer infrastructure
4.3.1.
4.3.2.
4.3.3.
5. Management in India
5.1. purpose --- not prevention, but reduction of impact
5.2. state government
5.2.1. role ---
5.2.2. structure ---
5.3. central government
5.3.1. role ---
5.3.2. structure ---
5.3.3. support offered ---
5.4. rehabilitation of victims
5.4.1.
5.4.2.
5.4.3. rescue teams --- additional skills, and equipped with
latest technology.

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Activity II (Writing a PrÈcis)

r You have read the essay and prepared notes on 'Disasters and
Disaster Management in India.' Based on the notes you prepared,
write a prÈcis of the essay. A prÈcis, usually, is one-third the
size of the original text.
Activity III (Think and respond)
m What are some of the disasters (natural/man-made and industrial)
your locality has witnessed in the last ten years? What were the
impact of these disasters on man and nature?
m Is your locality prepared to manage any potential disaster? If not,
what precautions can be taken to prevent and manage possible
disasters?
m The author says that disaster management in India is the
responsibility of the state and central governments. Do you agree
with this view? Do you think that the people of our country have a
role in preventing and managing disasters?
m What do you think about the measures of rehabilitation that are
adopted after each disaster? Do you think the measures are
sufficient?

Activity IV (Explore the roots)

r Disaster†-†Dys†+†aster
ëDisasterí and ëdisastrousí originate from the Greek word ëastroní which
means star. In ancient times, it was believed that the stars shaped
human destiny; any misfortune or calamity, therefore, happened to
someone because the stars were not favourable. The prefix ëdysí-
here means ëagainstí.
Here is a list of words which are derived from the Greek root ëastroní.
All these words are related to stars. Find out the meaning of these
words.
1. Astronomy
2. Astrophysics
3. Astronaut
4. Aster
5. Asterisk
6. Astrologer
7. Asteroid

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Activity V (Crossword puzzle)

r Here is a crossword puzzle about natural calamities. Use the
clues below to solve the puzzle.
1 2
T W I S T E R

Clues:
ACROSS
1. A violently destructive windstorm occurring over land,
characterized by a funnel-shaped cloud extending toward the
ground.
3. Vibration on the earth's surface resulting from underground
movement.
5. Molten rock that flows out of an erupting volcano.
6. Widespread scarcity of food due to crop failure, population
imbalance, etc.
8. Gravitational movement of a mass of rock, earth or debris down
a slope.
10. A rotating column of air, whirling in destructive speed.
11. A tropical storm with winds that have a speed of 74 miles per
hour or more.
DOWN:
2. A high sea wave caused by an earthquake or other distur-
bances.
4. A mass of snow, ice and rocks falling rapidly down a
mountainside.
7. The luxury ocean liner Titanic hit an ___ berg in the Atlantic.
9. A violent disturbance of the atmosphere with strong winds,
and usually rain, thunder, lightning or snow.

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Activity VI (Project)
The author says that ëOf all the disasters, floods are the most
commonÖÖÖÖÖ India, China and Bangladesh are the most affected
by floods.í In Kerala also, we experience floods during the monsoon.
The water levels of rivers rise, flooding cities and towns. What are
the reasons for this flooding?
Investigate the reasons for flooding in your locality. Write a report of
your findings. Make an ICT assisted presentation.
Activity VII (Collection)
We†are†highly†vulnerable†to†many†natural†disasters.†While†some†fail
to†act†in†the†moment†of†crisis†or†become†victims†of†these†disasters,
some†others†rise†up†to†the†occasion†and†help†the†victims.†Here†is†a
newspaper†report†about†four†children†who†won†bravery†awards†for
their†timely†and†heroic†action†in†a†moment†of†crisis.

Bravery award for children

Thiruvananthapuram: Four children from Kerala will be among
the recipients of this year's National Bravery Awards at the
next Republic Day function, in New Delhi.
They include Jismi P. M., who was selected for the Geetha
Chopra Award, Vishnudas K., the winner of the Bapu Gayadhani
Award; and Anoop M. and Raj Narayanan, both selected for the
general award.
Jismi, 12, a native of Perinchery in Thrissur district, was chosen
for the award for saving a woman and her two children from
drowning in a pond. A Class IX student of the Government
Vocational Higher Secondary School at Cherpu, Jismi is the
daughter of a manual labourer.
Vishnudas won the award for saving two children from a watery
grave. A native of Palakkad, he is a Plus One student of the Sri
Sankara Oriental Higher Secondary School, Lakkidi.
Anoop, a Class VIII student of the Bishop Kuriyalanchery Public
School at Chambakulam, bagged the award for saving a 5-year-
old from drowning in a lake. Raj Narayanan, the fourth nominee,
was selected for saving a boy from drowning in a river in
Alappuzha. Raj is a Class IX student of the NSS High School,
Kuttanad. The General Secretary of the Kerala State Child
Welfare Council P. Krishnan, said Jismi is the first winner of
the Geetha Chopra Award, from Kerala.

r Now, collect such newspaper reports and discuss with your

friends how children can act timely in moments of crisis.

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II. Read and reflect:

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

THE SERANG OF RANAGANJI

Dr†A.†J.†Cronin

'Look, my dear! Did you ever in your life see such an

absurdly comic creature!' A smartly dressed woman,
first-class passenger on the Ranaganji, about to sail
from Liverpool on the long voyage to Calcutta, made
this remark, in a high 'well-bred' voice, to her
companion, as they stood before me on the ï What was notable about
liner's upper deck. the appearance of the
Indian serang?
Following their amused gaze, my eyes came
to rest upon a squat, very ugly native seaman, with
short legs and a large disproportionate head. I
recognized him as the Indian serang, or quarter-master
of the ship. He was quietly superintending the crew of
lascars now completing the loading of baggage. 'Looks
hardly human,' agreed the man, with a superior smile.
'Inclines a chap to believe, that dear old Darwin was
not altogether wrongÖeh?'
The voyage began favourably in calm, clear weather.
We crossed the Bay of Biscay without suffering unduly
from the turbulent waters and soon were through the
Strait of Gibraltar, traversing the tranquil Mediterranean
under azure skies. The Ranaganji was a stout old tub,
manned by white officers, with an entirely native Indian
crew. I was the physician of the ship and was delighted
by the balmy breezes and brilliant sunshine.
The ship was crowded, packed with passengers from
stem to stern --- the usual tourists and pleasure seekers,
together with a large number of Anglo-Indian army
officers, many of whom were accompanied
ï Who were the passengers
by their wives and families. From the first on the Ranaganji?
night out there was tremendous gaiety on

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board. The chief among the social promoters was Miss

Jope-Smith, the woman whom I had overheard on the
boat deck the morning of our departure.
Madge Jope-Smith was a thrusting person, obviously
over thirty, got up in a dashing style to look younger.
She was not only a snob but a bore, an assertive bore.
We reached Port Said. Everyone went ashore excitedly,
came back with silks, shawls, cigarettes, scent, and
jewellery. Then we were through the Red Sea, past the
barren rocks of Aden, and out upon the wide ï Who was Miss Jope-
Arabian Sea. Smith? Write a short
character sketch.
On the following morning, as I held my
consultations in the surgery adjoining my cabin, the
serang, Hasan, appeared, bringing with him two of his
lascar deck hands. He inclined his head in a respectful
salaam and addressed me. His voice was hoarse, yet it
had a steady undertone. 'Doctor Sahib, I fear these men
are sick.'
The seamen certainly did not look well; they complained
of general malaise, of intense headache and racking
bone pains. They looked frightened too, as I asked them
to strip and began my examination. Both were ï What was the condition
fevered, with thickly furred tongues and that of the seamen who were
brought by the serang to
dry skin, which is nature's gravest warning. And Dr Cronin?
then, to my horror, my palpitating fingers
became aware of a scattering of hard little How did AJ Cronin
conclude that the seamen
nodules, under the wrist skin of each man. It were infected with
was an unmistakable symptom of smallpox. smallpox?
Young and inexperienced in my profession, I
had not learned to control my feelings. My expression
must have altered visibly, for although the serang said
nothing, his lined and battered face assumed a look of
deeper gravity. Hurriedly, with beating heart, I made
my way to the bridge.
Captain Hamble was not there, but in the chartroom
below. He looked up sharply as I burst in. 'Sir,' my
voice broke, 'I have to report smallpox on board. Two of
the deck hands.' I saw his lips draw tightly together.

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He was a thickset man of fifty-five, known as a

ï Describe Captain
strict disciplinarian, but also as a just and fair- Hamble. What was his
minded officer. reaction when he heard
about the breakout of
'Doctor,' he said, drawing up at last and smallpox on the ship?
coming close to me, his words unmistakably
grim, 'Listen, you are in charge of the health of the
ship. It's entirely up to you. I can't give you any of my
officers; I'm overloaded and understaffed. But I am going
to give you the serang. Believe me, he's the finest man
I have. You've got to keep this thing from spreading.
And what's more, don't let a whisper of it get out, or
we'll have a bloody panic.'
I left the chartroom, realizing, with a weakness in my
stomach, the desperate responsibility of my position.
Here we were, in the middle of the Arabian Sea, fifteen
hundred passengers aboard, no means whatever of
vaccinating them, and smallpox--- the most deadly
contagion in the whole dictionary of disease.
Back in the surgery, one of the lascars was in the grip
of a violent rigour. I turned from the shivering man to
the serang, whose incalculable eyes remained fixed
upon me. 'We've got to isolate these menÖ. Check on
the contactsÖ' There was no sick bay on board, not an
inch of available cabin space. Baffled, I looked at the
serang, who, undismayed, again turned upon me the
full force of his eyes. 'We will make a shelter on the
afterdeck, Doctor Sahib. Very cool there. With plenty
of fresh air.'
In the stern of the ship, protected from view by a battery
of derricks and donkey engines, he set to work. Within
an hour, he had erected, with silent efficiency, a large
canvas shelter. Mattresses and sheets were then brought
up and the two patients were comfortably installed.
Our next step was to muster the crew for a thorough
medical inspection. One of the stokers, who complained
of fever and headache, showed the prodromal nodules
with the beginnings of the typical rash. He was isolated
with the other cases.

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'And now, who is going to help me attend these men?'

Hasan glanced at me in surprise. 'Why, naturally it is
I.'
'You must be careful. This disease is most contagious.'
'I am not afraid, Doctor Sahib.'
Together, Hasan and I sponged the patients with
permanganate solution, administered to each ï Where and how was the
man a strong antipyretic, hung sheets soaked shelter for the infected
in disinfectant round the shelter, and set up patients made?
within this little secret area, a cooking stove where
liquids could be heated and simple meals prepared.
Next morning, however, brought
fresh cause for concern. I found
three new cases among the
deck hands. The men, already
segregated, were much worse.
And that same afternoon, four
more of the crew sickened. We
now had ten cases in our
makeshift lazaretto. It was a
situation to test the strongest
nerves. But the serang, calm
and unperturbed, gave me fresh heart. In tending the
patients he was indefatigable.
'Be careful of yourself,í I had to beg him. ëDo not go
quite so close.'
Now he showed his strong teeth, in a sudden, fleeting
smile. 'Are you careful of yourself, Doctor Sahib?'
'Indeed I am. Besides, this is my work.' ï How did the serang take
'Do not worry, Doctor Sahib. I am strong. And care of the diseased
patients?
it is my work too.'
I was so weighed down by responsibility that I had slight
concern for myself. Although we were moving full steam
ahead, Colombo, the nearest port of call, was still eight
days away. In the course of the next forty-eight hours
four more stokers went to join the others on the

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afterdeck. A total of fourteen now. And one of the earlier

victims had lapsed into a coma, seemed likely to die at
any hour. Under this added load, I could not sleep.
And there, where I knew I should find him, watchful
and mute under the stars, was the serang. How shall I
describe the solace which flowed towards me from him
as he stood there in meditation, with his long arms
folded on his bare chest, motionless as a statue? When
a sick man groaned faintly, he would step forward,
without sound, to succour him. And then, returning,
he would fold his arms, while the ship surged slowly
forward.
Hasan had no fondness for speech. But ï What information did Dr
despite the silences of our long night vigils, I Cronin collect about the
gathered some fragments of his history. He serang?
was from the Punjab, whence his parents had
wandered to southern India. There, like so many in the
coastal area, he had taken to a seafaring life. For nearly
forty years, he had given himself to the oceans of the
world, and fifteen of these years had been spent in the
Ranaganji. Indeed, he had no place on shore, neither
family nor friends in the great land mass of India. He
had never married.
By religion he was a Muslim. All his life he had acquired
nothing, neither property nor money; his few
possessions, contained in his shipís chest, might be
worth a few rupees. The thought hurt me, and in an
access of mistaken sympathy, I exclaimed: 'Hasan, you
are doing so much in this emergency; the company
must give you extra pay.' His forehead creased
perplexedly. He was silent for a long moment. Then he
answered: 'What use is money, Doctor Sahib, to one
who has all he needs? I am well enough the way I am.'
He was unmistakably sincere, completely detached from
the usual hope of reward. Money had no ï What was Hasanís
interest for him, he had always despised it. attitude to life, as
Instead he had courage, self-control, and explained to Cronin?
faith. The men he worked among lived poor
and died poor. It had become the habit of his mind to
disregard tomorrow.

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Standing with him, in the liquid moonlight, I was stung

by a strange pang. Beside his clear simplicity, the
world's values suddenly seemed dross. A great party
had started in the saloon. Indeed, as I viewed my own
outlook towards the future, my passionate desire for
success and wealth, I was conscious of a secret shame.
On the following day, we lost two of our patients. It was
Hasan himself who sewed their shrouds, who in his
hoarse and hollow voice read aloud a short passage from
the Ramayana before their bodies, wrapped in sailcloth,
with a weight at their feet, were cast overboard at
midnight.
No fresh cases developed. And a week later, we anchored
off Colombo. Soon, the sick men had been taken off to
hospital. Several of the patients showed signs of having
passed the crisis, but three, helpless and delirious, a
mass of running sores, were carried in the arms of
Hasan. As we stood together, I saw that the serang's
dark cheeks were wet with tears.
Our passage through the Bay of Bengal was brief and
uneventful. I had barely time to recover myself, or to
realize that the epidemic had been confined, before we
were anchored alongside the quay at Calcutta.
Suddenly, at my elbow, I heard the familiar shrilling of
Miss Jope-Smith. 'Oh, look, look,
Ronnie. There's that absurd creature About the Author
again.' Once more, I followed their
A. J. Cronin (1896-1981) was a
united gaze. And there again, down in Scottish novelist and physician
the afterhold, knocking out the hatch by profession. His major novels
include Hatter's Castle (1931), The
battens to unload the baggage, was the Stars Look Down (1935), The Citadel
object of their mirth -- Hasan. (1937), The Keys of the Kingdom
(1942), The Green Years (1944),
The huntress from Cheltenham swung Shannon's Way (1948), A Thing of
Beauty (1956), The Judas Tree (1961)
round, bent her wit, her fascinations and A Song of Sixpence (1964).
upon me. 'Where did you keep him His strengths as a novelist are his keen
during the entire voyage, Doctor dear? observation, graphic description and
his narrative skill. The excerpt is taken
In a special cage?' from ëAdventures in Two Worlds,í his
Silence --a vision of the serang's nobility autobiographical novel. It is an
anecdote from his experience as a
rising before me. 'Yes... in a wayÖ it surgeon in the Royal Navy.
was a cageÖ But isn't it queer, Miss
Jope-Smith, the animals were all outside.'

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Glossary:
antipyretic (adj) : a medicine that reduces fever
impromptu (adj) : (here) without proper preparation
lazaretto (n) : (here) the isolated shelter made for treating the
infected patients
leitmotif (n) : repeated theme
papular (adj) : related to small, solid, usually inflammatory elevation
of the skin that does not contain pus.
prodromal (adj) : symptomatic of the onset of an attack or a disease
purulent (adj) : containing pus
serang (n) : a petty officer in a merchant ship; a boatswain; a lascar

Activity I (Think and respond)

1. Do you agree with A. J. Cronin's remark that 'the animals were
all outside.í Why?
2. Do you think that A. J. Cronin should have reported the selfless
efforts of Hasan to the authorities and recommended him for
rewards and promotion?
3. How is the world view of the passengers in general different from
that of Hasan?
4. ëWhy, naturally it is me.í These words show that Hasan is ever
ready to shoulder any responsibility happily. Comment on Hasan's
ability to volunteer at the time of an emergency.

Activity II (Letter)
r You know that A. J. Cronin, the physician of the ship is extremely
impressed by the service of Hasan. Imagine that after the voyage,
Cronin writes a letter to the director of the company which owns
the ship Ranaganji, detailing the selfless service Hasan rendered
during the voyage. He also requests the director to reward Hasan
with a promotion in return for his service. Draft the letter which
Cronin would write.

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 Unit 4 BRAVING THE HAZARDS

Activity III (Speech)

r The Director of the Company receives the letter from A. J. Cronin.
He is pleased with the service rendered by Hasan throughout the
voyage. They arrange a special get-together of all the officials
and crew of the ship. In that get-together, the Managing Director
of the company announces that the company appreciates the
service of Hasan, and promotes him as the Chief Petty Officer of
the ship. The Director invites Hasan to speak a few words on this
occasion.
Imagine that you are Hasan. What would be your reaction and
feeling at this moment? Draft a speech that you would deliver on
the occasion.

Activity IV (Role-play)
r Miss Jope-Smith soon hears about the promotion given to Hasan
and the reason for the promotion. She feels sorry for her
prejudiced remarks about him. She decides to meet Hasan in
person, and congratulate him for his efforts and the promotion
he has received.
Form pairs. Imagine that one of you is Ms. Jope-Smith and the
other is Hasan. Role-play the whole conversation between Jope-
Smith and Hasan.

Activity V (Word power)

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

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

The crew of the ship

m Who are the professionals working in a ship?
m What do they do?
In the table given below, list the different professionals of a ship and
their duties.
Professionals Duties
Captain the person in charge of a ship

Activity VI
The Past participle as Adjective
r Study the following expressions carefully.
a. smartly-dressed woman
b. well-bred voice
c. amused gaze
d. titled friends
The expressions smartly-dressed,†well-bred,†amused†and†titled are used
as adjectives. They are the past participle form of the verbs dress,
breed,†amuse and title respectively. So, you know that the past participle
forms of some verbs can be used as adjectives.
m A. J. Cronin has used many such expressions in the story 'The
Serang of Ranaganji.'
Find out more expressions from the story where the past participle
forms of the verbs have been used as adjectives. Explain the meaning
of these expressions to your friends.
e.g. added source --- a source which is added to something.
m

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

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Activity VII (Think and discuss)

Adverbs of frequency
r Read the following lines from the text carefully.
a. He had never married.
b. Money had no interest for him, he had always despised it.
m What is the meaning of the words underlined?
m What is the function of these words?
Language tips
ëNeverí and ëalwaysí are adverbs of frequency - which tell you
how often an action is done.
Here is a continuum which will help you to understand some of
the adverbs of frequency and their meanings.

frequently regularly always

sometimes usually nearly always

never hardly ever not usually

scarcely
seldom
rarely

Inversion with negative adverbs

Words like 'never, rarely, seldom, barely, hardly,í etc., are negative
adverbs. We use these adverbs at the beginning of a sentence to give
emphasis. When we begin a sentence with negative adverbs, the
word order is inverted. (negative adverb + auxiliary verb + subject
ÖÖÖ)
In addition to the adverbs mentioned above, when adverbs like 'no
sooner Ö. than, not until, only after, only if, only when, not onlyÖÖ
but also, littleí (with a negative meaning), etc., are used at the
beginning of a sentence, the normal word order will be reversed.
e.g.
m Never did I dream of becoming a leader!
m No sooner did he find his teacher than he ran towards her.

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Practise (Inversion of word order with adverbs)

m The sentences given below contain errors. Identify the error and
correct them.
1. Seldom they have reached the office on time.
2. Only when the last visitor left the museum he closed the gate.
3. Little he knew about the nature of the job he was undertaking.
4. Not until next year, there will be a new vacancy.
5. Hardly I had reached the station when the train arrived.

Activity VIII (Passivisation)

r Study the following sentences carefully.
m Soon, the sick men had been taken off to the hospital.
m Mattresses and sheets were then brought up and the two
patients were comfortably installed.
Do these sentences tell you anything about the doer of the action?
Why?
m Rewrite these sentences without changing the meaning. (Begin
the sentences with 'they')
m Given below is a flow chart that offers you clues about the steps
taken by Cronin and Hasan to prevent the spreading of smallpox
in the ship. Go through it carefully, and prepare a report of how
they controlled the spreading of smallpox in the ship.

2 deck lascars with fever - brought to Cronin

Both patients - examined - smallpox confirmed

Evacuation room prepared, patients isolated

All crew examined, more cases identified

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 Unit 4 BRAVING THE HAZARDS

All patients isolated, treated

Whole incident - kept a secret

2 dead, rest survived. Smallpox controlled, prevented from spreading

Extended Activities
Activity I
r Given below is a list of some of the cases in which first-aid would
be required. You may add more to the list.
m Injured leg - bleeding
m Fractured hand
m Burnt fingers
m Fits
m Snake bite
m

What first-aid would you give in these situations? Search the internet
or seek the help of a medical practitioner to collect the details.
Form groups and prepare a first-aid chart for the emergency situations
given above. Include visuals and precise instructions.

Activity II (Read and compare)

In the short story 'The Serang of Ranaganji,' you had read about the
heroic action of the narrator and the Serang to save the lives of the
crew and the passengers of the ship. While moments of crisis push
many of us into action, they elevate some of us to the level of martyrs
who sacrifice their lives for the common good. Here is an excerpt
from the essay 'On Courage' written by A.G. Gardiner about one such
supreme sacrifice.

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

On Courage
... But if I were asked to name the instance of individual action
which had most impressed me, I should find the task more difficult.
Should I select something that shows how war depraves, or
something that shows how it ennobles? If the latter, I think I
would choose that beautiful incident of the sailor on the
Formidable.
He had won by ballot a place in one of the boats. The ship was
going down, but he was to be saved. One pictures the scene: The
boat is waiting to take him to the shore and safety. He looks at
the old comrades who have lost in the ballot and who stand there
doomed to death. He feels the passion for life surging within him.
He sees the cold, dark sea waiting to engulf its victims. And in
that great moment -- the greatest moment that can come to any
man -- he makes the triumphant choice. He turns to one of his
comrades. ëYou've got parents,í he says. ëI haven't.í And with that
word -- so heroic in its simplicity -- he makes the other take his
place in the boat and signs his own death warrant.
I see him on the deck among his doomed fellows, watching the
disappearing boat until the final plunge comes and all is over. The
sea never took a braver man to its bosom. ëGreater love hath no
man than this ...í
Can you read that story without some tumult within you -- without
feeling that humanity itself is ennobled by this great act and that
you are, in some mysterious way, better for the deed? That is the
splendid fruit of all such sublime sacrifice. It enriches the whole
human family. It makes us lift our heads with pride that we are
men -- that there is in us at our best this noble gift of valiant
unselfishness, this glorious prodigality that spends life itself for
something greater than life. If we had met this nameless sailor,
we should have found him, perhaps, a very ordinary man, with
plenty of failings, doubtless, like the rest of us, and without any
idea that he had in him the priceless jewel beside which crowns
and coronets are empty baubles. He was something greater than
he knew.
m ëThe sea never took a braver man to its bosomí. What does Gardiner
mean by this expression? Do you agree with Gardiner? Write
your views in a paragraph.

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 Unit 4 BRAVING THE HAZARDS

Now, examine the pictures carefully

m Can you recognize the ship and the incident?

m Do you know how the passengers and the crew of the ship
responded to this situation?

III. Read and enjoy:

Here is a poem about one of the greatest tragedies at sea. On 14 April,
1912, the Titanic, which carried 2100 passengers and crew, collided
with an iceberg and sank into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean.
However, this tragedy also exposed some of the greatest acts of courage
and heroism. Now, read the poem.

THE WRECK OF THE TITANIC

††Benjamin†Peck†Keith
Out of Southampton she swung with the stream,
A poem of iron and steel, A sea dream.
And thousands on shore, watched her steaming away:
The largest, and grandest of all ships that day.
And the thousand on board, did security feel,
For no eye saw death, as he stood at the wheel;
Directing her course to the echoless shore,
Her first and last haven of nevermore.
She was the last, best work of men,
And on her first voyage was speeding -- when:
Out of the darkness, Out of the night,
Loomed an ominous form of ghostly white.
"Twas a towering mountain of ice -- gigantic,
As ever was seen on the North Atlantic.
She struck, with a shiver from stem to stern:
And was rapidly sinking -- All soon did learn.

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

Then Captain Smith, her commander brave,

Thought not one moment, his own life to save,
But stood on the bridge, calling out to the crew:
Remember your country, Be British, be true.
And England, and Ireland, and Scotland, and Wales,
Proved there to the World: Their valor ne'er fails,
ëThe women and children first,í was their cry,
And every one of the Crew, stood by.
And the boats were lowered and sent away,
That cut off all hope, save eternity,
And, The Titanic sank from sight, 'neath the Sea
While her band played, Nearer My God to Thee.
Was there ever a scene so awfully grand?
As that sinking ship, with her playing band.
All glory to Smith, and the Titanic's men,
They bring Trafalgar's heroes to memory again.
And that heart thrilling tale of the Alamo,
And the last grand charge at Waterloo,
And that charge of "The Light Brigade" as well,
And Jim Bludso's act on "The Prairie Belle."
And with these down the corridors of all time,
The Titanic's story shall sound sublime,
For never was courage more noble and true,
Than was shown on that night, by the Titanic's crew.
Notes:
Trafalgar : The Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805)
was a naval engagement fought by the Royal Navy
against the combined fleets of the French and
Spanish Navies.
Alamo: The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 - March
6, 1836) was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution.
The Texians defeated the Mexican Army at the Battle
of San Jacinto, on April 21, 1836, ending the
revolution.
Waterloo : The Battle of Waterloo was fought on 18
June, 1815, near Waterloo in present-day Belgium.
Emperor Napoleon was defeated by the armies of About the Author
the Seventh Coalition.
The Light Brigade: The Charge of the Light Brigade Benjamin Peck Keith (1856-
was a charge of British light cavalry against Russian 1927)
forces during the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October Benjamin Peck Keith was an
1854. American poet. His famous
Jim Bludso was an engineer who died while saving collection of poems include ëSpoons
the lives of the passengers of a boat called Prairie of Silver Spoons of Tin, and Other
Bell on the Mississippi river. He became instantly Poemsí (1921). He has written a lot of
popular, and John Hay wrote a poem about him short poems. 'The Wreck of the Titanic'
entitled ëJim†Bludso†of†the†Prairie†Bellí in 1871. is one of his famous poems.

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 Unit 4 BRAVING THE HAZARDS

Activity I (Read and respond)

a. Why was the Titanic called ëa poem of iron and steel?í
b. What was the feeling of the people on board when they started
the journey?
c. What was the ëominous formí which loomed out of the darkness?
d. Why was Captain Smith, the commander of the ship, called ëbraveí?
e . Who got the top priority to be rescued from the sinking Titanic?
f. What was the only hope for the people of the sinking Titanic
when all the boats sailed away?
g. What were the bandsmen doing when the Titanic was sinking?
h. What was the 'awfully grand' scene, according to the poet?
i. Why would the story of the Titanic be remembered always?
Activity II (Read and reflect)
r The crew of the Titanic were real heroes because even in the
face of death, they were duty-bound, upholding certain values
and principles. Do you know any such person who has upheld
moral values and principles, even in the moment of death? Have
you heard/read about any such persons? Share your answer with
your friends.

Activity III (Appreciation)

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

Theme Emotion
1. shipwreck 1. patriotism
2. .................... 2. ....................
3. .................... 3. ....................

Language Relevance
1. simple 1. insights about crisis management
2. .................... 2. ....................
3. .................... 3. ....................

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

Share your ideas with your friends in your group. Collect more views
from them, and enrich your understanding of the poem.
Based on your analysis, write a critical appreciation of the poem,
'The Wreck of the Titanic.'
Activity IV (Newspaper report)
r We know that newspaper reports are non-fictional and that they
give us factual information about an incident.
Given below are the features of a good newspaper report.
m Headline : Short and attention grabbing.
m Byline : Usually written below the headline. It may carry the
writerís name.
m Paragraphs : Follow the inverted pyramid principle. The most
important details come in the initial paragraphs.
m Quotes : It will be interesting and useful to quote the words of
people involved in the incident.
m Facts and opinions: Try to add all the facts possible using the five
W's (who, what, why, where, when).
m Third Person : The report is written in the third person, as the
reporter is retelling the incident without being involved in it.

r Now, think of the tragic end of the Titanic. Work in groups and fill
up the table given below, based on your knowledge of the inci-
dent. You may also use the internet to collect more details about
the Titanic, her final voyage, the passengers on board, the colli-
sion with the iceberg, and the heroic acts of her crew.

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

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 Unit 4 BRAVING THE HAZARDS

m Use the clues in the table and prepare a newspaper report about
the wreck of the Titanic.
Activity V (Pronunciation)
r Find out how the following words are pronounced. You may use a
standard English dictionary.
m sank -.........................
m band -.........................
m grand -........................
Discuss
m Which is the vowel sound used in these words?
m How do you pronounce this sound?
m Do you have this vowel sound in your mother-tongue?
m Find out more words from the poem with this vowel sound.

The†major†learning†outcomes†of†this†unit†are†listed†below.

Thematic outcomes
Students demonstrate their ability to
a. respond promptly at the time of a disaster.
b. assume leadership in disaster management activities.
c. work individually and as the member of a team, at the time of
disaster and crisis.
d. imbibe the importance and value of sacrifice.

Linguistic outcomes
Students demonstrate their ability to
a. make notes to store information.
b. use adverbs of frequency in appropriate contexts.
c. use their knowledge of etymology to understand the meaning
of words.
d. use past tense and passive voice for reporting events.

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

Unit

Good health is a state of complete physical, social and mental

well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
Health is a resource for everyday life, not the object of living,
and is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal
resources as well as physical capabilities.
- WHO

About the Unit

This holistic concept of wellness is the basic premise of the unit,

ëHarmony of Lifeí. It contains a short story, a poem and an essay.
The short story ëGooseberriesí by Anton Chekhov reflects on
the belief in pursuing one's dream and doing whatever it takes
to achieve that. The poem ëTo Sleepí by William Wordsworth
underlines the necessity of sound sleep. The essay ëGoing out
for a walkí by Max Beerbohm challenges the notion that walking
is a productive mental exercise -- especially if one is accompanied
by a talkative companion.

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 Unit- 5: HARMONY OF LIFE

Letís begin:
r Look†at†the†logo†given†below.
Can†you†identify†the†words†that†appear†with†the†entry†'wellness'
in†the†following†logo?
What†is†your†idea†of†wellness?
Does†it†pertain†to†the†physical†realm†alone?

m What†are†the†activities†conducted†by†your†school†Health†Club†for
promoting†wellness?
m Now,†prepare†a†logo†for†your†school†Health†Club.

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

I. Read and reflect:

Chekhov's ëGooseberriesí is a story of two brothers who pursue

happiness in their own ways. The story provides ample opportunities,
to examine critically the ways they have chosen. The extent to which
they attain their goals is also worth considering.

GOOSEBERRIES
Anton Chekhov

From† early† morning

the† sky† had† been
overcast† with† clouds;
the†day†was†still,†cool,
and† wearisome,† as
usual† on ï What purpose does the
grey† dull first sentence serve?
days† when
the† clouds† hang† low
over† the† fields† and† it
looks† like† rain,† which
never† comes.† Ivan
Ivanich,† the† veterinary† surgeon,† and† Bourkin,† the
schoolmaster,† were† tired† of† walking† and† the ï Can you guess what story
fields†seemed†endless†to†them.†Far†ahead†they Ivan was about to tell
could† just† see† the† windmills† of† the† village† of Bourkin?
Mirousky.†In†the†calm†weather,†when†all†Nature†seemed
gentle† and† melancholic,† Ivan† Ivanich† and† Bourkin† were
filled†with†love†for†the†fields†and†thought†how†grand†and
beautiful†the†country†was.
ëLast† time,† when† we† stopped† in† Prokofyi's† shed,í† said
Bourkin,†ëyou†were†going†to†tell†me†a†story.í
ëYes.†I†wanted†to†tell†you†about†my†brother.í
Ivan† Ivanich† took† a† deep† breath† and† lighted
his† pipe† before† beginning† his† story,† but† just ï How do you feel when it
then†the†rain†began†to†fall.†And†in†about†five rains?

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 Unit- 5: HARMONY OF LIFE

minutes,† it† came† pelting† down† and† showed† no† signs† of

stopping.
ëWe† ought† to† take† shelter,í† said† Bourkin.† ëLet† us† go† to
Aliokhinís.†It†is†close†by.í
ëVery† well.í
They†took†a†short†cut†over†a†stubble-field†until†they†came
to† the† road.† Soon† they† came† to† a† wide† road† with† a† mill
and†a†white†bathing-shed.†It†was†Sophino,†where†Aliokhin
lived.
The†mill†was†working,†drowning†the†sound†of†the†rain.†It
was†wet,†muddy,†and†unpleasant,†and†Ivan†Ivanich†and
Bourkin†felt†wet†and†uncomfortable†through†and†through;
their†feet†were†tired†with†walking†in†the†mud.
In†one†of†the†barns†a†winnowing-machine†was†working,
sending†out†clouds†of†dust.†On†the†threshold†stood†Aliokhin
himself,†a†man†of†about†forty,†tall†and†stout, ï Describe Aliokhinís
with† long† hair,† more† like† a† professor† or† a appearance.
painter†than†a†farmer.†He†was†wearing†a†grimy
white†shirt†and†rope†belt,†and†pants†instead†of†trousers;
and†his†boots†were†covered†with†mud†and†straw.†His†nose
and†eyes†were†black†with†dust.†He†recognised†Ivan†Ivanich
and†was†apparently†very†pleased.
ëPlease,†gentlemen,í†he†said,†ëgo†to†the†house.†I'll†be†with
you†in†a†minute.í
The†house†was†large†and†two-storied.†Aliokhin†lived†down-
stairs† in† two† vaulted† rooms† with† little† windows.† Ivan
Ivanich†and†Bourkin†were†received†by†a†chambermaid.
ëYou†cannot†imagine†how†glad†I†am†to†see†you,†gentlemen,í
said† Aliokhin,† coming† after† them† into† the† hall.† ëI† never
expected† you.† Pelagueya,í† he† said† to† the† maid,† ëgive† my
friends†a†change†of†clothes.†And†I†will†change,†too.†But†I
must† have† a† bath.† I† haven't† had† one† since† the† spring.
Wouldn't† you† like† to† come† to† the† bathing-shed?† And
meanwhile†our†things†will†be†got†ready.í
Aliokhin† led† his† guests† to† the† bathing-shed.
ëYes,í†he†said,†ëit†is†a†long†time†since†I†had†a ï Why couldnít Aliokhin
bathe regularly despite
bath.†My†bathing-shed†is†all†right,†as†you†see. having a good bathing
My†father†and†I†put†it†up,†but†somehow†I†have shed?
no†time†to†bathe.íHe†sat†down†on†the†step†and

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

lathered†his†long†hair†and†neck,†and†the†water†round†him
became†brown.
Ivan†Ivanich†came†out†of†the†shed,†plunged†into†the†water
with†a†splash,†and†swam†about†in†the†rain,†flapping†his
arms,†and†sending†waves†back;†he†swam†out†to†the†middle
of†the†pool†and†dived,†trying†to†reach†the†bottom. ï How did Ivan respond to
ëAh!†how†delicious!í†he†shouted†in†his†glee.†ëHow the rain?
delicious!í†Bourkin†and†Aliokhin†were†already†dressed†and
ready†to†go,†but†he†kept†on†swimming†and†diving.
ëDelicious,í†he†said.†ëToo†delicious!í
ëYou've†had†enough,í†shouted†Bourkin.
They†went†to†the†house.†And†only†when†the†lamp†was†lit
in†the†large†drawing-room†up-stairs,†and†Bourkin†and†Ivan
Ivanich,† dressed† in† silk† dressing-gowns† and
ï When did Ivan start
warm†slippers,†lounged†in†chairs,†and†Aliokhin narrating his story?
himself,†washed†and†brushed,†in†a†new†frock
coat,†paced†up†and†down,†did†Ivan†Ivanich†begin†his†story.
ëWe† are† two† brothers,í† he† began,† ëI,† Ivan† Ivanich,† and
Nicholai†Ivanich,†two†years†younger.†I†went†in†for†study
and†became†a†veterinary†surgeon,†while†Nicholai†was†at
the†Exchequer†Court†when†he†was†nineteen.†Our†father,
Tchimsha-Himalaysky,†was†a†cantonist*,†but†he†died†with
an† officer's† rank† and† left† us† his† title† of† nobility† and† a
small†estate.†After†his†death,†the†estate†went†to†pay†his
debts.† However,† we† spent† our† childhood† there† in† the
country.†We†were†just†like†peasantsí†children, ï How did the brothers
spent† days† and† nights† in† the† fields† and† the spend their childhood
woods,† minded† the† horses,† barked† the† lime- after their father's death?
trees,†fished,†and†so†on...
ëAnd† you† know,† once† a† man† has† fished,† or† watched† the
thrushes†hovering†in†flocks†over†the†village†in†the†bright,
cool,†autumn†days,†he†can†never†really†be†a†townsman,
and†to†the†day†of†his†death†he†will†be†drawn†to†the†country.
My† brother† pined† away† in† the† Exchequer.† Years† passed
and† he† sat† in† the† same† place,† wrote† out† the† same
documents,†and†thought†of†one†thing,†how†to†get†back†to
the†country,†and†to†buy†a†small†farm†somewhere†by†the
bank†of†a†river†or†a†lake.
ëHe† was† a† good† fellow† and† I† loved† him,† but† I† never
* Cantonist was the 19th Century common name for the service obliged military. The term was first
coined in 1713 by the Polish Colonel R. Pastetzky .
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 Unit- 5: HARMONY OF LIFE

sympathised† with† the† desire† to† shut† oneself ï Comment on Ivanís view on
up†on†one's†own†farm.†It†is†a†common†saying the saying that a man
needs only six feet of land.
that† a† man† needs† only† six† feet† of† land.† But
surely†a†corpse†wants†that,†not†a†man.†To†leave†town,†and
the†struggle†and†the†swim†of†life,†and†go†and ï ëTo leave town, and the
hide†yourself†in†a†farmhouse†is†not†life†---††it†is struggle and the swim of
life, and go and hide
egoism,† laziness. yourself in a farmhouse is
ëMy†brother†Nicholai,†sitting†in†his†office,†would not life --- it is egoism,
laziness.í - Do you agree?
dream† of† eating† out† in† the† open† air,† and† of Why?
sleeping† in† the† sun,† and† of† sitting† for† hours
together†on†a†seat†by†the†gate†and†gazing†at†the†fields†and
the†forest.†Books†on†agriculture†and†the†hints†in†almanacs
were†his†joy,†his†favourite†spiritual†food;†and
he† liked† reading† newspapers,† but† only† the ï the What was the difference in
attitudes of Ivan and
advertisements† of† land† to† be† sold,† with† a Nicholai towards life?
farmhouse,†river,†garden,†mill,†and†mill-pond.
And†he†would†dream†of†garden-walls,†flowers,†fruits,†nests,
carp†in†the†pond,†don't†you†know,†and†all†the†rest†of†it.
These† fantasies† of† his† used† to† vary† according† to† the
advertisements†he†found,†but†somehow†there ï What was Nicholaiís
was† always† a† gooseberry-bush† in† every† one. dream?
Not† a† house,† not† a† romantic† spot† could† he
imagine†without†its†gooseberry-bush.
ëCountry† life† has† its† advantages,í† he† used† to ï Mention some of the
say.†ëYou†sit†on†the†veranda†drinking†tea†and advantages of country life.
your†ducklings†swim†on†the†pond,†and†everything†smells
good.†.†.†and†there†are†gooseberries.í
ëHe† used† to† live† meagerly† and† never† had
enough†to†eat†and†drink,†dressed†God†knows ï ëF ixed goals help us
achieve success in life.í
how,†exactly†like†a†beggar,†and†always†saved What is your opinion?
and† put† his† money† into† the† bank.† He† was
terribly†stingy.†It†used†to†hurt†me†to†see†him,†and†I†used
to†give†him†money†to†go†away†for†a†holiday,†but ï What were the sacrifices
he†would†put†that†away,†too.†Once†a†man†gets that Nicholai made to
a†fixed†idea,†there's†nothing†to†be†done. achieve his goal?
ëYears† passed;† he† completed† his† fortieth† year† and† was
still†reading†advertisements†in†the†papers†and†saving†up
his† money.† Then† I† heard† he† was† married.† Still† with† the
same†idea†of†buying†a†farmhouse†with†a†gooseberry-bush,
he†married†an†elderly,†ugly†widow,†not†out†of†any†feeling

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

for† her,† but† because† she† had† money.† With† her† he† still
lived† stingily,† kept† her† half-starved,† and† put† the† money
into†the†bank†in†his†own†name.†Money,†like†vodka,†can
play†queer†tricks†with†a†man.í
ëAfter†the†death†of†his†wife,í†Ivan†Ivanich†continued,†after
a†long†pause,†ëmy†brother†began†to†look†out†for†an†estate.
Through†an†agent,†my†brother†Nicholai†raised
ï Nicholai had to buy an
a† mortgage† and† bought† three† hundred† acres estate quite different from
with†a†farmhouse,†a†cottage,†and†a†park,†but what he had dreamt of. But
there†was†no†orchard,†no†gooseberry-bush,†no he didn't grieve much. How
duck-pond;†there†was†a†river†but†the†water†in would you behave in such
a situation?
it† was† coffee-coloured† because† the† estate† lay
between†a†brick-yard†and†a†gelatine†factory.†But†my†brother
Nicholai† was† not† worried† about† that;† he† ordered† twenty
gooseberry-bushes†and†settled†down†to†a†country†life.
ëLast†year,†I†paid†him†a†visit.†I†thought†I'd†go†and†see†how
things† were† with† him.† In† his† letters,† my† brother† called
his†estate†Tchimbarshov†Corner,†or†Himalayskoe.†I†arrived
at†Himalayskoe†in†the†afternoon.†It†was†hot.†There†were
ditches,† fences,† hedges,† rows† of† young† fir-trees,† trees
everywhere,† and† there† was† no† telling† how† to† cross† the
yard†or†where†to†put†your†horse.†I†went†to†the†house†and
was†met†by†a†red-haired†dog,†as†fat†as†a†pig.†He†tried†to
bark†but†felt†too†lazy.†Out†of†the†kitchen†came†the†cook,
barefooted,†and†also†as†fat†as
a† pig,† and† said† that† the
master† was† having† his
afternoon† rest.† I† went† in† to
my† brother† and† found† him
sitting† on† his† bed† with† his
knees†covered†with†a†blanket;
he† looked† old,† stout,† flabby;
his† cheeks,† nose,† and† lips
were† pendulous.† I† half
expected†him†to†grunt†like†a
pig.
ëWe†embraced†and†shed†a†tear
of†joy†and†also†of†sadness†to
think†that†we†had†once†been†young,†but†were†now†both
going†grey†and†nearing†death.†He†dressed†and†took†me†to
see† his† estate.

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ëWell?†How†are†you†getting†on?í†I†asked.
ëAll†right,†thank†God.†I†am†doing†very†well.í
ëHe† was† no† longer† the† poor,† tired† official,† but† a† real
landowner†and†a†person†of†consequence.†And,
ï What were the ëgood worksí
like†a†good†landowner,†he†looked†after†his†soul of Nicholai? How did he
and†did†good†works†pompously,†never†simply. care for his peasants?
What† good† works?† He† cured† the† peasants† of
all†kinds†of†diseases†with†soda†and†castor-oil,†and†on†his
birthday†he†would†have†a†thanksgiving†service†held†in†the
middle†of†the†village,†and†would†treat†the†peasants†to†half
a†bucket†of†vodka,†which†he†thought†the†right†thing†to†do.
Ah!†These†horrible†buckets†of†vodka.
ëBut†my†point†does†not†concern†him†so†much†as†myself.†I
want†to†tell†you†what†a†change†took†place†in†me†in†those
few†hours†while†I†was†in†his†house.†In†the†evening,†while
we†were†having†tea,†the†cook†laid†a†plateful†of†gooseberries
on†the†table.†They†had†not†been†bought,†but†were†his†own
gooseberries,†plucked†for†the†first†time†since†the†bushes
were†planted.†Nicholai†Ivanich†laughed†with†joy†and†for†a
minute† or† two† he† looked† in† silence† at† the† gooseberries
with†tears†in†his†eyes.†He†could†not†speak†for†excitement,
then†put†one†into†his†mouth,†glanced†at†me†in†triumph,
like†a†child†at†last†being†given†its†favourite†toy,†and†said:
ë'How†good†they†are!'
ëHe†went†on†eating†greedily,†and†saying†all†the†while:
ë'How†good†they†are!†Do†try†one!'
ëIt†was†hard†and†sour,†but†I†saw†a†happy†man,†one†whose
dearest†dream†had†come†true,†who†had†attained†his†goal
in†life,†who†had†got†what†he†wanted,†and†was ï The gooseberries were
pleased†with†his†destiny†and†with†himself.†In unripe and sour, but
my† idea† of† human† life† there† is† always† some Nicholai found them
alloy† of† sadness,† but† now† at† the† sight† of† a delicious. Why?
happy†man†I†was†filled†with†something†like†despair.†And
at†night†it†grew†on†me.†A†bed†was†made†up†for†me†in†the
room†near†my†brother's†and†I†could†hear†him,†unable†to
sleep,†going†again†and†again†to†the†plate†of†gooseberries.†I
thought:† 'After† all,† what† a† lot† of† contented, ï Was Nicholai happy with
happy† people† there† must† be!† What† an his life? How do you know
that?
overwhelming† power† that† means!† .† .† .† .† And

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such†a†state†of†things†is†obviously†what†we†want;†apparently
a†happy†man†only†feels†so†because†the†unhappy†bear†their
burden† in† silence,† but† for† which† happiness ï What distinction did Ivan
would†be†impossible. make between the happy
and the unhappy?
ëThat† night† I† was† able† to† understand† how† I,
too,†had†been†content†and†happy,í†Ivan†Ivanich†went†on,
getting†up.†ëFreedom†is†a†boon,†I†used†to†say,†as†essential
as†the†air†we†breathe,†but†we†must†wait.†Yes†- ï What, according to Ivan, was
-†I†used†to†say†so,†but†now†I†ask:†'Why†do†we the relevance of freedom?
wait?í
†Ivan†Ivanich†glanced†angrily†at†Bourkin.†ëWhy†do†we†wait,
I†ask†you?†What†considerations†keep†us†fast?†I†am†told
that† we† cannot† have† everything† at† once,† and† that† every
idea† is† realised† in† time.† But† who† says† so?† Where† is† the
proof†that†it†is†so?†Tell†me,†I†say,†why†should†we†wait?
ëI†left†my†brother†early†the†next†morning,†and†from†that
time†on†I†found†it†impossible†to†live†in†town.†The†peace
and† quiet† of† it† oppress† me.† I† dare† not† look† in† at† the
windows,† for† nothing† is† more† dreadful† to† see† than† the
sight†of†a†happy†family,†sitting†round†a†table, ï Why did Ivan find it
having†tea.†I†am†an†old†man†now†and†am†no difficult to live in town
good†for†the†struggle.†I†commenced†late.†I†can after visiting his brother?
only†grieve†within†my†soul,†and†fret†and†sulk.†At†night†my
head†buzzes†with†the†rush†of†my†thoughts†and†I†cannot
sleep...†Ah!†If†I†were†young!í
Ivan†Ivanich†walked†excitedly†up†and†down†the†room†and
repeated:
ëIf†I†were†young.í
He†suddenly†walked†up†to†Aliokhin†and†shook†him†first†by
one†hand†and†then†by†the†other.
ëPavel†Koustantinich,í†he†said†in†a†voice†of†entreaty,†ëdon't
be† satisfied,† don't† let† yourself† be† lulled† to† sleep!† While
you†are†young,†strong,†wealthy,†do†not†cease†to†do†good!
Happiness† does† not† exist,† nor† should† it,† and† if† there† is
any†meaning†or†purpose†in†life,†they†are†not†in†our†peddling
little†happiness,†but†in†something†reasonable†and†grand.
Do†good!í
Then†they†all†three†sat†in†different†corners†of†the†drawing-
room† and† were† silent.† Ivan† Ivanich's† story† had† satisfied

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 Unit- 5: HARMONY OF LIFE

neither†Bourkin†nor†Aliokhin.†It†was†tedious†to†hear†the
story† of† a† miserable† official† who† ate† gooseberries.† .† .† .
Somehow† they† had† a† longing† to† hear† and† to† speak† of
charming† people,† and† of† women.† And† the† mere† fact† of
sitting† in† the† drawing-room† was† much† better† than† any
story.
Aliokhin†wanted†very†much†to†go†to†bed;†he†had†to†get†up
for† his† work† very† early,† about† two† in† the† morning,† and
now†his†eyes†were†closing.†.†.†.
ëHowever,†it's†time†to†go†to†bed,ësaid†Bourkin,†getting†up.†ëI
will†wish†you†good†night.í
Aliokhin†said†good†night†and†went†down-stairs,†and†left
his†guests.†Each†had†a†large†room†with†an†old†wooden†bed
and†carved†ornaments.†Ivan†Ivanich†undressed†in†silence
and†lay†down.
ëGod†forgive†me,†a†wicked†sinner,ëhe†murmured, ï What change in attitude
came over Ivan at the end?
as†he†drew†the†clothes†over†his†head.
The† rain† beat† against† the† windows† all† night
long. ï How can happiness be
achieved in life?
(Abridged)
Glossary:
entreaty : a† serious† request† for About the Author
something
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
exchequer† court : in† English† law.† a† very (1860- 1904)
ancient† court† of† record,
A Russian physician,
which† was† originally† the dramatist and author,
king's† treasury Chekhov is one of the greatest short
gelatine† (n) : a† clear† substance† that† is story writers. His career as a dramatist
made† by† boiling† animal produced four classics and his best
bones†or†tissues†and†used†in short stories are held in high esteem
by writers and critics alike.
making† jelly. ëGooseberriesí is the middle story in a
mortgage†(n) : a† legal† agreement† in† which trilogy of Chekhov's tales; the first titled
a† person† borrows† money† to ëThe Man in a Shellí and the last titled
buy†property†and†pays†back ëAbout Loveí. All are united in theme;
the† money† over† a† period† of the isolation and escape from life. The
story is one of Chekhov's finest works
years and has much irony and humour, and
pendulous†(adj) : hanging†down†and†swinging is poetic in mood.
freely
pompously†(adj) : exhibiting† self-importance
vodka†(n) : a†strong,†clear†alcoholic†drink†that
is†originally†from†Russia

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Activity I (Read† and† respond)

m What† lesson† does† Ivan† seek† to† learn† from† his† brotherís
life?
m Compare† Aliokhinís† first† appearance† in† the† story† with† that† of
Nicholai.
m The† story† begins† and† ends† in† rain.† What† does† the† imagery† convey
to†you?
m Why† do† you† think† the† story† is† titled† ëGooseberries?í
m Identify† the† climax† of† the† story.
r Rain† has† an† additional† symbolic† relevance† in† this† story.† Can† you
identify† other† symbols?

Symbolism
In† literature,† a† symbol† is† an† object† or† reference† used† to† provide
meaning† beyond† what† is† essentially† being† described.† An† author
may† repetitively† use† the† same† object† to† communicate† a† deeper
meaning†or†might†use†distinctions†of†the†same†object†to†produce
an† overarching† mood† or† feeling.†
q Analyze† Ivanís† argument† against† happiness† (ëThere† is† nothing
sadder† than† the† sight† of† a† happy† maní).
q How† does† Chekhov† develop† his† theme† in† the† story?† What† are† the
techniques† used?† (story† within† the† story,† realism,† irony,† symbol-
ism† etc.)
Activity II† (Review)
Based†on†the†above†points,†attempt†a†review†of†Chekhovís†ëGooseber-
riesí† bearing† in† mind† the† following† hints:
ï Read† and† recall† what† you† have† read,† and† formulate† your† own
observations.
ï Theme/content
ï Writing† style/presentation
ï Characters
ï Depiction† of† landscape
ï Symbolic† relevance
Activity III (Write-up)
ï According† to† Chekhov,† ëmoney† like† vodka† plays† queer† tricks† with
maní.†How†far†is†this†statement†relevant†in†the†present-day†world?
Prepare† a write-up† on† the† topic.

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 Unit- 5: HARMONY OF LIFE

Activity IV† (Debate)

r Read†the†following†lines†from†the†story.
ï ëFreedom† is† a† boon† as† essential† as† the† air† we† breathe.í† How† far† is
this† statement† true† in† the† case† of† an† individual?
Is† freedom† essential† for† an† individual?† Debate† the† topic.

Tips
ï Present† it† effectively.
ï Maintain† eye† contact.
ï Find† a† steady† spot† to† place† your† feet.
ï Start† by† taking† a† deep† breath.
ï Speak† slowly,† carefully† and† convincingly.
ï Don't† be† discouraged† by† opposing† arguments.
ï Be† relaxed.
ï Make† use† of† non-verbal† communication† (gestures† and† body
language).
ï Be† polite.

Activity V† (Seminar)
r In†the†story,†ëgooseberriesí†represent†whatever†is†indigenous,†what-
ever†should†be†preserved†to†retain†the†culture†of†the†countryside.
Do†you†think†that†it†is†our†responsibility†to†preserve†our†indig-
enous†culture?†Conduct†a†seminar on†this†topic.
ï Present† your† paper† in† the† class.
ï Prepare† a† report† of† the† presentation.
You† may† take† note† of† the† following† guidelines.

ï Introduction
ï Objective
ï Theoretical† background† -† what† others† say† on† the† topic
ï Research† -† connect† theoretical† background
ï Conclusion† -† your† inferences† and† findings† -† reflect† on† what† you
have† been† able† to† prove.

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Points to note
While† presenting† your† paper
ï speak† slowly,† with† adequate† pauses,† loudly† and† clearly.
ï use† examples† from† everyday† life.
ï use† slides† and† handouts,† where† necessary.
ï adhere† to† the† time† limit.
ï keep† eye† contact† and† use† gestures.
ï give† straight† answers† to† the† questions† asked.
ï be† confident.

Activity VI† (ëWhí† Interrogatives)

r We† use† ëwhí† -† interrogatives† to† frame† questions.
Given†below†is†a†set†of†questions†taken†from†the†text.†The†function†of
the† wh† -† interrogatives† is† also† given† against† each† question.

Examples from the text Function Question

word
What grounds have we for waiting? asking for repetition or confirmation What
What reason are we to wait for? asking for a reason, asking why What for
When did Nicholai start uttering asking about time When
views of his own?
Where is the proof that its right? ...................................................... Where
Which of the two brothers was Which
younger, Ivan or Nicholai? ......................................................
Who is it that narrates Nicholai's asking what or which person or people Who
story? (subject)
Whom did Ivan and Bourkin meet asking what or which person or people Whom
at the barn? (object)
Whose gooseberry bushes are asking about ownership Whose
these?
Why wait, I ask you? ...................................................... Why
Why don't you come to the bathing Why
shed? ......................................................
How did you get here? ...................................................... How
How are you getting on here? ...................................................... How

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See examples below Asking about extent or how+adj/adv

degree
How far is Sophino from here? distance How far

How long will it take to reach length (time or space) How long
Sophino, where Aliokhin lives?

How many gooseberry bushes quantity (countable) How many

did Nicholai order?

How much land does a man need? quantity (uncountable) How much

How old was Nicholai when he age How old

died?

How come (informal) he can't asking for a reason, asking why How come
stand their happiness?
Reported Questions
When† we† report† what† people† say,† we† usually† change† the† tense† of† the
verbs†to†indicate†that†we†are†reporting.†There†are†also†other†important
differences† between† direct† questions† and† reported† questions.
Example:
Questions - Why†donít†you†go†to†the†bathing-shed?
Reported† questions - He† asked† why† he† didnít† go† to† the† bathing-
shed.(or)† He† asked† me† why† I† didnít† come† ...
When there is a question word, we repeat that question word in the reported
question. The word order is like that of an affirmative sentence.

Direct questions Reported questions

Who narrates They asked who narrated Nicholai’s
Nicholai’s story? story.
Where is the proof that it is right? He asked where the proof was that it was
right.
Reported questions do not have a question mark at the end.
Frame questions to get the underlined words as answer.
Example:
He†bought†twenty†gooseberry†bushes.†-†What†did†he†buy?†/†How†many
gooseberry† bushes† did† he† buy?
1. They† went† to† Aliokhin's† barn.
2. He† was† a† gentle,† good-natured† fellow.
3. We† have† spent† our† childhood† running† wild† in† the† country.

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4. Ivan†saw†a†happy†man.
5. I† went† away† from† my† brother's† house† early† in† the† morning.
6. That† night,† Ivan† realized† that† he† too† was† happy† and† contented.
Activity VII (Exclamations)
r We†use†exclamations†to†express†strong†emotions†in†a†special†way.
It†is†important†to†know†how†to†express†exclamations†because†they
are† very† common† in† both† speech† and† writing.
Study† the† following† sentences.
m That† is† a† shocking† report.
m What† a† shocking† report!† OR† How† shocking!
Here,† an† assertive† sentence† is† converted† into† an† exclamatory
sentence.
Note†the†use†of†the†punctuation†mark†(!)†at†the†end†of†the†exclamatory
sentence.
Exclamatory sentences† are† often† constructed† with† how and† what or
with†so and†such.
You† may† notice† the† structural† changes† in† each† sentence.
m How† delicious† it† is!
m How† you† have† grown!
m What† a† lovely† song!
m What† a† surprise!
m What† tasty† gooseberries!
m What† fools!
m What† beautiful† weather!
m What† a† beautiful† smile† you† have!
m You† are† so† sweet!
m He† is† such† a† nice† boy!
m They† are† such† kind† people!
m They† talk† such† rubbish!
Letís practise
Change† the† following† assertive† sentences† into† exclamatory† sentences.
1. It† was† a† great† beautiful† land.
2. The† water† looked† cold† and† contaminated.
3. That† was† a† very† interesting† dream.
4. Nicholai† is† very† generous.
5. It† would† be† nice† if† I† were† young† once† again.
6. He† is† an† incredibly† positive† man.

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II. Read and enjoy:

In Chekhov's ëGooseberriesí, after visiting his brother Nicholai,
Ivan Ivanichís head is hot with the rush of ideas, and he cannot
sleep. Have you ever lain awake, sleepless at night? Describe your
experience. Now let's see what Wordsworth has to say about sleep.

TO SLEEP
William Wordsworth

A†flock†of†sheep†that†leisurely†pass†by
One†after†one;†the†sound†of†rain,†and†bees
Murmuring;†the†fall†of†rivers,†winds†and†seas,
Smooth†fields,†white†sheets†of†water,†and†pure†sky;
I've†thought†of†all†by†turns,†and†still†I†lie
Sleepless;†and†soon†the†small†birds'†melodies
Must†hear,†first†utter'd†from†my†orchard†trees,
And†the†first†cuckoo's†melancholy†cry. 8
Even†thus†last†night,†and†two†nights†more†I†lay,
And†could†not†win†thee,†Sleep!†by†any†stealth:
So†do†not†let†me†wear†to-night†away:
Without†Thee†what†is†all†the†morning's†wealth?
Come,†blessÈd†barrier†between†day†and†day,
Dear†mother†of†fresh†thoughts†and†joyous†health! 14

About the Author

William Wordsworth
(1770 - 1850)
A major English
Romantic poet,
Wordsworth possessed a
deep love for nature, a theme reflected
in many of his poems. He considered
nature to be his friend, philosopher
and guide. He became the Poet -
Laureate in 1843, and remained so, until
his death in 1850.

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Activity I (Read† and† respond)

m ëI've† thought† of† all† by† turnsë† -† What† are† the† things† that† the† poet
thinks† of?
m Why† couldn't† the† poet† sleep† for† three† nights?
m Do† you† think† that† sleep† embraced† the† poet† in† the† end?† Why?
m How† many† of† you† can† identify† with† Wordsworth's† experience† of
lying† awake† until† the† ëbirds† twitter† their† dawn† chorus?í
m How† do† you† think† the† poet† feels† at† the† start† of† the† poem?
m Pick† out† the† images† from† the† poem.
m Which† lines† or† images† do† you† think† are† the† most† effective† in
conveying† the† necessity† of† sound† sleep?

m The†poem†ends†in†a†note†of†wistful†hope†and†prayer.†Do†you†agree?
Why?
m The† length† of† the† poem† and† the† poetic† form.

A† sonnet† is† a† poem† of† 14† lines† with† a† strict

pattern†of†rhyme†and†rhythm.†There†are†different
forms† of† the† sonnet† but† they† share† the† following
thought† structure.
m a† key† idea
m development
m conclusion,† often† with† a† twist

m The†poet†uses†several†images†in†the†poem,†like†the†sound†of†rain
and†the†sight†of†fields.

An† image† is† a† picture† created† with† the† poet's† choice† of

words† that† the† reader† can† imagine† or† recreate.† Images
can† make† the† reader† see,† feel,† think,† etc.
m Identify†the†images†used†by†the†poet†in†ë To†Sleepí.

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 Unit- 5: HARMONY OF LIFE

Poetic devices

Alliteration Repeated† consonant† sounds† at† the† beginning† of

words† placed† near† each† other,† usually† on† the
same† or† adjacent† lines.
e.g. silence† surged† softly
The† furrow† followed† free;
Assonance Repeated†vowel†sounds†in†words†placed†near†each
other,† usually† on† the† same† or† adjacent† lines.
e.g. A† host,† of† golden† daffodils
Beside† the† lake,† beneath† the† trees
Consonance Repeated† consonant† sounds† at† the† ending† of
words† placed† near† each† other,† usually† on† the
same† or† adjacent† lines.
e.g. If† she† love† me,† this† believe,
I† will† die† ere† she† shall† grieve;
Onomatopoeia Words† that† sound† like† their† meanings.
e.g. The† sack† fell† into† the† river† with† a† splash.
The†books†fell†on†the†table†with†a†loud†thump.
Hyperbole An† outrageous† exaggeration† used† for† effect.
e.g.† My† grandmother† is† as† old† as† the† hills.
Metaphor A† direct† comparison† between† two† unlike† things,
stating† that† one† is† the† other,† or† does† the† action
of† the† other.
e.g. Her† voice† is† music† to† his† ears.
Simile A† direct† comparison† of† two† unlike† things† using
ëlikeí† or† ëas.í
e.g.† O† my† Love's† like† a† red,† red† rose!

Activity II (Critical† Appreciation)

Based† on† the† above† discussions,† prepare† a† critical appreciation† of
the† poem† bearing† in† mind† the† following† tips.
ï Read† the† poem† and† note† down† more† details.
ï Use† the† present† tense† to† describe† and† analyze† the† events† and
characters† of† the† poem.

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

ï Use† direct† quotations† from† the† poem.

ï When† you† mention† a† particular† poetic† device† or† a† situation† from
the† poem,† substantiate† your† words† with† the† quote† that† refers† to
it† or† the† device† you† are† analyzing.
ï Identify† each† poetic† device† properly.
ï Distinguish† between† metaphor† (a† poetic† comparison)† and† me-
tonymy†(using†a†symbol†to†stand†for†what†it†represents),†a†hyper-
bole† (an† exaggeration)† and† a† synecdoche† (when† a† part† is† used
instead† of† the† whole).

Wordsworthís† ëTo† Sleepí† tells† us† how† important† it† is† to† have† a† sound
sleep† in† order† to† remain† mentally† and† physically† fit.
ï In† this† world† where† everything† is† ëinstantí† or† instantly† done,† † isn't
it† important† to† avoid† unhealthy† habits?† Discuss.

III. Read and reflect:

Walking like any other exercise, undoubtedly leads to physical

wellness. There may be difference of opinion. The argument that
each and every moment has to be filled with activity has gained
currency these days. In the essay 'Going out for a Walk', Max
Beerbohm looks at walking from a different perspective.

GOING OUT FOR A WALK

Max Beerbohm
It†is†a†fact†that†not†once†in†all†my†life†have†I†gone†out†for†a
walk.†I†have†been†taken†out†for†walks;†but†that†is†another
matter.†Even†while†I†trotted†prattling†by†my†nurse's†side,
I†regretted†the†good†old†days†when†I†had,†and†wasn't,†a
perambulator.†When†I†grew†up,†it†seemed†to†me†that†the
one† advantage† of† living† in† London† was† that
ï What does the author
nobody†ever†wanted†me†to†come†out†for†a†walk. consider as the drawbacks
London's† very† drawbacks† ---† its† endless† noise of London?
and†hustle,†its†smoky†air,†the†squalor†ambushed
everywhere†in†it---†assured†this†one†immunity.†Whenever†I
was† with† friends† in† the† country,† I† knew† that† at† any
moment,† unless† rain† were† actually† falling,† some† man

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might†suddenly†say†ëCome†out†for†a†walk!í†in†that†sharp
imperative† tone† which† he† would† not† dream† of† using† it.
People†seem†to†think†there†is†something†inherently†noble
and†virtuous†in†the†desire†to†go†for†a†walk.†Any†one†thus
desirous† feels† that† he† has† a† right† to† impose† his† will† on
whomever† he† sees† comfortably† settled† in† an† arm-chair,
reading.†It†is†easy†to†say†simply†ëNoí†to†an†old†friend.†In
the†case†of†a†mere†acquaintance,†one†wants
ï What is the author ís
some† excuse.† ëI† wish† I† could,† butí---† † nothing excuse to avoid walking?
ever†occurs†to†me†except†ëI†have†some†letters
to† write.í† † This† formula† is† unsatisfactory† in† three† ways.
(1)† It† isn't† believed.† (2)† It† compels† you† to† rise† from† your
chair,†go†to†the†writing-table,†and†sit†improvising†a†letter
to† somebody† until† the† walk† monger† (just† not ï Why is the authorís excuse
daring†to†call†you†liar†and†hypocrite)†shall†have ineffective?
lumbered†out†of†the†room.†(3)†It†won't†operate
on†Sunday†mornings.†ë There's†no†post†out†till†this†eveningí
clinches†the†matter;†and†you†may†as†well†go†quietly.
Walking†for†walking's†sake†may†be†as†highly†laudable†and
exemplary†a†thing†as†it†is†held†to†be†by†those†who†practise
it.†My†objection†to†it†is†that†it†stops†the†brain.†Many†a†man
has†professed†to†me†that†his†brain†never†works†so†well†as
when†he†is†swinging†along†the†high†road†or†over†hill†and
dale.†This†boast†is†not†confirmed†by†my†memory†of†anybody
who,†on†a†Sunday†morning,†has†forced†me†to†partake†of
his† adventure.† Experience† teaches† me† that
ï What makes the author say
whatever†a†fellow-guest†may†have†of†the†power that walking for walking's
to†instruct†or†to†amuse†when†he†is†sitting†on†a sake stops one's brain?
chair,† or† standing† on† a† hearth-rug,† quickly
leaves†him†when†he†takes†one†out†for†a†walk.†The†ideas
that† came† so† thick† and† fast† to† him† in† any† room,† where
are†they†now?†Where†is†the†encyclopaedic†knowledge†which
he†bore†so†lightly?†Where†the†kindling†fancy†that†played
like† summer† lightning† over† any† topic† that† was† started?
The†man's†face†that†was†so†mobile†is†set†now;†gone†is†the
light† from† his† fine† eyes.† He† says† that† A.† (our† host)† is† a
thoroughly† good† fellow.† Fifty† yards† further† on,† he† adds
that† A.† is† one† of† the† best† fellows† he† has† ever† met.† We
tramp†another†furlong†or†so,†and†he†says†that†Mrs.†A.†is†a
charming† woman.† Presently† he† adds† that† she† is† one† of

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

the†most†charming†women†he†has†ever†known.†We†pass†an
inn.† He† reads† rapidly† aloud† to† me:† ë The† King's† Arms.
Licensed†to†sell†Ales†and†Spirits.í†I†foresee†that†during†the
rest† of† the† walk† he† will† read† aloud† any† inscription† that
occurs.†We†pass†a†milestone.†He†points†at†it†with†his†stick,
and† says† ëUxminster.† 11† Miles.í† We† turn† a
sharp†corner†at†the†foot†of†a†hill.†He†points ï ë Trespassers will be
prosecutedë - Write down
at†the†wall,†and†says†ëDrive†Slowly.í†I†see†far two more such wall notices.
ahead,† on† the† other† side† of† the† hedge
bordering†the†high†road,†a†small†notice-board.†He†sees†it
too.†He†keeps†his†eye†on†it.†And†in†due†course†ë Trespassers,í
he†says,†ëWill†Be†Prosecuted.í†Poor†man!---††mentally†a†wreck.
Luncheon† at† the† A.S,
however,†salves†him†and
floats† him† in† full† sail.
Behold† him† once† more
the† life† and† soul† of† the
party!† Surely† he† will
never,† after† the† bitter
lesson† of† this† morning,
go†out†for†another†walk.
An†hour†later,†I†see†him
striding† forth,† with† a
new†companion.†I†watch
him† out† of† sight.† I† know† what† he† is† saying.† He† is† saying
that†I†am†rather†a†dull†man†to†go†for†a†walk†with.†He†will
presently† add† that† I† am† one† of† the† dullest† men† he† ever
went†for†a†walk†with.†Then†he†will†devote†himself†to†reading
out†the†inscriptions.
How†comes†it,†this†immediate†deterioration†in†those†who
go† walking† for† walking's† sake?† Just† what† happens?
I†take†it†that†not†by†his†reasoning†faculties†is†a†man†urged
to† this† enterprise.† He† is† urged,† evidently,† by
something†in†him†that†transcends†reason;†by ï What, according to the
author, is the thought
his† soul,† I† presume.† Yes,† it† must† be† the† soul process taking place in the
that†raps†out†the†ëQuick†march!í†to†the†body.--- brain during a walk?
ëHalt!†Stand†at†ease!†ëInterposes†the†brain,†and
ëTo†what†destination,†ëIt†suavely†asks†the†soul,†ëand†on†what
errand,† are† you† sending† the† body?† ëOn† no† errand
whatsoeverí,†The†soul†makes†answer,†ëand†to†no†destination
at†all.í†It†is†just†like†you†to†be†always†on†the†look-out†for

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some†subtle†ulterior†motive.†The†body†is†going†out†because
the† mere† fact† of† its† doing† so† is† a† sure† indication† of
nobility,†probity,†and†rugged†grandeur†of†character.í†---
ëVery†well,†Vagula,†have†your†own†wayula*!†But†I,í†says
the†brain,†ëflatly†refuse†to†be†mixed†up†in†this†tomfoolery.
I†shall†go†to†sleep†till†it†is†over.í†The†brain†then†wraps
itself† up† in† its† own† convolutions,† and† falls† into† a
dreamless†slumber†from†which†nothing†can†rouse†it†till
the†body†has†been†safely†deposited†indoors†again.
Even†if†you†go†to†some†definite†place,†for†some†definite
purpose,†the†brain†would†rather†you†took†a†vehicle;†but
it† does† not† make† a† point† of† this;† it† will† serve
you†well†enough†unless†you†are†going†out†for†a ï What is the author's
walk.†It†won't,†while†your†legs†are†vying†with opinion of having a vehicle
for every destination?
each†other,†do†any†deep†thinking†for†you,†nor
even† any† close† thinking;† but† it† will† do† any† number† of
small† odd† jobs† for† you† willingly† ---† † provided† that† your
legs,† also,† are† making† themselves† useful,† not† merely
bandying†you†about†to†gratify†the†pride†of†the†soul.†Such
as† it† is,† this† essay† was† composed† in† the† course† of† a
walk,† this† morning.† I† am† not† one† of† those† extremists
who†must†have†a†vehicle†to†every†destination.†I†never†go
out†of†my†way,†as†it†were,†to†avoid†exercise.†I†take†it†as
it†comes,†and†take†it†in†good†part.†Those†valetudinarians
who† are† always† chattering† about† it† and
indulging† in† it† to† excess† are† no† reason† for ï What holds the author
back from going out for a
despising† it.† I† am† inclined† to† think† that† in walk?
moderation†it†is†rather†good†for†one,†physically.
But,†pending†a†time†when†no†people†wish†me†to†go†and
see†them,†and†I†have†no†wish†to†go†and†see†any†one,†and
there† is† nothing† whatever† for† me† to† do† off† my† own
premises,†I†never†will†go†out†for†a†walk.

(Adapted)

*† very†well†soul,†the†wanderer†have†your†won†way

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Glossary:
acquaintance† (n) : someone†you†know,†but
who†is†not†a†close†friend About the Author
ambush†(n) : surprise
Sir Henry Maximilian Max
exemplary†(n) : deserving† imitation Beerbohm (1872 - 1956), the
hustle†(v) : hurry English writer and caricaturist,
hypocrite†(n) : one†who†puts†on†a†false is remembered for the elegance
and gentle humour of his personal
appearance essays. He is best known today for his
imperative : commanding 1911 novel Zuleika Dobson. 1n the
kindling† fancy : arousing† interest† easily essay ëGoing Out for a Walkí (1918),
Beerbohm challenges the notion that
laudable†(adj) : worthy†of†praise†or walking is a productive mental exercise,
admiration especially if one is accompanied by a
talkative companion.
perambulator†(n) : a†baby†carriage
prattle†(v) : make† meaningless† sounds
profess†(v) : make† a† false† claim
squalor†(n) : dirty†and†unpleasant
conditions
suavely†(adj) : confidently,†elegantly†and†politely
(though†not†sincerely)
valetudinarian† (n) : a†person†with†a†sickly
constitution
walk†monger†(n) : (humorously)†a†person†who†forces
another†to†go†out†for†a†walk

Activity I (Write-up)
m Do† you† usually† go† out† for† a† morning† walk† or† an† evening† stroll?
m Who† do† you† usually† go† out† with† (friends,† family† members,
neighbours† etc.,?
m What† do† you† enjoy† the† most† while† walking?
m How† do† you† feel† after† a† walk?
m Make†a††distinction†between†going†out†for†a†walk†and†being†taken
out†for†a†walk.
Now,† prepare† a† write-up† on† walking† and† your† preferences.
Activity II (Personal† essay)
r A† personal essay† usually† explores† a† personal† experience.
It† is† an† anecdote† (or† more† than† one)† from† your† life† that† is
connected† to† an† idea.† The† intention† of† a† personal† essay† is† to† use
an† experience† as† a† vehicle† to† explore† a† larger† theme† or† question.
ï The† author† gives† an†account† of† reasons,† i.e.,† a† theory† to† support
his† explanation.

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Tips
A† good† essay† should† have
ï Focus ï Development
ï Unity ï Coherence
ï ï

Now,† attempt† to† write† a† personal essay† on† a† topic† of† your† choice.
(e.g.† swimming,† jogging,† etc.)
Tips
ï Select† a† topic† (choose† a† subject† that† is† interesting† or† relevant
to†you).
ï Prepare† an† outline.
ï Write† the† introduction.
ï Write† the† body.
ï Write† the† conclusion.
ï Review†what†you†have†written†(make†additions†and†deletions).

Activity III (Survey)

r You†might†have†realised†the†importance†of†physical†fitness.†Physi-
cal†fitness†invariably†leads†to†mental†wellness.†ëA†sound†mind†in
a†sound†bodyí,†so†goes†the†saying.†Happiness†is†the†result†of†a
sound†mind†in†a†sound†body.†Here†is†a†survey†questionnaire.
Collect† information† from† your† classmates† about† their† likes,† dis-
likes,† wishes† and† preferences.† Make† use† of† the† questionnaire
given† below.
Answer† the† questions† honestly† chossing† your† response† from
'never',†'rarely',†'sometimes',†'most†of†the†time'†or†'always'.
1. During† the† past† twelve† months,† how† often† have† you† felt† lonely?
2. During† the† past† twelve† months,† how† often† have† you† been† so† wor-
ried† about† something† that† you† could† not† sleep† at† night?
3. Can† you† keep† a† secret?
4. Do†you†enjoy†the†company†of†people?
5. Do† you† allow† other† people† to† decide† for† you?
6. While† walking,† do† you† usually† look† at† the† ground† most† of† the
time?
7. Do† you† offer† your† seat† to† any† weak† or† elderly† person† in† the† bus?
(Let† the† learners† ponder† over† the† questions† to† assess† themselves.)

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

Answer 'Yes' or 'No' and check your scores.

1. Do† you† get† very† upset† when† you† have† misplaced† something† very
important,† such† as† keys,† train† tickets,† etc.?
2. Are† you† afraid† of† growing† old?
3. Would†you†like†to†go†on†a†long†trip†---†say†for†five†to†six†months?
4. Do† you† like† to† give† unexpected† gifts?
5. Are†you†ready†to†give†up†your†present†way†of†life†and†start†anew,
if† needed?
6. Would† you† accept† a† job† in† another† country† if† the† future† looked
brighter† there?
7. Do† you† think† you† can† recover† from† a† financial† blow?
8. Do† you† dislike† visiting† the† sick?
9. Are† you† superstitious?
10. Do† you† like† to† be† fashionably† dressed?
11. Do†you†like†to†sit†in†small†dark†rooms?
12. Do† you† find† your† mood† changing† according† to† the† weather?
(TO†FIND†OUT†YOUR†SCORE,†REFER†TO†PAGE†NO†-†156)
Activity IV (Read† and† practise)
r Read†these†sentences†from†Beerbohm's†essay.
a) ëEven† if† you† go† to† some† definite† place,† for† some† definite† purpose,
the† brain† would† rather† you† took† a† vehicleí.
b) ëI† wish† I† could,† butÖI† † have† some† letters† to† writeí.
(i) In† the† first† sentence,† would rather† is† used† to† express† what† one
entity† prefers† (i.e.,† the† brain)† another† (i.e.,† the† author)† to† do.
e.g. I† would† rather† you† took† proper† rest.
Tom† would† rather† Jack† took† a† plane.
When† we† speak† about† a† specific† preference,†would rather† and† would
prefer† have† the† same† meaning† and† are† interchangeable.

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 Unit- 5: HARMONY OF LIFE

Would rather† can† be† abbreviated Iíd rather you†took†a†vehicle.

to†íd rather. Iíd prefer†you†to†take†a
Would prefer † can† be† abbreviated vehicle.
to†íd prefer

Would rather †is†followed†by†a†bare Iíd rather you† took a† vehicle.

infinitive.† Would prefer† is† followed Iíd prefer††you†to take a
by††to + infinitive. vehicle.

We† use† the† past† tense† after would The†brain would rather you
rather† when† we† speak† about took† a† vehicle† than† walk.
peopleís† actions† even† though† the
action†is†in†the†present†or†the†future.

While†making†a†comparison†Would The†brain†would rather† you

ratherÖÖ..than is†used took† a† vehicle† than walk.

Letís practise
r Answer†the†following†questions†using would rather:
m What† did† you† have† for† breakfast† today?
m How† would† you† like† your† coffee,† with† some† cream† or† milk?
m How† are† you† going† to† the† doctorís?
m Where†do†you†like†to†go†on†vacation?
m Whom†do†you†like†to†go†out†with?
(ii) I wish I could
ëI† wish† I† could,† butÖ† I† have† some† letters† to† writeí.
We† use† the† past† tense† modals† would† and† could† to† talk† about† wishes
in† the† future.
m I†don't†like†my†job.†I†wish†I†could†get†a†better†job.
m That's† a† dreadful† noise.† I† wish† it† would† stop.
We† use† the† past† tense† forms† to† talk† about† wishes† in† the† present.
m I† wish† it† wasn't† so† cold.
m These† seats† are† very† uncomfortable.† I† † wish† I† were† travelling† by
first† class.
We† use† the† past† perfect† to† talk† about† wishes† which† refer† to† the† past.
m I† wish† I† had† worked† harder† when† I† was† at† school.
m I† wish† I† hadn't† wasted† my† time† too† much.

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Answers to the activity ëCan you find happiness?í (The scores are
given in brackets).
(1) YES†-6,†NO-8 (5) YES-18,†NO-5 †(9) YES-12,†NO-8
(2) YES-2,†NO-18 (6) YES-18,†NO-6 (10) YES-12,†NO-8
(3) YES-12,†NO-9 (7) YES-15,†NO-7 (11) YES-3,†NO-9
(4) YES-14,†NO-6 (8) YES-2,†NO-12 (12) YES-4,†N0-8
Now, add up your score.
136† to† 150† points† --† You† have† a† wonderful† outlook† on† life.† Your
family,† friends† and† colleagues† will† stick† by† you.† You† have† the
courage† to† face† life† as† it† is.
125†to†135†points†--†You†are†thoughtful†and†can†see†both†sides†of
life.† You† have† the† capacity† to† find† happiness.
80†to†120†points†--†You†are†inclined†to†see†things†as†being†darker
than† they† really† are.† Dont† be† afraid† of† the† future.† It† will† hold
much†joy†for†you.
Below† 80† points† --† You† must† get† into† the† habit† of† saying† only
pleasant† and† cheerful† things.† Fill† your† mind† with† happy† things.
You† will† find† your† list† of† happiness† growing† and† each† day† will
turn†out†to†be†happier†for†you.
[adapted†from-Psychology-Evaluate Your Self]

Activity V (Make† a† start)

Now,† why† don't† you† draw† up† a† plan† of† action† to† ensure† personal
responsibility† for† one† or† more† of† your† daily† health† habits† (e.g.† tidying
the† † bedroom,† taking† a† bath,† eating† healthy† and† balanced† meals,
taking† rest,† doing† homework,† using† independent† learning† strategies,
helping† the† family,† doing† physical† activity,† etc.).† For† example,† you
can
m†††††identify†the†habit†for†which†you†want†to†take†up†responsibility.

m† † † † † indicate† the† means† to† be† used.

m† † † † † establish† the† steps† for† fulfilling† this† responsibility.

m† † † † † take† action† and† revise† your† plans† as† required.

Discuss† your† plans† with† your† friends† and† exchange† strategies† for† † a
more† effective† implementation.
Activity VI (Project)
You may conduct a†survey among your friends.
† The† teacher† can† help† you† in† selecting† survey† topics† relating† to
m dietary† habits
m rest† (e.g.,† nap,† adequate† sleep)

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 Unit- 5: HARMONY OF LIFE

m healthy† eating† (with† food† from† the† four† food† groups)

m exercise,† including† good† posture† (e.g.,† while† reading,† at† the† com-
puter,† during† a† physical† activity)
m use† of† drugs† (energy† boosters,† overdose† of† medicines,† health
drinks,† etc.)
m hygiene†(cleanliness,†shower/bath,†change†of†clothes)
m mental† health
m physical†activity
m delinquent†behaviour
Tips

Divide yourselves into six or seven groups.

Prepare† a† few† questionnaires† based† on† the† above† topics.
Allow†each†group†to†choose†a†topic.
Let† them† make† a† few† case† studies† based† on† their† respective
topics.
Conduct† the† survey† and† prepare† a† survey† report.
Present† the† survey† report† in† the† class.
Make† a† list† of† new† words† and† expressions† used† in† the† report.
Attempt† a† power† point† presentation† of† the† project.
Decide on
ï what† you† want† to† learn.
ï whom† you† will† interview.
ï how† you† will† conduct† the† interview.
ï what† you† will† ask.
ï how† to† conduct† the† test† with† your† friends.
ï how† to† conduct† the† interviews† and† enter† the† data.
ï how† to† analyse† the† data† and† produce† the† reports.
In your questionnaire:
m Decide† what† you† would† like† to† learn† using† your† questionnaire.
m Start† † writing† out† questions† that† can† help† you† reach† your† goals.
m Design† your† questionnaire† based† on† the† method† of† delivery.
m Order† the† questions† so† that† if† a† person† says† ëYesí† or† ëNoí† to† a
certain† question,† they† can† bypass† any† question† that† does† not
further† apply† to† them.
m Test† your† questionnaire† on† your† friends† or† family,† before† you
begin† surveying† other† people.

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

HOW TO WRITE A GOOD SURVEY REPORT

† † † † † A† survey† report† is† a† formal† piece† of† writing† based† on† research.
Structure:
ï Introduction
- Aim† of† the† report† and† methodology:† when,† what† † and† how
ï Main†Body
- All† the† information† collected† and† analyzed† is† presented
here† clearly.
ï Conclusion
- Summing† up† and† recommendations
Hints and phrases:
ï Use† present† tense,† reported† speech† and† an† impersonal† style.
Use† a† variety† of† reporting† verbs† such† as† claim,† state,† report,
agree,† complain,† suggest,† etc.
ï While† reporting† the† results† of† a† survey,† the† figures† gathered
should†be†given†in†the†form†of†percentages†and†proportions.†e.g.,
40%† of† the† people† were† questioned,† 88%† of† those† who† filled† in
the†questionnaire,†etc.,†or††expressions†like:†the†majority†of†those
questioned,† a† large† proportion† of,† a† significant† number† of,† etc.
ï To† introduce:† The† purpose/aim† of† this† reportÖ.
ï This† survey† was† carried† out/† conducted† by† means† ofÖ,† the
questionnaire† consisted† of† etc.
ï To† generalize:† In† general,† generally,† on† the† whole,† etc.
ï To† refer† to† a† fact:† The† fact† is† thatÖ,† In† fact,† In† practice,† etc.
ï To† conclude:† In† conclusion,† To† sum† up,† † It† is† clear† that,† The
survey† shows/indicates/demonstrates,† etc.

Extended Activities
Activity I (Discussion)
r Discuss† the† need† to† have† physical† education† compulsory† to† the
higher† secondary† students.
All† students† have† to† be† involved† in† sports.† It† is† said† that† physical
education† is† important† because† it† provides† students† with
m a† healthy† and† active† lifestyle
m leadership† qualities
m a† positive† attitude
m team† spirit
m more† confidence† and† self-esteem

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 Unit- 5: HARMONY OF LIFE

m better† learning
m civic† virtues† like† volunteering† to† help† others
Activity II (Write-up)
r Do†you†think†that†there†should†be†physical†education†in†schools?
Prepare†a†write-up†saying†why†or†why†not.
Activity III (Speech)
r The† newspaper† headlines† below† may† remind† you† of† some† of† your
friends††who†are†addicted†to†junk†food,†energy†boosters,†computers,
bike† racing,† etc.† You† are† worried† about† how† these† habits† will
affect† them† mentally,† physically† and† academically.† Being† the
Health† Officer† of† your† school,† you† decide† to† make† a† speech† in† the
morning† assembly† on† the† adverse† effect† of† such† a† lifestyle† and
the†need†to†take†charge†of†oneself.†Draft†the†script of the speech.
m Youngsters† today† don't† think† that† homemade† food† is† 'cool'.
m Stress† and† a† hectic† lifestyle† lead† to† ill† health† and† anxiety-
related† diseases.
m Tech-savvy† youngsters† suffer† from† gadget† withdrawal† when
deprived† of† gadgets† such† as† mobiles.
m Scientists† have† established† that† just† one† night† of† sleep
deprivation† can† lead† to† weight† gain.
m Energy† drinks† contain† alarming† rates† of† caffeine.
m Play†vigorously,†do†not†remain†indoors†for†too†long,†enjoy†eating
fruits† and† vegetables.
m Nuts† and† buttermilk† help† to† cut† flab.
m Keep† pets,† beat† stress.
Activity IV (Role† play)
r Last† year,† I† went† to† pay† him† a† visit.† I† thought† I† would† go† and† see
what† it† was† likeí--† Ivan† goes† on† to† narrate† his† meeting† with† his
brother.† Attempt† a† role-play† of† the† narration.
m Plan† your† role† play† by† reading† over† the† options,† and† identify
the† core† concepts† and† issues† that† you† will† need† to† know† for
this† activity.
m Decide† on† who† will† be† who.
m Take† concrete† steps† to† complete† your† preparation.
m Take†time†to†set†the†stage†and†establish†the†mood†for†the†role-
play† scenario.
m Clearly† understand† the† mechanism† of† the† role-play.
m Behaviour† etiquette† should† be† explicitly† outlined
m During† the† role-play,† you† have† to† gain† control† over† the† roles
you† are† handling.

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

m To† get† the† most† out† of† the† role-play,† it† is† important† to† take
some† time† afterwards† to† debrief† with† your† teacher.
m The† first† couple† of† times† you† do† the† role-play,† it† is† helpful† to
discuss† both† the† process† and† the† content† of† the† role-play† with
your† teacher.
Activity V (Essay)
r ëSatisfaction,† self-sufficiency† and† piety† are† the† characteristics† of
a† happy† life.í† --† Do† you† agree?† Keeping† in† mind† all† the† texts† that
you† have† read† in† this† unit,† prepare† an† essay† on† your† idea† of† a
happy†life.
Activity VI (Comparative† analysis)
r Here† is† a† poem,†ëOde on Solitudeí† by† Alexander† Pope.† Read† it
many†times,†carefully.†What†is†the†poet†trying†to†convey†through
the† poem?† Make† a† comparative analysis of† this† poem† with
Wordsworthís†ëTo†Sleepí,†that†you†have†read†earlier.
Happy†the†man,†whose†wish†and†care
A†few†paternal†acres†bound,
Content†to†breathe†his†native†air
†††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††in†his†own†ground.
Whose†herds†with†milk,†whose†fields†with†bread,
Whose†flock†supply†him†with†attire;
Whose†trees†in†summer†yield†him†shade†,
††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††in†winter†fire.
Blest,†who†can†unconcern'dly†find
Hours,†days,†and†years,†slide†soft†away
In†health†of†body,†peace†of†mind,
†††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††quiet†by†day,
Sound†sleep†by†night;†study†and†ease
Together† mixt,† sweet† recreation,
And†innocence,†which†most†does†please
†††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††with†meditation.
Thus†let†me†live,†unseen,†unknown;
Thus†unlamented†let†me†die;
Steal†from†the†world,†and†not†a†stone
††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††tell†where†I†lie.

ëOde† on† Solitudeí† is† a† poem† by† Alexander† Pope,† written† when† he† was
twelve† years† old† and† widely† included† in† anthologies.† Alternately† titled
ëThe†Quiet†Lifeí,†it†was†written†to†celebrate†the†virtues†of†a†happy†and
satisfied† life.† In† this† poem,† Pope† discusses† the† characteristics† of† a
happy† life† like† satisfaction,† self-sufficiency,† and† piety.† Man† was† the
fittest† subject† for† his† poetry† and† he† makes† imaginative† treatment† of
man† in† relation† to† individuals,† society,† and† the† universe.

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m Write† about† the† effect† created† by† † both† the† poems† on† you.
m Show† how† they† are† similar† and† how† they† are† different.
m The† content† of† the† poems† ---† what† they† are† about.
m The† ideas† the† poet† may† have† wanted† us† to† think† about.
m The† mood† or† atmosphere† of† the† poems.
m How† they† are† written† ---† the† words† and† phrases† you† find
interesting,† the† way† they† are† organized,† etc.

The major learning outcomes of this unit are listed below.

Thematic outcomes
Students†demonstrate†the†ability†to:
ï read† and† understand† that† physical† and† mental† health† are
complementary.
ï realise†the†holistic†concept†of†wellness.
ï realize†the†importance†of†preserving†indigenous†culture.
ï understand†the†need†of†having†a†sound†mind†in†a†sound†body.
ï realise†the†need†for†holistic†health†and†to†lead†an†orderly†life.

Linguistic outcomes

Students†demonstrate†the†ability†to:
ï read†and†comprehend†short†stories,†poems†and†essays.
ï prepare†write-ups†and†essays.
ï express†their†views†on†a†given†topic†for†debate.
ï review†a†prose†passage.
ï critically†appreciate†poems.
ï conduct†an†investigative†project.
ï prepare†questionnaires.
ï conduct†a†survey†and†prepare†survey†reports.
ï use† the† structures† ëwould† rather,í† † ëI† wish† I† could,í† etc.† to
produce†exclamatory†sentences.
ï use†question†words†and†reporting†questions†correctly.
ï Identify†and†use†various†poetic†devices.

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

Unit

6
'That's one small step for a man,
one giant leap for a mankind.'
- Neil A. Armstrong

About the Unit

Science and technology has brought about revolutionary changes

in every walk of life. It has transformed every corner of the world.
It caters to the demands of everyone including the differently
abled. However, this advancement is not without certain hazards
which we will do well to bear in mind.
This unit titled ëLeaps and Boundsí begins with an article ëThe
Cyber Spaceí, by Esther Dyson on the use and abuse of
cyberspace. ëIs Society Dead?í by Andrew Sullivan is a
humorous but strong write- up on the I-pod generation which is
in a way disconnected from societal interactions. The short story
titled ëConceptual Fruití by Thaisa Fank, touchingly presents
the efforts of a loving father to enable his differently-abled
daughter to make sense of the world around her, with the help
of technology.

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 Unit- 6: LEAPS AND BOUNDS

Letís begin
Look at these pictures carefully

m Can you identify the actor in these visuals?

m What do these pictures communicate to you?
m Do you think that technology and its various aspects
must be studied in detail to get a serious understand-
ing of society?
m Write a short paragraph on the role of technology in
modern society and share the ideas with your friend.

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

I. Read and reflect:

The advent of the World Wide Web brought about a revolutionary
change in the dissemination of information. A cultural transformation
from the printed space to the cyber space took place. It redefined the
spatial dimensions of our universe.

THE CYBERSPACE
Esther Dyson
Something in the modern psyche loves new frontiers. We
hanker after wide-open spaces; we like to explore; we
like to make rules instead of following them. However, is
there a place where you can go and be yourself ï What is special about the
without worrying about the neighbours? ëmodern psyche'?
Yes, there is such a place: cyberspace.
Formerly, a playground for computer nerds and techies,
cyberspace now embraces every conceivable constituency,
including school children. Can they all get
ï What is cyberspace? How
along amicably in the cyber world? Or will has it evolved over the
our fear of kids misusing the cyberspace years?
provoke a crackdown?
The first order of the business is to grasp what cyberspace
is. It might help to leave behind metaphors of highways
and frontiers and to think instead of real estate. Real
estate, remember, is an intellectual, legal, ï What type of metaphor is
artificial environment constructed on top of used by the author to
land. It recognizes the difference between describe cyberspace?
parkland and shopping mall, between red-light ï Mention some of the
zone and school district, between church, traditional metaphors
state and drug store. used to denote cyberspace.

In the same way, you could think of cyberspace as a giant

and unbounded world of virtual real estate. Some property
is privately owned and rented out; other property is common
land; some places are suitable for children, and others
are best avoided by all but the oddest citizens.
Unfortunately, it's those places that are now capturing
the popular imagination. They make cyberspace sound
like a nasty place. Good citizens jump to a conclusion:
Better regulate it.
Using censorship to counter and silence cyberspace
fundamentally misinterprets the nature of cyberspace.
Cyberspace isn't a frontier where wicked people can grab

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 Unit- 6: LEAPS AND BOUNDS

unsuspecting children, nor is it a giant ï Why does the author

television system that can beam offensive maintain that censorship
messages at unwilling viewers. In this kind will not work in the case of
cyberspace?
of real estate, users have to choose where they
visit, what they see, what they do. It is optional, and it's
much easier to bypass a place on the net than it is to
avoid walking past an unsavoury block of stores on the
way to your home.
ï Why is cyberspace
Put plainly, cyberspace is a voluntary described as a voluntary
destination−in reality many destinations. You destination? Do you agree
don't just get 'on to the net'; you have to go with the author here?
some place in particular. That means that people can
choose where to go and what to see. Yes, ï Who, according to the
community standards should be enforced, but author, are the right people
those standards should be set by cyberspace to set the standards?
communities themselves. What we need isn't
control from outside over these electronic communities;
we need self-rule.
What makes cyberspace so alluring is precisely the way
in which it's different from shopping malls, television,
highways and other terrestrial jurisdiction. But let's define
the territory:
First, there are private email conversations, akin to the
conversations you have over the telephone or voice mail.
These are private and consensual and require no
regulation at all. ï What are the three major
Second, there are information and areas of services available
in cyberspace?
entertainment services, where people can
download anything from legal texts and lists of 'great
new restaurants' to game software or interesting
presentations. These places are like book stores, malls
and movie houses−places where you go to buy something.
The customer needs to request an item or sign up for a
subscription; some of these services are free; others
charge and may bill their customers directly.
Third, there are 'real communities'−groups of people who
communicate among themselves. In real estate terms,
they are like shops or restaurants or playgrounds. Each
active participant contributes to a general conversation,
generally through posted messages. Other participants

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may simply listen or watch. Some are supervised by a

moderator; others are more like bulletin-boards --- anyone
is free to post anything. Many of these services started
out unmoderated but are now imposing rules
to keep out unwanted advertising, extraneous ï What is in store for cyber
communities in future?
discussions or increasingly rude participants.
Without a moderator, the decibel level often gets too high.
What's unique about cyberspace is that it liberates us
from the tyranny of power structures, where everyone
lives by the rule of the majority. In a democracy, minority
groups and minority preferences tend to get squeezed
out, whether they are minorities of race and culture or
minorities of individual taste. Cyberspace allows
communities of any size and kind to flourish; in cyberspace
communities are chosen by the users, not forced on them
by accidents of geography. This freedom gives ï What are the comparisons
the rules in cyberspace a moral authority made by the author between
that rules in terrestrial environments don't cyberspace and terrestrial
have. Most people are stuck in the country communities?
of their birth, but if you don't like the rules of a cyberspace
community, you can just sign off. Love it or leave it.
What's likely to happen in cyberspace is the formation of
new communities, free of the constraints that cause
conflict on earth. Instead of a global village, we will have
invented another world of self-contained communities that
cater to their own members' inclinations without
interfering with anyone else's. We will be able to test and
evolve rules governing what needs to be governed ---
intellectual property, content and access control, rules
about privacy and free speech.
In the end, our society needs to grow up. Growing up
means understanding that there are no perfect answers,
no all-purpose solutions. We haven't created a perfect
society on earth and we won't have one in cyberspace
either. But at least we can have individual choice and
individual responsibility.

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 Unit- 6: LEAPS AND BOUNDS

Glossary:
About the Author
frontier : new field for developmental
activity Esther Dyson is an
American technology
cyberspace : the online world of analyst who is a leading
computer networks, commentator on digital
especially the Internet technology, biotech-
nerd : a person who is very nology and space.
interested in technical Since the late 80s, Dyson
subjects, computers, etc. became increasingly involved in public
discussions about the future of the
crackdown : an increased effort to Internet. ëThe Cyberspaceí is a
enforce a law or rule discussion on the possibilities and
unbounded : having no limit challenges involved in using cyberspace.
beam : a line of light coming from
a source
offensive : very unpleasant
unsavoury : offensive
alluring : having the power to attract
extraneous : not forming a necessary part of
something, not important

Activity I (Writing)
r A group of students are asked to prepare a list of Dos and Doníts
of using the cyberspace. They list the following points after their
discussion.
1 Do not reveal your e-mail address to everyone.
2 Do not waste your precious time visiting unwanted sites.
3 Computers should be kept in open view in a common hall.
4 Children should have a specific time schedule for browsing the
net.
5 Teachers should check the authenticity of the sources used in
students' term papers.
6 Awareness programmes should be conducted on the various
cyber security measures.
7 Late-night browsing should be discouraged.
8 At school, certain checks should be ensured so that children
do not misuse the net.
9 The net addicted should be given counselling in the school
10. --------------------------------------------------------------------------
11. --------------------------------------------------------------------------
12. --------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

r Classify the ideas generated under the following heads. (Write

the corresponding number.)
Parents : ...................................................................
Teachers : ...................................................................
Students : ...................................................................
Counsellor : ...................................................................
r Now, write an article on the use and misuse of cyberspace for
your School Magazine using the hints given above.
Activity II (email)
r Letís go through the following e-mail carefully.

m What is this email about?

m How is it different from surface mails?
m Analyze the language structure, style, and format of the email.
r Imagine that you organise a seminar on Technology and
English Language Teaching in your school. In order to ensure
the presence of the distinguished scholars invited, you draft
a detailed email about the seminar.
Draft the email to be sent to the visiting dignitaries.

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 Unit- 6: LEAPS AND BOUNDS

II. Read and reflect:

Are you familiar with the ëi-pod generationí? You may have seen them
at railway stations, busy cityscapes and at times in remote villages
too. Perhaps, you yourself may be one among them. What is special
about this generation and how do you distinguish them?
Now, read on to know more about the ultra modern representatives of
todayís youth.

IS SOCIETY DEAD?
Andrew Sullivan

I was visiting New York last week and noticed ï What aspect of New York did
something I'd never thought I'd say about the the author notice?
city. Yes, nightlife is pretty much dead and
ï The day life in New York is
I'm in no way the first to notice that. But day powerfully presented in
life, that insane mishmash of yells, chatter, these lines. Suppose you
hustle and chutzpah was a little different. It describe the same in your
own city, what points will
was quieter. you note?
Manhattan's downtown is now a Disney-like
string of malls, riverside parks and pretty upper middle
class villages. But there was something else. And as I
looked across the throngs on the pavements, I began to
see why.
There were little white wires hanging down from their
ears, or tucked into pockets, purses or jackets. The eyes
were a little vacant. Each was in his or her ï Have you noticed i-Pod
own musical world, walking to their sound- people in your town too? Is
track, stars in their own music video, almost there any difference
between the i-Pod
oblivious to the world around them. These are generation in New York and
the i-Pod people. those in your own town?
Even without the white wires you can tell who they are.
They walk down the street in their own MP3 cocoon,
bumping into others, deaf to small social cues, shutting
out anyone not in their bubble.
Every now and again, some start unconsciously emitting
strange tuneless squawks, like badly tuned radio, and
their fingers snap or their arms twitch to some strange
soundless rhythm. When others say ëExcuse ï What, according to the
me', there's no response. 'Hi,' ditto. It's strange author, are the markers to
to be among so many people and hear so little. identify the i-Pod generation?
Except that each one is hearing so much.

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

Yes, I might as well own up. I'm one of them. I witnessed

the glazed New York looks through my own glazed pupils,
my white wires peeping out of my ears. I joined the cult a
few years ago: the sect of the little white box worshipers.
Others began, as I did, with a Walkman and then a kind
of clunkier MP3 player. But this sleekness of the i-Pod
won me over. Unlike other models, it gave me my entire
music collection to rearrange as I saw fit --- on the fly, in
my pocket. What was once an occasional musical diversion
became a compulsive obsession.
And, like all addictive cults, it's spreading.
Walk through any airport in the United ï This article is replete with
powerful anti-technology
States these days and you will see person words for presenting the
after person gliding through the social ether arguments of the author. Try to
as if on autopilot. Get on a subway and you're list down those expressions.
surrounded by a bunch of Stepford eg., anesthetized by technology
commuters staring into mid space as if anesthetized by
technology. Don't ask, don't tell, don't overhear, don't
observe. Just tune in and tune out.
It wouldn't be so worrying if it weren't part of something
even bigger. You get your news from your favorite blogs,
the ones that won't challenge your view of the world. You
tune into a satellite radio service that also aims directly
at a small market for new age fanatics, liberal ï Why does the author say
talk or modern rock. Television is all cable. that technology has given us
Your cell phones can receive email feeds of a universe entirely for
ourselves?
your favorite blogger's latest thoughts seconds
after he has posted them, or get sports scores for your
team. Technology has given us a universe entirely for
ourselves; the serendipity of meeting a new stranger,
hearing a piece of music we would never choose for
ourselves, or an opinion that might force us to change our
mind about something --- are all effectively banished.
Atomization by little white boxes and cell phones. Society
without the social. Others who are chosen --- not met at
random. Human beings have never lived like this before.
Yes, we have always had homes, retreats or places where
we went to relax, unwind or shut out the world. But we
didn't walk around the world like hermit crabs with our
isolation surgically attached.

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 Unit- 6: LEAPS AND BOUNDS

Music was once the preserve of the living room or the

concert hall. It was sometimes solitary but it ï The author has described the
was primarily a shared experience, sometimes experiences of music in the
past and the present to drive
that brought people together. But music is as home his point. Compare the
atomized now as living is. And it's secret. That experience of music in the
bloke next to you on the bus could be listening past with the experience of
to heavy metal or a Gregorian chant. You'll music in the present.
never know. And so, bit by bit, you'll never really know
him. And by his white wires, he is indicating he doesn't
really want to know you.
What do we get from this? The chance to slip away for a
while from everydayness, to give your lives its own sound
tracks, to still the monotony of the commute, to listen
more closely and carefully to music that can lift you up
and can keep you going. We become masters of our own
interests, more connected to people like us over the
Internet, more instantly in touch with anything we want,
need or think we want and think we need.
But what are we missing? That hilarious shard of an
overheard conversation that stays with you all day; the
child whose chatter on the pavement takes you back to
your earlier memories; birdsong; weather; accents; the
laughter of the others. And those thoughts that come not
by filling your head with selected diversion, but by allowing
your mind to wander aimlessly through the regular
background noise of human and mechanical life.
External stimulation can crowd out the interior mind. Even
the boredom that we flee has its uses. We are forced to
find our own means to overcome it.
Not so long ago, I was on a trip and realized I had left my
i-Pod behind. Panic. But then, something else. ï What were the nicer aspects
I noticed the rhythms of others again, the of life that the author
sound of the airplane, the opinions of the taxi noticed when he forgot to
driver, the small social cues that had been take his i-Pod on a trip? How
did the author enjoy the new
obscured before. I noticed how others related experience?
to each other. And I felt just a little bit
connected again and a little more aware.
Try it. There's a world out there. And it has a ï Do you notice anything
soundtrack all on its own. special about the ending of
the essay?
(Adapted)

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

Glossary:
About the Author
mishmash : a confused mixture
throng : a large, densely-packed crowd Andrew Michael
Sullivan is a British
of people or animals author, editor, and
bump : knock or run into someone or blogger in the United
something with a jolt States. An influential
shut out : screen someone or commentator and a
seasoned lecturer, Sullivanís writing is
something from view known for its excellent journalistic
squawks : (of a bird) loud, harsh noise insights and heavy use of imagery.
twitch : give or cause to give a short, This article on the ëi-Pod generationí
sudden jerking or convulsive appeared in The Times Online, on
movement February 20, 2005.
clunky : solid, heavy, and old-
fashioned
sleek : smooth and glossy
compulsive : resulting from or relating to an irresistible urge
obsession : the state of being obsessed with someone or something
addictive : (of a substance or activity) causing or likely to cause someone
to become addicted to it
cult : a system of religious veneration and devotion directed towards
a particular figure or object
auto pilot : an electronic control system, as on an aircraft, spacecraft, or
ship, that automatically maintains a preset program
commuter : a person who travels some distance to work on a regular basis
serendipity : the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy
or beneficial way
atomization : separating something into fine particles
bloke : man
hilarious : extremely amusing
shard : a piece of broken ceramic, metal, glass, or rock,
typically having sharp edges
obscure : not discovered or known

Activity 1 (Writing)
r When you read any article, you will realize that some of the
statements made are facts and some others are mere opinions. A
good reader must be able to distinguish between the facts and
opinions presented in any article.
Now, sit in pairs and identify examples of facts and opinions from
the article ëIs Society Deadí?. You may write them in the two
columns given below.

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 Unit- 6: LEAPS AND BOUNDS

FACT OPINION
I was visiting New York Each was in his/her own
last week musical world
............................................. ............................................
............................................. ............................................
............................................. ............................................
............................................. ............................................

Activity II (Short essay)

r This article you have read discusses how technology, especially
the MP3, kills social interaction in the lives of people. Being a
member of a technology-friendly generation, you intend to argue
for the benefits of technology in enhancing social interaction.
What are the points that you will bring in, other than the ones
listed below? Sit in groups and find a few more points.

Technology makes communication faster.

Technology affords diverse formats of interaction.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Prepare a short essay on the topic- Technology : Making Society

Alive to be published in TECH-WATCH, the school magazine tracking
the latest developments in the technology field.

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

III. Read and reflect:

Differently-abled children are integral part of our society. Often, the
daily charms of a regular life is denied to them. Technology extends a
helping hand and acts as a leveller in such cases. This story reveals
the human face of technology in helping a young girl shape the world
around her.

CONCEPTUAL FRUIT
Thaisa Frank
When he told his family about the site on the Internet
where you could create whole streets, his wife and son
went on eating their pasta and artichokes.
ï How does the wife and the
Only his daughter Greta looked up. ëI could son react to the manís
buy a house on Pomanger Street,í he said, excitement? What does this
ëand put as many rooms in it as I wanted. I tell us about their character?
could fill it with fruit and make my own library.í
ëSure, Dad,í said his son, who was eleven. ëYou could do
that. If you wanted to.í
His son already knew how to programme ï Why are the son and the
computers, but wasnít interested. These days wife uninterested? Do you
he wanted to give away books and devote his approve of their attitude?
life to karate.
His wife ate the heart of the artichoke carefully.
ëWell?í he said.
ëThe thing is,í she answered, ëIím in front of a computer all
day and I like to spend the evenings in the garden.í He
understood she wasnít interested.
Greta looked up from her artichoke leaves. She was
arranging them in a swirling pattern in her bowl.
ëYou said there were streets. You said there could be fruit.í
These werenít questions. Greta often repeated whatever
she heard. Sheíd worked hard to tie her shoes by age ten
and could read at fifth-grade level, five grades below Joel,
even though she was sixteen. She went to a special school.
ëI want to see,í she said.
ëIíll show you,í he answered. His wife and his ï Greta is a special child. How
son made eyes. Heís at it again. Heís getting do you know that? Have you
ever visited a special
Greta into it, too. school?

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 Unit- 6: LEAPS AND BOUNDS

ëCome on. Iíll show you where you can make up streets
and bowls of fruit.í
Greta sat in his chair, and he sat next to her. Greta could
type very slowly. By the time she left her ï What is the father's
school, she might be able to type fast enough expectation of his daughterís
to get a word processing job. No one knew for future prospects?
sure.
ëThereís this guy named Sam who set up this whole library
of classics. He lives in Illinois, but he made ï Who is Sam? Why is he
this incredible place. Watch.í He clicked into mentioned here? Do you
the programme and was about to show Greta have any friend who has
the collection of books when he saw her done interesting things in the
field of computers?
staring into space. ëYou want something of
your own, donít you?í
ëYes. Peaches and pears and artichokes.í
ëDo you want them in a house, with bowls in a kitchen?
Or maybe in a garden?í He was already typing, creating a
street called Gretaís Street, a house called Gretaís House.
ëWhy are you writing all that down?í
ëBecause theyíre yours. They belong to you.í
Greta looked at the screen. Her blond hair blended with
her sweater. Her blue eyes were the only colour in her
face.
ëI want a bowl in every room,í she said. ëPeaches in the
kitchen and living room and all the bedrooms.í
ëWhat about artichokes?í
Greta picked at her sweater ñ something she did when
she knew she hadnít gotten it right. Sheíd forgotten about
the artichokes, and he was sorry heíd reminded her. ëItís
okay,í he said. ëWeíll put peaches everywhere. Should the
bowls be a colour?í
ëBlue.í
ï How is Greta described in
He asked Greta how many windows she these lines? What does this
wanted, whether there should be a fireplace, convey about the character
and if there should be curtains. Greta chose of Greta?
eleven windows covered with sheer white curtains like
the ones she had in her bedroom.

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

ëOkay, now the fruit,í he said. ëWeíll start with the kitchen.í
He wrote Gretaís Kitchen, and added, Walk around. Help
yourself to this bowl of fruit.
ëBut where are the peaches?í
ëIn a minute. Look, this is cool. You click under bowl, and
see what happens?í He shielded the screen for a moment
and wrote peaches. ëTry it,í he said. ëJust click bowl.í
Greta clicked bowl. The word peaches appeared. ëItís just
a word,í she said to him.
ëWell, thatís the idea. But you can see a picture
of the fruit.í ï What made Greta
disappointed? How did her
ëI thought you could make real peaches.í father try to console her?
Was his explanation
ëNo. You have to go to the store for those.í convincing ?
ëBut these are just words.í
ëWell, yes.í
ëThen why do people like them?í
ëBecause they remind them of what they stand for. Like
in your books.í
He created other rooms, asking Greta what she wanted:
a kitchen, a dining room, a living room, a bedroom, a room
for a cat, and one bathroom.
ï Why doesnít Greta intend to
ëNo, not a bathroom,í she decided. ëThis isnít have a bathroom in her
a real house, so people wouldnít use it.í house?
ëYouíre right,í he said. ëYou donít need a bathroom.í
He programmed bowls of peaches in every room. ëNow,í he
said to Greta. ëYou click.í
ï Why does she give a furtive
Greta clicked and this time smiled when the smile when she saw the word
word peaches appeared. It was a furtive smile ëpeachesí on the computer
ñ a smile she got when she pretended she screen. What does it
indicate?
understood something that made no sense.
ëThere could be other fruit,í he said. ëThere could be apples,
pears. There could be flowers.í
ëSure,í said Greta. ëThere could be anything.í
ï Can you identify the words
His wife was cutting blackberries in the that tell you that she is
garden, and Greta was already sliding from disinterested?
the chair to help her. Greta would never have a house of

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her own. She would live in a group house with ï What are the thoughts of the
other people like her. He hoped the house father? Do you think that they
are touching? Why?
would be large and have sheer white curtains
billowing in all the rooms. He hoped it would have an
orchard with fruit to put in real blue bowls: apples, pears,
peaches ñ whatever Greta wanted.

Glossary:
About the Author
artichoke (n) : round vegetable with thick
green leaves Thaisa Frank is a critically acclaimed
swirl (v) : move in a twisting pattern short story writer. She worked as a
incredible : impossible to believe psychotherapist before becoming a full
time writer. In addition to writing
blonde : fair/pale yellow hair fiction, Frank also teaches at the
blend (v) : mix with another University of San Francisco.
substance so that they This short story ëConceptual Fruití
combine together about the Internet appears in the
peach (n) : a round fruit with juicy collection Sleeping in Velvet.
yellow flesh
furtive : attempting to avoid
attention
slide (v) : move smoothly
billow (v) : swell/ bulge out

Activity I (Read and respond)

r A story can be analysed based on its characters, setting, plot,
mood, structure, and its language. In the light of your reading of
the story discuss these elements in groups and complete the table.
The table gives you a few details about these elements.

Characters A character in a story usually means a person.

......................................................................
Setting The setting is where and when the action
happens.
......................................................................
Plot The plot means the events that happen in the
story.
......................................................................
Mood The mood is the state of mind /feelings created
in the story.
......................................................................
Structure and It refers to the way the text is written.
language ......................................................................

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r The most important characters in a story have primary roles. The

characters next in importance to those have secondary roles while
those who are not important to the story have tertiary roles.
Now, read the story ëConceptual Fruití again to track the events
of the plot and the characters involved.
Classify the characters according to their roles and list them in
the blanks given below.

Primary Secondary Tertiary

--------------------- --------------------- ---------------------

--------------------- --------------------- ---------------------
--------------------- --------------------- ---------------------
--------------------- --------------------- ---------------------

Now, answer the following questions.

m Can we call this a technology story?
m Why do you think so?
m Do you have any evidence to cite?
m Write a short paragraph about this. Use different colours to
highlight the points, evidence and explanation.
Activity II (Think and respond)
Read the excerpt from the story ëConceptual Fruití carefully. Based
on the setting of the story, answer the following questions.
ëWhen he told his family about the site on the Internet where you could
create whole streets, his wife and son went on eating their pasta and
artichokes. Only his daughter Greta looked up.'
m What is interesting about this family?
m Is it a middle class or upper class family?
m How do you understand the characters of this story?
Activity III (Analysis)
r Note down the words, phrases or passages that create a picture
of the characters in your mind in the column to the left of the
table. Now note your analysis of the characters on the column to
the right.

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Textual Information Readerís Response

.......................................... ..........................................
.......................................... ..........................................
.......................................... ..........................................
.......................................... ..........................................

Activity IV (Writing)
r Read the last paragraph of the story again and see how the au-
thor has touched the readersí mind with his powerful and careful
use of words.
"Greta would never have a house of her own. She would live in a group
house with other people like her. He hoped the house would be large
and have sheer white curtains billowing in all the rooms. He hoped it
would have an orchard with fruit to put in real blue bowls: apples, pears,
peaches --- whatever Greta wanted.
Now, look at the various elements of language such as punctua-
tion, sentence structure and repetition of words. How do they
create the required mood and tone in this paragraph?
If you were the author of the story, how would you end the story?
Write an alternative ending to the story.
Activity V
r Letís revisit the story. Spend a few minutes reflecting on the story.
You can make use of the following hints.
m Theme of the story
m Important characters
m Tender moments in the story
m Your feelings after reading the story
m Language, tone, mood and structure of the story
Now, plan how you are going to tell people about your understanding
of the story. Think about how you would convey the story in the following
formats.
ï a text message to a friend
ï an email to a relative
ï a post on a social network medium
Make notes about the content and style, in groups, before writing out
the texts in the boxes below.

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 Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

Text message Email Social media post

--------------------- --------------------- ---------------------
--------------------- --------------------- ---------------------
--------------------- --------------------- ---------------------
--------------------- --------------------- ---------------------

Activity VI (Word power)

r We come across many technology related terms in the story. They
add in great measure to the charm and impact of the story. A few
words have been identified for you.
Site Internet Computer browse
Click Program Screen surf
Now, discuss with your friend and write down as many Internet
related words as possible. You may also refer to a dictionary or to
other articles on cyberspace.
Extended Activities
Activity I (Application letter and CV)
Read the following advertisement which appeared in a newspaper.

Lee Shipping Company Ltd.

Receptionist/ Booking Clerk
We have a vacancy for the above position to work in
our prestigious office in Singapore.
The candidate must speak and write both English
and the mother tongue. His/her duties will be to
answer the telephone, take messages, make
reservations, deal with clients both personally and
by telephone, work in Microsoft Word, Excel, etc., type
quotations and letters, file documents etc.
Please send your application, CV, and a photo to:
Lee Shipping Co Ltd.
4545 Changi Boulevard,
Singapore

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 Unit- 6: LEAPS AND BOUNDS

r You decide to apply for the post. Type an application letter and a
CV on your desktop or laptop.

Activity II (Telephone interview)

Imagine that the company accepted your application and asked
you to give a telephone interview. Prepare the script of the
telephone interview.

Activity III (write-up)

The interview board asked you to prepare a write-up on ëWhy you
want this job.í Prepare a write-up on this in about one-and-a half
pages.

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The major learning outcomes of this unit are listed below.

Thematic outcomes
Students demonstrate the ability to
ï realise the disadvantages of the over-informed society.
ï be aware of the issues related to technology, and to distinguish
between the positive and negative sides of technology,
specifically cyberspace.
ï Recognize the responsible ways of using cyberspace.

Linguistic outcomes
Students demonstrate the ability to
ï read and analyse articles on technology related issues.
ï write short articles presenting the arguments convincingly.
ï recognise the style, structure and format of e-mails.
ï prepare e-mails for communicating ideas.
ï identify the different techniques adopted by writers in
academic and literary writings.
ï conduct/ attend telephonic interviews.
ï write application letters and CVs.

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