Q1. Read the following extract and answer the questions
given below.
We
have not wings - we cannot soar-
But
we have feet to scale and climb
By
slow degrees - by more and more -
The
cloudy summits of our time.
The mighty pyramids
of stone
That wedge -
like cleave the desert airs,
When
nearer seen and better known,
Are
but gigantic flights of stairs.
The distant mountains,
that uprear
Their frowning foreheads to
the skies,
Are
crossed by pathways, that appear
As
we to higher levels rise.
The heights by
great men reached and kept,
Were
not attained by sudden flight;
But
they, while their companions slept,
Were toiling upward
in the night.
Questions:
1.
Why
can't we fly?
2.
What
can we use our feet for?
3.
What
are pyramids actually?
4.
How do
pyramids appear(look like) from a distance?
5.
Which
word in this stanza means 'Fly'
6.
What
are the mountains crossed by?
7.
Explain
the figure of speech:
………their
frowning foreheads to the skies.
Q2. Read the following extract and answer the questions
given below.
When I was seven years old, I overheard my
mother tell one of her friends that the following day was to be her 30th
birthday. Two things occurred to
me when I heard that: one, I had never before realized that
my mother had a birthday; and two, I could not recall her ever getting the birthday present.
Well,
I could do something about that. I went into my bedroom opened piggy bank and took out all the money that was
inside: five nickels. That represented five weeks' worth of my
allowance. Then I walked to the little store around the corner from my house,
and I told the proprietor, Mr. Sawyer, that I wanted buy a
birthday present for my mother.
He
showed me everything in his store that could be had for a quarter.
There were several ceramic figurines. My mother would have loved those, but
she already had a house full of them and I was the one who had to dust them once a week. They definitely would not
do. There were also some small boxes of candy.
My mother was diabetic, so I knew they would not be appropriate.
The
last thing Mr. Sawyer showed me was a package of bobby pins.
My mother had beautiful long black hair and twice a
week she washed and pin curled it.
When she took the pincurls down next day, she looked just like a movie star
with those long dark curls cascading around her shoulders. So I decided
those bobby pins would be the perfect gift for my mother. I gave Mr. Sawyer my
five nickels, and he gave me the bobby pins.
Questions:
1.
State
whether the following statements are true or false.
a. Linda was seven years old when her mother was fifty years
old.
b. Linda did not give her mother a box of candy as a birthday
present because her mother was suffering from diabetes.
c. Linda had saved money for five weeks.
d. A box candy cost a nickel.
2.
Who
was the proprietor of the little store?
3.
Who
dusted the figurines in the house once a week?
4.
How
old was the writer?
5.
What
can you learn from the text?
6.
How
would you help your mother in her old age?
Q3. Read the following extract and answer the questions
given below.
Whatever
we do let’s try to do better. Our actions, our words, whatever it is, let us
try to make them better and better. Success they say is a journey and not
a destination. We can say, progress also is a journey and not
a destination. Therefore, we need not feel complacent that we are
doing fine. We must constantly be on the look for better performance.
If
I want to thank someone I can say, “Thanks”. But suppose I
say, “Thanks a lot,” wouldn’t it be better? Depending upon the time and
the situation, we can try and improve this even further and say,
“I am very grateful to you” or “you’ve been of great help. I thank
you from the bottom of my heart!” and so on.
This
is a simple case of expressing gratitude. But when we think a little
more, we can learn to do or say things in a better way by giving some thought
to our action or speech. I had an appointment with a person, who
was senior to me in our erstwhile company. I was a bit late
and trying to make amends I said, “I'm sorry I made you wait.” “Oh! It’s
Ok,” he said and added, “It’s a pleasure waiting for you.” I
felt flattered. One might argue that the other person might have said it without
any thinking. Even then I would say that I like to hear such statement unless,
of course, they were said sarcastically.
Questions:
1.
What
should we try to make better and better?
2.
What
must we be constantly on the lookout for?
3.
Which
statement did the writer say he liked to hear?
4.
Write
from the passage the different ways of expressing thankfulness.
5.
What
do you think, is the purpose of the text?
Q4. Read the following extract and answer the questions
given below.
The success of the strategic missile launches
and nuclear
devices made people, especially those
in the government, realise that
Dr. Kalam had a golden touch. There was growing feeling everywhere that
India’s advances in
the aerospace
sector were mainly due to the efforts of Dr. Kalam. The community of scientists
and intelligentsia in the country knew the work of this visionary and
they expressed the view that
Kalam’s services should be utilised further.
The Government also felt the need to make use of his talent and expertise to
harness technology for transforming Indian Society.
The
Government offered him
the post of Principal Scientific Adviser in November 1999. Even earlier, during
the Pokhran tests period, he was serving simultaneously as the Chairman of
TIFAC (Technology Information Forecasting and Assessment Council), an autonomous body
under the Department of Technology. The major task of
TIFAC was to look ahead to the advances in technologies worldwide and to keep
India abreast of the changing times. In its tasks
TIFAC networked with the government, industries, scientific and technological
organisations, as well as financial institutions, and intellectuals.
Questions:
1.
What
was a growing feeling everywhere about India's advances in the aerospace
sector?
2.
What
made people realise that Dr. Kalam had a golden touch?
3.
How
did the government utilise Dr Kalam's services?
4.
When
did the government offer Dr Kalam the post of Principal Scientific adviser?
5.
What
is TIFAC?
6.
What
are the most admirable qualities of Dr. Kalam?
Q5. Write ten lines about
Myself.
Q6. Write an essay about
Mumbai city.
Q7. Develop a story with
the help of the points below. Suggest a suitable title:
Ajay and Vijay – look alike
– a man complains – Vijay has stolen mangoes – father scolds Vijay- Vijay
denies – Ajay inside the house – comes out – the man surprised and confused –
all laugh.
Q8. There has been a
continuous power failure in your town. Write a letter to the editor of the
local newspaper drawing his attention to the problems.
You may use the following
points.
-
The
area where you live
-
Increase
in load shedding
-
Personal
and social problems because of irregular power supply
-
Request
to publish the letter of complaint
-
Add
you ideas if necessary.
