I. Important questions. 2 Marks Questions
1. What was the strange reason for which Schwamm came into town?
(The night at the hotel)
A. Schwamm had a young son, who was sensitive. He used to wave to the passengers in a train at a railway crossing on his way to school and became depressed as none of them waved back. He took the trivial matter to heart and was making himself sick. So, Schwamm came into town to take the early morning train and wave back to his son, to assuage his misery.
2. Why does Dr Barnard find the suffering of children particularly heart breaking? (In celebration of being alive)
A. Dr.Barnard finds the suffering of children particularly heart breaking because they completely trust in doctors and nurses and
believe that they are going to help them. If the doctors cannot help them, they accept their fate and go through mutilating surgery
and do not complain later.
3. Who did Anna (Nanny) marry? What kind of a man was he? What happened to them? (Circus cat, alley cat)
A. Anna or Shakti married the boy who led the tigers and lions in the circus. He taught her that a woman’s place was her home and took over her ‘special act’. Anna did not react to him favourably. In a spurt of cat like temper, Anna left him and was found begging on the streets. Seeing them near starvation, Mrs. Bates took them home and offered her the job of nanny.
4. What kind of a cat was Anna? Why couldn’t Mrs Bates make her a ‘tame alley cat’? (Circus cat, alley cat)
A. Anna, being a cat-trainer at a circus, had nature like that of circus cats, i.e., lions and tigers.
Mrs. Bates found her begging on the streets, took pity on her, brought her home, gave her a clean uniform and appointed her the nanny of their children. But the children had heard that she had
trained lions and tigers at a circus. Her hefty shoulders, authoritative voice and rough manners couldn’t make them view her as a ‘tame alley cat’ suitable for the role of a nanny.
5. What is the secret source of the tree’s strength? Why is the source of the tree the most sensitive?
A. The root, which has been hidden for years inside the earth, is the secret source of the tree’s strength.
As the tree does not die unless it is uprooted and the roots are
exposed to sun, the root is considered the most sensitive.
II. Choose the correct meanings of the words on the left . (1/2 mark each):
1. Instinctively: consciously secretly without thinking without fear
2. Apprehensive: suitable anxious tired joyful
3. Intrepid: daring tasteless lukewarm frightened
4. Non plussed: subtracted surprised nevertheless pleased
5. Wither: somewhere become sapless rough blow to burn
6. Elated : joyful raised become empty delayed
7. Prevalent: earlier preventive common compete
8. Solace: painful bright consolation complaint
9. Afford: be patient like to in front of pay for
10. Miniature: shrink look at happiness very small
III. Choose the alternative that best fits the blank (1/2 mark each):
1. The doctors ……….. his legs to save his life.
( amputated, cut, mutilated)
2. The boy became ……….. when his efforts went without recognition.
(disfigured, disappeared, disappointed)
3. The ……….. boy was ready with an excuse whenever he was
asked for an explanation.
(imaginary, imaginative, imagining)
4. If I ……….. informed before, I would have been prepared. (was, had been, were)
5. She told me that she ……….. not feeling well.
(is, was, were)
6. He fell sick after eating some ……….. food.
(moulded, mould, mouldy)
7. It was ……….. to see the people severely injured in the road accident.
(heartening, heart-breaking, hearty)
8. The ……….. man beat his wife and drove her out on the cold night.
(heartburn, heartrending, heartless)
9. The beggar’s ……….. were dirty and badly torn.
( clothes, garments, dresses)
10. The actors in the play were wearing Mughal ………..
(clothes, costumes, attires)
IV. Read sentence (a) Then complete sentence (b) using the ideas in(a). Keep sentence (b) as close in meaning as possible to sentence (a). (1 mark each)
1. (a) The players played badly as they were exhausted.
(b) If the players had not been exhausted, they wouldn’t have played badly.
2. (a) He was late. So he missed the lecture.
(b) If he had not been late, he wouldn’t have missed the lecture.
3. (a) I reached the station late. So I could not catch the train.
(b) If I had not reached the station late, I could have caught the train.
4. (a) He didn’t have his breakfast as he was in a hurry.
(b) If he hadn’t been in a hurry, he would have had his breakfast.
5. (a) We can go on a picnic. But it should not rain.
(b) If it doesn’t rain, we can go on a picnic.
6. (a)Work hard and you will succeed.
(b) If you work hard, you will succeed.
7. (a) He should convince them. Then they will accept his proposal.
(b) Unless he convinces them, they will not accept his proposal.
8. (a) They will start playing only when the rain stops.
(b) Unless the rain stops, they will not start playing.