Chapter assignment in-english-comm-9

Reading 11
Section-A Reading
Objectives
• To test the student’s ability in reading only, marks are
awarded if the answer is clearly understood.
• To read comprehension and enrich vocabulary.
Tips for swift and complete comprehension
• Read the passage once taking into account the main
topic and a general idea of the passage.
• Read the passage again, identifying/locating answers
to the given questions.
• For vocabulary items—read the indicated paragraphs
and puzzle out the meaning in the context, to
understand the correct meaning of the word asked in
the question, and one should choose the answer strictly
in the particular context of the passage.
• Avoid direct lifting of answers from the passage.
Attempt to write answers in your own words as far
as it is possible.
• In MCQ options are set in such a way that all options
appear to be correct. But while choosing one from them
one should be careful and only the most appropriate
option should be chosen for answer.
Use of a Dictionary
• The use of a dictionary helps to enrich word power/
vocabulary.
• A dictionary doesn’t just say what a word means. It
also provides information on pronunciation, grammar
and usage.
Guessing the Meaning of Unknown Words
• Turning to the dictionary is not always necessary. One
can guess the meaning of a particular word by reading the
words before and after the word which give the context
and from the context try to puzzle out the meaning. This
helps to maintain the continuity while reading, without
losing the concentration and enthusiasm.
• Dictionary may be consulted at a later stage to confirm
the meanings of unknown words.
• Knowing about suffixes, prefixes, word families and
word combinations also helps us guess the meaning
of unknown words.
• So don’t worry if you do not know the absolutely correct
meaningofaword.Theimportantthingistoreadasmuch
as possible. The more often you see a word in different
contexts, the better you will understand its meaning.
Reading Comprehension is the ability to read text,
process it and understand its meaning. An individual’s
ability to comprehend text is influenced by their traits
and skills, one of which is the ability to make inferences.
If word recognition is difficult, students use too much of
their processing capacity to read individual words, which
interferes with their ability to comprehend what is read.
There are a number of approaches to improve reading
comprehension, including improving one’s vocabulary
and reading strategies.
Reading comprehension is defined as the level of
understanding of a text/message. This understanding comes
from the interaction between the words that are written
and how they trigger knowledge outside the text/message.
Comprehension is a “creative, multifaceted process”
dependent upon four language skills: phonology, syntax,
semantics, and pragmatics. Proficient reading depends on
the ability to recognize words quickly and effortlessly. It is
also determined by an individual’s cognitive development,
which is “the construction of thought processes.”
Reading comprehension involves two levels of processing,
shallow (low-level) processing and deep (high-level)
processing. Deep processing involves semantic processing,
which happens when we encode the meaning of a word
and relate it to similar words. Shallow processing involves
structural and phonemic recognition, the processing of
sentence and word structure and their associated sounds.
Vocabulary
Reading comprehension and vocabulary are inextricably
linked.The ability to decode or identify and pronounce words
is self-evidently important, but knowing what the words
mean has a major and direct effect on knowing what any
specific passage means. Students with a weaker vocabulary
than other students comprehend less of what they read and it
has been suggested that the most impactful way to improve
comprehension is to improve vocabulary.
Most words are learned gradually through a wide variety
of environments: television, books, and conversations.
Some words are more complex and difficult to learn,
such as homonyms, words that have multiple meanings
and those with figurative meanings, like idioms, similes,
and metaphors.
Reading Comprehension
In this section the comprehending power of students is evaluated through two unseen passages – Factual and
Discursive. The factual passage contains 300-350 words with eight very short answer type questions carrying 8
marks. The discursive passage is of 350-400 words with four short answer type questions carrying 8 marks and four
multiple choice questions carrying 4 marks. These questions reasonably test how the students evaluate and analyse
the given pieces of tests. This book will better prepare the students to tackle questions of this section.

Assignments in English Plus Communicative – 912
Type – I : Factual Passages
(Carrying 8 Marks)
Solved Examples
Passage 1
Read the following passage carefully: (8 Marks)
Yoga Can Help Control Non-Communicable Diseases: Health Minister JP Nadda
With non-communicable diseases (NCDs) claiming nearly five million lives in India every year, the Centre today said
yoga can help control these diseases and that the ancient Indian practice is being encouraged as an integral part of
their prevention and management.
Launching a campaign on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) to generate awareness among the people and an
M-Diabetes initiative where people can get information on prevention and management through a missed call, Health
Minister JP Nadda said prevention of diseases, whether non-communicable or communicable, will remain at the
forefront of his government.
“Yoga and knowledge inAYUSH system of medicine can be of great help in not only preventing but also controlling
non-communicable disease. Traditional system of medicines can complement modern medicine.”
“Yoga is not only physical activity but also a complete science of living. Yoga as an intervention is being encouraged
as an integral part of NCD prevention and management,” Mr. Nadda said at a national conference on ‘Prevention and
Control of Major NCD in India.’
Mr. Nadda also launched the second round of GlobalAdult Tobacco Survey (GATS-2) for systematically monitoring
adult tobacco use and tracking key tobacco control indication.
“Prevention of diseases will always remain in the forefront, whether for communicable or NCD and awareness
regarding a balanced lifestyle and healthy living is a crucial pillar in combating NCDs,” Mr Nadda said.
Mr. Nadda said as most of major NCDs, generally labeled as ‘lifestyle disease’, are acquired, there is an urgent need
for paying attention to their preventive aspective and social behavior change plays a major role in preventing NCDs.
Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Yesso Naik said there is a need for a holistic approach for maintaining good
health and to integrate traditional medicinal practice and healthy lifestyle for leading a healthy life.
According to the World Health Organisation, every year, roughly 5-8 million Indians die from heart and lung
diseases, structure, cancer and diabetes.
Now answer the following questions: (1 × 8 = 8 Marks)
1. Which type of diseases can be controlled by Yoga?
2. How can an M-Diabeles initiative help people?
3. What is yoga? Why is it being encouraged?
4. What was the objective of the second round of Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS-2)?
5. What is a crucial pillar in combating non-communicable diseases (NCDs)?
6. What according to the Health Minister, will remain at the forefront of his government?
7. What is needed for the prevention of NCDs?
8. What did the Minister of state for Ayush say?
Answers:
1. Non-communicable diseases can be controlled by yoga.
2. An M-Diabeles initiative can help people with information on prevention and management of diabetes through a
missed call.
3. Yoga is a physical activity as well as a complete science of living. It is being encouraged because it plays an
important role in the prevention and management of NCDs.
4. Its objective was systematic monitoring of adult tobacco use and tracking of key tobacco control indicators.
5. Awareness regarding a balanced lifestyle and healthy living is a crucial pillar in combating NCDs.
6. Prevention of diseases, whether communicable or non-communicable, will remain at the forefront of his government.

Reading — I : Factual Passages 13
7. Attention should be paid to the preventing aspects of diseases. Social behaviour change is also important.
8. He said that there is a need for a holistic approach for maintaining good health. He also said that traditional
medicinal practices and health lifestyle should be adopted.
Passage 2
Low Women Workforce a Setback to Development
Gender equality/disparity has become one of the most important indicators of a developed society. Women work
participation is a ‘gender lens’ to look at this problem (phenomenon).
According to International Labour Organization statistics, societies still having feudal ethos in the 21st century
have the least women labour participation rates, and hence the highest gender disparity ratios.
Afghanistan,Algeria, Iran, Iraq and Jordan have the least female participation rates (around 16 per cent), but globally
the rate is 50 per cent. India and Pakistan record only 27 per cent, but Bangladesh has crossed the global average and
achieved 57 per cent. Relatively small nations like Indonesia and Malaysia also have touched the global average, but
Vietnam, Zambia, Tanzania and Uganda have the maximum rates around 75 per cent.
This shows that the correlation between women’s work participation rate and gender equality is complex. No doubt,
the least women participation in work is a clear indication of sharp disparity. But mere increase in work participation
is not enough for gender equality since in some of the least developed countries with high rates of work participation,
women are forced to get involved in back-breaking agriculture labour and deprived of good education and health care.
Their families will be starved if they are not in the fields, often with very low wages.
India has to think about its low women workforce participation if it wants to get into the real development orbit.
Skilling the working population, especially the women, must be the top priority. China could break the barriers of
low women work participation, and it is one of the reasons for their excellence in manufacturing, especially in the
small and medium enterprises. Non-farm women’s work participation can only push their status up. The Vietnamese
experience provides more insights. Even with very high women participation, the gender pay gap has widened while
it declined in many countries. ‘Equal pay for equal work’ has to be ensured if we are serious about gender inequality.
1. What is one of the most important indicators of a developed society?
2. What is International Labour Organisation statistics?
3. Which countries have the least women work participation rates?
4. Which country has crossed the global average? Name two countries which has achieved the maximum rates in
women’s work participation.
5. Why is mere increase in work participation not enough for gender equality?
6. What does India need for real development of the country?
7. What is needed to push women’s states up?
8. Why is ‘equal pay for equal work’ important?
Answers:
1. Gender equality is one of the most important indicators of a development society.
2. Today’s societies still have feudal ethos and therefore they have the least women labour participation rates which
show the highest gender disparity ratios.
3. Afghanistan, Algeria, Iran, Iraq and Jordan are the countries where we find the least women work participation
rates which is around 16%. The global rate is 50%.
4. Bangladesh has crossed the global average and achieved 57%. Vietnam and Zambia have achieved the maximum
rates in women’s work participation.
5. It is because in some of the least developed countries with high rates of work participation, women are forced to
get involved in very tough agriculture labour and deprived of education and health care.
6. For real development of the country, India needs to increase women workforce participation.
7. Non-farm women’s work participation is needed to push their status up.
8. ‘Equal pay for equal work’ will bridge the gap between men and women and thus bring down gender equality.

Type – II : Discursive Passages
(Carrying 12 Marks)
Solved Examples
Passage 1
1. Dr. Vikram Sarabhai was not only an imaginative and creative scientist but also a pioneering industrialist and
an astute planner. He made significant contribution in the field of cosmic ray physics and in the development of
nuclear power and space programmes. When Dr. Bhabha died suddenly in 1966 in a plane crash, it seemed almost
impossible to fill the vacuum but fortunately a worthy successor could be found in Dr. Sarabhai. He took up the
nuclear programmes with a challenge and also added fresh dimensions to the space research programmes.
2. Dr. Sarabhai was born on August 12, 1919 at Ahmedabad in a rich industrialist family. His early education was in
a private school in Gujarat College at Ahmedabad. He then went to Cambridge, England, and obtained his tripos
in 1939 from St. John’s College. He then came back to India and started research work in the field of cosmic rays
with Sir C.V. Raman at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. In 1945 he went back to Cambridge to carry
our further research on cosmic rays. There in 1947 he obtained a Ph.D. degree in the same field.
3. It was as early as 1942, when Dr. Sarabhai and his newly-married wife, Sreemati Mrinalini, were staying for some
time in Poona. There he conceived the idea of starting the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad. Soon after
his return from Cambridge in 1947, Sarabhai started looking for a place for this project. He got a few rooms at the
M.G. Science Institute to start the laboratory and Prof. K.K. Ramanathan was made its first director in 1948. The
foundation stone of the new laboratory building was laid in February, 1952 by Sir C.V. Raman and the laboratory
was formally opened in April 1954. Dr Sarabhai made the Physical Research laboratory virtually the cradle of
the Indian Space Programme just like Tata Institute of Fundamental Research was one such centre for the Indian
Atomic Energy Programme.
4. Dr Sarabhai not only encouraged science but also devoted a good deal of time to industry. For over 15 years he
nurtured a pharmaceutical industry and he was also a pioneer of the pharmaceutical industry in India.
5. The first institution that Sarabhai helped to build was the Ahmedabad Textile industry’s Research Association
(ATIRA). In building ATIRA he helped to introduce the scientific method in a traditional industry. He was only 28
when he was asked to organise and build ATIRA. From 1949-1965 he remained the Honorary Director of ATIRA.
In 1962 he helped to found the Indian Institute of Management at Ahmedabad. From 1962-1965 he remained the
Honorary Director of this institute. Dr. Sarabhai was mainly responsible for setting up of the Thumba rocket launching
station. In 1966, after the death of Dr. Bhabha, he became the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission.
6. Today, the success of space programmes in India is largely owing to the groundwork prepared by him in this regard.
Dr. Homi Bhabha put India on the nuclear map of the world and Dr. Sarabhai did it in the field of space. Due to
his efforts India could launch its first satellite, Aryabhatta, just three-and-half years after his death.
7. As a result of his achievements Dr. Sarabhai became a world renowned figure in the field of space research. He
was given the Bhatnagar Memorial Award for Physics in 1962; Padma Bhushan in 1966 and was awarded Padma
Vibhushan posthumously. He was elected the Vice-President and Chairman of the U.N. conference on peaceful use
of outer space in 1968. He president over the fourteenth General Conference of the International Atomic Energy
Agency. Dr. Sarabhai died on December 30, 1971 at the age of 52 when he was at the peak of his achievements.
It was a great loss to India and the Indian science in particular.
I. Now answer the following questions in brief: (2 × 4 = 8 Marks)
1. In which field did Vikram Sarabhai make significant contribution? How did he prove himself a worthy successor
of Dr. Bhabha?
2. Where did Dr. Sarabhai conceive the idea of starting the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad? What
did he do then?
3. What was his contribution in building the Ahmedabad Textile Industry’s Research Association or ATIRA?
4. Mention some of Dr. Sarabhai’s achievements that made him a world renowned figure in the field of space
research?

Reading — II : Discursive Passages 15
II. Vocabulary: (1 × 4 = 4 Marks)
1. The word ‘cosmic’ (Para 2) means ............................. .
2. The word ‘pioneer’ (Para 4) means ............................. .
3. The verb form of the word ‘director’ is ............................. .
4. The antonym for the word ‘traditional’ is ............................. .
Answers:
I. 1. Dr. Vikram Sarabhai made significant contribution in the field of cosmic ray physics and in the development
of nuclear power and space programmes. He proved himself a worthy successor of Dr. Bhabha by taking up
the nuclear programmes with a challenge after the latter’s sudden death in a plane crash. He also added new
dimensions to the space research programmes.
2. Dr. Sharabhai conceived the idea of starting the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad while he was
staying in Pune. He then got a few rooms at the MG Science Institute to start the laboratory. The foundation
stone of the new laboratory building was land in 1952 and the laboratory was finally opened in 1954.
3. Dr. Vikram Sarabhai helped to build the Ahmedabad Textile Industry’s Research Association or ATIRA. In
building ATIRA he helped to introduce the scientific method in a traditional industry. From 1949-1965 he
remained the Honorary Director of ATIRA.
4. Dr. Sarabhai Started the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad and made it virtually the cradle of the
Indian space Programme. It was due to his efforts that India could launch its first satellite, Aryabhatta. He
because the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission after the death of Dr. Bhabha.
II. 1. of the universe 2. discoverer
3. direct 4. modern
Passage 2
1. The world’s smallest dog, the Chihuahua or the Pocket Dog is barrel I kg to 2 kg as an adult! The Chihuahua is
named after a Mexican State, but its roots can be traced back to China. Today this breed is popular choice ~mO:1g
the dog lovers world over and their popularity seems to be eve increasing.
2. The main advantage of this breed is that they need no particular exercise. They are quite satisfied with their walks
within their house. Being small, however, does not mean that they are dull, on the contrary they are sharp, alert
animals, very strong in character. They are good guard dogs due to their strong cords. They have an inherent
curiosity that makes them want to know what goes on within the house.
3. For show purposes the maximum permissible weight is O.9kg to 1.8 kg. Chihuahuas are of two types, the long
coated and the smooth coated. The long coated ones have flat or slightly wavy coats. The smooth coated ones are
soft textured and glossy in appearance.
4. They can be of any colour. Their heads are apple dome-shaped and in some animals, the frontal areas of the skull
do not fuse! The nose is short and the ears are at an angle of 45 degrees to the head. The dogs are slightly longer
than the tail and the tail is carried like a sickle that just touches the back. The body on the whole is compact and
has a graceful appearance. Occasionally a tailless dog is born but tail cropping is not an accepted practice.
5. Compared to other pups, they require little care, and only the long-haired variety needs grooming. They tend to
exercise themselves within the confines of the house. This makes them prone to have overgrown nails that need
regular clipping. As far as their diet is concerned, they could be fussy and choosy eaters, but then almost all toy
breeds are so! They are intelligent and learn easily.
6. They are very active within the house and literally are burglar alarms. They are good with children and are loyal
and devoted to the family. On the whole, the Chihuahua is quite a pet! At just six inches, it is bundle of energy.
Most people are surprised seeing these animals and the general awareness of this breed is still low. However, just
one hurdle remains. Because this is a pocket dog, it may pinch a few pockets.
1. Which is the most popular variety of dogs today?
2. How much does the dog weigh?

3. Besides the strength of character, what do these dogs possess?
4. What makes them function as burglar alarms?
1. What does the word ‘popular’ (Para 1) mean?
2. What does the word ‘inherent’ (Para 2) mean?
3. What does the word ‘compact’ (Para 4) mean?
4. What does the word ‘grooming’ (Para 5) mean?
Answers:
I. 1. The chihuahua is the most popular variety of dogs today.
2. The weight of an adult dog comes between 1 Kilogram and 2 Kilograms
3. In fact these dogs are known for the strength of character. They also possess sharpness and vocal alertness.
4. They have strong vocal cords. They help them function as burglar alarms.
II. 1. liked or admired by many people 2. intrinsic
3. small and strong 4. brushing

Reading 17
Name Marks
Class Section Grade
Roll No. Date Teacher’s Sign
Section-A Reading Type – I: Factual Passages
Assignment – 1
Most bats are active only at night. They come out at night to find food. For centuries men who studied bats wondered
how they found their way in the dark. How could at bat with no light to see by find a flying insect and catch it in flight.
Many people used to think that bats had unusually keen eyesight and could see by light too faint for human eyes
to detect. Scientists now know that a bat’s ability to navigate depends not on its eyes, but on its ears and vocal organs.
Way back in the 1780’s an Italian zoologist named Spallanzani did an experiment. He blundered some bats and
released them into a room crisscrossed with silk threads. The bats flew through the maze without touching the threads.
When he plugged their ears, they became entangled in the threads. Spallanzani felt that bats used their ears rather than
their eyes to find their way in the dark.
In 1920 a scientist suggested that bats sent out signals that were beyond the range of human hearing. Such sounds
are called ultrasonic. In 1941, two other scientists decided to use a new electronic instrument that detected ultrasonic
sounds in an experiment with bats.
The machine showed that the bats were uttering high-pitched cries, and that they were constantly squeaking as
they flew through a maze of wires that had been set up in the dark. When they taped the bats’ mouths shut, the animals
blundered badly.
A bat sends out signals—high-pitched squeaks that bounce off anything in its path. A sound back, or reflected. It
is an echo. The bat used echoes to locate things in the dark.
Scientists call this echolocation, and it is like our systems of radar.
Source: More Tell Me Why by Arkady Leokum
1. Why do bats come out at night?
2. What did many people use to think about how bats found their ways in the dark?
3. What have scientists now discovered?
4. What did Spallanzani find after releasing some blinded bats into a room crisscrossed with silk threads? What did
he find after plugging their ears?
5. What did a scientist suggest in 1920?
6. What did the new electronic instrument show?
7. What did the scientists find when they taped the bats’ mouth?
8. Why do bats use echoes?
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Reading 19
The origin of water on Earth is linked to the formation of Earth. According to some currently accepted theories Earth
began as a waterless mass of rock surrounded by cloud of gas. Radioactive materials in the rock and increasing pressure
in the Earth‘s interior gradually produced enough heat to melt the interior of the Earth. The heavy materials, such as
iron ores, then sank. The light silicates (rocks made up of silicon and oxygen) rose to the Earth‘s surface and formed
the earliest crust.
Many silicate rocks have water molecules integrated into their atomic arrangement – water can be driven out of
such rocks by the action of heat. Thus the heating of the Earth‘s interior caused release of water contained in such rocks
to the surface. Over millions of years, water thus released collected slowly in low places of the crust and formed the
oceans. Whatsoever might have been the origin of water, earth‘s original supply of water is still in use and very little,
if any, has been added during the past billion years or so. The same water has been pumped time and again from the
oceans into the air, dropped down upon the lands and transferred back to sea. A single drop of water spends 8 to 10
days passing through air, 2 to 3 weeks in a river, as long as 100 years in a Himalayan Glacier or from 100 to 40,000
year underground.
As chemical, water is unique and rather odd. All its oddities can be traced to its molecular structure. It is a rather
sturdy molecule. Until some 180 years ago water was believed to be an invisible element rather than a chemical
compound. Today students of science know that each of its molecules is made up of two atoms of Hydrogen and one
atom of oxygen, the bond between the oxygen and the hydrogen atom is polar, that is, it has positive and negative
charged ends because of an unequal distribution of electrons. The oxygen atom has a denser distribution of electrons
around it and hence a net negative charge. The hydrogen atoms in a water molecule, on the other hand, are positively
charged. This leads to a lopsided (molecule with electrical charges concentrated on opposite sides). Water molecules,
are therefore, attracted to each other as well as to other molecules having a similar charge distribution. And many of
the characteristic features of water can be traced to the so-called hydrogen bond between its molecules.
When a substance dissolves in another substance, the resulting distribution of the molecules of the two substances
has lesser number of molecules of either substance surrounded by its own kind. This necessitates disrupting prevailing
intermolecular forces in each of them. The molecules of most organic compounds (e.g., oily substances are non-
polar) as a consequence the intermolecular forces between organic molecules are much weaker than in water. If such
a substance is to mix with water – the resulting distribution of molecules must lead to lowering of energy content.
If more energy is required to separate water molecules from each other (by breaking hydrogen bonds) than is gained
when water molecules get closer to organic molecules, the two substances will not mix together. It is for this reason
that water and oil do not mix and many organic compounds do not dissolve in water.
1. How can you say that water is a chemical?
2. Why is the supply of water on earth limited?
3. What do you know about the formation of the earliest crust of earth?
4. What is a polar bond made of ?
5. How are oceans formed?
6. Why do water molecules attract each other?
7. Is it possible to mix oil and water?
8. Why is intermolecular force in oily substances much weaker?
Name Marks
Class Section Grade
Assignment – 2

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Reading 21
Getting a good night’s sleep can help you cope with stress more effectively. But not getting enough sleep can cause
more stress. Insomniacs have higher concentrations of stress hormones than others.
Women are prone to sleep disturbances. Their sleep problems frequently interfere with their daily activities.
Experts believe that sleep, especially deep sleep, enables our nervous system to function well. Without it, we lose
our ability to concentrate, remember or analyse. Some experts speculate that during deep sleep, cells manufacture
more proteins, which are essential for cell growth and repair of damage from things like stress and ultraviolet rays.
Scientists believe that activity in the area of the brain that controls emotions and social interactions lessens during
sleep and that deep sleep may help people be emotionally and socially adept when awake.
Sleep may also help our brain to store a newly learned activity in its memory bank. In a study in Canada, students
deprived of sleep after learning a complex logic game showed a 30% learning deficit when tested a week later compared
with students not deprived of sleep.
The effects of sleep deprivation on other bodily functions are just as alarming. In studies from five medical centres
across the country, researchers established that individuals with insomnia were also more likely to have poor health,
including chest pain, arthritis and depression, and to have difficulty accomplishing daily tasks. Another breakthrough
study revealed that even temporary loss of sleep can affect the body’s ability to break down carbohydrates, interfere
with the function of various hormones and worsen the severity of ailments such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
So whatever works to help you sleep well, whether its regular exercise earlier in the day, weekly massages, yoga,
meditation or a lavender-scented bath, make time for it today.
1. How can a good night’s sleep help one? What happens when one does not get enough sleep?
2. What, according to experts, enables our nervous system to function well?
3. How do proteins help us in stress management?
4. What, according to scientists, happens during deep sleep?
5. What did a study in Canada reveal?
6. Name the common ailments that can be found in insomniacs.
7. How can even temporary loss of sleep affect our body?
8. What message does the author convey to the reader?
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Name Marks
Class Section Grade
Assignment – 3

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Reading 23
The tiger is a fighter to its last bone. For almost 80 years, the Indian tiger has held off prophecies of its demise. Way
back in the 1930s, iconic hunter-conservationist Jim Corbett predicted that the striped predator would disappear from
Indian forests by the 1950s. The tiger survived, but so did the doomsday projection. In the early 1990s, Time magazine
gave the tiger an expiry date of 2000. The latest of the grim forecasts came last year when the World Wildlife Fund
(WWF) said the animal could vanish from the wild, worldwide, by 2022.
When the new tiger census report is released on March 28, these fears are likely to be echoed all over again. Not
that these projections are baseless. Many a time in the past six decades, the tiger’s tale appeared to be careening towards
a tragic end. Even today, with just around 1,400 left in the wild – compared to a guesstimated 45,000 in 1900 – there’s
no mistaking the constant peril the Indian tigers face.
Yet, of late, several statistics indicate that the rumours about its death are a little exaggerated.
Today, when there are five forest swathes in the country where the tiger population is more or less stable, these
apocalyptic warnings may have outlived their utility. Such positions often skew the conservation debate.
“The tiger isn’t going to extinct in India any time soon. In fact, there’s plenty of room for it to make a comeback
in many areas provided, steps are taken in the right direction,” says K Ullas Karanth, one of India’s leading tiger
biologists and a senior conservation scientist at the Indian Chapter of the Wildlife Conservation Society in Bangalore.
The forests of Karnataka, where Karanth and his team have worked for decades in tandem with the forest
department, are a good example of the tiger’s relative success. The 2006 census showed the tiger population in the
state had grown in about 290. The Bandipur and Nagarhole reserves were reportedly close to holding capacity. Tigers
had doubled in recent times at the Mudumalai reserve across the border in Tamil Nadu. The predator had also returned
to Sathyamangalam, erstwhile Veerappan country.
Source: The Times of India
1. Who was Jim Corbett? What predictions did he make in 1930s?
2. What is the latest forecast made by the WWF about the tigers?
3. What was the total number of tigers in 1990? What is it today?
4. What do several statistics indicate? What is the reality?
5. What positive aspect does K. Ullas Karanth raise regarding tigers’ conservation?
6. Pick out a word from the above paragraph which means ‘the day of the Last Judgement’.
7. Karanth and his team together with the forest department of Karnataka have made sincere efforts to save tigers.
How can you say that they are successful in their mission?
8. Where is the Mudumalai reserve located? What positive result had it shown in recent times?
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Space for Notes
Name Marks
Class Section Grade
Assignment – 4

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Reading 25
We all know that rapid industrialisation and modernisation of technology from field to factories, from laboratory
experiments to space exploration are closely linked with energy generation. But during the last century man’s activities,
particularly concerning energy development, have caused fossil burning wantonly.
This has raised the atmospheric concentration of Greenhouse gases leading to an increase in the average global
temperature which is called “Global Warming”.
What actually is the “Greenhouse Effect”? Our earth reflects a lot of energy back into the atmosphere. But presence
of heavy carbondioxide in the atmosphere prevents some of this heat escaping just as a glass or plastic sheet stops
escaping heat from the so called “Greenhouse’used to protect growing plants. The main Greenhouse gas is carbondioxide
(CO2). The source of this gas is from fossil-fuel combustion like coal, petroleum and natural gases. Methane (CH2),
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and Nitrous oxide (N2O) are among the other Greenhouse gases. The sources of such
gases range from bio-mass burning, fumes emitted from refrigerators and airconditioning plants (freon gas), industrial
fumes and enteric fermentation of cattle, insects and different crops.
Scientists believe that earth’s temperature will rise markedly in next 50 years. Between the present time in 2025
AD, it may rise by 1°C and further by 3°C during 2025-2100 AD. This would alter significantly the earth’s ecological
balance, its normal cyclic seasons, melting of polar ice caps and the ultimate rise in sea level submerging many land
areas. Widespread flooding in coastal regions all over the world will occur and large part of world’s civilisation may
disappear beneath the sea.
Scientists are engaged in search of ways and means to combat this impending danger under the guidance of the
Paris based International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU).
1. Mention any two activities of man which are associated with energy generation.
2. What is global warming?
3. Which is the main greenhouse gas? What is the source of this gas?
4. Mention the name of other greenhouse gases.
5. What are the sources of these gases?
6. What will be the result of the ever rising temperature of the earth?
7. How is the melting of polar ice caps dangerous for mankind?
8. What are scientists doing to combat this impending danger?
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Space for Notes
Name Marks
Class Section Grade
Assignment – 5

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Reading 27
The Indian subcontinent’s first trace of a major civilisation—in the Indus Valley—dates back to 2500 BC. Many Hindu
beliefs and customs are derived from this Indus culture. The Indus civilisation was probably ousted by an invasion
of Aryan people from the Iranian plateau after about a thousand years. They built towns and cities along the Ganges
plains, spreading their culture and their Sanskrit language far and wide. Their concepts of social classes, or castes,
were fundamental to the development of the later Indian societies.
Two new religious movements arose in the 6th century BC: Jainism, which still claims many adherents among
India’s merchant community, and Buddhism, which later spread across much of southern and eastern Asia. During the
following century the great Kingdom of Magadha, south of the lower Ganges, were established. King Chandragupta
Maurya (reigned c. 321-297 BC) expanded its boundaries west of the Indus and south into the Deccan plateau. Under
his grandson Ashoka (reigned c. 273-232 BC) the Mauryan empire grew till it dominated the subcontinent.
In the 4th century AD the Gupta dynasty, based at Magadha, ushered in a “Golden Age” of Hindu civilisation but
Hunnish invasions in the 5th century caused its collapse. In 712 AD the north-west was occupied by Arab Muslim
invaders and in 1001 a Turkish Sultan, Mahmud (917-1030) took Islam eastward into the Punjab and beyond. After
the 12
th
century the Ghurids (from Afghanistan) captured what remained of Mahmud’s Indian empire, and built their
powerful Sultanate of Delhi until a Mongol invasion from the north-west in 1398 greatly reduced its powers. The 14th
century also saw the foundation of the Sikh religion.
From 1519 AD Babur, “the lion” (1483-1530) a Muslim of Mongol extraction, crushed what was left of the Delhi
Sultanate, and in 1526 he founded the Mughal empire. His grandson Akbar (1542-1605 AD) extended it throughout
most of northern India and part of the Deccan.
Source: The Encyclopedia of World Geography
1. How was the Indus civilisation ousted?
2. What changes did Aryan people bring in the Indian subcontinent?
3. Where did Buddhism become popular?
4. Name the two great kings of the Magadha Kingdom. Mention their achievements.
5. What led to the downfall of the Gupta dynasty?
6. Who established the powerful Sultanate of Delhi? What caused its downfall?
7. When did the Sikh religion come into existence?
8. Mention the achievements associated with the Mughal rulers like Babur and Akbar.
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Space for Notes
Name Marks
Class Section Grade
Assignment – 6

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Reading 29
The world in which we live is changing more rapidly than at any time in human history. Politically, the collapse of
communism in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe has ended the Cold War and altered the way that many
countries are governed. Borders have been redrawn, new nations have emerged and old countries have been reborn.
Notably there are now 15 republics in place of the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia has fragmented, Czechoslovakia has
split into two and Germany has reunited. Although most of these changes have been comparatively peaceful, political
realignments and economic reorganisations have created new tensions. In some instances, particularly in the Balkans
and some of the former states of the Soviet Union, age-old hostilities between ethnic groups have reemerged in the
form of outright civil war. Environmentally, too, the world is at a crossroads; the speed and degree of our exploitation
of global resources have increased dramatically in recent decades, and threaten the very future of the planet. In some
cases these abuses have already caused irreversible damage, the ultimate consequences of which can only be surmised.
At the same time, the world is growing smaller; modern communication means that images of an event—whether an
earthquake or a revolution—in one country are instantly flashed onto television screens on the other side of the world.
The same communications network has inextricably linked the world’s financial markets and created a truly global
economy where no one currency or stock exchange is truly independent.
Despite the wealth of superficial information we are bombarded with on a daily basis, educators have become
increasingly aware of the fact that most of us really know very little about the world beyond our immediate geographical
boundaries. While better forms of communication allow us to see other cultures more easily, they do little to help us
gain insight into and understanding of the different customs, religions, languages and wealths and lifestyles of the
many nations of the world.
Source: The Encyclopedia of World Geography
1. Mention two changes that came to be seen in the world after the collapse of communism in the former Soviet
Union and Eastern Europe?
2. How many republics are there now in place of the Soviet Union? What happened to Czechoslovakia and Germany?
3. What disturbances arose in the Balkans and some of the former states of the Soviet Union?
4. Environmentally, the world is at a crossroads. How?
5. Mention two positive impacts of modern communication.
6. What type of information do we gather on a daily basis?
7. What do we lack despite having better forms of communication?
8. Give a suitable title to the above passage.

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Space for Notes
Name Marks
Class Section Grade
Assignment – 7

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Reading 31
What is a Stock?
Stocks and bonds are certificates that business companies sell to the public to raise money. To start a new company,
or to buy new equipment for an existing company, usually requires a very large amount of money. To raise the money,
the company sells thousands, sometimes millions, of shares of stock.
When a person buys stock in a company, he becomes one of the company’s owners. As an owner, a shareholder
hopes to receive a dividend, or a share in the company’s profits. The amount of the dividend may change from year
to year, depending on the kind of business the company has done during the year.
There are two types of stock: common stock and preferred stock. The owner of the common stock has the right
to attend the yearly stockholders’ meeting and vote for the directors of the company.
Preferred stock is so named because its owners have certain rights that owners of common stock do not have.
When dividends are paid, first preference goes to the holders of preferred stocks. The dividends paid on preferred
stocks have a set rate, while dividends on common stock depend on how well the company is doing. If the company
goes out of business, holders of preferred stock are paid off before the holders of common stock.
When a person buys stocks or bonds, he buys from another investor. When he sells, he sells to another investor.
The marketplace for this selling and buying of stocks is called the Stock Exchange.
Stocks are bought and sold through a broker. His business is to buy and sell stocks for investors. The price of
stocks may go up or down for a variety of reasons relating to the company concerned, business conditions in general,
and so on.
Source: Tell Me Why
1. What are stocks and bonds?
2. Why do companies sell shares of stock?
3. How does a person become one of the company’s owners?
4. Name the two types of stock. What right does the owner of the common stock avail?
5. What preferences are given to the holders of the second type of stock?
6. Mention one difference between the common stock and the preferred stock.
7. What is meant by the Stock Exchange?
8. What role does a broker play in the Stock Exchange?
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Space for Notes
Name Marks
Class Section Grade
Assignment – 8

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Reading 33
Vegetarianism promotes a natural way of life. But despite its implicit message of universal love and non-violence
it has spread, as it should have. This may be because it usually is an inward-looking habit and is best cultivated in
the mind. Leading a vegetarian way of life helps the animal kingdom to coexist with man. The animals supply milk,
manure and energy. This has been central to the Indian culture for thousands of years. A vegetarian lifestyle is natural,
multifaceted and helps self-preservation in a healthy way. Food and health are closely related. In India a vegetarian is
usually a lacto-vegetarian. In the Western world vegetarians are sub-divided as “vegans” (pure vegetarian who do not
take any food coming from animal kingdom), lacto-vegetarians, who use dairy products of the animal kingdom. The
last category includes eggs, in addition to dairy products. The Western science of food considers food as something
to sustain only the human body, whereas the Indian science considers food as something which sustains not only the
body, but also maintains the purity of heart, mind and soul. Thus an item of food which is injurious to the mind is not
considered to be fit for consumption, even if it is otherwise beneficial to the body or satisfies the taste.
Indian food science does not give so much importance to protein or even to the balanced diet but gives importance
to food that increases the strength of the body and its virility. Vegetarian foods provide an infinite variety of flavours
whereas non-vegetarian foods have hardly any taste of their own. In fact, non-vegetarian foods have to be seasoned
with ingredients from the vegetables kingdom to make them palatable. In most sports disciplines, vegetarians lead in
endurance tests. “You are what you eat” is an old saying and it is a fact that it is the food that makes the man. The
food we eat, its quality, quantity, its timing and combination is of utmost importance to healthy life.
1. What message does vegetarianism spread across the world?
2. How is a vegetarian lifestyle good for man and animal?
3. Who are lacto-vegetarians?
4. How is the Western science of food different from the Indian science?
5. Which type of food is not considered fit for consumption in the Indian science of food?
6. Which type of food does Indian food science give importance to?
7. What do non-vegetarian foods lack? Why?
8. What does it mean ‘You are what you eat’? What should we do to lead a healthy life?
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Space for Notes
Name Marks
Class Section Grade
Assignment – 9

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Reading 35
Name Marks
Class Section Grade
Section-A Reading Type – II: Discursive Passages
Assignment – 1
1. Education, education, education alone! Travelling through many cities of Europe and observing in them the comforts
and education of even the poor people, there was brought to my mind the state of our own poor people, and I used
to shed tears. What made the difference? Education was the answer I got. Through education comes faith in one’s
own self, and through faith in one’s own self the inherent Brahman in waking up in them, while the Brahman in
us is gradually becoming dormant.
2. In New York I used to observe the Irish colonists come—downtrodden, haggered-looking, destitute of all possessions
at home, penniless, and wooden-headed—with their only belongings, a stick and a bundle of rage hanging at the
end of it, fright in their steps, alarm in their eyes. A different spectacle in six months—the man walks upright, his
attire is changed! In his eyes and steps there is no more sigh of fright. What is the cause? Our Vedanta says that
that Irishman was kept surrounded by contempt in his own country—the whole of nature was telling him with one
voice, “Pat, you have no more hope, you are born a slave and will remain so.” Having been thus told from his
birth, Pat believed in it and hypnotised himself that he was very low, and the Brahman in him shrank away. While
no sooner had he landed in America than he heard the shout going up on all sides, “Pat, you are a man as we are.
It is man who has done all, a man like you and me can do everything: have courage!” Pat raised his head and saw
that it was so, the Brahman within woke up. Nature herself spoke, as it were, “Arise, awake, and stop not till the
goal is reached” (Katha Upanishad, I, ii, 4).
3. Likewise the education that our boys receive is very negative. The schoolboy learns nothing, but has everything
of his own broken down—want of Shraddha is the result. The Shraddha which is the keynote of the Veda and the
Vadanta—the Shraddha which emboldened Nachiketa to face Yama and question him, through which Shraddha this
world moves—the annihilation of that Shraddha! “The ignorant, the man devoid of Shraddha, the doubting self
runs to ruin.” Therefore we are so near destruction. The remedy now is the spread of education. First of all, Self-
knowledge. I do not mean thereby, matted hair, staff, Kamandalu, and mountain caves which the word suggests.
What do I mean then? Cannot the knowledge, by which is attained even freedom from the bondage of worldly
existence, bring ordinary material prosperity?
Source: India by Swami Vivekananda
1. Why did Swami Vivekananda use to shed tears?
2. How does Vivekananda describe the Irish colonists?
3. What was Pat told from his birth? What happened when he landed in America?
4. What is the keynote of the Veda and the Vedanta? Why is Self-knowledge so important?
1. Find a word in the passage in para 1 that means ‘existing in a thing as a natural quality’.
2. Give the verb form of difference’.
3. Find a word in the passage in para 3 that is the antonym for ‘misery’.
4. Give the noun form of ‘attained’.
1. F
q
2. G
3. F
4. g

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Reading 37
1. Once upon a time there a lived a poor farmer with his wife and son in a small village. He toiled a lot in his field
but the fruits of his labour were meager. One day exhausted by the heat, he lay down under the shadow of a tree
to take a nap. All of a sudden, he saw a giant cobra crawling out of an ant hill.
2. The farmer thought to himself, “Sure this snake must be a deity guarding my field. So far I have not noticed it
and that is why all my farming in vain. Let me pay my respects to it now and worship it hereafter.” He then made
up his mind , brought some milk in a bowl and placed it before the ant hill. He said aloud “O! Lord guardian of
my field! I did not know you dwell here. Please forgive me for not paying respect to you.” He left the milk bowl
there and went back to his house. The next morning, he was surprised to see a gold coin in the bowl.
3. Since then the farmer placed a bowl of milk every day and got back a gold coin the next morning. Soon the farmer
became rich and happy. This continued for some time. One day , the farmer had to go to a nearby city for a few
days and so he directed his son to place the milk bowl near the ant hill every day. The son kept the milk bowl and
left , only to find a gold coin the next day. He then thought to himself, “This ant hill must be full of gold coins:
I’ll kill the serpent and take all of them.”
4. The next day, while placing the bowl of milk the farmer‘s son struck the snake with a club. But the serpent escaped
and bit him with his sharp fangs instead. He was dead at once. When the farmer returned, he learnt about his son‘s
fate and grieved. The next morning, he took the bowl of milk and went to the ant hill.
5. The snake came out and said, “Your greed made you overlook even the loss of your son . Your son struck me in
ignorance and I had bitten him to death. I cannot forget the blow on my head and you cannot forget the loss of your
son. Hereafter, the friendship between us is not possible.” So saying the snake gave a costly coin and disappeared.
The farmer returned home cursing the foolishness of his son.
1. Why did the farmer regard the snake as a deity?
2. What decision did the farmer’s son take one day?
3. What is your opinion about the farmer?
4. How did the farmer’s son meet his fetal death?
1. Find a word in the passage, (para 1) which means ‘do hard work’.
2. Give the antonym for ‘exhausted’.
3. Find a word in the passage, (para 1) which means ‘protecting’.
4. Give the noun form of ‘disappeared’.
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Space for Notes
Name Marks
Class Section Grade
Assignment – 2
I. N
1
Ans
2
Ans
3
Ans
4
Ans
II. V
1
2
3
4

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Reading 39
1. The main difference between men and animals is the difference in their power of concentration. All success in any
line of work is the result of this. Everybody knows something about concentration. We see its results everyday.
High achievements in art, music, etc., are the results of concentration. Those who have trained animals find much
difficulty in the fact that animal is constantly forgetting what is told to him. He cannot concentrate his mind
upon anything long at a time. Herein is the difference between man and animals—man has the greater power of
concentration and also constitutes the difference between man and man. Compare the lowest with the highest man.
The difference is in the degree of concentration. This is the only difference.
2. Everybody’s mind becomes concentrated at times. We all concentrate upon those things we love, and we love those
things upon which we concentrate our minds. What mother is there that does not love the face of her homeliest
child? That face is to her the most beautiful in the world. She loves it because she concentrates her mind on it,
and if everyone could concentrate his mind on that same face, everyone would love it. It would be to all the most
beautiful face.
3. We all concentrate our minds upon those things we love. When we hear beautiful music, our minds become fastened
upon it and we cannot take them away. Those who concentrate their minds upon what you call classical music
do not like common music, and vice-versa. Music in which the notes follow each other in rapid succession holds
the mind readily. A child loves lively music because the rapidity of the notes gives the mind no chance to wander.
A man who likes common music dislikes classical music, because it is more complicated and requires a greater
degree of concentration to follow it.
4. The great trouble with such concentration is that we do not control the mind; it controls us. Something outside of
ourselves, as it were, draws the mind into it and holds it as long as it chooses. We hear melodious tones or see a
beautiful painting, and the mind is held fast; we cannot take it away.
5. If I speak to you well upon a subject you like, your mind becomes concentrated upon what I am saying. I draw
your mind away from yourself and hold it upon the subject in spite of yourself. Thus our attention is held, our
minds are concentrated upon various things, in spite of ourselves. We cannot help it.
Source: Powers of Mind by Swami Vivekananda
1. What is the difference between man and animals?
2. What does ‘difference between man and man’ mean? When would be a child’s face the most beautiful face in
the world?
3. Why does a child love lively music? Why does a man having great love for common music dislike classical
music?
4. What is the trouble with concentration that is being talked about in the above passage? When is it easy to
concentrate our mind upon a particular thing?
1. Verb form of ‘power’ is .................... .
2. Another word for ‘concentration’ frequently used in the above passage is .................... .
3. The opposite of ‘rapid’ is .................... .
4. Noun form of ‘melodious’ is .................... .
Name Marks
Class Section Grade
Assignment – 3

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Reading 41
1. In our families there are the heads; some of them are successful, others are not. Why? We complain of others in
our failures. The moment I am unsuccessful, I say, so-and-so is the cause of the failure. In failures, one does not
like to confess one’s own faults and weaknesses. Each person tries to hold himself faultless and lay the blame
upon somebody or something else, or even on bad luck. When heads of families fail, they should ask themselves,
why it is that some persons manage a family so well and others do not. Then, you will find that the difference is
owing to the man—his presence, his personality.
2. Coming to great leaders of mankind, we always find, that it was the personality of the man that counted. Now,
take all the great authors of the past, the great thinkers. Really speaking, how many thoughts have they thought?
Take all the writings that have been left to us by the past leaders of mankind; take each one of their books and
appraise them. The real thoughts-new and genuine that have been thought in this world up to this time, amount
to only a handful. Read in their books the thoughts they have left to us. The authors do not appear to be giants to
us, and yet we know that they were great giants in their days. What made them so? Not simply the thoughts they
thought, neither the books they wrote, nor the speeches they made—it was something else that is now gone, that
is their personality.
3. As I have already remarked, the personality of the man is two-thirds, and his intellect, his words, are but one-third.
It is the real man, the personality of the man, that runs through us. Our actions are but effects; actions must come
when the man is there; the effect is bound to follow the cause. The ideal of all education, all training, should be
this man-making. But, instead of that, we are always trying to polish up the outside. What is in polishing up the
outside when there is no inside? The end and aim of all training is to make the man grow. The man who influences,
who throws his magic, as it were, upon his fellow-beings, is a dynamo of power, and when that man is ready, he
can do anything and everything he likes; that personality put upon anything will make it work.
Source: Powers of the Mind by Swami Vivekananda
1. How do people usually think about themselves in their failures? What do the heads of families do when they
fail?
2. What is the importance of a man’s personality in his life?
3. What should be the aim of education and training?
4. Which type of man has been called ‘a dynamo of power’? How does such a man influence his fellow-beings?
1. Explain: “......... they were great giants in their days” (Para 2).
2. ‘Appraise’ is verb. Its noun is .................... .
3. The word in the above passage which is antonym for ‘deny’ (Para 1) is .................... .
4. Find a word in the passage (para 3) which means ‘perfect example’?
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Space for Notes
Name Marks
Class Section Grade
Assignment – 4

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Reading 43
1. Haridwar, like other places of Hindu pilgrimage, has become terribly commercialised. Apart from common beggars
and ash-smeared sadhus ever eager to receive dakshina, there are innumerable well-dressed men armed with receipt
books who accost you for donations for unknown orphanages, gowshalas or for guru-ka-langar. And pandas by
the scores reveal your ancestry and perform every kind of ritual on the spot. Prices for participating in the aarti
are graded according to the size of your purse. I was familiar with all that, yet some elementary force pulls me
towards Haridwar to watch the ritual of sunset worship. Perhaps, because it was here that I immersed the ashes of
my grandfather exactly 50 years ago.
2. On the stand of Har ki Paudi, we await the bewitching hour. Clouds gather over the Mansa Devi hill and a few
big drops of rainfall. A strong wind picks up; perhaps we will get a hailstorm. I don’t care; come what may, I am
determined to complete my pilgrimage. The sun goes behind the hills, the shades of twilight gather the ghats in
their fold. A temple gong announces the start of the ritual. Priests come down the steps bearing candelabras of
oil-lamps and stand with their feet in the river. They wave their clusters of lamps in a circular motion touching
their base to the stream. The chanting begins. Every temple along the ghat resounds with the tinkling of bells and
beating of gongs. Conch shells blow and over loudspeakers come the chant Jai Gangey Mata.
3. Scores of leaf boats with candles flickering in them bob up and down the fast moving stream. For 10 long minutes
I stand entranced watching the spectacle as if hypnotised by the scene. It is pagan but it is beautiful. I remind
myself I am not a Hindu; I am an agnostic. But when people raise the cry Bolo Bolo Ganga Mata Ki, I join them,
shouting Jai lustily. My forefathers did it. I do it with renewed gusto. When the bells fell silent and lamps were
extinguished, reluctantly we left the ghat.
Source: Sights and Sounds of the World by Khushwant Singh
1. The author says that Haridwar has become terribly commercialised. What does he see there that makes such a
comment?
2. Why has the author come to Haridwar?
3. How is the ritual of sunset worship performed in Haridwar? Describe in brief.
4. How does the author feel at the performance of the ritual?
1. Find a word in the passage that means ‘to go up to somebody and speak to them’. (Para 1)
2. Give the verb form of ‘receipt’.
3. Find a word in the passage which is the antonym for ‘hide’ (Para 1).
4. Form noun from ‘reluctantly’.
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Space for Notes
Name Marks
Class Section Grade
Assignment – 5

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Reading 45
1. To date happiness has defied definition. Most people tend to equate happiness with fun, good living and plenty of
money. If happiness were synonymous with all this, rich people with all their luxuries and countless parties, would
be perpetually happy. But in actual fact, they are, frequently, acutely unhappy, despite their riches and ability to
indulge in fun activities at will. Fun is what we experience during an act; happiness is that intangible something
we experience after an act. We may have fun watching a movie, going for shopping, meeting friends – these are
all fun activities that afford us fleeting moments of relaxation and enjoyment. Happiness, on the other hand, is a
stronger, deeper and more abiding emotion.
2. If we perceive happiness as the ultimate goal, we must also devise a way to reach that goal. The way to happiness
is not a smooth, broad highway along which we can cruise at a comfortable speed. It is a path through rocky and
rugged terrain and the going can become very tough at times. At these times we have to roll up our sleeves and
with pitchfork and shovel make our way onwards. This pursuit of happiness lasts a lifetime. Great happiness is
earned only by great effort and effort not in spurts but diligent, constant effort.
3. In this connection we are confronted with another fallacy, that fun and pleasure mean happiness and thus pain,
its corollary, must be synonymous with unhappiness. But in fact the truth is quite different. Things that bring us
happiness, more often than not, involve some amount of pain. It is because of misconception that people avoid
the very endeavour that is the source of true happiness. Difficult endeavours—such as the raising of children,
establishing deeper relationships with loved ones, trying to do something worthwhile in life—hold the promise of
a world of happiness.
4. Happiness is not a permanent vacation. Another prevalent belief is that if one were rich enough not to have to
work, one would be blissfully happy. But a job is more than just a pay cheque. Almost all religions teach us that
work is worship. Work holds the key to happiness as doing something which increases confidence and self-worth.
It brings on a feeling of satisfaction, of doing something, of contributing. Job satisfaction comes less from how
much one earns than from the challenge of the job. Of course, the pay-cheques count. It would be unrealistic to
suggest that one could be happy without a basic shelter, roaming the streets on an empty stomach.
1. What is the common opinion about happiness? What is it in real sense of the term?
2. What does the author want to say in the second paragraph?
3. What are the sources of true happiness?
4. How does work hold the key to happiness?
1. Find a word in the passage, (para 1) which means, ‘that exists but that is difficult to describe, understand
or measure’.
2. What does the word, ‘diligent’ (para 2) means?
3. The opposite of ‘synonymous’ is .................... .
4. The verb form of ‘belief’ is .................... .
Name Marks
Class Section Grade
Assignment – 6

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Space for Notes

Reading 47
1. I was not homesick. Far from it; I felt more at home in Muscat than I do in Delhi. I simply felt small and inadequate.
Fifteen years ago Oman, including Muscat, was a barren waste of rocky mountains on which nothing grew. There
were a few oasis, a few springs which fed orchards of date palm and vegetable gardens. It had no roads worth
speaking of, no greenery to soothe the eye; only the scorching sun with temperatures rising into the 50s, dust and
dust devils spiralling over a dusty wasteland.
2. Today, broad highways run along its extensive coast and into the interior. Potable water distilled from the sea
irrigates lawns, date-palms and flowering bushes along the roads. Where there were no trees to be seen for miles
are avenues of casuarina and gulmohur. Where there were no birds, save seagulls and cormorants you can hear
birdsong all day long. What struck me most was the spotless cleanliness I found everywhere. No litter, no stains
of paan spit—nothing. Above all, the most tastefully designed buildings, the most elegant modern mosques, homes
and stadia. It occurred to me that in the four days I was there I did not see a single ugly building. I can’t say that
about any other city of the world: and I suggested a slogan for the city: “See Muscat before you die.”
3. The most important contribution in the rise of Muscat from a lifeless wilderness to a thing of vibrant beauty is
made by the Indian community. Although as foreigners they are not entitled to own property and businesses in
their own names, they manage most of its trade and commerce, run its schools and hospitals and, as labourers,
raise new buildings, lay its roads and maintain its greenery. Their greatest asset is the goodwill they have earned
among Omanis. There is no anti-Indian feeling. Why I kept thinking of my country all the time. I was in Muscat
because I could not find the answer to the question: If Indians can do it in Oman, why can’t they do it in their
homeland?
Source: Sights and Sounds of the World by Khushwant Singh
1. Why did the author feel small and inadequate in Muscat? What was Muscat fifteen years ago?
2. How did Muscat change over time?
3. What inspired the author to suggest a slogan for the city: “See Muscat before you die”?
4. What is the contribution of the Indian community in making Muscat a vibrant city?
1. Find a word in the passage, para 1 which is the antonym for ‘fertile’.
2. Give the synonym of ‘wilderness’.
3. Find a word in the passage, para 2 which means — ‘rubbish left lying about’.
4. Give the verb in of the word ‘vibrant’ .................... .
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Space for Notes
Name Marks
Class Section Grade
Assignment – 7

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Reading 49
1. In spite of all honours that we heaped upon him, Pasteur, as has been said, remained simple at heart. Perhaps the
imagery of his boyhood days, when he drew the familiar scenes of his birthplace, and the longing to be a great
artist, never wholly left him. In truth he did become a great artist, though after his sixteenth year he abandoned
the brush for ever. Like every artist of worth, he put his whole soul and energy into his work, and it was this very
energy that in the end wore him out. To him, each sufferer was something more than just a case that was to be
cured. He looked upon the fight against hydrophobia as a battle, and he was absorbed in his determination to win.
The sight of injured children, particularly, moved him to an indescribable extent. He suffered with his patients,
and yet he would not deny himself a share in that suffering. His greatest grief was when sheer physical exhaustion
made him give up his active work. He retired to the estate at Villeneuve Etang, where he had his kennels for the
study of rabies, and there he passed his last summer, as his great biographer, Vallery Radot, has said, “practising
the Gospel virtues.”
2. “He revered the faith of his fathers”, says the same writer, “and wished without ostentation or mystery to receive
its aid during his last period.”
3. The attitude of this man to the science he had done so much to perfect can be best summed up in a sentence that
he is reputed once to have uttered, concerning the materialism of many of his contemporaries in similar branches
of learning to his own: “The more I contemplate the mysteries of nature, the more my faith becomes like that of
a peasant.”
4. But even then in retirement he loved to see his former pupils, and it was then he would reiterate his life principles.
“Work, he would say, never cease to work”. So well had he kept this precept that he began rapidly to sink from
exhaustion. Finally, on September 27, 1895, when someone leant over his bed to offer him a cup of milk, he said
sadly; “I cannot,” and with a look of perfect resignation and peace, seemed to fall asleep. He never again opened
his eyes to the cares and sufferings of the world, which he had done so much to relieve and to conquer. He was
within three months of his seventy-third birthday.
1. What did Pasteur want to be in his boyhood days? What happened after his sixteenth year?
2. How did he view the fight against hydrophobia?
3. What did Pasteur use to say on the materialism of many of his contemporaries? What was his life’s principles
that he would reiterate to his pupils?
4. What happened to him on September 27, 1895?
1. Give the synonym of ‘revered’.
2. Find a word in the passage, para 2, which means ‘a showy display’.
3. Form noun from ‘contemplate’.
4. Find a word in the passage, para 1 which is the antonym for ‘defeat’.
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Space for Notes
Name Marks
Class Section Grade
Assignment – 8

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Reading 51
1. Delhi, they say has a lot of history. From last Monday, it arguably has a little less. The tonga, which symbolised
tradition on the roads of this 21st century capital of an emerging power, has been grounded. The municipal
corporation made the decision pleading the need to ease traffic congestion. Many say it is a moot point if Delhi’s
few-hundred tongas crowded its roads unsustainably. More important, should heritage be sacrificed at the alter of
convenience? Lessons from around the world and out of the box solutions:
2. Tonga Tours: How about weekend rides up and down Rajpath in order for tourists to experience the presidential
grandeur of Lutyens’ Delhi? Or from Red Fort all the way down to Chandni Chowk so that the magic and liveliness
of the market can be seen up close, suggests photographer Raghu Rai.
3. The plight of the now-unemployed tongawallahs spurred 15-year-old animal lover, Bhamini Rautela-Pahwa and
four friends to start a signature campaign. The teenager says it is sacrilege that “Delhi’s heritage can be lost. How
can tongawallahs be allowed to lose their ancestral identity and the horses lose a home? MCD is planning for
tomorrow, but at what cost?” She suggests that Rai’s heritage tonga tours should use the existing vehicles but ensure
that they are refurbished and clean. “Educate the tongawallahs to act as tour guides; organizations like Itihasa and
students can help them,” says Tautela-Pahwa.
4. Tonga tours would offer “tourists a spectacular view of the historic buildings at a wonderful pace .... a far better
than whizzing past them in a car or a bus”, says conservation architect Abha Narain Lambah.
5. Some Indian cities have shown the way. Mumbai PR consultant Ameya Bundelly says the Victoria tongas that ply
on Marine Drive and around the Gateway of India afford “sheer pleasure”. It is, he says, an extraordinary luxury
to be “driven along the sea in a horse-drawn carriage. It just has to transport you to another era”.
6. In Kolkata too the Victoria tonga plies round and about the Victoria Memorial a gentle, but thrilling reminder of
the days of the Raj.
Source: The Times of India
1. What did tonga symbolise in Delhi? Why did the Municipal Corporation decide to stop it on the capital roads?
2. What spurred Bhamini Rautela-Pahwa and four friends to start a signature campaign? How does Bhamini view
the decision of the Delhi Municipal Corporation?
3. What does she suggest? Who, according to her, will be helpful in this regard?
4. How do tongas work in cities like Mumbai and Kolkata?
1. Find a word in the passage in para 1 which means ‘blockage’.
2. Find a word in the passage in para 6 which means ‘sensational’.
3. The verb form of ‘reminder’ is .................... .
4. Find a word in the passage in para 3 which is the same as ‘disrespect to a sacred thing’.
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Space for Notes
Name Marks
Class Section Grade
Assignment – 9

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