From the Diary of Anne Frank #

From the Diary of Anne Frank AP 10th Class English First Flight 4

Oral Comprehension Check

Question 1.
What makes writing in a diary a strange experience for Anne Frank ?

Answer: Never having written anything before and thinking neither she nor anyone else would be interested in reading that later, Anne Frank felt it was a strange experience writing a diary

Question 2.
Why does Anne want to keep a diary ?

Answer: Anne Frank wanted to keep a diary as she felt like writing and as she had a greater need to get all kinds of things off her heart

Question 3.
Why did Anne think she could confide more in her diary than in people ?

Answer: Anne Frank thought: Paper has more patience than people. Moreover, she didnt have a friend. So she felt that she would confide more in her diary than in people

Question 4.
Why does Anne provide a brief sketch of her life ?

Answer: Anne knew well that her diary would run on a different note. She was aware of the fact the diary stories needed some personal introduction. Without a brief sketch about her personality and background, it would be difficult for the reader to follow her stories. Hence, the short description of herself and her family was given first

Question 5.
What tells you that Anne loved her grandmother ?

Answer: Annes own statements tell us that Anne loved her grandmother. Anne wrote, "No one knows how often I think of her and still love her. This birthday celebration in 1942 Grandmas candle was lit along with the rest."

Question 6.
Why was Mr Keesing annoyed with Anne ? What did he ask her to do ?

Answer: Mr Keesing, Annes maths teacher, was annoyed with Anne as she talked so much. He assigned her to write an eassy on "A Chatterbox," by way of punishment

Question 7.
How did Anne justify her being a chatterbox in her essay ?

Answer: Anne justified her being a chatterbox by saying that she inherited that trait of talking so much from her mother

Question 8.
Do you think Mr Keesing was a strict teacher ?

Answer: Yes, I think Mr Keesing was a strict teacher. He warned Anne serveral times against talking a lot. He tried to correct her by punishing her with extra assignments. He was resourceful in that

Question 9.
What made Mr Keesing allow Anne to talk in class ?

Answer: The third assignment was composed by Anne in the form of a beautiful verse. Mr Keesing was very much impressed with Annes skills. He read out the poem to the entire class. He allowed Annes genius to flourish in her talk

Thinking about the Text

Question 1.
Was Anne right when she said that the world would not be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old girl ?

Answer: Anne was not right in saying that the world would not be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old girl. If she was right, we wouldnt be enjoying reading this touching piece. In fact, when this diary was first published (courtesy her father),the whole world curiously followed the tender minds gentle feelings. It was translated into many languages. It remains one of the most widely read works

Question 2.
There are some examples of diary or journal entries in the Before You Read section. Compare these with what Anne writes in her diary. What language was the diary originally written in ? In what way is Annes diary different ?

Answer: Anne Franks diary was written originally in Dutch. Later, it was translated into many languages. And it has become one of the most widely read books. The entries given in the Before you Read section are prosaic. They arouse no interest in the reader. Annes diary, on the other hand, is very touching. It at once moves the reader. It is insightful. It is creative. It appeals to every reader. That is the justification for its popularity

Question 3.
Why does Anne need to give a brief sketch about her family ? Does she treat Kitty as an insider or an outsider ?

Answer: Anne knew well that her diary would run on a different note. She was aware of the fact the diary stories needed some personal introduction. Without a brief sketch about her personality and background, it would be difficult for the reader to follow her stories. Hence, the short description of herself and her family was given first. She addressed her stories to Kitty. Kitty was her own creation. She was her intimate friend. She was an insider

Question 4.
How does Anne feel about her father, her grandmother, Mrs Kuperus and Mr Keesing? What do these tell you about her ?

Answer: Anne regarded her father as the most adorable of all fathers. She loved her grand¬mother very much. With her headmistress Mrs Kuperus, her relation was so close that both of them were in tears as they said a heartbreaking farewell. Mr Keesing taught Maths to Anne. Initially, their relation was not a happy one. But later on, they liked each other. These relations present Anne as a loving, caring, understanding and sociable girl

Question 5.
What does Anne write in her first essay ?

Answer: Mr. Keesing did not like Annes excessive talk in the class. He felt like correcting her. He gave an extra assignment to her. He asked Anne to write an essay on A Chatterbox. Anne thought a lot about it. In her essay she argued that talking was a students trait. She tried to minimise her talking. But she couldnt. The reason was that she inherited it from her mother. Such genetic traits were not easy to control, she added

Question 6.
Anne says teachers are most unpredictable. Is Mr Keesing unpredictable ? How ?

Answer: Anne says teachers are most unpredictable. It is her perspective. It cannot be applied to all teachers or all students. But in the case of Mr Keesing, the statement is fully relevant. Can anyone predict that an essay on A Chatterbox would be given as an assignment by way of punishing an over talker? Never, at least, can a studept predict! And what followed next? Certainly unpredictable ! Two more assignments with refined form

Question 7.
What do these statements tell you about Anne Frank as a person?

Answer:

1. We dont seem to be able to get any closer, and thats the problem. Maybe its my fault that we dont confide in each other.
2. I dont want to jot down the facts in this diary the way most people would, but I want the diary to be my friend
3. Margot went to Holland in December, and I followed in February, when I was plunked down on the table as a birthday present for Margot
4. If you ask me, there are so many dummies that about a quarter of the class should be kept back, but teachers are the most unpredictable creatures on earth
5. Anyone could ramble on and leave big spaces between the words, but the trick was to come up with convincing arguments to prove the necessity of talking

The statements tell us about Anne Frank as a person that:

1. she is more honest in admitting her weakness than blaming others
2. she would like to be different, creative and intimate
3. she is a loving and obedient sister pleased to make others happy
4. she is frank in estimating students weaknesses and teachers generosity
5. she is sincere in discharging her assignments

Thinking about Language

QuestionI.
Look at the following words?

These words are compound words. They are made up of two or more words. Compound words can be

1. nouns : headmistress, homework, notebook, outbursts
2. adjectives : long-awaited, stiff-backed
3. verbs : sleep-walk, baby-sit

Match the compound words under A with their meanings under B. Use each in a sentence

A	B
Heartbreaking	obeying and respecting the law
Homesick	think about pleasant things, forgetting about the present
Blockhead	something produced by a person, machine or organisation
Law-abiding	producing great sadness
Overdo	an occasion when vehicles/machines stop working
Daydream	an informal word which means a very stupid person
Breakdown	missing home and family very much
Output	do something to an excessive degree

Answer:

1. (adj)- d
2. (adj) - g
3. (noun) - f
4. (adj) - a
5. (verb) - h
6. (verb) - b
7. (noun) - e
8. (noun) - c
9. heartbreaking (adj): The site of that accident was full of heartbreaking sights that moved every eyewitness into tears
10. homesick (adj): All the young and sensitive girls were so homesick that their teacher permitted them to visit their parents for three days
11. blockhead (noun): Nehas friends jokingly call Neha a blockhead and they all - including Neha - enjoy a hearty laugh
12. law-abiding (adj): He solemnly affirmed in the declaration form that his son was a lawra-biding citizen
13. overdo (v): Gandhism and Japanese practice advise one to overdo - not to strike - their work if they need to protest
14. daydream (v): Fools daydream while achievers dream day and night of the goals to be achieved
15. breakdown (p): The machinery needs overhauling; breakdowns have become order of the da for over a month
16. output (n): Our unit has been recording a consistent five percent increase in the output every month for a year

II. Phrasal Verbs

A phrasal verb is a verb followed by a preposition or an adverb. Its meaning is often different from the meanings of its parts. Compare the meanings of the verbs get on and run away in (a) and (b) below. You can easily guess their meanings in (a) but in (b) they have special meanings

1. She got on at Agra when the bus stopped for breakfast
2. Dev Anand ran away from home when he was a teenager
3. Shes eager to get on in life, (succeed)
4. The visitors ran away with the match, (won easily)
5. Some phrasal verbs have three parts: a verb followed by an adverb and a preposition
6. Our car ran out of petrol just outside the city limits
7. The government wants to reach out to the people with this new campaign

Question 1.
The text youve just read has a number of phrasal verbs commonly used in English. Look up the following in a dictionary for their meanings (under the entry for the italicised word)?

1. plunge (right) in
2. kept back
3. ramble on
4. get along with

Answer:

1. plunge in - go straight to the topic
2. kept back - not promoted; withheld
3. ramble on - speak or write without any focus on the topic
4. get along with - have a good relationship (with others)

Question 2.
Now find the sentences in the lesson that have the phrasal verbs given below. Match them with their meanings. (You have already found out the meanings of some of them.) Are their meanings the same as that of their parts? (Note that two parts of a phrasal verb may occur separated in the text.)?

1. plunge in - speak or write without focus
2. kept back - stay indoors
3. move up - make (them) remain quiet
4. ramble on - have a good relationship with
5. get along with - give an assignment (homework) to a person in authority (the teacher)
6. calm down - compensate
7. stay in - go straight to the topic
8. make up for - go to the next grade
9. hand in - not promoted

Answer:

1. plunge in = go straight to the topic (sentence in the text with this phrasal verb): ..... if I were to plunge right in, I would better .....
2. kept back = not promoted ..... that a quarter of the class should be kept back .....
3. move up = go to the next grade ..... the teachers decide wholl move up to the next form .....
4. ramble on = speak or write without focus Anyone could ramble on and leave big spaces between the words .....
5. get along with = have a good relationship with I get along pretty well with all my teachers
6. calm down = make (someone) remain quiet Even Gs pleading glances and my angry outbursts cant calm them down
7. stay in = stay indoors ..... bored and listless, wondering whether to stay in or go out
8. make up for = compensate This birthday celebration in 1942 was intended to make up for the other, and Grandmas .....
9. hand in = give an assignment to a person in authority. I handed it in, and Mr Keesing had nothing to complain .....

III. Idioms

Idioms are groups of words with a fixed order, and a particular meaning, different from the meanings of each of their words put together. (Phrasal verbs can also be idioms; they are said to be idiomatic when their meaning is unpredictable.) For example, do you know what it means to meet ones match in English? It means to meet someone who is as good as oneself, or even better, in some skill or quality. Do you know what it means to let the cat out of the bag? Can you guess

Question1.
Here are a few sentences from the text which have idiomatic expressions. Can you say what each means? (You might want to consult a dictionary first.)?

1. Our entire class is quaking in its boots. .....................
2. Until then, we keep telling each other not to lose heart. .....................
3. Mr Keesing was annoyed with me for ages because I talked so much. .....................
4. Mr Keesing was trying to play a joke on me with this ridiculous subject, but ld make sure the joke was on him......................

Answer:

1. quaking in its boots: to be very frightened, scared, nervous
2. not to lose heart: not to despair; not to feel hopeless
3. for ages: for a long period
4. the joke was on him : who tried to make another person look ridiculous now looks ridiculous instead

Question2.
Here are a few more idiomatic expressions that occur in the text. Try to use them in sentences of your own?

1. caught my eye
2. hed had enough
3. laugh ourselves silly
4. cant bring myself to

Answer:

1. caught my eye = attracted my attention As I was walking towards my new classroom, a black and white painting hanging on the wall caught my attention
2. hed had enough = he was annoyed and would like no more of it. Hed had enough of reading her sarcastic essays
3. laugh ourselves silly = laugh uncontrollably or for long Our teachers jokes always make us laugh ourselves silly
4. cant bring myself to = not be able to force myself to do something that I think is unpleasant I couldnt bring myself to respond to his rude comments

IV. Do you know how to use a dictionary to find out the meanings of idiomatic expressions? Take, for example, the expression caught my eye in the story. Where - under which word - would you look for it in the dictionary

Look for it under the first word. But if the first word is a grammatical word like a, the, for, etc., then take the next word. That is, look for the first meaningful word in the expression. In our example, it is the word caught. But you wont find caught in the dictionary, because it is the past tense of catch. Youll find caught listed under catch. So you must look under catch for the expression caught my eye. Which other expressions with catch are listed in your dictionary

Note that a dictionary entry usually first gives the meanings of the word itself, and then gives a list of idiomatic expressions using that word. For example, study this partial entry for the noun eye from the Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, 2005

1. Noun
2. Part of Body 1[C] either of the two organs on the face that you see with: The suspect has dark hair and green eyes
3. Ability to See 3 [sing] the ability to see: A surgeon needs a good eye and a steady hand
4. Way of Seeing 4[C, usually sing] a particular way of seeing sth: He looked at the design with the eye of an engineer
5. Of Needle 5[C] the hole in the end of a needle that you put the thread through

IDM be all eyes to be watching sb/sth carefully and with a lot of interest before/in front of sbs (very) eyes in sbs presence; in front of sb: He had seen his lifes work destroyed before his very eyes. Be up to your eyes in sth to have a lot of sth to deal with: Were upi to our eyes in work

Question.
You have read the expression not to lose heart in this text. Now find out the meanings of the following expressions using the word heart. Use each of them in a sentence of your own?

1. break somebodys heart
2. close/dear to heart
3. from the (bottom of your) heart
4. have a heart
5. have a heart of stone
6. your heart goes out to somebody

Answer:

1. break somebodys heart = make somebody feel very sad It breaks a true teachers heart when he/she sees his/her students perform poorly in public examinations
2. close/dear to heart = having a lot of importance for somebody or something She always holds her hobby of photography close to her heart
3. from the (bottom of your) heart = in a way that is sincere I do, from the bottom of my heart, appreciate your efforts despite your failure
4. have a heart = ask someone to be kind or reasonable The poor parents appealed to the headmaster to have a heart and allow their son to take the public examination
5. have a heart of stone = to be a person with no sympathy for others The headmaster has a heart of stone and remains firm despite appeals with tears from students or parents
6. your heart goes out to somebody = feel a lot of sympathy for others My heart goes out to the young ones who lost their parents and homes in the recent floods

V. Contracted Forms

When we speak, we use contracted forms or short forms such as these : cant (for can not or cannot)   Id (for I would or I had)   shes (for she is) Notice that contracted forms are also written with an apostrophe to show a shortening of the spelling of not, would, or is as in the above example. Writing a diary is like speaking to oneself. Plays (and often, novels) also have speech in written form. So we usually come across contracted forms in diaries, plays and novels

Question 1.
Make a list of the contracted forms in the text. Rewrite them as full forms of two words?

Answer: Ive = I have ; doesnt = does not ; Im = I am ; wont = will not ; dont = do not ; cant = can not; thats = that is ; its = it is ; theyre = they are ; didnt = did not ; wholl = who will ; youre = you are ; whos = who is

Question 2.
We have seen that some contracted forms can stand for two different full forms: Id = I had or I would Find in the text the contracted forms that stand for two different full forms, and say what these are?

Answer: Id = I would / I had; hed = he had / he would; thats = that is / that has; its = it is / it has; whos = who is / who has

Speaking

Here is an extract adapted from a one-act play. In this extract, angry neighbours who think Joe the Inventors new spinning machine will make them lose their jobs come to destroy Joes model of the machine. Youve just seen how contracted forms can make a written text sound like actual speech. Try to make this extract sound more like a real conversation by changing some of the verbs back into contracted forms. Then speak out the lines. [The door is flung open, and several men tramp in. They carry sticks, and one of them, HOB, has a hammer.]

Question.
MOB: Now where is your husband, mistress?

MARY: In his bed. He is sick, and weary. You would not harm him

HOB: We are going to smash his evil work to pieces. Where is the machine

SECOND MAN: On the table yonder

HOB: Then here is the end of it! [HOB smashes the model. MARY screams.]

HOB:  And now for your husband

MARY: Neighbours, he is a sick man and almost a cripple. You would not hurt him

HOB: He is planning to take away our daily bread. We will show him what we think of him and his ways

MARY: You have broken his machine. You have done enough.

Answer: [The doors flung open and several men tramp in. They carry sticks, and one of them, HOB, has a hammer.]

MOB Now wheres your husband, mistress

MARY: In his bed. Hes sick, and weary. Youd not harm him!

HOB: Were going to smash his evil work to pieces. Wheres the machine

Second Man: On that table yonder

HOB: Then heres the end of it!

[HOB smashes the model. Mary screams.]

HOB And now for your husband

MARY: Neighbours, hes a sick man and almost a cripple. Youd not hurt him

HOB: Hes planning to take away our daily bread.. Well show him what we think of him and his ways !

MARY: Youve broken his machine. Youve done enough!

Writing

Now you know what a diary is and how to keep one. Can you keep a diary for a week recording the events that occur? You may share your diary with your class, if you wish to. Use the following hints to write your diary

1. Though your diary is very private, write as if you are writing for someone else
2. Present your thoughts in a convincing manner
3. Use words that convey your feelings, and words that paint pictures for the reader. Be brief

Diary language has some typical features such as subjectless sentences (Got up late in the morning), sentence fragments without subjects or verbs (.too bad, boring, not good), contracted forms (theyre, Ive, cant, didnt, etc.), and everyday expressions which people use in speech. Remember not to use such language in more formal kinds of writing

A. My Diary

17.11.20xx The day started brilliantly. A motivational session has been arranged in our school. I initiated the proceedings with insightful remarks. That has won loud applause. The session served the desired design. It remains as a remarkable memory

18.11.20xx Starting half yearly examinations. Except that I wrote well not much happened that demands recording

19.11.20xx As I was returning from school, I witnessed an accident. A cyclist, hit by a speeding car, sustained bleeding injuries. With the help of some friends I took him to the nearest hospital and informed the victims family. They and the hospital personnel appreciated my timely help

20.11.20xx Relatives visited us. Had joyous time with cousins

21.11.20xx Had been to nearby hills with cousins. An adventurous trekking! Thrilling experience ! Memories recorded

22.11.20xx Nothing special apart from routine

23.11.20xx A cricket match in the school ground. Exciting developments! Thriller to the core. Ended in a tie! Value added!

Listening

Your teacher will read out an extract from The Diary of Samuel Pepys (given on the next page) about the great fire of London. As you listen complete this summary of the happenings

Summary

Question.
This entry in the diary has been made on ..... by ..... The person who told Pepys about the fire was called ..... She called at ..... in the morning. Pepys went back to sleep because ..... . Pepys rose again at ..... in the morning. By then about ..... houses had been burned down. The fire had spread to ..... by London Bridge. Pepys then walked to the ..... along with Sir J. Robinsons ..... .?

Answer: This entry in the diary has been made on 02-September (Lords Day) (1666) by Samuel Pepys. The person who told Pepys about the fire was called Jane. She called at three in the morning. Pepys went back to sleep because he thought the fire was far off. Pepys rose again at seven in the morning. By then about three hundred houses had been burned down. The fire had spread to Fish Street by London Bridge. Pepys then walked to the Tower along with Sir J. Robinsons little son

Activity

Question1.
Do you keep a diary? Given below under A are some terms we use to describe a written record of personal experience. Can you match them with their descriptions under B? (You may look up the terms in a dictionary if you wish.)?

A	B
Journal	A book with a separate space or page for each day, in which you write down your thoughts and feelings or what has happened on that day
Diary	A full record of a journey, a period of time, or an event, written every day
Log	A record of a persons own life and experiences (usually, a famous person)
Memoir(s)	A written record of events with times and dates, usually official

Answer:

A	B
Journal	A written record of events with times and dates, usually officia
Diary	A book with a separate space or page for each day, in which you write down your thoughts and feelings or what has happened on that day
Log	A full record of a journey, a period of time, or an event, written every day
Memoir(s)	A record of a persons own life and experiences (usually, a famous person)

Question 2.
Here are some entries from personal records. Use the definitions above to decide which of the entries might be from a diary, a journal, a log or a memoir?

1. I woke up very late today and promptly got a scolding from Mum! I cant help it how can I miss the FIFA World Cup matches
2. 10:30 a.m. - Went to the office of the Director 01:00 p.m. -  Had lunch with Chairman 05:45 p.m. -  Received Rahul at the airport 09:30 p.m. -  Dinner at home
3. The ride to Ooty was uneventful. We rested for a while every 50 km or so, and used the time to capture the magnificent landscape with my HandyCam. From Ooty we went on to Bangalore. What a contrast! The noise and pollution of this once-beautiful city really broke my heart
4. This is how Raj Kapoor found me - all wet and ragged outside R.K. Studios. He was then looking for just someone like this for a small role in Mera Naam Joker, and he cast me on the spot. The rest, as they say, is history

Answer:

1. Dairy
2. Journal
3. Log
4. Memoirs

Additional Questions :

I. Read the following passage carefully

Writing in a diary is a really strange experience for someone like me. Not only because Ive never written anything before, but also because it seems to me that later on neither I nor anyone else will be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old schoolgirl. Oh well, it doesnt matter. I feel like writing, and I have an even greater need to get all kinds of things off my chest. Paper has more patience than people. I thought of this saying on one of those days when I was feeling a little depressed and was sitting at home with my chin in my hands, bored and listless, wondering whether to stay in or go out. I finally stayed where I was, brooding: Yes, paper does have more patience, and since Im not planning to let anyone else read this stiff-backed notebook grandly referred to as a diary, unless I should ever find a real friend, it probably wont make a bit of difference

Question 1.
Why does the speaker find writing in a diary strange?

Answer: The speaker finds writing in a diary strange because she believes that neither she nor anyone else will be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old schoolgirl later on

Question 2.
What does the speaker compare paper to in terms of patience?

Answer: The speaker compares paper to people, stating that paper has more patience than people

Question 3.
Why does the speaker feel inclined to write in the diary?

1. She is bored and listless
2. She wants to impress her friends
3. She is feeling depressed

Answer: She is feeling depressed

Question 4.
What does the speaker imply about her expectations regarding her diary entries?

1. She believes they will be valuable to others
2. She thinks they will be uninteresting
3. She believes they will be highly sought after

Answer: She thinks they will be uninteresting

Question 5.
What condition must be met for the speaker to share her diary with someone?

1. She must find a real friend
2. She must become famous
3. She must finish writing it

Answer: She must find a real friend