My Childhood

TS 10th Class English 19th Lesson Questions and Answers My Childhood

Section - A : Reading Comprehension (Q.1 - 7): (A) Read the following passage

I was born into a middle-class Tamil family in the island town of Rameswaram in the erstwhile Madras State. My father, Jainulabdeen, had neither much formal education nor much wealth; despite these disadvantages, he possessed great innate wisdom and a true generosity of spirit. He had an ideal helpmate in my mother, Ashiamma. I do not recall the exact, number of people she fed every day, but I am quite certain that far more outsiders ate with us than all the members of our own family put together

I was one of the children - a short boy with rather undistinguished looks, born to tall and handsome parents. We lived in our ancestral house, which was built in the middle of the nineteenth centrury. It was a fairly large pucca house, made of limestone and brick, on the Mosque Street in Rameswaram. My austere father used to avoid all inessential comforts and luxuries. However, all necessities were provided for, in terms of food, medicine or clothes. In fact, I would say mine was a very secure childhood, both materially and emotionally

The Second World War broke out in 1939, when I was eight years old. For reasons I have never been able to understand, a sudden demand for tamarind seeds erupted in the market. I used to collect the seeds and sell them to a provision shop on Mosque Street. A days collection would fetch me the princely sum of one anna. My brother-in-law Jallaluddin would tell me stories about the War which I would later attempt to trace in the headlines in Dinamani. Our area, being isolated, was completely unaffected by the War. But soon India was forced to join the Allied Forces and something like a state of emergency was declared

The first casualty came in the form of the suspension of the train halt at Rameswaram station. The newspapers now had to be bundled and thrown out from the moving train on the Rameswaram Road between Rameswaram and Dhanuskodi. That forced my cousin Samsuddin, who distributed newspapers in Rameswaram, to look for a helping, hand to catch the bundles and, as if naturally, I filled the slot, Samsuddi helped me earn my first wages. Half century later, I can still feel the surge of pride in earning my own money for the first time

Now answer the following Questions. Each Question has four choices. Choose the correct answer and write (A), (B), (C) or (D) in your answer booklet

Question 1.
The speaker belongs to?

1. Tamil Nadu
2. a middle-class family
3. Rameswaram
4. above all

Answer:

1. above all

Question 2.
What is the nationality of the speaker?

1. A Tamilian
2. An Indian
3. A great scientist
4. above all

Answer:

1. An Indian

Question 3.
My austere father used to avoid all inessential comforts and luxuries. What does this sentence tell us about Jainuladbeen ?

1. Jainulabdeen was a man of simplicity
2. Jainulabdeen was a miser
3. Jainulabdeen did not like to eat food
4. Jainulabdeen did not help others

Answer:

1. Jainulabdeen was a man of simplicity

Question 4.
The Second World War broke out in 1939, when I was eight years old. Basing on the information given in the sentence, choose the year in which the speaker was born ?

1. 1929
2. 1927
3. 1931
4. 1939

Answer:

1. 1931

Answer the following

Questions in two or three sentences each

Question 5.
How was the speakers childhood secure both materially and emotionally ?

Answer: The speaker was provided with all necessities, in terms of food, medicine or clothes. His father was a man of wisdom. He could guide the speaker properly. Thus the childhood of the speaker was secure both materially and emotionally

Question 6.
Write any two sentences about the speakers house?

Answer: The speakers house was built in the middle of the nineteenth century. It was a fairly large pucca house, made of limestone and brick. It was an ancestral house

Question 7.
What were the two disadvantages that the speaker had in his childhood ?

Answer: His family was not rich. His father was not formally educated

(B) Read the following passage

The second world war broke out in 1939, when I was eight years old. For reasons I have never been able to understand, a sudden demand for tamarind seeds erupted in the market. I used to collect the seeds and sell them to a provision shop on Mosque Street. A days collection would fetch me the princely sum of one anna. My brother-in-law Jallaluddin would tell me stories about the War which I would later attempt to trace in the headlines in Dinamani. Our area, being isolated, was completely unaffected by the War. But soon India was forced to join the Allied Forces and something like a state of emergency was declared

The first casualty came in the form of the suspension of the train halt at Rameswaram station. The newspapers now had to be bundled and thrown out from the moving train on the Rameswaram Road between Rameswaram and Dhanuskodi. That forced my cousin Samsuddin, who distributed newspapers in Rameswaram, to look for a helping hand to catch the bundles and, as if naturally, I filled the slot. Samsuddin helped me earn my first wages. Half a century later, I can still feel the surge of pride in earning my own money for the first time

Every child is born, with some inherited characteristics, into a specific socioeconomic and emotional environment, and trained in certain ways by figures of authority. I inherited honesty and self-discipline from my father; from my mother, I inherited faith in goodness and deep kindness and so did my three brothers and sister. I had three close friends in my childhood - Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan and Sivaprakasan

Question 1.
When the Second World War broke out in 1939, when the narrator was years old?

1. ten
2. nine
3. eight
4. seven

Answer:

1. eight

Question 2.
The narrator felt __________ in earning his own money for the first time?

1. a sense of pride
2. a sense of joy
3. a sense of responsibility
4. all the above

Answer:

1. a sense of pride

Question 3.
Every child is born, with some inherited __________, into a specific socio-economic and emotional environment?

1. aspects
2. features
3. qualities
4. characteristics

Answer:

1. characteristics

Question 4.
Two qualities were inherited by the author from his father. They are?

1. punctuality and discipline
2. honesty and self-discipline
3. self-discipline and sincerity
4. punctuality and honesty

Answer:

1. honesty and self-discipline

Answer the following

Questions in two or three sentences

Question 5.
How did the narrator earn some money for the first time ?

Answer: When the narrator was an eight - year - old boy, a sudden demand for tamarind seeds erupted in the market. He used to collect the seeds and sell them to a provision shop on Mosque Street. A days collection would fetch him the princely sum of one anna. Thus, the narrator earned some money for the first time

Question 6.
What happened as a result of cancelling the halt of the train at Rameswaram Station ?

Answer: The first casuality due to the Second World War came in the form of the suspension of the train halt at Rameswaram station. The newspapers now had to be bundled and thrown out from the moving train on the Rameswaram Road between Rameswaram and Dhanushodi. The bundle of newspapers had to be caught and distnbuted

Question 7.
"I filled the slot". What does the sentence mean ?

Answer: This sentence means that Abdul Kalam helped his cousin Samsuddin in catching the newspaper bundles thrown from the moving train, at the Rameswaram Railway Station

(C) Read the following passage

Every child is born, with some inherited characteristics, into a specific socio-economic and emotional environment, and trained in certain ways by figures of authority. I inherited honesty and self-discipline from my father; from my mother, I inherited faith in goodness and deep kindness so did my three brothers and sister. I had three close friends in my childhood - Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan and Sivaprakasan. All these boys were from orthodox Hindu Brahmin families

As children, none of us ever felt any difference amongst ourselves because of our religious differences and upbringing. In fact, Ramanadha Sastry was the son of Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, the high priest of the Rameswaram temple. Later he took over the priesthood of the Rameswaram temple from his father; Aravindan went into business of arranging transport for visiting pilgrims; and Sivaprakasan became a catering contractor for the Southern Railways. - My Childhood

Now answer the following Questions. Each Question has four choices. Choose the correct answer and write (A), (B), (C) or (D) in your answer booklet

Question 1.
This is an excerpt of?

1. Interview
2. Autobiography
3. Report
4. Essay

Answer:

1. Autobiography

Question 2.
Later in life, Aravindan became?

1. a transport businessman
a catering contractor for Southern Railways
2. the high priest of Rameswaram temple
3. the President of India

Answer:

1. a transport businessman

Question 3.
Qualities that the author inherited from his mother were?

1. authoritativeness
2. self discipline
3. faith in goodness
4. dishonesty

Answer:

1. faith in goodness

Question 4.
According to the passage, who is the figure of authority for the author?

1. Parents
2. Brothers and sister
3. Friends
4. Himself

Answer:

1. Parents

Answer the following Questions in two or three sentences each

Question 5.
"Every child is born, with some inherited characteristics." What do you think are yours ?

Answer: I think I have got the characteristics of courage, self discipline and will power, from my parents

Question 6.
According to the passage, who were the childhood friends of the author ?

Answer: Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindari and Siva Prakasan, who were from orthodox Hindu Brahmin familles, were the childhood friends of the author

Question 7.
"You are living in a colony where families of different religions live together." What factors do you think helps them to live together ?

Answer: The factors such as religious harmony, cultural unity, certain traditions and conventions, consciousness of the people, love, brotherhood, unselfishness, kindness, generosity etc., help the people of different religions live together

(D) Read the following passage

All these boys were from orthodox Hindu Brahmin families. As children, none of us ever felt any difference amongst ourselves because of our religious differences and upbringing. In fact, Ramanadha Sastry was the son of Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, the high priest of the Rameswaram temple. Later he took over the priesthood of the Rameswaram temple from his father; Aravindan went into the business of arranging transport for visiting pilgrims; and Sivaprakasan became a catering contractor for the Southern Railways

During the annual Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony, our family used to arrange boats with a special platform for carrying idols of the Lord from the temple to the marriage site, situated in the middle of the pond called Rama Tirtha which was near our house. Events from the Ramayana and from the life of the Prophet were the bedtime stories my mother and grandmother would tell the children in our family

One day when I was in the fifth standard at the Rameswaram Elementary School, a new teacher came to our class. I used to wear a cap which marked me as a Muslim, and I always sat in the front row next to Ramanadha sastry, who wore the sacred thread. The new teacher could not stomach a Hindu priests son sitting with a Muslim boy. In accordance with our social ranking as the new teacher saw it, I was asked to go and sit on the back bench. I felt very sad, and so did Ramanadha Sastry. He looked utterly downcast as I shifted to my seat in the last row. The image of him weeping when I shifted to the last row left a lasting impression on me

Question 1.
One day when the author was in the standard at the Rameswaram El-ementary School, a new teacher went to their class?

1. eighth
2. fifth
3. sixth
4. seventh

Answer:

1. fifth

Question 2.
Those schoolmates who were his friends came from?

1. orthodox Hindu Brahmin families
2. broad - minded Hindu families
3. austere Muslim families
4. from Hindu and Muslim castes

Answer:

1. orthodox Hindu Brahmin families

Question 3.
"I felt very sad; and so did Ramanadha Sastry. He looked utterly __________ at shifted to my seat in the last row". Fill in the blank with a suitable word?

1. dejected
2. depressed
3. downcast
4. sad

Answer:

1. downcast

Question 4.
The new teacher could not stomach?

1. a Muslim boy wearing a cap
2. a Brahmin boy wearing a sacred thread.
3. a Hindu priests son sitting with a Muslim boy
4. a Muslim boy touching a Brahmin boy

Answer:

1. a Hindu priests son sitting with a Muslim boy

Answer the following Questions in two or three sentences each

Question 5.
If one wants to bring a change in the social system, what qualities should one posses?

Answer: One should be courageous, optimistic and ideal in his behaviour to face the problems which would crop up due to caste system. Positive thinking, exemplary behaviour and reconciling nature in a person enables him to bring changes in the social system

Question 6.
What lasting impression did Ramanadha Sastry leave on Kalam ?

Answer: Kalam was asked by the new teacher to sit on the back bench. He felt very bad and sad. Ramanadha Sastry too felt in a similar manner. The Image of Sastry weeping when Kalam shifted to the last row, left a lasting impression in the author (Kalam) such was the genuine brotherly feeling Sastry and Kalam used to have

Question 7.
What was the intolerable incident which hurt the feelings of two young minds due to the new teacher ?

Answer: The new teacher could not tolerate a Hindu priests son Ramanadha Sastry sitting with a Muslim boy Kalam. Owing to societal norms of those conservative times, the teacher asked Kalam to sit on the backbench. This intolerable incident deeply hurt the two young and tender minds of Sastry and Kalam

(E) Read the following passage

After school, we went home and told our respective parents about the incident. Lakshmana Sastry summoned the teacher, and in our presence, told the teacher that he should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance in the minds of innocent children. He bluntly asked the teacher to either apologize or quit the school and the island. Not only did the teacher regret his behaviour but the strong sense of conviction Lakshmana Sastry conveyed ultimately reformed this young teacher

On the whole, the small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in terms of the segregation of different social groups. However, my science teacher Sivasubramania Iyer, though an orthodox Brahmin with a very conservative wife, was something of a rebel. He did his best to break social barriers so that people from varying backgrounds could mingle easily. He used hours with me and would say, Kalam, I want you to develop so that you are on par with the highly educated people of the big cities."

Question 1.
Lakshmana Sastry summoned the teacher?

1. and told him that he should not spread poison of social inequality
2. and told him that he should not encourage communal intolerance in the minds of innocent children
3. and bluntly asked him to either apologize or quit the school and the island
4. all the three mentioned above

Answer:

1. all the three mentioned above

Question 2.
On the whole, the small society of Rameswaram was very in terms of the segregation of different social groups?

1. conservative
2. rigid
3. orthodox
4. communal

Answer:

1. rigid

Question 3.
Their science teacher Sivasubramania Iyer, though an orthodox Brahmin with a very conservative wife?

1. was something of a rebel
2. was something of a revolutionary
3. was diplomatic
4. was non-controversial

Answer:

1. was something of a rebel

Question 4.
Not only did the teacher regret his behaviour but the strong sense of conviction Lakshmana Sastry conveyed ultimately reformed this young teacher. Name the parts of speech of the words underlined?

1. Noun and Adjective
2. Adjective and Verb
3. Adjective and Adverb
4. Adverb and Noun

Answer:

1. Adjective and Adverb

Answer the following Questions in two or three sentences each

Question 5.
What did Lakshmana Sastry tell the new teacher ?

Answer: Lakshmaria Sastry told the new teacher not to spread the poison of social inequality. He advised him not to encourage communal intolerance in the minds of the innocent children. He bluntly asked the teacher either to apologize or quit the school and the island. Sastry told the teacher all this in the presence of the children

Question 6.
Describe in a few words the small society of Rameswaram ?

Answer: Rameswaram is an island town. It is reputed as a temple town. On the whole the small society of the town was very rigid in terms of the segregation of different social groups. There were Brahmins, Muslims and people of other religions and castes living peacefully and harmoniously

Question 7.
How did Sivasubramania Iyer bless Kalam ?

Answer: Sivasubramanla Iyer blessed Kalam saying that he should develop so that he would be on par with the highly educated elite of the big cities. Of course, Kalam fulfilled his teachers blessings and became the first citizen of India

(F) Read the following passage

One day when I was in the fifth standard at the Rameswaram Elementary School, a new teacher came to our class. I used to wear a cap which marked me as a Muslim, and I always sat in the front row next to Ramanadha Sastry, who wore the sacred thread. The new teacher could not stomach a Hindu priests son sitting with a Muslim boy. In accordance with our social ranking as the new teacher saw it, I was asked to go and sit on the back bench. I felt very sad, and so did Ramanadha sastry. He looked utterly downcast as I shifted to my seat in the last row. The image of him weeping when I shifted to the last row left a lasting impression on me

After school, we went home and told our respective parents about the incident. Lakshmana sastry summoned the teacher, and in our presence, told the teacher that he should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance in the minds of innocent children. He bluntly asked the teacher to either apologize or quit the school and the island. Not only did the teacher regret his behaviour but the strong sense of conviction Lakshmana Sastry conveyed ultimately reformed this young teacher

On the whole, the small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in the terms of the segregation of different social groups. However, my science teacher Sivasubramania Iyer, though an orthodox Brahmin with a very conservative wife, was something of a rebel. He did his best to break social barriers so that people from varying backgrounds could mingle easily. He used hours with me and would say, "Kalam, I want you to develop so that you are on par with the highly educated people of the big cities."

Now answer the following Questions. Each Question has four choices. Choose the correct answer and write (A), (B), (C) or (D) in your answer booklet

Question 1.
The teacher asked the boy to sit on the last bench as?

1. he did not work hard
2. he misbehaved in the class
3. he sat with a Hindu priests son
4. he disobeyed the teacher

Answer:

1. he sat with a Hindu priests son

Question 2.
The teacher could not stomach a Hindu priests son sitting with a Muslim boy What does the expression "could not stomach" mean ?

1. he had a pain in the stomach
2. he welcomed the act
3. he neither welcomed nor objected to it
4. he could not tolerate the act

Answer:

1. he could not tolerate the act

Question 3.
The outcome of Lakshmana Sastrys decision?

1. it reformed the teacher
2. both the boys were separated form each other
3. spread communal poison
4. the teacher quit the school

Answer:

1. it reformed the teacher

Question 4.
The general nature of society in Rameswaram?

1. was very flexible and promoted co-existence
2. did not allow people from different social groups to live together
3. encouraged different groups live harmoniously
4. broke the social barriers

Answer:

1. did not allow people from different social groups to live together

Answer the following

Questions in two or three sentences each

Question 5.
How did the narrator feel when he looked at Ramanadha Sastry from the back bench?

Answer: The narrator felt sad when he was asked to go to the back bench. The image of Ramanadha Sastrys weeping left an everlasting impression on him

Question 6.
What way is the person called Lakshmana Sastry concerned with the incident ?

Answer: Lakshmana Sastry might be the secretary or the correspondent of the school. He summoned the teacher and told him that he spread the poison of communal intolerance. He bluntly asked him to either apologize or quit the school

Question 7.
How did Sivsubramania Iyer influence the narrator ?

Answer: Sivasubramania lyer was an orthodox Brahmin and taught science to the narrator. He did his best to break the social barriers. He promised to the narrator that he would develop on par with the educated people of the big cities

(G) Read the following passage

One day when I was in the fifth standard at the Rameswaram Elementary School, a new teacher came to our class. I used to wear a cap which marked me as a Muslim, and I always sat in the front row next to Ramanadha sastry, who wore the sacred thread. The new teacher could not stomach a Hindu priests son sitting with a Muslim boy. In accordance with our social ranking as the new teacher saw it, I was asked to go and sit on the back bench. I felt very sad, and so did Ramanadha Sastry. He looked utterly downcast as I shifted to my seat in the last row. The image of him weeping when I shifted to the last row left a lasting impression on me

After school, we went home and told our respective parents about the incident. Lakshmana Sastry summoned the teacher, and in our presence, told the teacher that he should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance in the minds of innocent children. He bluntly asked the teacher to either apologize or quit the school and the island. Not only did the teacher regret his behaviour but the strong sense of conviction Laksiunana Sastry conveyed ultimately reformed this young teacher

On the whole, the small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in terms of the segregation of different social groups. However, my science teacher Sivasubramania Iyer, though an orthodox Brahmin with a very conservative wife, was something of a rebel. He did his best to break social barriers so that people from varying backgrounds could mingle easily. He used hours with me and would say, "Kalam, I want you to develop so that you are on par with the highly educated people of the big cities."

One day, he invited me to his home for a meal. His wife was horrified at the idea of a Muslim boy being invited to dine in her ritually pure kitchen. She refused to serve me in her kitchen. Sivasubramania Iyer was not perturbed, nor did he get angry with his wife, but instead, served me with his own hands and sat down beside me to eat his meal. His wife watched us from behind the kitchen door

Now answer the following Questions. Each Question has four choices. Choose the correct answer and write (A), (B), (C) or (D) in your answer booklet

Question 1.
Ramanatha Sastry looked very sad because?

1. he was suffering from some illness
2. he didnt like their new teacher
3. Kalam was changed to the last row
4. he didnt like to sit beside a Muslim boy

Answer:

1. Kalam was changed to the last row

Question 2.
The thing that had a lasting impression on the narrator was?

1. the image of Kalams weeping
2. the image of Ramanatha Sastrys weeping
3. the image of the Hindu priests weeping
4. the image of the teachers weeping

Answer:

1. the image of Ramanatha Sastrys weeping

Question 3.
Ramanatha Sastrys father demanded the young teacher?

1. to spread the poison of social inequality
2. to spread the communal intolerance
3. to stop weeping
4. to either apologize or quit the school

Answer:

1. to either apologize or quit the school

Question 4.
What do you mean by the word us in the expression, "His wife watched us from behind the kitchen door" ?

1. Kalam and Iyer
2. Kalam and his freinds
3. Kalam and Ramanatha Sastry
4. Ramanatha Sastry and Lakshmana Sastry

Answer:

1. Kalam and Iyer

Answer the following

Questions in two or three sentences each

Question 5.
"I was asked to go and sit on the back bench." Who does I refer to ? Why do you think he was sent to back bench ?

Answer: I refers to Kalam. The new teacher could not stomach him sitting beside a Hindu priests son. So he was sent to back bench by the new teacher

Question 6.
"Not only did the teacher regret his behaviour but the strong sense of conviction Lakshmana Sastry conveyed ultimately reformed this young teacher." How do you think the young teacher was reformed ?

Answer: The young teacher was reformed for two reasons. They are

1. The teacher regretted his behaviour
2. The strong sense of conviction conveyed by Lakshmana Sastry made him to treat all equally

Question 7.
How was Sivasubramania Iyer different from others in the small society of Rameswaram?

Answer: The small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in terms of the segregation of different social groups. But Sivasubramania Ieyer was something of a rebel though he was an orthodox Brahmin and his wife was conservative. He did his best to break social barriers

(H) Read the following passage

One day, he invited me to his home for a meal. His wife was horrified at the idea of a Muslim boy being invited to dine in her ritually pure kitchen. She refused to serve me in her kitchen. Sivasubramania Iyer was not perturbed, nor did he get angry with his wife, but instead, served me with his own hands and sat down beside me to eat his metal. His wife watched us from behind the kitchen door. I wondered whether she had observed any difference in the way I ate rice, drank water or cleaned the floor after the meal. When I was leaving his house, Sivasubramania Iyer invited me to join him for dinner again the next weekend

Observing my hesitation, he told not to get upset, saying, "Once you decide to change the system, such problems have to be confronted." When I visited his house the next week, Sivasubramania lyers wife took me inside her kitchen and served me food with her own hands

Then the Second World War was over and Indias freedom was imminent. "Indians will build their own India," declared Gandhiji, The whole country was filled with an unprecedented optimism. I asked my father for permission to leave Rameswaram and study at the district headquarters in Ramanathapuram

He told me as if thinking aloud, "Abut I know you have to go away to grow. Does the seagull not fly across the sun, alone and without a nest ?" He quoted Khalil Gibran to my hesitant mother, "Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Lifes longing for itself. They come through you but not form you. You may give them your love but not your thoughts, for they have their own thoughts."

Now answer the followingQuestions. Each Question has four choices. Choose the correct answer andwrite (A), (B), (C) or (D) in your answer booklet

Question 1.
What was the intention of Sivasubramania Iyer in serving the speaker?

1. To make his wife understand that people should be treated irrespective of religion
2. To make his wife insult
3. To satisfy the hunger of the speaker
4. To share the work of his wife

Answer:

1. To make his wife understand that people should be treated irrespective of religion

Question 2.
Why did Sivasubramania Iyers wife serve the speaker the next time ?

1. To make the speaker know the taste of the food cooked by her
2. To show how tasty the food in her house
3. Because she understood her husbands idea
4. Because she was afraid of her husband

Answer:

1. Because she understood her husbands idea

Question 3.
Why did the speaker want to go Ramanathapuram ?

1. To sell tamarind seeds
2. To work as a paper boy
3. To continue his studies
4. To start a new business

Answer:

1. To continue his studies

Question 4.
How did the mother of the speaker feel when the speaker wanted to leave his home town ?

1. She encouraged her son
2. She was not willing
3. She was readily agreed
4. She was eager to go with her son

Answer:

1. She was not willing

Answer the following Questions in two or three sentences each

Question 5.
What was the reaction of Sivasubramania Iyers wife when the speaker was invited for a meal ?

Answer: Iyers wife was horrified at the idea of a Muslim boy being invited to dine in her ritually pure kitchen. She refused to serve him in her kitchen

Question 6.
Why was Sivasubramania Iyer not perturbed at his wifes reaction ?

Answer: Sivasubramania lyer was not perturbed at his wifes reaction because he expected her reaction in advance and was ready to face it

Question 7.
How did the philosophy of the father come true about his son ?

Answer: His philosophy came true about his son. His son, Abdul Kalam studied well and became a great Indian scientist and the President of India

(Q.8 - 12): (A) Read the following lines

We, Indians, are proud to be a strong nation, our roots, we declare, cannot be shaken. Then why these fights, which leave us in poor plight ? Irrespective of our region, forget the castes, which makes us lose our charm. Lets ignore the selfish call of each region, and listen for once to the call of the nation

Now answer the following Questions. Each Question has four choices. Choose the correct answer and write (A), (B), (C) or (D) in your answer booklet

Question 8.
Why should Indians be proud ?

1. because we are good
2. because we are strong
3. because we have no enemies
4. because we are Indians

Answer:

1. because we are strong

Question 9.
Why do we lose our charm ?

1. because we become old
2. because we are proud
3. because we are fighting for region and casteism
4. because our Indians are weak

Answer:

1. because we are fighting for region and casteism

Question 10.
What should we keep aside as a true Indian ?

1. Regionalism
2. Communalism
3. Casteism
4. All of these

Answer:

1. All of these

Answer the following Questions in one or two sentences each

Question 11.
Who are responsible for our tradition of spiritual greatness ?

Answer: They result in a difficult situation

Question 12.
Pick out the word from the passage which means the people who recieve something from somebody, when he dies?

Answer: to keep the nation united and strong

(B) Read the following lines

Lets ignore the selfish call of each region, and listen for once to the call of the nation. Why do we spend our time bickering when so many tasks need finishing ? Dont we have better things to do than indulge in creating problems anew ? Is all this violence needed with the people being cheated ? Who will return this only son whom she loves a ton ? Who will bring back his brother whose ashes he is still to gather ? Where has all the love gone which resided in the heart of all

Now answer the following Questions. Each Question has four choices. Choose the correct answer and write (A), (B), (C) or (D) in your answer booklet

Question 8.
Where has all the love gone which resided in the heart of all ? What does the above line mean ?

1. We should show our love to the people around us
2. We should not love others
3. We should remove love from our hearts
4. We should live without love and hearts

Answer:

1. We should show our love to the people around us

Question 9.
Lets ignore the selfish call of each region, and listen for once to the call of the nation. What does this sentence mean ?

1. We should ignore the development of regions
2. We should bound to the cause of the nation united, not to the cause of a region selfishly
3. We need not develop the nation
4. We should develop our regions

Answer:

1. We should bound to the cause of the nation united, not to the cause of a region selfishly

Question 10.
Which is a better thing to do?

1. To create new problems
2. To finish the tasks for the sake of the nation
3. To waste time in thinking
4. To spend our time bickering

Answer:

1. To finish the tasks for the sake of the nation

Answer the following Questions in one or two sentences each

Question 11.
What does the poet say about the loss done to a mother ?

Answer: Mothers have lost their Sons because of violence. Nobody can return their sons to their mothers who love their sons a lot

Question 12.
What does the poet say about violence ?

Answer: Violence is not needed. People will lose their relations because of violence

(C) Read the following lines

There is no reason to be proud, and be on high cloud, We have to go a long way, we have to think seriously, else we end up miserably. Then let our minds throw out the rot, and devote our time to pious thoughts

Now answer the following Questions. Each Question has four choices. Choose the correct answer and write (A), (B), (C) or (D) in your answer booklet

Question 8.
What are the feelings expressed in this stanza ?

1. Nationalistic
2. Terroristic
3. Hatred
4. Pessimistic

Answer:

1. Nationalistic

Question 9.
Who are being addressed in this stanza ?

1. The people of the world
2. All the poets in the world
3. The people of India
4. Indian poets

Answer:

1. The people of India

Question 10.
What kind of thoughts should we have?

1. Beautiful
2. Selfish and funny
3. Serious and pious
4. Silly and selfish

Answer:

1. Serious and pious

Answer the following Questions in one or two sentences each

Question 11.
Why should we think seriously ?

Answer: We should think seriously for the sake of the nation

Question 12.
What happens if we do not think seriously ?

Answer: If we /do not think seriously, we will end up miserably

(D) Read the following lines

Let us control the riots, which leave us with no choice, but to hang our heads in shame, and say we have miserably failed. We have the power to Win, so why not end this din? Let us unite, and fight against those who incite. Let us not be misled, by those who want to see us dead. We are a strong united nation, all we need is a bit of dedication

Now answer the following Questions. Each Question has four choices. Choose the correct answer and write (A), (B), (C) or (D) in your answer booklet

Question 8.
If we dont control the riots?

1. they go on increasing
2. people go on attacking one another
3. the unity of India will be in jeopardy
4. we should hang our heads in shame

Answer:

1. we should hang our heads in shame

Question 9.
As we have the power to win, we can end this?

1. din
2. disturbance
3. riot
4. trouble of disunity

Answer:

1. din

Question 10.
People have to fight against those?

1. who encourage them to be violent by making them furious
2. who provoke them
3. who humiliate them
4. who hurt them

Answer:

1. who encourage them to be violent by making them furious

Answer the following Questions in one or two sentences each

Question 11.
What are the tasks to be finished according to the poet ?

Answer: People of India should perform constructive tasks to keep their unity intact. They should control the riots lest they should hang their heads in shame. They must have the power to win In order to avoid the disturbances in the country on the basis of caste, religion, region and community. They should be united against those who provoke violence and communal hatred which result in death

Question 12.
What is the central idea of the poem ?

Answer: The poet aims at creating an awareness among the poeple about evil and undesirable aspects of our social life. He hopes for a harmonious social life in which people should live peacefully and cordially together irrespective of their religion, region and caste and community

(E) Read the following passage

India, a country of many ethnic groups, is a land of myriad languages, a veritable babel of tongues and numerous modes of apparel. For the most part, the continental dimensions of the country account for these variations and diversities. Besides, there are several religions, sects and beliefs. But there are certain common links and uniting bonds that people have sought to develop in order to achieve the eminently desirable goal of unity amidst diversity

It is true that superficial observers are likely to be bewildered by the astonishing variety of Indian life. They fail to discover the one in many, the individual in the aggregate; the simple in the composite. With them the whole is lost in its parts. What is needed is the superior interpretation, synthesis of the power of the mind that can give rise to a vision of the whole

A keen penetrating insight will not fail to recognise the fundamental unity beneath the manifold variety in India. The diversity itself, far from being a damaging cause of disunity and weakness, is a fertile source of strength and wealth. Sir Herbert Risely has rightly observed: "Beneath the manifold diversity of physical and social types, languages, customs and religions which strike the observer in India, there can still be discerned a certain underlying uniformity of life from the Himalayas to Cape Comorin."

Now answer the following Questions. Each Question has four choices. Choose the correct answer and write (A), (B), (C) or (D) in your answer booklet

Question 8.
The fault of superficial observers according to the writer is?

1. they have understood the simple in the composite
2. they have superior interpretation
3. they fail to discover one in many
4. they lacked the real observation

Answer:

1. they fail to discover one in many

Question 9.
Which of the following words given in the passage means, "to recognize" ?

1. penetrate
2. discern
3. babel
4. myriad

Answer:

1. discern

Question 10.
The thing that one needs to understand the fundamental unity in India is?

1. different religious sects and beliefs
2. astonishing variety
3. the diversity
4. a keen penetrating insight

Answer:

1. a keen penetrating insight

Answer the following Questions in one or two sentences each

Question 11.
What do you understand by the expression, "Unity in diversity" ?

Answer: India is a country of various cultures, traditions and languages. Still it has one heart Our cultural heritage serves as abond of unity between the people odilferent faiths and creeds. People have sought to develop to acheive a desirable goal of unity amidst diversity

Question 12.
Why are the observers likely to be confused ?

Answer: The superficial observers are likely to be confused by the astonishing variety of Indian life. They fafl to discover the one in many, the individual in the aggregate; the simple in the composite

(F) Read the following passage

From his long and first-hand experience in India, Vincent A. Smith says that the civilisation of India "has many features which differentiate it from that of the other regions of the word, while they are common to the whole country in degree sufficient to justify its treatment as a unity in the history of human, social and intellectual development."

Even the early Indian history unmistakably shows that the political consciousness of the people has from the very early times, grasped the whole of India as a unit and assimilated the entire area as the theatre of its activities. India is not a mere geographical expression nor is it a mere collection of separate peoples, traditions and conventions. India is much more than this. The best proof lies in the fact that Indian history has quickened into life. India has many races, castes, sub-castes, nationalities and communities, but the heart of India is one. We are all heirs to a common and rich culture. Our cultural heritage consists of our art and literature as they flourished centuries ago. Our cultural heritage serves as a bond of unity between people of different faiths and creeds

The streams of different cultures have flowed into our subcontinent to make us what we are and what we will be. There were Dravidians in India before the coming of the Aryans and Hinduism is a blend of the cultures of the North and the South

India has one hundred and fifty dialects, and twenty two recognised regional languages, but Hindi, like English, has come to stay as the lingua franca of our nation. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Mumbai to Nagaland, Hindi is now understood and is recognised as the national language of India

Now answer the following Questions. Each Question has four choices. Choose the correct answer and write (A), (B), (C) or (D) in your answer booklet

Question 8.
Hinduism is the mixture of?

1. different dialects
2. variety of regional languages
3. the Dravidian and the Aryans
4. the cultures of the North and the South

Answer:

1. the cultures of the North and the South

Question 9.
The language that is recognised as the national languages of India is?

1. Dravidian language
2. Aryan language
3. Hindi
4. English

Answer:

1. Hindi

Question 10.
Lingua franca in the expression, " , like English has come to stay as the lingua franca of our nation" means?

1. a language used between people whose main languages are different
2. a language of Franca
3. an important language
4. a language used by most of the people all over the world

Answer:

1. a language used between people whose main languages are different

Answer the following Questions in one or two sentences each

Question 11.
How does our cultural heritage serve ?

Answer: Our cultural heritage serves as a bond of unity between people of different faiths and creeds

Question 12.
Which aspect is Smith commenting on ?

Answer: Smith is commenting on the distinguished features of India that makes it significant and extraordinary. But the feeling of unity is quite common for every Indian in terms of human, social and intellectual development

(G) Read the following passage

India has a rich cultural heritage. We are inheritors of several grand treasures in the fields of music, fine arts, dance drama, theatre and sculpture. Our sages and seers have left behind a tradition of piety, penance, spiritual greatness conquest of passion, etc. Our scriptures are the storehouses of spiritual wisdom. Our saints aspired to the realisation of the infinite. We have inherited great spiritual values contrasted with which the materialistic progress of the West appears insignificant

Now answer the following Questions. Each Question has four choices. Choose the correct answer and write (A), (B), (C) or (D) in your answer booklet

Question 8.
Drama, theatre and sculpture are a part of our?

1. cultural heritage
2. habitual actions
3. life
4. arts

Answer:

1. cultural heritage

Question 9.
What is the significance of our scriptures?

1. They are very ancient
2. They are the storehouses of spiritual wisdom
3. They are created by sages and seers
4. They are created by gods

Answer:

1. They are the storehouses of spiritual wisdom

Question 10.
__________ had great spiritual values than the rest of the world?

1. The Indians
2. The West
3. The people of the world
4. The Indo-Aryans

Answer:

1. The Indians

Answer the following Questions in one or two sentences each

Question 11.
Who are responsible for our tradition of spiritual greatness ?

Answer: Our sages and seers are responsible for our tradition of spiritual greatness

Question 12.
Pick out the word from the passage which means the people who receive something from somebody, when he dies?

Answer: Inheritors

(H) Read the following passage

Indian classical music, like the Indian dances, is built on the concept of ragas and talas. Each raga is regarded appropriate to a certain time of the day or the night. There are believed to be about 250 ragas in common use in the North as well as in the South. In the modern times, people like Ravi Shankar have taken Indian music to the West and thus bridged the gap between the music of the East and the West

Other significant features of Indias cultural unity are the variety, colour and the emotional richness of its dances. The country abounds in tribal dances, old-dances as well as classical dances of great virtuosity. Throughout India, dance is regarded not merely as an accompaniment to social intercourse, but also as a mode of aesthetic expression and spiritual realization

The great symbol of dance is Shiva, the Cosmic Dancer, depicted in sculpture and poetry as Nataraja. Similarly, the classical theatre in India has a history of more than two thousand years. It was performed in palaces and in temples. The classical plays combined music and dance. Tragedy was, and is, still discouraged otherwise; the range of themes covered is wide. It is this strand of cultural unity running through the country that we are heir to, and to which people in the West are increasingly turning now

It is up to the younger generation to uphold this torch of cultural unity for the rest of the world to see, follow and emulate, and not get dazed by the superficial prosperity and material achievement of the West, where man has set foot on the Moon in his quest for space travel, but finds himself isolated in his own society and community

Now answer the following Questions. Each Question has four choices. Choose the correct answer and write (A), (B), (C) or (D) in your answer booklet

Question 8.
The basis of Indian classical music is?

1. a certain time of the day and the night
2. a certain time of the day
3. a certain time of the night
4. ragas and talas

Answer:

1. ragas and talas

Question 9.
Nataraja is the great symbol of?

1. poetry
2. classical theatre
3. sculpture
4. dance

Answer:

1. dance

Question 10.
Which of the following words given in the passage means, "not looking at some-thing thoroughly" ?

1. superficial
2. cosmic
3. dazed
4. emulate

Answer:

1. superficial

Answer the following Questions in one or two sentences each

Question 11.
"The range of themes covered is wide." - Which themes come to your mind if you want to present a theatrical pereformance ?

Answer: The themes come to my mind are comedy, tragedy, melodrama arid tragic comedy

Question 12.
What is the responsibility of the younger generation ?

Answer: The younger generation should uphold the torch of cultural unity for the rest of the world to see, follow and emulate, and not get dazed by the superficial prosperity and material achievement of the West