DETAILED TEXT

All Things Bright and Beautiful

C.F. Alexander

A. Lead – in:

We see and enjoy many things around us such as beautiful sunrises and sunsets,
trees and flowers, rivers and mountains, birds and animals. We smell the fragrance of
flowers and feel the change of seasons. We have eyes to see all these and lips to
praise the beauty of the creation. Have you ever thought who has created such beautiful
things for us ? Who has blessed us with the senses of sight, smell and feeling ? Read
the poem to know what the poet thinks about these things.

B. Let’s listen to the Poem :

z The teacher reads the whole poem aloud. Listen to the teacher only. Don’t
open the book.

z Open your text book when the teacher reads aloud a portion of the poem.

z Listen to him / her and mark the manner of reading.

z Read the poem silently to understand. Refer to the glossary if you find some
words / expressions difficult.

C. The Text

All things bright and beautiful,

All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

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 Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colours,
He made their tiny wings.

The purple-headed mountain,

The river running by,
The sunset and the morning,
That brightens up the sky.

The cold wind in the winter,

The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruit in the garden,
He made them everyone.

The tall trees in the green wood,

The meadows where we play,
The rushes by the water,
We gather every day.

He gave us eyes to see them,

And lips that we might tell
How great is God Almighty,
who has made all things well.

D. About the Poet :

Cecil Frances Alexander was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1818. She is a famous
hymn writer and poet. Her famous works are ‘Hymn for Children’, ‘Christmas Carol’,
‘Once in Royal David’s City’, ‘Verses for Holy Season’. This poem is included in ‘Hymn
for Children’.

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E. Notes and Glossary :

glowing - bright

purple headed - the rays of the setting sun make the mountain – top appear purple,
i.e., bluish red.

meadow - an open area of grassland.

rushes - varieties of waterside plants, some of which are used for making
mats and baskets.

F. Let’s read and understand:

1. What does the poet think of all things ?

2. Who has made all these things ?

3. What are the little things mentioned in the poem ?

4. How does the poet describe the beauty of flowers ?

5. How does the poet describe the little birds ?

6. How is the mountain described in the poem ?

7. Why does it appear so ?

8. What brightens up the sky ?

9. How does the sky look during the sunset ?

10. Which are the two seasons mentioned in the poem ?

11. Why does the poet consider the summer sun pleasant ?

12. What do we enjoy in the green wood ?

13. How are the meadows useful for us ?

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14. Where do the rushes grow ?

15. Why do people gather rushes ?

16. Why has God given us eyes ?

17. What should our lips tell ?

18. How does the poet describe God ?

G. Let’s appreciate:

z The poet describes many things in the poem. Make a list of the things described
in the poem.

1. Which of the things are bright and which of the things are small ?

2. Which are the lines in the poem where the poet expresses his gratitude
to God ?

3. Is this poem a description or a prayer ?

4. Why do you think so ?

z Each stanza of the poem is a unit. Mark the stanzas and the last word in each line.
You will see that the last word of one line is similar in sound to the last word of
another line. These are rhyming words.

z Let’s do some activities :

(The teacher is free to decide whether all the activities shall be done by the whole
class or each group will do one activity.)

Activity- I :

Students are divided into groups of four or five. Each group is asked to find the
last word in each line of a stanza and put together all the words which have similar
sounds. Each group is asked to present their findings.

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Activity- II :

(a) Fill in the blanks choosing the appropriate words given in brackets and read the
lines.

1. God has given it ____________

2. So it can ____________,

3. And it beautifully ___________

4. While going up in the ________. (fly, sings, sky, wings)

(b) 1. The meadows look ____________

2. Where we run and ____________

3. And the river is ____________

4. Where we bathe _______. (play, every day, clean, green)

Activity- III :

Fill in the blanks with appropriate words.

1. He gave us ears to _________.

2. He gave us _________ to see.

3. He gave us _________ to taste things.

4. He gave us skin to _________ things.

5. He gave us nose to _________.

6. We enjoy God’s creation through the five ____________ mentioned

above.

Activity- IV :

Given below are some clues. Pick up the lines of the poem following the clues.

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 flower ____________________________

colour ____________________________

bird ____________________________

wings ____________________________

Now compare these lines with the appropriate stanza of the poem. What change
in the rhyming pattern do you mark ?

H. Let’s listen and speak:

Students are divided into groups of four to five. Each group is given a word from
the poem. The members of a group discuss the word among themselves for five minutes.
Then one group has to answer the questions on the word asked by the other groups.
The following words may be picked up from the text :

mountain, sunset, sunrise, winter, summer, sun, river, garden, green wood,
meadow, rushes

[This can be used as a competitive game among the groups. Credit can be given
for the number of correct answers to the questions by the members of a group. A
maximum of ten questions shall be asked by each group and be given credit. At the
end of the game, the total score is calculated for the winners and runners up or serial
positions of the groups. The teacher is to provide an equal number of words to each
group and decide the equal number of questions to be asked by each group as well as
the credit points for each correct answer. Also, the teacher can devise any other
competitive game with the purpose of facilitating listening and speaking. ]

I. Let us write:

Read the line : The tall trees in the green wood.

Trees are useful for mankind in many ways. Given below are some clues. Write a
few lines on each.

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Tree

- Construction of a house
- Furniture
- Rainfall
- Temperature control
- Soil erosion
- Deforestation
- Afforestation.
‰‰‰

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 A Letter to God
G. L. Fuentes

A. Lead – in:

Have you ever written a letter to God ? Did you ever come across someone
writing a letter to God ? People believe faith can move mountains. But what should
we put our faith in ? This is the question this story delicately poses.

Lencho is a farmer who writes a letter to God asking for a sum of money
when his crops fail. Does Lencho’s letter reach God ? Does God send him the money ?
Think and try to answer these questions. Before you begin to read the story, try to imagine
how it would develop and what conclusion it might arrive at.

B. The Text:

The house - the only one in the entire valley– sat on the crest of a low hill. From
this height one would see the river and the field of ripe corn dotted with the flowers that
always promised a good harvest. The only thing the earth needed was a downpour or
at least a shower. Throughout the morning Lencho–who knew his fields intimately–had
done nothing else but see the sky towards the north-east.

“Now we’re really going to get some water, woman.” The woman who was
preparing supper, replied, “Yes, God willing”. The older boys were working in the field,
while the smaller ones were playing near the house until the woman called to them all,
“Come for dinner”. It was during the meal that, just as Lencho had predicted, big
drops of rain began to fall. In the north-east huge mountains of clouds could be seen
approaching. The air was fresh and sweet. The man went out for no other reason than
to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body, and when he returned he exclaimed,
“These aren’t raindrops falling from the sky, they are new coins. The big drops are ten
cent pieces and the little ones are fives.”
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 With a satisfied expression he regarded the field of ripe corn with its flowers,
draped in a curtain of rain. But suddenly a strong wind began to blow and along with
the rain very large hailstones began to fall. These truly did resemble new silver coins.
The boys, exposing themselves to the rain, ran out to collect the frozen pearls.

“It’s really getting bad now”, exclaimed the man. “I hope it passes quickly.” It did
not pass quickly. For an hour the hail rained on the house, the garden, the hillside, the
cornfield, on the whole valley. The field was white, as if covered with salt.

Not a leaf remained on the trees. The corn was totally destroyed. The flowers
were gone from the plants. Lencho’s soul was filled with sadness. When the storm had
passed, he stood in the middle of the field and said to his sons, “A plague of locusts
would have left more than this. The hail has left nothing. This year we will have no corn.”

That night was a sorrowful one.

“All our work, for nothing.”

“There’s no one who can help us.”

“We’ll all go hungry this year.”

But in the hearts of all who lived in that solitary house in the middle of the valley,
there was a single hope: help from God.

“Don’t be so upset, even though this seems like a total loss. Remember, no one
dies of hunger.”

“That’s what they say : no one dies of hunger.”

All through the night, Lencho thought only of one hope: the help of God, whose
eyes, as he had been instructed, see everything, even what is deep in one’s conscience.
Lencho was an ox of a man, working like an animal in the fields, but still he knew how to
write. The following Sunday, at daybreak, he began to write a letter which he himself
would carry to town and place in the mail. It was nothing less than a letter to God.

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 “God,” he wrote, “if you don’t help me, my family and I will go hungry this year. I
need a hundred pesos in order to sow my field again and to live until the crop comes,
because the hailstorm...”

He wrote ‘To God’ on the envelope, put the letter inside and, still troubled, went to
town. At the post office, he placed a stamp on the letter and dropped it into the mailbox.

One of the employees, who was a postman and also helped at the post office,
went to his boss laughing heartily and showed him the letter to God. Never in his career
as a postman had he known that address. The postmaster– a fat, amiable fellow–also
broke out laughing, but almost immediately he turned serious and, tapping the letter on
his desk, commented, “What faith ! I wish I had the faith of the man who wrote this letter.
Starting up a correspondence with God !”

So, in order not to shake the writer’s faith in God, the postmaster came up with an
idea: answer the letter. But when he opened it, it was evident that to answer it he needed
something more than goodwill, ink and paper. But he stuck to his resolution: he asked
for money from his employees, he himself gave part of his salary, and several friends of
his were obliged to give something ‘for an act of charity’.

It was impossible for him to gather together the hundred pesos, so he was able to
send the farmer only a little more than half. He put the money in an envelope addressed
to Lencho and with it a letter containing only a single word as a signature : God.

The following Sunday Lencho came a bit earlier than usual to ask if there was a
letter for him. It was the postman himself who handed the letter to him while the
postmaster, experiencing the contentment of a man who has performed a good deed,
looked on from his office.

Lencho showed not the slightest surprise on seeing the money; such was his
confidence- but he became angry when he counted the money. God could not have
made a mistake, nor could he have denied Lencho what he had requested.

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 Immediately, Lencho went up to the window to ask for paper and ink. On the public
writing-table, he started to write, with much wrinkling of his brow, caused by the effort he
had to make to express his ideas. When he finished, he went to the window to buy a
stamp which he licked and then affixed to the envelope with a blow of his fist. The
moment the letter fell into the mailbox the postmaster went to open it. It said: “God: Of
the money that I asked for, only seventy pesos reached me. Send me the rest since I
need it very much. But don’t send it to me through the mail because the post office
employees are a bunch of crooks. Lencho.”

C. About the Author:

Gregorio Lopez Fuentes (1895-1966) was a Mexican novelist, poet, and

journalist. Fuentes started writing at the age of 15, when the Mexican Revolution began.
Many of his books are related to the civil conflict. His stories are exciting and humorous.
Many of his works are concerned with the oppression of Americans. He was awarded
the National Prize of Arts and Science in 1935.

D. Notes & Glossary:

crest : top/the highest part of a hill

dotted with : scattered over an area

predict : foretell the future

drape : cover

locusts : insects which fly in big groups and destroy crops.

solitary : lonely / single

upset : disturbed

conscience : an inner sense of right and wrong

peso : currency of several Latin American countries

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amiable : friendly and pleasant

correspondence : an act of writing letters

resolution : a firm decision

contentment : satisfaction

crooks : dishonest persons / people

E. Let’s understand the text :

1) Where did Lencho live ?

2) What did he hope for ?

3) What did he say about the raindrops ?

4) How did the rain change ?

5) What happened to Lencho’s corn fields ?

6) Who did Lencho have faith in ?

7) Who did he write a letter to ?

8) Who read the letter ?

9) What did the postmaster do ?

10) Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it ?

11) What was Lencho’s reaction after getting the letter ?

F. Let’s read between the lines:

(a) (i) Why did Lencho keep on looking at the sky throughout the morning?

(ii) Why was the field white after the storm ?

(iii) Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ‘new coins’ ?

(iv) Why did Lencho prefer locusts to the storm ?

(v) Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him ? Why / Why not
?

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 (vi) What would be the reaction of the post office employees when they read
the second letter ?

(b) Read the passage from the text and answer the questions that follow:

All through the night —————————————— act of charity. (Five

paragraphs)
(i) Who does Lencho have complete faith in ?
(ii) ‘Lencho was an ox of a man’ – what does the line mean ?
(iii) What was the postmaster like ?
(iv) Why did the postmaster send money to Lencho ?
(v) What does the expression ‘an act of charity’ mean ?
G. Let’s learn some new words :
(i) Look at the following sentence from the story. But suddenly a strong wind
began to blow and along with the rain very large hailstones began to fall.
‘Hailstones’ are small balls of ice that fall like rain. A storm in which hailstones
fall is a ‘hailstorm’. We know that a storm is bad weather with strong winds, rain,
thunder and lightning.
There are different names in different parts of the world for storms, depending on
their nature. Try to match the names in the box with their descriptions below, and fill in
the blanks. You may take the help of a dictionary.
gale, whirlwind, cyclone
hurricane, tornado, typhoon
1) A violent tropical storm in which strong winds move in a circle :
__ __ c __ __ __ __
2) An extremely strong wind : ___ a ___ ___
3) A violent tropical storm with very strong winds : __ __ p __ __ __
4) A violent storm with strong winds, especially in the Western Atlantic Ocean :
__ __ r __ __ __ __ __ __

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5) A violent storm whose centre is a cloud in the shape of a funnel : __ __ __ n __
__ __
6) A very strong wind that moves very fast in a spinning movement and causes a lot
of damage : __ __ __ __ l __ __ __ __

(ii) Mark how the word ‘hope’ is used in these sentences from the story.

a) I hope it (the hailstorm) passes quickly.

b) There was a single hope : help from God.
In sentence ‘a’, hope is used as a verb which means you wish for something to
happen.
In sentence ‘b’ it is a noun meaning a chance for something to happen.
Match the sentences in Column A with the meanings of ‘hope’ in Column B.
A B
1) Will you get the subjects you want to study
in a college ? - a feeling that something
I hope so. good will probably happen
2) I hope you don’t mind my saying this, - thinking that this would
but I don’t like the way you are arguing. happen (It may or may not
have happened)
3) This discovery will give new hope to - stopped believing that
HIV/AIDS sufferers. this good thing would happen
4) We are hoping against hope that the - wanting something to
judges would not notice our mistakes. happen (and thinking it quite
possible)
5) I called early in the hope of speaking - showing concern that
to her before she went to school. what you say should not offend
or disturb the other person : a
way of being polite
6) Just when everybody had given up - wishing for something

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 hope, the fisherman came back to happen, although this

seven days after the cyclone. is very unlikely.

(iii) Now read the story and make a list of words used as verbs and nouns. Make
sentences of your own using them as verbs and nouns in your own words.

H. Let’s listen and speak :

In pairs, play the roles of a father and son. You may substitute the roles with

those of a mother and daughter, if required.

Dad : It’s quite late. Go to bed.

Son : I’ve got the final examination tomorrow.

Dad: It’s almost 12.30 in the night.

No more argument. Off to bed.

Son: I have a lot to learn yet.

Dad: It’s essential to get your concepts clear.

Son: But I need to make sure that I know everything that’s required.

Dad: Isn’t it necessary to read the books to get the concepts clear ?

Son: All right, father.

Read the text and prepare a dialogue like the one given above and play the roles.

I. Let’s learn language:

(i) Relative Clauses:

Look at the following sentences:

Throughout the morning Lencho – who knew his fields intimately – looked at the

sky.

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 This sentence may also be written as All morning Lencho, who knew his fields

intimately, looked at the sky.

The underlined parts of the sentences provide us more information about Lencho
and the woman. We call it a Relative Clause. Mark that they begin with a relative pronoun,
‘who’. Other common relative pronouns are whom, which, that whose.

The relative clause in the above sentence is called non-defining relative clause
because we already know the identity of the person described. We don’t need the
information in the relative clause to pick the person out of a larger set.

A. Non-defining Relative Clause usually has a comma preceding and following it.
Some writers use a dash (-) instead (as in the story). If the relative clause comes
at the end, we just put a full stop.

Join the pair of sentences given below using a relative pronoun.

(i) My mother is going to host a T.V. show on cooking.

She cooks very well.

(ii) Our institution is highly popular.

It works for public welfare.

(iii) Satish scored a goal in the last minute.

He was fortunate.

(iv) Mother Teresa is revered as a saint.

She served mankind.

(v) I often go to Mumbai.

Mumbai is the commercial capital of India.

(vi) These sports -persons are going to meet the President.

Their performance has been excellent.

Sometimes the relative pronoun in a relative clause remains ‘hidden’. For example,
look at the first sentence of the story.

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a) The house – the only one in the entire valley – sat on the crest of a low hill.

We can rewrite the sentence as : (without any change in the meaning)

The house – which was the only one in the entire valley – sat on the crest of a low
hill.

In the original sentence of the text (a) the relative pronoun ‘which’ and the verb
‘was’ are not present (hidden).

(ii) Using negatives for emphasis:

We know that sentences with words such as ‘no’, ‘not’, or ‘nothing’ show the
absence of something, or contradict something.

For example : (from the text)

a) This year we will have no corn. (The crops have failed.)

b) The hail has left nothing. (Absence of a crop)

c) These aren’t raindrops falling from the sky, they are new coins. (Contradicts the
common idea of what the drops of water falling from the sky are.)

But sometimes negative words are used to emphasise an idea. Look at these sentences
from the story :

d) Lencho . . . had done nothing else but see the sky towards the north-east. (He
had done only this.)

e) The man went out for no other reason than to have the pleasure of feeling the
rain on his body. (He had only this reason.)

f) Lencho showed not the slightest surprise on seeing the money. (He showed no
surprise at all.)

Now look back at example ‘C’. Mark that the contradiction in fact serves to emphasise
the value or usefulness of the rain to the farmer.

Find sentences in the story with negative words, which express the following ideas
emphatically :

1) The trees lost all their leaves.

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2) The letter was addressed to God himself.

3) The postman saw this address for the first time in his life.

J. Let’s write :

Read the newspaper report given below:

Note the information given at different points.
Rath Yatra pulls in lakhs of devotees to Puri - Title
The Times of India - Source
Puri, 22nd June - Place and date
All roads led to Puri on Thursday with lakhs of Topic sentence
devotees flocking to the town to participate in and Introduction
the grand Rath Yatra festival. A wave of euphoria
swept across the beach town with the reigning
deities commencing their nine day ‘outing’ from Details of the Yatra
Jagannath shrine to Gundicha temple in a boisterous
procession.
However, the threat of possible terror
attack and the death of two pilgrims allegedly Information on the terror
in a stampede cast a shadow on the threat and stampede
festivities. There were intelligence reports
that some subversive groups might create
trouble during Rath Yatra.
“Security was tightened compared to the previous Further details of
years” the DGP said. “We also appealed to the action taken by the
people to remain alert,” the DGP added. authorities.
(1) Now imagine that you are a reporter of ‘The Indian Express”. You have received
the news about the recent cyclone that hit Odisha. Using the guidelines given in the box
above, complete a similar report for the newspaper.
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‰‰‰
 We are Seven
William Wordsworth

A. Lead – in:

There is something interesting in the way children see the world. They see things
from a different perspective because of their simple nature. Read this poem to find out
how an adult’s understanding of death differs from that of a little child.

B. Let’s listen to the poem:

1. First you listen to the poem as the teacher reads it aloud.

2. The teacher reads it aloud for the second time. Pay attention to each word and
line of the poem as the teacher reads it. And then read the poem silently to
understand the text better.

C. The Text:

———— A simple Child,

That lightly draws its breath,

And feels its life in every limb,

What should it know of death?

I met a little cottage Girl:

She was eight years old, she said;

Her hair was thick with many a curl

That clustered round her head.

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She had a rustic, woodland air,

And she was wildly clad:

Her eyes were fair, and very fair;

- Her beauty made me glad.

“Sisters and brothers, little Maid,

How many may you be?”

“How many? Seven in all,” she said,

And wondering looked at me.

“And where are they? I pray you tell.”

She answered, “Seven are we;

And two of us at Conway dwell,

And two are gone to sea.

“Two of us in the church-yard lie,

My sister and my brother;

And, in the church-yard cottage, I

Dwell near them with my mother.”

“You say that two at Conway dwell,

And two are gone to sea,

Yet ye are seven! I pray you tell,

Sweet Maid, how this may be.”

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Then did the little Maid reply,

“Seven boys and girls are we;

Two of us in the church-yard lie,

Beneath the church-yard tree.”

“You run about, my little Maid,

Your limbs they are alive;

If two are in the church-yard laid,

Then ye are only five.”

“Their graves are green, they may be seen,”

The little Maid replied,

“Twelve steps or more from my mother’s door,

And they are side by side.

“My stockings there I often knit,

My kerchief there I hem;

And there upon the ground I sit,

And sing a song to them.

“And often after sun-set, Sir,

When it is light and fair,

I take my little porringer,

And eat my supper there.

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“The first that dies was sister Jane;

In bed she moaning lay,

Till God released her of her pain;

And then she went away.

“So in the church-yard she was laid;

And, when the grass was dry,

Together round her grave we played,

My brother John and I.

“And when the ground was white with snow,

And I could run and slide,

My brother John was forced to go,

And he lies by her side.”

“How many are you, then,” said I,

“If they two are in heaven?”

Quick was the little Maid’s reply,

“O Master! we are seven.”

“But they are dead; those two are dead !

Their spirits are in heaven!”

’Twas throwing words away; for still

The little Maid would have her will,

And said, “Nay, we are seven!”

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D. About the Poet:

William Wordsworth (1770-1850) was one of the greatest poets of the country
and of natural life. He regards nature as a great teacher and his poems seek to establish
an intimate relationship with it. He also depicts simple rustic life in a number of poems.
He is the author of several memorable lyrics such as “Daffodils”, “The Solitary Reaper”
and “Lucy Poems”.

E. About the Poem:

This poem was inspired by the poet’s meeting a child near Goodrich Castle in
Wales in 1793. The poem begins with an enchanting image of childhood which is marked
by simplicity – a life free from tension, full of spirit and vigour and unclouded by the
knowledge of death. The poet meets an eight-year-old charming rustic girl and enquires
about her family. She replies that she lives with her mother and they are seven brothers
and sisters out of whom two are in the grave. The poet gets puzzled and insists that
they are only five brothers and sisters since two of them are already dead and buried.
But the girl says that their graves are close to her home. She emphasises her association
with the two dead brothers and sisters, telling the poet that she often knits her stockings
and hems kerchiefs by their graves and sitting there sings a song to them and also
takes her supper there. The poem ends with the child’s moving and innocent statement
that they are seven brothers and sisters.

F. Notes and Glossary:

cottage : usually a small, modest house of one storey ; a country

residence
clustered : a number of things of the same kind growing or joined together
rustic : rural
woodland : pertaining to the woods
air : the apparent character assumed by a person, character,
situation, etc
wildly : in a disorderly manner ; carelessly

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clad : clothed ; covered ; dressed
fair : beautiful ; pretty
maid : a girl
wonder : to express surprise, amazement
dwell : live ; inhabit ; reside
church-yard : a burial ground adjoining a church
stockings : close-fitting coverings, usually knitted for foot and part of the
leg
knit : to interweave with needles
kerchief : a cloth worn by women as a head-covering or scarf
hem : to fold back and sew down the edges of cloth, garment, etc.
porringer : a small dish for soup, porridge, etc.
moaning : uttering a prolonged, low and inarticulate sound expressing
physical or mental suffering
released : relieved ; set free
slide : to pass along smoothly
spirits : souls
G. Let’s understand the poem:

1. What notable features of a simple child does the poet describe in the first stanza?

2. What does the poet write about the habitation and the appearance of the girl?

3. How does the poet start the conversation with the girl and what does the girl say
in reply?

4. What answer does the girl give to the poet relating to her brothers, sisters and
mother?

5. Why does the answer given by the girl puzzle the poet ?

6. What arguments does the girl put forth to prove that her two dead brothers and
sisters have not been separated from her ?

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7. How does her sister suffer before her death ?

8. How does God release Jane from her suffering ?

9. What did she and her brother use to do round her sister’s grave when the grass
was dry ?

10. At what time of the year did John die ?

11. How does the poem end ?

H. Let’s appreciate the poem:

(a) 1. What does the second line of the first stanza: “that lightly draws its breath”
suggest?

2. Explain the meaning of the third line of the first stanza: “And feels its life in
every limb”

3. What does the poet write about a child’s knowledge of death?

4. Describe the surroundings in which the poet finds the girl.

5. Why does the girl look “wondering” at the poet after answering his questions
about her family?

6. What does the line, “Their graves are green.”, imply ?

7. How is the time after sunset described by the poet ?

8. What does the line “And when the ground was white with snow”, suggest ?

9. What does the expression, “Twas throwing words away.” mean ?

(b) Group activity :

The teacher divides the class into eight groups. The rhyming words of the first
stanza are explained to the learners. Each group is asked to take two stanzas
and find out the rhyming words. Each group presents its findings in the class.

25
I. Let’s listen and speak :
All the eight groups (or as the case may be) are asked to prepare dialoques on
the theme of the poem. Some sample dialogues may be provided. Each group presents
the prepared dialogue playing the role of the girl child and the poet. All the groups listen
and interact.
(This may be used as a competitive game awarding credit for the quality of
dialogue and presentation).
Poet : Hello girl, how many sisters and brothers do you have ?
Girl : We are seven in all.
Poet : Where are they ?
Girl : Two of my brothers live at Conway.
Poet : What about the others ?
Girl : Two of my brothers have gone to sea.
Poet : And the rest ?
Each group is asked to prepare dialogues in their own way on the theme of
the poem and enact them in the class.
J. Let’s write:
1. “We are Seven”? Describe who the seven are. What are their names ? Where
are they ?
2. Write a note on the feelings and ideas of the child and the adult described in the
poem and give your own comments on them.
‰‰‰

26
 Tryst with Destiny
Jawaharlal Nehru

A. Lead-in :

The Indian independence in 1947 marked a turning- point in the history of South Asia.
The independent nation’s first few years were eventful: the traumas of Partition and of
the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi made the people sad. But Indians had a pledge
to fulfil: they had to build a progressive, prosperous and democratic nation by setting
up administrative, legislative and judiciary systems and establishing an infrastructure
for industry and agriculture. The present piece is the full text of the speech Pandit
Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime minister of India, delivered in the Constituent Assembly
on the midnight of August 14 -15, 1947.

B. Text :

Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall
redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke
of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A
moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the
new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.
It is fitting that at this solemn moment, we take the pledge of dedication to the service
of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity.

At the dawn of history, India started on her unending quest, and trackless centuries
are filled with her striving and grandeur of her success and failures. Through good
and ill fortune alike, she has never lost sight of that quest, forgotten the ideals which
gave her strength. We end today a period of misfortunes and India discovers herself
again. The achievement we celebrate today is but a step, an opening of opportunity to

27
the greater triumphs and achievements that await us. Are we brave enough and wise
enough to grasp this opportunity and accept the challenge of the future?

Freedom and power bring responsibility. The responsibility rests upon this Assembly,
a sovereign body representing the sovereign people of India. Before the birth of
freedom, we have endured all the pains of labour and our hearts are heavy with the
memory of this sorrow. Some of those pains continue even now. Nevertheless, the
past is over and it is the future that beckons us now.

That future is not one of ease or resting but of incessant striving so that we may fulfill
the pledges we have so often taken and the one we shall take today. The service of
India means the service of the millions who suffer. It means the ending of poverty and
ignorance and disease and inequality of opportunity. The ambition of the greatest man
of our generation has been to wipe every tear from every eye. That may be beyond
us, but as long as there are tears and suffering, so long our work will not be over.

And so we have to labour and to work, and to work hard, to give reality to our dreams.
Those dreams are for India, but they are also for the world, for all the nations and peoples
are too closely knit together today for any one of them to imagine that it can live apart.
Peace is said to be indivisible, so is freedom, so is prosperity now, and also is disaster
in this one world that can no longer be split into isolated fragments.

To the people of India, whose representatives we are, we make an appeal to join us

with faith and confidence in this great adventure. This is no time for petty and destructive
criticism, no time for ill-will or blaming others. We have to build the noble mansion of
free India where all her children may dwell.

The appointed day has come – the day appointed by destiny– and India stands forth
again, after long slumber and struggle, awake, vital, free and independent. The past
clings on to us still in some measure and we have to do much before we redeem the
pledges we have so often taken. Yet the turning-point is past, and history begins anew
for us, the history which we shall live and act and others will write about.

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It is a fateful moment for us in India, for all Asia and for the world. A new star rises, the
star of freedom in the East, a new hope comes into being, a vision long cherished
materializes. May the star never set and that hope never be betrayed!

We rejoice in that freedom, even though clouds surround us, and many of our people
are sorrow-stricken and difficult problems encompass us. But freedom brings
responsibilities and burdens and we have to face them in the spirit of a free and
disciplined people.

On this day our first thoughts go to the architect of this freedom, the Father of our
Nation, who, embodying the old spirit of India held aloft the torch of freedom and
lighted up the darkness that surrounded us. We have often been unworthy followers of
his and have strayed from his message, but not only we but succeeding generations
will remember this message and bear the imprint in their hearts of this great son of
India, magnificent in his faith and strength and courage and humility. We shall never
allow that torch of freedom to be blown out, however high the wind or stormy the tempest.

Our next thoughts must be of the unknown volunteers and soldiers of freedom who,
without praise or reward, have served India even unto death.

We think also of our brothers and sisters who have been cut off from us by political
boundaries and who unhappily cannot share at present in the freedom that has come.
They are of us and will remain of us whatever may happen, and we shall be sharers in
their good or ill fortune alike.

The future beckons to us. Whether do we go and what shall be our endeavour? To
bring freedom and opportunity to the common man, to the peasants and workers of
India; to fight and end poverty and ignorance and disease; to build up a prosperous,
democratic and progressive nation, and to create social, economic and political
institutions which will ensure justice and fullness of life to every man and woman.

We have hard work ahead. There is no resting for any one of us till we redeem our
pledge in full, till we make all the people of India what destiny intended them to be. We
are citizens of a great country on the verge of bold advance, and we have to live up to

29
that high standard. All of us, to whatever religion we may belong, are equally the children
of India with equal rights, privileges and obligations. We cannot encourage
communalism or narrow-mindedness, for no nation can be great whose people are
narrow in thought or in action.
To the nations and peoples of the world we send greetings and pledge ourselves to
cooperate with them in furthering peace, freedom and democracy. And to India, our
much-loved motherland, the ancient, the eternal and the ever-new, we pay our reverent
homage and we bind ourselves afresh to her service.
JAI HIND!
C. About the Author :
One of the foremost leaders of Indian freedom struggle and the first Prime Minister of
independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru was born to Swaroop Rani (1863–1954) and
Motilal Nehru (1861–1931) in a Kashmiri Pandit family in Allahabad on November 14,
1889. He was educated at Harrow Public School, London and Trinity College,
Cambridge.
Nehru played a key role in building modern India. He effectively coped with the formidable
challenges the country faced: the disorder and mass exodus of people across the new
borders, establishment of a political and administrative infrastructure and shaping India’s
foreign policy. He died of a heart attack on May 27, 1964.
Nehru was a prolific writer in English, and he wrote a number of books such as The
Discovery of India, Glimpses of World History, and an autobiography, Toward Freedom.
D. Notes and glossary :
tryst : meeting
destiny : fate
redeem : fulfil or carry out; get back; restore; cash in
pledge : promise; vow
stroke : knock
solemn : serious
dedication : commitment; devotion; allegiance
quest : search

30
trackless : pathless
striving : determined effort
grandeur : splendour; magnificence
triumph : victory; achievement
achievement : attainment; success
Assembly : Constituent Assembly of India
sovereign : supreme
nevertheless : all the same; yet
beckon : signal; gesture
incessant : unending
greatest man of our generation : Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)
cling : adhere; stick
fateful : momentous; significant; crucial
a new star rises : the star of freedom from colonial rule
materializes : happens; becomes a reality
clouds : troubles; difficulties
encompass : cover; surround
architect...Nation: Mahatma Gandhi(1869-1948)
embodying : representing; symbolizing; personifying
aloft : up
the torch of freedom: freedom as a torch that lights up the darkness of bondage
stray : wander away, lose one’s path
imprint : impression
tempest : storm
our brothers and sisters : people of Pakistan
endeavour : effort
communalism : religious fanaticism

31
E. Let’s Understand the text :
1. What is the pledge that we shall redeem?
2. What does Nehru mean when he says that India will awake to life and freedom?
3. What is the moment that comes rarely in history?
4. What, according to Nehru, is India’s unending quest?
5. How do we end a period of misfortunes?
6. What does Nehru mean by challenge of the future?
7. What responsibility does Nehru speak of? Upon whom does it rest?
8. What does Nehru mean by the rising of a new star?
9. In what spirit should the people of India take their freedom?
10. Which aspects of Gandhiji’s character appeal to Nehru?
11. What are Nehru’s thoughts about the people on the other side of the border?
12. What should the Indians aim at after the attainment of freedom?
13. What does Nehru mean when he says that we have hard work ahead of us?
14. How can we co-operate with the nations and peoples?
15. What is our duty to our motherland?
F. Let’s go beyond the text :
1. What are the greater triumphs and achievements that still await us ?
2. Has the dream of wiping tears from every eye been fulfilled ?
3. Why have the dreams remained unfulfilled?
4. What are the clouds that still surround us ?
5. What are the distinguishing features of a progressive nation ?
G. Let’s learn some words:
1 Match the words in Column A with those having the same meaning in Column B:
Column A Column B
redeem crucial
pledge promise
sovereign fulfil
fateful symbolize
embody supreme

32
2. Find verbs of the following nouns and use them in sentences of your own:

utterance; dedication; achievement; embodiment; cloud

3. Rewrite the following sentences using the words from the passage in place of the
word or words in bold type:

(a) The decision taken by Kamala was very important.

(b) My parents derived great pleasure from my success in the examination.

(c) The volunteers tried to help the flood-affected people who were overcome
by sorrow.

(d) We should not deviate from Gandhiji’s message.

(e) I was struck by the modesty of the boy.

4. Use the following expressions in sentences:

(a) take a pledge

(b) rest upon

(c) as long as

(d) blow out

(e) cut off

H. Let’s learn language:

1 Mark the use of when/ where/ who in the following sentences. These sentences
have, beside a principal clause, an adverb or adjective clause.

(a) At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake
to life and freedom.

(b) We have to build the noble mansion of free India where all her children may
dwell.

(c) We think of our brothers and sisters, who have been cut off from us by
political boundaries.

33
Join the following pairs of sentences using an adverb/ adjective clause.

(a) The headmaster gave the girl a certificate. The girl had saved the life of a
child.
(b) My father bought an apartment. We shall stay there.
(c) The boy met me in the library. I was waiting for him there.
(d) My uncle returned home at midnight. I was sleeping then.
(e) He is the tourist. You had met him at Konark.
2. Read the sentences below :
Peace is said to be indivisible.
Mark the word underlined. The word ‘indivisible’ has been derived by adding
the prefix ‘in’ to the word ‘divisible’. Here the prefix ‘in’ indicates a negative meaning.
Similar prefixes used for negative meaning are ‘im’ ‘un’, ‘il’, ‘dis’, ‘ir’.
Now add the appropriate prefixes to the words given in the table below to get the
derived words.

Prefixes Words Derived words

dis measurable
il qualify
im ending
in legal
un honest
ir inform
mis responsible
continue
logical
equality
relevant
material
dependent
fortunate

34
I. Let’s listen and speak :

z The class is divided into four or five groups.

z Each group is asked to locate a problem that India still suffers from and suggest
measures to overcome it. The members in each group discuss among themselves
and prepare a note.

z Each group presents its viewpoints and others offer suggestions.

z The teacher facilitates and co-ordinates the whole process.

J. Let’s write :

Each student is asked to select any one of the problems discussed in the class
(problem, status, causes and suggestions to overcome it) and prepare a write-up.

‰‰‰

35
 Village Song
Sarojini Naidu

A. Lead-in :

Marriage is an important event in a person’s life. Parents want to see their children
happily married and settled. In this poem, however, a young girl does not wish to get
married. Read the poem to find out why the girl takes such a decision.

B. Let’s listen to the poem :

z Your teacher reads the poem aloud. Listen to him/ her without opening the book.
Mark the teacher’s voice, tone and expressions. S/He reads the poem again.

z Now open the book and try to follow him/ her. Mark the words, phrases and
expressions that appeal to you. Add more words and phrases that occur to you
as relevant to the context.

z Read the poem silently. You may refer to the notes and glossary to understand the
text.

C. The Text :

Honey child, honey child, whither are you going?

Would you cast your jewels all to the breezes blowing?

Would you leave the mother who on golden grain has fed you?

Would you grieve the lover who is riding forth to wed you?

36
Mother mine, to the wild forest I am going,

Where upon the champa boughs the champa buds are blowing;

To the koil-haunted river-isles where lotus lilies glisten,

The voices of the fairy folk are calling me: O listen!

Honey child, honey child, the world is full of pleasure,

Of bridal-songs and cradle-songs and sandal- scented leisure.

Your bridal robes are in the loom, silver and saffron glowing,

Your bridal cakes are on the hearth: O whither are you going?

The bridal-songs and cradle-songs have cadences of sorrow,

The laughter of the sun to-day, the wind of death to-morrow.

Far sweeter sound the forest-notes where forest- streams are falling;

O mother mine, I cannot stay, the fairy-folk are calling.

D. About the Poet :

Sarojini Naidu (1879 – 1949) was a child prodigy, freedom fighter, and poet. She was

born in Hyderabad on February 13, 1879. She was a prolific writer. She gave up her
literary career to join the freedom struggle led by Mahatma Gandhi. She was the first
Indian woman to become the President of the Indian National Congress and the first
woman to become the Governor of Uttar Pradesh. She was popularly known as The
Nightingale of India. The poem, “Village Song” appeared in her book titled The Golden

Threshold( first published by Dodo Press, London, 1905). She passed away in 1949.

37
E. About the Poem :

India has a long tradition of folk poetry, which has largely been oral. It deals with customs,
beliefs, traditions, superstitions, simple joys and sorrows of people, particularly those
living in a rural setting. These are treated with directness and simplicity. Folk poetry
aims at presenting collective life. It was usually nurtured by wandering minstrels; hence,
it was recitative. Folk-lyrics do not make excessive demands upon the reader, and
their simplicity, vocabulary and imagery are drawn from everyday scenes and sights.
Sarojini Naidu has captured all these qualities of traditional folk poetry in her poems. In
this poem are presented the voice of a mother pleading with her daughter to wait for
her betrothed to arrive and that of the daughter who wishes to run off to the forest and
remain a child.

F. Notes and glossary :

Honey child : The mother addresses the girl affectionately.

breeze : wind

golden grain : delicate dishes

champa : name of a flower

koil : a song-bird, black in colour

bridal songs : marriage songs

cradle songs : lullaby

bridal robes : wedding dress

cadence : rhythm, pace

laughter of Sun : happiness; pleasure of living

wind of death : loss or sorrow

forest notes : music of nature

38
F. Let’s understand the poem :

1. The poem appears to be a conversation between two persons. Who are they?

2. Where does the “honey child” go?

3. Why should she leave the mother and grieve the lover?

4. How does the child describe the “wild forest”?

5. What does the expression ‘the world full of pleasure” mean ?

6. What is common about bridal songs and cradle songs?

7. How does the poet describe happiness and sorrow?

8. How does the poet compare forest notes with bridal songs and cradle songs?

H. Let’s appreciate the poem :

1. The first four lines of the poem pose four questions. What does the mother want
to tell her daughter?

2. Does the mother’s appeal have any effect on the girl? What does the girl find
irresistible?

3. How are the worldly pleasures compared with the pleasures of the fairy land?

I. Let’s do some activities :

1. How many times does the word “would” occur in the poem?

2. How many questions are asked in the poem? Who—the mother or the daughter—
asks the questions?

3. The adjective “bridal” is used in the following expressions: “bridal songs”, “bridal
robes” and “bridal cakes”. Can you use the adjective in any other expression?

4. In line 3 and line 4 of the first stanza the word “who” is used to qualify the nouns
“mother” and “lover”. Use the word to qualify other nouns in sentences of your
own.

39
5. Rearrange the following phrases in the sequence in which they occur in the poem:
the champa buds are blowing; bridal cakes are on the hearth; lotus lilies glisten;
koil-haunted river isles; bridal robes are in the loom.

6. Mark the rhyming words in each stanza. Find out the rhyming words ending in
‘ing’ form. Discuss with your friends how many are common and what effect they
have on you when you read the poem alone.

J. Let’s speak :

Someone said, ‘God couldn’t be everywhere, so He created mothers’.

Work in groups of three or four and discuss what we can do to honour and
thank our mothers.

When you finish your discussion, your teacher will collect the opinions of the
different groups and create a web chart like this :

Pray for their well-

being every day.

How can we
honour and thank
our mothers ?

40
K. Let’s write :

1. How does the mother dissuade the girl from going to the forest?

2. Why does the girl want to go there?

3. Given below is a table. Write in the table the words / expressions from the
poem that you think appropriate in each column.

Worldly pleasures Pleasure in Nature

After the exercise, the teacher can divide the class in four or five groups and ask them
to speak a few sentences on each word/ expression.

4. Now prepare a note on the atmosphere of fairy land as described in the poem.

‰‰‰

41
 Kapil Dev

A. Lead – in:

Cricket has become an immensely popular game in India. Everyone seems to

love it. Why do we all admire the cricketer Kapil Dev? You will probably say because
India won the previous Prudential World Cup in 1983 under his captaincy. He has
become a household name not only in our country but also wherever cricket is played.
Kapil Dev is known as one of the best all-rounders in the world. What are his other
admirable qualities as a human being ?

Here is an essay on Kapil Dev. Go through it and learn more about him.

B. The Text:

In 1978 Raj Singh Dungarpur called me over to discuss the team to go to East
Africa. While discussing that team, I remembered an over bowled to me earlier in the
season in the Wills Trophy. A young lad called Kapil Dev had shown not only enormous
potential but also a willingness to learn. I remember telling him in that match that he
should come closer to the stumps because his outswinger then would be more effective.
“Mind you, all that happened when we were playing against each other in the same
match.”
A couple of players from his team rushed to him thinking that I was using a bit
of gamesmanship to try and make him bowl the wrong line. But that was farthest from
my mind because, after a long time, there was a bowler in Indian cricket who was
promising and fast in the competition and it is always good fun to play against good
bowlers rather than try your ability against lesser fast bowlers. Kapil was a quick learner
and, in the next over, one could see him making an effort to come closer to the stumps
and bowl and, as soon as he got that right, it was apparent that he was going to be a
force in cricket.

42
 He bowled extremely well in that match and with his bowling set us back a
great deal and helped his side to win. His side was strong any way and could have
won in normal circumstances, but his was a particularly memorable spell and gave
him a lot of prominence and brought him into national focus. This match was at the
back of my mind when we sat to pick the team to go to East Africa. This was going to
be a friendly tour and the team comprised experienced Test players and those who
were highly promising. We had included Pataudi, Vishwanath, Yajurvinder Singh
and Eknath Solkar among Test stalwarts and among the youngsters were Kapil Dev
and Suru Nayak. The two were picked to get some experience of foreign conditions
which would help them considerably. Playing abroad against an opposition which is
different, under different conditions with different bowlers and different players comes
in handy at all times and goes a long way towards making one a better cricketer.
Kapil did well on this trip. He was not only the bowler who got us vital break-
throughs, but also a magnificent batsman who hit many a towering six, and won the
hearts of East Africa cricket lovers. One noticed on this trip how Kapil improved
match by match and towards the end of the tour in three day game against the
strongest East African side, he was wellnigh unplayable. After the team returned to
India Kapil was selected to play for the Rest of India in the Irani Trophy match at
Bangalore. It was a trial game before the team’s tour to Pakistan was selected. Kapil
scored a hurricane 61 and bowled most impressively and thus found a berth for himself
in the side to go to Pakistan, although even at that stage, it was doubtful if he would
really find a place for himself in the Test team. It was thought that the tour would give him
a lot of experience and so when the West Indies team came to India later that season,
Kapil could be very useful.
However, his performance in Pakistan in the beginning was such that he could
not be ignored and he was picked for the first Test at Faisalabad. It was a good trip
which afforded a fair amount of bounce to the new ball bowlers and in the first few overs
Kapil forced Sadiq to discard his green Pakistan cap for a helmet. As it turned out, it
was a wise move and, in the next over, a bouncer from Kapil hit Sadiq flush on the
helmet and went away for four byes. With that one delivery Kapil had proved that he

43
could not be taken lightly in Test Cricket and India, after a long long time, had a bowler
who could use the new ball to bowl with fire.
Thereafter, there was no stopping Kapil. He scored 59 as a night-watchman
and thus earned the tag of an all-rounder. He confirmed this later in the season when he
scored a century against the West Indians. The only time the tag of an all-rounder did
not fit him was on the 1979 tour of England when this dynamic cricketer failed with the
bat. He bowled with his customary fire and efficiency in the Test matches and also in
other matches but somehow failed to get the runs. He used to get out in his eagerness
to hit the ball in the air, rather than take his time and play his shots. This, of course, was
solely due to inexperience, which was amply proved on the 1982 tour of England when
he scored 300 runs in three Test matches.
After that 1978 tour, it has been a case of rising career graph. He is now
reckoned to be one of the top all-rounders in the world, if not the topmost. People talk
about Irman Khan, Ian Botham, Kapil Dev and Richard Hadlee as the leading all-rounders
in the world. It is indeed difficult to pick the best among them all. But one thing is sure
any captain would love to have all four of them on his team and win a match, because all
of them are attacking cricketers, all of them have put in sterling performance; all of
them performed under pressure and proved that they have the flamboyance and ability
to take on any opponent at any given time. Picking the best players out of them is
basically a subject of extensive exercise and there would always be people who would
agree with you and also disagree with you on the merits and demerits of each.
In Kapil’s case he has the disadvantage of not having a strike bowler along
with him which means that the entire pressure of taking wickets is entirely on him. The
opponents also know that since he is the only player capable of running through the
side, they are extra careful while playing him and thus he does not always capture the
kind of wickets that is expected of him. Also during Kapil’s time, the Indian batting has
not been consistent, with the result that he has hardly time to take off his bowling boots
and put on his batting shoes before he is called to go in for the rescue act. This had
undoubtedly put a lot of pressure on Kapil and it has, at times, made him play some
loose shots which have brought about his early dismissal.

44
 But with greater experience and added responsibility after becoming the
captain, such shots have become rare and will definitely contribute to a consistent
performance in future. And I am convinced that if Kapil had more experience, the 1979
Oval Test which we drew and did not win, falling short by nine runs, could easily have
been won. Kapil went there, promoted in batting order, and the first delivery itself he
tried to whack out of the ground and ended up being caught at long on.
Today, the same Kapil would have snatched a few runs in singles and twos and
got his legs moving, then had a good look at the bowling, and played his shots. He
could have certainly taken India to that incredible victory. There is no place for ifs and
buts in cricket and one only lives in a dream world if one tries to think what would have
happened if it was this way or that way.
Kapil’s greatest triumph, however, has been leading India to win the Prudential
World Cup in June 1983. Nobody could have dreamt that India, so often the underdog
in one day cricket, could have ended up as winners. But Kapil led by example in the
game against Zimbabwe when five Indian wickets had gone for 17 runs to a mixture of
good bowling and poor strokes. Kapil went out and played an innings that is truly
unforgettable. His first 70 to 80 runs were really calculated in the sense that he pushed
and nudged the ball and only hit those which he was convinced should be hit. After
that, he had enough confidence and when he saw that he had partners who would stay
with him, he launched a counter-attack the like of which one had never seen before. It
was absolutely unbelievable stuff. He was hitting the bowlers as if at will and we were
applauding each and every shot. Our hands became weary but each shot was absolutely
thrilling. When he was around 160, we all had our hearts in our mouths. We knew that
the record score of 171 was so near and perhaps Kapil was not aware of it, and in his
anxiety to get as many runs as possible, he would perhaps play an ambitious shot and
get out.
It was obvious at this stage that he was a tired man and might hit a tired
looking shot and get out. But fortunately, he didn’t do that and went on to make 175 not
out, which is a record in the Prudential World Cup. Then he came on to bowl four overs
of tight medium pace bowling and did not give Zimabwe players any respite at all.

45
 That was the turning point of the tournament and thereafter, the Indian team
really went from strength to strength and took in their side Australia, England and the
West Indies. With this win, Kapil has become a household name not only in India, but all
over the world where cricket is played. His grinning face holding the Prudential Trophy
with sheer joy stamped on it has become as memorable as the win itself.

His brothers have started a hotel and named it after Kapil. ‘Hotel Kapil’ is a
tribute to him from his brothers for all the glory he has brought to India and to the family
name. His success has given encouragement and impetus to thousands of youngsters
all over the country and not only in metropolitan cities. This will act as a spur to many
youngsters to give their best in international cricket.

Kapil’s advent in international cricket is the best thing that could have happened
to Indian cricket because we had spinners who earned a name for themselves and the
country but there never was a fast bowler to lift the country’s prestige so high in the past.
With Kapil’s example before them, boys in the street are walking to their marks
purposefully, coming in from a distance and hurling the ball quickly at the opposing
batsman. Today’s cricket is jet age cricket when speed is more important than subtleties
of spin and speed follows the batsman whereever he goes, and with the cricketers like
Kapil Dev to inspire the youngsters, more and more of the younger lot will take to fast
bowling and it will be for the good of Indian cricket. And even if all of them cannot make
the Test grade, at least they will be able to provide adequate practice to our batsmen
so that they are not found wanting when facing the fast bowlers of other countries.

Kapil’s brand of cricket is also the attacking brand which makes him a crowd
puller whereever he goes. It will certainly go a long way towards ensuring that the cricket
India plays is the kind of cricket which will bring in the crowds. No longer will Indian
cricket and Indian cricketers be called ‘dull dogs’ as was the case in the early fifties
and people will come to believe that the Indian cricket team can play attractive cricket.

46
 It has been a rapid rise for a lad who batted at No.11 in East Africa to come to

the fore as one of the leading all-rounders in the world. Kapil, to this date, remains the

same simple fellow that he was in 1978, with, of course, a lot more confidence in dealing

with people that he had in 1978. This confidence came as he gained more successes

in international cricket. But with this confidence, and with these successes, his attitude

towards people has not changed. He is still polite, courteous to the senior cricketers

and is prepared to listen to everyone. These characteristics have been difficult to find

in recent years and Kapil is richly endowed with these along with his many splendoured

cricketing talents that God Almighty has showered on him. He is still 24 and has years

and years of Test cricket ahead of him and, I am confident, these years will be the years

when the standard of Indian cricket will keep rising and reach heights unheard of before.

C. About the Author:

Sunil Manohar Gavaskar (born 10 July 1949) is a former cricketer who played

for India during the 1970s and 1980s. Widely regarded as one of the greatest opening

batsmen in the history of cricket, Gavaskar set world records during his career. He held

the record of 34 Test centuries for almost two decades before it was broken by Sachin

Tendulkar in December 2005. For his contribution to cricket, Gavaskar received Arjuna

Award in 1975 and the prestigious civilian award Padma Bhusan in 1980. He has

written four books on cricket- Sunny Days (autobiography). Idols, Runs n’ Ruins

and One Day Wonders.

In the present piece written in1983, Gavaskar focuses on the early days of Kapil

Dev as a cricketer and describes how it was easy to notice how talented he was. He

also gives an account of the magnificent performance of Kapil Dev both as a player

and a captain in the memorable 1983 Prudential World Cup.

47
D. Notes and glossary:

memorable : worth remembering

wellnigh : nearly

hurricane : violent storm

customary : usual

reckoned : not to be ignored

sterling : excellent in quality

flamboyance: confident

whack out : strike with a hard blow

incredible : unbelievable

applaud : to show approval by clapping

nudged : pushed gently

tribute : gift

impetus : inspiration / boost

spur : give encouragement to

dull dogs : boring people / incapable of doing something watch worthy.

E. Let’s understand the text:

(a) 1) Who were the youngsters selected for the tour ?

2) What was Gavaskar’s opinion about playing a match abroad ?

3) Why did Kapil Dev win the hearts of East African cricket lovers?

4) What was the trial game played before the Indian team went to Pakistan ?

5) What was the intention of the selectors to pick Kapil for the Pakistan tour ?

6) In which tour did Kapil score 300 runs in 3 test matches ?

48
 7) Who were the leading all-rounders then ?

8) Why does any Captain love to have all the four leading allrounders in his
team ?

9) Kapil does not always capture wickets that is expected of him. Why?

10) What was Kapil’s greatest triumph as Captain ?

11) Kapil is a household name where cricket is played. Why ?

12) What did his brothers do for the glory he brought to India and their family as
well ?

(b) Choose the correct statement in relation to the text:

(i) I remembered an over bowled to me earlier in the season in the Wills Trophy.

Here the the word ‘I’ stands for ________ .

a) Raj Singh Dungarpur

b) Kapil Dev

c) Sunil M. Gavaskar

(ii) The author opines that it is always good fun to play against ______ .

a) lesser fast bowlers

b) good bowlers

c) spinners

(iii) Gavaskar and Kapil Dev were two great players of India.

Before the Indian Team went to play in East Africa, Gavaskar and Kapil Dev
were playing the Wills Trophy match ________ .

a) in the same team

b) against each other

c) none of the above

49
 (iv) Kapil Dev proved himself as _______________.

a) a pace bowler

b) a batsman

c) an all rounder

(v) In the 1979 tour of Pakistan Kapil failed with ______________ .

a) ball

b) bat

c) both bat and ball

(C) Here is a list of events described in paragraphs 11 and 12. However, the events
are not in order in which they actually happened. Rearrange the list correctly /
sequentially by writing the serial number (1, 2,3) in the brackets. The first event
has been indicated for you.

(i) Kapil’s greatest triumph was the Prudential World Cup in 1983. (1)

(ii) Kapil made 175 runs not out, which is a record in Prudential World Cup.
( )

(iii) Five Indian wickets had gone for 17 runs. ( )

(iv) When Kapil was around 160, everybody had their hearts in their mouths.
( )

(v) Kapil was hitting the bowlers as if at will and people were applauding each
and every shot. ( )

(vi) Kapil played an innings that is truly unforgettable ( )

F. Let’s read between the lines:

1) What does ‘gamesmanship’ mean in the text ?

2) What was the real intention of Gavaskar while he talked to Kapil Dev?

50
3) What made Gavaskar think that Kapil Dev was a quick learner ?

4) How do you explain ‘Sadiq’s discarding of green Pakistan Cap for a helmet
was a wise move’ ?

5) What is the role expectation from a night-watchman in cricket ?

6) Which were the two turning points in favour of India in Prudential Cup- 1983?

7) How do you explain the expression ‘jet age’ cricket ?

8) Is India still a Dull Dog in cricket ? If yes / no, why ?

G. Let’s learn some words / expressions:

Look at the following chart.

Game Place Equipment= Score= the points /

minimum things you goals / runs you have.
need for the game
Football Ground Net, football Two goals to one

Volleyball Court Net, volleyball Fifteen points to ten

Cricket Pitch Ball, bat, stumps 251 runs in 50 overs.

Basketball Court Basket, a ball 60 – 44 points

Tennis Court Net, racket, Six games to three 6 – 2

tennis ball is one set in tennis.

Rugby Pitch / ground Rugby ball Ten points to six.

Hockey Ground Stick, ball, net Five goals to three

Now write T for True and F for False. The first one has been done for you. After the
exercise, convert the false statement into true ones.

True (T) / False (F)

i) You score goals in basket ball. F

Ans: You score points in basket ball.

2. You play rugby with a puck.

3. You score runs in cricket.

51
4. You play football on a court.

5. You score points in hockey.

6. You have a net in tennis and volleyball.

7. You play cricket with a stick.

H. Let’s learn language :

Mark the sentence :
(a) A young lad called Kapil Dev had shown not only enormous potential but also a
willingness to learn.
Here is not only followed by a Noun Phrase and but also by a Noun Phrase as
well.
Here not only...... but also is used with Noun Phrases after them.
Note that this structure is usually ‘balanced’ so that words of the same kind follow
only and also.
Compare the following sentences :
z Shakespeare was not only a writer but also an actor (not only + Noun Phrase, but
also + Noun phrase)
z The story is not only interesting but also instructive. (not only + Adjective Phrase,-
but also + Adjective Phrase)
z He not only studies hard but also plays well.
(not only + verb, but also +verb)
z She writes not only fast but also legibly.

(not only + Adverb Phrase, but also + Adverb Phrase)

Join the following pairs of sentences using not only........... but also.

1) He can speak English

He can speak French.

2) Mr Das is a brilliant writer.

He is an excellent speaker.

52
3) The teacher is sincere.
He is honest.
4) My friend is a good sportsman.
He is a good student.
5) We study at school.
We play there.
6) Meera can stitch dresses.
She can knit sweaters.
7) I can drive a car.
I can repair a car.
8) She speaks fluently.
She speaks distinctly.
(b) Mark the sentences :
He used to get out in his eagerness to hit the ball in the air.
Here used to is used for past habitual action.
Look at the following sentences of this type :
– I used to run ten kilometers at a stretch when I was young. (But I do not do
now) (Past habitual action)
_ I used to have a Robin Hood bicycle in my childhood. (Past habitual state)
Used to can be used to talk about states and situations as well as actions
in the past.
(c) Note that used to is not used to say how long something took, or how often it
happened :
– My father went to England ten times when he was young.
We cannot say / write : My father used to go to England........(unacceptable
sentence)
– I lived in Kolkata for three years.
(Not I used to live in Kolkota for three years.)

53
Note that :

(d) Used to has no present form in modern English. To express the idea of present
habit, we use an adverb, e.g. I usually play football. (Not I use to play football.)
(e) It is not used when we describe habitual actions in the very recent past.
We don’t say or write - Last week I used to get up at 5 a.m.
Replace the verbs in italics by used to :
(1) At home I got up early.
(2) I studied at a co-education school.
(3) My father went to school at 10 a.m. every day.
(4) My headmaster had a Bajaj Scooter. (but he does not have one now)

(5) When he was on holiday, he often sat for hours watching television.

I. Let’s listen and speak:

When Arjun (Sachin’s son) got hurt while playing cricket with Sachin Tendulkar,
the conversation they had may have gone like this:
Arjun : Ouch !
Sachin: I’m sorry, my dear son.
Arjun : That’s all right. It wasn’t really your fault. So cheer up !
When we want to apologise for a mistake we have made, we say ‘sorry’ / ‘I’m sorry’ /
‘I’m so sorry’.
We usually respond to an apology by saying ‘That’s all right’ / It doesn’t matter’ / ‘Never
mind’ / ‘Don’t worry’ etc.
Now form a pair. Then take turns to respond appropriately to what ‘A’ says:
Example:
(i) A: Oh, what a shame, I’ve missed the bus !
B : Don’t worry, the next one will come soon.
(ii) A: I’ve done very badly in the monthly test.

B: ………………………………

54
(iii) A :Sorry, I couldn’t come to your birthday party last evening.
B: ………………………………….
(iv) A : Ouch ! You stepped on my foot !
B: …………………………………..
(v) A : You’re late ! I asked you to come on time.
B : …………………………………..
J. Let’s write :
(i) Here is an imaginary cricket score board showing the details of the Indian Innings in
an India – Australia one-day match.
Players Runs Balls 4s 6s
G. Gambhir C. Wade b. Lee 5 5 1 0
Tendulkar C. Doherty b. Hilfenhaus 35 32 4 1
Kohli C.D. Hussey b. Hilfenhaus 12 25 0 0
Rohit C. Wade. b. Lee 10 10 0 0
Raina C. Wade. b. Christian 28 41 1 1
Dhoni C. Christian b. Helifenhaus 56 84 2 1
Jadeja C. Forrest b. Stanc 28 35 1 0
Irfan Pathan C. Wade b. Hilfen Haus 29 27 1 1
Vinay Kumar b. Lee 16 26 1 0
Zaheer C. Wade b. Hilfenhaus 9 11 2 0
Umesh Yadab Not out 02 230 04 300 0 0
Fall of
wickets: 1-8, 2-15,
3-16, 4-36,
5-82, 6-164,
7-172, 8-180,
9-201, 10-228

55
(a) Now describe how each of the ten Indian players got out and mention the runs
including fours and sixes scored and balls they played. The first one has been
done for you.

1) Gambhir was caught by Wade of the bowling by Lee. He faced five balls and
scored five runs which included one four.

2) Tendulkar ……...........

3) Kohli………………..

4) Rohit ………………..

5) Raina ………………..

6) Dhoni ……………….

7) Jadeja ……………….

8) Irfan Pathan …………

9) Vinay Kumar ………..

10) Zaheer ……………….

11) Yadab...............................

(b) Read the chart / score board again.

Answer the following questions.

1) How many runs had been scored when the 3rd wicket fell ?

2) How many fours did India hit ?

3) Who was the highest wicket taker of Australia in this match ?

4) How many runs did Umesh Yadav score ?

5) Who was the top scorer in the Indian team ?

56
(ii) Writing a Summary:

Read the following passage and write a summary in about 65/70 words.

One Sunday, it was apparent India were consuming a lot of time between overs.
When bowler Vinay Kumar felt a cramp while trying to bowl the first ball of the 37th over,
he stopped midway, continued to brood for a long time, before the support staff came
in with energy drinks. There seemed to be no haste to get on with the game. Such
delays and the big hitting by the Aussies in the slog overs meant that India eventually
extended the innings by almost 28 minutes.

At its meeting in June, 2011 in Hong Kong, the ICC Executive Board had
discussed the issue of slow-over rates and accepted the recommendation of the
ICC Committee that a captain of an international side should be suspended for one
match if his side is guilty of two minor over-rate offences in the same format over a
12 – month period.

Dhoni pleaded guilty to the charge and the subsequent penalties were
accepted both by Dhoni and India. Dhoni also acknowledged that he had been kept
informed of the position regarding over-rates on a regular basis throughout the
match and therefore accepted the decision.

‰‰‰

57
 The Brook
Lord Alfred Tennyson

A. Lead – in:

Our country is a land of rivers. Some rivers are big and some are small. Have
you ever seen the place of the origin of a river ? Most of the rivers rise in the form of
small streams in hills or mountains. These small streams sometimes fall into big rivers.
A stream in the course of its journey covers a long distance and passes through plains,
valleys and forests.

Read the poem to know what a stream feels as it rushes to join a brimming river.

B. Let’s Listen to the Poem :

z Your teacher reads the poem aloud. Listen to him/ her without opening the book.
Mark the teacher’s voice, tone and expressions. S/He reads the poem again.

z Now open the book and try to follow him/ her. Mark the words, phrases and
expressions that appeal to you. Add more words and phrases that occur to you as
relevant to the context.

z Read the poem silently. You may refer to the notes and glossary to understand the
text.

C. Text:

I come from haunts of coot and hern,

I make a sudden sally

And sparkle out among the fern,

To bicker down a valley.

58
By thirty hills I hurry down,
Or slip between the ridges,
By twenty thorps, a little town,
And half a hundred bridges.

Till last by Philip’s farm I flow

To join the brimming river,
For men may come and men may go,
But I go on for ever.

I chatter over stony ways,

In little sharps and trebles,
I bubble into eddying bays,
I babble on the pebbles.

With many a curve my banks I fret

By many a field and fallow,
And many a fairy foreland set
With willow-weed and mallow.

I chatter, chatter, as I flow

To join the brimming river,
For men may come and men may go,
But I go on for ever.

I wind about, and in and out,

With here a blossom sailing,
And here and there a lusty trout,

And here and there a grayling,

59
And here and there a foamy flake
Upon me, as I travel
With many a silvery waterbreak
Above the golden gravel,

And draw them all along, and flow

To join the brimming river,
For men may come and men may go,
But I go on for ever.

I steal by lawns and grassy plots ;

I slide by hazel covers ;
I move the sweet forget-me-nots
That grow for happy lovers.

I slip, I slide, I gloom, I glance,

Among my skimming swallows ;
I make the netted sunbeam dance
Against my sandy shallows.

I murmur under moon and stars

In brambly wildernesses ;
I linger by my shingly bars ;
I loiter round my cresses ;

And out again I curve and flow

To join the brimming river,
For men may come and men may go,

But I go on for ever.

60
D. About the Poet:

Lord Alfred Tennyson (1809 -1892) was born in Lincolnshire in Great Britain.
His poetry is noted for its pictorial quality and musical beauty. He was Poet Laureate
for over 40 years.

E. Notes and glossary :

brook - a small mountain stream

fern - a type of plant with large, delicate leaves having no flowers

haunts - places frequently visited

coot - water bird with a white spot on the forehead

hern - (Heron) another kind of water bird

sally - emerge suddenly

bicker - (Here) flow down making a lot of noise.

thorp - a village

trebles - high-pitched sound

eddying - spiral movement of water

babble - sound made when one talks gaily

fallow - land left uncultivated

foreland - a projecting land mass.

mallow - plant with hairy stems and leaves with pink, white or purple flowers

lusty trout - a big freshwater fish

grayling - another type of fish

ridges - a narrow area of highland along the top of a line of hills

brimming - become full of something

chatter - to talk quickly

61
sharps - musical raised by one semitone

fret - gradually wear away (something) by rubbing or grawing

willow weed- a bush with flexible branches and long narrow leaves often growing
near water.

gravel - small stones

hazel - a small tree or bush with edible nuts.

forget-me-nots- a type of flower.

shingly bars - covered with small rounded pebbles.

cresses - pungent-leaved plant

slide - to move smoothly

gloom - partial darkness

linger - to stay for a time

brambly - a thorn-covered shrub.

F. Let’s understand the poem:

1. Where does the brook come from ?

2. How does it “sparkle” ?

3. What does the brook pass through during its journey ?

4. Where does it finally meet the river ?

5. What does the poet mean by the statement “with many a curve my banks I fret” ?

6. Why does the poet repeat the word ‘chatter’ in the poem ?

7. What does the poet want to say by using the words ‘steal’ and ‘slide’ ?

8. What does the poet mean by ‘the netted Sunbeam’ ? How does it dance ?

9. Some lines of the poem given below are not in order. Arrange them in their
sequential order to make them meaningful.

62
 i) In brambly wildernesses;
I loiter round my cresses;
I linger by my shingly bars;
I murmur under moon and stars
ii) To join the brimming river,
And out again I curve and flow
But I go on for ever.
For men may come and men may go
G. Let’s appreciate the poem:
(a) 1. What do you mean by the word ‘bicker’ ?
Why does the poet use this word here ?
2. What picture do you imagine when you go through the line “ I wind about,
and in and out” ?
3. How does the brook chatter ?
4. Why has the poet used the word “brimming” ?
5. What kind of a picture does it create in your mind ?
6. Why does the poet repeat the expression, ‘For men may come and men
may go, But I go on for ever’ ?
(b) Answer the following questions choosing the correct alternative.
1- The poet compares the journey of the brook with _______________.
a) the worries and anxieties in a man’s life
b) the talkative nature of human beings
c) the death of a man
d) the life of a man
2- The lines “And here and there a lusty trout, And here and there a grayling”
suggest that ________________________________________
i) the brook is full of life
ii) the brook enjoys all kinds of scenes

63
 iii) people enjoy the beauty of the brook

iv) fishes are alive because of water

3- The poem is narrated in the first person by the __________________ .

i) poet

ii) nature

iii) flower

iv) brook

4- The message of the poem is that the life of a brook is ____________ .

i) temporary

ii) short-lived

iii) eternal

iv) momentary

(c) Make a list of seven pairs of rhyming words used by the poet in the poem.

The brook has been personified in this poem. It has also a message for us.

Compose a poem of 6 to 8 lines on something inanimate such as a hill, a desert,

a paperweight or a lamp, a book or a pen.

(Teacher can make it a group activity)

H. Let’s listen and speak :

(i) One student asks a question. Another student reads aloud the relevant stanza.
The exercise should create a context as if the Brook is answering to the questions
of many children.

Question- Where do you come from ?

Reply - One student reads aloud the first stanza.

Question - What did you pass on your way ?

Reply- Another student reads aloud second stanza. (The activity continues)

64
(ii) (The teacher may make this an activity for the whole class or a group activity)
A child talks to a brook. Imagine the situation. Some clues are given.
Complete the sentences. It would be a dialogue. Play the roles of a child and a
brook.
Child Who_______ ? ?
Brook I .
Child Brook ! where ?
Brook river.
Child Where___________________ ?
Brook river.
Child en route ?
Brook I pass____________________ .
Child flow ?
Brook for ever.

I. Let’s write :
a) The Brook has been personified in this poem. It speaks about where it
comes from, where it goes, what it passes.
Given below are some clues. Write a few lines as if the object is speaking
for itself (a book, a pen, a school, a blackboard, a desk).
b) Try to compose one or two stanzas each of four lines on any object. Take
care that the last word of each line rhymes with the last word of another
line.
‰‰‰

65
 Air Pollution – A Hidden Menace

A. Lead in :

Has it ever happened to you that when you come back home from outside, you
have a running nose or you keep on coughing ? Have rain drops ever tasted sour ?
When you are on public roads, you inhale a lot of polluted air and you feel uneasy. Many
factors contribute to this air getting polluted. Air pollution is a hidden menace and
poses the greatest threat to mankind in the future. Let us read the following piece and
think of ways in which we can ensure that we breathe clean and pure air.

B. The Text :

No one can forget one of the most tragic industrial accidents that occurred at
Bhopal on 3 December, 1984. Deadly gas from a chemical plant operated by Union
Carbide escaped into the atmosphere, killing over 4000 local residents and rendering
blind and crippling a large section of the city’s surviving population. Not only Bhopal
but now every city, every town, every corner of the earth is facing such a crucial problem.
Every day, every moment we breathe polluted air and may become a victim of air
pollution.

A man can live without food for a month, without water for two or three days, but
he cannot live without breathing even for a minute. It is estimated that an average adult
exchanges 15 kg of air a day, in comparison to about 1.5 kg of the food consumed and
2.5 kg of water intake. It is obvious that the quantum of pollutants that enter our body
through respiration would be manifold in comparison to those taken in through polluted
water or contaminated food.

66
 Air is a mixture of gases comprising 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen
and a little less than 1 percent argon, together with 0.03 percent carbon dioxide. These
elements make up 99.9 percent of dry air. As long as this composition is maintained,
the air is pure. If this composition is altered, i.e. the oxygen level gets reduced or irritating
gases enter the atmosphere, then the air is said to be polluted and inhalation of this
polluted air can lead to respiratory disorders.

Our air is being poisoned with the by-products of an expanding technological

society. Air pollution is nothing new, but what is new is the scope and severity of air
pollution.

In recent times, quite a large number of industries can be seen in urban areas
as well as in rural pockets. Most of these industries spew dense smoke from their
chimneys. What is this smoke made of and how is it produced ? Industries require
steam and to produce it various fuels such as coal, coke, furnace oil are burnt. During
burning, along with heat, smoke is also produced. Where does this smoke go ?
Apparently, it disappears in a short time but in reality it never does so. Instead, it mingles
with the atmospheric air and pollutes it. We respire this polluted air containing
obnoxious gases, ash and dust particles. Without our knowledge, our lungs slowly
become garbage dumps for these pollutants.

Thermal power stations are rated the first among the industries that discharge
high amounts of smoke and ash. Other significant industries contributing to air pollution
are cement, steel and ore processing industries. Some of the chemical industries also
release toxic fumes into the air, along with smoke.

The automobile exhausts are in no way less dangerous than the industrial
smoke. It is reported that automobiles in Greater Kolkata alone spew about 1500 tonnes
of pollutants into the atmosphere every day. It is stated that a person living in Kolkata,
whether he is a smoker or not, is forced to inhale toxic substances equivalent to smoking
two packets of cigarettes a day. The levels of pollution in cities like Delhi, Mumbai and
Chennai are equally alarming. To meet the demands of an exploding population, the
number of buses plying on the roads are being increased. Equally a greater number

67
of lorries and other goods carriers are on the move. Along with heavy vehicles, use of
cars, jeeps and two-wheelers such as bikes, scooters and mopeds have increased
dramatically – all contributing to significant levels of air pollution. Automobiles are
responsible for 60 percent of air pollution in various parts of the world as they release
maximum carbon monoxide into the atmosphere. The menace of air pollution attributed
to the automobile exhausts has now reached the peak level and if this trend continues,
we may have to wear nasal filters on our nose in future.

The damage caused by pollution is enormous. In money alone it represents a

loss of billions of dollars each year. Many flower and vegetable crops suffer ill effects
from car exhaust gases. Trees have been killed by pollution from power plants. Cattle
have been poisoned by the fumes from smelters and recover aluminum from ore. Air
pollution causes rubber tyres on automobiles to crack and become porous. Fine
buildings become shabby, their walls blackened with soot that has settled on them.
Building surfaces may actually deteriorate because of air pollution.

But the high cost of air pollution is most strikingly illustrated in its damaging
effects on the human body. Air pollution causes eye irritations, scratchy throats, and
respiratory illnesses. It also contributes to a number of serious diseases. In both the
United States and Europe, periods of high levels of air pollution were linked to an
increased number of deaths.

Much direct harm is done by air pollution. Scientists are alarmed because the
amounts of gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide in our atmosphere
are increasing. These gases tend to trap the radiation that reaches the earth from the
sun and as a consequence of which the atmosphere could become warmer. This
process would eventually lead to global warming.

Scientists have been concerned, too, about the widespread use of a substance
that may destroy the atmospheric layer that protects us from harmful kinds of solar
energy. This substance belongs to a group of chemicals and chlorofluorocarbons. It
is used as a refrigerant and a cleaner and was once widely used in spray cans.

68
 Another concern is acid rain. This is rain or other precipitation that contains

oxides of sulphur and nitrogen, along with other chemicals. Acid rain causes damage

in lakes and rivers. It poisons the plants and animals that live in the water. It may also

affect crops and other plants, stone buildings and monuments and drinking water.

Acid rain affects everything it falls on. The water in rivers and lakes turns acidic.

For instance, in Sweden, 4000 lakes have been so severely affected that no fish has

survived. It also changes the soil’s nutrient content. It washes or leaches away nutrients

like potassium, calcium and magnesium from the upper layer that help trees grow. Acid

rain kills large stretches of forests, leaving behind leafless skeletons of trees.

When forests begin to die, the animals and birds in those forests follow. Among

the growing list of species threatened by acid rain are the Pied Flycatcher and Apollo

Butterfly in Sweden. The Dipper fish has vanished from the river of Central Wales, and

the Brown Trout from Norwegian lakes. The list goes on.

What about our health ? Acid rain irritates the sensitive tissues of our eyes and

lungs, particularly in children. It can also cause skin lesions.

Living beings apart, even buildings are not spared. In Poland, the beautiful old

buildings of Krakow are slowly being destroyed by acidic smog. In Athens, a city which

is highly polluted, acid rain is eating into the marble of its world-famous monuments.

Experts say that more damage has been done in the past 25 years than in the previous

2000 !

There are three basic approaches to control air pollution – Preventive measures,
such as changing the raw materials used in industry or the ingredients of fuel; dispersal

measures such as raising the heights of smokestacks; and collection measures,

such as designing equipment to trap pollutants before they escape into the atmosphere.

69
 Nearly, all the highly industrialized countries of the world have some type of
legislation to prevent and control air pollution. One difficulty is that pollutants may be
carried by the wind from one country to another, often for distances of thousands of
miles. The death of lakes in eastern Canada has been caused by acid rain that
originated in the United States. Acids produced in Britain and France have caused
damage in Sweden.

There have been many initiatives in different countries for making law, setting
standards and norms to check air pollution and ensure quality air. Air quality
programmes have brought improvements in many areas. For example, burning low-
sulphur coal and oil in factories and power plants has lowered pollution in many
cities. To meet standards, automobile engines have been re-designed and new
cars have been equipped with devices such as the catalytic converter which changes
pollutants into harmless substances. Because of these new devices, air pollution
from car exhaust has also been reduced.

It is not easy to bring about the new developments needed to control air
pollution. Many people – physicians, engineers, meteorologists, botanists, and
others are involved in research, seeking new ways. Vast sums of money will have
to be spent in the future to clean the air and to keep it clean. Often pollution control
means higher prices – to cover the cost of control devices in emission systems of
new cars, for example. But to most people, the cost is justified. Perhaps the day will
come when people everywhere can breathe pure air in cities where the sunlight is
no longer blocked by an umbrella of pollution.

C. Notes and glossary :

industrial : relating to industry

Union Carbide : name of the industry in Bhopal

crippling : damaging

victim : someone who suffers as a result of something

intake : consumption

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manifold : of many different kinds

contaminated : impure

argon : chemically inactive gas

severity : seriousness

spew : throw out

obnoxious : unpleasant

exhausts : the gas or steam out of the engine of a car etc.

plying : running

menace : threat

smelters : furnaces

porous : having small holes

chlorofluorocarbons : chemicals used for cooling in refrigerators

precipitation : fall of rain, snow or hail

leaches away : washes away

lesions : wounds or injuries

smog : a mixture of smoke and fog

ingredients : things used to make something

dispersal measures : ways of scattering things

smokestacks : tall chimneys that carry smoke away from factories

trap : retain

legislation : a body of laws

meteorologists : persons who study weather conditions

emission system : a system of sending out smoke

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D. Let’s understand the text :

1. What accident took place at Bhopal in 1984 ?

2. Why is it called an industrial accident ?

3. What were the tragic consequences of it ?
4. How is air important for man ?
5. What is the major source of contamination of the human body ?
6. What is the composition of air ?
7. When is air said to be polluted ?
8. What fuels do the industries use ?
9. How does the released smoke affect man ?
10. Why do thermal power stations cause more pollution ?
11. What are the other industries equally harmful for us ?
12. Why are the automobiles increasing on the road ?
13. How do the automobiles contribute to air pollution ?
14. What are the effects of air pollution on vegetable crops and trees ?
15. How are buildings affected by polluted air ?
16. What health problems are caused by polluted air ?
17. How is air pollution responsible for increasing the temperature ?
18. What harm can refrigerant do ?
19. What is acid rain ?
20. How is water affected by acid rain ?
21. What is the impact of acid rain on soil ?
22. What are the ways to control air pollution ?
23. How have different countries tried to check it ?
24. How have the air quality programmes brought us benefits ?

25. Why do we still need to find out better ways to control air pollution ?

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E. Let’s go beyond the text :

(i) 1. Why does the oxygen level in the atmosphere get reduced ? What could
be its consequences ?

2. How do the chemical industries cause dangerous air pollution ? What is

its far reaching consequences ?

3. How is acid rain caused ?

4. How does polluted air travel from one country to another ?

5. What steps can be taken to reduce the pollution caused by automobiles`?

Is air pollution a global problem ?

(ii) Given below is a table. Read the text and complete the table.

Caused by Impact on Nature of Damage

industries

smoke and ash in air

Air Pollution automobile

soil

destroying atmosphere
layers

F. Let’s do some activities :

1. Let’s think together.

The text you have read mentions some steps to reduce air pollution. Now work

in groups to suggest more steps for dealing with the problem. You can refer to

newspapers, journals and discuss among yourselves to get more ideas (The

teacher divides the class into four or five groups for the purpose)

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2. Let’s speak and listen.

Each group presents its ideas in the class regarding the steps to control air
pollution. Other groups listen and react to the ideas.

After all the groups have presented ideas, commonly agreed aspects should be
finalized (The teacher acts as the observer and coordinator.)

3. Let’s write :

Write a letter to the Editor of a newspaper / the Minister, Department of

Environment explaining the importance of clean air and suggesting ways to keep
it clean and pure.

4. Let’s debate:

Some speak ‘for’ the motion and some ‘against’. The teacher acts as
Chairperson.

i) Use of private vehicles should be banned to control air pollution.

ii) Industries being the major source of pollution need to be disestablished.

G. Let’s enrich our vocabulary :

i) There are some words / phrases in the text used to convey the harmful
effects of air pollution on mankind.

A few examples are given : deadly, irritating gases

Pick out the other such words / expressions from the text and write in your copy.

ii) (a) The word ‘respiration’ is the noun form of the verb ‘respire’ : Now with the
help of a dictionary find out verb / noun forms of the following.

Noun Verb Verb Noun

Resident Consume

Pollution Alter

Composition Believe

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Inhalation Reduce

Emission Produce
Comparison Operate
Knowledge Expect
Recovery Represent
Destruction Radiate
Contamination Illustrate
Precipitation Justify
Deterioration Prevent
(b) Arrange the words provided under noun and verb in the order in which they
should come in a dictionary.
iii) Read the sentences below :
………. buildings of Krakow are slowly being destroyed by acidic smog.
Mark the word underlined. Two words, i.e. ‘smoke and fog’ (smoke + fog) have
formed the word ‘smog’. Such process of word formation is known as blending.
Many new words are being made in this process and are increasingly in use.
Given below is an exercise. Complete it.
Foreign + exchange bank = ……………… bank
…………….. + ……………… policy = exim policy
Slim + tender = …………………
…………….. + ……………… = telecast
iv) Given below are some expressions. Use a single word for each expression. Go
to the text to find the words.
a great threat
getting worse day by day
things used to make something

a body of laws

one who studies weather conditions.

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H. Let’s learn language :

a) Mark the following sentences used in the text :

i) ……….. irritating gases enter the atmosphere.

ii) Every day, every moment we breathe polluted air to become a victim of
air pollution.

The words underlined above are known as ‘participle adjectives’.

Here ‘irritating’ is the present participle adjective and ‘polluted’ is the

past participle adjective in the above sentences.

Find out in the text how many such participles are there and make a list.

Present Participle , , , ,

Past Participle , , , ,

Complete the following sentences with appropriate participles of the verbs given in
brackets.

1. The beggar is wearing a ……………….. shirt. (tear)

2. My father bought me a ……………….. suit. (swim)

3. My friend wanted a ……………….. instrument .(clean)

4. I never like to take a ……………….. egg. (boil)

5. Air pollution causes ……………….. problem. (breathe)

6. People get deceased in a ……………….. atmosphere. (pollute)

7. Air pollution has ……………….. effect on buildings. (damage)

8. Severity of air pollution is more found in ……………….. countries.

(develop)

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b) Punctuate the following text :

In the United States control of air pollution is chiefly the responsibility of the state
and local governments all the states have air quality management programmes which
are patterned after federal laws the basic federal law dealing with air pollution is the
clean air act of 1970 amended in 1990 under this law the federal environment protection
agency sets standards for air quality what are the standards.

I. Let’s prepare a Project :

You live in a locality. You might have experienced some sort of pollution in your
locality. It might be pollution of air or water or soil or could be noise pollution. Survey
your area with a focus on the nature of pollution, its ill effects, causes of pollution
and measures to control the same. Analyse and interpret the data/ information
collected. Write all these in a project format.

( It could be an individual or group project.)

‰‰‰

77
 Virtue
George Herbert

A. Lead – in:

Many things that fill our hearts with joy are short-lived. Flowers wither, seasons
change, night follows day. Only virtue has eternal value and never perishes.

B. Let’s listen to the poem:

1. Don’t open your books. Listen to your teacher as she/he reads it aloud with proper
intonation.

2. Your teacher will read it aloud for the second time. This time you open the text and
follow him/her line by line to mark the manner of reading. Thereafter read the
poem silently to understand it.

C. The Text:

Sweet day, so cool, so calm, so bright

The bridal of the earth and sky;

The dew shall weep thy fall to-night;

For thou must die.

Sweet rose, whose hue angry and brave

Bids the rash gazer wipe his eye;

Thy root is ever in its grave

And thou must die.

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 Sweet spring, full of sweet days and roses,

A box where sweets compacted lie,

My music shows ye have your closes,

And all must die.

Only a sweet and virtuous soul,

Like season’d timber, never gives;

But though the whole world turn to coal,

Then chiefly lives.

D. About the poet:

During the seventeenth century, a number of poets in England wrote dramatic

and argumentative poems. They wrote both love poems and religious poems which

blended emotion with intellect. Notable among them were John Donne, George Herbert

and Andrew Marvell. A clergyman and a great orator, George Herbert (1593 – 1633)

was essentially a religious poet. “Virtue”, “The Collar” and “The Pulley” are a few of his

well-known poems.

E. About the poem:

The poem “Virtue” appeared in a collection of verse titled The Temple (1633).

It depicts the worth of a true and noble soul. Mere beauty is not enough ; it should be

combined with virtue in order to endure. Earthly beauty represented by ‘sweet day’,

‘sweet rose’ and ‘sweet spring’ is short-lived, but a ‘sweet and virtuous soul’ lives for

ever.

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F. Notes and glossary:

bridal : pertaining to a wedding

dew : moisture deposited from the air on cooling, especially at night in the
form of small drops upon the surface of objects.

weep : cry, moan, lament

hue : colour

bids : invite / commands

rash : tending to act in haste and without due consideration

gazer : one who looks steadily and intently

compacted: compressed / condensed

seasoned : (of wood) made suitable for use as timber by adjusting its moisture
content.

timber : wood (growing or cut) suitable for building or carpentry

gives : to yield to pressure / to collapse / to break down

G. Let’s understand the poem:

1. How is the sweetness of the day described ?

2. Whose wedding is referred to in the first stanza?

3. Who laments in the first stanza and whose death is mourned there?

4. How does the poet describe the rose?

5. What does the spring comprise?

6. What are the adjectives used to describe the soul?

7. Who is the soul compared to?

8. What is the distinguishing quality of the soul?

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H. Let’s appreciate the poem:

1. What are the images of Nature that the poet uses in the first stanza?

2. Who is personified in the first stanza ?

3. Why is the colour of the rose described as ‘angry’ and ‘brave” ?

4. Where does the root of the rose lie ?

5. Do you find any far-fetched comparison in the third stanza? What is it ?

6. What does the poet mean by ‘music’ in the third stanza?

7. How is the immortality of the soul established?

8. What are the objects of physical beauty that are described in the poem?

9. How is a sweet and virtuous soul described ?

I. Let’s speak :

(a) The word ‘sky’ rhymes with the word ‘die’ in the first stanza of the poem. Work in
groups of three or four and say the other rhyming words used in the poem.

(b) Read the poem once more. Work in groups. Select a leader or chairperson for
each group. The person in the chair must keep order. Each group will say whether
the following statements are True or False in relation to the poem. Co-operate
with each other and discuss the different viewpoints. Then note down the useful
points.

(1) Sorrowful days are cool, calm and bright.

(2) The sweet rose is bold and bright in colour.

(3) Sweet day marks the wedding of the earth with the sky.

(4) Sweet spring is full of sweet roses.

(5) Sweet spring is compared to a basket full of flowers.

(6) The root of the sweet rose does not die.

(7) A virtuous soul lives for ever.

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J. Let’s write :

(a) 1. What is the central theme of the poem ?

2. How does the poet describe spring ?

3. How does the poet describe a virtuous soul?
(b) Let’s try writing a poem beginning ‘I wish.....’ Work in groups of three or four.
In your group-
z Think of some ideas
z Make a list of wishes. Let your list be long.
z Write down what comes to your mind :
For example :
– I wish I had wings.
– I wish I were the Prime Minister.
– I wish I had a house full of chocolates.
z Choose one wish from your list. Discuss why you have such a wish. Jot
down the points.
z Then arrange your ideas into lines and finally you will be able to write a
poem.
Here is one for you :
I wish I had a house full of books,
I would read and read
And go on and on
Till I fall asleep.
I would read and read,
Of people and places
Of yesterday, and today

And imagine landscapes and faces.

‰‰‰

82
 School’s Goodbye
Lord Eustace Percy

A. Lead – in :

This is your final year in school. You will say goodbye to your school soon after
your test examination is over, won’t you ? Your last day at school will be a sorrowful one
as you are going to leave it for good. You won’t be able to enjoy life at your school ever
again. You feel emotionally attached to your school. When you say goodbye to it, it is
like saying goodbye to your own family. But your education does not end here. You
move out from school to the wider world to prepare yourself for facing the challenges in
life. Read the lesson to learn how to face the reality of life.

B. The Text :

You are now about to leave school and before you go we desire to send you our
best wishes for your future welfare.

Although you are parting from school in which you have spent so many years,
we hope you will not forget it and think that your education is finished. In whatever trade
or profession you desire to follow, you will soon find that, if you are ambitious to succeed
in it, you must continue your education.

Success in life is not easily secured; it only comes to those who work hard and
continue learning.

Very soon you will require to choose a trade or profession. Choose with the
greatest care and avoid as far as you can any occupation that leads nowhere. Aim
rather at work that has in it the promise of an interesting and happy future ; and if at first
you are forced to take a job that can only last for a short time, try to get one, as soon as
possible, that is to your liking. If at any time you are in doubt as to the choice you should
make, do not hesitate to ask advice from one of your teachers.

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 Success in life depends largely on good health. Keep your body fit, and by
cleanliness, fresh air, regular habits, and suitable recreations, make yourself strong to
play the game, and to do it in every sense of the word. Avoid anything that will sap your
health. Smoking in your youth stunts the body, and clouds the brain. Be temperate in
all things, and beware of drink. It is the deadly enemy of health and efficiency.

Above all remember that your character is a priceless possession. Keep it

therefore untarnished. Be truthful in all things, considerate to everybody, fair to your
rivals, kind and helpful to all who are weak and suffering, and do not be afraid to have
courage to stand up for what is good, pure and noble. Avoid gambling in every form; it
is a mean game trying to get something for nothing and at somebody’s cost.

Make provision for hard times.

In your leisure hours, avoid mere idling. Fill such hours with interesting hobbies,
good books, and with companionships and associations calculated to exercise over
you an influence for good. To a large extent, you will be known by the company you keep.

With a sound mind in a sound body, a good character, courteous manners, and
loyalty to the duties of your nation and its high ideals, you will, by God’s grace, be a
credit to your family, a good citizen, and in your whole life, a real success.

C. About the Author :

The essay “School’s Goodbye” conveys a message to school children by Lord

Eustace Percy, a former Minister of Education in Britain. You will benefit from reading it
as it tells students how to become good human beings and citizens in future.

D. Notes and glossary :

welfare :- the health and happiness of people.

part from :- to leave someone

ambitious :- actively seeking success, wealth, status etc.

succeed :- to achieve a desired aim

secure :- to obtain something

as far as :- to the extent that

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as to (formal) :- about, concerning

recreation :- a hobby, amusement, game or pastime

sap : gradually weaken

stunt :- to prevent something or somebody from growing properly

cloud :- to make uncertain or confused

beware of :- be careful, be on your guard against something

above all :- most importantly

untarnish : free from / without any black spot

considerate :- unselfish, giving thought to the happiness and comfort of

others

E. Let’s understand the text:

Q.1. Who is the speaker in the essay ? Who are the audience ?

Q.2. What does the speaker speak about ?

Q.3. What is the wrong notion pupils generally have when they say goodbye to their
school ?

Q.4. Why is it necessary to continue your education even after leaving school ?

Q.5. What care should be required for the choice of a profession ?

Q.6. What should you do if you are forced to take up a job you do not like ?

Q.7. Who should you seek advice from if you are not able to decide on the right
profession ?

Q.8. What are the things that prevent someone from achieving success ?

Q.9. What is most essential for achieving success in life ?

Q.10. How can you keep in good health ?

Q.11. What should we avoid to remain healthy ?

Q.12. What is the priceless possession of an individual ?

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Q.13. How can one’s character be kept sound and strong ?

Q.14. What should be avoided to safeguard one’s character ?

Q.15. How should one spend one’s leisure hours ?

Q.16. How can an individual prove himself an asset to the nation ?

F. Let’s understand the text better :

Q.1. Who are the real audience in the essay ?

Q.2. Why does the speaker advise the audience to continue their education after
school ?

Q.3. Why do students seek advice from their teachers ?

Q.4. How does good health help you ?

Q.5. What is the harmful effect of smoking ?

Q.6. Why is drink called the deadly enemy of health and efficiency ?

Q.7. Why is character a priceless possession of a human being ?

Q.8. Why should we help the weak and the suffering ?

Q.9. What do you mean by hard times ?

Q.10. How can we spend our leisure hours wisely ?

Q.11. How can we achieve real success ?

G. Let’s read between the lines:

1. Even after school one should continue one’s education.

Suggest various ways in which one can continue learning.

a. Self - study (One has been suggested for you)

b. —————————

c. —————————

d. —————————

86
2- We should seek advice from our teachers.
Our teachers advise us to
a. work hard our studies. (One has been mentioned for you.)
b. ——————————
c. ——————————
d. ——————————
3- We must make provisions for hard times.
Hard times Provisions
Monetary crisis Savings (One has been done for you.)
————————— ————————
————————— ————————
————————— ————————
4- We should be loyal to our nation and be good citizens.
List the duties of a good citizen
1. Sacrifice for the nation (One of the duties has been stated for you)
2. ——————————————
3. ——————————————
4. ——————————————
5. ——————————————
6. ——————————————
7. ——————————————
H. Let’s listen and speak:
Discuss in pairs / groups.
I. Rights of a good citizen
II. Duties of a good citizen
Students are divided into two groups. One group will discuss “Rights of a good
citizen”. Another group will discuss “Duties of a good citizen”.
The discussion will take place under the guidance of the teacher.

87
I. Let’s learn some words :

(i) Match the words under ‘A’ with their meanings under ‘B’

A B

beware of polite or well-mannered

untarnished mercy

stunt chiefly or mainly

for good habit of betting money

above all honest

courteous be careful

grace pure and bright

largely permanently

gambling stop something from growing

fair most importantly

(ii) Express the following in a single word :

i. the health and happiness of people

ii. having ambition

iii. to obtain something

iv. profession or a job of a person

v. to prevent something or somebody from growing properly

vi. too valuable to have a price

vii. quality of being loyal

viii. to weaken someone’s strength slowly

ix. quality of being efficient

x. be on your guard against something

88
(iii) Convert the following verbs to nouns and frame sentences :

calculate, associate, consider, educate, hesitate, profess, occupy

(iv) Write “the -ing” forms of the following verbs :

decide, make, occupy, part, begin, gamble, sap, promise, forget, study, provide.

J. Let’s learn language :

(a) Although / Though

Both the words ‘although’ and ‘though’ can be used as conjunctions. They are
used to join two contrasting statements.

Ex. Although he is leaving school, he will not forget his school days.

We can now break the above sentence and make two independent sentences:

i. He is leaving school.

ii. He will not forget his school days.

Combine the following sentences using though / although

i. My bicycle is very old. It will run well.

ii. It was raining heavily. I went out without a raincoat.

iii. The man is poor. He is happy.

iv. He went on running. He was tired.

v. The bus was overloaded. We were able to find seats.

vi. My granny is eighty. She still likes singing devotional songs.

vii. Bubli has a scooty. She often goes to school on foot.

viii. They are sisters. They never talk to each other.

ix. Jyotishree invited me cordially. I did not attend her birthday.

x. The boy looks weak. He is really very strong.

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b. Imperative Sentences
Look at the sentences below :
a. Avoid anything that will sap your health.
b. Make provision for hard times.
c. Be a credit to your family.
In the above sentences the subject ‘you’ is not mentioned. These sentences
express an order, a request, an advice, a command, a warning or a suggestion.
In the imperative sentences
the subject ‘you’ is usually not expressed.
the sentence can be made negative.
there is no change in tense, aspect, voice and modality.
Turn the following statements to imperatives.
1. I want you to go ahead.
Ans:- Go ahead
2. I want you to get up early in the morning.
3. The commander ordered the soldiers to march forward.
4. The doctor advised him to take this medicine after food.
5. The watchman warned you to beware of the dog.
K. Let’s write :
The class is divided into groups, each group consisting of four or five students.
The following areas are distributed among the groups. Each group is asked to prepare
notes on the area given by making indepth analysis of the relevant portion of the text.
They may also provide additional information from their experiences.
z Each group is expected to develop a write-up on the basis of the notes.
z Each group presents its note and write-up before the class.
Areas : Choosing a profession
Good health
Sound character
Use of leisure hours.
(Teacher may facilitate the activity.)
‰‰‰
90