XII English Yuvakbharati Textbook - Maharashtra 2020-2021 PDF
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This is a textbook for Standard XII English in Maharashtra. It covers prose, poems, and the novel genre, with activities and resources to enhance learning. This educational resource is suitable for high school students in India.
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The Coordination Committee formed by G.R. No. Abhyas - 2116/(Pra.Kra.43/16) SD - 4 Dated 25.4.2016 has given approval to prescribe this textbook in its meeting held on 30.01.2020 and it has been decided to implement it from the Academic Year 2020-21. ENGLISH...
The Coordination Committee formed by G.R. No. Abhyas - 2116/(Pra.Kra.43/16) SD - 4 Dated 25.4.2016 has given approval to prescribe this textbook in its meeting held on 30.01.2020 and it has been decided to implement it from the Academic Year 2020-21. ENGLISH YUVAKBHARATI (Compulsory English) Standard XII Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook Production and Curriculum Research, Pune. Download DIKSHA App on your smartphone. If you scan the Q.R. Code on this page of your textbook, you will be able to access full text. If you scan the Q.R. Code provided, you will be able to access audio-visual study material relevant to each lesson, provided as teaching and learning aids. First Edition : 2020 © Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook Production and Curriculum Research, Pune - 411 004. The Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook Production and Curriculum Research reserves all rights relating to the book. No part of this book should be reproduced without the written permission of the Director, Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook Production and Curriculum Research, ‘Balbharati’, Senapati Bapat Marg, Pune 411004. English Language Committee : Dr. Manjushree Sardeshpande, Chairperson Dr. Rohit Kawale, Member Dr. Muktaja Mathkari, Member English Language Study Group : Dr. Shruti Chaudhary, Member Shri. Shridhar Nagargoje, Member Smt. Jayashri Jangle Smt. Medha Shastri Dr. Dipak Damodare, Member Shri. Pravin Mulay Smt. Meghana Sidhaye Smt. Raseshwari Chonkar, Member Shri. Avinash Rade Smt. Madhavi Joshi Dr. Sangita Ghodake, Member Dr. Ibrahim Nadaf, Member Dr. Suhasini Jadhav Shri. Nadeem Khan Smt. Arundhati Garud, Member Dr. Dharmaji Kharat Dr. Sanjay Sanap Shri. Santosh Pawar, Smt. Manjula Bheed Smt. Sanjyot Joshi Member-Secretary Smt. Ishita Sengupta Smt. Dipali Salunkhe Dr. Shubhra Roy Shri. Santosh Gaikwad Cover : Shri Vivekanand Patil Illustrations : Reshma Barve Dr. Rajesh Pawde Co-ordination : Santosh J. Pawar I/C Special Officer for English Publisher : Production : Typesetting : Vivek Uttam Gosavi Sachchitanand Aphale Controller DTP Section (Languages) Chief Production Officer Maharashtra State Textbook Bureau, Pune. Textbook Bureau, Rajendra Chindarkar Printer : Prabhadevi, Production Officer Mumbai - 400 025. Rajendra Pandloskar Assistant Production Officer Print Order No. : Paper : 70 GSM Creamwove The Constitution of India Preamble Preamble WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens: JUSTICE, social, economic and political; LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; EQUALITY of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation; IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION. Preface Dear Students, Let me welcome you all to this very important and life transforming year of Standard XII. You will be embarking on your voyage to achieve your heart’s desired goal. In the vision and mission of your life English will definitely be playing a very significant role. It is a pleasure to hand over this textbook English Yuvakbharati for Standard XII which will be helpful in shaping the course of your life. In this age of globalization, the world has become a small place. Borderless nations and cultural integration makes English language a very strong means of bonding and communication. 21st century is an era of innovation, industry and enterprise. With the revolution in ICT, there is inundation of information. A host of unbelievable career opportunities are available for you. You have been groomed with the basic knowledge of English till Std X. We have started imparting advanced knowledge of English language from Std XI and this year’s textbook is a step forward. This year we will be teaching you to use English for different purposes. Mind mapping, Statement of Purpose, Drafting Virtual Messages and Group discussions are the new additions. This textbook caters to the needs of this techno savvy generation. Along with the intellectual pursuits you would also require the life skills to negotiate through this complex world. The skills of English language learning would prove to be a catalyst in fast forwarding your career objectives. The diligent selection of the prose and poems in the textbook would equip you with the 21 century skills like developing your critical thinking, working in collaboration, enhancing st your communication, fostering creativity, inculcating values and life skills like flexibility, humility leadership, initiative, productivity and social skills. Each of our prose and poem is a lesson of life. While thinking with your heads, you should also be trained to think from your hearts. Literature is a mirror of life. This book has a beautiful combination of the classics and the contemporary. The philosophies therein mould one’s character. This year we have introduced the genre of Novels. You would get familiar with the technique of novel writing and different aspects of novels like story, plot, characters etc. Literature is a source of pleasure and entertainment. All the lessons and poems here will take you on a special journey of life and these experiences would prepare you to face the challenges you would encounter in future. They help in realizing the human potential. The activities in the textbook would facilitate learning. The Q.R. Code is an additional help. Useful audio-video teaching-learning material given in the text will be available through the Q.R. Code. It will be definitely useful for your studies. Additional resources also have been suggested in the book which would gear you to learning to learn and seek information and gain knowledge. Do share your views about the textbook. Happy learning! Wish you all the best in your studies! Pune Date : 21 February, 2020 (Vivek Gosavi) Indian Solar Year : Director Phalgun 2, 1941 Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook Production and Curriculum Research, Pune. For Teachers - On a voyage to the new realms Hello Friends! This year we would be on a voyage to different realms of imagination, understanding and perception. Uptil now this journey has been undertaken by many people like you and me but as the generation changes the same things appear in a different light. Our awareness, our education, our knowledge, our culture shapes our perception. Today’s students who belong to a very modern and techno savvy era need to be equipped thus to enable them to sail through smoothly in this complex and challenging world. The flood of information through internet has already set them riding high on waves but they need to be taught how to steer on and negotiate the tides of challenges. Focusing on the holistic development of the students, ensuring that they will be taught ‘learning to learn.’ We have a big role to play. As far as our subject English is concerned we have to follow the skill based and constructivist approach wherein the first and foremost thing is we must not only teach the text but instill in the students the urge to seek information and gain knowledge on their own. Do not give them a fish to eat, teach them fishing so that they can fend for themselves throughout their life. Let them struggle with the text, analyse, interpret, reason out things. Do not give them readymade answers. You should guide them; motivate them so that they arrive at the answers. Answers again are not important, how they arrive at those answers is much more important. Every child is different and hence his learning capacity would be different. It is our duty to see how we cater to the needs of different students. Some learn by listening, some by doing projects, some understand it learning through their peers hence our teaching and learning methodology includes, using audio-visual aids, working in pairs and groups, doing projects along with traditional mode of teaching. Our classes are interactive. Listening Skill- You should provide as many listening opportunities as you can. The more the input of the English Language the more will be the output. Listening is the most neglected skill in many of our schools. Make judicial use of mother tongue to explain difficult concepts and switch over to English as soon as you can. You should be resourceful enough to provide varied learning experiences to the students. The prose and poems give ample scope for listening. Many of the prose and poems are available on the internet-you-tube. Make use of the ICT to make your lessons interesting. Speaking Skill- Friends, we have seen that many of our students are able to write but when it comes to speaking, they lack confidence. Provide them opportunities to speak in the class. The textbook provides areas wherein discussions can be done in the class. You can make them speak in pairs and groups and also build in them confidence to express their views and opinions, through participating in a debate or delivering a speech. The text provides ample contexts to initiate discussions. Take help of A1 activities in brainstorming for Oral Examination. Reading Skill- Along with the prose and poems, this year with the introduction of the genre of ‘Novels’ the students would be taken into the fantastic world of literature. Literature gives you life experiences. The students should be encouraged to read the text individually too. You should give a model reading of the lessons and poems, they should be taught the correct pronunciation. The students should develop a love for reading. Writing Skill- Students have already been taught email writing, report writing and blog writing. This year we have moved ahead and have taken up summarizing, note-making and note-taking in detail and have introduced Personal Statements, Mind mapping, Drafting Virtual Messages and Group Discussion. Though group discussion is a speaking skill it has been included in the writing skill too as students are expected to learn dialogue writing. In group discussions there would be views and counter views too hence it is an integrated written activity. The technique has been taught in the respective unit. After the Std XII exams students need to apply to various universities in India and abroad. Samples of Personal Statements, explaining how to tailor one’s achievements is given in the unit. Virtual messages teach expressions in brief. Language Study- The grammar items are a revision of all that has been covered till standard XI. The text gives you the opportunity to teach new words and their usage. Different vocabulary techniques are given for your enrichment. Prose Section- We inculcate values and life skills through the classics and masterpieces in literature. Writings of R.K.Narayan, A.G.Gardiner, Virginia Woolf, Pico Iyer, O’Henry have been included to teach wit and humour, astuteness and ingenuity, etiquettes, manners, social skills, self realization, love for nature, search for identity, self esteem, adaptability, perseverance, determination, broadening of outlook etc. There is an enriching combination of stories, essays, articles, travel writing, adventure writing, and inspiring biopic too. This being an age of ICT and internet a very useful informative text on Big Data has been included. This will give a larger perspective of the modern life to the students. Poems Section- An interesting collection of poems are really soul stirring. Poems of Walt Whitman, Robert Southey, Dilip Chitre, Sarojini Naidu, W.H.Davies, Mamang Dai and Lord Byron would give you a taste of different cultures, different people, different philosophies which would mould the students’ perception of life. We should make the students realize that whether people are from the east or west they are human beings and human beings are humane and life is precious. Novels- E.R Braithwaite novel ‘To Sir, With Love’ has a theme of student-teacher relationsip, prejudice and racism, Jules Verne’s novel ‘Around the world in Eighty Days’ is full of adventure and excitement and ‘The Sign of Four’ by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is a mindblowing detective novel. You just need to make the best use of this interesting text to teach English. The Ice breakers introduce the text, the Brainstorming enables full comprehension of the text. Activity based questions foster critical thinking. The margin activities help in pondering over the questions which arise while doing the text. Q.R code has been provided in the textbook. Useful links and suggestions have been given after every lesson. Lets gear up to go on board and navigate the sails to our advantage. Bon Voyage! *** Statements of Competencies - English Yuvakbharati (Compulsory English) Standard XII Listening ² Listen actively and attentively with comprehension and respond accordingly to lectures, talks, conversations, news-bulletins, interviews, debates and discussions. ² Enjoy and critically appreciate a variety of literature as well as recorded lectures, pod casts, songs, movies, skits and plays. ² Get an exposure to a wide range of vocabulary through listening exercises. ² Acquire global understanding of literary and non-literary audio texts. ² Develop an ability to listen for specific purposes. ² Develop a skill of note-taking while listening. ² Understand different intentions like irony, sarcasm, wit and humour depending on the tone of the speaker. Speaking ² Use English fluently and correctly in day-to-day communication. ² Recite poems with correct pronunciation, intonation and stress. ² Speak with acceptable pace and pronunciation. ² Speak coherently, fluently, confidently and intelligibly on a given topic for a reasonable period of time with appropriate gestures, body language and intonation. ² Respond to questions orally. ² Make oral presentations on a given topic. ² Narrate and read aloud stories, events and experiences in standard English. ² Compere programmes. ² Use standard English according to formal and informal context. ² Express effectively in group discussions, interviews, debates, elocutions and extempore and speech competitions. ² Use digital media (live chats, interviews, zoom meetings, video conferencing, webinars, Skype) for communication. ² Give instructions, make complaints, give suggestions, make enquiries, give compliments orally or through IVRS. ² Analyse critically the writer’s point of view and express it clearly. Reading ² Read in order to find the intention and attitude of the writer. ² Read aloud to understand the literary piece and appreciate it. ² Adopt different reading strategies such as skimming scanning, predicting, inferencing etc. depending on the type of texts and the purpose of reading. ² Read for pleasure, information and knowledge. ² Read to understand the obvious meaning of the lines of a poem and also the subtle meaning between the lines. ² Relate and evaluate the information based on one’s previous knowledge and develop further insights. ² Read comparative literature and get insights into other cultures and their value systems. ² Read to express effectively while making spoken and written communication. ² Read different comprehensive passages in order to understand career path in various streams such as food, technology, medicine, paramedical, administration, design, fashion, engineering etc. ² Develop the habit of reading periodicals, research journals, reference books and web-graph for authentic information. ² Read for complete comprehension in a specific time. ² Read to prepare for career opportunities and higher studies. ² Read to develop excellence in wide variety of diction, syntax and semantics. ² Read to express analytical and critical responses. ² Read extensively to develop interest in different forms of literature and variety of writings from all over the world. Writing ² Write correctly, coherently, concisely, clearly and completely. ² Write notes based on the given text in order to summarize and express his/her own point of view. ² Use of simple as well as complex expressions. ² Make use of language study skills to write short and long dialogues, passages etc. ² Express one’s own thoughts, feelings, emotions and ideas by using appropriate language with suitable examples. ² Write an appreciation of a poem. ² Compose and write a poem / lines independently. ² Use quotations, idiomatic expressions etc appropriately in writing. ² Write short reports on news, interviews, visits and functions. ² Report an event by choosing an appropriate format. For example: news report and journal writing. ² Write scripts for advertisements for radio and TV broadcasts, You Tube and online publishing and make use of ICT effectively. ² Use functional grammar effectively in writing. ² Comment on different genre of writing in his/ her own words. ² Write a wide variety of code-mixing, word register etc. ² Write figurative language in sentences. ² Written presentation of spatial or visualised ideas containing vivid images and expressions. ² Writing running dictation, anecdotal notes etc. while listening to a speech, commentary, documentary etc. ² Write notes on various situations like introducing a speaker, giving vote of thanks, farewell, expressing condolence. ² Write formal letters, applications and emails. ² Attempt creative writing in different forms-stories, poems, dialogues, jokes etc. ² Attempt writing in different styles using different literary devices. ² Review a book, film, a TV programme, plays etc. ² Use different techniques to make writing more effective. ² Write blogs to reach out to the maximum number of people. ² Compare and contrast : one’s own experiences with those of others. ² Review and correct his/her own work as a matter of habit. Study Skills ² Develop self-motivation and concentration. ² Develop planning and organization of material. ² Planning the process of studying. ² Increase active participation in learning process as well as classroom situations. ² Enhance reading techniques and process in a comprehensive way. ² Use mind mapping, finding relevant context and note-making. ² Develop the concept of creating memories. ² Develop a critical approach to writing. ² Research through available resources. ² Apply information communication technology in presentation of data / content. ² Participation in ‘Activity Based Learning’ by- l Analyzing l Comparing/Contrasting l Defining l Describing l Discussing l Distinguishing l Evaluating l Examining l Explaining l Interpreting l Justifying l Stating l Summarizing l Questioning….etc ² Analyze critically extracts from prose, poetry, short stories, films, plays, concerts etc. ² Evaluate intra-personal and inter-personal skills. ² Raise self-awareness levels of intra and inter-personal intelligences in order to be involved in more collaborative activities while studying. ² Interpretation of data, facts, information published in mass media. ² Learn how to become an efficient individual and collaborative learner. ² Use kinesthetic skills in preparing models, visuals, charts, diagrams etc. Language Students at this stage need better sentence construction skills, vocabulary Study building and usage. Language study forms the foundation of a language. Revision of the following points will enable students at + 2 stage in building self-confidence and achieving fluency in all the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Use of the thesaurus and etymology needs to be introduced. 1. Parts of Speech : Verbs (main/auxiliary/modal, transitive/intransitive) gerund, finite/infinite verbs, participles; time, tense, phrasal verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, determiners-articles 2. Sentence structure : Types of sentences – simple, compound, complex, statements (positive/negative), questions, imperative, exclamatory, transformation of sentences (framing questions, negatives, voice, reported speech, joining sentences) 3. Vocabulary and word building : Synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, word register, root word, prefix, suffix, connotation, denotation, collocation, derivatives, compound words, minor processes of word building : blends, introduction to thesaurus. 4. Speech: Pronunciation, syllables, stress, intonation, rhyme, rhythm, accent etc. 5. Figures of Speech and stylistic devices : Simile, metaphor, personification, apostrophe, hyperbole, euphemism, antithesis, irony, pun, onomatopoeia, alliteration, consonance,synecdoche,metonymy and ambiguity. 6. Phrases, idioms, proverbs, maxims and their usage : 7. Functional grammar : Editing, omission, finding errors, common gaffes. (errors) - Contents - SECTION ONE (Prose) 1.1 An Astrologer’s Day R. K. Narayan 1 1.2 On Saying “Please” Alfred George Gardiner 13 1.3 The Cop and the Anthem O’Henry 27 1.4 Big Data-Big Insights - 35 1.5 The New Dress Virginia Woolf 43 1.6 Into the Wild Kiran Purandare 55 1.7 Why we Travel Siddarth Pico Raghavan Iyer 65 1.8 Voyaging Towards Excellence Achyut Godbole 77 SECTION TWO (Poetry) 2.1 Song of the Open Road Walt Whitman 93 2.2 Indian Weavers Sarojini Naidu 99 2.3 The Inchcape Rock Robert Southey 103 2.4 Have you Earned your Tomorrow Edgar Guest 111 2.5 Father Returning Home Dilip Chitre 115 2.6 Money William H. Davies 121 2.7 She Walks in Beauty George Gordon Byron 125 2.8 Small Towns and Rivers Mamang Dai 129 SECTION THREE (Writing Skills) 3.1 Summary Writing - 135 3.2 Do Schools Really Kill Creativity? (Mind-Mapping) 141 3.3 Note–Making - 147 3.4 Statement of Purpose - 153 3.5 Drafting a Virtual Message - 159 3.6 Group Discussion - 166 SECTION FOUR (Genre-Drama) 4.1 History of Novel - 173 4.2 To Sir, with Love E. R. Braithwaite 178 4.3 Around the World in Eighty Days Jules Gabriel Verne 189 4.4 The Sign of Four Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle 204 SECTION ONE TITLE/TYPE VOCABULARY/ EXTENSION ACTIVITIES/ VALUES/ NO. OF THE LANGUAGE STUDY/ WRITING SKILLS PROJECT LIFE SKILLS TOPIC POETIC DEVICES 1.1 An Astrologer’s Code mixing, Draft a speech Reading short stories as a form Wit and Humour, Astuteness, Day Word Usage Expansion of an idea Ingenuity 1.2 On Saying Collocations, Register, Drafting a speech Reading essays as a form Etiquette and Manners, “Please” Articles, Prepositions, Expansion of an idea Career opportunities with the help of Introspective spirit, Humility Change the voice Soft Skills 1.3 The Cop and Word Power, Affirmative View - Counterview Reading stories as a form Self-realization, Redemption, the Anthem and Negative Sentences Conduct an interview Career opportunities in social field Morality 1.4 Big Data- Big Idioms and Phrases, Write dialogues for Career/ Job opportunities in Clinical, Information and Communication Insights Degrees of Comparison Group Discussion Data Management, Data Operations Technology skills, Media literacy, Use of 'as well as', 'either Conduct an interview and Research Technology literacy... or' 1.5 The New Synonyms, Character sketch Reading the collection of books, Self-esteem, Search for identity, Dress Tenses Expansion of an idea Career opportunities in fashion Sociability designing, dress designing, textile and garment industry, etc. 1.6 Into the Wild Phrases, Conduct an interview Career opportunities in forest, wild Problem-solving, Love for Nature Not only... but also, Write a report, life, tours and travels, geology etc. and wild life, Adventure, Change the voice appeal, Acceptance of challenges Mind Mapping/design 1.7 Why we Adjectives, Write an email Reading books of great travellers, Adaptability, Broadening of Travel Phrasal verbs, Career opportunities in travel and outlook, Cultural Integration Infinitive tourism 1.8 Voyaging Phrases, Register, Write a Flyer Reading books Motivation, Perseverence, Hard Towards Primary and Modal Work, Self -confidence, Excellence Auxiliary Verbs, Clauses Determination SECT ION ONE 1.1 An Astrologer’s Day ICE BREAKERS Discuss with your partner and complete the activity. What are your strengths ? Strengths Why do you feel so? Dream career painting and drawing can visualise, express commercial artist, cartoonist The scene in a local market of a village/town/city is very attractive. People with different occupations sell their wares. Discuss with your partner the variety of activities at the local market. 1. selling flowers, selling grocery 2. 3. 4. 5. In a village /town /city it is quite a common sight to see an astrologer sitting by the roadside with his professional equipment. Discuss with your partner and list the requirements for his trade. 1. parrot, cards etc. 2. 3. 4. 5. There are certain unreasonable beliefs among people living in our society. Certain common events are linked with superstitions. List such events, discuss the superstitions linked with them and the means of their eradication. 1. A cat crossing your path 2. 3. 4. 5. 1 R. K. Narayan (1906 to 2001) Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami was one of the best known novelists among Indian English writers. He is the author of fourteen novels, five volumes of short stories, and a number of travelogues, and has a collection of non-fiction to his credit. He also wrote his memoir ‘My Days’ (1975). Narayan created the imaginary town of Malgudi, where realistic characters in a typically Indian setting lived amid unpredictable events. His stories are grounded in compassionate humanism and celebrated the humour and energy of ordinary life. His stories are characterized by a simple style and subtle humour. Narayan was introduced to American readers in 1952 by the Michigan State University Press. These include, ‘Swami and Friends’, ‘The Bachelor of Arts’ (1937), ‘The Dark Room’ (1938), ‘An Astrologer’s Day and Other stories’(1947), ‘Mr Sampath ‘(1949), ‘The Financial Expert’ (1954), ‘Waiting for the Mahatma’ (1955), ‘The Guide’ (1958), and many other books. His novel, ‘The Guide’, won him The Sahitya Akademi Award in 1961, the most coveted literary honour in India. His writing is distinguished by humour and unoffending irony, a unique Indianness and a simplicity which is utterly charming and authentic. Narayan typically portrays the peculiarities of human relationships and the ironies of Indian daily life. His style is graceful, marked by genial humour, elegance and simplicity. An Astrologer’s Day Punctually at midday he opened his bag and spread out his professional equipment, which consisted of a cowrie : a sea animal dozen cowrie shells, a square piece of cloth with obscure obscure : difficult to mystic charts on it, a notebook, and a bundle of palmyra understand writing. His forehead was resplendent with sacred ash and mystic : Something that vermilion, and his eyes sparkled with a sharp abnormal relates to supernatural powers and is not easily gleam which was really an outcome of a continual understood. searching look for customers, but which his simple clients palmyra: a kind of palm took to be a prophetic light and felt comforted. The power resplendent : bright, of his eyes was considerably enhanced by their position- dazzling and impressive placed as they were between the painted forehead and the enhanced: increased dark whiskers which streamed down his cheeks : even a half-wit’s eyes would sparkle in such a setting. To crown the effect he wound a saffron-coloured turban around his head. This colour scheme never failed. People were attracted to him as bees are attracted to cosmos or dahlia stalks. He sat under the boughs of a spreading tamarind tree which flanked a path running through the Town Hall Park. It was a remarkable place in many ways. A surging 2 crowd was always moving up and down this narrow road from morning till night. A variety of trades and occupations was represented all along its way : medicine sellers, sellers of stolen hardware and junk, magicians, and above all, an auctioneer of cheap cloth, who created enough din all day to attract the whole town. Next to him in vociferousness came a vendor of fried groundnut, who vociferousness : being loud gave his ware a fancy name each day, calling it “Bombay and noisy Ice Cream” one day and on the next “Delhi Almond,” and on the third “Raja’s Delicacy,” and so on and so forth, and people flocked to him. A considerable portion of this dallied : wasted time just crowd dallied before the astrologer too. The astrologer hanging around transacted his business by the light of a flare which crackled and smoked up above the groundnut heap nearby. enchantment : magical effect or charm Half the enchantment of the place was due to the fact that it did not have the benefit of municipal lighting. The place was lit up by shop lights. One or two had hissing bewildering : confusing, gaslights, some had naked flares stuck on poles, some baffling were lit up by old cycle lamps, and one or two, like the astrologer, managed without lights of their own. It was a bewildering crisscross of light rays and moving shadows. This suited the astrologer very well, for the simple reason that he had not in the least intended to be an astrologer when he began life; and he knew no more of what was going to happen to others than he knew what was going to happen to himself next minute. He was as much a stranger shrewd : good at judging to the stars as were his innocent customers. Yet he said people, clever things which pleased and astonished everyone : that was more a matter of study, practice, and shrewd guesswork. If the astrologer had stayed All the same, it was as much an honest man’s labour as in the village then he would any other, and he deserved the wages he carried home at have carried on the end of a day. He had left his village without any previous thought or plan. If he had continued there he would have carried on the work of his forefathers - namely, tilling the The astrologer could land, living, marrying, and ripening in his cornfield and understand the problem in ancestral home. But that was not to be. He had to leave five minutes. How? home without telling anyone, and he could not rest till he left it behind a couple of hundred miles. To a villager it is a great deal, as if an ocean flowed between. Guess the meaning : pies He had a working analysis of mankind’s troubles: marriage, money, and the tangles of human ties. Long practice had sharpened his perception. Within five minutes he understood what was wrong. He charged three pies per 3 question, never opened his mouth till the other had spoken for at least ten minutes, which provided him enough stuff for a dozen answers and advices. When he told the person How could the astrologer before him, gazing at his palm, “In many ways you are tell the person about his not getting the fullest results for your efforts,” nine out of life ? ten were disposed to agree with him. Or he questioned “Is there any woman in your family, maybe even a distant relative who is not well disposed towards you?” Or he impetuous : impulsive gave an analysis of character: “Most of your troubles are endeared : made likeable due to your nature. How can you be otherwise with Saturn where he is? You have an impetuous nature and a rough exterior.” This endeared him to their hearts immediately, for even the mildest of us loves to think that he has a forbidding exterior. The nuts vendor blew out his flare and rose to go home. This was a signal for the astrologer to bundle up too, since it left him in darkness except for a little shaft of paraphernalia : a large green light which strayed in from somewhere and touched number of small articles the ground before him. He picked up his cowrie shells used in a particular activity and paraphernalia and was putting them back into his or personal possession bag when the green shaft of light was blotted out. He looked up and saw a man standing before him. He sensed a possible client and said: “You look so careworn. It will do you good to sit down for a while and chat with me.” The other grumbled some reply vaguely. The astrologer pressed his invitation; whereupon the other thrust his palm under his nose, saying: “You call yourself an astrologer?” The astrologer felt challenged and said, tilting the other’s palm towards the green shaft of light: “Yours piqued : irritated, annoyed is a nature...” “Oh, stop that, ” the other said. “Tell me or resented something worthwhile...” Our friend felt piqued. I charge only three pies per question, and what you get ought to be good enough for your money...” At this the other withdrew Guess the meaning : his arm, took out an anna, and flung it out to him, saying tilting “I have some questions to ask. If I prove you are bluffing, bluffing you must return that anna to me with interest.” “If you find my answers satisfactory, will you give me five rupees?” “No.” “Or will you give me eight annas?” “All right, provided you give me twice as much if you are wrong,” said the stranger. This pact was accepted after a little further argument. The astrologer sent up a 4 prayer to heaven as the other lit a cheroot. The astrologer cheroot : a cigar caught a glimpse of his face by the matchlight. There was Guess the meaning of : a pause as cars hooted on the road, jutka drivers swore glimpse at their horses, and the babble of the crowd agitated the jutka : horse-driven cart semidarkness of the park. The other sat down, sucking his cheroot, puffing out, sat there ruthlessly. The astrologer felt very uncomfortable. “Here, take your anna back. I am not used to such challenges. It is late for me today”... He made preparations to bundle up. The other held his wrist and said “You can’t get out of it now. You dragged me in while I was passing.” The astrologer shivered in his grip and his voice shook and became faint. “Leave me today. I will speak to you tomorrow.” The other thrust his palm in his face and said: “Challenge is challenge. Go on.” The astrologer proceeded with his throat drying up: “There is a woman...” “Stop,” said the other. “I don’t want all that. Shall I succeed in my present search or not? Answer this and go. disgorge : yield surrender Otherwise I will not let you go till you disgorge all your under pressure incantations : supposedly coins.” The astrologer muttered a few incantations and magical words replied: “All right. I will speak. But will you give me a rupee if what I say is convincing? Otherwise I will not haggling : bargaining open my mouth, and you may do what you like.” After a good deal of haggling, the other agreed. The astrologer said: “You were left for dead. Am I right?” “Ah, tell me more.” “A knife has passed through you once?” said the astrologer. “Good fellow!” He bared his chest to show the scar. “What else?” 5 “And then you were pushed into a well nearby in the field. You were left for dead.” “I should have been dead if some passer-by had not The man was left chanced to peep into the well,” exclaimed the other, over- for dead because whelmed by enthusiasm.. “When shall I get at him?” he asked, clenching his fist. “In the next world,” answered the astrologer. “He Guess the meaning : died four months ago in a far-off town. You will never see passer-by any more of him.” The other groaned on hearing it. The peep astrologer proceeded : overwhelmed groaned “Guru Nayak-” “You know my name!” the other said, taken aback. “As I know all other things. Guru Nayak, listen carefully to what I have to say. Your village is two days’ journey due north of this town. Take the next train and be gone. I see once again great danger to your life if you go from home.” He took out a pinch of sacred ash and held it to him. “Rub it on your forehead and go home. Never travel southward again, and you will live to be a hundred.” “Why should I leave home again?” the other said reflectively. “I was only going away now and then to look for him and to choke out his life if I met him.” He shook his head regretfully. “He has escaped my hands. I hope at least he died as he deserved.” “Yes,” said the astrologer. gratified : pleased, satisfied “He was crushed under a lorry.”The other looked gratified to hear it. The place was deserted by the time the astrologer picked up his articles and put them into his bag. The green shaft was also gone, leaving the place in darkness and silence. The stranger had gone off into the night, after giving the astrologer a handful of coins. It was nearly midnight when the astrologer reached home. His wife was waiting for him at the door and demanded an explanation. He flung the coins at her and said “Count them. One man gave all that.” “Twelve and a half annas,” she said, counting. She was overjoyed. “I can buy some jaggery and coconut tomorrow. The child has been asking for sweets for so many days now. I will prepare some nice stuff for her.” “The swine has cheated me! He promised me a rupee,” said the astrologer. She looked up at him. “You look worried. What is wrong?” 6 “Nothing.” After dinner, sitting on the pyol, he told her “Do you pyol : a string cot know a great load is gone from me today? I thought I had the blood of a man on my hands all these years. That was the reason why I ran away from home, settled here, and married you. He is alive.” What was the load on the She gasped. “You tried to kill him!” astrologer’s mind? “Yes, in our village, when I was a silly youngster. We drank, gambled, and quarreled badly one day - why think of it now? Time to sleep,” he said, yawning, and stretched himself on the pyol. - R. K. Narayan BRAINSTORMING (A1) (i) Given below are some descriptions. Discuss them with your partner and find out one word for each of them. An example is given for you. (a) The scientific study of the universe and the objects in it, including stars, planets, nebulae and galaxies - Astronomy (b) The study of the movements of the planets, Sun, Moon, and Stars in the belief that these movements can have an influence on people's lives (c) A prediction of what will happen in the future (d) Scientific discipline that studies mental states and processes and behaviour in humans and other animals (ii) In the story we are told that the Town Hall Park was a remarkable place in many ways for an astrologer to build his business. Discuss it in a group and list the exceptional qualities of the place. A surging crowd (iii) The astrologer never opened his mouth till the other had spoken for at least ten minutes. Discuss the reasons behind his act. 7 (a) He is good at reading the people. (b) (c) (d) (A2) (i) The tactics used by the astrologer to earn his wages are... analysis of human troubles The Tactics (ii) An astrologer's appearance helps to create an impression on his clients. Complete the following. (a) The turban on his head (b) (c) (d) (iii) Read the following sentences and choose the correct one. (a) The astrologer says that if Nayak does not leave his village again, he would - (1) return the money (2) face danger (3) go back home and stop looking for the man who tried to kill him (4) not find the killer. (b) According to the narrator the astrologer's success in his profession is primarily due to - (1) luck (2) the bargains he drives (3) his appearance (4) his understanding of people. (c) The story suggests that the astrologer's comments and observations please people by - (1) promising them success and good fortune (2) proving, as time passes, to have been true (3) flattering them or supporting their own views (4) helping them to learn to solve their own problems. 8 (d) Guru Nayak consults the astrologer because he wants to - (1) understand the past (2) find out who the astrologer is (3) make some money through a bet (4) get the answer to a specific question. (e) Guru Nayak is looking for the man who tried to kill him - (1) to take revenge (2) to get an apology (3) to demand an explanation (4) to prove that the man was unsuccessful. (f) The astrologer's remark makes Guru Nayak feel all of the following except- (1) relieved (2) suspicious (3) impressed (4) disappointed. (g) Reactions of the astrologer's wife to his news suggest that she - (1) was unaware of his past (2) has been worried about his safety (3) has known him since he was young (4) is concerned about her future with him. (iv) Read the following sentences and find out True and False sentences. Correct the False sentences. (a) The astrologer gave a correct prediction to the client about his past that he was stabbed, thrown into a well and left for dead. (b) When the astrologer came to know that the man whom he killed is alive he felt that he was relieved of his guilt. (c) The astrologer tried to back out of the deal and talked about the client's past. (d) The astrologer rescued himself from Guru Nayak's revenge. (e) The moral of the story is that we must be responsible about what we have done and should not run away from our mistakes. (v) The astrologer has changed his appearance and his persona when he arrived in the city. Give specific reasons. (vi) 'The darkness load that was inside the astrologer has disappeared'. Through this sentence, explain the significance of the title 'An Astrologer's Day'. 9 (vii) The astrologer feels relieved that Guru is not dead as it relieves a great burden from him. Critically justify the statement and explain it. (viii) The astrologer wins/gets the sympathy of criticism of the reader in the end. Express your opinion with the support of the main story. (ix) If we have to eradicate the superstitions and other ill practices from our society, what steps would you like to suggest? (x) In the story, astrologer has a great listening power. Listening helps in developing good relations with people. Express your opinion. (A3) (i) In the story, the following characters reveal their qualities through words and actions. Pick out the words that describe them from the box and write in the appropriate columns. shrewd clever suspicious gullible arrogant demanding antagonistic quarrelsome overconfident manipulative skeptical mystical smart caring protective sharp rational mean intuitive aggressive worried cunning humanistic impetuous Astrologer Guru Nayak Astrologer's wife (1) shrewd manipulative caring (2) (3) (4) (ii) Match the suffixes with the words and make nouns. One is done for you. Word suffix noun auction able auctioneer enchant ure know ment prepare eer proceed ance appear ledge remark tion (iii) 'An Astrologer's Day' has ironic elements where the astrologer pretends to have 'supernatural knowledge' that coincidently turns out to be the truth. Irony means a situation or statement characterized by a significant difference between what is expected and what actually happens, or between what is understood and what is meant. Find out the examples of irony from the story and write them down. One has been done for you. 10 (a) He knew no more of what was going to happen to others than he knew what was going to happen to himself the next minute. (b) (c) (d) (iv) In the story, many Indian words are used. 'Cowrie shells'. This is an example of code-mixing. Find out other such words from the story and write them down. (v) There are some phrases where the word crown is used with different shades of meaning. Use the following phrases to complete the sentences meaningfully. One is done for you. crowning achievement, To crown the effect, crown of thorns, crowning glory, to crown it all To crown the effect, he wound a saffron-coloured turban around his head. (a) The works of Shakespeare are the of English drama. (b) Amitabh has given us awesome movies throughout five decades. But his is his performance in the movie 'Black'. (c) In her pursuit of success, Radha has distanced herself from her family. Her fame has become a real. (d) They threw a wonderful party for me with costumes, games and my favourite kind of ice cream. (e) Medical science has great inventions, but organ transplantation is definitely a for human beings. (A4) (i) Word Usage Use the words given in the brackets and rewrite the sentences. (a) The power of his eyes was considerably enhanced. (enhancement) (b) He had a working analysis of mankind’s troubles. (worked) (c) He knew what was going to happen to himself next minute.(happening) (d) If you find my answers satisfactory, will you give me five rupees? (satisfaction) (e) He shook his head regretfully. (regret) 11 (f) It was a bewildering crisscross of light rays. (bewildered) (g) “I should have been dead if some passer-by had not chanced to peep into the well,” exclaimed the other, overwhelmed by enthusiasm. (enthusiastically) (h) You tried to kill him. (killing) (i) I will prepare some nice stuff for her. (preparation) (j) The other groaned on hearing it. (heard) (A5) (i) Prepare a speech on Science and Superstitions. (ii) Read the following proverbs. Share your views and expand the ideas. (a) Actions speak louder than words. (b) The face is the index of the mind. (c) Speech is silver and silence is golden. (d) Argument is the worst kind of communication. (e) Attitudes are the real figures of speech. (f) The wise man has long ears and a short tongue. (A6) (i) Bill Naughton has written a collection of wonderful stories which you can read in his book ‘The Goal Keepers Revenge and Other Stories’. Read all the stories and discuss their theme/s with your partner. (ii) Read R.K. Narayan’s humorous collections of short stories and novels. Here are some titles you can read. (a) ‘Under The Banyan Tree’ (b) ‘The Doctor’s Word’ (c) ‘Lawley Road’ (d) ‘A Horse and Two Goats’ (e) ‘Gateman’s Gift’ (A7) Surf the internet and find out the career opportunities in Astronomy. qqq 12 1.2 On Saying “Please” ICE BREAKERS List the words of courtesy that we use in our daily life. Discuss them with your partner and explain the purpose of using each. Thank you Words of courtesy Listed below are a few character traits of people. Some are positive traits, while others are not. Tick P the ones you feel are desirable. Characteristic traits Characteristic traits Characteristic traits Conniving Aggressive Boastful Insensitive Scheming Humble Sly Wise Servile Humorous Egoistic Territorial Naive Manipulative Patronising Benevolent Rude Generous Etiquette and manners are very important for a person to live in the society. Read the following and put them in proper columns. 1. To receive phone calls while you are in a lecture or class. 2. To knock before you enter your Principal’s office. 3. To thank the person who offers you tea or coffee. 4. To be polite and courteous to others. 5. To leave the classroom without the teacher’s permission. 6. To occupy the seats reserved for ladies or physically challenged or elderly people on a bus or a train. Appropriate Inappropriate 1. 1. 2. 2. 3. 3. 13 Alfred George Gardiner (1865 to 1946) was born at Chelmsford in Essex in 1865. He started his literary career as a journalist. At the age of 37, he was appointed editor of the Daily News, London. Under the pseudonym (pen name) ‘Alpha of the Plough’, he made regular contributions to the Daily News, The Manchester Evening News etc. His essays are uniformly elegant, graceful and humorous. ‘The Pillars of Society’, ‘Pebbles on the Shore’, ‘Many Furrows and Leaves in the Wind’ are some of his best known writings. His uniqueness lies in his ability to teach the basic truths of life in an easy and amusing manner. He raised the question of morality in everyday life. In, On Saying ‘‘Please’’, he points out the value of good manners in social life and emphasizes the importance of courtesy and politeness in daily behaviour. He shows how polite speech and manner sweeten the atmosphere around and how discourtesy and ill manners spoil or pollute it. On Saying “Please” The young lift-man in a City office who threw a a lift-man is a person who passenger out of his lift the other morning and was fined for the offence was undoubtedly in the wrong. It was a question of “Please.” The complainant entering the lift, said, “Top.” The lift-man demanded “Top-please,” and this concession being refused he not only declined to comply discourtesy : lack of courtesy, with the instruction, but hurled the passenger out of the rudeness lift. This, of course was carrying a comment on manner assault and battery: an attack which includes not only threats too far. Discourtesy is not a legal offence, and it does not but also the actual use of excuse assault and battery. If a burglar breaks into my violence house and I knock him down, the law will acquit me, and retaliate : do something bad if I am physically assaulted, it will permit me to retaliate to someone who has done with reasonable violence. It does this because the burglar something bad to you and my assailant have broken quite definite commands assailant : an attacker of the law. But no legal system could attempt to legislate legislate: make a law or laws against bad manners, or could sanction the use of violence violence : action or feeling against something which it does not itself recognize as a that causes damage, unrest etc. legally punishable offence. And our sympathy with the lift- to box : fight with the fists (closed hands) man, we must admit that the law is reasonable. It would never do if we were at liberty to box people’s ears because haughty: having a high we did not like their behaviour, or the tone of their voices, opinion of oneself and often a or the scowl on their faces. Our fists would never be idle, low opinion of others and the gutters of the city would run with blood all day. I may be as uncivil as I may please and the law will protect me against violent retaliation. I may be haughty 14 or boorish and there is no penalty to pay except the penalty of being written down an ill-mannered fellow. The law does not compel me to say “Please” or to attune my voice to other people’s sensibilities any more than it boorish: rude, uncultured says that I shall not wax my moustache or dye my hair or wear ringlets down my back. It does not recognize the laceration: (here) a cut or tear laceration of our feelings as a case for compensation. There is no allowance for moral and intellectual damages in these matters. Guess the meaning : This does not mean that the damages are negligible. It redress is probable that the lift-man was much more acutely hurt Explain the sentence : The by what he regarded as a slur upon his social standing pain of a kick... poison a than he would have been if he had a kick on the shins, whole day. for which he could have got a legal redress. The pain vanity: pride of a kick on the shins soon passes away but the pain of a wound to our self-respect or our vanity may poison a brooding over : thinking anxiously or sadly about whole day. I can imagine that lift-man, denied the relief of something throwing the author of his wound out of the lift, brooding equilibrium: balance over the insult by the hour, and visiting his wife in the bullied: threatened evening as the only way of restoring his equilibrium. For Sir Anthony Absolute.... page boy : This amusing incident is there are few things more catching than bad temper and described in Act III, Sc.1 of bad manners. When Sir Anthony Absolute bullied Captain ‘The Rivals’ 1775, a comedy Absolute, the latter went out and bullied his man, Fag, by Sheridan. Sir Anthony whereupon Fag went out downstairs and kicked the page- is Captain Jack Absolute’s boy. Probably the man who said “Top” to the lift-man father, and Fag is the son’s servant. was really only getting back on his employer who had not said “Good morning” to him because he himself had been insolent: very rude henpecked at breakfast by his wife, to whom the cook calendar: (here) a calendar had been insolent because the housemaid had “answered of causes arranged for trial in her back”. We infect the world with our ill-humours. court Bad manners probably do more to poison the stream of Guess the meanings : the general life than all the crimes in the calendar. For henpecked black eye one wife who gets a black eye from an otherwise good- endorse natured husband there are a hundred who live a life of morose: unhappy martyrdom under the shadow of a morose temper. But Decalogue: The Ten all the same the law cannot become the guardian of our Commandments Why is it not possible for the private manners. No Decalogue could cover the vast area law to become the guardian of offences and no court could administer a law which of our private manners? governed our social civilities, our speech, the tilt of our eyebrows and all our moods and manners. verdict: judgement But though we are bound to endorse the verdict against the lift-man, most people will have a certain 15 sympathy with him. While it is true that there is no law that compels us to say “Please”, there is a social practice much older and much more sacred than any law which enjoins us to be civil. And the first requirement of civility How can we keep the is that we should acknowledge a service. “Please” and machine of life oiled and “Thank you” are the small change with which we pay running sweetly? our ways as social beings. They are the little courtesies by which we keep the machine of life oiled and running intercourse: sweetly. They put our intercourse upon the basis of a communication, friendly co-operation, an easy give-and-take, instead of conversation on the basis of superiors dictating to inferiors. It is a very vulgar mind that would wish to command where he can have the service for asking, and have it with willingness resentment: anger and good-feeling instead of resentment. I should like to “feature” in this connection my friend, the polite conductor. By this discriminating title I do not intend to suggest a rebuke to conductors generally. On the contrary, I am disposed to think that there are few classes of ordeal: difficult or painful men who come through the ordeal of a very trying calling experience better than bus conductors do. Here and there you will meet an unpleasant specimen who regards the passengers as his natural enemies - as creatures whose chief purpose on the bus is to cheat him, and who can only be kept reasonably The public owes to the honest by a loud voice and an aggressive manner. But this Underground Railway type is rare - rarer than it used to be. I fancy the public Company because owes much to the Underground Railway Company, which also runs the buses, for insisting on a certain standard of civility in its servants and taking care that standard is observed. In doing this it not only makes things pleasant for the travelling public, but performs an important social service. It is not, therefore, with any feeling of unfriendliness to conductors as a class that I pay a tribute to a particular member of that class. I first became conscious of his existence one day when I jumped on to a bus and found knave: a dishonest person that I had left home without any money in my pocket. According to the Everyone has had the experience and knows the feeling, conductor, what are the the mixed feeling, which the discovery arouses. You are stale old tricks ? annoyed because you look like a fool at the best and like a knave at the worst. You would not be at all surprised if the conductor eyed you coldly as much as to say, “Yes, I know that stale old trick. Now then, off you get.’’ And 16 even if the conductor is a good fellow and lets you down easily, you are faced with the necessity of going back, and the inconvenience, perhaps, of missing your train or your engagement. Having searched my pockets in vain for stray coppers, and having found I was utterly penniless, I told coppers : coins of low the conductor with as honest a face as I could assume value that I couldn’t pay the fare, and must go back for money. “Oh you needn’t get off: that’s all right,” said he. “All right,” said I, “but I haven’t a copper on me.” “Oh, I’ll book you through,” he replied. “Where d’ye want to go?” and he handled his bundle of tickets with the air of a man who was prepared to give me a ticket for anywhere from the Bank to Hong Kong. I said it was very kind of him, and told him where I wanted to go, and as he gave me the ticket I said, “But where shall I send the fare?” “Oh, you’ll see me some day all right,” he said cheerfully, he cheerfully: happily turned to go. And then, luckily, my fingers, still wandering in the corner of my pockets lighted on a shilling and the squared: settled account was squared. But that fact did not lessen the glow of pleasure which so good-natured an action had given me. A few days after, my most sensitive toe was trampled trampled on : crushed under feet on rather heavily as I sat reading on the top of a bus. I looked up with some anger and more agony, and saw my Guess the meanings : friend of the cheerful countenance. “Sorry, sir,” he said. countenance “I know these are heavy boots. Got’ em because my own treading feet get trod on so much, and now I’m treading on other assured people’s. Hope I didn’t hurt you, sir.” He had hurt me but he was so nice about it that I assured him he hadn’t. After this I began to observe him whenever I boarded his bus, and found a curious pleasure in the constant good-nature inexhaustible: unlimited of his bearing. He seemed to have an inexhaustible fund of patience and a gift for making his passengers comfortable. I noticed that if it was raining he would run up the stairs to give someone the tip that there was solicitous: caring or “room inside”. With old people he was as considerate as concerned a son,and with children as solicitous as a father. He had Which particular evidently a peculiarly warm place in his heart for young experience made the people, and always indulged in some merry jest with them. writer comfortable in a If he had a blind man on board it was not enough to set bus? him down safely on the pavement. He would call to Bill 17 in front to wait while he took him across the road or round the corner, or otherwise safely on his way. In short, I found irradiated : (here) spread that he irradiated such an atmosphere of good-temper or produced and kindliness that a journey with him was a lesson in natural courtesy and good manners. What struck me particularly was the ease with which he got through his work. If bad manners are infectious, so also are good manners. If we encounter incivility most uncouth: impolite, of us are apt to become uncivil, but it is an unusually unrefined uncouth person who can be disagreeable with sunny people. It is with manners as with the weather. ‘‘Nothing benediction: a blessing clears up my spirits like a fine day,” said Keats, and a cheerful person descends on even the gloomiest of us with conciliatory: trying to win something of the benediction of a fine day. And so it was friendly feelings always fine weather on the polite conductor’s bus, and his own civility, his conciliatory address and good-humoured bearing, infected his passengers. In lightening their spirits he lightened his own task. His gaiety was not a wasteful luxury, but a sound investment. I have missed him from my bus route of late; but I hope that only means that he has carried his sunshine panegyric: a speech or on to another road. It cannot be too widely diffused in a piece of writing to praise rather drab world. And I make no apologies for writing a someone highly panegyric on an unknown bus conductor. If Wordsworth the poor leech-gatherer: could gather lessons of wisdom from the poor leech- the subject of Wordsworth’s gatherer ‘on the lonely moor’, I see no reason why lesser poem ‘Resolution and people should not take lessons in conduct from one who Independence’ or ‘The shows how a very modest calling may be dignified by Leech Gatherer’ good-temper and kindly feeling. It is a matter of general agreement that the war has had a chilling effect upon those little everyday civilities of behaviour that sweeten the general air. We must get those lower than the angels: civilities back if we are to make life kindly and tolerable from Psalm 8:5-- ‘Thou for each other. We cannot get them back by invoking the hast made him (man) a little law. The policeman is a necessary symbol and the law lower than the angels, here, is a necessary institution for a society that is still some- it means less than perfect what lower than the angels. But the law can only protect us against material attack. Nor will the lift-man’s way of Guess the meaning : moral affront meeting moral affront by physical violence help us to restore the civilities. I suggest to him, that he would have had a more subtle and effective revenge if he had treated the gentleman who would not say “Please” with elaborate 18 politeness. He would have had the victory, not only over the boor, but over himself, and that is the victory that boor: a rude insensitive counts. The polite man may lose the material advantage, person but he always has the spiritual victory. I commend to the lift-man a story of Chesterfield. In his time the London Chesterfield: Lord streets were without the pavements of today, and the man Chesterfield (1694-1773) English statesman, author who “took the wall” had the driest footing. “I never give and patron of letters. the wall to a scoundrel,” said a man who met Chesterfield one day in the street. “I always do,” said Chesterfield, stepping with a bow into the road. I hope the lift-man will agree that his revenge was much more sweet than if he had flung the fellow into the mud. - Alfred George Gardiner BRAINSTORMING (A1) (i) Form groups and explain the following words with examples. You can take help of your teacher. Humility Self-esteem Gratitude Courtesy Generosity Sympathy Empathy (ii) Have a Group Discussion on the topic ‘The need of soft skills at work place’. Use the following points. (a) Written and verbal communication (b) Ways of interacting with others (c) Creative abilities (d) Emotional intelligence (A2) (i) Read the text and state whether the following statements are True or False. Correct the False statements. (a) Bitter problems in day-to-day life can be solved by sweet words. (b) Great wars could have been avoided by a little courtesy. (c) Observance of etiquette in a normal situation is important but more important is their observance when the situation is adverse. (d) Words like 'please' and 'thank you' help us in making our passage through life uneasy. (e) The law permits anybody to use violence, if another person is discourteous. 19 (ii) Select the most appropriate sentences which suggest the theme of the essay. (a) The essay tells us about courtesy, civility, morality, responsibility and control. (b) The essay explores the difficulties that can be incurred by an individual when dealing with the public. (c) One can keep one’s peace of mind without having to lower themselves to the level of the perceived offender. (d) People with low self-esteem are generally difficult to work with and they look down upon others to get a feeling of superiority. (iii) (a) Find the reasons for the lift-man's uncivilized behaviour. (b) List the people and their behaviour that made the passenger rude and ill-mannered. Housemaid Wife Lift-man (iv) Good manners are required in our daily life for making our social contacts more cooperative and friendly. Illustrate the behaviour of the polite conductor with different people in various situations. Situation Behaviour 1. The writer’s sensitive toe was The conductor said sorry with an trampled on apology and courtesy. 2. In the rainy season dealing with people 3. Dealing with old people 4. Dealing with children 5. Dealing with young people 6. Dealing with a blind man (v) Discuss and write the impact of good temper and kindliness on the society in the light of the good-mannered conductor. (vi) 'A modest calling can be made dignified by good temper and kindly feeling'. Explain the statement with examples. (vii) The service of the police is necessary for the implementation of law in our society. Do you think you require this service for good social environment? Discuss. (A3) (i) He committed the crime in broad daylight (not bright daylight or narrow darkness). 20 I had a cup of strong tea (not rich tea). The fast train is coming (not quick train). Such words or group of words which habitually occur together and thereby convey meaning by association are called collocations. A collocation is a combination of words in a language that often go together. (a) Find out the words in column 'B' which collocate with the words in column 'A'. A B regular meal mid day concept key food fast exercise try decorated richly hard free jam traffic time social animal wild justice (b) Learning collocations is essential for making your English sound fluent and natural. Make collocations and use in your own sentences. mistake dressed surprise Big Well (ii) Sometimes while using a word in a sentence, we have to change its word class. We can make several more words from the root word. We can make several new words from the root word. I asked Sumit to my pencil for me. (sharp). 21 I asked Sumit to sharpen my pencil for me. Now read the following sentences and use the words given in the brackets. Change the word class and rewrite the sentences. (a) Leena was eating a very apple and obviously enjoying it. (crunch) (b) This picture looks. (colour) (c) I’m afraid that your behaviour is just not. (accept) (d) I like my elder brother. He is very. (help) Complete the following table. Put a cross if a word class does not exist. Sr.No. Noun Verb Adjective Adverb 1. absence 2. alarm alarm alarming alarmingly 3. attraction 4. enable 5. admire 6. agree 7. applicable 8. avoidably 9. differ (iii) Register often refers to the degree of formality of language, but in a more general sense it means the language used by a group of people who share similar work or interest, such as doctors or lawyers. Imagine that your Principal or teacher is coming. When you meet him, you would never say, 'Hey, dude ! What's up?' This is a formal situation, so you would say 'Good morning, Sir'. In every situation, you use an appropriate expression according to the person. The language you use, when you meet someone depends on their age, position etc. There are formal and informal registers in spoken and written language. Write appropriate expressions and words which you have to use while facing an interview. (a) May I come in ? (b) (c) (d) (e) 22 You are writing a letter of complaint. List the proper expressions that you would like to write. (a) I disagree. (b) (c) (d) (e) (iv) Distinguish between a legal offence and a moral offence on the basis of the given text. Legal offence Moral offence Burglary Rude behaviour (v) Find out the meanings of the following phrases. Use them in your own sentences. (a) give and take (b) a black eye (c) lower than the angels (d) knock someone down (vi) Find out the words with prefixes and suffixes from the text and write them down. Prefix Suffix uncivil requirement (vii) Complete the table with polite expressions that we must use in our day- to-day life. Don'ts Dos I want a cup of tea. I would like to have a cup of tea. Send me the mail. Go away or leave me alone. You are wrong. That's a bad idea. Your work isn't good. 23 (A4) (i) Edit the given paragraph using a/an/the wherever necessary. Rakesh is a/an ideal son who remains devoted to his father as he grows professionally to become a/the famous doctor. As his father grows old, he takes care to spend time with his father, bringing him tea in a/the morning and taking him out for a/the walk in an/the evening. (ii) Spot the errors in each of the following sentences and correct the incorrect ones. (a) Radha brought pens and distributed them between her five children. (b) Jayshree and Sujata sat besides each other in complete silence. (c) His best friend Vijay was blind within one eye. (d) One could dare to encroach on his rights. (e) She was taken with surprise when she saw the famous Taj Mahal. (f) It is not possible to exchange the goods once the sale has been completed. (g) Dr. Sengupta has been trying to master the craft for the last five years. (h) The top-ranking candidates will be appointed in senior jobs in banks. (i) She knows very well what is expected from her but she is unable to perform. (j) They will put on a note in this regard for your consideration. (iii) Read the following sentence. Santosh purchased a computer. He read the operating manual and followed the instructions. (a) He linked the monitor, keyboard and printer. (b) He plugged in the main cable. (c) He switched on the monitor at the back. (d) When the light appeared on the screen, he placed the Day Disk in Drive A. (e) He pushed in the disk until the button clicked out. (It took about 30 seconds for the computer to load the programme.) (f) He pressed the Drive button and the disk shot out. (g) He replaced the Day Disk with the Document Disk. (h) He pressed function key 7. 24 Convert these sentences into passive voice by filling in the blanks. The first sentence has been done as an example. Firstly the monitor, keyboard and printer were linked up. Then the ---- ---- was ---- -----. The monitor ---- at the back. When the light appeared on the screen, ---- ---- ---- ----- in Drive A. The disk ---- --- --- until ----- --- ---- ---. It took the computer 30 seconds to load the programme. The drive button ---- ---- ---- and the disk shot out. The --- ---- --- ---with Document Disk. Finally, the function key 7...................... The word processor was then ready to use. (A5) (i) Write a speech on 'Courtesy is the light of life' with the help of the following points. (a) People have a good impression of you. (b) You will be acknowledged and appreciated by all. (c) You will be happier and contented with life. (ii) ‘Manners maketh man’ – Expand the idea in your own words with proper examples. (A6) (i) Read A. G. Gardiner's essay 'The Open Window' and compare its theme with the essay ‘On Saying ‘‘Please.’’’ (ii) ‘Nothing clears up my spirits like a fine day’ - Keats. Collect the information of the poet Keats and write it in your notebook. (A7) (i) Soft skills are required in all walks of life including careers and industries. They are increasingly becoming the essential skills of today's work force. Soft skills are an integral part of finding, attracting and retaining clients also. Highly developed presentation skills, networking abilities, and etiquette awareness can help you win new clients and gain more work. 25 The following are considered the most important soft skills. 💭 💭 Leadership eth ork 💭 ics W 💭 Inte 💭 rpe rela rsonal tion s i l ity o r Te 💭💭 Soft Skills Commu- Problem- solving i b Flex bility amw nication ta adap ork (ii) Following are the institutions where you will get the courses related to soft skills. (a) Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, Gujarat (b) Indian School of Business Management, Hyderabad (c) XLRI- Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur (d) Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, New Delhi Jobs available at - Customer service centre Management schools Hotel industry qqq 26 1.3 The Cop and the Anthem ICE BREAKERS Suppose you have gone to a place where the winter season is very severe, discuss with your partner the ways in which you would protect yourself in the cold climate. Ways to protect from cold climate When you see a cop approaching, you feel either ‘relieved’ or ‘scared’. Discuss with your partner the situations when you feel ‘relieved’ or ‘scared’. (a) You are walking alone in a dark street. Relieved (b) (c) (a) You are riding a bike without a valid driving licence. Scared (b) (c) Discuss some of the motivating things that can change a person's life. One is given : (a) Listening to an inspiring speech (b) (c) (d) 27 O’Henry (1862-1910) William Sydney Porter, an American writer is better known by his pen name O’Henry. He was a voracious reader since childhood. He started a humorous weekly, ‘The Rolling Stone’ and when the venture failed, he joined the ‘Houston Post’ as a reporter, columnist and occasional cartoonist. The story, ‘The Cop and the Anthem’ is one of O’Henry’s well known stories. To describe his style of writing, people have often used the term ‘smile with tears’ which implies his twisted way of thoughts and endings in almost every story. In this story the main character, Soapy, is a vagabond and a person with criminal background. He makes different plans to re-enter the prison as he has no shelter to protect himself from the severe winter. The story` ends in an unexpected way. O’Henry has depicted Soapy’s futile attempts to get arrested in a very humourous vein. ‘The Cop and the Anthem’ is about freedom and confinement. Initially Soapy feels that there is freedom (from miseries and worries) in confinement (prison). The notes of anthem transform him from within and he resolves to work hard. Soapy faces the irony of fate as the moment he realizes the real freedom lies in a virtuous life, he is taken into confinement. The Cop and the Anthem Soapy left his bench and strolled out of the square strolled : walked in a and across the level sea of asphalt, where Broadway and leisurely way Fifth Avenue flow together. Up Broadway he turned, and stopped at a luxurious cafe. Soapy had confidence in himself from the lowest button of his vest upward. He was shaven, and his coat Thanksgiving Day: was trim and his neat, black bow had been presented to The fourth Thursday of him by a lady missionary on Thanksgiving Day. If only November marked by he could reach a table in the restaurant unsuspected, religious observances and success would be his. The portion of him that would traditional meals show above the table would raise no doubt in the waiter’s mind. A roasted mallard duck, thought Soapy, would be about the thing with a bottle of wine and then some cheese, a cup of coffee and a cigar. One dollar Guess the meaning of the for the cigar would be enough. The total would not be expression in the context : winter island so high as to call forth any extreme of revenge from the eye fell upon cafe management; and yet the meat would leave him filled and happy for the journey to his winter island. decadent : (here) old and But as Soapy set foot inside the restaurant door, worn out the head-waiter’s eye fell upon his tattered trousers and decadent shoes. Strong and ready hands turned 28 him about and conveyed him in silence and haste to the side-walk and averted the ignoble fate of the menaced mallard. ignoble : dishonourable Soapy turned off Broadway. It seemed that his route coveted : greatly desired to the coveted island was not to be an easy one. Some limbo : border place other way of entering the limbo must be devised. between heaven and hell At a corner of Sixth Avenue electric lights and Soapy took a stone because cunningly displayed wares behind plateglass made a........................................ shop window attractive. Soapy took a stone and dashed it through the glass. People came running round the coner, a policeman in the lead. Soapy stood still with his hands in his pockets, and smiled at the sight of brass buttons.