Hassan's Attendance Problem - A Story of Missed Opportunities PDF

 SECTION -A 1. HASSAN’S ATTENDANCE PROBLEM (Sudha Murthy) ________ __ Mrs. Sudha Murthy is a teacher, social worker and a philanthropist. Her work speaks more than any words...

 SECTION -A 1. HASSAN’S ATTENDANCE PROBLEM (Sudha Murthy) ________ __ Mrs. Sudha Murthy is a teacher, social worker and a philanthropist. Her work speaks more than any words will. She is the spouse of humble, Mr. Narayan Murthy, the founder of Infosys. Her contribution towards family, company and world is immense. Her humbleness reflects in her writing. Hassan’s Attendance Problem describes the consequences of not taking things seriously and not working for the sake of knowledge. Only working for marks or money will lead one nowhere. She explains it with quintessential example of her student Hassan who used to bunk a lot of her class. For many years now, I have been teaching Computer Science to students studying for their Master’s in Computer Applications at a college in Bangalore. I have interacted with many students, and though it is not possible to remember all of them now, the memories of some are etched in my head. That is not because they were all brilliant, but rather because something in them was very different from the others. In my first batch, there was a very bright boy called Hassan. He was tall, handsome, with a very good memory. He came from an affluent family where he was the only son. Initially I did not come to know of his existence at all, mainly because he was hardly ever present. I normally take the first class of the day, which is scheduled at 9 a.m., or the one after that at 10 a.m. I prefer this time as this is when students are fresh and very attentive. Once in a while Hassan would turn up, particularly if there was a class test or during examinations. I met him more often for attendance shortage meetings. He would beg for attendance in such a manner that it was very difficult for me to say ‘no’. Sometimes I would get upset and tell him, ‘No, I can’t give you attendance. There should be discipline.’ ‘Yes madam,’ he would reply apologetically, ‘pardon me. From the next semester onwards I will definitely attend your class. Can you not pardon me this time? To err is human, to forgive is divine. You have only taught us this.’ 1  I could not remain angry for long. Teachers do get upset with students who are not regular, but if the attendance shortage affects their appearance in the final examination, one tends to melt like snow against the sun. A good teacher will always wish for the best for her student, though I do agree discipline is very important too. As he was very bright, Hassan would invariably get a first class in the exam. However, before the exam started, every semester this drama with Hassan would be repeated. I would get upset, threaten and ultimately give in. Each time Hassan would promise to improve his attendance record, and for one week would attend all classes, then the same old story would follow. Each time he had a different reason for his absences. Unfortunately, they always seemed genuine to me. Once I got tired of his stories and called his parents. ‘Your son is a bright boy, he is not arrogant but he is indisciplined. If only he came to class regularly and attended the lab I am sure he can get a rank. I have failed to convince him. I will be happy if you could look into the matter more seriously, because this is going to affect his life,’ I said to them. Hassan’s father was a busy man and did not take my words very seriously. He said, ‘As long as he does well that is fine with me because after a certain age children do not listen to their parents. Only life will teach them.’ But his mother was in tears. ‘Madam, I have failed as a mother. He does not listen to me at all. He spends all night listening to music, and chatting with his friends. He sleeps at six in the morning. How can he come to any class? He does not pay any attention to what I say and tells me I repeat the same thing always.’ The meeting ended in an argument between his parents. His father said, ‘You are the mother. It is your duty to correct him. You should spend more time with him, I am so busy. You have failed.’ His mother said, ‘You are the father. It is difficult to control boys. You can speak to him man to man. Earning money is not the only thing in life.’ This continued for a while and the meeting ended fruitlessly. Hassan continued in his ways till he passed out of his course, as usual in first class. He was a nice boy. He came and thanked me. 2  ‘Madam, thank you for teaching me for the last three years. Because of your kind heart I could get all my attendance. I wish all teachers were like you in the college.’ I laughed. ‘God willing, we will meet again.’ But I did not meet Hassan for a long time and forgot all about him. Years passed. I taught many students. Some of them became very good human beings, some became famous, some became rich and some remained ordinary. As far as I was concerned, they were like my children. Some remember me still and send invitations to weddings, naming ceremonies, house warmings, etc. If I am in town I definitely try and attend, because for me their immense love is my strength. One Monday morning, my secretary told me that a person wanting to sell the latest software in high school teaching wanted to meet me. I was extremely busy and the piles of unanswered letters were looking at me accusingly. I had no time to talk to a sales person. So I told her, ‘He can meet someone else. I don’t have time.’ But my secretary said he was insisting he wanted to meet only me and that he was my student. She knew how fond I was of all my students, so she had not been unable to say ‘no’ to him. ‘In that case let him see me at 2 p.m.’ In the afternoon, a man of about thirty-five years, plump, with a bald head and moderately dressed was waiting for me in the office. In his hand was the CD with the software. I could not place him though he seemed familiar. He smiled at me and said, ‘Madam, can you recognize me? You may not, because how can you remember all your students? From a window you can see the outside world but from the outside you cannot see all that is inside.’ I liked his analogy and was sure he was my student because I often used this phrase in my class. Still I could not guess who he was. ‘Madam, I was the perpetual latecomer of your class.’ That ‘s when the coin dropped. ‘Hi Hassan. How are you? It’s been a long time since I last met you.’ I was very happy to see him. ‘Madam, I am fine and remember many of your lessons.’ ‘Is it Database Management? Or C ? Or Pascal?’ 3  ‘None of the software Madam, I remember the moral lessons.’ I didn’t know what moral lessons I had taught, though I do tell some stories during my lectures on computer software. ‘Hassan, what are you doing now?’ Now his face became a little pale. ‘Madam, I am selling this software which is useful in teaching Maths, Physics and Chemistry. It is of help to both teachers and students. I know your foundation helps a lot in education at the high school level. I thought it may be of some interest to you.’ ‘Hassan, what did you do for so many years?’ I knew all his classmates by this time were in very high positions in the software industry. Hassan being a bright student, should have definitely done well. Yet, on the contrary, he seemed to be doing a small job of selling high school software door-to-door. ‘Madam, you know I was very irregular in college. The same habit continued even after my graduation. I would get up late and was very lazy. My mother would lose her temper and peace of mind. I did not bother. I took her for granted. After a lot of pressure from my parents I took up a job. But I continued with the same habits of going late to office, not keeping appointments and not being responsible. I did not have the proper knowledge also. In college, I hardly studied. Getting a first class in the examination is not an index of the amount of knowledge one has. I would study just before the exams, guess the probable questions, and skip the chapters. I always thought I could somehow make it later. But without proper knowledge it is difficult to work. I always laughed at those people who were hard workers. I used to make fun of them and called them “nerds”. Today those “nerds” have become millionaires. Nobody liked me in my office because of my behaviour. No employer would keep such an employee, and I lost whatever job I took up. In my frustration I started quarrelling at office as well as at home. Finally my father got so fed up he told me to stay separately. He always gave me a lot of freedom but I never picked up my own good habits.’ My state today is the result of my own habits. I felt sorry for Hassan, who with all his intelligence and good nature, could not make it. 4  ‘Hassan, you knew your faults, you could have improved and made a better life for yourself. There is always a start at any age. Don’t get disappointed. You may have lost a battle but you can still win the war.’ ‘Madam, old habits die hard.’ ‘But Hassan it is possible to change your habits. There is nothing which is impossible. You only require will power. You are yourself not aware of all your potential. Please remember when elders say something they do so because they want you to lead a better life than them. Excellence does not come by accident but by practice.’ I could see a twinkle in his eyes. I thought I saw a glimpse of the young bright Hassan. ‘I will try my best, Madam,’ he promised, as he rose to leave. I have not met Hassan since that day. I hope to bump into him unexpectedly once again, and this time find him happy and successful. GLOSSARY 1. etch (v):/ etʃ / make strong impression on one’s mind, cut lines into a piece of glass/metal etc. 2. affluent (adj):/ ˈæfluənt /prosperous, wealthy (a very affluent neighbourhood) 3. apologetically (adv.) :/ əˌpɒləˈdʒetɪkli / in the manner of saying sorry for something that has been done wrong or that causes a problem 4. accusingly (adv): / əˈkjuːzɪŋli / showing that you think somebody has done something wrong. (She was looking accusingly at her husband for his bad deeds.) 5. plump (adj):/ plʌmp / having a soft round body; slightly fat (a plump woman) 6. perpetual (adj): /pəˈpetʃuəl / continuous (the perpetual noise of traffic) 7. nerd (n) : /nəːd/ a person who is boring, stupid and not fashionable 8. glimpse (n): /ɡlɪmps/ a look, or see something or somebody for a very short time (He caught a glimpse of her in the crowd.) 9. bump into (Phr v) :- to meet somebody by chance 5 I COMPREHENSION 1. Answer the following questions in 10 - 15 words each: i. What is the narrator’s profession? ii. Why was Hassan not noticed by the teacher in the class? iii. Why would the narrator render attendance to Hassan every time? iv. Why were Hassan’s parents called to school? v. During which days would Hassan often show up in the class? vi. What was Hassan’s mother’s plea to his father? vii. Why did the parent – teacher meeting end fruitlessly? viii. Describe the physical appearance of Hassan when he met his teacher after several years. ix. What had the narrator expected Hassan to become in his life? x. How did Hassan study when he was in his college? xi. According to Hassan, who were “nerds”? xii. Why did Hassan start living separately? xiii. What made Hassan feel optimistic as he left the narrator’s office? 2. Answer the following questions in 50-60 words each: i. Draw a brief character-sketch of Hassan. ii. What is the theme of the chapter “Hassan’s Attendance Problem”? iii. Draw a character-sketch of Sudha Murthy. iv. How would Hassan apologise for his absence in the class? v. Describe, in your own words, the narrator’s meeting with Hassan’s parents. II VOCABULARY PRACTICE 1. Give one word for the following, selecting words from the list given in the box: nerd lazy affluent moderate ordinary arrogant famous 6  1. One who is lethargic. 2. One who is born with a silver spoon in the mouth. 3. One who is proud and haughty. 4. One who is well-known. 5. One who is run-of-the-mill type; average. 6. One who is sensible and restrained. 7. One who is a bore. 2. Look at the following sentences: 1. In the afternoon, a man of about thirty-five years, plump, with a bald head and moderately dressed was waiting for me in the office. 2. Now his face became a little pale. The words like plump, bald and pale have been used for body, head and face for describing the appearance of a person. The box below contains the words which describe the features of face, eyes, hair and dress of a person. List them under the appropriate headings. Some words can be used more than once. thin oval wavy untidy twinkling closecropped staring dreamy blue formal round brown neat starry curly long 7  face eyes hair dress................................................................................................................................................. III GRAMMAR EXERCISES 1. Change the Voice 1. I like my teacher. 2. Do manners reveal character? 3. Columbus discovered America. 4. This man has cut down the trees. 5. Hari did not open the door. 6. I will win him over. 7. The old man takes the snuff. 8. A cruel boy killed the bird. 9. I had never seen a zoo before. 10. Will she have written a letter? 2. Fill in the blanks with suitable Determiners 1. How ………… (much/many) money do you want? 2. All ………… (an, the) books are lying at sixes and sevens. 3. He lost …………. (the few, a few) friends he had. 4. There is ………. (little, the little) milk in the jug. 5. I have ……… (much, many) work to do. 6. …………. (Several, Much) people paid homage to the departed leader. 7. ………….. (These/ That) grapes are sweet and juicy. 8. He related ………… (the, an) interesting story. 9. Kanta is ……….. (a, the) taller of them both. 10. Both ………. (his, him) sons are very intelligent. 8  3. Do as Directed 1. It is never too late to mend. (Remove too) 2. I am as strong as he. (Change the degree of comparison) 3. She could not prove her innocence. (Transform into a Complex sentence) 4. I sold my lame horse. (Transform into a Complex sentence) 5. He was victimized by the travel agents. (Use the Noun form of the italicized word) 6. i. I know this. ii. English is easy to learn. (Combine the two sentences) 7. Can a day be turned into night? (Change into the Negative form) IV PRACTICE IN SPOKEN ENGLISH ɡ get dʒ join θ thin ʃ ship j yes tʃ chain ŋ long ð then ʒ measure iː weep ɑː part uː root eɪ play ɔɪ boy ɪ bit ɒ hot ʌ but əʊ go ɪə hear e pet ɔː court ɜː bird aɪ buy eə pair æ bat ʊ put ə away aʊ cow ʊə poor 9  Say the following sentences aloud: i. / eɪ / as in wait, late, play They painted the table. They painted the table pale grey. They painted the table pale grey the other day. ii. / əʊ / as in go, flow, know, This won’t grow. This won’t grow even slowly. This won’t grow even slowly in this cold. This won’t grow even slowly in this cold, you know. iii. / aɪ / as in fly, die, kite I’d drive five miles. I’d drive five miles on Friday. I’d drive five miles on Friday night. I’d drive five miles on Friday night to see the fight. iv. / aʊ / as in how, cow, now Any amount of the rowdy crowd! Any amount of the rowdy crowd around! Any amount of the rowdy crowd around the clown. Suggested Readings 1. A Classical Student by Anton Chekhov 2. Swami and his Friends by R. K. Narayan AN ANECDOTE I had some very distinctive driving gloves – I couldn’t find another pair like them anywhere, until I was in a large cloth shop and came across a long counter covered in gloves. Starting from one end, I tried on glove after glove. At the end, I came across a pair just like mine. The assistant confirmed that all pairs were sold at the same low price, so I paid up and walked back proudly to my car. It was then I realized, to my utter horror, that I’d just bought my own gloves. 10  2. THE MARCH KING (Katherine Little Bakeless) ______ Katherine Little Bakeless was born on December 5, 1895, in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania (USA). A playwright and biographer in her own right, Katherine Little Bakeless wrote books with her husband John on the American Revolution. Her individual works focused on music. She died in 1992 in Connecticut. There were over eighty British regiments serving in America between 1755 and 1783, most of which had their own band comprised of an assortment of instruments, including clarinets, oboes, bassoons, horns, and trumpets. These military bands not only executed their regimental duties but also played a large role in civilian musical life. Sousa had been playing violin professionally, composing and arranging for several years and on several occasions had conducted theatre orchestras, like the Washington Theatre Comique, 9. Thus, in 1880 when the U.S. Marine Band was in search of new leadership, Sousa was the perfect candidate, particularly because he had already served two enlistments with the U.S. Marine Band as an apprentice musician. He was a mere twenty-six when he accepted leadership of the Marine Band and to give a more authoritative appearance, he grew a full black beard. Sousa held this position for twelve years. During this time, he made numerous changes, including adjustments to the repertory of the ensemble. Sousa’s first concern as leader was to soften the sound that hit the guests as they entered the White House. The present story presents a glimpse of the life of his son and brings out the fact that one can succeed in life only if one pursues a vocation according to one’s aptitude and inborn taste. John Philip Sousa stood on the corner with his mother, watching a parade pass by. The United States Marine Band was rapidly coming closer to where they stood. Philip jumped up and down and cried excitedly, “Look, Mama, there’s Papa now!” Marching along in the brass section, Mr. Sousa looked very handsome. He winked as he went by. Philip grinned back. Philip loved bands, and the nation’s capital was a fine place to hear them during the early 1860’s. Washington was full of bands, and Philip loved them all. Now, with rapture in his eyes, he watched the Marine Band in all its 11 glory. And as it disappeared down the street, he vowed to become a musician. Soon seven-year-old Philip started to attend a school of music in his neighbourhood. He liked all his studies but he particularly enjoyed learning to play the violin. It was not very long before he excelled in playing that instrument, for he was both talented and eager to learn. But Philip did not spend all his time playing the violin. He loved to play baseball, too. And that is why he got into trouble one evening when he was eleven years old. Every year an evening concert was given by the music school. This year Philip had been chosen to play a violin solo. For several months he had been earning money by directing a small band. So the thought of playing in the concert did not make him the least bit nervous. And because he did not feel nervous, he did a foolish thing. On the very day of the concert, Philip pitched a game of baseball. He was tired and puffing as he came dashing home at supper time. Dirt was streaked across his moist forehead. His clothes were dusty and wrinkled. “I’m starved!” he cried as he passed the kitchen on his way upstairs. There was no answer, and suddenly Philip realized that something was wrong. The house was so quiet that he could hear the slow ticking of the big clock in the hall. “Where is everybody?” he yelled. Puzzled by the silence of the household, Philip ran into the kitchen. On the table he found some sandwiches and a note from his mother. She had been called away very suddenly by the illness of a friend. She would not be back until late evening. Philip looked at the clock. He would have to hurry to get to the concert on time. He washed, gobbled a sandwich, and ran to his room to dress. He looked for a shirt in the drawer where his clean laundry was kept. The drawer was empty! The laundry had not yet come back. “Oh,” Philip moaned forlornly, “what shall I do? I can’t play without a clean shirt!” Suddenly Philip realized that he ought to tell his music teacher, Professor Esputa, at once. He ran over to the school and gasped out his story. 12  At first the professor scowled with concern. But then he said, “That’s all right. Run to my house. Tell my wife to give you one of my shirts.” Mrs. Esputa quickly fetched one of her husband’s white shirts. But when Philip put it on, she began to exclaim, “Oh, dear! Gracious!” The shirt was so large that Philip was almost lost in it. Hastily Mrs. Esputa found a box of pins. In a twinkling, her nimble fingers pinned enough tucks in the shirt to make it fit Philip. They both heaved a big sigh of relief when the job was finished. Then, free from anxiety, Philip hurried back to the school. The concert finally began, and soon it was time for Philip’s also. He stood up, placed the violin under his chin, and raised his bow. With horror he felt a pin pulling loose in the back of his shirt. But he recalled how many pins had been inserted in the shirt and thought, “Losing one won’t matter.” Philip started to play. At first his right arm moved back and forth slowly, then more swiftly. Before long the pins that were holding his collar pulled out. The loose, large shirt collar began to creep up the back of Philip’s head. Then the unruly sleeves grew looser and longer. Suddenly the shirt fell away from his neck. The audience began to laugh. In embarrassed confusion, Philip forgot what he was playing and stopped completely. The disaster so upset him that he rushed off the stage and sulked in a dark corner. Fighting back tears, he mumbled gloomily, “I wish I were dead!” Refreshments were served after the concert, but Philip was too busy to have any. He mingled with the crowd as quickly as he could, hoping to avoid Mr. Esputa. After a wistful look at the ice cream, Philip was about to slink out when a booming voice behind him scoffed, “Well, Philip, you made a nice mess of it.” Philip turned and found himself face to face with his glowering teacher. With no sympathy for poor Philip, Mr. Esputa continued unreasonably, “No refreshments for you! You shouldn’t have spent the day playing ball. You should have been preparing for the important work of the evening. You ought to be ashamed!” Philip hung his head, sighed heavily, and trudged home. The incident left such an impression on him that he always remembered it. He never again tried to mix work and play. 13  But that was not the last time that he got himself into trouble with Mr. Esputa. One day when Philip was twelve, both he and his teacher were feeling tired and cross. They got into a heated argument over a trifle. As a result, Philip returned home convinced that he no longer wanted to take music lessons. He discussed the matter with his father. “Well,” commented Mr. Sousa, “it seems that you don’t want to be a musician. Is there anything else you would prefer to be?” “Yes,” said Philip. “I want to be a baker.” Mr. Sousa’s eyebrows flew up. “A baker?” he asked in surprise. “Yes, a baker,” Philip answered firmly. “If that’s what you want,” replied Mr. Sousa, “I will see what I can do to get you a suitable position in a bakery. I ‘ll go and attend to it right away.” And he went out of the house. Soon Mr. Sousa came back. “Well, son,” he informed Philip, “I’ve been talking to Charlie, the baker. His shop is a few blocks away, and he’ll be glad to teach you how to bake bread and pies. He is expecting you tonight at half- past eight.” “Good,” said Philip, but with little enthusiasm. Mr. Sousa put his hand on Philip’s shoulder and continued more seriously. “Philip, I’ve noticed that bakers aren’t always well educated. I believe that it would be profitable for you to educate yourself beyond the level of most bakers. Perhaps you will then be more successful in your business. For this reason I must insist that you keep on with your education even though you stop taking your music lessons. When you have finished school. You can become a full-time baker.” Philip willingly agreed to continue his education. At eight-thirty that evening, Philip went to the bakery. There he watched the bakers at work mixing bread and making pies. Everything he saw was new to him, and for a while it seemed very interesting. The bakers impressed Philip with their speed and skill, and he was amazed at the amount of bread that was being made. Later he grew tired and slept while the bread was baking. 14  Very early the next morning Philip helped load the big bakery wagon. Then he went out with the driver to deliver the bread. By eight o’clock he was through and went home to breakfast. Philip kept his agreement with his father and went to school that morning. After school he did not feel like playing baseball. Too tired to do anything else, he went home and sat around until after supper. Then it was time to return to the bakery, where he spent another evening very much like the first. After helping with the morning delivery, he went to school again. But he was too tired to learn much. When evening came, he dejectedly dragged himself off for his third night of work at the bakery. Watching the bakers no longer seemed interesting. About midnight the baker’s baby started to cry. The baker’s wife said to Philip, “Go upstairs and rock the cradle.” Only half awake, poor Philip did as she requested. The cradle swam before Philip’s sleepy eye as he began to rock it. In a twinkling, he had fallen asleep, ignoring the baby’s loud yells. When the baby continued to cry, its mother ran upstairs to see what was wrong. She aroused Philip and scolded him. When Philip got home after delivering bread on the third morning, he was utterly exhausted. His father said, “How do you feel this morning?” But Philip fell sound asleep before he could answer. In a low voice Mr. Sousa murmured instructions to Mrs. Sousa. “Give the lad some breakfast and put him to bed. Let him sleep all day.” That evening he said to his son, “Of course you still want to be a baker, don’t you, Philip?” “No!” groaned the weary boy.”I’d rather die than be a baker!” “Then,” concluded his father gently, “I think that the only practical course of action is to make up with Esputa and start your music lessons again.” After that, Philip and his music teacher became the best of friends. The youngster studied hard and because he possessed remarkable ability, he had gained a reputation as a fine violin player by the time he was thirteen years old. 15  One day while Philip was busy practising, a man came to the door. He said, “I have been listening for five minutes. You play the violin very nicely.” “Won’t you come in?” asked Philip. “Thank you, I will,” said the man. He stepped inside and continued, “Have you ever thought about joining a circus?” “Why, no, sir,” said Philip in surprise. “I’m the leader of the band in the circus that is showing near Pennsylvania Avenue,” said the man. “If you should care to join us, I’d be most happy to employ you.” Visions of a wonderful life in the circus flashed through Philip’s mind. “I’d like to do it,” he said wistfully. “But I don’t think my father would let me go.” “Don’t tell him,” said the man. The circus man’s suggestion shocked Philip. “Oh, I couldn’t just go off without asking him,” Philip answered. “But often fathers don’t understand what a very fine future there is for a boy who is travelling with a circus,” the man argued. “I’ll tell you what to do. Tomorrow night you bring your fiddle and go along with us when we leave. After we have been away for a day or two, you can write your father and tell him what a wonderful time you are having. Perhaps he won’t interfere then. Otherwise, if you tell him now, he might forbid you to go.” Philip finally agreed to report the following night. The more he thought about his decision and about the glory in store for him, the more elated he felt. At last he could keep quiet no longer. He went next door to see his best friend. Tingling with excitement, Philip told his secret. “I am going to join a circus tomorrow night, Ed. I’ll make a lot of money and become the leader of a circus band.” Then he cautioned Ed not to tell. Ed’s eyebrows arched, and his mouth flew open. The news impressed him greatly. It was so much on his mind that he accidentally let the secret out at supper time. Later that evening, after Ed was asleep, his mother paid a visit to Mrs. Sousa. 16  The next morning Philip lay in his bed dreaming a delightful dream about being the director of a big circus band. Suddenly he heard his father’s gentle voice saying, “Good morning, Son.” “Good morning, Papa,” Philip replied. “When you dress today,” Mr. Sousa said, “put on your Sunday clothes.” Philip was certain that it was not Sunday. But he obeyed his father’s request. As he went down stairs to eat breakfast, he kept wondering, “Why did Papa want me to put on my Sunday clothes?” Mr. Sousa chatted with Philip in a friendly way until the end of the meal. Then he said abruptly, “We will take a walk.” They had walked only a few blocks when Philip realized that they were headed toward the United States Marine Barracks. The boy wondered why his father was taking him there. He soon learned. Within an hour Philip was enlisted as an apprentice to study music in the Marine Band. Mr. Sousa had confidence in his son’s strong sense of duty. He knew the boy would not desert the Marines to run away with a circus. Years sped by, and eventually John Philip Sousa became the leader of the Marine Band. This band is the official band of the President of the United States. Sousa served as bandmaster for five different presidents. During these years the big band went abroad several times and became famous all over the world. Sousa also became famous as a composer. He wrote more than a hundred marches, and he was known as the March King. He wrote one of his finest marches for a special occasion. The Washington Post, a newspaper that is published in the nation’s capital, held an essay contest. Prizes were offered for the best essays written by pupils in the Washington schools. A big day was planned for awarding the prizes. One of the events was to be a programme of music played by the Marine Band. Sousa was asked to compose a march in honour of the happy occasion. The idea appealed to him greatly; so he set about composing this march. The great day finally came. The blue sky was dotted with fluffy clouds, and a breeze was blowing. People poured into the area around the big band. Soon thousands were waiting to hear the music. 17  The children of Washington had been looking forward to this day for a long time. And nearly all of them were there. The trees around the band stand were filled with boys who had climbed up to get a good view of the famous March King. After “The Washington Post March” was played, everybody applauded wildly. The boys in the trees listened and watched with sparkling eyes. As they applauded, perhaps some of them vowed to become musicians, just as John Philip Sousa had done many years before. GLOSSARY 1. march (n) /mɑːtʃ / : a musical composition composed for a march 2. grin (v) /grɪn / : to smile widely. (They grinned amiably at us) 3. rapture (n) /ˈraptʃə / : a feeling of extreme pleasure and happiness or delight 4. vowed (v) / vaʊd / : to make a formal and serious promise to do something (She vowed never to speak to him again.) 5. puff (v) /pʌf / : to breathe loudly and quickly especially after you have been running 6. streak (v) / striːk / : to mark or cover something with streaks. (His face was streaked with mud.) 7. yelled (v) / jeld / : shouted loudly because of anger, excitement or pain. (They yelled with excitement.) 8. gobble (v) / ˈɡɒbl / : to eat something very fast. (They gobbled down all the sandwiches.) 9. forlornly (adv.) / fəˈlɔːnli / : appearing lonely and unhappy 10. twinkling (n) / ˈtwɪŋklɪŋ / : in a very short time 11. nimble (adj) / ˈnɪmbl / : agile or able to move quickly and easily 12. creep up (phr v): to move slowly nearer to somebody usually from behind, without being seen or heard. (Don’t creep up on me like that!) 13. sulk (v) / sʌlk / : to look angry and refuse to speak or smile (He went off and sulked in a dark corner of the party.) 18 14. mumble (v) / ˈmʌmbl /: to speak or say something in a quiet voice in a way that is not clear, or mutter 15. wistful (adj) / ˈwɪstfl / : thinking sadly about something that you would like to have 16. slink (v) / slɪŋk / : creep or to move somewhere very quietly and slowly, especially because you are ashamed 17. scoff (v) / skɒf / : to talk in a way that makes it clear that you think they are ridiculous 18. glower (v) / ˈɡlaʊə(r) / : to look in an aggressive or angry way 19. trudge (v) : to walk slowly or with heavy steps because you are tired. (He trudged the last two miles to the town.) 20. trifle (n) /ˈtraɪfl/ : slight or small and not important, or trivial 21. groan (v) /ɡrəʊn / : to make a long deep sound when you are annoyed, upset or in pain (We all groaned at his terrible jokes.) 22. weary (adj) /ˈwɪəri/ : very tired, especially after you are working hard. (She suddenly felt old and weary.) 23. fiddle (n) /ˈfɪdl/ : violin. (Ram brought a new fiddle yesterday.) 24. elated (adj) /ɪˈleɪt̮əd/ : very happy and excited. (They were elated at the result.) 25. tingling (n) / ˈtɪŋɡl ɪŋ/ : an exciting feeling of emotion 26. barracks (n) / ˈbærəks/ : a large building or group of buildings for soldiers to live in. (The troops were ordered back to barracks.) 27. apprentice (n) / əˈprentɪs / : a young person who works for an employer for a fixed period of time in order to learn the particular skills needed in their job 19 I COMPREHENSION 1. Answer the following questions in 10 - 15 words each: i. What did Philip want to become when he was a child? ii. Why did Philip learn violin quickly? iii. Why did Philip get into trouble on the day of the concert? iv. How did Philip manage to get a clean dress? v. What made the concert a flop show for Philip? vi. What did Philip take up after his failure on the concert stage? vii. Why couldn’t Philip work at the bakery? viii. Why did Philip’s father take him for a walk? ix. How was Philip lured to work in a circus? x. How was Philip a success as the leader of the Marine Band? 2. Answer the following questions in 50-60 words each: i. Write a brief character-sketch of John Philip Sousa. ii. What was Philip’s foolish act on the day of the concert? Write in detail. iii. How did Mrs. Esputa help Philip? iv. What is the theme of the chapter? Explain briefly. v. Describe Philip’s experience at the bakery. vi. What finally made Philip a famous music composer? II VOCABULARY PRACTICE 1. There are some words given below. Put them in the correct columns in the table given below: weigh own anxious eager love hate control belong keep length believe like prefer consider regret 20  Perception Strong Possession Measurement feeling/emotion believe weigh like length prefer consider 2. Fill up the blanks with the words written below : smiled dissuade silent drop nimble experienced down (a)Philip jumped up and down and cried in excitement. (b) The company wanted an..........worker whereas Tom was a novice. (c) The noise made the old man restless, he asked everyone to be...... (d) The professor scowled when he saw that Philip.......on his own foolishness. (e) Her....fingers pinned enough tucks in his shirt to make him feel less awkward. (f) The conjurer asked his assistant to raise the platform on the.....of his handkerchief. (g) I tried to...........him from giving up his job, but his brother had already convinced him that it was the right decision. III GRAMMAR EXERCISES 1. Change the Narration 1. He said to me, “I do not believe you.” 2. Rama said to Arjun, “Go away.” 3. He said to me, “What are you doing?” 4. The Prince said, “It gives me great pleasure to be here this evening.” 5. He said, “I shall go as soon as it is possible.” 6. He said to him, “ Is not your name Ahmed?” 7. “Sit down, boys,” said the teacher. 21  8. Alice said, “How clever I am!” 9. The teacher said to him, “Do not read so fast.” 10. Abdul said that he had seen that picture. 2. Do as Directed 1. This mango is fit ……….. (eat). (Fill up the blank with an Infinitive) 2. ………… (err) is human. (Fill up the blank with an Infinitive) 3. i. She visits the poor. ii. She is anxious to relieve them of their sufferings. (Combine into a single sentence) 4. …………….. (hear) a noise, I turned round (Fill up the blank with a Participle) 5. I saw the storm …………… (approach). (Fill up the blank with a Participle) 6. Combine the following sentences into a single sentence: i. The hunter took up his gun. ii. He wanted to shoot the lion. 7. ………….. (hunt) deer is not allowed in this area. (Fill up the blank with a Gerund) 8. Children love …………. (make) mud castles. (Fill up the blank with a Gerund) 3. Change the Voice 1. Does she know you? 2. Will you post the letter? 3. She has done her duty. 4. Avoid bad company. 5. Are you expecting him today? 6. I cannot lift this heavy box. 7. May I see your book? 8. You are wasting your time. 9. When will she have finished her work? 10. Why do you not call in the doctor? (Hint: Why is ……. ) 22 IV PRACTICE IN SPOKEN ENGLISH ɡ get dʒ join θ thin ʃ ship j yes tʃ chain ŋ long ð then ʒ measure iː weep ɑː part uː root eɪ play ɔɪ boy ɪ bit ɒ hot ʌ but əʊ go ɪə hear e pet ɔː court ɜː bird aɪ buy eə pair æ bat ʊ put ə away aʊ cow ʊə poor Say the following sentences aloud i. / ɔɪ / as in boy, joy, toy, oil I was annoyed. I was annoyed at the boy. I was annoyed at the boy for spoiling the toy. I was annoyed at the boy for spoiling the toy of joy. ii. / ɪə / as in here, cheer, fear, clear I hear the end of fear. I hear the end of fear is near. I hear the end of fear is near and a cheer is here. iii. / eə / as in air, there, pair, bear That is a rare pair. That is a rare pair for the Mayor. That is a rare pair for the Mayor to wear. That is a rare pair for the Mayor to wear and sit in his chair. iv. / ʊə / as in sure, pure, cure I am sure this is newer. ‘I am sure this is newer,’ said the brewer. ‘I am sure this is newer and purer,’ said the brewer. 23 Suggested Readings 1. Paul Julius Reuter - A Biography 2. Hungry Stones and other Stories by R. N. Tagore TONGUE- TWISTER Fanny Fetter found a fan A fan found Fanny Fatter, But Fanny Fetter lost her fan – And wept till she felt better 24  3. THINKING OUT OF THE BOX: LATERAL THINKING ____________________________________________ Many years ago in a small Indian village, a farmer had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender. The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the farmer’s beautiful daughter. So he proposed a bargain. He said he would forgo the farmer’s debt if he could marry the farmer’s daughter. Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the proposal. So the cunning moneylender suggested that they let providence decide the matter. He told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty money bag. Then the girl would have to pick one pebble from the bag. If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife and her father’s debt would be written off. If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father’s debt would still be written off. But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail. They were standing on a pebble – strewn path in the farmer’s field. As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag. He then asked the girl to pick a pebble from the bag. Now, imagine you were standing in the field. What would you have done if you had been the girl? If you had to advise her, what would you have told her? Careful analysis would produce three possibilities a. The girl should refuse to take a pebble. b. The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the money-lender as a cheat. c. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from debt and imprisonment. Take a moment to ponder over the story. The above story is used with the hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral and logical thinking. The girl’s dilemma cannot be solved with traditional 25 logical thinking. Think of the consequences if she chooses the above logical answers. What would you recommend the girl to do? This is what the girl actually did. The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles. “Oh, how clumsy of me,” she said. “But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked.” Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had picked the white one. And since the money-lender dared not admit his dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into an extremely advantageous one. What does this story teach us? Is it that the most complex problems do have a solution. It is only that we don’t attempt to think in that direction. It teaches us to think ‘out of the box’ or think laterally. What is lateral thinking? Lateral thinking is creative or nonlinear thinking. It is thinking differently or doing something different; doing something that might be quite novel and unconventional in nature. According to Edward de Bono1 who propagated this notion, intelligence is a potential that all of us have and thinking is a skill to use that potential well. It channels our intelligence appropriately. One may be a good thinker without being an intellectual and vice-versa. Here is another story that illustrates the use of lateral thinking.. A millionaire named Thomas walked into a popular bank in the middle of New York city and requested to speak to a loan officer. He did not inform the staff of his immense riches but he simply said that he was going away on business for a few weeks, to another country, and needed to borrow a small sum of money - $5000. Banks being banks, they immediately asked for security on the loan. Thomas pointed out of the window to the shiny new Ferrari parked right in front of the bank. He took the title, paper work and keys out of his pocket and slapped them down on the counter like a man on a mission. The staff went to work checking out the validity of his ownership and sure enough, everything was checked out. And of course, which bank 26 was going to turn down a quarter of a million dollars in collateral security for a mere $5000 loan? Thomas left the bank with his $5000 and the bank employee took Thomas’ keys and drove the brand new Ferrari down into the bank’s underground garage. He assured Thomas that it would be perfectly safe down there. Thomas then left the bank and caught his flight to his far away land. Anyway, two weeks went by and sure enough the bank opened Monday morning to see Thomas stroll in and slap the $5000 he had borrowed back on the counter, plus the interest which was around $15. The loan officer asked for the car to be brought round to the front of the bank and then asked Thomas a question. “Our bank prides itself in details and customer services,” he said “and while you were away we did a background check, it’s routine, and discovered you are actually one of the wealthiest men in America. Why on earth would you need to borrow $5000, it just doesn’t make sense.” Thomas smiled, picked up the keys from the counter and said, “Can you tell me another way I could have parked my new Ferrari in the middle of New York for two weeks, for just $15, and still expect to get it back in top condition?” With that, Thomas walked out of the door and the loan officer smiled a bigger smile. Examples of applications of lateral or nonlinear thinking abound in several fields. In cricket, Kerry Packer introduced day/night matches and, colourful balls and clothing, a departure from tradition that became so successful that the whole world of cricket adopted it. Australia recently experimented with two different captains for the Test and one-day matches, nowadays, the T20 matches have become a rage. Lateral Thinking expert Edward de Bono says ‘With logic, you start with certain ingredients, just as in chess you start out with given pieces. But what are those pieces? In most real-life situations, the pieces are not given, just assume they are there. We assume certain perception, concepts and boundaries.’ One is always confusing conditioned thinking with creative thinking. De Bono explains that lateral thinking is concerned not with playing with the existing pieces but with seeking to change those very pieces. It is concerned with the perception part of thinking. 27  (Adapted from an article on Lateral Thinking in www.lifepositive.com) ( Edward de Bono was a professor at Oxford. A Ph.D. in Psychology, he wrote more than 40 books. He is known for propagating the art of lateral thinking. ) GLOSSARY 1. fancied (v):/ ˈfænsid / took a liking for (The film star fancied designer suits.) 2. forgo (v) :/ fɔːˈɡəʊ / to give up or do without (He will have to forgo the pleasure of attending the lecture as he is unwell.) 3. providence (n):/ prɒvɪdəns / God (The doctors have done everything possible for him, the rest is left to providence.) 4. collateral (n):/ kəˈlætərəl /property acceptable as security for a loan or other obligation (My brother decided to put up his flat as collateral security to get a loan.) 5. pebble (n):/ ˈpebl /a smooth round stone that is found in or near water 6. strewn (v) :/ struːn / (from strew) to cover a surface with things, or scatter. (Clothes were strewn across the floor.) 7. ponder (v) :/ ˈpɒndə(r) / to think about something carefully for a period of time, or consider (She pondered over his words.) 8. dilemma (n) :/ dɪˈlemə / a situation which makes problems, often one in which you have to make a very difficult choice between things of equal importance or predicament 9. fumble (v):/ ˈfʌmbl / to use your hands in an awkward way when you are doing something or looking for something. (She fumbled in her pocket for a handkerchief.) 10. clumsy ( adj ):/ ˈklʌmzi / moving or doing things in a very awkward way (His clumsy fingers couldn’t untie the knot.) 28 11. Edward de Bono: was a famous professor at Oxford. A Ph.D. in psychology, he wrote more than 40 books. He is known for propagating the art of lateral thinking 12. stroll (v):/ strəʊl / to walk in a leisurely way (We enjoyed a leisurely stroll on Sunday morning.) 13. be all the rage (Idm) to be very popular 14. lateral thinking (n):/ ˈlætərəl θɪŋkɪŋ / a way of solving problems by using your imagination to find new ways of looking at the problem I COMPREHENSION 1 Answer the following questions in 10 - 15 words each: i. What was the proposal given to the poor farmer by the money-lender? ii. What would have happened if the girl had selected a black pebble in the ‘pebble-game?’ iii. What trick did the money-lender cunningly play to win the game? iv. How did the girl intelligently win? v. What do you understand by the term ‘lateral thinking’ after reading the chapter? vi. What was Edward de Bono’s notion about ‘lateral thinking’? vii. Why did the millionaire not reveal the fact of his affluence to the bank officials? viii. Why was the loan officer amazed to know that Thomas had borrowed a loan for $5000? ix. What was the millionaire’s trick in borrowing the loan? 2. Answer the following questions in 50-60 words each: i. How was lateral thinking fruitful in the field of cricket? ii. How did the money-lender’s attempt to win the hand of the farmer’s daughter go in vain? iii. Write a note on the theme of the chapter: “Lateral Thinking”. iv. How did ‘lateral thinking‘help the millionaire? 29 II VOCABULARY PRACTICE 1. Look at the meanings of the words borrow and lend. borrow :- to take and use something that belongs to somebody else, and return it at a later time. lend:- to give something that belongs to you to someone and which the person has to return to you later Now fill in the blanks with the words borrow or lend : (1) Could you..... me some money, please? (2) Some pupils can..... books from their school. (3) Will you..... me your umbrella till tomorrow? (4) You may.......... my bike, but be careful. (5) Could I......... your football? (6) You can......... your suitcase to Sita. (7) Why do some students.......... so much money from their friends? (8) Mohan won't.......... his car to anyone. (9) Will your uncle.......... you some money? 2. Fill in the blanks with the adjective or the adverb forms of the words given in the brackets: (a) He finished the book......... (quick) (b) Sam is a........driver. (careful) (c) He drives the car............. (careful) (d) Reema is a......... girl. (pretty) (e) The class is...........loud today. (terrible) (f) You can push this box........ (easy) (g) The girl’s dilemma could not be solved with..........thinking. (tradition) (h) The farmer’s daughter threw away the pebble........... (immediate) 30 III GRAMMAR EXERCISES 1. Change the Voice 1. Her uncle looks after her. 2. A favour will be done to him by me. 3. How is Sharda known to you? 4. He was shocked at his sister’s stupidity. 5. Why are you laughing at me? 6. Who abused you? 7. Had the picture been painted by her? 8. This pot contains milk. 9. Were the villagers beating the terrorists? 10. Who does not love his motherland? 2. Fill in the blanks with suitable Determiners 1. I have …………. (many /much) friends in the city. 2. ………. umbrella is ………. useful thing. (a, an, the) 3. ………….. (Many /Much) a man has died of cholera. 4. …………. (These / This) children go to school every day. 5. Did you see ……….. (any / some ) elephants in the forest? 6. She is proud of ……….. (his/her) beauty. 7. ………….. (That / Those) plant is dying. 8. …………. (All / Some) the girls are present today. 9. She did not send me …………… (any /some) reply. 10. ……………. (Every / Many) man is expected to do his best. 3. Do as Directed 1. He is too aged to get a job. (Remove ‘too’) 2. This church is the biggest in India. (Change the degree of Comparison) 3. Here comes a girl in red. (Change into a complex Sentence) 4. You can join duty as you are well now. (Change into a compound sentence ) 5. Respect your elders. (Change voice) 6. i. He is good. 31  ii. He is not tactful. (Combine the two sentences) 7. How lovely are the flowers ! (Change into an Assertive sentence) IV PRACTICE IN SPOKEN ENGLISH ɡ get dʒ join θ thin ʃ ship j yes tʃ chain ŋ long ð then ʒ measure iː weep ɑː part uː root eɪ play ɔɪ boy ɪ bit ɒ hot ʌ but əʊ go ɪə hear e pet ɔː court ɜː bird aɪ buy eə pair æ bat ʊ put ə away aʊ cow ʊə poor Note: i. The word begin consists of 2 syllables: bɪ and gɪn Similarly the word cigarette consists of 3 syllables: sɪ -gə -ret ii. Words like back, bright, pain, smart, all consist of one syllable only because they contain only one vowel sound in each. Such words, when pronounced in isolation, carry the accent but this accent is not shown. iii. In words like begin ( 2 syllables) or cigarette ( 3 syllables ), only one of the syllables carries the accent. iv. The word begin is spoken with accent on the second syllable: / bɪ- Igɪn / (Accent is shown with a vertical bar ( I ) in front of the syllable to which it belongs. ) v. The word cigarette is spoken with accent on the third syllable as / sɪ -gə - I ret / Now practise saying the following words with accent on the second syllable as shown here: a I bove be I gin se I lect a I head to Iday re I late 32  be I hind at I tend a I loud de I cide a I gain be I fore de I lay a I long a I lone al I ready di I vision de I mocracy an I other ex I ample hy I pocrisy be I haviour im I portant phi I losophy de I cision co I rrection in I telligent con I dition de I termine me I chanical SUGGESTED READINGS 1. Of Great Place by Francis Bacon 2. An Astrologer’s Day By R.K. Narayan JUST PONDER OVER A smile is an inexpensive way to change your looks. Charles Gordy Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes. Mahatma Gandhi 33  4. ROBOTS AND PEOPLE (Isaac Asimov) __ Isaac Asimov (1920-1992) was a prolific writer of science fiction. In fact, he is considered a master in the genre of science fiction. Most of his popular science books explain scientific concepts in a historical way. His famous works are the Foundation Series (between 1942 to 1952), Robot Series (1945-50) and Empire Series (1950-52). Apart from these books he wrote novels, short stories and mysteries also. One of the reasons why the United States is hesitating about going full speed ahead with industrial robots is probably the fear of unemployment. As more and more robots are put into factories, what happens to the men and women who used to have the jobs? Of course we can argue the matter this way- Until the 1970s, there were many jobs that only human beings could do. Animals weren’t smart enough. Machines weren’t complicated enough. Some of these jobs that only human beings can do are dangerous. Working in mines, or on building construction, or with dangerous chemicals or explosives, or under difficult weather conditions-all are jobs that it would be better for human beings not to have to do. Besides, some jobs, even though they require human brains, don’t require too many. Many people have to spend day after day doing simple things like filing cards, or typing routine letters, or tightening bolts, or carrying something from here to there. No animal or machine might be able to do it, but people who must do it don’t really get to use their brains very much. If muscles aren’t used much, they get flabby, and that’s true of the brain too. The kind of jobs many people do-the same simple thing all the time-can be terribly boring and depressing. Eventually, people who do such things find they have led dull lives that never gave them a chance to think properly and expand their minds. 34  Now we have devised robots that are much more complicated than any other machines we have ever had. They are complicated enough to do jobs that until now only human beings could do, but that are too simple for the marvellous brains we all have. The robots, even though they are smarter than other machines, are still only capable of very simple tasks – the kind of tasks human beings ought not to waste their time doing. In that case, why not let the robots do it? Why shouldn’t human beings do other and better things? After all, whenever there is an important new invention, some jobs are lost. When the automobile came into use, there was a gradual, but steady, loss of jobs that involved horses. There were fewer stables, fewer manufacturers of buggies and wagons, fewer whips, and fewer spurs. On the other hand, think of the jobs the automobile created. Think of all the garages that came into being, all the auto mechanics needed, all the tyre manufacturing, highway building, oil well drilling. Automobiles created hundreds of times as many jobs as they destroyed. That’s the way it will be with robots too. Lots of assembly-line jobs will vanish, but think of all the jobs needed to design robots, manufacture their parts, put them together, install them, and keep them in good repair. There will be many times as many jobs coming into being as are destroyed. The jobs that are destroyed will be very dull ones anyway, so dull that even a robot can do them. The jobs that will be created will be interesting ones that will stretch the mind. Of course, there is a catch. We can’t just tell a person who has been working on an assembly line for twenty-five years to stop and take a job designing robots instead. It takes a special kind of education to be able to work with robots, and assembly-line worker won’t have it. If we are going to have a large changeover in types of jobs, there will have to be a careful programme of retraining and reeducation for people with old-style jobs. It will have to be done even if they take rather simple new-style ones. That will be expensive and hard, but it will have to be done. There are also sure to be people who are too old, or too beaten down by the dull job they had to do all their lives, to be able to take advantage of retraining. Some sort of jobs will have to be found that they can do. Eventually, of course, things will be different. Children going to schools in the future will be educated in ways of using and understanding computers and robots. They will grow up and be able to take the new jobs, and no one will ever consider the old jobs or want them. Everyone will be glad to leave the dull jobs and the dangerous jobs to 35 robots. Still, there will be a ‘transition period’, a time between the present, when so many people are still in the old jobs, and the future, when everyone will be in the new jobs. The American people and, perhaps, the whole world, will have to be patient and intelligent so that we can get through the transition period with as little trouble and unhappiness as possible. There is another problem that may confront us. Robots aren’t going to stay in the same place. Computers will get more and more complicated, and robots will have more and more abilities, and be able to do better and better jobs. Are there any jobs that robots won’t someday take? What if human beings are driven out of job after job, and robots take them all? Actually, that doesn’t seem likely. Just because robots do things that till now only human beings have been able to do, it doesn’t mean that robots are intelligent in the same way as we are. They just work automatically under the direction of computers that we have programmed. For instance, computers are very good at solving mathematical problems. They can solve them much faster than we can, and they can do it without making errors. That’s because we know all the rules of arithmetic. They happen to be simple and we can describe those rules in the programming so that the computer knows what to do. Through those rules the computer can instruct the robot how far to turn, how far to bend, how many times to do something, and so on. But that’s the very sort of thing that human beings are not very good at. Human beings can do arithmetic, they know the rules but that sort of thing, if done for very long, quickly gets boring and the human brain gets tired. We begin to make more and more mistakes. The human brain, however, is very good in other directions. It has imagination. It can suppose and wonder. It can make intelligent guesses. Most of all, it is “creative.” It can think up new and sometimes startling ways of doing or understanding things. Computers and robots can’t do any of these things. And as long as they can’t, they are a long way from being intelligent in the same way we are, and they’re not likely to “take over.” We can’t even programme computers and robots to be imaginative and creative, since we ourselves don’t know how we do it. For instance, I write books – a lot of them. Because I write many books, I write them quickly. I learn about a subject and then try to explain it. I try to be clear. I try to tell things in the right order. And it works. Even when I 36 do it quickly, I write exactly the way I feel I ought to. How do I do it? How do I decide what to say first, what to say next? I honestly don’t know. It’s just something I can do, and have been able to do all my adult life. Can I programme a computer so that it will write my book for me-so that it will choose the right words and phrases-and then have a robot type all down? No, I can’t, because I don’t know what the rules I follow are, so I don’t know how to programme a computer. It would be much better if human beings continued to make computers and robots better at what machines can do most easily by giving them abilities and programming to help that along. Meanwhile, we human beings should improve ourselves at what we do best through proper education and through a deeper understanding of how our brain works. We should try to make more and more people imaginative and creative. In this way, we may end up with two kinds of intelligence on earth, two entirely different kinds. There will be the computer/robot intelligence and the human intelligence. Each one will work in a different way and each will cooperate with the other. Together the two intelligences will be able to do much more than either could alone, so that some day human beings will wonder how they ever got along without robots. GLOSSARY 1. robot (n):/ ˈrəʊbɒt / a machine that is programmed to do jobs that are usually performed by a person 2. hesitating (v) :/ ˈhezɪteɪtɪŋ / being slow to speak or act because you feel uncertain or nervous 3. flabby (adj):/ ˈflæbi /weak, lacking vitality (She became flabby due to lack of physical activity.) 4. depressing (adj):/ dɪˈpresɪŋ / something sad or gloomy (It is depressing to see poor children working all day.) 5. marvellous (adj):/ ˈmɑːvələs /fantastic, splendid (The weather was marvellous.) 6. buggy (n):/ ˈbʌɡi / a small, light; one horse carriage usually having four wheels in the United States and two wheels in Great Britain 37 7. spur (n):/ spɜː(r) / A short spike or spiked wheel that is attached to the heel of a rider’s boot and is used to urge a horse forward 8. a catch (n):/ ə kætʃ / an unforeseen drawback or handicap (Developing countries can send men to space but there is a catch. They may not have enough funds for space research.) 9. assembly line (n):/ əˈsembli laɪn / An assembly line is a manufacturing process in which parts (usually interchangeable parts) are added to a product in a sequential manner 10. change over (n):/ tʃeɪndʒəʊvə /an event that results in a transformation (He gave the house a complete change over.) 11. transition period (n):/ trænˈzɪʃn pɪəriəd /a period of change from an old to a new system (Any transition period is difficult as there are many changes.) I COMPREHENSION 1. Answer the following questions in 10 - 15 words each: i. Why does US not want to have a speedy pace with the use of industrial robots? ii. List out the dangerous jobs that humans generally take up. iii. What are the simple routine jobs that men generally remain busy with? iv. What is more creative; a robot or a human brain? How? v. What led to the loss of jobs with the invention of automobiles? vi. How was automobile industry a boon for employment? vii. How can we deal with the ‘transition period’? viii. What is the prime difference between a ‘robot’ and a ‘human brain’? ix. How does the narrator find robots useless in some tasks? 2. Answer the following questions in 50-60 words each: i. Give, in brief, the theme of the chapter ‘Robots and People’. 38  ii. ‘Human brains are par excellence, Robots are mere machines.’ Explain with examples. iii. How did the automobile industry play a boon as well as a bane for the workers? Explain. iv. Describe the two kinds of intelligence on the earth. II VOCABULARY PRACTICE 1. Rewrite each sentence with the adverb of frequency given in the brackets: 1. He listens to the news early in the morning. (often) 2. They read storybooks. (sometimes) 3. Leela gets angry. (never) 4. Mira is very friendly. (usually) 5. I take sugar in my tea. (sometimes) 6. My grandfather goes for a walk in the evening. (always) 7. Seema helps her mother in the kitchen. (usually) 8. They watch TV in the afternoon. (never) 9. Have you been to Mumbai? (ever) 10. My son doesn't get up before seven. (usually) 11. They go swimming in the pond. (sometimes) 12. Jack watches TV. (seldom) 2. The following pairs of adjectives are often confused. big - great tall - high For example : (a) Your brother seems to be six feet high. (incorrect) (b) This roof is twelve feet tall. (incorrect) The correct use is: (a) Your brother seems to be six feet tall. (b) This roof is twelve feet high. Now fill up the blanks with the four adjectives given above: (1) There is a nice house with a....... garden. (2) Albert Einstein was a......... physicist. (3) He is a very........child for his age. (4) A....... rate of inflation makes exports uncompetitive. 39  (5) My father is six feet......... (6) Romy is making a........ mistake. (7) Can you see the........trees behind the river? (8) This city has a.......... level of pollution. (9) This coat isn't........ enough. (10) My great-grandfather lived in a........ age. III GRAMMAR EXERCISES 1. Change the Narration 1. She said, “We are all sinners.” 2. “Run away, children,” said the mother. 3. “Do not you know the way home?” asked I. 4. He said to him, “You should respect your elders.” 5. The principal said, “The authorities are trying their best to improve things.” 6. The teacher said, “Honesty is the best policy.” 7. Alice said to his wife, “Tom is coming for lunch today.” 8. I said, “I have my own likes and dislikes.” 9. You said to him, “I have seen this man somewhere.” 10. Mrs. Sonia says, “I am working on this computer.” 2. Do as Directed 1. There is no one ………… (challenge) this claim. (Fill up the blank with an Infinitive) 2. ………… (toil) is the lot of mankind. (Fill up the blank with an infinitive) 3. Combine the following sentences using an Infinitive. i. He went to Amritsar. ii. He wanted to visit the Golden Temple. 4. Combine the following sentences using a participle. i. I speak the truth. ii. I am not afraid of it. 5. A ……….. candle fell off the table. (burn) (Fill up the blank with a Participle) 6. He left the tap ……….. (run). (Fill up the blank with a participle) 7. Combine the following sentences using a participle. 40  He had resolved on a certain course. He acted with vigour. 8. Combine the following sentences using an participle They had no fodder. They could give the cow nothing to eat. 9. Success is not merely ………… (win) applause. (Fill up the blank with a Gerund) 10. ………….. (amass) wealth often ruins the health. (Fill up the blank with a Gerund) 3. Fill in the blanks with suitable Determiners 1. ………….. (Every / Some) member of the party was garlanded. 2. Is there ……………. (any /many) news? 3. …………. (My /Mine) father was a famous physician. 4. …………. (That / Those) horse runs very fast. 5. ……………. (Her / Hers) books lie scattered in the room. 6. Please lend me ……….. (some / any) money. 7. She has ………. (two / twice) daughters. 8. Consult your doctor in case of ……….. (any /some) difficulty. 9. ………….. (some / any) girls are still writing the answer. 10. Only ………… (few, a few) persons came to witness the match. IV PRACTICE IN SPOKEN ENGLISH ɡ get dʒ join θ thin ʃ ship j yes tʃ chain ŋ long ð then ʒ measure iː weep ɑː part uː root eɪ play ɔɪ boy ɪ bit ɒ hot ʌ but əʊ go ɪə hear e pet ɔː court ɜː bird aɪ buy eə pair æ bat ʊ put ə away aʊ cow ʊə poor 41  Now that you know what accent means (Refer to lesson 3 Practice in Spoken English ), here is a list of words with the accent on the first syllable (in the beginning of the word). Say these words aloud with proper accent: I I I paper measure welcome I I I table judgement subject I I I wisdom husband beautiful I I I moment something story I I I nothing woodland question I I I offer yellow healthy I grateful Suggested Readings 1. Meteor by Jayant Narlikar 2. Time and Machine by Aldous Huxley RIDDLES 1. What can travel around the world while staying in a corner? Ans:- A stamp 2. Paul's height is six feet, he's an assistant at a butcher's shop, and wears size 9 shoes. What does he weigh? Ans:- Meat 3. Which word in the dictionary is spelled incorrectly? Ans:- Incorrectly 42  5. ON GIVING ADVICE (Joseph Addison) __ English author, politician, and distinguished classical scholar, Joseph Addison is considered one of the finest periodical essayists of the 18th century. With his friend Richard Steele, Addison founded The Spectator, a daily magazine intended "to enliven morality with wit, and to temper wit with morality." In this short essay, Addison considers the persuasive power of fables. Such narratives, he says, are effective ways of giving advice because readers are left to imagine that they are counselling themselves. There is nothing which we receive with so much reluctance as advice. We look upon the man who gives it to us as offering an affront to our understanding, and treating us like children or idiots. We consider the instruction as an implicit censure, and the zeal which any one shows for our good on such an occasion as a piece of arrogance or impertinence. The truth of it is, the person who pretends to advise, does, in that particular, exercise a superiority over us. He can have no other reason for it, but that in comparing us with himself, he thinks us defective either in our conduct or our understanding. For these reasons, there is nothing so difficult as the art of making advice agreeable; and indeed all the writers, both ancient and modern, have distinguished themselves among one another, according to the perfection at which they have arrived in this art. How many devices have been made use of, to render this bitter potion palatable! Some convey their instructions to us in the best chosen words, others in the most harmonious numbers, some in the points of wit, and others in short proverbs. But among all the different ways of giving counsel, I think the finest, and that which pleases the most universally, is fable, in whatsoever shape it appears. If we consider this way of instructing or giving advice, it excels all others, because it is the least shocking, and the least subject to those exceptions which I have before mentioned. This will appear to us, if we reflect in the first place, that upon the reading of a fable, we are made to believe we advise ourselves. We peruse the author for the sake of the story , and consider the precepts rather as our 43 own conclusion, than his instructions. The moral insinuates itself imperceptibly, we are taught by surprise, and become wiser and better unawares. In short, by this method a man is so far over-reached as to think he is directing himself, whilst he is following the dictates of another. Consequently he is not sensible of that which is the most upleasing circumstance in advice. In the next place, if we look in to human nature, we shall find that the mind is never so much pleased, as when she exerts herself in any action that gives her an idea of her own perfections and abilities. This natural pride and ambition of the soul is very much gratified in the reading of a fable; for in writings of this kind, the reader comes in for half of the performance; everything appears to him like a discovery of his own. He is busy all the while in applying characters and circumstances, and in this respect he is both a reader and a composer. The oblique manner of giving advice is so inoffensive, that if we look into ancient histories, we find the wise men of old very often chose to give counsel to their kings in fables. There is one pretty instance of this nature, in a Turkish tale. We are told that the Sultan Mahmoud, by his perpetual wars abroad, and his tyranny at home, had filled his kingdom with ruin and desolation, and half unpeopled the Persian empire. The vizier to this great Sultan (whether a humourist or an enthusiast, we are not informed) pretended to have learned of a certain device to understand the language of birds, so that there was not a bird that could open his mouth, but the vizier knew what it was he said. As he was one evening with the emperor, in their return from hunting, they saw a couple of owls upon a tree that grew near an old wall out of a heap of rubbish. “ I would like to know,” says the Sultan, “ what those two owls are saying to one another. Listen to their discourse, and give me an account of it.” The vizier approached the tree, pretending to be very attentive to the two owls. Upon his return to the Sultan, “Sir,” says he, “I have heard part of their conversation, but I dare not tell you what it is.” The Sultan would not be satisfied with such an answer. He forced him to repeat word for word everything the owls had said. “You must know then,” said the vizier, “that one of these owls has a son, and the other a daughter between whom they are now upon a treaty of marriage. The father of the son said to the father of the daughter, in my 44 hearing, ‘Brother, I consent to this marriage, provided you will settle upon your daughter fifty ruined villages for her portion.’ To which the father of the daughter replied, ‘Instead of fifty, I will give her five hundred if you please. God grant a long life to Sultan Mahmoud; whilst her reigns over us, we shall never want ruined villages.” The story says, the Sultan was so touched with the fable, that he rebuilt the towns and villages which had been destroyed, and from that time onward always worked for the good of his people. GLOSSARY 1. reluctance (n):/ rɪˈlʌktəns / hesitation before doing something because you don’t want to do it or because you are not sure that it is the right thing to do (They finally agreed to our terms with a certain reluctance.) 2. affront (n): / əˈfrʌnt / a remark or an action that insults or offends somebody 3. censure (n): / ˈsenʃə(r) / strong criticism 4. implicit (adj):/ ɪmˈplɪsɪt /suggested without being directly expressed 5. impertinence (n):/ ɪmˈpɜːtɪnəns / being impolite, rudeness. (She had the impertinence to ask my age.) 6. distinguish (v):/ dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ /differentiate (It was hard to distinguish one twin from other.) 7. palatable (adj):/ ˈpælətəbl / pleasant or acceptable to somebody 8. wit (n):/ wɪt / The ability to say or write things that are both clever and amusing 9. fable (n) :/ ˈfeɪbl /a traditional short story that teaches a moral lesson 10. insinuate (v):/ ɪnˈsɪnjueɪt /to suggest indirectly that something unpleasant is true, or imply 45 11. imperceptibly (adv):/ ˌɪmpəˈseptəbli / very small and therefore unable to be seen or felt 12. whilst (conj):/ ˈwaɪlst / when 13. gratified (adj):/ ˈɡrætɪfaɪd / pleased or satisfied (She was gratified to find that they had followed her advice.) 14. tyranny (n):/ ˈtɪrəni / unfair or cruel use of power or authority (a victim of oppression and tyranny.) 15. desolation (n):/ ˌdesəˈleɪʃn / the feeling of being very lonely and unhappy. (a sense of utter desolation.) 16. humourist (n):/ ˈhjuːmərɪst /a person who is famous for writing or telling amusing stories 17. enthusiast (n):/ ɪnˈθjuːziæst /a person who is very interested in something and spends a lot of time doing it (a football enthusiast.) 18. discourse (n):/ ˈdɪskɔːs / a long and serious treatment or discussion of a subject in speech or writing 19. vizier (n):/ vɪˈzɪə(r) / an important official in some Muslim countries in the past I COMPREHENSION 1. Answer the following questions in 10 - 15 words each: i. Why does one feel reluctant to receive an advice? ii. Why are the people so eager to advise others? iii. How do the writers distinguish themselves from one another in the matter of advising or instructing others? iv. According to the narrator which method is the most appropriate one to give a counsel? v. How is the ‘fable’ best suited amongst the various ways of instruction? vi. How does the ‘reading of a fable’ gratify the soul? vii. How can an advice be inoffensive? viii. Why did Mahmoud want to know about the conversation of the owls? ix. What made Mahmoud change his old tyrannical ways? 46 2. Answer the following questions in 50-60 words each: i. Explain the writer’s views about advising others. ii. What is the theme of the chapter – ‘On Giving Advice’? Discuss briefly. iii. How did the vizier manage to change the mindset of the cruel king Mahmoud? Explain in your own words. II. VOCABULARY PRACTICE 1. Complete the sentences in box A selecting words from the box B. Some words may be repeated. A 1. Sam displayed his..............by his rude behaviour as he considered himself more important than others. 2. The students’.............in asking questions showed how much they feared their new teacher. 3. The actress gave the greatest............of her career. 4. Peter asked the woman her age. She was shocked at the........of the question. 5. Each student had to do an..........test. 6. The chairman criticised the company’s poor.......... 7. Joe was considered to be a man of limited............... B impertinence performance arrogance intelligence reluctance 2. Strike the odd words out in each of the lists given below. The first one is done for you: (a) disclose hide reveal announce (b) harsh hard soft coarse 47  (c) avoid agree shun ignore (d) impatient eager famous anxious (e) juvenile complex adolescent immature (f) insinuate accuse implicate believe (g) arrogant polite disdainful imperious (h) adversity difficulty simplicity misfortune (i) isolate desire detach quarantine III GRAMMAR EXERCISES 1. Change the Voice 1. His father praised him. 2. Kalidas wrote Shakuntalam. 3. The teacher was pleased with the boy’s work. 4. He keeps me waiting. 5. Lata was singing a song. 6. They had already consulted the lawyer. 7. Many toys had been purchased by Rani. 8. The paper published the news. 9. Did you wring the clothes? 10. Which book do you want? 2. Fill in the blanks with suitable Determiners 1. He has got ………… (some / many) bread. 2. How ………….. (much / many) milk do you take daily? 3. …………….. (A little / The little) knowledge is a dangerous thing. 4. There is …………. (much / money) sugar in stock. 5. He gave away ………… (the little / little) money he had in charity. 6. He has broken ………… (the, a ) slate that you bought yesterday. 7. …………….. (All /Some ) the students are present in the class. 48  8. I do not have …………….. (any /some) spare pen. 9. ………….. (Every /Some) body must have his own book. 10. …….. (This / These) houses are newly built. 3. Do as Directed 1. She is too proud to listen to anyone. (Remove ‘too’) 2. He loves all his sons equally well. (Change the degree of comparison) 3. I know her to be intelligent. (Change into a complex sentence) 4. My watch which had been missing was soon found. (Change into a compound sentence) 5. Your efforts will certainly fructify one day. (Use the noun form of the word in italics) 6. i. Do not walk in the middle of the road. ii. You will be run over. (Combine the two sentences) 7. It is a matter of sorrow that I am undone. (Change into an Exclamatory sentence) IV PRACTICE IN SPOKEN ENGLISH ɡ get dʒ join θ thin ʃ ship j yes tʃ chain ŋ long ð then ʒ meaUure iː weep ɑː part uː root eɪ play ɔɪ boy ɪ bit ɒ hot ʌ but əʊ go ɪə hear e pet ɔː court ɜː bird aɪ buy eə pair æ bat ʊ put ə away aʊ cow ʊə poor 49 Say the following pairs of words aloud (The teacher is requested to tell the students how / v / and / w / are pronounced differently. / v / is pronounced with the help of upper teeth and lower lip but / w / is pronounced by rounding the lips.) /v/ /w/ /v/ /w/ vet wet verse worse vent went vie why /y vend wend vile while vest west vine wine vale / veil whale veal wheel Suggested Readings 1. On Running after One’s Hat by G.K. Chesterton 2. Of Counsel by Francis Bacon JUST PONDER OVER Reason often makes mistakes, but conscience never does. Josh Billings Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you. Carl Sandburg 50  6. ON SAYING “PLEASE” (A.G. GARDINER) __ This essay tells us about the value of good manners. Bad manners are anti social. But they are not a crime in the eyes of the law and therefore the law does not permit us to hit back if we have been the victims of bad manners People begin to avoid a man with bad manners. A person with good manners brings us happiness. His company is indeed very pleasant. This essay deals with little but socially important incidents from daily life. It shows us the importance of words like ’please’ and ‘thank you’ in our every day life. They settle bitter quarrels and soften bad tempers. The young lift-man in a city office who threw a 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 with the instruction, but hurled the passenger out of the lift. This, of course, was carryin