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IX & X - ICSE - ENGLISHVOLUME 1

Table of Contents

Volume 1 of 2 Universal Tutorials – IX & X ICSE – English I

Table of Contents A) WRITING ................................................................................................................. 1

1) LONG COMPOSITION ................................................................................................................................ 1 A) Essays .......................................................................................................................................... 1 B) Story Writing: ................................................................................................................................ 9 C) Picture Composition: .................................................................................................................. 12

2) SHORT COMPOSITION ............................................................................................................................ 16 A) Letter Writing: ............................................................................................................................. 16 B) Notice .......................................................................................................................................... 29 C) Email ........................................................................................................................................... 30

B) READING .............................................................................................................. 34

COMPREHENSION AND SUMMARY WRITING: ............................................................................................... 34

C) GRAMMAR ........................................................................................................... 45

1) NON FINITE VERBS ................................................................................................................................ 45 2) TENSES ................................................................................................................................................ 47 3) DEGREES OF COMPARISON.................................................................................................................... 50 4) MODAL AUXILIARY VERBS ..................................................................................................................... 52 5) PUNCTUATION ....................................................................................................................................... 54 6) SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT ................................................................................................................. 58 7) ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE .................................................................................................................. 61 8) REPORTED SPEECH .............................................................................................................................. 65 9) ARTICLES ............................................................................................................................................. 70 10) PREPOSITIONS .................................................................................................................................... 72 11) CONNECTORS ..................................................................................................................................... 74 12) SENTENCE-ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS ................................................................................................. 76 13) SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION ............................................................................................................. 80 INTEGRATED EXERCISES ........................................................................................................................... 84

SPECIMEN PAPER 2019 .......................................................................................... 86

Syllabus


COVER NOTE

Dear students

Our endeavour is to familiarize you with the Board examinations and strengthen your fort

so that you are set on the path to excellence. Read the contents carefully, highlighting important

guidelines and instructions.

Each section as per the Board paper setting pattern has been detailed in the volume. It

will not only provide an understanding of what is expected of the examinee but also provide an

insight on how to prepare oneself to answer the paper.

Remember hard work never goes unrewarded. We wish you all the best!!!

Universal Tutorials – IX & X ICSE – English I Volume 1 of 2

Syllabus Aims: 1) To develop and integrate the use of the four language skills i.e. listening, speaking, reading

and writing for the purpose of effective communication. 2) To develop a functional understanding of the grammar, structure and idiom of the language. 3) To develop the capacity to read efficiently and access information effectively. 4) To develop an appreciation of good literature. 5) To experience, through literature, the thoughts and feelings of the people of the world. There will be two papers: Paper 1. English Language; Paper 2. Literature in English. Each of these papers will be of two hours duration. Paper 1: English Language (80 Marks) Internal Assessment (20 Marks) Paper 2: Literature in English (80 Marks) Internal Assessment (20 Marks)

PAPER 1 – ENGLISH LANGUAGE (Two hours) 80 marks Five questions will be set, all of which will be compulsory. Question 1: Candidates will be required to write a composition of about 300 – 350 words from a

choice of subjects which will test their ability to: organise, describe, narrate, report, explain, persuade or argue, present ideas coherently with accuracy and precision, compare and contrast ideas and arrive at conclusions, present relevant arguments and use correct style and format.

The subjects will be varied and may be suggested by language or by other stimuli such as pictures. The subjects will be so chosen so as to allow the candidates to draw on first-hand experience or to stimulate their imagination.

With one subject, a number of suggestions about the content of the composition will be given, but the use of the suggestions will be optional and a candidate will be free to treat the subject in any way that he/she chooses.

The organisation of subject matter, syntax, punctuation, correctness of grammatical constructions and spelling will be expected to be appropriate to the mode of treatment required by the subject.

Question 2: Candidates will have to write a letter from a choice of two subjects requiring either a

formal or an informal mode of treatment. Suggestions regarding the content of the letter may be given. The layout of the letter with address, introduction, conclusion, etc., will form part of the assessment. Special attention must be paid to the format of the letter with emphasis on vocabulary appropriate to the context.

Question 3: Candidates will be given a specific situation and will be required to: a) Write the text for a notice based on given directions. b) Write an e-mail on the same content as the notice. Question 4: An unseen prose passage of about 450 words will be given. Uncommon items of

vocabulary, or structure will be avoided. One question will be set to test vocabulary. Candidates will be required to show an understanding of the words/phrases in the context in which they have been used.

A number of questions requiring short answers will also be asked on the passage. These questions will test the candidates’ ability to comprehend the explicit content and organisation of the passage and to infer information, intention and attitude from it.

Syllabus


The last question will consist of a summary that will test the candidates’ ability to distinguish main ideas from supporting details and to extract salient points to re-write them in the form of a summary. Candidates will be given clear indications of what they are to summarise and of the length of the summary.

Question 5: There will be a number of short answer questions to test the candidates' knowledge

of functional grammar, structure and use of the language. All the items in this question will be compulsory. They will consist of correct use of prepositions,

verbs and transformation of sentences.

PAPER 2 – LITERATURE IN ENGLISH (Two hours) 80 marks Candidates will be required to answer five questions from ONLY three of the prescribed

textbooks, one of which must be drama, one prose and one poetry. Prose and Drama Questions set will be central to the text. Candidates will be required to show that they have

understood the passage and are able to clearly give their interpretation of the questions set, which should be in their own words and relevant to the text.

Excerpts may be given from the prose and drama texts leading to questions on the specific book. Poetry A poem, or passages from poems, will be given and questions will be set to test the candidates’

response to the poem. The questions will focus on the content, understanding and the personal response of candidates to the poem as a whole.

NOTE: The Class X - ICSE examination paper will be set on the entire syllabus prescribed for the subject. The Class IX internal examination is to be conducted on the portion of this syllabus that is covered during the academic year.

The Council has not prescribed bifurcation of the syllabus for this subject.

INTERNAL ASSESSMENT Paper 1 – English Language 1) Schools will prepare, conduct and record assessments of the Listening and Speaking Skills

of candidates as follows: Class IX: Three assessments in the course of the year. Class X: Two assessments in the course of the year. 2) Pattern of Assessment. a) Listening Skills A passage of about 300 words is read aloud by the examiner twice, the first time at

normal reading speed (about 110 words a minute) and the next time at a slower speed. Candidates may make brief notes during the readings. They then answer an objective type test based on the passage, on the paper provided.

The recommended number of candidates at a sitting is 30. b) Speaking Skills Each candidate is required to make an oral presentation for about two minutes, which

will be followed by a discussion on the subject with the examiners, for about three minutes.

Subjects for presentation may include narrating an experience, providing a description, giving directions how to make or operate something, expressing an opinion, giving a report, relating an anecdote or commenting on a current event.

A candidate may refer to brief notes in the course of the presentation but reading or excessive dependence on notes will be penalized.

Universal Tutorials – IX & X ICSE – English I Volume 1 of 2

It is recommended that candidates be given an hour for preparation of their subject for presentation and that they be given a choice of subject, on a common paper.

Evaluation The assessment will be conducted jointly by the subject teacher and the external examiner who

will each assess the candidate. (The External Examiner may be a teacher nominated by the Head of the School who could be from the faculty but not teaching the subject in the section/class. For example, a teacher of English of Class VIII may be deputed to be an External Examiner for Class X).

Award of Marks Listening Skills: 10 marks Speaking Skills: 10 marks The total marks obtained out of 20 are to be sent to the Council by the Head of the School. Schools are required to maintain a record of all assessments conducted in Listening and

Speaking Skills for candidates of Classes IX and X. These include copies of the assessment tests, topics for presentation and marks awarded. The record will be maintained for a period of 2 months after the ICSE (10) examinations of the candidates concerned.

Paper 2 – Literature in English Schools will set, assess and record written assignments by the candidates as given below: Class IX: Two or three assignments of approximately 300 to 400 words each. Class X: Two or three assignments of reasonable length (not exceeding 1500 words in total). Suggested Assignments Assignments should be based on the prescribed textbooks on the following lines: i) Character/thematic analysis; ii) Socio-economic, cultural, historical relevance / background; iii) Summary / paraphrase. iv) Appreciation of literary qualities. v) Identifying with a character. Putting oneself in the place of a character in given

circumstances and explaining one’s actions. vi) Imagine alternative outcomes or endings in a literary piece and the effect on all concerned.

The texts selected for Class IX for Internal Assessment would be different from those selected for Class X.

Evaluation The assignments/projects are to be evaluated by the subject teacher and by an external

examiner. The Internal Examiner and the External Examiner will assess the assignments independently. Award of marks (20 Marks) Subject Teacher (Internal Examiner) 10 marks External Examiner 10 marks The total marks obtained out of 20 are to be sent to the Council by the Head of the school. The

Head of the school will be responsible for the entry of marks on the mark sheets provided by the Council.

Schools are required to maintain a record of all assignments, duly assessed, for a period of 2 months after the ICSE examinations of the candidates concerned.

Syllabus


LIST OF PRESCRIBED TEXTBOOKS

ENGLISH (01): PAPER 1. (Language) No specific book is being recommended for background reading. PAPER 2. (Literature in English) DRAMA: The Merchant of Venice (Shakespeare’s unabridged A. W. Verity,).

OR The Mousetrap – Agatha Christie TREASURE TROVE – A collection of ICSE Poems & Short Stories (Evergreen Publications

(India) Ltd. New Delhi). POETRY: (All poems to be studied) 1) Heart of a Tree – Henry Cuyler Bunner 2) The Cold Within – James Patrick Kinney 3) Bangle sellers – Sarojini Naidu 4) After Blenheim – Robert Southey 5) Television – Roald Dahl 6) Daffodils – William Wordsworth 7) I Know why the Caged Bird Sings – Maya Angelou 8) The Patriot – Robert Browning 9) Abu Ben Adhem – Leigh Hunt 10) Nine Gold Medals – David Roth PROSE: ONLY one of the following: 1) Short Stories: (All short stories to be studied) i) Chief Seattle’s Speech ii) The Old Man at the Bridge – Earnest Hemmingway iii) A Horse and Two Goats – R.K. Narayan iv) Hearts and Hands – O’ Henry v) A Face in the Dark – Ruskin Bond vi) Angel in Disguise – T.S. Arthur vii) The Little Match Girl – Hans Christian Andersen viii) The Blue Bead – Norah Burke ix) My Greatest Olympic Prize – Jesse Owens x) All Summer in a Day – Ray Bradbury 2) Animal Farm: George Orwell 3) Call of the Wild – Jack London

A) Writing 1

Volume 1 of 2 Universal Tutorials – IX & X ICSE – English I 1

A) Writing 1) Long Composition

Students have to write a composition of about 300–350 words from a choice of subjects which will test their ability to organise, describe, narrate, report, explain, persuade or argue, present ideas coherently with accuracy and precision, compare and contrast ideas and arrive at conclusions, present relevant arguments and use correct style and format.

The subjects will be varied and may be suggested by language or by other stimuli such as pictures. The subjects will be so chosen so as to allow the candidates to draw on first-hand experience or to stimulate their imagination.

With one subject, a number of suggestions about the content of the composition will be given, but the use of the suggestions will be optional and a candidate will be free to treat the subject in any way that he/she chooses.

The organisation of subject matter, syntax, punctuation, correctness of grammatical constructions and spelling will be expected to be appropriate to the mode of treatment required by the subject.

There are seven types of long compositions: Narrative Essay, Descriptive Essay, Argumentative/ Discursive Essay, Factual Essay, Reflective Essay, Short Story, and Picture composition.

A) Essays The essay is normally divided into three parts:

Introduction The Body The Conclusion

Introduction It should be brief, attractive and should strike the keynote of the topic. The first sentence placed

at the beginning of the first paragraph should specify what is to follow. It should, in fact, convey clearly the vital theme of the subject.

Sometimes a short quotation, a proverb, a very brief story, or a common remark about the subject may serve the purpose. But it is not safe to begin with a definition.

The Body This is the main part of the essay. It should contain the necessary facts, ideas, illustrations and

reflections of the writer on the given subject. Here you should adhere closely to your outline. The paragraphs should be well constructed and

in their proper sequence. Do not jump from point to point without showing the connection of one with the other.

Conclusion The ending, like the beginning, should be brief and striking. It should be natural and not abrupt. If

that is impossible, the essay should be completed by summarizing the main points raised in the body of the essay.

The last sentence, above all, should be not only striking but also pleasing to the mind and the ear.

The Style in Writing:

It is the language on which the success of your efforts depends. Yet while writing a composition, the following points should be carefully understood:

Choose the subject carefully and having chosen it, stick to it.

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2 Universal Tutorials – IX & X ICSE – English I Volume 1 of 2

Write to the point. Be clear and brief. Do not use big words. Proceed in a direct and straight manner. Write grammatically correct sentences. Be natural. Write your own ideas and thoughts in your own way. Do not use too many ‘ands’, ‘whens’ and ‘thens’. Begin each new sentence with a capital letter. Write correctly proper names and proper adjectives. Avoid scribbling. Write in a neat and legible handwriting. Keep to the same tense throughout. The average length of an essay is almost forty to fifty lines. Always leave a margin to the left.

I) Narrative Essay:

To narrate means to relate; and a narrative composition consists of a narration of some event or a series of events. Narrative topics such as ‘The Cave’ and ‘Adventure in a Desert’ always look attractive, because everyone feels it is easy to tell a story.

A student must distinguish between a simple narration of an event and a narration of a story. Narrative essays should not be confused with bits of history. The narration should be based on some incident about which you have some experience. The narrative topic should be treated as a subject for thought and comment.

How to write a Narrative Essay: i) Make a well-arranged plan in which logical or chronological order is maintained. ii) Keep the plot simple. iii) Stick to the title – don’t let your writing drift away from its planned direction. iv) The easiest way to handle a narrative composition is to stick to a series of events in the

order in which they have occurred. v) Give a proper beginning and an effective end to your writing ensuring that all relevant details

are given in the body of your composition.

II) Descriptive Essay:

In this type of composition you normally describe people, scenes or events. A good description relies upon careful observation, which involves manifestation of an eye for detail, a wide vocabulary, and an ability to visualise and describe accurately.

Great care must be taken in a descriptive assignment neither to wander off the topic nor to tell a story. The description should be accurate, based on something which you know. Producing a catalogue of features of the person or scene which you are describing is not a descriptive composition.

How to write a Descriptive Essay: i) Stick to the essentials of the topic without being side-tracked into writing a vague and

rambling piece founded on only one part of the topic. ii) Follow your plan and develop each part of your plan. iii) Make use of adjectives to develop your description. iv) Involve all your senses, not just sight – remember sounds, smells and movements. v) Make use of contrasts. For example, compare a scene by day with a scene by night. v) Use comparison to enrich your writing.

A) Writing 3


III) Argumentative/Discursive Essay:

In Discursive/Argumentative compositions, you are expected to express your opinions on certain issues. You should not attempt this kind of assignment unless you know something about the topic or have enough time to obtain information.

You may be asked to write either for or against a particular topic or to present a case in favour of or against a particular point of view. In order to achieve this, you have to put forward effectively persuasive arguments based on sound reasoning.

Precautions: Pay careful attention to your plan so that you are not carried away when dealing with one

particular aspect of the topic. It is important that you present a balanced view in terms of content matter and depth of treatment.

Planning: i) Make a clear framework of your composition. The plan of your arguments must be clear and

could be reducible to simple mathematical proportions. First comes the introduction; then the points in favor of the proposition, followed by the turning point indicated by such words as ‘but’, ‘however’, and ‘on the other hand’.

ii) These words indicate that you are going to consider the argument against the proposition. After the turning point, consider arguments against the proposition. Finally, give a personal conclusion

How to write an Argumentative Essay: i) Make your position clear from the start and present a logical argument to support it. ii) Consider both sides of the question giving the points for and against and leaving your

personal opinion until the final paragraph. iii) Present sensible points in an orderly way. iv) Give interesting or unusual ideas and suggestions. v) Present logical thinking and clear expression. vi) Argue your case with proper emphasis, making use of facts, figures and statistics. vii) Use effective words and expressions to help the reader to make up his mind.

IV) Factual Essay:

Factual writing is concerned with facts. In factual essays you are asked to present detailed information on a definite topic. If you have ever been asked how to find a particular house, you will know how easy it is to confuse the inquirer by giving him directions in a wrong order or by forgetting to include something important. Practical or factual writing requires care and thought.

While explaining how something works, creative writing does not play a major role. Here, you deal with facts and put them in order. You have to give all information necessary in the right order.

The following points should be kept in mind while attempting this type of writing: i) Be relevant ii) Arrange the material in a pleasing way. iii) Maintain the sequence of events. iv) Use short and simple sentences. v) Be simple and clear:

V) Reflective Essay:

Personal or reflective topics give you a chance to express your individual personality by offering you an opportunity to write from your personal experience.

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In this type of writing, the background, the characters and the subject matter are more connected with you than in any other type of writing.

Personal writing also lends itself to project-work about you or your interests like hobbies, early memories, etc.

How to write a Reflective Essay: i) Write from your personal memories or thoughts to make your composition more lively. ii) Arrange the thought pattern in a logical and sensible order. iii) Select reflections which are vivid and clear in your mind, discarding vague or ill-defined

recollections. iv) Give background details of each event such as Where were you? How old were you? The memories about people, relatives and others who were near. v) Do not drift off the set topic. With so many personal memories, it is important to stick to the

relevant part of the assignment. vi) Organise your ideas selectively, keeping in mind the order of your paragraphing. vii) Keep a careful eye on sentence construction and pay attention to details. viii) Be selective in what you choose to describe. You will be given better credit for vividly

describing thoughts than for a disjointed, lengthy and sparsely described list.

SOLVED EXERCISE 1) An Exhibition Ans: An Exhibition is a place where beautiful, attractive and artistic things are arranged for public

show. It has great commercial and educational value. Delhi has seen many such exhibitions like ‘Railway Exhibition, ‘Post and Telegraph Exhibition’

International Exhibitions create friendly relations between various nations. An ‘International Industrial Exhibition’ was arranged by the Indian Government in Delhi.

Last Saturday, I had a chance to visit this exhibition with some of my friends. At the booking window, there was a great rush and each one wanted to purchase the ticket first.

We requested a gentleman to purchase our tickets also, because he was tenth or eleventh in the queue. Thus we took the tickets and entered the gate. First of all we saw a fountain just in front of the gate and it was foaming. Then we selected to see the stalls of the U.S.A., Democratic Germany, Poland, Russia, China and India, and made up our minds to see those stalls on the same day.

First we entered the U.S. stall and saw a man, who appeared to be just like a magician. He was showing various wonderful things. He converted the sound waves produced by a gramophone into light waves and focused the light waves somewhere. Then as he placed some obstacle in the way of light waves, the gramophone stopped. In the same way, a moving train obeyed his orders. He said the word, ‘Stop’, and the train at once stopped and when he said ‘Move forward’, it obeyed and when he said, ‘Now move back’ the train began to move back. In the U.S. stall, there was a picture-hall, in which three hundred persons could sit at a time. At the show, the principle of ‘Atomic Structure’ was clearly explained. A magic hand was also a good thing. Then we entered the stall of Democratic Germany. There, the ‘glass-man’ was one of the interesting things.

The Chinese stall was one of the best stalls. On the left of that stall, there was some machinery to which we did not pay much attention. But on the right, good crockery work was exhibited. There were also different kinds of fruits made of wax. They looked like real ones. My younger brother wanted to have some of them, but I told him that it was wax.

A) Writing 5


Then we went to the Polish stall. We did not take any interest there, because there was nothing except large machines. So we did not waste any time there.

It was 9.30 p.m. We were tired and did not want to see more. We decided to leave and come out of the exhibition area. Highly pleased with what we saw there, we returned home in a taxi.

2) Environment and Pollution: Ans: Pollution is the contamination of earth’s environment that contaminates and interferes with

human health and ecosystem functioning. Environmental pollution may be natural or human. The natural pollution is caused by volcanoes, storms, floods etc. while human caused pollution is diversified. Most of the environment pollution is the result of human activities. Material that pollutes the environment is called pollutant and is either biodegradable or non-biodegradable.

Air pollution is the addition of harmful substances in air that causes severe damage to the environment, human health and the quality of life. Air pollution is not a recent phenomenon, it dates back to ancient times but it became a major problem only during industrial revolution. Since then the capacity of atmosphere to absorb huge quantities of pollutant gases is decreasing day by day and the atmosphere has been made a big dustbin of gaseous waste. Various human activities like industrialization, transportation and use of pesticides and other chemicals have resulted in the release of many pollutants in the air. Natural activities like volcanic eruptions also release pollutant gases like sulphur dioxide. Automobile exhaust, smoke, smog and acid rain are some of the types of air pollution.

Water is essential for all life forms 71% of the earth’s surface is covered with water. More than 97% of the water is contained in the oceans but marine water is saline and is of little use to man. Remaining 3% water is fresh water that includes ground water, rivers, lakes etc. The ground water is the major source of water for man which makes only 0.6% of the total water of earth. On the surface it appears in the form of springs or is pumped out with tube wells.

The contamination of water bodies like rivers, lakes, seas etc, is called water pollution. Soil is a living system which after combining with water, air and sunlight becomes capable of supporting plant life. The process of photosynthesis is necessary to support plant life because it converts sunlight into energy.

Soil pollution refers to the building up of toxic chemical compounds, salts, radioactive material and disease causing organisms i.e. pathogens. All these pollutants affect the plant and animal life.

Noise pollution refers to the exposure of ears to annoying and stressful sound which may even damage the ears. The urban centres are becoming noisier with increasing industrial activity, transport, etc.

Aeroplanes cause a lot of noise pollution. A normal jet engine produces sound around 10 decibels. Getting closer to it may produce 130 decibels of sound. Deafness or hearing loss is the major health problem associated with noise pollution.

3) India has always believed in the value of the family. Discuss the changes, both good and bad, that have resulted from the break-up of the traditional Indian joint family.

Ans: Family plays an important part in everyone’s life. But now the trend of a tradition joint family is breaking up. In a joint family, all the brothers with their wives and children and parents live together under one roof. But now the system of a joint family has been replaced by a nuclear family. A nuclear family has only parents and their children.

A joint family develops the spirit of co-operation, sacrifice, mutual goodwill and discipline. But in a nuclear family there is a lack of these values. Having a joint family is economical than nuclear family because the entire burden in the nuclear family is on a single person. In a joint family this burden is less as expenditure for all the things is shared. For women also joint family is a boon. Kitchen work is divided among all the women. But in a nuclear family all the household work is on the shoulders of a single woman.

In a joint family, if someone wants to go somewhere he has to take the permission of his elders whereas in a nuclear family man is free. He needs no permission from anyone. He can take all

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the decisions. The woman in a nuclear family is not placed within the four walls of the house. She is no more a cook and a nurse. Women are not regarded as mere decorative pieces. They are not treated as mere slaves toiling for their families. They are now functioning as doctors, teachers, lawyers and I.A.S. officers.

These are some of the above-mentioned changes, both good and bad, which are responsible for the breaking-up of a traditional joint family. High aspirations, individualism, lack of patience and toleration – all make it difficult to cope up with big joint families which are fast yielding to nuclear families. Our society seems to have no objection to these changes which have now come to stay.

Let love, sympathy and fellow-feelings rule the hearts of the people who should learn to live in peace, whether in joint or nuclear families.

4) India has always believed in the value of the family. Discuss the changes, both good and bad, that have resulted from the break-up of the traditional Indian joint family. [2006]

Ans: The Family Umbrella The six letter word ‘family’ is the most pleasant existence of love and affection extending the

panorama of happiness and protection for all. As the word, ‘family’ is spoken, it creates a feeling of ‘everlasting bond’ that gains new strength day by day. The big family ‘tree’ of yesteryears protects ‘the flowers’ of the new generation in India with sweet guidance of their grandparents and great grandparents. This has been the victorious spirit of our happy Indian family though a few cracks can be seen here and there under the stress of modernisation.

The great culture of Indian joint family is like an umbrella that protects each and every member of the family even in the worst circumstances. In an age of crime and poisonous environment, a large joint family acts as a strong protection guiding the children utmost. It proves a wonderful boon for the working parents as their children depend on maids no more and get good food and virtuous guidance even in their absence. The grandparents can easily be seen teaching the kids and helping them in their homework etc. The best side of a joint family is the benefit of a rich and a lengthy experience of their elders which they share and this strengthens their mental as well as financial power. Most of the business families are joint families only because success doesn’t come so soon – it takes blood of many generations!

Though the wonder-boons of joint families are unlimited yet it is a crucial fact that Indian families are ‘broken’ very soon. In the urban and metro cities alike, young couples tend to live away from their parents for the sake of ‘freedom’ and ‘no interference’. In the metros, the families are going to shambles faster. Besides freedom, the sad reason for the break-up of joint families is the rising prices where it becomes difficult to manage the joint family with a limited income. Moreover, the lack of understanding and tolerance also uproots the family tree in no time. But these reasons are temporary only and it is expected that people would realize at last that ‘a joint family is the best unit of a comfortable life’.

5) Teenagers are showing an extremely cool indifference to book-reading nowadays. Why is it so? How can it be improved? Discuss it with relevant examples.

Ans: Reading is the most ‘inexpensive hobby’ that contributes to the making of an ‘expensive’ personality. In this electronic world of movies and media, the teenagers seem to have lost the charm for reading. The world of books is disappearing fast in one’s life leaving no room for the development of intelligence and skills. We have entered the new millennium without the power of books.

For teenagers, life is an attraction but the book reading scene is so dismal that even the school and college students hardly read a book apart from their syllabus. They prefer to be busy on the telephone for a long chat or go to a movie or enjoy the birthday of their friend in a restaurant but they are miles away from the pleasures of reading a story book or a humorous play. This is the routine of a big-city-student who grows in the company of cynic wealth without the guidance of a book. As a result, the new generation lacks understanding and falls prey to depression very soon. Their intellectual skills are not trained enough and they have no knowledge of renowned Indian leaders or world leaders or scientists. They are not aware of the wonderful world’ and

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hence, they have no high ambitions in a truthful manner; they seem to be clowns busy in building castles in the air only.

The culture of book-reading is no more than a shadow even outside these big cities though the reasons are different. In most of the villages and towns in our country, the public libraries play a very limited role and are not popular among the teenagers at all. No plans are drawn as well as no publicity is done to spread the habit of reading for pleasure. The government and the private agencies have little thought about it till date, even in a village, one can easily find a cinema hall or a video-game shop (with power back-up) but nothing is being done for reading for pleasure. Since the cult of book-reading is dying fast, a few schools have taken an initiative about it. They have announced the prizes for book reading and award gold, silver or bronze medals to encourage their students. Similarly, a few public libraries have also come up and they have positively promoted the concept of regular attendance. But it is not enough. The prestigious organizations like Rotary Club, Lions Club and Red Cross Society etc., should also lead from the front to spread it all over the country. Good books should be selected and published exclusively at a very nominal price because high price is also a very big factor to discourage book-reading. Let us encourage our teenagers to revive the love for book-reading in them and make our country a civilized nation.

6) Human Life And Science: Ans: The twentieth century is an age of science. Electricity is one of the greatest wonders of science.

Next to man, it is the most important and revolutionary creation in the world that has practically revolutionized the world. It has brought about a stupendous change in industry. With it our modern gigantic machines are worked. Computers as also calculators sum up totals and make other calculations with the utmost accuracy. Newspapers are printed in millions overnight. There is not a single phase of human life and its progress that is not indebted to electricity.

Innumerable indeed are the blessings of science. We light and warm our homes, we drive the machines in factories, and we run our trains and buses. We send our messages, converse with people thousands of kilometres away. The television has shortened time and distance.

It is a good means of instruction and entertainment. The electric telegraphy, the electric telephone, the electric bell, the electric train, the electric fan, the electric heater, the electric bulb are but a few of the many wonders of science.

Man has conquered air. Now he wants to conquer space also. Electricity has enabled us to travel in aeroplanes and fly into the cold atmosphere of the sky. Travellers, before being taken off, are supplied with electric wires which resist the cold of the upper air. We have electric trains in big cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata and Delhi.

Broadcasting by itself is a miracle of science. Ships in danger can send messages and receive immediate help. Teleprinters bring us the latest news and photographs from all over the world.

Many great feats of modern engineering, such as making of the Panama Canal, the Suez and the Bhakra Nangal Dam have become the possibilities of today. Science has become a part and parcel of our daily life. It cooks our food, washes our clothes grinds our corn, lights, warms and propels our machines. It lifts for us the heaviest weight. It runs our factories. It cools us in summer and warms us in winter, cheers us in sadness, and transmits our messages. It diagnoses internal diseases and cures them. In fact there is hardly anything which science does not do for us.

PRACTICE EXERCISES

Write a composition on the following topics in 350-400 words. Your presentation should be logical, clear, fluent and convincing:

1) ‘Eco-friendly environment’ is more likely a fashionable term of modern society than a reality. Discuss.

2) ‘Examination is a phobia, not an assessment of a child’s performance’. Explain your point of view with suitable illustrations.

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3) You feel sad and disgusted as you find so many children working in shops, hotels and factories, etc., in spite of the government’s best efforts to give them education. Evaluate the pathetic situation of child labour with a few examples from daily life.

4) Democracy is the best form of government. Give your views either for or against this statement. 5) “Are you really helping the needy when you give money to beggars?” Argue either for or against

this statement. 6) “The commercialization of public schools has adversely affected the quality of education.” Give

reasons to prove your point for or against it. 7) Rivers and lakes are always interesting and commercially important to people who live near

them. Describe some of the ways in which people living close to a lake or a river use it to their advantage commercially and also for their relaxation and amusement all through the year.

8) “Cigarette smoking in public places should not be allowed.” Argue either for or against this statement.

9) You have lived in your ancestral house since birth. The house is to be sold so that flats may be built. Narrate the circumstances that led to this decision and describe your feelings about moving out of the house.

10) Describe a weekly market scene in your area. Do you like or not like the scene? Justify. 11) You have been on a plane journey recently. While going through a cloud, the plane developed

engine trouble. Describe what took place in the plane and how you were saved. 12) You are sleeping in your bedroom. Someone knocks at your door. You wake up and see an

alien. You are thrilled. Write an account of what he tells you about his life in space.

A) Writing 9


B) Story Writing: Telling a story involves narrative skill. In this chapter, story does not mean only a short story

but includes any narrative account e.g. a description of a visit to a place, an account of a narrow escape, or of an amusing or embarrassing incident.

Elements of a good story: The plot i.e. an interesting story-line. Characterization The background Dialogue and language. Sometimes a particular mood or aim, eg. The story may be humorous, sad, frightening or

of educational value. Atmosphere: If possible, you must set your action against a background which you know

well and which will be interesting to your reader. You may know quite a lot about the jungle, hotels, cooking, excursions etc. A good writer works very hard to create a good atmosphere for his writing.

Making up of a plot: Most plots arise from some kind of a conflict.

Three common sources of conflict are: Conflict with another person. This may happen when two people quarrel, when father

and son argue, when friends disagree, etc. Conflict between a person and external conditions such as a storm, an angry bee, a

snowfall, etc. Such external troubles cause a problem. Conflict within a person’s mind. A person may be unusually sensitive, mean, bad

tempered, jealous, greedy etc. We can find problems arising from a person’s character in stories about such people as ‘Silas Mariner’, ‘Shylock’, ‘Macbeth’, ‘Brutus’, etc.

Steps for effective characterization:

Describe your character(s) strongly enough to enable your reader to visualize him/them easily. Don’t be vague. A long description is not necessary if you can find a few well-chosen words.

Use significant details to make your characters stand out clearly. Describe the most striking aspects of a person.

Make your characters realistic. Differentiate between men and women. Do not make women speak and act like men. Differentiate between old and young people.

SOLVED EXERCISE

1) Write a short story to illustrate the proverb ‘Knowledge is Power’. Ans: Once upon a time there was a king. He was very popular among his subjects. He wanted his

kingdom to be the best in the world. He sent his messengers all over the kingdom to find out how he could do so. He promised rich rewards to anyone who came up with the best suggestion/idea.

He got many suggestions. Some wise men told him that he must always consult holy men before embarking upon any work of importance. Others told him to be kind and benevolent to the poor. While others said that he must build strong armies so that he could conquer many lands and defend his kingdom against neighbours.

The king was wise and just. He was pious and charitable. These ideas did not appeal to him. Many times he would go incognito amongst his subjects just to find out whether they were happy and satisfied with his rule. However, he continued with his search. He heard that there was a

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hermit who lived alone in solitude on a hill. He met only the common people. He was simple and lived in a mud-hut. He cultivated a small patch of land and spent his time in meditation. He was also known to be very wise.

The king decided to go to him. He dressed simply and sought the old hermit. He was well received by the hermit who was busy planting saplings. Forgetting that he was king he offered to help. Soon it was time to go back. Just then a man came running there; he was the brother of one of his enemies. He stabbed the king and ran away. The hermit helped the bleeding king to his hut and tenderly looked after him.

In a couple of days, the king was fit enough to return. His guards had come to escort him back to the palace. The king thanked the hermit and asked him how he could make his kingdom the best in the world. The hermit looked at him kindly and smiled. He said ‘O King, knowledge is power; used judiciously it will take you to great heights. Remember that the present time is most important. Do not ponder over the past, as one cannot bring it back. Do not worry about the future as we have no control over it. But the present is in our hands, use it judiciously. The most important person is the one you deal with. So, do your best. Forgive your enemies and love your friends.’

The king was satisfied and came back to his palace, and with this knowledge he ruled his great and powerful kingdom.

2) Write a short story which illustrates the truth of the statement, Rumour is a great traveller. Ans: Rumour is a great traveller. It spreads like fire. I was going to Canada by Indian Airlines.

Everything was fine. I had got the clearance from the customs officers. As I was ready to board the plane, I heard an announcement from the plane, “All the passengers are requested not to board the plane. It is suspected that a terrorist has planted a bomb in the plane.” As soon as the announcement was made, panic spread all around. Passengers ran here and there and at a distance far away from the plane. Then a special squad of police was sent by the Airline authorities. They had special detectors to detect anything that was alive and working. The search started at 10 a.m. and went up to 2 p.m. Finally the help of trained dogs was taken. After 2 p.m. the air authorities declared that there was nothing in the plane. It was just a rumour. After the announcement, there was a sigh of relief on the faces of the people. The flight, after checking all the things, took off.

It is, of course, a matter of deep concern that terrorists have become very over active these days. They continue to operate freely throughout the country. They always prove to be a determined lot, ready to sacrifice their own lives for their targeted missions. They are the agents of the devil. Quite often, they act as live human bombs. They succeed in striking wherever and whenever they please. They evidently out-smart the law-enforcing agencies that are caught either napping or not fully prepared to apprehend the action plans of the terrorists. The main aim of the terrorists is to shatter peace, create anarchy and disturb economy. The bomb attacks have resulted in huge loss of life and limb. The government should take effective steps against those people who spread rumours that affect the peace of the people of our country.

3) Recall a remarkable event of social importance in your city or locality. Give a little of its background, the event as it occurred, and its impact on the lives of people.

Ans: A Touch of Happiness The spontaneous austerity of the flute was echoing in each and every corner of Seagate

Auditorium, The hall was absolutely covered with a sheet of pin-drop silence as if a magician had played the magic of silence on a large number of people sitting in the hall. All were truly mesmerized by the beautiful rhythm of the flute; a feeling of lovable satisfaction was entering their heartbeats whereas the sparks of admiration could be easily seen on their faces for the man who made it possible – yes, this was the cultural evening of Ustad Bismillah Khan’s flute recital.

Like every Indian, I also had a feeling of adoration for the great genius, Ustad Bismillah Khan and when my uncle asked me the other day to accompany him to the live concert, I readily agreed and was waiting enthusiastically for the red letter day. The tickets were booked well in advance and both of us tried to complete our routine life-hurdles a day in advance so that

A) Writing 11


nothing could stop us from enjoying the moment in a complete and full- fledged manner. We reached the auditorium in a fantastic mood and took our reserved seats about thirty minutes before the recital. The show anchoring was as beautiful and punctual as Ustad Bismillah Khan’s attributes and it began in a splendid manner.

The entire programme lasted for more than two hours. The Ustad played a number of classic notes on the flute one after another, In spite of his old age; he was drowned in the pool of music. Each and every note of music flowing from his flute was a real treat to our heart and soul. The art of music itself narrated the tale of his tireless work, unconditional devotion and matchless perfection. During the session, he spoke a little bit but he was an example of his own during the interactive session that followed the flute recital.

As he attended to the people’s curious queries in his calm, lovely and confident voice, Ustad Bismillah Khan left an indelible impression on them. All were highly impressed and admired his skills and art. They were also won over by his politeness and peace-loving temperament – the way he had faced every turbulent colour of life to touch the zenith of success and satisfaction. Asked about the secret of his success, he just said “Bear pains happily; love your work as well as the people around you as you love yourself”.

4) Write a short story in which a little girl, her twin brother and the school bully are the main characters.

Ans: The bell of Sunflower Public School rang but a little girl and a boy still clung to their father crying. They never wanted to go to school as Manav, a boy of class VI constantly bullied them. But their father consoled them saying nothing would happen to them. The girl’s name was Agnes while Anshul was her twin brother. They studied in class II. Ultimately, their father won them over to his side and they ran up the school stairs. The students of their class were very afraid of a gang of std. VI boys who used to eat their lunch forcibly, tear down their bags or even break their pencils, pens and smash almost everything that came their way. Headed by Manav, they even stole their copies, pulled the ponytails of little girls and slapped the little boys for no apparent reason. Manav specially liked to trouble the twins. He would exchange their things saying it shouldn’t make a difference to them as they had the same appearance. He deliberately called Agnes by Anshul’s name and vice-versa.

As they reached school, that day seemed no different than other days to them. The recess bell rang and the little children quickly ate their lunch fearing Manav’s arrival. Alas they failed; for midway their meal, a shout was heard – Manav has come! The children ran helter-skelter in front of the school bully - struggling to hide their lunch boxes. He came straight to Agnes and Anshul’s lunch boxes. The poor twins started crying in vain. It gave him much pleasure and he broke their boxes as well as took away their copies. He went out laughing with his gang-boys. Fifty of them complained to their class teacher but it was of no use. They were not afraid of any punishment nor did they expect any. Tired of such nuisance, Agnes decided to teach him a lesson at last.

The next day, Anshul and Agnes reached school early and consulted their friends about their plan to get rid of Manav. All the children hid their copies and lunch boxes. In the recess, when Manav and his boys came, both of them stayed in the classroom and signaled to other children to go away secretly. He came to them and started bullying them, He asked them to give their copies and lunch boxes but they refused. He started abusing them and in a fit of rage, began searching all the bags for copies and lunch boxes. His friends also started searching the whole room. When they were busy doing so, both of them slipped out of the room very silently and bolted the door. They were locked in the room and they felt really trapped. They made a lot of noise and even threatened in the beginning but all the children laughed outside, At last they realized that they were in trouble. An hour passed but the little children refused to open the door unless they promised not to bully them in future. They remained locked for the whole day and were finally let out when they promised not to bully them again – not even to enter their corridor. In this way, the quick wit of Agnes and Anshul saved all the students from the bullies and won them many accolades from their friends.

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PRACTICE EXERCISE 1) Write a short story which illustrates the truth of the statement, ‘Self-help is the best help.’ 2) Write an original short story which concludes with the sentence, ‘After it was all over, I realized

that every cloud has a silver lining’.

C) Picture Composition: One of the recent trends in modern examinations is the increased use of visual material. This includes pictures, photographs, graphs, tables and statistics.

A) How to develop composition based on a given picture: Find the theme of the picture i.e. what it is showing. It may be a scene at a market, showing

a man selling clothes. It may be men at work at a building site, or somebody scoring a goal in a football match.

Look at the exact wording of the question. Does it say: “Describe the picture....” or “Write about the thoughts which come into your mind when you see the picture” or something else?

If you have to describe a picture: First give a general impression of what is happening or what you can see, e.g. a man is selling clothes.

Then describe the people or places in the picture, e.g. the hawker, his goods, his customers, spectators, etc.

Make a careful plan so that you do not finish it too quickly. If you have to write 350-400 words, do not describe all the important people or places in the first ten lines.

Use all your senses. Describe what you can see and what you could probably hear. smell and feel (or even taste) at the scene.

You can sometimes finish by looking into the future, i.e. by saying what the scene in the picture would be like in an hour’s time or the next day.

You must make sure that your writing has a close link with the picture. The picture, in fact, serves as a stimulus to which you are expected to respond.

The idea sparked off by the picture could be the basis of your essay, story, feelings or thoughts.

In this assignment your response is open ended and a situation can be interpreted in a number of ways. However, what you write must be relevant and convincing.

B) How to develop a story based on a given picture: Include a plot for your story which develops to a climax or contains a moral. Set the scene quickly and unfold the plot as soon as possible. Have a few characters that appear real to the readers. Include elements which arouse emotions in the reader. Let the characters describe themselves through their dialogue and actions. Imagine that

you are one of the characters in the picture. Get involved in an imaginative way in the scene to enable you to hold your reader’s

attention thoughts and feelings suggested by the picture.

SOLVED EXERCISE

1) Write a story or a description or an account of what the picture suggests to you. Your composition may be about the subject of the picture or you may take suggestions from it.

However, there must be a clear connection between the picture and your composition.

A) Writing

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A) Writing 15


suggestions from it but there must be a clear connection between the picture and the composition.

CESSF L U UT - Universal Tutorials

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