English Workbook (E.E)
The Height of the Ridiculous
Q. I Understanding the text Read the extract and answer the questions given below.
Linguistic U/Av
They were so queer, so very queer, I laughed as I would die: Albiet, in the general way, A sober man am I.
1. Why did the poet laugh after reading his own poem?
After reading the poem he had himself written, the poet started laughing because the lines looked very strange to him as he had never written a poem earlier in his life. The lines made him feel that he had become very serious by nature.
2. Do you think the poem is ridiculous? Why?
The poet makes fun of himself. The servant laughs wildly on reading his master’s work. The poet has given up writing because of this. (Answers may vary)
3. What made the poet stop writing funny poems?
The poet stopped writing when he saw that the funny poem he wrote affected the servant so much that could not stop laughing for ten days and nights much to the poet’s discomfort.
4. Is the poem a bit exaggerated? Quote the lines which tell you this. Yes the poem is exaggerated. I laughed as I would die. There’ll be the devil to pay. He broke into a roar. His waistband split. Ten days and nights, with sleepless eye.
2 Q. II In English, one word can have many meanings. Using a dictionary, create similar synonym word maps for the following words in your notebook. Follow the given example. Linguistic-Mathematical Ap/E Q. III Map the words: Linguistic Ap/Av
Read the given definitions and select the correct word from the box. The first one has been done for you.
1. a funny story, something which makes you laugh: joke
2. fell down : tumbled
3. snapped: split
4. extremely: exceeding
5. the ability to see that something is funny: sense of humour
6. a broad smile: grin
7. a very happy mood: merry
8. something done for amusement: trifling jest
Q. IV Discuss with your partner and create a funny poem of your own.
The Lame Boy's Lament
Q. I Read the given extracts and answer the questions that follow. (Linguistic) (R/E, Av)
1. “It’s dull in our town since my playmates left! I can’t forget that I’m bereft Of all the pleasant sights they see, Which the Piper also promised me.’
a. Who said the above lines? Why?
The above lines are said by the lame boy. The lame boy said so because he was left alone in the town of Hamelin. He could not forget that he was bereft of all the pleasant sights as all his playmates went to the magical land that the Pied Piper promised.
b. What had the Piper promised to the speaker?
The Piper had promised the speaker pleasant sights in the magical land.
c. What does the word ‘bereft’ mean? The word ‘bereft’ means deprived of something.
2. For he led us, he said, to a joyous land, Joining the town and just at hand, Where waters gushed and fruit-trees grew, And flowers put forth a fairer hue, And everything was strange and new;
a. Who is ‘he’ in the above line? Where did he lead the children?
The Pied Piper is ‘he’ in the above line. He led the children to a joyous land with pleasant sights.
b. Why was everything strange and new?
Everything in the land was strange and new as the joyous land had gushing waters and many fruit trees and the flowers in the land had beautiful colours.
2 c. What does the word ‘hue’ mean?
The ‘hue’ means a colour or shade.
Q. II Choose the correct option keeping in mind the underlined words. (Spatial) (Ap/av)
1. The beggar was bereft means, means __________________
b. the beggar did not have any food to eat.
2. The town is dull because ___________________________
c. the piper took away all the children.
3. The deer outran the hyena, means _________________________ a. the deer was faster than the hyena.
3 Q. III Evaluate the story and fill in the details for ‘the Hamelin Times’ newspaper! (Verbal) (Ev/D)
The Hamelin Times Headline: (Student specific)
What? a boy was left behind which made him sad
Who? The Lame Boy
Where? Hamelin
When? when the mayor refused to pay the piper
How? could not keep pace with the other children
Why? because he could not enjoy the pleasure of the joyous land
Other information: student specific
Q. IV Think about how a different ending to the poem would change the reader's view of the characters and events of the original story. (Verbal) (Cr/Av)
Some questions you could consider when writing your alternative ending: • Where else could the children have been taken? • Tell your ending from the children's point of view. • What if the Mayor had paid the Piper? • What do you think about the Mayor? • Does the new ending change your views about him? 4 • What if the people had managed to trace the Piper and asked him what had happened? Start writing here......
Ubuntu – An African Concept of Humanity
Q. I Understanding the text: Linguistic Read the lines from the text and explain the context of each.
1. Apoorv was disheartened to see this unpleasant response. The class laughed again. “African….hmm…no wonder the word sounds weird,” said Meera.
Apoorv was disheartened because of the way his classmates reacted on hearing the word ‘Ubuntu’. His classmates burst out laughing whenever Apoorv would say ‘Ubuntu’. Meera said the above words because people were biased towards the Africans and believed in racism. According to them Africans were weird human- beings.
2. My friend, Ntokozo, took good care of the injured boy. I was impressed and thanked him, but he smilingly said, ‘Ubuntu’.
One day while playing soccer at the school playground one of Apoorv’s friends got seriously injured. Ntokozo took good care of the boy. Apoorv thanked him. Ntokozo said ‘Ubuntu’ smilingly. ‘Ubuntu’ meant ‘We People’. It embodies the concept of togetherness and equality. He went back home but kept thinking about the word and the incident.
3. My mother told me that if you open your heart to understand the world around you, you get millions of opportunities to grow.
As time went by, Apoorv learnt more and more about the Africans. His experience in Africa gave him many opportunities to realize that everyone was a child of mother earth and that everyone was equal. His stay there gave him the confidence to socialize with all kinds of people as he also began to believe in ‘Ubuntu’. He learnt that humanity and togetherness was what could make all countries progress and that all countries are same and all human beings equal.
Un /E
2 Q. II Little Acts of Kindness: (Student Specific) Intrapersonal Write about any act of kindness that you may have extended or may have received. Share your experiences with your partner. Write how these experiences can be connected to ‘Ubuntu’. _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________
Q. III With the help of the words below describe the concept of ‘Ubuntu’ in your own words. (Student Specific) Intrapersonal _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________
A Grain as Big as a Hen’s Egg
Q. I Match the words to their meanings. Linguistic U/Av
Words Meanings 1. pecked a clearly 2. groove b turned up the earth 3. distinctly c bit something with its beak 4. ploughed d planted seed for the purpose of growth 5. sowed e narrow cut or depression in a hard material
1- c, 2- e, 3- a , 4- b, 5- d
Q. II Understanding the text Linguistic U/Av Answer the following questions
1. Why could the learned men not find the answer to the king’s question? What were their suggestions?
The learned men could not find the answer to the king’s question because when they pondered and searched in their books for answers, they could not find anything. So they suggested that the king must ask the peasants who might have heard about the grain from their fathers.
2. What was the king’s question to the old peasant who came first?
The king asked him if he knew where such grain grew and if he had ever bought such corn or sown such in his fields.
3. What was the first old peasant’s answer?
The first old peasant’s answer was that he had never sown or reaped such grains. He told the king to ask about the same to his father.
4. How did the old peasant’s father come to the king? Was he able to see?
The old peasant’s father came to the king walking on a single crutch. He was able to see better than his son did. Peasant's grandfather old and bent ashy pale and toothless hardly able to see and hear still able to see heard better than his son one crutch good eyesight spoke distinctly good hearing two crutches walked easily .
5. Was the land free during the old peasant’s grandfather’s time? Quote the lines that suggest the same.
Yes, the land was free during the old peasant’s grandfather’s time. The lines that suggest the same are: “My field was God’s earth, where ever I ploughed, there was my field. Land was free. It was a thing no man called his own.”
Q. III
Describing the characters Here are some words and expressions given in the box. Choose the right words / expressions and fill in the following diagram. Spatial-Linguistic An/E old and bent, ashy pale and toothless, hardly able to see and hear, two crutches, still able to see, heard better than his son, one crutch, good eyesight, good hearing, spoke distinctly, walked easily
3 Q. IV Fill up the family tree with either pictures or drawing of your family members. Spatial-Intrapersonal Cr/D According to you, who is the healthiest member of your family? Why?
(Student Specific Answer)
Q. I Understanding the text Read the extract and answer the questions given below.
Linguistic U/Av
They were so queer, so very queer, I laughed as I would die: Albiet, in the general way, A sober man am I.
1. Why did the poet laugh after reading his own poem?
After reading the poem he had himself written, the poet started laughing because the lines looked very strange to him as he had never written a poem earlier in his life. The lines made him feel that he had become very serious by nature.
2. Do you think the poem is ridiculous? Why?
The poet makes fun of himself. The servant laughs wildly on reading his master’s work. The poet has given up writing because of this. (Answers may vary)
3. What made the poet stop writing funny poems?
The poet stopped writing when he saw that the funny poem he wrote affected the servant so much that could not stop laughing for ten days and nights much to the poet’s discomfort.
4. Is the poem a bit exaggerated? Quote the lines which tell you this. Yes the poem is exaggerated. I laughed as I would die. There’ll be the devil to pay. He broke into a roar. His waistband split. Ten days and nights, with sleepless eye.
2 Q. II In English, one word can have many meanings. Using a dictionary, create similar synonym word maps for the following words in your notebook. Follow the given example. Linguistic-Mathematical Ap/E Q. III Map the words: Linguistic Ap/Av
Read the given definitions and select the correct word from the box. The first one has been done for you.
1. a funny story, something which makes you laugh: joke
2. fell down : tumbled
3. snapped: split
4. extremely: exceeding
5. the ability to see that something is funny: sense of humour
6. a broad smile: grin
7. a very happy mood: merry
8. something done for amusement: trifling jest
Q. IV Discuss with your partner and create a funny poem of your own.
The Lame Boy's Lament
Q. I Read the given extracts and answer the questions that follow. (Linguistic) (R/E, Av)
1. “It’s dull in our town since my playmates left! I can’t forget that I’m bereft Of all the pleasant sights they see, Which the Piper also promised me.’
a. Who said the above lines? Why?
The above lines are said by the lame boy. The lame boy said so because he was left alone in the town of Hamelin. He could not forget that he was bereft of all the pleasant sights as all his playmates went to the magical land that the Pied Piper promised.
b. What had the Piper promised to the speaker?
The Piper had promised the speaker pleasant sights in the magical land.
c. What does the word ‘bereft’ mean? The word ‘bereft’ means deprived of something.
2. For he led us, he said, to a joyous land, Joining the town and just at hand, Where waters gushed and fruit-trees grew, And flowers put forth a fairer hue, And everything was strange and new;
a. Who is ‘he’ in the above line? Where did he lead the children?
The Pied Piper is ‘he’ in the above line. He led the children to a joyous land with pleasant sights.
b. Why was everything strange and new?
Everything in the land was strange and new as the joyous land had gushing waters and many fruit trees and the flowers in the land had beautiful colours.
2 c. What does the word ‘hue’ mean?
The ‘hue’ means a colour or shade.
Q. II Choose the correct option keeping in mind the underlined words. (Spatial) (Ap/av)
1. The beggar was bereft means, means __________________
b. the beggar did not have any food to eat.
2. The town is dull because ___________________________
c. the piper took away all the children.
3. The deer outran the hyena, means _________________________ a. the deer was faster than the hyena.
3 Q. III Evaluate the story and fill in the details for ‘the Hamelin Times’ newspaper! (Verbal) (Ev/D)
The Hamelin Times Headline: (Student specific)
What? a boy was left behind which made him sad
Who? The Lame Boy
Where? Hamelin
When? when the mayor refused to pay the piper
How? could not keep pace with the other children
Why? because he could not enjoy the pleasure of the joyous land
Other information: student specific
Q. IV Think about how a different ending to the poem would change the reader's view of the characters and events of the original story. (Verbal) (Cr/Av)
Some questions you could consider when writing your alternative ending: • Where else could the children have been taken? • Tell your ending from the children's point of view. • What if the Mayor had paid the Piper? • What do you think about the Mayor? • Does the new ending change your views about him? 4 • What if the people had managed to trace the Piper and asked him what had happened? Start writing here......
Ubuntu – An African Concept of Humanity
Q. I Understanding the text: Linguistic Read the lines from the text and explain the context of each.
1. Apoorv was disheartened to see this unpleasant response. The class laughed again. “African….hmm…no wonder the word sounds weird,” said Meera.
Apoorv was disheartened because of the way his classmates reacted on hearing the word ‘Ubuntu’. His classmates burst out laughing whenever Apoorv would say ‘Ubuntu’. Meera said the above words because people were biased towards the Africans and believed in racism. According to them Africans were weird human- beings.
2. My friend, Ntokozo, took good care of the injured boy. I was impressed and thanked him, but he smilingly said, ‘Ubuntu’.
One day while playing soccer at the school playground one of Apoorv’s friends got seriously injured. Ntokozo took good care of the boy. Apoorv thanked him. Ntokozo said ‘Ubuntu’ smilingly. ‘Ubuntu’ meant ‘We People’. It embodies the concept of togetherness and equality. He went back home but kept thinking about the word and the incident.
3. My mother told me that if you open your heart to understand the world around you, you get millions of opportunities to grow.
As time went by, Apoorv learnt more and more about the Africans. His experience in Africa gave him many opportunities to realize that everyone was a child of mother earth and that everyone was equal. His stay there gave him the confidence to socialize with all kinds of people as he also began to believe in ‘Ubuntu’. He learnt that humanity and togetherness was what could make all countries progress and that all countries are same and all human beings equal.
Un /E
2 Q. II Little Acts of Kindness: (Student Specific) Intrapersonal Write about any act of kindness that you may have extended or may have received. Share your experiences with your partner. Write how these experiences can be connected to ‘Ubuntu’. _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________
Q. III With the help of the words below describe the concept of ‘Ubuntu’ in your own words. (Student Specific) Intrapersonal _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________
A Grain as Big as a Hen’s Egg
Q. I Match the words to their meanings. Linguistic U/Av
Words Meanings 1. pecked a clearly 2. groove b turned up the earth 3. distinctly c bit something with its beak 4. ploughed d planted seed for the purpose of growth 5. sowed e narrow cut or depression in a hard material
1- c, 2- e, 3- a , 4- b, 5- d
Q. II Understanding the text Linguistic U/Av Answer the following questions
1. Why could the learned men not find the answer to the king’s question? What were their suggestions?
The learned men could not find the answer to the king’s question because when they pondered and searched in their books for answers, they could not find anything. So they suggested that the king must ask the peasants who might have heard about the grain from their fathers.
2. What was the king’s question to the old peasant who came first?
The king asked him if he knew where such grain grew and if he had ever bought such corn or sown such in his fields.
3. What was the first old peasant’s answer?
The first old peasant’s answer was that he had never sown or reaped such grains. He told the king to ask about the same to his father.
4. How did the old peasant’s father come to the king? Was he able to see?
The old peasant’s father came to the king walking on a single crutch. He was able to see better than his son did. Peasant's grandfather old and bent ashy pale and toothless hardly able to see and hear still able to see heard better than his son one crutch good eyesight spoke distinctly good hearing two crutches walked easily .
5. Was the land free during the old peasant’s grandfather’s time? Quote the lines that suggest the same.
Yes, the land was free during the old peasant’s grandfather’s time. The lines that suggest the same are: “My field was God’s earth, where ever I ploughed, there was my field. Land was free. It was a thing no man called his own.”
Q. III
Describing the characters Here are some words and expressions given in the box. Choose the right words / expressions and fill in the following diagram. Spatial-Linguistic An/E old and bent, ashy pale and toothless, hardly able to see and hear, two crutches, still able to see, heard better than his son, one crutch, good eyesight, good hearing, spoke distinctly, walked easily
3 Q. IV Fill up the family tree with either pictures or drawing of your family members. Spatial-Intrapersonal Cr/D According to you, who is the healthiest member of your family? Why?
(Student Specific Answer)
