Prasanna

Kerala State Board New Syllabus Plus Two English Textbook Answers Unit 1 Chapter 3 Matchbox Text Book Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes.

Kerala Plus Two English Textbook Matchbox Questions and Answers Unit 1 Chapter 3 (Story)

♦ Read and Respond (Textbook Page No. 17)

Matchbox Previous Year Questions And Answers Question 1.
Why are women compared to matchboxes?
Answer:
They are compared to matchboxes because like matchboxes they too contain enough gun powder to make a hundred Lankas burn. But they sit around meek and innocent in the kitchen, in the pantry, in the bedroom, in fact in any place.

Question 2.
What makes Nomita furious?
Answer:
Ajit’s habit of reading letters addressed to her makes her furious. Sometimes he does not even show her the letters. She tried many things to stop him from that habit. She showed anger, took offence, tried to shame him and used sarcasm. Nothing worked. He just laughs it away.

Question 3.
What is the suspicion in Nomita’s mind?
Answer:
The suspicion in Nomita’s mid is that Ajit does not give her all the letters that are addressed to her.

What Is Called An Ugly Habit Why Question 4.
What is called an ‘ugly habit’? Why?
Answer:
The habit of Ajit opening and reading the letters addressed to Nomita is called the ugly habit. He says that he does it because he wanted to make sure that someone does not send her love letters. She tried many things to stop him from this habit. But nothing worked.

Question 5.
How does Ajit react when Nomita mentions about his ugly habit?
Answer:
When Nomita mentions about his ugly habit he tries to laugh it away and if the laughter does not get him out of trouble, he scolds her.

Question 6.
What are the expectations of Nomita’s mother?
Answer:
Nomita’s mother needs money from Nomita and Ajit. In her letters she complains of the problems in her house. In the last letter she wrote that the ceiling of her room is cracked and the rainwater falls in. If this is not remedied she may die as the roof comes crashing down. She does not mind death. Herdaughter is a queen and her son-in-law is high minded and large-hearted. In short she wanted money to get the ceiling repaired.

Question 7.
Comment on Ajit’s attitude towards his mother-in-law.
Answer:
He has only contempt for her. How can a woman go on asking for help from her son-in-law? She always asks for money and then says her daughter is a queen. Ajit says Nomita’s mothen^a dung-picker. He says whenever letters come from her, there is no need to read them, but just go to the post office and fill in the money-order form!

Question 8.
What makes Nomita call Ajit a liar? Is her action justifiable?
Answer:
When Nomita asked Ajit why her letter was not given to her, he says he had just forgotten it. This makes Nomita call him a liar. Her action is justifiable. Nobody has a right to read the letter addressed to another person without his/her knowledge. Here Ajit not only reads the letters addressed to Nomita, he does not even give her the letters.

Question 9.
Comment on the simile in ‘Nomita hisses like a snake’.
Answer:
It is a fine simile. Nomita is very angry with Ajit for not showing her letter to her. She calls him a liar when he says he was planning to give it to her later. A snake hisses when it is very angry and when it is about to strike. Here Nomita hisses the word ‘liar’ as if a snake was hissing.

Question 10.
How do you think Ajit would react if Nomita reads the letters addressed to him?
Answer:
Ajit would be angry. If there is perfect love and understanding between the husband and wife, there is no harm in one reading the letters addressed to the other. However, etiquette forbids it. Moreover such perfect love can be found only in books!

Question 11.
What is the ‘poisonedknife’?
Answer:
The poisoned knife is the anger Nomita has shown. She calls him a common, vulgar man.

Question 12.
How does Nomita frighten Ajit?
Answer:
Nomita frightens Ajit by picking up a matchbox lying near and lighting a matchstick and touching it to her sari. The sari flares up.

Question 13.
What is the plight of Nomita in the family?
Answer:
Her plight is bad. He often fights with her husband Ajit. Her other sisters-in-laws tease her for spending too much time with her husband, instead of helping them in the household chores.

Question 14.
Comment on the expression ‘forest of people’. What does it tell us about the structure of Indian joint families?
Answer:
The author has used a very good metaphor in calling the joint family where Nomita and Ajit live as a forest of people. There are 26 members in that family. The writer has said Ajit gets the key to the letter box through the gaps among 52 hands! In a forest, some trees grow very tall but some get choked! There is no sufficient space for everyone to grow properly.

Think And Write

Question 1.
Sketch the character of Nomita. You may analyze the sentences given below:
Why, why does she keep on begging like this?
“Stop it! What a common, vulgar man you are!”
Nomita laughs a laugh that can bring an attractive flush to a white face.
Answer:
Nomita is the wife of Ajit. They live in a joint family. Altogether there are 26 members in that family. Nomita comes from a very poor family. But she is very beautiful and that is how she gets married into a rich family. Her mother, who is a widow, was the one who managed to find a rich boy for her daughter. Nomita has no brothers or sisters. She is referred to as ‘queen’ by her mother.

Her mother frequently writes to Nomita requesting her for money. She used to write in postcards which could be read by anyone. Nomita is ashamed that her mother is always begging for money. To prevent others from reading, Nomita asks her mother to write letters in an envelope. The requests are so frequent that Ajit says that there is no need for reading the letter, but send some money to her. Nomita also secretly helps her mother. It seems her mother is very demanding and shameless as she goes on begging.

One day while collecting the soiled clothes forgiving to the washer-man, Nomita sees a letter in the pocket of Ajit. It is torn and crumpled. It is addressed to her and from the postmark, it is obvious that Ajit got it some 3 days earlier. But he had not told anything about it. Nomita is unhappy because Ajit reads the letters addressed to her. She had told him many times not to do it. He says he is checking to see if any love letter is sent to her by somebody. At this point Nomita gets angry and tells him that he is a common, vulgar man. This enrages Ajit and he says she is a dung-picker’s daughter. He will do what he wants to do and what can she about it?

Nomita, flaming with anger, picks a matchbox and lights a stick and puts it on her sari which instantly catches fire. Ajit rushes and with his bare hands he puts out the fire telling her that she loses her common sense when she is angry. Nomita can be very sarcastic and can make faces effectively. She can easily tell lies as she calmly says her sari got burned as she was taking down a hot pot from the stove.

Nomita is good at making retorts. When her sister-in¬law accuses her of rushing to Ajit at every small opportunity, she asks herto come and peek into her room to see what is happening there. Nomita can forget things fast. Soon after the burning of the sari, she is ready to peel potatoes. Even while peeling potatoes she is thinking how she can help her mother by sending her some money.

Nomita seems to be a snob. She has forgotten that she came from a poor family. She calls Ajit a ‘common’ and vulgar man, forgetting that she is a common girl gifted with some beauty. People who forget their past are not good people. She seems to have forgotten her roots.

Question 2.
Do you think there is a set pattern for exhibiting a woman’s emotions? Is she always emotionally under stress? Justify your answer.
Answer:
I don’t think there is a set pattern for exhibiting a woman’s emotions. They express their emotions in different patterns. I don’t think she is always emotionally under stress. We wee how Nomita tries to burn herself one moment; the next moment we see her teasing her sister-in-law and soon we find her settling down to peel potatoes. She even tells lies about the burning of her sari.

Match Box Question Answer Question 3.
Prepare a write-up discussing the space of women in a family.
Answer:
The women are the lamps of the family. It is impossible to imagine a family without a woman. Although we say the man is the lord of the family, in most homes things are decided by the women. They decide what to cook and what the members of the family should eat. They not only deliver children but look after them and bring them up in the right way. They do all the household chores. They also give a lot of love to their husbands and their children. Men are often rash but women are compassionate and generous. People are so attached to their mothers that often when facing troubles the word comes to their lips is ‘mother’. It is said that God created mothers because he could not be everywhere at the same time.

Question 4.
How does the author substantiate the comparison between a woman and a matchbox?
Answer:
The author compares women to matchboxes. Matchboxes contain enough gun powder to make a hundred Lankas burn. But they sit around meek and innocent in the kitchen, in the pantry, in the bedroom, in fact in any place. Women are the same. We see Nomita getting inflamed when Ajit insults her. She takes out the matchbox and lights a stick and puts it to her sari which catches fire. Fortunately Ajit is able to put the fire out. Soon she becomes a normal person and starts peeling potatoes. That is why the author says that even when they have material within themselves to burn many things, they never flare up to burn away the mask of men’s high-mindedness and their large¬heartedness. They don’t burn even their own colourful shells. The men know that. That is why they leave them scattered carelessly in the kitchen, in the pantry, in the bedroom, here, there and everywhere. Without fear, they also put them in their pockets.

Activity I: (Review)

Question 1.
It is often said that an empowered woman is the one who can ‘find her own voice’, ‘speak up’, and ‘be seen and heard’. In the present world, what we need is to foster a man-woman relationship which contributes to healthy, mutual development. Man and woman should move forward together, supporting and respecting each other, and being open to different opinions and situations.

How far is the above statement relevant to Nomita in Ashapurna Debi’s “Matchbox”? Prepare a review of the story, emphasizing the role of its women characters.
Answer:
The story is very simple. Nomita is married to Ajit. They live in a joint family. Nomita’s mother is a poor widow. Nomita has no brothers and so her mother always demands money from Nomita for her needs. She writes letters to her always telling misfortunes of various kinds with the intention of getting financial help from her son-in-law. Nomita is ashamed of the beggarly nature of her mother, but she continues helping her.

Ajit has the habit of opening and reading all the letters that are addressed to Nomita. Once she sees a crumpled letter addressed to her in one of his trousers’ pockets. The letter was written by her mother. He had received the letter some 3 days ago but he never told Nomita about it. Nomita had asked him many times not to open and read her letters. When she questions him about his bad habit, he says he will always do as he likes and what could she do stop him. There is a heated exchange and Nomita picks up a matchbox and sets fire to her sari. Ajit is able to put out the fire. All this drama takes place as the washer-man was waiting for the dirty clothes.

Soon Nomita gives the dirty clothes to the washer¬man and gets busy with household work. There is some teasing by a sister-in-law who accuses Nomita of spending too much time in the company of her husband, neglecting her duties in the joint family.

The two most important women characters in the story are Nomita and her mother. Nomita is a beautiful young girl who wants to assert her freedom but her husband Ajit does not allow it. He insists on reading the letters addressed to her. Nomita’s mother is a typical widow who wants to get as much help as

possible from her rich son-in-law. Her begging behaviour makes Nomita lose her face before her husband and other family members.

It is true that an empowered woman is the one who can ‘find her own voice’, ‘speak up’, and ‘be seen and heard’. We need gender equality and then only we can have a healthy world. Dominance by any sex will ruin the equilibrium of the family and the society.

Activity II (Panel Discussion)

Panel Discussion Plus Two English Question 2.
Panel means a group of experts. A discussion held among these experts in front of an audience is a panel discussion. It helps to clarify the difficult aspects of a topic in a systematic and objective manner. There are three sets of participants in a panel discussion: Panellists, moderator and audience.

Now conduct a panel discussion on the topic ‘Indian women – finding a space in the socio cultural milieu’.

Points to be considered:

• The effect of the media on a woman’s self-image.
• Healthy women, healthy nation
• The need for cultivating mental strength and mental toughness
• The need for a productive and harmonious work environment
• Acting as a mentor and guide to other women and girls
• Other marginalized sections of the society
• The pivotal role of women from the past to the present

Answer:
Panellists are experts in the field concerned. Decide upon the panellists (panel members) and list them.

Question 3.
Prepare the script of a speech welcoming the panellists and introducing them to the audience.
Answer:

Good morning,

It gives me immense pleasure to welcome you all to this panel discussion on “Indian women – finding a space in the socio cultural milieu”. We all know that everything is not rosy for the women in India. Although we got our freedom in 1947, the Indian women are still not free to live their lives the way they want. They have to face so many problems because of our male-dominated society. Our women too need freedom to live their lives the way they want.

The panellists in this discussion are Dr. Ammini Jacob, a Senior Lecturer in St. Joseph’s College Irinjalakuda, Dr. Ranbir Kaur, the HOD of English, at St. John’s College, Kochi, and Dr. Geeta Agarwal, the Vice Principal of Hamidia College, Mancheri. We are sure their discussion will throw light on some of the vexing problems that women face in our country. The moderator is Simi Ibrahim, the well- known activist for women rights.

Question 4.
After the panel presentation and discussion, the moderator synthesizes and summarizes the key points.
Prepare a script of a speech summarizing the panel discussion.
Answer:
Let’s review what we have discussed today. On the whole, it has turned out to be a fruitful venture. We saw how Indian women are not given their rightful places in the society. There are 1.2 billion Indians, nearly half of which are women. India had only one woman President and one woman PM so far. Look at our Parliament. How many women MPs are there? Look at the Kerala Government. How many women Ministers are there? Is it not shame that although we got our independence in 1947, ourwomen are still left behind when it comes to education, employment and leadership?

Dr. Ammini Jacob had some good suggestions regarding the effect of the media on a woman’s self-image. She showed that how healthy women make a healthy nation. Dr. Ranbir Kaur emphasized the need for cultivating mental strength and mental toughness in women. She spoke of the need for a productive and harmonious work environment for women. She said that educated women should act as mentors and guides to other women and girls. Dr. Geeta Agarwal was greatly concerned with the other marginalized sections of the society. She showed how women played a pivotal role in the past, quoting the examples of Rani Laxmi Bai and Sarojini Naidu. Women should come forward to take up leadership positions. She asked the women not to wait patiently for their rights but grab them.

I would like to thank the panellists for giving us great ideas. I also thank the audience for being so disciplined and well-behaved. I am sure they have benefited immensely from the discussion. Together, let’s make a better tomorrow!

Thank you all!

Activity III: (Blurb writing)

Question 5.
A blurb is a description of a book on its back cover. It is brief summary of the book designed for marketing. It does not have any uniform pattern.
Look at the sample blurb.

Now prepare a blurb of’Pratham Pratishruti’ making use of the hints given on page 25.
Answer:
Pratam Pratishruti is a novel about an uncommon woman, Satyavatie, who dared to breakthe so-called rules made to control the lives of the Bengali women in her days. The novel depicts the endless suffering and the liberation of women in Bengal. In fact it is the story of women everywhere in India.

Ashapurna Debi, the novelist, created a space of her own in the world of creative literature, and Gender Studies. She once said, “Slowly and steadily a completely new world was getting created within my mind. It was a world of comprehension, of feeling. It was a world with a never- ending flow of feelings.” Most of her writings marked a firm protest against the inequality and injustice rooted in gender discrimination.

Pratama Pratishruti inspires young minds to create an enlightened world free of segregation. It was published by Ananda Publishers, first in 1964. Other notable works of the writer are Subarnolata and Bakui Katha.

A good book blurb should have the following qualities:

• An opening with a catchy statement.
• It appeals to the interest of the readers.
• It urges the reader to buy/read the book.
• It gives some information about the author, publisher and year of publication.
• It should be short and dramatic.
• It describes in a simple direct language where the story begins, what the circumstances are, its socio-cultural relevance and its message.

IV. Read And Reflect

Question 1.
“Backward, turn backward, OTime, in your flight,

Question 2.
Make me a child again just for tonight.”

Question 3.
Remembering the good old childhood days often fills our mind with freshness and vigour and revitalizes us enough to go forward with confidence.

Matchbox Edumate Questions and Answers

Question 1
In the story’ Matchbox’, the rift between Nomita and Ajit occurred when Ajit hid her mother’s letter and read the content secretly. Nomita could notwin the quarrel and had to return to her normal routines without a second thought. If the same situation arises in the life of a modern couple, how would it affect their relationship? What would be the woman’s response to such an issue? Prepare an essay on ‘Modem Woman – her dreams, aspirations and role in society’.
Answer:
Modem Woman – her Dreams, Aspirations and Role in Society In the story ‘Matchbox’ by Ashapurna Debi, there is a rift between Nomita and Ajit. It was caused when Ajit read Nomita’s mother’s letter secretly. Nomita is angry and in the argument that ensues, Nomita goes to the extent of attempting to burn herself. Somehow the quarrel is patched up and Nomita returns to her normal duties.

Things would have been different if this happened to a modem woman. In the past women were considered the lamps of the family. Most of the time, they stayed at home and did the household chores and looked after the children. The men were the lords of the family. Important things were decided by the men and women had hardly any say in such matters. Girls married the men who were chosen by their fathers. But all this is past hjstory. Today’s woman is more assertive and she will not tolerate a husband like Ajit.

Modem women think they are equal to men and they have a role to play even outside their homes. In the modern world, women are educated and they also want to work and earn money. They don’t want to depend on the goodwill of their husbands to get certain things they want.

In the home, modern wives expect their husbands to share household chores. In the past the wives would be busy in the kitchen, but the husbands would be reading newspapers or listening to the news.

Now, the wives also want to read the newspapers and listen to the news. They also want to be entertained and taken out for meals outside and also an occasional trip to attractive places.

Modern women also want their share in politics. They are no more satisfied to be led by men. They think they too have the capacity for leadership. Women like Golda Meir (Israel), Mrs. Bandaranaike (Sri Lanka), Margaret Thatcher (England) and Indira Gandhi of India have shown that women can be even better leaders than men. Today we have Theresa May as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Angela Merkel as the President of Germany. It was only because of some bad luck Hillary Clinton lost to Donald Trump in the USA. Otherwise we would have a woman at the helm of affairs in the richest and most powerful nation in the world.

Question 2.
Imagine that a debate was held in your class on the topic ‘Nuclear Family. An Ideal Place for Women Empowerment.’ The following points were presented by one group against the topic.
a) Nuclear family provides unlimited freedom to women.
b) Nuclear family is not safe for women.
c) Nuclear family makes women irresponsible.
d) In a nuclear family, woman tends to neglect her children. Write four points supporting the topic.
Answer:
a) In a nuclear family, a woman gets enough time to do the things she likes – to cook the things she likes, to read, to write, to paint, to watch movies of her choice, etc.
b) Nuclearfamily makeswomen highly responsible because she realizes that any lapse on her part can cause calamities.
c) In a nuclearfamily, the woman can give greater attention to her own children. But in an extended family, she has to think of all the children there.
d) In a nuclear family, the woman can notice how the family progresses with her hard work. She feels important there and she knows that the welfare of the family depends on her also.

Question 3.
A panel discussion is conducted in your school on the topic ‘Role of Media in Women Empowerment. You are asked to initiate the discussion. How would you introduce the topic? Draft an introductory speech. Hints: (media-wide publicity-reach millions of viewers- require careful handling of details-wrong messages conveyed by advertisements and serials – responsibility of media)
Answer:
Respected Teachers and my dear friends, Good Morning!
It gives me immense pleasure to welcome you all to this panel discussion on “Role of Media in Women Empowerment”. If women empowerment has to be a reality, the media, both print and electronic, have to play a big role in it. Media can give wide publicity as they reach the nook and corner of the country. The majority of homes in India have television and many homes get daily newspapers. So by using these media, women empowerment can be given the boost it needs.

When using the media for women empowerment the details must be handled carefully. Women empowerment does not mean that women are given the right to do what they like and say whatever they feel. Many people consider women empowerment means a woman’s ability to smoke publicly, to drink in open bars or wear the kind of clothes she likes. This is not the meaning of empowerment. Its aims are more serious and graceful where women can contribute to the welfare prosperity of their community and humanity at large.

We are often misguided by advertisements and serials. There is a tendency to show women’s bodies to sell anything – from salt to satellites! The concept is that men get hooked to the curvaceous bodies and comely faces of women. This should be stopped. Women should not be used as promoters of merchandise! Some of the serials are grossly immodest and present women in bad light. Women should be bold and courageous but not unnecessarily aggressive and bloodthirsty, consumed by vengeance.

Media have a big and positive role to play in Women Empowerment in India.

We shall now listen to various views by our panellists.

Have a nice and fruitful day!

Matchbox Question Answers Question 4.
Given below is the blurb of a famous book. There are a few errors in it. Edit the passage.
Hints: (subject-verb concond-spelling-punctuation) 1984
The year.1984 has come and gone, but George Orwell’s prophetic, nightmarish vision in 1949 of the world we was becoming is timelier than ever. 1984 is still the great modern classic of ‘negative utopia’ – a startlingly orginal and haunting novel that create an imaginary world that is completely convincing, from the first sentence to the last four words. No one can deny that novels hold the imagination of whole generations.
Answer:
Wrong – Right
george oiwell’s – George Orwell’s
was – were
orginal – originals
create – creates

Conversation Between Nomita And Ratna Question 5.
Read the following excerpts from ‘Matchbox’ and ‘Horegallu’.
‘I can’t? I can’t do anything? You want to see if I can do anything?’, says Nomita ‘God has given me two ears to listen to others. I hear them out with sympathy and without any judgement’, says Ratna. What do you understand about the character of Nomita and Ratna? Compare and contrast the characters of Nomita and Ratna.
Answer:
From the talk of Nomita one can easily guess that she is a hot-tempered woman. Here she is challenging her husband saying that if he thinks she can’t do certain things, he is mistaken. She can do some things which he thinks she can’t. She is challenging him and telling him whether he is prepared to see what she is capable of doing. It is by talking like this, she puts a burning match stick to her sari which catches fire. The conversation shows Nomita is not a dependable woman and she can act quite rashly in an unthinking manner.

But Ratna is quite a different woman. She is a middle- aged senior clerk and she is always smiling. Every day after lunch she sits with some person and listens to her/him. She is listening to people’s problems. Even by listening to them, she can help them. A big problem the modem world faces is that people have no time to listen to the problems of others! God has given us two ears to listen. A person with a problem feels relieved even when somebody sympathetically listens to him or her. Between the two women, Ratna is by far the better one.

Question 6.
A person can react against injustice in different ways. Nomita reacted by quarrelling with her husband and setting fire to the anchol of her sari. Whaf are the other possible ways in which Nomita could have reacted against her husband’s dirty habit? Suggest three other possible methods of response that could have been adopted by Nomita.
Answer:
People can react in different ways when they face problems. Nomita reacted by quarrelling with her husband and even setting fire to her sari. She could have used some other ways to show her displeasure and to mend the ways of her husband.

Tell him how impolite and rude the habit of reading letters addressed to others is. Reading letters addressed to othei^ is uncivilized behaviour.

She could have explained to him the helpless condition of her mother and the need to help her without complaining.

She could have stopped talking to him for some time so that he can realize that she is offended and this might help him in changing his bad habit.

Nomita’s Letter To Her Mother Question 7
Imagine that Nomita’s mother visits Ajit’s household a few days after the quarrel between Nomita and Ajit. Nomita narrates the entire incident to her mother. She tries to console her daughter and promises that she won’t write letters to her. What would be the conversation between the mother and daughter? Draft the conversation.
Answer:
Nomita’s
Mother : I’m sorry Nomita that this happened because of my letter. How was I to know that he opens your letters?
Nomita : At least now you know. So please do not write such letters again.
Mother : What shall I do then? There is nobody to help me.
Nomita : If you need money so badly, phone me. This is my number.
Mother : From now on, I will do that. I know it is hard on you to help your mother as you do not earn any money. But you must consider my helplessness.
Nomita : It’s okay, Mom. I will do what I can. But call me only when you are in real need of money. You know it is not easy to get money from Ajit. When I get the call from you I shall find some way of sending you help.
Mother : Thank you, Nomita! You are a sweet girl. Glad that you have not forgotten your poor mother!
Nomita : It is okay, Mom.

Question 8
Read the following passage and answer the questions given below:
Nomita speaks her mind so no one attacks her outright to her face; they only pinch her with sharp words.
a) What is the meaning of the expression ‘pinch with sharp words’?
(a. make someone happy, b. make someone angry, c. irritate, d. speak rudely and cause pain)
b) What quality of Nomita is evident here?
c) Who does’ they’ refer to?
d) What is the plight of Nomita in the family?
Answer:
a) speak rudely and cause pain
b) Nomita speaks frankly without caring how others take it. Others are afraid of her because she can speak her mind openly. >
c) The word ‘They’ refers to the members of Ajit’s family.
d) She is not much liked by the other sisters-in-law. They are fond of laughing at her. They are united against Nomita and Nomita has to fight alone.

Question 9.
Nomita is angry with Ajit for reading the letter sent by her mother. She found the letter in Ajit’s pocket. What could have been the contents of the letter? Attempt it.
Answer:
Vaishno Devi
13/IVM.G. Road
Calcutta
6 June 2015

Dearest daughter,
It’s been quite a long time since I heard anything from you. How are you there? How is Ajit? How are the other members of the family?

I can’t say I am quite fine. Since Last week I have been suffering from some cough and cold. I tried some local medicines, but the cough is persisting. Our neighbours told me I must visit the doctor. But the fact is I have no money to pay the doctor’s fee or to buy the medicine. My clothes have become very old and I need a new sari also. So I have to ask you to send me some money. I know I am bothering you. But what can I do?

Your immediate response will help me.
Yours lovingly,

Sd/-
Vaishno Devi

Question 10.
Nomita is a housewife. Is she an empowered woman? Write your opinion in a paragraph of about 100 words.
Answer:
Nomita is not an empowered woman. For every little thing she has to ask her husband. She has no money of her own and therefore she has to beg her husband to send some money to her mother. Nomita is not empowered in the sense that she does not think rationally. How can she set fire to her sari just because her husband Ajit did not give her the letter addressed to her? An empowered person would be able to take rational decisions. Nomita can talk cheaply. When her sister-in-law accuses her of rushing to Ajit at every small opportunity, she asks her to come and peek into her room to see what is happening there, ‘fhis is a cheap retort. Nomita is a snob. She has forgotten that she came from a poor family. She calls Ajit a common and vulgar man forgetting that she comes a very poor family and she is vulgar herself. She had forgotten her roots. An empowered woman will not forget her roots.

Question 11
Ajit’s elder brother notices the rift between Ajit and Nomita. He makes the couple meet a counselor. If you were the counselor what advice would you give Ajit? Write three pieces of advice, using expressions like ‘You should … , You ought to … , You had better…………..
Answer:
You should not read the letters addressed to others unless they permit you to do so.

You ought to show more respect to your wife Nomita and give her all the letters addressed to her without opening them.

You had better take a resolution not to open Nomita’s letters. If she wants you to read them, she will give them to you after she reads them. Letters are private affairs and no one has a right to read the letters addressed to others.

Plus Two English Matchbox Questions And Answers Question 12.
Nomita after gaining control of her anger speaks to Ajit about his insulting behaviour. Edit the errors in the dialogue given below.
Nomita : Ajit, you hurted me today. Why do you read my mother’s letters? Do you know how much she loves we? She is proud for her son-in-law. Still you don’t like her.
Ajit : Nomita, I didn’t do it deliberately. I’m sorry.
Answer:
Wrong – Right
hurted hurt
we – us
for – of
delibaretely – deliberately

Question 13.
Imagine that Ajit feels guilty over his brashness towards Nomita. He requests Nomita to forgive him. How will he ask for forgiveness? Write three sentences. You may use the following expressions like ‘Please forgive…., I regret , I am extremely
Answer:
a) Please forgive my fault of reading your letters.
b) I regret that I called you a dung-picker’s daughter.
c) I am extremely sorry for speaking rudely to you.

Question 14.
‘Nomita keeps thinking about how she might be able secretly to send her mother a few rupees’.
Imagine that Nomita stealthily geos to a post office to send a money order to her mother. She seeks the help of the postmaster to send the money order. How will she ask for help? Draft two request statements for her.
Begin the answer like this:
Sir, Would you please help me……………
Answer:
Sir, would you please help me to send Rs. 50/- to my mother? Here is the money. Her address is Vaishno Debi, 13/IVM.G. Road, Calcutta.
Sir, I want to send Rs. 50/- to my mother by money order. Please help me. Her address is Vaishno Debi, 13/IVM.G. Road, Calcutta.

Question 15.
Read the following conversation between Nomita and Ajit.
He said “What letter? Mndeed, there was a letter from your mother. I just hadn’t got around to giving it to you
“Why hadn’t you got around to it?
“What a nuisance! Ajit said,Td forgotten -why else? Imagine that Rini, Ajit’s niece overhears the conversation and reports it to her mother. Draft the report for Rini.
Answer:
Ajit at first pretended that he didn’t understand her and later agreed that there had been a letter from her mother and that he hadn’t got around to giving it to her.

She asked him why he hadn’t got around to it.

Ajit exclaimed saying that she was becoming a nuisance and he had just forgotten to give her the letter.

Question 16.
Given below are a few newspaper headlines on ‘Domestic Violence’ displayed in a classroom. The teacher asks the students to respond to these headlines. A student writes a note of protest against increasing violence towards women.

Woman hangs self, father alleges in-laws demanded dwry.
Meerut man pours acid on wife, in-laws.
Man kills 8 month old daughter, in a fit of rage surrenders to police
Brother attacks sleeping sister, gouges her eyes.
She/He starts the note like this.
I am really shocked by these newspaper headlines.

I can’t believe that I am living in the twenty first century. These headlines ……………………………………………
……………………………………………
…………………………………………… Complete the note for her/him.
Answer:
l am really shocked by these newspaper headlines. I can’t believe that I am living in the 21st century. These headlines show how terrible the life of a woman is in India. In the first case a woman hangs herself because she was not able to give adequate dowry to her husband and his family. She was grossly mistreated in the husband’s home and she could not take it any longer. In the second case, a cruel man pours acid on his wife and the in-laws. In the third case a man kills his 8-month old daughter in a fit of rage. In India girls are considered a burden on the family. There used to be female infanticides. Now we have female foeticides. By ultrasound scanning the sex of the foetus is determined and if it is a female, abortion is done. The last one is horrible. Imagine a brother attacking her sleeping sister and gouging her eyes. Where is brotherly love? Atrocities against women are rampant in our society. We speak of equality of women with men. That equality is only on paper. Women are discriminated against socially, economically and culturally. One really wonders if one is living in the 2151 century! When indeed when, will these atrocities end!

Matchbox About The Author

– Ashapurna Debi

Ashapurna Debi (1909-1995) is a prominent Bengali novelist and poet. She has received many awards including Jnanpith and Padma Shri.

Matchbox Summary in English

Page 1: I always compare women to matchboxes. Matchboxes contain enough gun powder to make a hundred Lankas burn. But they sit around meek and innocent in the kitchen, in the pantry, in the bedroom, in fact in any place. Women are the same. Here is an example.

Look at that enormous 3-story house in front. It is Sunday morning. The washer-man has come to collect the soiled clothes. Nomita is the wife and Ajit is the husband. Before handing over Ajit’s dirty clothes, Nomita checks his pockets. She discovers a letter. It was a twisted, crumpled and torn envelope with Nomita’s name on it. Suddenly Nomita is tensed up. She drops the clothes and sits on the bed to read the letter. It had come at least 3 days earlier, as is evident from the postmark.

Ajit had opened and read it. Then he crumpled and twisted it and dropped’if into his pocket. He did not even think it necessary to speak about it to Nomita. She is angry. This is not a casual oversight, but a deliberate action on Ajit’s part.

Page 18: Ajit’s nature is like that. Ajit and Nomita live in a joint family. There are 26 people there. Ajit somehow got the key to the letter box. Whenever he finds a letter addressed to Nomita, he opens it and reads it first. Sometimes he gives the letter to her but sometimes he does not. That is what Nomita thinks. So far Ajit has not discovered any letter that is even slightly suspicious. But his ugly habit will not go. She tried many things to make him stop reading her letter. She showed anger, took offense, tried to shame him and used sarcasm. Nothing worked. He just laughs it away. Sometimes he scolds her.

Nomita now reads the letter. It is from her mother. She goes on complaining about things – the ceiling of her room is cracked and the rainwater falls in. If this is not remedied she may die as the roof comes crashing down. She does not mind death. Her daughter is a queen and her son-in-law is high minded and large-hearted, etc. etc.

Nomita’s mother is a widow. She has no son. She was successful in getting Nomita married into a wealthy family because of Nomita’s looks. The old lady always boasts of her achievement. She always requests for help from Nomita. Whenever Ajit sees a new letter he knows it is for requesting money and so he says, “Why read the letter? I’ll go and fill out a money-order form.”

Nomita feels ashamed. Out of anger and grief, Nomita wrote to her mother not to write on postcards because then everybody would read it. She would send her some money in secret whenever she could manage.

Suddenly Nomita gets angry at her mother. Why does she go on begging like this? Why doesn’t she allow Nomita to keep her self-respect and dignity? She decides to write a letter to her mother telling her that she won’t help her any more:

Ajit comes into the room after having his leisurely Sunday bath. Nomita, terribly angry, asks him when the letter had come. Ajit knows he has made a mistake. He had planned to send some money to Nomita’s mother and throw away the letter. He made a mistake in leaving it in his pocket. As though trying to remember hard, Ajit asks, “Letter? What letter?” Then as if remembering suddenly he says that he was planning to give it to her. But he had forgotten.

Nomita calls him a liar and hisses like a snake. She wanted to know why he had opened her letter. Ajit says he has a right to open his wife’s letter. She says she had repeatedly told him not to open her letters. Ajit tries to laugh the matter away. Jokingly he says, “Shouldn’t I make sure that no one is passing you love letters in secret?”

Nomita explodes in anger. “Stop it! What a common, vulgar man you are!” Ajit can’t continue with his fake smile. He too is enraged.

Page 20: He asks her how could her mother go on begging for money from him and still think they are high-class people. How can a dung-picker’s daughter be a queen? Nomita asks him to shut up. She spoke so loudly that everybody nearby would hear her if she was speaking from the ground floor. But they were on the 3rd floor. Ajit says he won’t shut up and will do what he wants. What can she do about it? She says she can do something. She now does something quite astonishing. She picks up a matchbox lying near and lights a matchstick and touches it to her sari. The sari flares up. Asking if she has gone mad, Ajit comes rushing and puts out the fire using his hands. Now he is a little afraid. He looks at her and he sees fire burning, blazing on her face. He can’t easily put out that fire. He tells her that she loses all common sense when she is angry. How could a woman be so angry!

Nomita was about to say something. But her niece Rini steps into the room. Rini asks her how long the washer-man should wait. If Nomita does not want to give him any clothes, tell him. Fora moment Nomita does not say anything. Then she picks up the dirty clothes and sorts them. She asks Rini to go down and tell the washer¬man to wait for her.

Nomita speaks her mind. No one attacks her outright. But they pinch her with sharp words. Her second sister- in-law is tired with work this morning. When she sees Nomita, she puts a twisted smile and says sarcastically that.it was good that finally she decided to come down. She accuses her of always running to Ajit for her comfort whether there is work at home or not. She asks her if their love-talk will never end.

Nomita looks around. She sees many there. She does not want her voice to tremble. She also puts on a smile and tells the sister-in-law to come to their room and peek. It is not always love-talk, there is also angry talk.

The sister-in-law laughs and says that she should not try to pretend that they are not always talking love. She says she is not foolish. There is no need to peek. Even without peeking, they all know what is happening in the room. Nomita laughs at her and says she is fond of saying naughty things.

The eldest sister-in-law suddenly comes running and asks if she has finished cutting the vegetables. She asks them if they are spending time chitchatting. Suddenly she notices the burned sari of Nomita and asks her how it happened. Nomita is silent for a moment. Then she says she used that part of the sari to lift a hot pot from the stove and that is how it got burned.

Nomita starts peeling potatoes. Secretly she is thinking how she could send some money to her mother. She can’t write and tell her mother that she can’t do anything. The entire village knows Nomita is a queen, and Ajit is large-hearted.

This is why I compare women with matchboxes. Even when they have material within themselves to burn many things, they never flare up to burn away the mask of men’s high-mindedness and their large-heartedness. They don’t burn even their own colourful shells. The men know that. That is why they leave them scattered carelessly in the kitchen, in the pantry, in the bedroom, here, there and everywhere. Without fear, they also put them in their pockets.

Matchbox Summary in Malayalam

Matchbox Glossary

Kerala State Board New Syllabus Plus Two English Textbook Answers Unit 1 Chapter 2 Any Woman Text Book Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes.

Kerala Plus Two English Textbook Any Woman Questions and Answers Unit 1 Chapter 2 (Poem)

♦ Read and Respond (Textbook Page No.14)

Question 1.
Mention the underlying ideas in the expression ‘pillars of the house’.
Answer:
The pillars are the main supports of the house. It is not possible to have a house without pillars. The pillars support the weight of the house and make it stand without crumbling.

Question 2.
How does the poet portray the bond between a mother and her children?
Answer:
According to the poet, children get their love from their mother. She is their light of love. Without her, the children can’t thrive. She is the twist that holds the children together in the sacred ring of the family. The children do not want to leave her and go away. The bond between a mother and her children can be compared to a stem and its branches.

Question 3.
Comment on the expression from ‘floor to roof. Attempt to coin another expression without changing the meaning.
Answer:
Floor to roof means from the start to the finish, from the beginning to the end. All aspects of the home are connected with the woman, the mother of the house. Nothing in the home is away from her or unknown to her. Another expression with the same meaning would be ‘from top to toe’ or ‘head to foot’.

Question 4.
What is the symbolic significance of ‘wind and snow’?
Answer:
The symbolic significance of ‘wind and snow’ is the troubles and tribulations that come to life. Life is affected by problems of various sorts. They can be diseases, financial problems, emotional problems or some other tragedies. The mother tries to prevent all these things from entering the family and bothering its members.

Question 5.
Explain, in your own words, the concluding line of the poem.
Answer:
It is a prayer that the woman makes to Jesus Christ. Jesus is the person whom a woman (Mary) laid in the manger. The woman is praying to Jesus not to take away her life until her children have grown. She knows without her, her children won’t be able to live and thrive in the world.

Let’S Discuss

Question 1.
Woman: the focal point of the family.
Answer:
The woman is the focal point of the family. She is the pillar of the house. She is the keystone of the arch. Without her, the roof and wall will collapse. She is the heat upon the hearth. She is the heat that warms the home. Without her the home will be colder than a stone.

The children get their warmth from her. She is the light of their love. Without her, her children will not thrive. She holds the children together in the love ring of the home. They are tied together with the knots of love. The children would not like to break the thread and go away wandering.

The woman is everything in the house. She is the one filling the bed of the children with down (soft hair of animals) and covering them with leather. She is the wall that protects the members of the family against all kinds of dangers. She prevents dangerous winds and snow from harming the members. Without her a family is unimaginable.

Question 2.
The qualities a woman needs to face the challenges of life.
Answer:
A woman should have many qualities to face the challenges of life. First of all she should be educated. Education tells a woman her rights and duties. Secondly, she should have some employment which brings her some income. Income empowers her. Then she should have leadership qualities. These include wisdom, understanding, courage, determination, compassion, sympathy and empathy. Women should not remain the weaker sex. There is nothing ‘weak’ about them. They should dare the difference and come into leadership roles acquiring equality with men in all walks of life.

Think and Write
Question 1.
Analyse the theme of the poem keeping in view the plight of women in the Indian social scenario.
Answer:
The theme of the poem is the importance of the woman in the family. Without a woman, a family is simply unimaginable. This is more so in the case of Indian women. Women take care of the children, cook, wash and do all other household chores. Nothing at home happens without her knowledge or without her participation. She is the pillars, roof, walls and doors of the house. She is the one who gives love to all. It is the woman who makes home a sweet place.

Question 2.
Identify the major figure of speech used in the poem and describe its significance.
Answer:
The major figure of speech used in the poem is a metaphor. A metaphor is a comparison where one thing is seen as another. The entire poem is a metaphor because the woman thinks she is the pillars, walls, roof and doors of the house. She is the heat and light of the house. In fact she is the house!

Question 3.
What is the quantum of work done by a woman in the household? Can it be reduced? How?
Answer:
The quantum of work done by a woman is tremendous. She cooks for everyone in the family. She washes the plates, pots and pans. She washes the clothes and irons them and keeps them in the cupboard. She has to clean the house and the yard. She has also to take care of the children’s discipline as well as their education. Indeed, she has a lot to do.

Her work can be reduced in two ways. One way is taking mechanical help by using some modern labour¬saving machines. But, more importantly, her work can be reduced by an understanding husband and loving children. They can lend a helping hand in the various jobs she is doing at home.

Activity I: (Composing lines)

Question 1.
Try writing a few lines on any one of the following topics/themes.
Answer:

Mother’s Love

There is a saying that since God could not be everywhere at the same time, he created mothers. It shows the importance of mothers. Mother is a synonym for love. Their love is unconditional. They expect nothing in return for the love they give you. That is the most important thing about a mother’s love.

Right from a child is formed in the womb, the mother starts loving her baby. Once the baby is born, its entire care is done by the mother. Feeding it, cleaning it, nursing it, making it sleep, making it comfortable – all this is done by the mother. When her child is sick, the mother keeps awake the whole night nursing her child. She knows without her the child will not live and grow comfortably. That is why we see her praying, “God don’t take my life away until my children grow up!” Mother’s love is unique and there is nothing that can be compared to it. What we are today is the result of our mothers’ love.

Activity II (Appreciation)

Question 2.
Keeping in viewthe ideas discussed above, prepare an appreciation of the poem “Any Woman”.
Answer:

Appreciation of the poem

The poem ‘Any Woman’ by Katharine Tynan speaks of the importance of the woman in the family. She is the pillars of the house. She is the keystone of the arch. She is the roof and walls. She is the fire upon the hearth. Without her, the home would be colder than a stone.

The children come to her for love and affection. She is the light of their love. The children could hardly thrive without her support. She is the one who holds the family together. No child wants to get away from the close-knit family group. She is all overthe house, from thefloorto the roof. Nothing happens without her knowledge. She decorates the house and makes the children’s bed cosy and warm.

She also protects the children from all dangers. She is the door that guards against all kinds of troubles and tribulations that come to pester the inmates. At the end of the poem, the woman prays to Jesus to spare her life till her children are properly grown up.

The poem has simple language. The entire poem is an exquisite metaphor. The imagery is great. The woman doing all kinds of jobs and standing guard at the same time make us admire her capabilities. Her love is superb and there is utter unselfishness in her activities. At last we also see the birth of Jesus in the manger. We see the woman standing before Jesus praying to him to let her live till her children grow up. Katharine has painted a fine picture of a devoted mother with words.

The poem is in rhyme. Except in the first stanza, the rhyme scheme is abab.

Activity III (Comparison)

Question 3.
You are aware of the pivotal role of a woman, especially the mother at home. There are occasions when her self-effacing love is painfully missing, when the prayer Take me not till the children’ has not been realized.
Answer:
Now, read the poem ‘The Toys’ by Coventry Patmore :

Meaning of The Poem :
In the poem a father is talking :

Lines 1 – 6: My little Son …. being dead.

My little son looked at me with thoughtful eyes. He moved and spoke as if he had grown up. He had disobeyed my instructions 7 times and so I beat him. I sent him away with hard words. I did not kiss him when he went to bed. His mother was a patient woman, but she is dead.

Lines 7 – 11: Then sobbing wet.

Thinking that his sorrow at my beating him and scolding him might prevent him from sleeping, I went to his bed. I found him in a deep sleep. But his eyelids were dark and his lashes were wet because of his earlier crying.

Lines 12 – 22: And I, …. sad heart.

I felt very sad at his condition and I too wept. I kissed away his tears but left my tears on his cheek. On a table near his head he had kept within his reach a box of counters (metal or plastic pieces), a stone with red lines, a piece of glass abraded (worn or rubbed by the sand on the beach) and six or seven shells, a bottle with bluebells (flowers) and two French copper coins which were arranged in an artistic manner. He had kept all these to comfort his sad heart.

Lines 23 – 34: When I prayed to God that night, I wept. I spoke to God something like this. When we lie with silent breath, not annoying you as we are dead, you may remember what toys made us happy when we were alive. We did not properly understand the good things you commanded us to do. But you are a much greater and more merciful father than I am, as I am made of clay. You will be not so angry like me when I beat and scolded my son. When you see our disobedience, you will only say, like a kind father, that how sorry you are for our childishness and not punish us harshly.

Answer the following questions. They will add to your comprehension of the poem.

Question 1.
What is the theme of the poem?
Answer:
The theme of the poem is Toys’. But in a deeper way the poem talks about mistakes and their punishments. We human beings tend to punish children when they make some mistakes; when they disobey us. But the poet believes that God will not punish us harshly for our disobedience.

Question 2.
Do you justify th£ father’s action? Why?
Answer:
The father is a human being and it is natural that he gets angry when his orders are disobeyed by his son. The son had disobeyed him seven times. In the circumstances, I justify the father’s action. The father is a loving father and that is why he goes to check if his son is sleeping. A loving father has to punish his son for disobedience, especially when it is repeated.

Question 3.
What is the symbolic significance of the toys?
Answer:
The symbolic significance of the toys is that they represent our pleasures. While children find pleasure in simple toys, grownups find pleasure in some undesirable and sinful acts.

Question 4.
Comment on these lines citing the importance of the mother in the family:
Answer:

• “Take me not till the children grow” (Any Woman)
• “His mother, who was patient, being dead.” (The Toys)

Both the lines signify the.importance of a mother in the house. Mother is the synonym of love. A child without a mother does not develop properly and that is why the mother in ‘Any Woman’ prays to God to spare her life till her children grow up. In the second example, we see how the son is beaten and scolded by the angry father. The boy’s mother would not have done it because she was patient. Both poems stress the importance of a mother in the family, especially for the welfare of the children. She is the backbone which keeps everything tidy and neat and makes everybody comfortable and happy.

Question 5.
Now, compare the poem with ‘Any Woman’ and prepare a review focusing on the themes and their significance.
Answer:
The poem ‘Any Woman’ by Katharine Tynan speaks of the importance of the woman in the family. She is the pillars of the house. She is the keystone of the arch. She is the roof and walls. She is the fire upon the hearth. Without her, the home would be colder than a stone. The children come to her for love and affection. She is the light of their love. The children could hardly thrive without her support. She is the one who holds the family together. No child wants to get away from the close-knit family group. She is all overthe house, from the floor to the roof. Nothing happens without her knowledge. She decorates the house and makes the children’s bed cosy and warm. She also protects the children from all dangers. She is the door that guards against all kinds of troubles and tribulations that come to pester the inmates. At the end of the poem, the woman prays to Jesus to spare her life till her children are properly grown up.

The poem has simple language. The entire poem is an exquisite metaphor. The imagery is great. The poem is in rhyme. Except in the first stanza, the rhyme scheme is abab.

The poem ’The Toys’ is different from ‘Any Woman’. Here the plight of a boy, whose mother is dead is depicted. The boy disobeys the father and he loses patience and beats up his won. He sent him away with hard words. He did not kiss him when the boy went to bed. The boy’s mother was a patient woman, but she is no more. Thinking that the sorrow at his beating his son and scolding him might prevent him from sleeping, the father goes to the boy’s bed. He found him in a deep sleep. But the eyelids were dark and his lashes were wet because of his earlier crying.

The father feels very sad at his condition and he too weeps. He kissed away the tears from the boy’s cheeks but left his tears there instead. On a table nearthe boy’s head he had kept within his reach a box of counters, a stone with red lines, a piece of glass worn by the sand on the beach and six or seven shells, a bottle with bluebells and two French copper coins. He had kept all these to comfort his sad heart. When the man prayed to God that night, he wept. He requested God to forgive his disobedience and not to punish him forthe sins he had committed in his life. He punished the boy for disobedience because he is made of clay. But God can forgive because God is love and not made of clay.

The poem uses simple language. It has fine imagery. The boy sleeping with dark eyelids and wet lashes, surrounded by toys, is an exquisite picture. The poem is in rhyme. In the first 6 lines the rhyme is aabbbb.

Between the two poems, I prefer ‘Any Woman’ as it has made a greater impression on me.

III. Read And Reflect

Question 1.
“There are two ways of spreading light…

Question 2.
To be the candle, or the mirror that reflects it.”

Question 3.
Women should choose between being a candle or a mirror, and work for their own emancipation as well as that of the generations to come.

Any Woman (Poem) Edumate Questions and Answers

Question 1.
The poem ‘Any Woman’ ends with the prayer Take me not till the children grow!’ Analyse this line in the Indian context where women sacrifice their lives for their children. Write a paragraph on the unfailing love of mothers, in about 100 words.
Answer:
It is often said that since God could not be everywhere at the same time, he created mothers. This is more so in the case of an Indian mother. In the Indian context, a mother lives and dies for her child. ‘Any Woman’ ends with the prayer “Take me not till the children grow!”. The mother is praying like that not because she is afraid of death or because she wants to live long but to ensure that her children are grown up and they can stand up and face the world. The Indian woman will go to any extent to ensure the safety and welfare of her child.

Question 2.
Read the poem given below and write a note of appreciation comparing it with ‘Any Woman’ with reference to its theme, tone, rhyme scheme etc.

What Women Wanted
Long before your grandma was young
Women’s freedom was a song not yet sung
Men mostly said that women didn’t get it
If you gave them a job they just forget it
They said a woman’s job was cleaning house
And staying quiet as a nurse
But many women said we want more
We like our homes, but we want more than chores
We want the right to earn real pay
We work just as hard as men each day
And more than anything, please note
We want to have the right to vote
And after the matches and protests were done
All of that is just what they won
– (Anonymous)
Answer:
The anonymous poem ‘What Women Wanted” speaks about the needs of women and what they were able to achieve after all the marches and protests. Long ago there was no freedom for women. The men said that a woman’s job is cleaning the house and looking after the children. But women wanted more. They wanted to get pay and they wanted to vote. They were able to get these things after a lot of struggle.

The poem ‘Any Woman’ by Katharine Tynan speaks of the importance of the woman in the family. She is the pillar of the house. She is the keystone of the arch. She is the roof and walls. She is the fire upon the hearth. The children come to her for love and affection. She holds the family together. She is everywhere in the house – from floor to roof. She protects the children from all dangers. At the end, the woman prays to Jesus to spare her life till the children are grown up.

Both poems are in simple language. “What Women Wanted” stresses their rights whereas ‘Any Woman’ emphasizes the duties of a woman. The tone of “What Women Wanted” is playful and humorous whereas the other poem has a serious and sincere tone. The imagery in both the poems is good. Both poems have made use of metaphors. Both poems are in rhyme. The rhyming scheme in ‘Any Woman’ is abab except in the first stanza. In the other poem the rhyming scheme is aabb. Between the two poems, I prefer ‘Any Woman’ as it talks of the real feelings of a devoted mother.

Question 3
Read the poem ‘Sad Women’ by Daria Domitrovic and write a note of appreciation comparing and contrasting itwith’the poem ‘Any Woman’.

Sad Women
Sad women always get up
To make breakfast for their children,
To tell him, “have a nice day”
And women go to work and always do their best,
They make lunch and always sit last,
Sad women buy groceries on the way home,
Make phone calls to hear someone’s voice,
They are faithful to their promises.
Sad women take upon other’s grief
Sad women comfort others and say “everything will be okay”,
They don’t let their sadness to come out,
Sad women don’t have time to be sad,
Sad women cry when lights go out.
Answer:
Daria Domitrovic’s ‘Sad Women’ gives a beautiful portrayal of sad women who do not show their sadness in the open. They are destined for a hard life. They get up early in the morning to prepare breakfast for their children and to wish their husbands a happy day ahead. They then go to work and do their best. They make lunch but they are the ones who eat last. They make the purchases for home. They make phone calls and keep their promises. They empathise with others in their grief and comfort them. They never show their pain as they have no time to show it. But they cry in the nights when the lights are out and nobody sees them.

The poem ‘Any Woman’ by Katharine Tynan speaks of the importance of the woman in the family. She is the pillars of the house. She is the keystone of the arch. She is the roof and walls. She is the fire upon the hearth. The children come to her for love and affection. She holds the family together. She is everywhere in the house – from floor to roof. She protects the children from all dangers. At the end, the woman prays to Jesus to spare her life till the children are grown up.

Both poems are easy to understand. ‘Sad Women’ emphasizes the chores of a woman and how she suffers. But “Any Woman” is happy to do her duties and she does not complain. The imagery in both the poems is very powerful. The tone of “Sad Women” is that of sadness and complaint. But the tone in Any Woman is that of love and sincerity. ‘Any Woman’ is in rhyme and the rhyming scheme is abab except in the first stanza. The rhyming scheme in the other poems is erratic, although we can trace some rhyme in the last stanza of the poem. There the scheme is abbcdc. Between the two poems, I prefer ‘Any Woman’ as it talks of the real feelings of a devoted, non-complaining mother.

Question 4.
The speaker in ‘Any Woman’ is proud as a homemaker. Do you think the present day women are as proud as the mother in ‘Any Woman’? Write your opinion in a paragraph of about 150 words.
Answer:
The speaker in ‘Any Woman’ is proud as a homemaker. But I do not think the present day women are as proud as the mother in ‘Any Woman’. The present day mothers are not so sincere as the mother in the poem. I have often heard mothers complaining about their chores in their homes. Many of them do the work at home because they have no other way! They complain of disobedient and careless children and their unhelpful and domineering husbands who do not help them in their household chores. The sincerity shown by the mother in ‘Any Woman’ cannot be seen, in my opinion, in the modem women who would like to spend a lot of their time watching serials or spending time in their Women’s Clubs. Generally speaking, the attitude of women has changed!

Question 5.
Read the following lines and answer the questions given below:
‘Thou whom a woman laid in a manger, Take me not till the children grow!’
(a) Who is the ‘thou’ referred to here?
(b) What is the incident referred to?
(c) What is the mother’s prayer?
Answer:
(a) Jesus Christ.
(b) The birth of Jesus.
(c) The mother’s prayer is that she shouldn’t die until her children grow.

Question 6.
Read the following lines from the poem ‘Any Woman’ and answer the questions given below.
‘I am the fire upon the hearth I am the light of the good sun,
I am the heat that warms the earth …
(a) Identify the figure of speech employed in the above lines.
(b) Comment on the effectiveness of the figure of speech in conveying the idea.
Answer:
(a) The figure of speech employed here is a metaphor,
(b) A metaphor is a figure of speech like a simile where two things are compared. In a simile, we say one thing is like the other. But in a metaphor, we may one thing is the other. Thus “Chitra sings like a cuckoo” is a simile. But when we say “Chitra is a cuckoo in singing”, it is a metaphor. In the poemih§ mother speaks of herself as the fire of the hearth, the tight of the good sun, and the heat that warms the earth. They are beautiful metaphors and show the importance of the mother in a house.

Any Woman About The Author

– Katherine Tynan

Katherine Tynan (1859-1931) is an Irish poet and novelist. She has written more than 20 novels and 7 books of poetry. Her human sympathy is keen, tender, warm and constant. The poem ‘Any Woman’ shows that the woman is the soul and heart of the home.

Any Woman Summary in English

Stanza 1: I am the pillars of the house. I am the keystone of the arch. If you take me away, the roof and wall will fall down and ruin me completely.

Stanza 2: I am the fire upon the hearth. I am the light of the sun. I am the heat that warms the earth. Without me the earth will be colder than a stone.

Stanza 3: The children get their warmth from me. I am the light of their love. Without me the hearthstone will be cold and the children will not thrive.

Stanza 4: I hold the children together in the love ring of the home. We are tied together with the knots of love. They would not like to break the thread and go away wandering.

Stanza 5: I am the bouse from floor to roof. I am the walls and the board. I am the one who opens and closes the curtains. I am the one filling the bed of the children with down (soft hair of animals) and cover them with leather.

Stanza 6: I am the wall that protects them against all kinds of dangers. I prevent dangerous winds and snow from harming my children. Lord Jesus, whom Mary delivered in the manger, please keep me alive till my children are grown up.

Any Woman Summary in Malayalam

Any Woman Glossary

Kerala State Board New Syllabus Plus Two English Textbook Answers Unit 1 Flights of Freedom Text Book Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes.

Kerala Plus Two English Textbook Flights of Freedom Questions and Answers Unit 1

“I am no bird and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will”.

– Charlotte Bronte

About The Unit

There is an increasing realization and recognition that empowering women is an urgent need of the hour. In most countries, including India, social reformers and leaders have been doing a lot towards empowering women. Still, we have a lot more to do. In this unit, we see how education, determination, and courage help women break the chains of socio-cultural limitations. The Unit has a speech by Christine Lagarde, the first woman Finance Minister of France, a poem by Katharine Tynan, a story by Ashapurna Debi, and an anecdote by Sudha Murty.

Let’s Begin

• Look at the collage given below.
• Identify the personalities and the fields they are related to.
• What are they famous for?

Think And Discuss

Question 1.
Have you ever thought about the various roles taken by women in their homes and outside?
Answer:
Yes, I have. Women play major roles in their homes and also outside. India had a woman Prime Minister and a woman President. Currently, the President of the Indian National Congress is a woman. Women are working in the army, in the air force, and in the navy. They are piloting planes and making space flights. We will never forget Kalpana Chawla, the darling daughter of India who died in the Apollo 13 crash. Nowadays we don’t call women who do not go for outside jobs as housewives but as homemakers. In fact, they are not only homemakers but nation makers.

Question 2.
What are the challenges faced by women today?
Answer:
Women face many challenges today. They have less freedom than men. They are often discriminated against in education, job opportunities, and some other rights. Our society is male-dominated where women are considered second-class citizens. They don’t get equal pay with men even when they do similar jobs. To get married they have to pay dowries.

Question 3.
Are women equipped to meet those challenges?
Answer:
They are getting equipped as they get a better education and better job opportunities. Many measures are taken by the government to empower women. Things like dowries and female foeticide are forbidden by law. Hopefully, women will get their rightful places in the society in the very near future.

Read And Reflect

Emancipation and the empowerment of women is of prime importance in every society. In our country, we have achieved a partial success. But we have a long way to go. What should we do to achieve this goal? The speech below gives the requisites of women empowerment.

Kerala State Board New Syllabus Plus Two English Textbook Answers Unit 5 Chapter 2 This is Going to Hurt Just a Little Bit Text Book Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes.

Kerala Plus Two English Textbook This is Going to Hurt Just a Little Bit Questions and Answers Unit 5 Chapter 2 (Poem)

Read And Respond (Text Book)

Question 1.
Why does the poet dislike sitting in dentist’s chair with his mouth wide open ?
Answer:
The poet dislikes sitting in dentist’s chair with his mouth wide open because some tortures are physical and some are mental but the dental torture is both.

Question 2.
Why does one find it hard to keep calm while sitting before a dentist?
Answer:
It is difficult to keep calm while sitting before a dentist because your jaw is down into your chest as you have to keep your mouth wide open.

Question 3.
How, according to the poet, does one lose one’s dignity before a dentist?
Answer:
According to the poet, one loses one’s dignity before a dentist because of many reasons. It is difficult to be in self control, when your jaw is down into your chest and your mouth is wide open. Your fingernails are scratching your palm making serious changes in your life line, love line or some other important line. You feel helpless as the dentist does what he wants in your mouth!

Question 4.
What makes the circumstances terrible?
Answer:
The circumstances are made more terrible because your mouth is like a section of the road on which repair work is going on. It is all cluttered up with stone, crushers and concrete mixers and drills and steam rollers. All the nerves in your head are affected.

Question 5.
What, according to the poet, is the danger in using a mirror for the treatment of dental problems?
Answer:
The dentist uses a mirror for the treatment of dental problems. In the mirror the left is right and the right is left. When we try to tie a bow tie with the aid of a mirror we tend to get mixed up. Like that there is the danger of the dentist getting mixed up and pulling out a tooth on the left side instead of pulling out the one on the right, the one giving you trouble.

Think And Write

Question 1.
Comment on the aptness of the title of the poem. (Mark 2)
Answer:
The title of the poem is very apt. The title is: “This is Going to Hurt Just a Little Bit”. But the fact is it is going to hurt a lot! The title itself is an exaggeration as the poet makes the pain of going to a dentist much less than it actually is. I would also say the title is a bit too long.

Question 2.
The poet compares the mouth to a section of a road that is being repaired. Do you feel any exaggeration in it? Find out more such instances in the poem. (Mark 2)
Answer:
There is great exaggeration in comparing the mouth to a section of a road that is being repaired. Some other instances of exaggeration in the poem are:

• Your jaw digging into your chest.
• Your fingernails are making serious alterations in your life line, love line or some other important line in your palm.
• There isn’t a nerve in your head that you aren’t being irked on.
• Your teeth are supposed to be polished but they are demolished.
• The dentist is a bear.
• He takes his crowbar in one hand and mirror in the other.
• He then coats your mouth from cellar to roof with something generally used to put a shine on a horse’s hoof.

Question 3.
Go through the notes and examples on Exaggeration and Simile given on page 149.
“And your mouth is like a section of road that is being worked on. ”
What effect does this poetic device produce in the poem? Find out other similes used in the poem. (Mark 3)
Answer:
The simile in the line quoted above is a powerful one as it depicts the pathetic condition of the mouth of the patient. The mouth is kept widely open, “your jaw digging into your chest”. There are all sorts of instruments with which the dentist will repair your teeth. So the mouth is the section of the road and the instruments the dentist uses are the equipment used for repairing the road. Of course, the simile is mingled with exaggeration and thus has a double effect.

Other similes in the poem:

• The dentist is called a bear (This is, strictly speaking, a metaphor).
• The instrument used by the dentist is called a crowbar (metaphor).
• The polishing of the teeth is compared to the polishing of a horse’s hoof (implied simile).
• The patient tottering to his feet, like a drunkard (Implied simile).

This is Going to Hurt Just a Little Bit (Poem) Edumate Questions & Answers

Question 1.
The poem This is Going to Hurt Just a Little Bit’ presents a humorous incident in a dentist’s clinic. The narrator had a difficult time with his rotten teeth. Do you agree with the views presented in the poem? Do you have a similar experience to share? Now, share your experience of visiting a dentist.
Answer:
One of my friends used to say jocularly that he is afraid of only two things: a cobra and a dentist. I never thought a dentist is so dangerous. But I was wrong! The problem was with one of my molars on the left upper jaw. I could riot bite anything or drink anything hot or cold. It would pain me as if somebody was piercing me with a knife.

I tried all kinds of tooth¬pastes that promised bliss. But nothing worked. The pain started eating into me. So I decided to go to a dentist. He looked a gentleman and his smile was captivating. He asked me to sit in the dentist’s chair and asked me to open my mouth. I told him where I felt the pain. He started probing with some sharp instrument. After pressing at a point he would ask me, “Is it here?” I would say “No”. Then suddenly his instrument went deep into my cavity! Oh My God! I screamed!

“Don’t worry,” he told me. “It is just a cavity. I will fill it. It will hurt a little. Don’t worry.” Then he inserted his injection needle and gave me some numbing injection. After that he started grinding my tooth. I have seen mine workers drilling holes in the rocks. I was feeling as if the whole world is collapsing. I was convulsing with pain. But he went on saying, “Just a little bit more,” his vicious smile intact. Finally he filled the cavity with some dental cement.

He then asked me to keep my mouth tightly shut for the cement to harden and hold. I thought the ordeal was over. The he came with the bill which gave me greater pain! Rs. 1000 to fill a cavity! This really hurt me more than the pain I had when he was drilling and grinding my poor molar. I remembered the smile of the cat that has the rat in his clutches.

Question 2.
Tooth decay is a severe health problem among youngsters these days. Unhealthy food habits and the craze for junk food aggravate this problem. A dentist maintains the health of our teeth. A few do’s for maintaining the teeth are given below.

• You must brush your teeth daily.
• You ought to eat healthy food.
• You should consult a dentist once in a while. Now, write three don’ts for maintaining oral hygiene. (3 Mark)

Answer:

• Don’t eat too many sweet things like ice-creams.
• Don’t forget to brush your teeth before you go to bed.
• Don’t chew things that are too hot or too cold.

Question 3.
Imagine that one of your friends wants to get an appointment with a dentist in your locality. He wants to know the fee, timing and the exact location of the clinic. You make a telephonic call to get the details. Prepare the likely conversation. There should be at least four exchanges. (4 Mark)
Answer:
I : Hello! Good morning! Is that the Canewell Dental Clinic?
DC : Good Morning! Yes, this is the Carewell Dental Clinic. I am the booking clerk here. What can I do for you?
I : I would like to have an appointment with Dr. Saifu.
DC : Appointment with Dr. Saifu? When do you want it?
I : This evening if possible.
DC : This evening! Hmmmm, let me see. What is your problem?
I : I have a problem with my Wisdom Tooth.
DC : Dr. Saifu has a tight schedule this evening. Is it okay if I give you 8.00 p.m.?
I : It’s fine. I want to see him today itself as I have too much pain.
DC : Okay, come at 8 o’clock.
I . : Thanks! What is the fee for consulting?
DC : The fee for consultation alone is Rs.250/-. But other services and medicines, there will be extra charges.
I : It’s okey. Bye.

Question 4.
And your mouth is like a section of road that is being
worked.
a) Who is the speaker here?
b) Why is the ‘mouth’ compared to a section of road that is being worked?
c) What is the poetic device used in these lines? (3 Mark)
Answer:
a) Ogden Nash/The poet
b) When the road is being worked, you find digging, cleaning, drilling, filling and so on. Here the same thing is happening to the mouth. The dentist is digging, drilling and cleaning and filling.
c) Simile

Question 5.
And thus, O Fate, is I think the most vicious circle
that thou ever sentest
a) Who speaks these words?
b) What is referred to as ‘vicious circle’ in the stanza?
c) Why does the poet use archaic words like thou’ and ‘sentest’ in these lines? (3 Mark)
Answer:
a) Ogden Nash
b) Vicious circle means a situation in which the solution to one problem creates a chain of problems, each making it more difficult to solve. Here the narrator visited the doctor to solve the problem with his teeth and the doctor suggested that he should visit after three months. So his attempt for one solution created a chain of problems.
c) This poem is a humorous one. By using the archaic words he wants to bring some mock solemnity into the poem as if the clinic is like a church or something of that kind.

Question 6.
Read the following lines from This is Going to Hurt Just a Little Bit.
Because some tortures are physical and some are mental
But the one that is both is dental
It is hard to be self possessed
With your jaw digging into your chest
Explain the idea behind the above lines in a paragraph. (4 Mark)
Answer:
Some tortures are physical and some are mental. But the dental torture is both physical as well as mental. It is difficult to be in self control when your jaw is down into your chest. When you are sitting in a dentist’s chair, the doctor asks you to open your mouth. When you open your mouth wide, your lower jaw touches your chest. Your mind is imagining all sorts of tortures by the probing of the dentist to locate the spot causing the trouble. In such a situation a person loses his confidence and self control. The poet here beautifully expresses the situation when a patient is sitting in the dental chair.

Activity: (Critical Appreciation)

Question 1.
Write a critical appreciation of the poem referring to the theme, the tone of the poem, and the poetic devices used in it. (Mark 8)
Answer:
The poem “This is Going to Hurt Just a Little Bit” is a very funny poem by Ogden Nash. It describes the feeling of a person going to a dentist. Going to a dentist is really a very unpleasant experience. Sitting in a dentist chair with one’s mouth wide open is not something that anyone likes. Some tortures and physical and some are mental but the dental torture has both.

It is difficult to be in self control, when your jaw is down into your chest. Your fingernails are scratching your palm making serious changes in your life line, love line or some other important line. You are in a position which lacks dignity. Your mouth is like a section of the road on which repairwork is going on. It is all cluttered up with stone, crushers and concrete mixers and drills and steam rollers. All the nerves in your head are affected.

Your teeth are supposed to get polished. But you think they are demolished. What terrifies you more is that it is done with a mirror. The dentist looks like a bear. He takes a crow bar in one hand and a mirror in the other. How can we be sure he won’t make a mistake? Because in the mirrorthe left is right and the right is left. When we try to tie a bow tie with the aid of a mirror we tend to get mixed up. Will the doctor pull out the wrong tooth? Finally he coats the mouth with some harsh polishing stuff.

The shock comes when he says we should go back to him before the end of three months. The poet feels that Fate sends this most vicious circle to man. Man has to go to the dentist continually to keep his teeth in good condition. The man wants his teeth in good condition because he does not want to go to the dentist. It is a real paradox.

The poet has used simile, metaphor and personification very effectively. The dentist is called a bear. The instrument used by the dentist is called a crowbar. The polishing of the teeth is compared to the polishing of a horse’s hoof and we see the patient tottering to his feet, like a drunkard. There are many exaggerations also in the poem: The patient’s jaw digs into his chest. His fingernails are making serious alterations in his life line, love line or some other important line in his palm. There isn’t a nerve in his head that he isn’t being irked on. His teeth are supposed to be polished but they are demolished. The dentist takes his crowbar in one hand and mirror in the other. The dentist polishes the mouth as if he is polishing a horse’s roof.

Ogden Nash is fond of misspelling words. This he does for pun or some funny effect. Thus we see words like “hopen” and “sentest”. Ursa is a Latin word and ‘thou’ is the Old English form for ‘you’. The poem does not have regular stanzas. It is in free verse. It has fine rhythm and we find rhyme in it. Open-hopen, mental-dental, calm- palm, benignity-dignity etc. are some of the examples.

Nash has tried tojnake a painful situation into a light one. When we go to the dentist next time, we can feel more relaxed as we realize that the feelings we get when in the dentist chair are very similar to all the others who have to visit the dentist. We all want our teeth to be clean so that we don’t have to go to a dentist. And the paradox is that to keep our teeth clean we have to go to the dentist. Nash has put it in a nice way.

Read the poem by Sophia Borger on page 149 and team to laugh so that you make your burdens lighter!

This is Going to Hurt Just a Little Bit (Poem) About The Poet:

Frederick Ogden Nash (1902-1971) was an American poet. He is well known for his humorous poems. His poems are noted for their surprising pun and comic effect when words are deliberately misspelt. The exaggeration he uses gives his poems a special charm. The poem ‘This is Going to Hurt Just a Little Bit’ tells the poet’s experiences when he visits a dentist.

This is Going to Hurt Just a Little Bit (Poem) Summary in English:

Stanza 1: One thing 1 least like is sitting in a dentist’s chair with my mouth wide open. I always hope against hope that I will never have to do it again.

Stanza 2: Some tortures are physical and some are mental but the dental torture has both. It is difficult to be in self control, when your jaw is down into your chest.

Stanza 3: It is difficult to retain your calm when your fingernails are scratching your palm making serious changes in your life line, love line or some other important line.

Stanza 4: It is hard to give your usual cheerful goodness when you know that you are in a position in life which lacks dignity. There are only 2 or 3 occasions in life when this happens.

Stanza 5: Your mouth is like a section of the road on. which repair work is going on. It is all cluttered up with stone, crushers and concrete mixers and drills and steam rollers. All the nerves in your head are affected.

Stanza 6: Some people are unfortunate enough to be strung up by thumbs. Others have things done to their gums. Your teeth are supposed to get polished. But you think they are demolished. What terrifies you more is that it is done with a mirror. The dentist looks like a bear. The Romans call a bear ‘ursa’. The bear (dentist) takes a crow bar in one hand and a mirror in the other. How can we be sure he won’t make a mistake? Because in the mirror the left is right and the right is left. When we try to tie a bow tie with the aid of a mirror we tend to get mixed up.

Stanza 7: At last he says that is all. He coats your mouth with something that is used to shine a horse’s hoof. You get on to your feet with difficulty and think that | it’s all over now. After all, it was just once this time. But then he says we should go back to him before the end of three months. The poet feels that Fate sends this most vicious circle to man. Man has to go to the dentist continually to keep his teeth in good condition. The man wants his teeth in good condition because he does not want to go to the dentist. It is a real paradox.

This is Going to Hurt Just a Little Bit (Poem) Summary in Malayalam

III. Read And Reflect

Adjustment and reconciliation are oils that help life to run smoothly. To have good relations with others, we ought to respect their feelings. We should also be ready to sacrifice some personal interests. At times people may laugh at us. Still we can try to change the way of the world.

Kerala State Board New Syllabus Plus Two English Textbook Answers Unit 5 Chapter 1 Post Early for Christmas Text Book Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes.

Kerala Plus Two English Textbook Post Early for Christmas Questions and Answers Unit 5 Chapter 1 (One Act Play)

Plus Two English Textbook Solutions Question 1.
What was the Assistant’s experience the other day? Why does she consider people funny?
Answer:
She considers people funny because the other day one man came and asked her where he could get a stamp. She thought the man was playing a joke on her. Then there was the old man who could not see very well. He put his glasses on the counter and asked herto give him a pint of beer.

Question 2.
Why does Mrs. Smith dislike snow for Christmas?
Answer:
Mrs. Smith dislikes snow for Christmas because she has rheumatism and snow is not good for it. Last year because of the snow and her rheumatism she could not enjoy Christmas at all.

Question 3.
Why does the Assistant insist on people posting early for Christmas?
Answer:
The Assistant insists on people posting early for Christmas because parcels get damaged in the last-minute rush.

Question 4.
What is the purpose of the old Gentleman’s visit to the post office?
Answer:
The old Gentleman has come to collect his old age pension. He has a huge shopping list and he wants money to buy the things on the list.

Question 5.
Why does the Old Gentleman get angry with the Assistant?
Answer:
The old gentleman gets angry with the Assistant because he does not hear properly. When the assistant asks him if he brought the book, he replies he didn’t bring his cook as his wife does all his cooking. The assistant then says he did not hear what she said. The gentleman again misunderstands. He thinks she said that he ought to be in bed. This makes him angry and he asks the Assistant not to be impudent.

Question 6.
What is the problem with die Old Lady’s cat?
Answer:
The problem with the Old Lady’s cat Tiddles is that she is not eating her food. She used to be a big eater. Tiddles has hurt her paw and the Old Lady thinks it must have upset her.

Question 7.
Why does the old lady decide to buy something from the post office?
Answer:
The old lady decided to buy something from the post office because she came there thinking it was a vet’s clinic. The Assistant tells her where the clinic is. The lady feels that it would be rude to go away without buying something. So she will buy a two half penny stamp. She thinks they are so beautiful and may be useful at this Christmas time.

Question 8.
Why did the farmer humorously enquire about the bombs?
Answer:
The farmer humorously enquired about the bombs because he read the news of a bomb found in a post office. Scotland Yard has issued a warning that a time¬bomb disguised as a Christmas parcel was discovered in a London post office. Any suspicious-looking parcel should be reported at once to the local police station.

Question 9.
What was the newspaper report on?
Answer:
The newspaper report was on a bomb found in a post office. Scotland Yard has issued a warning that a time-bomb disguised as a Christmas parcel was discovered in a London post office. Any suspicious-looking parcel should be reported at once to the local police station.

Plus Two English Chapter Wise Questions And Answers Question 10.
How can a time bomb be detected?
Answer:
A time-bomb usually ticks just before it goes off. So the Farmer advises the Assistant that if any parcel makes funny noises, she should be careful.

Question 11.
Why does the Assistant tell the tourist that the parcel was in time?
Answer:
The Assistant tells the tourist that the parcel was in time because it will reach its destination before Christmas. It is a Christmas present and there are some more days to Christmas day.

Question 12.
Why is the tourist very anxious about his parcel?
Answer:
The tourist is very anxious about his parcel because it is a special kind of present and he wants it to reach his friend without getting damaged. Later we come to know it is a clock brought from Switzerland.

Question 13.
Why does everyone in the post office become anxious about the Tourist’s parcel?
Answer:
Everyone in the post office becomes anxious about the Tourist’s parcel because it starts ticking. Earlier the Farmer had talked about the time-bombs and how they tick before they go off. Now everyone thinks the parcel contains a time-bomb.

Question 14.
Why do the people in the post office try to hide themselves?
Answer:
The people in the post office try to hide themselves because the ticking from the parcel gets louder as the Assistant picks it up. The Farmer tells the people to take cover as he thinks the bomb will blast soon.

Question 15.
Why does the Assistant bring a bucket of water?
Answer:
The Assistant brings a bucket of water so that the parcel could be immersed in it to prevent the time-bomb from going off.

Question 16.
Why does the tourist return to the post office?
Answer:
The tourist returns to the post office to collect his gloves which he had left behind. He had forgotten to take them with him when he left the post office after handing over the parcel to the Assistant.

Question 17.
How does the play end?
Answer:
The play ends in a very funny way. The suspected time-bomb turns out to be a beautiful clock from Switzerland. The tourist is angry with the policeman and the post office for ruining his present for his friend. He will make a complaint to the Postmaster General. The Assistant leaves her job at the post office to work at the animal dispensary nearby because she feels animals don’t do such silly things as people do.

Post Early for Christmas (One act play) Edumate Questions and Answers

Question .1
The play Post Early for Christmas starts with the following monologue:
“My ! What a busy day it was for me yesterday.
Oh!
Here’s my first customer.”
Online shopping is the trend of the day, irrespective of festivals, marriages or anniversaries. You might have seen online shopping service driving past us with goods bundled in their bikes. Very often their plight is equivalent to that of the postal assistant in the play. Imagine that the agent of an online shopping company delivers a monologue. What would he say in the monologue? Draft the monologue for him.
Answer:
Oh My God! Yesterday I was dead tired riding kilometres after kilometres delivering the goods to the customers. Sometimes they live in almost inaccessible places, and I have to walk carrying the packet to give them. Well, I should not complain because only because they buy things online I have a job to do. So, God, make more people buy more things online!

Question 2.
A sweeper does his/her duty without receiving due acknowledgment from anyone. Her/his anxieties, experiences and struggles often find expression in the form of monologues. What will be the monologue of a sweeper who had to sweep a Work Experience Fair venue, on the eve of its concluding ceremony?
Answer:
Goodness! How am I supposed to clean up all this mess! Does “Work Experience Fair” mean people throwing things here and there without any care? Don’t these people ever use dust bins? Work Experience Fair! It is work for me. And nobody to help me! If I don’t finish this in time the, the Director will shout at me. Let him clean the place one day and see how easy it is! These top officers have no idea about how we people suffer. And do they give us a good salary? They give us pittance and expect us to work the whole day. I have heard of Hercules cleaning the Aegean stables. This is worse than that! Well, this is my fate! Oh, the director is coming! Let me hurry with the job!

Question 3.
Though the poster Post Early for Christmas is displayed in front of the post office, too many people barge into it with various needs, It is the last minute hurry that makes the situation go out of control. Can you recount any real life experience where things went awry due to last-minute hurry? Write an anecdote in about 150 words.
Answer:
Last Minute Fiasco:
The phone call came from my friend to tell me that his father died and the cremation would be at 4.00 p.m. in his compound. He asked me to convey the message to our common friend George. George and I live at Irinjalakuda and my friend whose father died lives in Thrissur. By car it would take only 30 minutes to reach my friend’s house to attend the cremation. So George and I decided to leave Irinjalakua at 3 o’clock after buying a wreath from a local flower shop.

We chose an expensive wreath with white roses and lilies. We started driving. Unfortunately, there was an accident on the Karuvannur bridge which we had to cross to reach Thrissur. We were delayed by half an hour. Then we rushed and reached our friend’s home around 4.30 p.m. We saw him standing in front of his house.

He looked quite sad. We left the wreath in the car as we knew the cremation had already taken place. We spent a few minutes with our friend condoling with him. From the obituary column of the local newspaper we saw that somebody had died at Irinjalakuda. We got the address of the bereaved family and went to the house the placed the wreath at the foot of the dead body of the stranger. The relatives of the dead people were surprised to see two strangers placing such an expensive wreath. They would never know it was intended for the dead father of our friend!

Question 4.
The tourist in the play ‘Post Early for Christmas’ loses the precious gift that he intended to send via post. With the wet clock in his hand he approaches the Postmaster General arid files a complaint. What would he write in the complaint? Draft the letter of complaint for him.
Answer:
Sam Peter
Fox Meadow
New Jersey, USA
20 December 2016

The Postmaster General
London

Sir,
Sub: RUINING MY SWISS CLOCK
I had bought an expensive Swiss clock and I wanted to send it to my friend as a Christmas present. I handed over the packet to the Assistant at the Milton Square Post office and she accepted it and gave me a receipt. I had forgotten by gloves on the counter and when I went back to collect them, I saw my packet being opened by a policeman. When I asked him the reason for it, I was told that there was a ticking sound and somebody suspected it to contain a time tomb. So it was immersed in water. My precious gift to my friend was ruined.

I want to lodge my protest against such foolish behaviour on the part of your workers in the post office. You have spoiled the joy of my Christmas. I paid 155 Pounds for the clock and then the postal charges. I want a proper compensation forthe loss your worker has caused.
I hope you will take immediate action.

Yours faithfully,
Sam Peter.

Question 5.
Imagine that the tourist in the play ‘Post Early for Christmas’ sends an e-mail to the friend to whom he wanted to send the precious clock. He expresses his grief and frustration over the incidents at the post office. What would he write in the e-mail? Draft the e-mail for him.
Answer:
[email protected]
Hope you are fine. This year I wanted to send you a precious Swiss clock as my Christmas present. I am sure you would be happy with it because it was a beautifully crafted clock. But you know what happened! The Postal Assistant accepted my packet. Then some foolish fellow standing nearby heard the clock ticking and his perverted mind thought the packet had a time bomb. He told people it was ticking and it would explode soon. He asked the Postal Assistant to get a bucket of water and immerse the packet in it to prevent it from exploding! Thus the precious clock got ruined. I’m so sorry, Ranbir!

I have complained to the Post Master General about the ridiculous act.
Hope you had a merry Christmas.
Sam Peter

Question 6.
Unable to tolerate the mistakes made by Bertie in the usage of English, Mrs.Higgins notes down his mistakes in a notepad. She makes Bertie realise his mistakes and asks him to correct them. Help Bertie correct his mistakes.
1. I want a engine.
2. I know Ma, but they sell engines next door, I seed them.
3. Can I have a’ieS-cream?
4. It ain’t half making a funny noise.
Answer:

Question 7.
Imagine that the farmer in Post Early for Christmas feels guilty over his actions that led to utter chaos in the post office. He goes to the postal assistant’s house to apologise. However the postal assistant refuses to meet him. He leaves a message for her. Write the message for him.
Answer:
Madam, I know you are angry with me for what happened at the post office. I am really sorry. That is why I came to apologize to you. But since you have refused to meet me, I am leaving this note to let you know what actually happened and how sorry I am.

When I was coming to the post office I read in the newspaper an item like this: “Bomb found in post office. Scotland Yard has issued a warning that a time bomb disguised as a Christmas parcel was discovered in a London Post office. Any suspicious looking parcel should be reported at once to the local police station.”

I had this at the back of my mind when the tourist came with the parcel. You know he looked suspicious and look at the way he talked about the parcel, asking so many questions about the time it reaches the central post office and so on. And when you said that the parcel was ticking, I naturally thought there was a time bomb inside.

I asked you to bring a bucket of water to prevent it from exploding and killing or maiming all of us. I only thought of our safety and I had no plan to spoil anybody’s anything. But somehow it turned out to be a blunder on my part. I am sorry. I am sure you are gracious enough to forgive me for the mistake I made as it was made with good intentions.

Joe Freeman
Farmer from Avon

Question 8.
In ‘Post Early for Christmas’ Bertie is assigned the duty of fetching a policeman to the post office. How would Bertie convince the policeman about the emergency in the post office? Draft a short convincing request that Bertie would make before the police man.
Answer:
Bertie: Sir, I am coming from the local post office. A suspicious looking foreigner came and he handed over a parcel to the postal Assistant saying it is a Christmas gift for his friend. He was asking so many questions about the safety of the parcel. After he left, there was some ticking noise coming from the parcel. When the Assistant mentioned the people assembled there thought it was a time bomb. There was also news about time bombs sent as Christmas present parcels in the newspaper and the Scotland Yard warning people to be on the lookout. The people at the post office are scared. So please come immediately to see to the situation. Come, let’s go fast before anything untoward happens.

Question 9.
The postal assistant in Post Early for Christmas resigns her job following the chaos in the post office. Imagine that she comes across this advertisement in the newspaper.

ARNOLD CLARK AUTOMOBILES LIMITED
134 Nithsdale Drive
Glasgow Lanarkshire G41
United Kingdom
REQUIRE OFFICE ASSISTANTS

We Guarantee security and punctuality in your monthly payment and all the management tools you need.
What you need is a graduation in any subject, thorough knowledge in Computer and excellent communication skills.
You should be below 30 years.

Contact us
Telephone: 0141-422 2700
Fax: 01698454373
E-mail: [email protected]
Answer:
Maggie Hayden
39 Milton Drive
Northamptonshire H32
23 December 2016

The Director
Arnold Clark Automobiles Limited
134 Nithsdale Drive,
Glasgow Lanarkshire G41
UK

Sir,
Sub: Application for the Post of Office Assistant I saw your advertisement. I am interested in applying for the post as I thought my qualification and experience would suit your requirements. I am enclosing my detailed resume for your perusal. I will be available for an interview from now till the end of next month^You may decide the time and place of the interview. I wifi present all the original documents at the time of the interview.
Hoping to get the interview letter soon,

Yours faithfully,
Maggie Hayden.

RESUME OF MAGGIE HAYDEN

Objective: To work in a company which can utilize my services and, at the same time, enable me to sharpen my capabilities for the betterment of all.

English Plus Two Textbook Answers Question 10.
Imagine that a journalist rushed to the post office to get a scoop. He noted down several points based on his own observation and comments of the onlookers. The following points were jotted down by him. (crowded London post office-bomb alert by farmer – foreign tourist’s big parcel makes – ticking sound – panic stricken customers-police informed -foreign tourist returns – policeman’s attempt to deactivate the bomb – large clock ruined – people astonished- tourist threatens- postal assistant quits job.)
Help him draft a report.
Answer:
Expensive Swiss Clock Thrown Into A Bucket Of Water.
London: 20 December 2016. There was a time bomb scare at the Milton Square Post office in London in the rush hours of the morning. From my talks with the Post office Assistant and some onlookers this is what transpired at the post office. A foreign tourist arrived with well-wrapped parcel and he said it contained something precious and he was sending it to his friend as a special Christmas present. Some questions he asked about the safety of the parcel and about the time it would reach the central post office for clearing created some doubts in the minds of the Postal Assistant.

The parcel was booked and the tourist left forgetting his gloves on the counter. Soon the Assistant noticed that there was a ticking sound coming from the parcel. She mentioned it and immediately a farmer who was present there said it must be time bomb. He had read an alert in the Newspaper which was issued by the Scotland Yard asking people to be on their alert for ominous looking parcels. He was certain that his parcel contained a time bomb. People got scared and they ran for cover. The farmer asked for a bucket of water.

In the meantime a police man was brought. Soon the tourist returned to take his gloves back. There was an argument between the policeman and the tourist. The policeman then threw the parcel into the bucket of water. The tourist was angry with everyone there for spoiling his precious Swiss Watch he had bought for his friend. He said he would complain to the authorities. Fed up with the happenings at the Post Office the Assistant decided to quit the job there and take up work in an animal dispensary nearby. She thought animals will not be as foolish as men! She has a point, isn’t it!

Think and Write

Question 1.
Do you think Mrs Jones is rude in her behaviour? Why? (Mark 2)
Answer:
I think Mrs Jones is rude in her behaviour. She hands over some huge parcels to the Assistant and asks herto be careful so that the parcels which contain presents should not be damaged. The Assistant tells herthatthey do their best not to damage them and makes a polite enquiry as to why she didn’t post them last week. Then Mrs. Jones rudely tells the Assistant that she will post her presents when she wants.

Question 2.
What is the context of Bertie saying “She’s at home Ma, watching the television ”? (Mark 2)
Answer:
Bertie’s English is horrible. We see him saying ‘seed’ instead of saw and when his mother points out the mistake he ‘corrects’ it and says ‘sawed’. When Bertie closely watches the parcel brought by the tourist, the Assistant asks him what the matter is. Bertie says the parcel “ain’t ‘alf making a funny noise”. Mrs. Higgins asks the boy where his grammar is. It is then the boy says she (grammar) is at home watching television!

Question 3.
How does the Fanner frighten people? (Mark 2)
Answer:
The Farmer frightens people first by reading the newspaper report: “Bomb found in post office. Scotland Yard has issued a warning that a time-bomb disguised as a Christmas parcel was discovered in a London post office. Any suspicious-looking parcel should be reported at once to the local police station.” Then he frightens them by saying the parcel brought by the tourist has a time¬bomb in it and it will go’off very soon. This.really frightens the people and they run for cover.

Question 4.
What makes the tourist decide to see the Postmaster General? (Mark 2)
Answer:
The tourist got a beautiful clock from Switzerland and he wanted to send it to his friend as a Christmas present. But the people at the post office suspected it to be a time-bomb and a policeman drops the parcel containing the clock in a bucket of water, ruining his present. This makes the tourist furious. He calls the people mining his gift blundering idiots and decides to see the Postmaster General to complain.

Question 5.
Why does the Assistant leave the post office forever? (Mark 3)
Answer:
The Assistant leaves the post office forever because of her bitter experiences there. People annoy her in so many ways. One man comes and asks where he can buy stamps. Another person wants a pint of beer. Mrs. Jones talks rudely to her. The old deaf gentleman can’t hear her properly and he too gets angry. An old lady comes there thinking it is a vet’s clinic. And then comes the tourist with his ticking parcel. Thinking it is a bomb the parcel is immersed in water. The tourist is furious and threatens to complain to the Postmaster General. The Assistant thinks animals are better than men and so she decides to work in an animal dispensary where she thinks she will be happy.

Question 6.
Bring out the humour in the play. (Mark 3)
Answer:
There are many humorous situations in the play. We laugh when we see somebody coming to the post office and asks where he can get stamps. Another person comes asking for a pint of beer. The deaf man creates a lot of humour as he misunderstands book as cook, said as bed and later Ted. We laugh a lot when see an old lady coming to consult the Assistant about her cat. The greatest humour is when the tourist comes with his ticking parcel and the anxiety created by it. As the parcel with the lime-bomb’ is thrown into water and people run for cover, we really laugh at the foolishness of people.

Question 7.
Comment on the role of the farmer in the play. (Mark 4)
Answer:
It was actually the farmer who caused all the havoc in the post office. First of all he scared the people by reading out the news loudly: “Bomb found in a post office. Scotland Yard has issued a warning that a time-bomb disguised as a Christmas parcel was discovered in a London post office. Any suspicious-looking parcel should be reported at once to the local police station.” With his ‘expertise’ he is sure that the ticking parcel given by the tourist contains a time bomb. He is the one suggesting to call a policeman. He scares the people by telling them the time-bomb will soon go off and they should take cover. He is the one who asks the Assistant to bring a bucket of water. Thus he was instrumental for all the commotion and mischief there.

Question 8.
Justify the aptness of the title of the play. (Mark 3)
Answer:
The title “Post Early for Christmas” is a very apt title.
All the major actions in the play are related to posting of gifts and parcels as Christmas presents. The Assistant tells Mrs Jones to post Christmas parcels early to prevent them from getting damaged in the last-minute rush. We feel that if the tourist had posted his parcel ‘early’ the damage could have been prevented. With his bitter experience he vows not to post anything in this country and he bitterly spits out the words “Post Early for Christmas!”

Question 9.
Sketch the character of the Old Gentleman and the Assistant (Mark 5)
Answer:
The Old Gentleman is deaf. He has a long shopping list with him. He has come to the post office to collect his old age pension. When the Assistant asks for his book, being deaf, he thinks she is asking about his cook. He says he didn’t bring his cook. His wife does all his cooking. The assistant says he did not hear what she said. The gentleman again mishears the word ‘said’. He thinks she said something about bed. So he says “Bed! Who ought to be in bed? I am not as young as I was, but I am still healthy.” He asks the Assistant not to be rude. The Assist once again says, “I’m afraid you didn’t hear what I said.” Again the gentleman mishears her and asks her who told her that he is called Ted. Is she trying to tell him his name? His name is Sam.

The Assistant again asks him if he has brought his book. The gentleman tells her not to speak about the cook. The Assistant loudly tells him she is talking of book and not cook. The gentleman asks her why she did not ask for it earlier and fumbles in his pockets. He gives the book to her. He accuses the Assistant of being deaf! When the lady complains about her cat he comes with a helpful suggestion saying that he knows some things about cats and he could help her. The funniest moment is when he asks what all the fuss is about. The old lady answers it is about a time-bomb. Then the old man asks, “Tom, Tom who?” The bomb has become Tom for him!

The Assistant is a young lady who is quite hardworking and polite. She has to deal with many different kinds of people and she has to keep her cool. The other day one man came and asked her where he could get a stamp. Then there was this old man who could not see very well. He put his glasses on the counter. He wanted a pint of beer. She hopes this year there will be no snow for Christmas so that Mrs. Smith can enjoy without her rheumatism getting aggravated. When she suggests to Mr. Jones that gift parcels for Christmas must be posted early, she gets angry. Then she has to deal with the deaf old man. The deaf old man thinks it is the Assistant who is deaf. Then we see the old Lady coming to seek her advice about her cat Tiddles. The Assistant tells her that the clinic for the animals is at the end of the road.

Now comes the Farmer who scares her with news about bombs. She has to deal with the tourist whose English is terrible. When his parcel starts ticking, here is utter confusion. We laugh to our hearts’ content when we see the Assistant coming with a bucket of water to immerse the parcel. The climax comes when she decides to quit the work at the post office. She will work in a dispensary for the animals because she realizes that animals are not as foolish as people. The Assistant proves herself to be a very lively and memorable character.

Question 10.
Narrate the events that lead to the climax of the play. (Mark5)
Answer:
The climax of the play starts building up with the news brought by the Farmer. He reads from his newspaper: “Bomb found in a post office. Scotland Yard has issued a warning that a time-bomb disguised as a Christmas parcel was discovered in a London post office. Any suspicious- looking parcel should be reported at once to the local police station.” A suspicion has been created in the minds of the people about a possible bomb. Then we see the Foreign Tourist entering. He is dark and evil-looking. He is dressed in black and speaks with an accent. He has a parcel to be sent. He wants to ensure the safety of the parcel by asking so many questions. Will it be opened? When will it reach the central sorting office? He wants the Assistant to handle it with care. All this enhance our suspicion.

He leaves the post office, forgetting his gloves. Soon Bertie starts hearing the parcel tick. The Farmer is sure that there is a time-bomb inside the parcel. People get scared. The Farmer wants a policeman to be brought. He asks the Assistant to bring a bucket of water to immerse the bomb. The policeman asks the people not to panic. In the meantime the Tourist comes back to pick his gloves. The policeman questions him. The Farmer thinks that the ticking has stopped and time-bomb will immediately go off. The policeman drops the parcel in the bucket of water. The Tourist is angry and calls the policeman an idiot. It was actually a beautiful clock from Switzerland which the tourist wanted to send to his friend. Now he will complain to the Postmaster General. He will never post anything in that country!

Activity – I (Announcement)

Question 1.
The Literary Club of your school decides to enact the play Post Early for Christmas in connection with the school anniversary. Prepare a script for announcing the programme. You may include the given details.
(Play, script; direction, background, music, actors, time, date & venue) (Mark 5)
Answer:
In connection with the school anniversary, the Literary Club of our school has decided to enact the play Post Early for Christmas by the well-known British Dramatist R.H. Wood. The play will be staged in the school Auditorium, at 10.00 a.m. on Friday, the 24m of July 2015.

It is a very hilarious play in which a Christmas parcel containing a beautiful Swiss clock is misunderstood to be a time-bomb. The people get panicky and run for cover as the clock stops ticking. The story takes place in a village post office in England. You see different kinds of people coming to the post office, sometimes even mistaking it for something else.

The direction of the play is by Mr. Fahad Ibrahim, our English teacher. Music is by Mithun Kuttappan. Students of the XII Class will be acting as the various characters.
Come and enjoy two hours of pure fun!

Activity – II (Review writing)

Discuss the following:

Question 1.
What makes the play humorous (Its characters and their traits or the incidents in it). (Mark 6)
Answer:
The play is made humorous by the traits of the characters and also the incidents. The deaf old man makes us laugh a lot. He hears the word book as ‘cook’ and ‘said’ as ‘bed and Ted’. He even accuses the Assistant of being deaf! Then we see the Old Lady coming to complain about her cat thinking the post office to be a clinic for injured animals. We have the Farmer who thinks he knows all about time-bombs. We have the dirty urchin – Bertie- with his horrible English.

We have the Foreign Tourist with his terrible accent. Then there is the incident of a man coming to the post office and asking where he could get a stamp! Another fellow wants a pint of beer. The funniest incident is when people run for cover and the parcel is dropped in a bucket of water. The Tourist had brought a beautiful clock from Switzerland as a Christmas present to his friend. And see what havoc it caused and how it ended up in water!

Question 2.
The haits of each character in the play: (Mark 8)
Answer:

Question 3.
Humorous incidents of the play:
Answer:
There are many humorous incidents in the play. There is the incident of a man coming to the post office and asking where he could get a stamp! Another fellow wants a pint of beer. Then there is the incident of the conversation between the Assistant and Deaf Old Man who misunderstands book for cook and said for bed and Ted. He even accuses the Assistant of being deaf. We see an Old Lady coming to the office seeking advice about her cat as she thinks it is a clinic for animals. Bertie’s speaking makes us laugh because of his mutilated English.

The English of the Tourist is horrible. The funniest incident is when people run for cover and the parcel is dropped in a bucket of water. The Tourist had brought a beautiful clock from Switzerland as a Christmas present to his friend. And see what havoc it caused and how it ended up in water!

Plus Two English Textbook Answers Question 4.
Discuss the relevance of the theme, aptness of the dialogues and the suitability of the title. (Mark 6)
Answer:
The theme of the poem is highly relevant especially these days when we hear a lot about letter bombs and parcels bombs. Terrorists make use of them to terrorise the people and to spread a sense of insecurity, suspicion and chaos.

The dialogues are very apt. One would laugh his heart out when he listens to the dialogue between the Assistant and the deaf Old Man. The Old Man misunderstands book for ‘cook’ and said for ‘bed’ and ‘Ted’. Equally funny is the dialogue between Bertie and his mother. Bertie murders English and he says grammar has gone home to watch television. The Tourist also speaks English with a horrible accent.

The title “Post Early for Christmas” is a very apt one. All the major actions in the play are related to posting of gifts and parcels as Christmas presents. The Assistant tells Mrs Jones to post Christmas parcels early to prevent them from getting damaged in the last-minute rush. We feel that if the tourist had posted his parcel ‘early’ the damage could have been prevented. With his bitter experience he vows not to post anything in this country and he bitterly spits out the words “Post Early for Christmas!”

Question 5.
Now, write a review of the play based on the above discussion and points, to be published in your class magazine. (Mark 8)
Answer:
The play “Post Early for Christmas” by R.H. Wood is a rib-tickling comedy. The actions of the play take place in a village post office in England. The plot centres on a sinister looking Foreign Tourist coming to the post office to send a parcel to his friend. The parcel makes a ticking noise and the people in the post office think that there is a time bomb inside. They are scared. A policeman is called in.

To prevent the time-bomb from going off and killing everyone, the policeman drops it into a bucket of water. Then the tourist comes back to explain it was only a beautiful Swiss clock he was sending to his friend as a Christmas gift! He calls the policeman an idiot and vows he will never post anything in that country.

There are many humorous incidents in the play. There is the incident of a man coming to the post office and asking where he could get a stamp! Another fellow wants a pint of beer. Then there is the incident of the conversation between the Assistant and Deaf Old Man who misunderstands book for cook and said for bed and Ted. He even accuses the Assistant of being deaf. We see an Old Lady coming to the office seeking advice about her cat as she thinks it is a clinic for animals. Bertie’s speaking makes us laugh because of his mutilated English. The English of the Tourist is horrible. The funniest incident is when people run for cover and the parcel is dropped in a bucket of water. The Tourist had brought a beautiful clock from Switzerland as a Christmas present to his friend. And see what havoc it caused and how it ended up in water!

The dialogues are very apt. One would laugh his heart out when he listens to the dialogue between the Assistant and the deaf Old Man. The Old Man misunderstands book for ‘cook’ and said for ‘bed’ and ‘Ted’. Equally funny is the dialogue between Bertie and his mother. Bertie murders English and he says grammar has gone home to watch television. The Tourist also speaks English with a,horrible accent.

The title “Post Early for Christmas” is a very suitable one. All the major actions in the play are related to posting of gifts and parcels as Christmas presents. The Assistant tells Mrs. Jones to post Christmas parcels early to prevent them from getting damaged in the last-minute rush. We feel that if the tourist had posted his parcel ‘early’ the damage could have been prevented. With his bitter experience he vows not to post anything in this country and he bitterly spits out the words “Post Early for Christmas!”

On the whole we can say that Wood has written a fine play showing how ordinary people behave as they are faced with problems. Life has a lighter side too, in spite of our worries and anxieties about it. Wood gives us the chance to laugh at ourselves as some of us are just like the characters we meet in the play.

Activity – III (Collection)

Question 1.
Read the anecdote on p. 146. Now collect more such humorous literary anecdotes and present them in the class. (Mark 4)
Answer:
Once a teacher asked her class: “Does anyone here know anything about Shakespeare?”
“Yes, Sir, I know,” replied Rahul promptly.
“What do you know about him?” asked the teacher.

“Sir, he is a Malayalee from Thrissur. His original name was Kundam Kulukki. He went to England and learned English and started writing plays. He changed his name to English ‘Shake Spear’. To confuse people about his proper identity he added an ‘e’ to ‘spear1 making it ‘speare’. Thus he became Shakespeare. But actually he is man from Thrissur. My great grandfather said Kundam Kulukki and he studied together in the primary school at Ayyanthole, near Thrissur.

Question 2.
Fun loving David asked Liz: “Liz, what is the difference between a cat and a comma?”
Answer:
Without any hesitation, Liz answered: “A cat has claws at the end of its paws, and a comma is a pause at the end of a clause.”
If you know all about punctuation, then this statement shouldn’t confuse you. It simply defines the role of the comma.

II. Read And Enjoy

Exaggeration is one of the devices used in showing humour. You might have had very annoying experiences in life. How have you looked at them? Here is a poem that looks at an unpleasant experience from an unusual perspective.

Post Early for Christmas (One act play) About The Author

R.H. Wood is a British dramatist. He is remembered for his one act Play “Post Early for Christmas”. His plays are simple and he presents people in their ordinary life. The action of this play takes place in a post office in an English village. It is about a parcel mistaken for a time-bomb. It is relevant at a time when letter-bombs and parcel bombs are common.

Post Early for Christmas (One act play) Summary in English

Characters:

Scene: A Post Office, with posters reading, “POST EARLY FOR CHRISTMAS”.

The Assistant is complaining that the previous day was a busy day for her. She did not have a minute to rest. People were sending parcels and cards for Christmas. People are funny. One man came the other day and asked her where he could get a stamp. First the Assistant thought the man was playing a joke on her. Then there was the old man who could not see very well. He put his glasses on the counter. He wanted a pint of beer. The Assistant gave him a dozen penny stamps. She opens a book stamps and she sees a customer.

Page 135: Mrs Smith enters. She greets the Assistant and says it is cold. The Assistant agrees and adds that there will be snow for Christmas. Mrs. Smith says she does not like snow as it is not good for her rheumatism. Last year because of the snow and her rheumatism she could not enjoy at all. The Assistant then wishes that it should not snow and asks her what she wants. She wants a book of stamps and a postal order for half a crown (242 shillings). The Assistant asks her if she has no parcels. Mrs Smith says she has already sent her presents and cards. She believes in posting early for Christmas. The Assistant wants more people to do like Mrs. Smith. Parcels get damaged in the last-minute rush. She gives – the stamps and the postal order to Mrs. Smith.

Mrs. Jones enters. After thanking the Assistant, Mrs. Smith greets Mrs. Jones. She says she hasn’t seen her: for a long time. She enquires after her health.

Mrs. Jones moves to the counter. A deaf old man enters and stands at the back looking at a huge shopping list.

Mrs. Jones asks Mrs. Smith if she has finished her Christmas shopping. She is still in the middle of it. Mrs. Smith says she has posted her cards and presents.

Mrs. Jones gives some large parcels to the Assistant, who weighs them. Mrs. Jones tells Mrs. Smith that she is lucky. Then she tells the Assistant that she should be careful with the parcels as she does not want the presents to be damaged. The Assistant tells her that they do their best not to damage them. But why didn’t she post them last week?

Page 136: Mrs. Jones is not happy. She tells the Assistant that she will post her presents when she wants. The Assistant is polite and she says it will cost her 10 and 6 pence altogether. Mrs. Jones gives her the money.

Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Smith talk, standing away from the counter. The Deaf Old Man goes to the Assistant. She asks him how she can serve him. The gentleman says he has come to collect his old age pension. The assistant asks for his book. The gentleman does not hear properly. The assistant asks him: Did you bring the book? The gentlemen replies, “Of course, I didn’t bring my cook. My wife does all my cooking.” The assistant says he did not hear what she said. The gentleman again misunderstands. He replies: “Bed! Who ought to be in bed? I am not as young as I was, but I am still healthy. Don’t you be so impudent, young lady.”

The Assist once again says, “I’m afraid you didn’t hear what I said.” Again the gentleman mishears her and asks her who told her that he is called Ted. Is she trying to tell him his name? His name is Sam and he has come for his pension.

The Assistant again asks him if he has brought his book. The gentleman tells her not to speak about the cook. The Assistant loudly tells him she is talking of book and not cook. The gentleman asks her why she did not ask for it earlier and fumbles in his pockets. He gives the book to her.

Page 137 : Now he turns to the ladies and says it is too cold. The Assistant retums the book to him. He thanks her and mumbles his greetings for the season. The Assistant does not hear him properly and asks him what he said. He says she is a bit deaf. The Assistant is amused at the deaf man calling her deaf.

The deaf man is standing there counting his money. The Fussy Old Lady enters quickly.

The Old Lady rushes to the Assistant and tells her she needs her advice. The Assistant wants to know what the problem is. The Old lady says it is about her cat, Tiddles. Tiddles used to eat plenty but now she is not eating. The Assistant asks her if she has seen a vet. The Old lady says Tiddles has hurt her paw and it must have upset her. The old lady is confused as to what to do. The Assistant says she should put some antiseptic on the paw. The Old lady wants the Assistant to give it to her The Assistant tells her to get it from the chemist’s as this is a post office. The Old lady says she made a mistake; she thought it was a clinic for sick animals.

Page 138 : The Assistant tells her that the animal. clinic is at the end of the road. The Old says she is sorry. But she can’t go away without buying something. She will buy a two and half penny stamp. They are so beautiful and may be useful at this Christmas time.

The gentleman now talks to the lady. He says he knows something about cats and he could help her. At this time a Farmer, Mrs. Higgins and Bertie enter. The farmer greets the Assistant. He puts a parcel on the scales and asks her how much he has to pay. She says one and nine pence. Jokingly the Farmer asks if any bombs came in the post. The Assistant is surprised. Then the Farmer reads from the newspaper. “Bomb found in post office. Scotland Yard has issued a warning that a time-bomb disguised as a Christmas parcel was discovered in a London post office. Any suspicious-looking parcel should be reported at once to the local police station.”

The Assistant wants to know how one can tell it is a time-bomb. The Farmer explains that time-bombs usually tick just before they go off. If any parcel makes funny noises, she should be careful. Now Mrs. Jones recognizes the Farmer whose name is Mr. Brown. Now he talks to Mrs Jones and Mrs Smith. Bertie, an untidy boy, stares at Farmer Brown. His mother, a large, loud woman, goes to the counter.

Page 139 : Mrs. Higgins asks Bertie not to stare as it is rude. Bertie says, “O.K. Ma.’ Mrs Higgins tells him not to call her ‘Ma’, Then he calls her Mum. Mrs Higgins asks the Assistant to give her a book stamps and a money order for 2 pounds, 11 shillings and 5 pence. The Assistant gives her the book of stamps and asks her to fill in the money order form. As Mrs Higgins fills the form, she tells the boy to wipe his nose. He says he wants an engine. Mrs Higgins says this is a post office and engines are not sold there. Bertie says: “I seed ’em” next door. Mrs. Higgins is shocked at his language and asks him if he is not taught to speak English properly at school. He ‘corrects’ himself and says, “I sawed ’em”.

Mrs. Higgins agrees with him! She gives the form to the Assistant. Mrs. Higgins asks the boy not to play with the scales. She tells the Assistant he is a naughty boy and she does not know what to do with him.

Mrs. Higgins asks the boy to put his cap straight and pull his socks up. Bertie wants an ice cream. Mrs. Higgins wonders how he can eat ice cream in this weather. But she agrees to buy him if he behaves well. The Assistant asks her she has any more work at the post office.

Page 140: Mrs. Higgins says she wanted something else. But she has forgotten. She asks Bertie if he remembers it. Bertie says, “An engine’, Mrs. Higgins asks him not to be silly. Then he says it is ice cream. Mrs. Higgins says she wants to draw some money from her National Savings. Bertie wants to know if it is to buy him an engine. She asks him to keep quiet. The Assistant asks Higgins to give her the book and fill in the form.

A Foreign Tourist enters. He is dark and evil-looking. He is dressed in black and speaks with an accent. He greets the Assistant and tells her to send the parcel he has brought. It is for his friend. She wants to weigh it. As she weighs he leaves his gloves on the counter. She is happy the way the parcel is packed. It is very heavy. She says it will cost him five shillings. He thanks her. He walks away and then returns. He says he could not post the parcel early. He came to this country only a few days ago. The Assistant says it if is a present it will be in time. The Tourist says it is a special present. He wants to know how long it will take for it to reach the Central Post office to be sorted. The Assistant says it will be collected at midday.

Page 141 : The Tourist hopes they will take good care of his parcel. He wants to know if it will be opened. Will it be stolen? The Assistant assures him of the safety of the parcel. He thanks her and goes away leaving his gloves behind. The Assistant is a bit shaken. She wonders what is in the parcel. He seemed very anxious about it. Bertie goes to the parcel and looks at it.

Mrs. Smith asks the Farmer if he could give her a – turkey for Christmas. He says he can spare one. Mrs.
Higgins asks Bertie to come away from the parcel. As Bertie is reluctant she tells him that he will not get his engine or anything else for Christmas unless he comes away quickly from the parcel. Bertie can hear some sound from the parcel and he asks her to listen. Mrs. Higgins does not want to listen and she does not want Bertie also – to listen. The Assistant asks Bertie what the matter is. Bertie says the parcel “ain’t ‘alf making a funny noise”. Mrs. Higgins asks the boy where his grammar is. The boy says she is at home watching television!

Page 142: Mrs Higgins threatens to punish him when they go home for his cheekiness. The Assistant says she heard some ticking noise. The Farmer says he can still hear it. Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Smith can also hear. The Old gentleman wants to know what the people are hearing. The Old Lady says she can hear a most peculiar sound. What could it be! Farmer says it is a time-bomb. Everybody is worried and asks Where?’ The Farmer says it is in the parcel. The Old Lady wants to know what a time-bomb is. The Farmer says if they don’t do something fast, they will soon know what a time-bomb is. The Old Gentleman does not know what is the fuss about. The Old Lady says, “It is about a time-bomb.” The Gentleman asks, “Tom? Tom who?” The Farmer says it is better to send for a policeman. Mrs. Higgins asks Bertie to go and bring a policeman. Bertie goes out. The Assistant says she will take it outside and she goes to pick it up. Farmer asks her to leave it there because if she takes it, it will explode and kill all of them. Assistant does not know what to do. Farmer says the ticking noise is getting louder. Assistant agrees. The Farmer asks all the people to take cover. They all hide.

Page 143: The Gentleman thinks they are playing hide and seek. A policeman comes with Bertie. The policeman asks why they all are hiding. Assistant says it is a time-bomb. Policeman asks Bertie if he has been doing any mischief. Farmer says there is a time-bomb in the parcel. Policeman asks him not to talk nonsense. Farmers asks him to listen to the noise from the parcel. Policeman listens and says there is a loud ticking noise. Farmer feels happy that he is proved right. He asks the Assistant go get a bucket of water. The Assistant goes out.

The policeman tells the farmer to mind his job and he will do his job. He takes out a notebook and he says, “I will take down a few details.” Mrs. Jones asks him whether it would not be better to open the parcel. The Assistant comes with a bucket of water. The policeman asks the people not to panic. He will soon know what it – is. He begins to un-wrap the parcel. The Foreign Tourist enters. He says he left his gloves there. The Farmer asks the policeman to stop the Tourist as he brought the parcel. Policeman wants to talk with the Tourist. The Farmer holds the Tourist’s arm.

Page 144: The Tourist asks the Farmer why he is holding him. The policeman says it was because of the parcel brought by him and he is going to open it. The Tourist asks him if he is mad. He should leave the parcel alone. Policeman insists that he will open it. Tourist says it is nonsense. The policeman says he wants to know what it is. Tourist says it was ticking but now it has stopped ticking. He calls the policeman a fool. He says he is ruined.

Farmer says it has stopped ticking and so it will go off. He cautions everybody. The policeman throws it into a bucket of water and everybody dives for cover.

The Tourist calls the policeman an idiot and tells him he would be punished for it. The Tourist takes it out of the bucket of water. It is a large clock. The Assistant exclaims ‘A clock”. The Tourist says he had brought it all the way from Switzerland. It is now ruined. He will sue everyone. He calls them blundering idiots. He will never post anything in this country again. “Post Early for Christmas!” He will see the Postmaster General about this. He goes out.

The Assistant puts on her coat and says, “Well, that is that!” The policeman wants to know where she is going. She says she is leaving the post office for ever. She is going to work in the animal dispensary. Animals don’t do such silly things. She walks proudly away!

Post Early for Christmas (One act play) Summary in Malayalam

Meanings:

Devoid – lacking
Rheumatism – a painful disease with stiffness and inflammation
Crown – British coin worth 25 pence
Peering – looking intently
Fumbles – searches without looking
Nippy – very cold
Impudent – disrespectful
Mumbles – talk softly
Untidy – unclean
Urchin – mischievous boy
Fiddling – playing
Sinister-which make you afraid
Panic – too much fear.

Kerala State Board New Syllabus Plus Two English Textbook Answers Unit 5 The Lighter Side Text Book Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes.

Kerala Plus Two English Textbook The Lighter Side Questions and Answers Unit 5

“I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it’s the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of illness. It’s probably the most important thing in a person.”

-Audrey Hepburn

About The Unit

Humour adds to the spice of life. It reduces the boredom of a tension-ridden existence. It makes life easier. If one develops a sense of humour, even unpleasant experiences will become less problematic. It will enhance one’s physical and emotional well being.

Humour has occupied an important place in literature right from the time of Geoffrey Chaucer, the ‘Father of English Literature.’ It is a different mode of depicting reality and it has proved very effective.

This unit has a one-act play, a poem and a short story.

Lets Begin

Look at the cartoons:

Let’S Discuss:

Question 1.
What do you understand from these cartoons? What message do they convey?
Answer:
These cartoons make fun of some of the people and things that we see in everyday life. They are primarily meant to make people smile and laugh. Even as they make us smile, they also make us think. Cartoonists try to bring in changes in the society by making people see how they really look to others. Cartoonists hold a mirrorto the society.

Question 2.
Can you identify the common character in all these cartoons? What is his role? Whom does he represent?
Answer:
The common character is a doctor. His role is to keep the people healthy and happy. He represents somebody working for the welfare of humanity.

Question 3.
Cartoons especially such as those by R.K. Laxman convey the pangs andan3deties of ordinary people. Discuss.
Answer:
The full name of R.K. Laxman is Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Laxman. He was a very famous Indian cartoonist, illustrator, and humorist. He is the brother of R.K. Narayan, who is a great writer, who wrote in English. Laxman is best known for his creation of The Common Man and for his daily cartoon strip, “You Said It” in The Times of India, which started in 1951. In his cartoons he conveyed the pangs and anxieties of ordinary pfeople. He made fun of the political leaders who spent the poor man’s tax money to live in luxury. He sympathized with the common man who was always worried about his ‘roti, kapada and makan’.

Read And Reflect

It is said that laughter is not without an element of pain. Is humour always completely innocent and harmless? Doesn’t it create inconvenience to others at least sometimes? Read the play and see.

Kerala State Board New Syllabus Plus Two English Textbook Answers Unit 4 Chapter 3 Dangers of Drug Abuse Text Book Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes.

Kerala Plus Two English Textbook Dangers of Drug Abuse Questions and Answers Unit 4 Chapter 3 (Essay)

Read And Respond (Text Book)

Question 1.
Why do people believe in drugs?
Answer:
People believe in drugs because they think that any sickness of the body and mind can be healed by taking a pill.

Question 2.
What is the danger of over-dependence on drugs?
Answer:
When people become over-dependent on drugs to solve their problems, they lose their capacity to deal with life’s situations through perseverance, self-discipline and mental effort. Some people think it is foolish to expend energy on solving a problem when there is an easy way out.

Question 3.
What is Hippocrates chief contribution?
Answer:
Hippocrates was the first to say that a remedy must take into account not only the symptoms of the disease but also the constitution and habits of the patient. This is his chief contribution.

Question 4.
What is the distinction between medicines and sensual drugs?
Answer:
The difference between medicines and sensual drugs is simple. Sensual drugs are those that the body does not need, but they give the user a strong sense of pleasure. Sensual drugs activate the brain’s pleasure centres. Medicines are those that cure or prevent diseases. The body needs medicines but not sensual drugs.

Question 5.
How do sensual drugs act on the human body?
Answer:
Sensual drugs activate the brain’s pleasure centres. It is the brain that governs sensations, moods, thoughts and actions. Sensual drugs upset the normal working of the brain and give the body a false sense of pleasure.

Question 6.
What is the danger of severe addiction?
Answer:
A drug user’s craving for the drug continues, but he feels less and less satisfaction. His brain’s pleasure reflexes are by artificial stimulation. In severe addiction, the pleasure mechanisms fail to respond to drug stimulation. The drug then gives only relative relief from misery.

Question 7.
Why does the craving for sensual drugs persist in an addict?
Answer:
In an addict the pleasure mechanisms fail to respond to drug stimulation. The drug then gives him only relative relief from misery. So he wants more and more drugs and thus the craving persists.

Question 8.
How does thebi&in govern sensations, moods, actions and thoughts?
Answer:
The brain governs sensations, moods, actions and thoughts by an unbelievably complex series of chemically regulated controls.

Question 9.
Why does the addict suspect everything external?
Answer:
The addict suspects everything external because he is in a state of paranoia. He doesnot know the source of his problem and he looks for its cause in everything but himself. Anything outside scares him and he draws further and further into himself.

Question 10.
What are the symptoms of the addict’s sensory deprivation?
Answer:
The symptoms of the addict’s sensory deprivation are a general feeling of physical discomfort and personality changes. The addict feels depressed. He fails to respond either to his environment or to other people. His mental disturbance can be like paranoia.

Question 11.
Why do addicts press their fingers deep into their bodies?
Answer:
Addicts press their fingers deep into their bodies because their sensations are lost and they want to reassure themselves of their own reality.

Question 12.
Name some drug related health disorders.
Answer:
Drug-related health disorders are many and varied. Dirty needles and solutions used for injecting drugs can cause abscesses in the arms and veins. They can cause liver disease, venereal disease and infection of the kidney and brain. Sniffing cocaine and amphetamines can damage the tissue of the nose. Marijuana and tobacco smoking can cause lung diseases.

Babies of women addicted to opiates are likely to be bom addicted and to suffer from withdrawal symptoms! Cocaine and amphetamines cause hair fall. Marijuana can damage cells. A drug addict can easily get pneumonia, tuberculosis, mal-nutrition and weight loss. An overdose of any sensual drug can cause respiratory or cardiac failure and death.

Question 13.
How do drug affect women addicts?
Answer:
In addition to all the ill-effects that men have from drug abuse, babies of women addicted to opiates are likely to be born addicted and to suffer from withdrawal symptoms.

Question 14.
How do sensual drugs affect brain cells?
Answer:
Sensual drugs affect the chemistry of brain cells. Cell function is carried out by thousands of enzymes acting within each cell. Each exposure of the cells to psychoactive drugs alters their chemistry. Toxic chemicals can upset the brain’s intricate system of communication. They can also damage cell tissues. Toxic effect may be permanent.

Think And Write

Question 1.
How does the belief in drugs lead to drug abuse?
Answer:
Drugs were discovered to prevent and cure physical diseases and reverse the disturbances that occur in some mental illnesses. The power of drugs has led people to believe that any ailment, infective or psychic, can be relieved by taking a pill. At the first sign of nervousness, they try pep pills. Medical journals now advertise tranquilizers, amphetamines and other mood-altering drugs. Doctors prescribe them and people expect miracles from them. This excitement overdmgs leads to drug abuse.

Question 2.
What are the principles putforth by Hippocrates in relation to the use of drugs?
Answer:
Hippocrates, the Greek physician, is regarded as the father of medicine. He was the first to say that a remedy must take into account not only the symptoms of the disease but also the constitution and habits of the patient. As per his teaching, medicines must suit the disease and the patient. When there is a disorder only a drug that specifically mitigates that disorder should be used. The drug should also have restorative effects. Otherwise it will unbalance heqlthy functions of the brain and the body. It means a healthy person cannot benefit from taking a drug. He said, “Persons in good health quickly lose their strength by taking purgative medicines.”

Question 3.
How does the sensory deprivation of the addict express itself?
Answer:
The sensory deprivation of the drug addict shows itself in a general feeling of physical discomfort and in personality changes. The addict feels depressed. He fails to respond either to his environment or to other people. His mental disturbance can be like paranoia.

Question 4.
How does the addict look upon external objects?
Answer:
The addict knows he has a problem. But he does not know the source of his problem and he looks for its cause in everything but himself. He looks upon external objects with suspicion. Anything outside scares him and he draws further and further into himself.

Question 5.
Do you think addiction to drugs will result in identity crisis? How?
Answer:
Addiction to drugs will definitely result in identity crisis. An addict feels that others look at him strangely. When people smile at an addict, he thinks they are laughing at him. An addict may even lose his sense of being alive. He feels ‘dead inside’. Once, a rehabilitated heroin addict told the writer: “Looking out of the window, the sun is shining. The flowers are in bloom. These are signs of a good day.” But pressing his chest, he said, “I don’t feel it here.” Addicts often press their fingers deep into their arms or legs to reassure themselves of their own reality. Their sensations are lost and they look for drug-induced sensations.

Dangers of Drug Abuse (Essay) Edumate Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Read the following excerpt and answer the questions that follow.
“It is a simple step from ‘look what drugs do for me when I feel depressed,’ to ‘imagine what drug can do for me when I feel good already?”
a) What does the word ‘depressed’ mean in this sentence?
a) ill
b) unhappy
c) disappointed
d) enthusiatic
b) What change in attitude do you notice among the new generation drug users?
Answer:
a) unhappy
b) Earlier, drug addicts used to boast about the power of drugs to relieve them of their unhappiness and uneasiness. But new generation addicts take drugs even when they feel good because they seem to believe in the magical power of drugs.

Question 2.
Go through the excerpt given below and answerthe questions given below.
“A drug user’s craving for the drug continues, but he feels less and less satisfaction. His brain’s pleasure reflexes seem to be weakened by artificial stimulation. In severe addiction, the pleasure mechanisms fail to respond to drug stimulation.”
a) A drug user’s craving for the drug continues. Why?
b) What is the danger of severe addiction?
c) What does the word ‘stimulate’ mean?
a) addiction b) work c) induce d) sedate
Answer:
a) Because his brain’s pleasure reflexes seem to be awakened by artificial stimulation.
b) In severe addiction, the mechanisms fail to respond to drug stimulation.
c) induce

Question 3.
Read the following excerpt and answerthe questions that follow.
“The sun is shining, the flowers are in bloom, I know these are signs of a good day, but, I don’t feel it in here.”
a) What does the word ‘bloom’ mean here?
a) spring b) freshness c) blossom d) healthy
b) What is the psychological problem of the addict mentioned here?
Answer:
a) blossom
b) The addict loses his sense of being alive because of sensory deprivation.

Question 4.
Read the following excerpt and answerthe questions that follow.
“Real dangers exi^t, although the drug user often assumes they do not because the harmful side effects are not immediately apparent. Possible results range from incidental delirious effects to death from overdose; the dangers that lie between the extremes are the degeneration of health and the depletion of brain function.”
a) Why does the drug user assume that there is no danger?
b) What are the possible and harmful side effects?
c) Word opposite in meaning to ‘apparent’ is
a) dubious b) clear c) evident d) doubtless
Answer:
a) The drug user often assumes that there is no danger because the harmful side effects are not immediately apparent.
b) Possible results range from incidental delirious effects to death from overdose the dangers that lie between the extremes are the worsening of health and reduced brain function.
c) dubious

Question 5.
Two views on addressing drug abuse are given below. Which of two is more appealing to you?
Ban all these drugs legally
I support that and I believe so.
Sorry, I’m afraid, I have to disagree with you, Awareness Programmes will be the lasting solution here.
Imagine that you are participating in a debate on the topic‘Drug Abuse: a Social Menace.’Being the first speaker you make a short speech listing your arguments. Draft the speech of your arguments in hundred words.
Answer:
Drug Abuse: A Social Menace
When talking about the problem of drug abuse some people say, “Ban all these drugs legally”. Well, here drugs mean psychedelic drugs. I don’t agree with this idea to solve the problem of drug abuse. We can’t ban all the psychedelic drugs just because a few people misuse them. Even psychedelic drugs have medicinal value and they are used for treating certain diseases, including alcoholism and epilepsy.
I think the most common psychedelic drugs are psilocybin and Ecstasy.

These are used by doctors in the treatment of diseases like epilepsy, insomnia and mental disorders. They are also used in palliative care to treat the patients who are in constant pain and on the verge of death. So we must realize that even these psychedelic drugs have positive uses and so we can’t ban them all legally; Banning them would be as foolish as throwing the baby out with the bathwater! It is true that some people abuse drug. People abuse so many good things but we can’t ban them all just because we’are afraid of their misuse by a few perverts.

Question 6.
Giving support to PM’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the NSS Unit of your school had taken an initiative to clean the campus of the menace of drug abuse. The secretary of NSS had lodged a complaint with the Commissioner of Police of your district. But no action has been taken so far. Prepare a letter of enquiry to the Commissioner seeking the status and nature of action taken in this regard.
Answer:
Joe Francis
Secretary, NSS Unit
Sri Narayana Guru Memorial HSS
Vellamchira
9 June 2017

The Commissioner of Police Thrissur District
Sir
Sub: PM’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan – Drug Free Campus
The NSS Unit of this School, as part of its effort to participate effectively in the Prime Ministers’ “Swachh Bharat Abhiyan” has been making all out efforts to make our campus free from the menace of drug abuse. We have been conducting awareness programmes telling our students and even the local people of the dangers of drug abuse. But some drug peddlers still roam about our campus looking for easy preys.

We had complained to you to take action against these peddlers in our letter dated 20 May 2017. It is nearly three weeks now, but no action seems to have been taken from your end. The peddlers are still very much active here nullifying our efforts to make the campus drug free.

So we once again humbly request you to look into the matter and take steps to prevent the peddlers from coming to our place and destroying our mates here.

Thanking you and hoping that you will take immediate action.

Yours faithfully,
(Joe Francis))

Question 7.
“Say No to Drugs and Drinks.” Write a small paragraph explaining the message of the caption.
Answer:
SAY NO TO DRUGS AND DRINKS
The problem of drug and alcohol addiction has become a serious menace threatening the future of especially ouryocfth. Sensual drugs and alcoholic drinks play havoc with the body and mind of their users. The drug and alcoholic addicts experience sensory deprivation. They feel physical discomfort and there are personality changes in them. They often feel depressed. They fail to respond either to their environment or to other people. Their mental disturbances can be like paranoia.

The addicts know they have a problem, but they can’t solve it. Drugs and alcoholic drinks cause hair fall and the addicts can easily catch diseases like pneumonia tuberculosis, malnutrition and weight loss. Overdoses of drugs and alcohol can cause respiratory and cardiac failure and result even in death. It is easy to start any bad habit but it will be difficult to stop it. So say no to drugs and alcoholic drinks.

Question 8.
A few of your friends have been admitted to the hospital and are recovering from the ill effects of drug abuse. They have understood the impact of drug abuse in their lives and have decided not to touch it again. Prepare a few expressions of advice to discourage them from using it again. You may use expressions like ‘You had better…, Why don’t you … , You could spend … , Let’s … etc.’
Answer:
You had better get rid of your addiction and spend the money on useful things.
Why don’t you to go to a counsellor or practise yoga for improving your self control?
You could spend the money you use for drugs and drinks on healthy and tasty food.
Let’s spend the money on charity; it will help so many people.

Question 9.
As part of the Souhrida Day, the Souhrida Unit of your school is organising a programme called “MEET THE DOCTOR”. As a student interested in knowing more about the physical and mental impacts of drug abuse, you plan to ask a few questions to the doctor. Prepare four questions to be asked to the doctor.
Answer:
a) Good morning, Doctor! I would like to know how drugs affect the mind. Can you please give us some details?
b) I have heard that drugs adversely affect the body also. Is it true doctor? Can you elaborate a bit?
c) Doctor, I have heard about withdrawal symptoms. Will you please explain what they mean and what they indicate?
d) Many people say that even after coming out of the De-addiction Centres after being cured, many addicts go back to their addiction. Is it true?

Activity – I (Paragraph writing)

Question 1.
Describe the mental as well as physical impacts of drug abuse.
Answer:
Drug abuse has both mental and physical impacts. The drug addict experiences sensory deprivation. He has a general feeling of physical discomfort and there are personality changes in him. The addict feels depressed. He fails to respond either to his environment or to other people. His mental disturbance can be like paranoia. The addict knows he has a problem. But he does not know the source of his problem and he looks for its cause in everything but himself. He looks upon external objects with suspicion.

Anything outside scares him and he draws further and further into himself. There are also drug-related physical disorders. Dirty needles and solutions used for injecting drugs can cause abscesses in the arms and veins. They can cause liver disease, venereal disease and infection of the kidney and brain. Sniffing cocaine and amphetamines can damage the tissue of the nose. Marijuana and tobacco smoking can cause lung diseases. Babies of women addicted to opiates are likely to be bom addicted and to suffer from withdrawal symptoms.

Cocaine and amphetamines cause hair fall. Marijuana can damage cells. A drug addict can easily get pneumonia, tuberculosis, mal-nutrition and weight loss. An overdose of any sensual drug can cause respiratory or cardiac failure and death.

Question 2.
Do you think that the addiction to drugs will destroy not only the addicted butthe entire humanity? Justify your answer with special reference to the modem context.
Answer:
I certainly think that the addiction to drugs will destroy not only the addicted but the entire humanity. I say that because even if a single member of a family is addicted to drugs, the entire family feels bad. A family does not live alone as many families are connected through blood relations or marriage relations. The unhappiness of one family spreads into other families. Families will start restricting their children from having friendship or any kind of relation with the drug addicts and their families. This way there will be a cascading effect, spreading unhappiness all over.

Drugs are a burden on society as they can’t contribute anything positive. They suffer from all sorts of/wental and physical problems and they look at people with suspicion. Love, affection, mercy, sympathy etc. slowly disappear. Drug addiction especially happens among the youth. Once the youth of a country are unable to carry out their responsibilities, the nations will be in jeopardy. Drug addiction leads to distrust, fights and wars which will ultimately min humanity.

Activity – II (Group Discussion)

Question 1.
The health club in yourschool decides to conduct a group discussion (GD) on the topic “Substance Abuse Leads to Social Problems”. Conduct a GD.
(Note: Study the Dos and Don’ts given on page 124 of the Text)
Answer:
A. As you all know the topic for our discussion today is “Substance Abuse Leads to Social Problems”. Substance Abuse is popularly known as drug addiction. Drug addiction has become a big menace especially among the youth of today. Recently we heard how some young actors and actresses were caught by the police for taking and possessing drugs. Drugs cause physical and mental problems if they are abused.

B. I quite agree with A. Even school children are taking drugs. The other day I read in the newspapers that some school children were sniffing ’whitener’ because it gave them some intoxicating feeling. It is so dangerous. Imagine the future of such children.

C. People abuse drugs because they think drugs can cure any disease and they can also give some kind of pleasures. It is common for youngster to take pep pills just to get some euphoria. Even our athletes take drugs to enhance their performance.

D. Many drug abusers do not know how it affects their minds. The drug addict experiences sensory deprivation. He has a general feeling of physical discomfort and there are personality changes in him. The addict feels depressed. He failsto respond either to his environment or to other people. His mental disturbance can be like paranoia. The addict knows he has a problem. But he does not know the source of his problem and he looks for its cause in everything but himself. He looks upon external objects with suspicion. Anything outside scares him and he withdraws further and further into himself.

E. Drugs also affect the body adversely. Dirty needles and solutions used for injecting drugs can cause abscesses in the arms and veins. They can cause liver disease, venereal disease and infection of the kidney and brain. Sniffing cocaine and amphetamines can damage the tissue of the nose. Marijuana and tobacco smoking can cause lung diseases. Babies of women addicted to opiates are likely to be born addicted and to suffer from withdrawal symptoms. Cocaine and amphetamines cause hair fall. Marijuana can damage cells. A drug addict can easily get pneumonia, tuberculosis, mal-nutrition and weight loss. An overdose of any sensual drug can cause respiratory or cardiac failure and death.

F. Substance abuse has really become a huge problem and all-out efforts are to be made to find solutions. I think instead of opening more and more rehabilitation centres, the government and the society should do more in the prevention of drug abuse. Prevention is better than cure. The police must be more vigilant. Parents must ensure that their children do not get into drug addiction by keeping a close watch over them. Teachers must constantly make their students aware of the evils of drug addiction. Even religious leaders can play a big role in teaching the people how drug addiction is against God and moral life.

G. I think we have discussed the problem quite exhaustively. I thank all the participants in the discussion. I am sure we ail have benefitted from what we heard today. Let us take a vow that we shall neverbecome drug addicts. Thank you all!

Activity – III (Letter of Enquiry)

Question 1.
While at school you may sometimes have to write letters to different agencies/organization/offices etc. enquiring about their services or seeking permission to use their services. Study the letter of enquiry on page 125 made by the Secretary of the Souhrida Club Of a school to the Central Library, Mumbai.
Now that you have read the sample letter, write a letter to Florets Public School, Chennai, enquiring about the project they are working on and seeking permission to visit their school.
Answer:
St. Mary’s Higher Secondary School
43, Cathedral Road
Irinjalakuda

Tel: 9876543210
Email: stmarvsl [email protected]

The Principal
Florets Public School
420, Chandrabose Nagar
Chennai
20 June 2015

Respected Sir,
Sub: Permission to visit your school
We have come to Jcnow that the class XII of your school are working on a project on the ‘Increasing Tendency of drug abuse among the young’. We also came to know that the project has made great progress. We saw some of the pamphlets issued by the project coordinator exhorting the young to keep away from drugs, showing them the physical and mental problems they will encounter if they get into the dangerous habit of drug abuse.

We are impressed by your work. We also plan to make a project of our own in our school so that we can help the local people, especially boys and girls of school-going age. We believe that a visit to your school will help us a lot as we can see the work there firsthand and talk to the people who have been working on it. Please let us know if it would be okay if a group of 20 students, led by a teacher, visits your school at a time convenient to you.

We shall be glad if a date is given to us sometime in the 2nd week of July, if it is okay with you. We are sure you will be gracious enough to grant our request. Please send your reply at your earliest.
Thanking you,

Yours respectfully,
(Raj Job)
Secretary, Social Club

Activity – IV (Use of language expressions)

On page 126 and 127 expressions which can be used in different contexts are given. Study them and use them. Two examples, using the first two expressions in each group, are given below:
1. Expression to seek permission
a) Please give me permission to go home half an hour early today, as I have to accompany my motherto the hospital.
b) Please permit me to take this magazine home as I am prepanng a project and an article there would be of much use to me.
2. Expressions to seek information
a) Please tell me if you are going to Thrissurthis evening.
b) I would like to know on which days there are flights to Singapore from this airport.
3. Giving advice
a) You’d better concentrate of your studies instead of wasting your time on cricket.
b) You could use some more time for your studies.
4. Making Requests
a) Can you please speak up?
b) Will you please hold it for me?
5. Offer sympathy and providing encouragement
a) I want you to know how sorry I am at your not getting that job.
b) I’m sorry to hearthat your mother is in hospital.
6. Making suggestions
a) You could spend some more money on your clothes.
b) Let’s go home and do some combined studies.

Activity – V (Giving advice)

You may come across drug addicts among your pwn peer group. You have the responsibility to make them aware of the danger of drug abuse. You can do it in many different ways. For example, you can advise them not to use it/request them lovingly and politely to give up the habit/make alternative or practical suggestions/offer your sympathy and encouragement etc.
Imagine such a situation and make use of the suitable expressions given above to talk to/advise your friend about the dangers of drug abuse.
Answer:
Tom, I have come to know that you are taking amphetamines regularly. I don’t know how a responsible boy like you could get into such a dangerous habit. Do you know the use of amphetamines brings a lot of adverse effects on your mind and body? They destroy the tissues of your nose and slowly your nose will lose your sense of smell. Your brain will be very badly affected. You also become prone to get pneumonia, tuberculosis, hair and weight loss.

I am sure you want to grow into a fine gentleman. How much love your parents have for you! If they come to know that you take amphetamines, how will they feel? How will your friends feel? So, Tom, give up your habit. You can do physical and mental exercises to overcome your craving for amphetamines. Enjoy life, this beautiful life!

Activity – VI (Seminar)

Read the newspaper clippings given on page 128.
These reports give us an alarming picture of the spreading menace of the abuse of drugs among the younger generation. Study the problem in details and prepare a seminar paper on the topic ‘The vicious web of drugs spoils the dreams and lives of the young’.
Read the tips to prepare a seminar paper given on p. 129. (Mark 8)
Answer:
‘THE VICIOUS WEB OF DRUGS SPOILS THE DREAMS AND LIVES OF THE YOUNG’
Abstract: This Paper makes an in-depth study of the problem of drug addiction among the youth of today. The author interviewed some addicts, teachers, parents, and community leaders to find the ground realities. There were also questionnaires to be answered by students, teachers, and parents. The results showthat drug addiction is a real problem amongst our youth of the school and college-going age. Unless we stop this menace, we will have to reap the bitter harvest sooner or later.

Statement of the Problem: The problem of drug addiction has become a serious menace threatening the future of our youth, especially school and college-going youth. This age-group is more vulnerable to addiction because most of them are teenagers. Teenage, as we all know, is the time of stress and strain. To overcome their stress and strain, many youngsters take drugs. These drugs give them temporary pleasure relieving them of their tensions for a brief period.

Information on drug abuse was collected from various sources including books, journals, lecture notes and the Internet. Direct studies were made through interviews and questionnaires. From the sources the author consulted, he has come to the conclusion that he problem is really big and solutions should be found.

Causes : Analysing the responses from people, the author has made certain conclusions regarding the spread of the problem. One problem is that the youngsters today get a lot of money from their parents. Since most families have only a child ortwo, they are pampered by the parents. Many of the parents don’t have the time to spend with their children and they compensate this by giving them money which the youngsters misuse. Another reason is peer-group influence.

A third reason is blind imitation of the so-called glamour boys and girls in films and sports who use drugs. A fourth reason is the easy availability of the stuff. If you have money you can buy it very easily. If you give them a call, the peddlers will bring the stuff to you. Another reason is the moral laxity of the times. We can also see that the law-enforcing agencies are not sincere in their work. Our society has degenerated into a corrupt one and one, it seems, can do anything without being caught.

Effects: Sensual drugs play havoc with the body and mind of their users. The drug addict experiences sensory deprivation. He has a general feeling of physical discomfort and there are personality changes in him. The addict feels depressed. He fails to respond eitherto his environment or to other people. His mental disturbance can be like paranoia. The addict knows he has a problem. But he does not know the source of his problem and he looks for its cause in everything but himself. He looks upon external objects with suspicion. Anything outside scares him and he withdraws further and further into himself.

Drugs also affect the body adversely. Dirty needles and solutions used for injecting “drugs can cause abscesses in the arms and veins. They can cause liver disease, venereal disease and infection of the kidney and brain. Sniffing cocaine and amphetamines can damage the tissue of the nose. Marijuana and tobacco smoking can cause lung diseases. Babies of women addicted to opiates are likely to be born addicted and to suffer from withdrawal symptoms. Cocaine and amphetamines cause hair fall. Marijuana can damage cells. A drug addict can easily get pneumonia, tuberculosis, mal-nutrition and weight loss. An overdose of any sensual drug can cause respiratory or cardiac failure and death.

Solutions: The drug problems can be solved only through the concerted efforts of the parents, teachers, community leaders and law-enforcing agencies. Awareness programmes should be conducted about the dangerous effects of drug abuse. Parents should ensure that their children are not given money for which they can’t give a proper account. Community leaders must ensure that the youth have enough facilities and enjoy and expend their energies in a positive way. The police must make sure that sensual drugs are not easily available to the youth. Medical shops should sell medicines only on prescription by doctors.

References:

1. Dangers of Drug Abuse by Hardin B. Jones
2. An Internet article on Sensual Drugs and their Effects
3. Reader’s Digest Article on “Youths and Drugs”, May 2015.

Activity – VII (Power-point Presentation)

Read the matter given on page 129 and prepare a power-point presentation, using the tips given there. You may use the seminar paper above to get appropriate points. Divide the points into the relevance of the topic, causes, effects and suggestions.

Activity – VIII (Let’s edit)

Question 1.
While writing down the following passage, being dictated by the teacher, a student committed a few mistakes in spelling. Correctthose mistakes.
Answer:
One rehabilitated heroin addict described his sensory deprivation to me: looking out of the window, he said, The sun is shining, the flowers are in bloom. I know these are signs of a good day.” But, pressing his chest, he said, “I don’t feel it here.” I have seen addicts habitually press their fingers deep into their arms or legs as if to reassure themselves of their own reality. This craving for lost sensations explains in part the addict’s need to continue to seek drug-induced sensations.

Question 2.
Here is a passage by a writer who committed,a few mistakes while writing. Help him write the correct spelling.
Answer:
On a wild and stormy hillside there stood an old ruin of a castle where, quite often on a dark and stormy: night, people could hear the screams of tortured ghost’s coming through the walls and turrets. The clanking of chains could be heard and the soles of those passing by froze at the sound.

Question 3.
Given below is a newspaper report prepared by a student about a forest fire in Wayanad, as part of an assignment given by the English teacher.
There are some errors in it. Identify the errors and rewrite the report with necessary corrections. (Hint: The errors are in concord, voice, preposition, spelling, phrasalverb)
Answer:
FOREST FIRES CONTINUE IN WAYANAD
Three minor incidents of forest fire were reported in Wayanad district. The first incident was reported in Thrissilery in the morning. Later, two incidents were reported at Kottiyur and Kalamkandy. Timely intervention by forest officials and fire and rescue personnel, who put out the fire on a war footing, prevented the fire from spreading. It was reported that nearly five acres of forestland were destroyed in the fire. A Non-Governmental Organization official said that natural forest fires were rare atthis time of the year, adding that often they were man-made. They said they would stage a dharna at Sulthan Bathery on Friday to sensitize the public on the significance of conserving forests.

Dangers of Drug Abuse (Essay) About The Author

Hardin Blain Jones (1914-1978) was born in Los Angeles, California. He was a professor of medical physics and physiology. “Dangers of Drug Abuse’ is a timely warning to modern society.

Dangers of Drug Abuse (Essay) Summary in English

Page 119: Drugs were discovered to prevent and cure physical diseases and reverse the disturbances that occur in some mental illnesses. The power of drugs has led people to believe that any ailment, infective or psychic, can be relieved by taking a pill. At the first sign of nervousness, they try pep pills. Medical journals now advertise tranquilizers (which calm you down), amphetamines (used for slimming and also for euphoria) and other mood-altering drugs. Doctors prescribe them and people expect miracles from them. In this situation, drug abuse is widespread.

When people become dependent on drugs to solve their problems, they lose their capacity to deal with life’s situations through perseverance, self-discipline and mental effort. Some people thy* it is foolish to expend energy on solving a problem when there is an easy way out. People take drugs when they feel bad. They take drugs even when they feel good already.

Page 120: A distinction should be made between medicine and the sensual drugs. We must know the important advances science has made. The history of medical use of drugs goes back 23 centuries to Hippocrates, the Greek physician. He is regarded as the father of medicine. He was the first to say that a remedy must take into account not only the symptoms of the disease but also the constitution and habits of the patient.

As per his teaching, medicines must suit the disease and the patient. When there is a disorder only a drug that specifically mitigates that disorder should be used. The drug should also have restorative effects. Otherwise it will unbalance healthy functions of the brain and the body. It means a healthy person cannot benefit from taking a drug. This also comes from Hippocrates. He said, “Persons in good health quickly lose their strength by taking purgative medicines.”

The difference between medicines and sensual drugs is simple. Sensual drugs are those that the body does not need, but they give the user a strong sense of pleasure. Sensual drugs activate the brain’s pleasure centres. We don’t know how they do it – whethef they stimulate the pleasure centre directly or activate them through chemical mimicry. Both possibilities will be referred to as stimulation.

The brain governs sensations, moods, thoughts and actions. It is done not through any magical process but by an unbelievably complex series of chemically regulated controls. These are easily upset by sensual drugs. They affect on the mechanisms that control pleasure and satisfaction. A drug user’s craving for the drug continues, but he feels less and less satisfaction. His brain’s pleasure reflexes are activated by artificial stimulation. In severe addiction, the pleasure mechanisms fail to respond to drug stimulation. The drug then gives only relative relief from misery and suspends the illness of withdrawal. Information from the senses still reaches the brain, but the brain is unable to evaluate the information and interpret it as pleasurable. In contrast, naturally attained pleasures enlarge the sense of satisfaction and can be repeated indefinitely.

Page 121: Ultimately, the sensory deprivation of the drug addict shows its# in a general feeling of physical discomfort and in personality changes. The addict feels depressed. He fails to respond eitherto his environment or to other people. His mental disturbance can be like paranoia. He does not know the source of his problem and he looks for its cause in everything but himself. Anything outside scares him and draws further and further into himself. He feels that others look at him strangely. One even told me that when people smiled at him he thought they were laughing at him. He may even lose his sense of being alive. He feels ‘dead inside’. This is what one rehabilitated heroin addict told me: “Looking out of the window, the sun is shining. The flowers are in bloom. These are signs of a good day.” But pressing his chest, he said, “I don’t feel it here.” Addicts often press their fingers deep into their arms or legs to reassure themselves of their own reality. Their sensations are lost and they look for drug-induced sensations.

If drugs gave a safe form of pleasure, there would be no objections to using them. But we know continued use of drugs has very bad consequences. There are real dangers, but the drug user thinks there is no danger because the harmful side effects are not immediately seen. An overdose may result in delirious effects or even death. Between these extremes there is the danger of degeneration of health and reduced brain function. Drugs act directly on the brain. They cause mental mechanisms to respond abnormally. The risks are great for regular users. A lot of harm may be done before the warning symptoms occur.

Page 122: Drug-related health disorders are many and varied. Dirty needles and solutions used for injecting drugs can cause abscesses in the arms and veins. They can cause liver disease, venereal disease and infection of the kidney and brain. Sniffing cocaine and amphetamines can damage the tissue of the nose. Marijuana and tobacco smoking can cause lung diseases. Heavy users of alcohol, volatile solvents, amphetamines or marijuana damage their livers permanently. Babies of women addicted to opiates are likely to be bom addicted and to suffer from withdrawal symptoms. Cocaine and amphetamines cause hair fall. Marijuana can damage cells. A drug addict can easily get pneumonia, tuberculosis, malnutrition and weight loss. An overdose of any sensual drug can cause respiratory or cardiac failure and death.

Sensual drugs affect the chemistry of brain cells. Cell function is carried out by thousands of enzymes acting within each cell. Each exposure of the cells to psychoactive drugs alters their chemistry. Toxic chemicals can upset the brain’s intricate system of communication. They can also damage cell tissues. Toxic effect may be permanent.

This article focuses on the effects of drugs on the brain. Drugs affect other parts of the body also and they can be even more debilitating. Damage to the brain is the most subtle and often unrecognized and least understood consequence of drug abuse.

Dangers of Drug Abuse (Essay) Summary in Malayalam

Dangers of Drug Abuse (Essay) Meanings

Kerala State Board New Syllabus Plus Two English Textbook Answers Unit 5 Chapter 3 Crime and Punishment Text Book Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes.

Kerala Plus Two English Textbook Crime and Punishment Questions and Answers Unit 5 Chapter 3 (Short Story)

Read And Respond (Text Book)

Question 1.
Why did the boy try to fool the teacher by repeating his mistake?
Answer:
The boy tried to fool the teacher by repeating his mistake because he did not want to continue with his studies. He was interested in playing and not studying.

Question 2.
Why did the parents give the boy intensive coaching in Mathematics?
Answer:
The parents gave the boy intensive coaching in Mathematics because they wanted him to score 50 in Mathematics and thus get a double promotion to the first form.

Question 3.
How does the teacher react when the boy repeated the mistake several times?
Answer:
The teacher slapped the boy hard on his cheek when he repeated the mistake several times.

Question 4.
What is the boy’s response when the teacher slapped him on his cheek?
Answer:
The boy gazed at the teacher for a moment and started crying.

Question 5.
Why does the teacher ask the boy not to tell the incident to his mother?
Answer:
The teacher asks the boy not to tell the incident to his mother because the mother would get angry and dismiss him from work.

Question 6.
How do the parents consider the boy?
Answer:
The parents consider the boy a little angel. He was their only child and they gave him a lot of love.

Question 7.
What facilities do the parents provide to the boy?
Answer:
They built him a nursery, bought him expensive toys, fitted up miniature furniture sets, gave him a small pedal motor car to move about in the garden. His cupboard was filled with chocolates and biscuits which he could eat as he wanted.

Question 8.
Why do the parents give half an hour’s class on child psychology to the teacher every day?
Answer:
The father had written a thesis on infant psychology for his M.A. The mother had studied a good deal of it for her B.A. It seemed they wanted him to treat the boy as if he was made of thin glass. The parents thought that no prohibition or repression should affect the boy’s mind. If you make restrictions and repressions, you will damage the child for life.

Question 9.
Why does the teacher consider the boy a gorilla?
Answer:
The teacher considers the boy a gorilla because he is very mischievous. He does not want to study and he disobeys instructions. The parents thinkthe boy is a little angel, but the teacher knows he is a gorilla difficult to teach and manage.

Question 10.
How does the boy compel die teacher to act as a station master? And what duty does he assign to the teacher?
Answer:
The boy compels the teacher to act as a station master by threatening to tell the slapping incident to his parents. His duty was to blow the whistle when the train reached his station and ask the train driver to stop the train as there are many people who have bought tickets.

Question 11.
When is the teacher relieved of the role of the station master?
Answer:
The teacher is relieved of the role of the station master when the train refused to move. The boy handed it to the teacher and told him to repair it. The teachertumed it around in his hand and said he did not know anything about it.

Question 12.
Why does the teacher become desperate?
Answer:
The teacher becomes desperate because he can’t make the train work. He was absolutely non-mechanical and he does not know what to do to make the train move.

Question 13.
How does the teacher become tired?
Answer:
The teacher becomes tired because he had done six hours of teaching at school during the day. He had lost his breath.

Question 14.
Why does the teacher decide to reveal the matter to the parents?
Answer:
The teacher decides to reveal the matter to the parents because he is tired of the blackmailing by the boy. It is better to tell the truth to the parents and accept whatever punishment they give than stand the blackmailing by the boy.

Question 15.
Why does the boy become so annoyed and slink behind his parents?
Answer:
The boy becomes so annoyed and slinks behind his parents when his father asked the teacher how the boy was preparing for the test in arithmetic.

Crime and Punishment (Story) Edumate Questions & Answers

Question 1.
When the boy obstinately said the same he felt as if his finger were releasing the trigger. He reached across the table, and delivered a wholesome slap on the youngster’s cheek.
What is your opinion about the teacher’s behaviour? What could the teacher have done instead? Express your views in a paragraph.
Answer:
The teacher was wrong in slapping the boy on the cheek. It was a hard slap making the boy’s cheek red. Instead of slapping the boy, he could have asked him a different question or said some interesting things to bring the boy back into the study-mood. Corporal punishment to children is strictly prohibited in many countries. By giving corporal punishment you make the students hate their studies. Studies are done better when the students have a desire to study. I think the best way to teach is to tickle the curiosity in children and motivate them. Let them leam things because they want to learn them and not because they are forced or punished.

Question 2.
Imagine that the teacher decides to confess his crime to the boy’s parents after the class. What will the teacher say? Draft a confession statement for the teacher.
Answer:
Today something bad happened. You had told me that your son should get 50 marks in the class test forgetting a double promotion. I was trying hard to improve his arithmetic. I taught him the table of 16 up to 10.1 was checking if he remembered it. I asked him what is 16 x 3. He said 24.1 corrected him and made him say 48. Again I asked him and again he said 24. I thought he was trying to make me a fool by deliberately giving me the wrong answer each time I asked him. I don’t know what came over me.

I suddenly lost my temper and I slapped him on the cheek. I remember your advice to me to treat your son as if he is made of thin glass. I forgot all that for a moment. I am sorry. But what I did was for the better future of your son and to make your dream about him come true. Now it is up to you to decide what to do with me.

Question 3.
Read the following headlines.
58 percent children suffer from ailment due to heavy school bags
Heavy school bags lead to back pain in children
Thousands of small children are reeling physically under the pressure of studies and heavy bags like the boy in the story ‘Crime and Punishment’. Heavy school bags is a matter of great concern to parents and children. You decide to arouse a public opinion on this matter via a blog entry. How could it be? (6 Mark)
Answer:
Children Are Not Load-Carrying Mules.
Vijayan is 10 year old boy studying in Class V. He has been complaining of severe back pain. He was taken to the hospital. A scan showed that his backbone was bent badly. How won’t it bend? He is carrying 15 kg of books, tiffin carrier loaded with lunch, water and umbrella in his backpack every day, walking to and from school, one kilometre away. A Surgery had to be carried out. The doctor told his parents not to let him carry such weights on his back again!

Why do small children carry so much of weight in their backpacks? I remember my granddad telling me that when he was a primary school student he had only a slate, a couple of text books and notebooks to carry apart from his tiffin carrier. He drank water from the school well. Thus he carried less than one kg to school.

Today when we see school children going to school in the morning, we are reminded of caravans in which we see camels or mules loaded with heavy things on their backs. There is no logical reason why small children should be made into mules. Can’t some of the books be left in the school locker? Can’t they get drinking water in the school itself? I think it is high time we thought of methods of reducing the weight of the bd’c^ack carried by small children.

Somebody jocularly remarked that today’s children carried knowledge on their backs, whereas the children of the earlier generations carried knowledge in their brains. There is a lot of truth in the statement. Parents should ensure that they don’t let their children carry heavy loads on their backs. In the long run these children will become sick with many problems affecting their vertebral column. Let’s all join hands to make the burden of the school children lighter!

Question 4.
Imagine that a debate was held in your class on the topic ‘Corporal Punishment Hampers Child’s Growth.’ The following points were presented against the topic.
1. Corporal punishment is necessary for maintaining discipline.
2. Corporal punishment reinforces positive behaviour.
3. Corporal punishment instils respect towards teachers.
4. Corporal punishment is more effective than any other method.
Write four arguments for the topic.
Answer:

1. Corporal punishment makes the student hate the subject and also the teacher who teaches it.
2. Corporal punishment is a negative influence. Things learned through such influences are easily forgotten.
3. Corporal punishment is violation of children’s right. Children are to be taught through positive ways and not by inflicting pain on them.
4. Corporal punishment breeds violence. When a student is beaten, there is a tendency in him to beat others who go against his wishes. Violence breeds violence.

Question 5.
Imagine that an extempore speech competition is conducted in your school. You are asked to speak on the topic ‘Indian Education System’ .You are given three minutes for preparation. You decide to jot down a few points in your notepad. What will you write? List out the points.
Answer:
Indian Education System

• Still based on ‘talk and chalk’ method.
• Overcrowded classrooms.
• No light and fan in classrooms.
• Student-Teacher ratio not good at all.
• Stress is on learning by rote.
• Book-learning is emphasized without any emphasis on practical work.
• In the examination only memory is tested.
• Many schools lack laboratories and libraries.
• Many schools lack recreational facilities.
• Many classrooms are not hygienic; inadequate toilet facilities.

Question 6.
A panel discussion on the topic ‘Student Rights and Responsibilities’ is conducted in your class. You are asked to initiate the discussion. How would you introduce the topic? Prepare an introductory speech.
Answer:
Student Rights And Responsibilities:
Respected Principal, dearteachers and students, In the Panel Discussion today, the topic is the rights and responsibilities of the students. Rights and responsibilities are the two sides of the same coin. Rights involve responsibilities and responsibilities bring in rights. Students have many rights and corresponding responsibilities.

I will not go into the details of the rights and responsibilities of students as they will be done by the panel members. But I will mention a few of them as a starting point. I believe the primary right of the students is the right to be taught properly. They come to the school with the main intention of learning. So they have a right be taught in a way they understand what is being taught.

Students have a right to have recreational and sports and games facilities. There is a well-known Latin saying, “mens sana in corpora sano” which means “a healthy mind in a healthy body.” “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” Students should have playgrounds and material for various games and sports. Then only they can build healthy bodies. This is especially the case with students in their teens. Students should have a right to assemble and air their views. Thus they have a right for association. They have a right to express their opinions on the various things going on in the campus and the management should be willing to listen to their views.

Students have the responsibility to study well. They should respect their teachers and their classmates. They have the responsibility to keep the campus clean. They should take care of the school properties and no wilful damage should be done. They have the responsibility to pay any fee or charge that is mandatory. They have the responsibility to strictly adhere to the code of conduct for students. They have the responsibility of not doing any un-student like activities in the school, like smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages and taking drugs. They have the responsibility not to bring in politics into the school. They have the responsibility of being morally upright. They have the responsibility to work hard and achieve their goals in life.

Well, students have many rights and responsibilities and they do not end with the ones I have mentioned. Our panel members will enlighten us more about them. I am sure we will have a fruitful discussion. Thank you, all!

Question 7.
The teacher in the story ‘Crime and Punishment’ is very much excited after winning the faith of the small boy. He narrates the incident to one of his friends. What would he say? Prepare the narration for him.
Answer:
Teacher: You know, today something very funny happened in the nursery. I am teaching a devil of boy there. The only reason I teach him is the Rs.30 his parents pay me every month. For 30 bucks I have to suffer for 3 hours every evening. First, his parents lecture me on child psychology. The boy’s father had written a thesis in infant psychology for his M.A. The mother had studied a good deal of it for her B.A. So, both of them tell me almost the same things day after day. They want me to treat their son as if he is made of very thin glass. What the boy needs is beating and not cajoling. He is not a boy but a gorilla. My God! You have never seen such a rascal.

Today I asked him the result of 16 multiplied by 3.1 had taught him the multiplication of 16 up to 10. I am sure he knew the right answer. But he said 24.1 corrected him and asked him again for the correct answer. With a grin, the gorilla says 24. I lost my temper. I slapped him on his cheek, leaving a red mark there. He then wanted me to stop teaching and play with him, pretending as a station master while he drove his train. I refused. He threatened and said he would run to his parents and show the mark on his cheek. That would be the end of my 30 bucks which I heed badly. So reluctantly I played with him. Fortunately the train stopped. And then the devil wanted me to tell stories. I went on saying the usual stories – the bison and the tiger, AN Baba and the 40 Thieves. He wanted me to repeat the bison-tigerstory again. When I said no, he ran home.

I ran behind him. When the parents asked why we were running I told them that I was trying to keep the spirits of the boy up by doing this exercise after his strenuous learning. Then the father asked me about the test. When the boy heard the word test, he went and stood behind his father indicating to me I should support him. I said he was doing well, and I was sure that boy will not tell his parents about the slapping I gave him. My extra income is safe for the moment.

Question 8.
Based on the story ‘Crime and Punishment’ write an expository essay on the topic ‘Role of Parents in Moulding the Character of Children.’
Answer:
Role of Parents in Moulding the Character of Children Moulding their children’s character is a great concern of all parents. Parents are constantly doing something or other to make their child do better in studies, inculcate better discipline, excel in sports, learn social interaction and various other aspects depending on their own vision and capabilities. Whether they are aware of it or not they are constantly shaping their child as moulding is an integral part of parenting. Parenting basically has to do with training, disciplining, moulding and at times forcing children to live as parents dictate. Forcing a child to adapt to what they think is right or what they feel the child should be doing is forceful parenting. Forceful parenting often does more damage to their children than it does good. It can demolish self-confidence and destroy the imagination of children.

Parents should strive to ensure that their children learn to experience and express themselves as free human beings. Now-a-dayswe have parents who, even before the child is one year old, decide to turn him/her into another Virat Kohli or Deepika Padukone. Most of the problems with adolescents can be traced back to an early age when they learned they were to just follow orders.

Children who have to comply rigidly with what is expected of them, develop neither their own vision nor accountability. When not nurtured, their natural lights dim and they just follow their peers or the heroes that are shown to them by the entertainment media.

Some parents, on the other hand, are proud that their children are quiet and polite and that they have done their job very well. They don’t realize that their children are not just quiet but complacent. These children behave that way probably because they have stopped to think. Guiding your child to achieve his/ hertrue potential is good parenting. Real moulding is when your child shows some abnormal behaviour that is either against the norms of society oris affecting his overall growth and development and you correct that.

The question that bothers most parents is: “What is more important: to shower a child with love and let Nature take its course or to provide intellectual stimulation?” Tfieiatest theory maintains that the one complements the other. In the past, it was thought that love could develop a child and compensate for lack of intellectual stimulation. Today we know that to develop a child’s mind and mould his personality mental stimulation initiated by the parents is important.

The bulk of the responsibility for moulding their children’s character rests with the parents. Ideally, parents should rouse their curiosity by giving them plenty of information. When they grow up, they feel free to ask questions about all kinds of things in their environment as their curiosity would have been developed to a keen edge. Parents directly influence their child’s development and behaviour. They must teach their children the importance of honesty, truth, kindness, generosity, hard work and polite behaviour.

There has been a controversy of heredity versus environment. But it is feltthat heredity, environment and good parenting make the children ideal citizens useful for themselves, their families, their society and humanity at large. Thus, parents have a big role to play in the formation of their children’ character.

Question 9.
a) Do you think the title ‘Crime and Punishment’ is an apt one? Justify your views.
b) Write an alternative title for the story.
Answer:
a) I think the title “Crime and Punishment” by R.K. Narayan is an apt one forthe story. There is crime and then there is punishment. The boy does the crime of repeating the same mistake wilfully and he gets slapped as punishment. Slapping is the crime by the teacher and he gets punishment from the boy. That is why he has to act as a station mater and tell him so many stories ad run after him, all against his will. In fact there is a world famous novel by the same name by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Narayan must have copied the title. But in Dostoyevsky’s novel, the crime is murder and not the small mishiefs in R.K. Narayan’s story.

b) The Plight of a Poor Teacher/The Mischievous Imp and the Poor Teacher

Question 10.
The story ‘Crime and Punishment’ deals with the relationship between a teacher and a small boy. What impression do you get about the teacher? Sketch his character.
Answer:
The teacher in the story “Crime and Punishment” by R.K. Narayan is a hardworking man. He teaches 6 hours in the school and then he comes to teach the small boy in the nursery for just 30 rupees a month. He has to work for three hours in the nursery teaching a gorilla of a child. This shows the teacher is very poor. Otherwise he would not come to teach such a mischievous imp after his normal school hours.

The teacher suffered at the hands of the parents also. Every day he had to listen to the lectures of the parents on child psychology for half an hour. The father had written a thesis on infant psychology for his M.A. The mother had studied a good deal of it for her B.A. So, both lectured to him on the same lines. It seemed that the parents of the boy thought he was made of thin glass. They pampered him a lot and they wanted the teacher also to be very kind to the boy and not to annoy him in any way.

The teacher found it hard to manage the boy. The boy had a lot of love and money. His parents built the nursery for him. They bought him expensive toys. They even gave him a small pedal motor to move about in the garden. His cupboard was filled with chocolates and biscuits which he could eat whenever he wanted. He was a highly pampered, spoilt child. The teacher could lose his temper when tempted too much. He slaps the boy because the boy persisted in making the same mistake in spite of the corrections so many times. The hard slapping made a red mark on the cheek of the boy. The boy used that mark to blackmail the teacher.

He teacher had to play with the boy acting as a station master. Then the train stops running and the boy wants him to repair it. But the teacher is not at all mechanical minded and he can’t do that. Then the boy makes him tell stories. He tells the story of the tiger and the bison and the story of AN Baba and 40 thieves. The boy wants to hear the story of the tiger and bison again. When the teacher refuses the boy runs home, the teacher in hot pursuit.

The teacher has good presence of mind. When the father asks why they are running about, the teacher says they are just playing about to keep up their spirits. The teacher can lie if there is a need! Poor teacher! He has to suffer so much for getting an extra amount of Rs.30 per month! I think he represents many teachers in our society who do not get a decent salary and have to find others ways of making both ends meet.

Question 11.
In ‘Crime and Punishment’ problems start when the teacher slaps the boy. In your opinion, what are the impacts of that punishment on the boy? Write a paragraph.
Answer:
The first impact of the slap was that the boy burst into tears. He is not used to getting such slaps as he is a much pampered boy at home. When teacher tries to make him stop crying and behave like a soldier, the boy retorts saying that a soldier would shoot with a gun if he was hit. The next impact is that the boy becomes stubborn and he wants to blackmail the teacher.

He wants the teacher to stop teaching and play with him with a toy train. The teacher would be the station master. First the teacher refuses and then the boy threatens him by saying he would report the slapping to his parents. The teacher has no way but to please the boy. Soon the train breaks down. And then boy wants to teacher to tell him stories. He tells the stories of the tiger and the bison and the story of Ali Baba and 40 Thieves. The boy wants to the story of the tiger and the bison repeated.

When tbe teacher refuses the boy again threatens him and runs home. The teacher runs behind to catch him. It is obvious that the slapping has no positive effect on the boy. It has only made him more stubborn.

Question 12.
“Good night sir, we finished our lessons early and I was just playing about with the child something to keep up his spirits you know,” says the teacher in the story ‘Crime and Punishment’.
Here the teacher suggests playing as a mode of relaxation for his student. What are the other methods by means of which students can keep up their spirits? Prepare a write-up on the topic ‘Need for Relaxation and Recreation in Academics.’
Answer:
Need for Relaxation and Recreation in Academics There is a well-known Latin saying, “mens sana in corpora sano” which means “a healthy mind in a healthy body.” “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” Students should have relaxation and recreation in their academics. There should be playgrounds and material for various games and sports. Then only they can build healthy bodies. This is especially the case with students who are very young. In young children the attention span is very short. You can’t drill into their minds facts, figures and formulae for a long time. Soon they get bored and nothing will entertheir brain.

There are many ways to keep the spirits of the students up. One of the ways is making the children sing in the class. Another way is telling stories. Quizzes and Puzzles can be used for entertainment and relaxation. Things like Antakshari can help. Word building is useful. Asking for synonyms and antonyms is a good pastime. Board games are an excellent way of relaxation. Taking the children out for small walks helps. Short films can be shown to make the children relaxed. Innovative teachers can think of many more ways to give relaxation and recreation to students.

Question 13.
“He was their only child, they had abundant affection and ample money they filled up his cupboard with
all kinds of sweets and biscuits, and left it to his good sense to devour them moderately. They believed a great deal in leaving things that way.”
What does the above excerpt tell us about the attitude of the boy’s parents? Are they right in the method of bringing up their only child? Express your opinion in a paragraph.
Answer:
The excerpt shows that the parents were too indulgent towards their son. They are not right in the method of bringing up their child. A child brought up that way is unable to cope with adverse circumstances. When they have to face a little physical or mental discomfort, they completely lose their mental balance. It is such children that often commit suicide.

We hear so many stories of children killing themselves. One hangs himself because he failed in the exam. Another jumps into the river and kills himself because a teacher shouted at him. A third jumps from the 4th floor because he was asked by the Principal to bring his parents as he was playing truant. Many children become depressed when faced with even small problems. I think children should be trained to face problems of life boldly.

Problems are bound to come in life. So we need children who can stand up and say “Come what may. I’ll see what I can do!” By giving their abundant love and ample money and filling his cupboard with all types of delicacies for him to eat at will is definitely pampering him too much and they are making him unfit to face the challenges of the modern world.

Question 14.
As part of a campaign conducted in connection with the ‘General Protection Mission’, an essay competition was conducted by the Education Department. The topic is ‘Modern Day Classrooms- Expectations and Realities’. Prepare an essay to be sent to the department.
Answer:
Modern Day Classrooms – Expectations And Realities.
It is a pity that even though we got independence 70 years ago, our educational system has not improved much from the days of the British rule here. We still practise the old talk and chalk method of teaching
in congested classrooms with just a blackboard and some pieces of chalk and a few benches and desks for the students. The classrooms are crowded, not properly ventilated’and most classrooms do not have lights and fans. Sitting in the classrooms becomes a boring affair and the atmosphere there is not at all conducive to learning.

These things have to change. We have to improve our classrooms to international standards. Then only the teaching and learning process will become efficient and enjoyable. Teaching and learning should become an enjoyable activity by the teachers as well as the students. To motivate them we should ensure that the classroom offer a conducive atmosphere.

To improve the teaching-learning process, we need smart classrooms. Smart Classrooms are technology enhanced classrooms that foster opportunities for teaching and learning by integrating learning technology, such as computers, specialized software, audience response technology, assistive listening devices, networking, and audio/visual capabilities. Such classrooms will help the students to feel fully engaged in the lessons and understand them better. Science and technology are growing at mind-boggling speed and this growth should be reflected in our classrooms.

Then we have to improve the student-teacher ratio. In some of our classrooms there are often more than 60 students. How can a teacher teach 60 or more students efficiently? He can’t give individual attention to the students. All students are not equally intelligent or motivated. So the student-teacher ratio should be such that all students can get individual attention.

Another thing is changing our teaching methods. We do not have proper laboratories. Even chemistry, and physic and biology are taught in ordinary classrooms through the lecture method. Students learn things by doing, especially in science subjects. But we still teach by saying “Suppose this is a test tube. Suppose I am pouring some sulphuric acid into it. Suppose I put some ………” and it goes on like that. Students hardly,learn by such suppositions. Let the students see the things and practically carry out the experiments. And then they will learn. Practice makes perfect.

For teaching language efficiently, language laboratories are essential. Languages may have different phonemes. In English, for example, we have 44 phonemes, of which 24 are consonant, 12 vowels and 8 diphthongs. Some of these phonemes do not exist in Malayalam. So they ought to be taught very
carefully. In English /v/ and /w/ are two different phones. So are /s/ and /z/. But we Malayalees pronounce them as if there is no difference. For us ‘veil’ and ‘wail’ have no difference in pronunciation. So are ‘vine’ and ‘wine’. So students should be taught to articulate /v/ and /w/ properly. M is a labio-dental sound where was /w/ is a bilabial. The confusion between /s/ and Izl also should be corrected. For that we need a language lab. The problem is more when it comes to certain vowels in English.

Smart classrooms are a necessity of the times. Well lit, properly ventilated classrooms with enough space for each student are essential for learning. In such classrooms, teaching and learning become a pleasant and efficient affair.

Question 15.
Read the following excerpt and answer the questions that follow.
They lectured to him every day on their theories, and he got more and more the feeling that they wanted him to deal with the boy as if he were made of thin glass. He had to pretend that he agreed with them, while his own private view was that he was in charge of a little gorilla.
a) Who does ‘they ‘refer to in the passage?
b) What mood does the expression ‘as if he were made of thin glass express?
a. indifference b. rudeness
c. carefulness d. contempt
c) Express your views on the attitude of the teacher.
Answer:
a) The boy’s parents.
b) contempt
c) The parents loved the boy too much and pampered him. They wanted the teacher also do the same. The teacher pretended as if he agreed with the parents. But he knew that the boy whom he had to teach was a mischievous imp, a monster, a gorilla, who needed caning and not cajoling.

Question 16.
The interjection ‘as if means ‘in a manner suggesting’ or ‘in mimicry of. Read the following passage from the story ‘Crime and Punishment’ and rewrite the sentences using ‘as if.
The child’s parents lectured to the teacher everyday on their theories like experts in Psychology. They wanted the teacherto deal with the child like delicate glass. But, in truth, the boy behaved like a gorilla.
Answer:
The child’s parents lectured to the teacher every day on theories as if they were experts in psychology. They wanted the teacherto deal with the child as if he were a piece of delicate glass. But in truth the boy behaved as if he were a gorilla.

Question 17.
Imagine that your class is going to dramatise the story ‘Crime and Punishment’. You are asked to write a script for the extinct given below which forms the beginning of the play.
‘What is sixteen and three multiplied?”asked the teacher…….. “Twenty four,” with, as it seemed to the teacher, a wicked smile on his lips at the mention of “Twenty four, “the teacher felt his blood rushing to his head…….. he reached across the table, and delivered a wholesome slap on the youngster’s cheek… “I will tell them,” sobbed the boy.
Prepare the script.
Hints: (characters-stage setting-dialogues-gestures etc.)
Answer:
(A small classroom. There is a small desk and a small chair for a small boy to sit and learn. There is a chair for the teacher. A small blackboard is fixed on to the wall near the teacher. The teacher, a man of around 36, is standing with an Arithmetic Text Book prescribed for Form I. A boy is sitting lazily in the class. There is a fan working. Its noise can be heard. A tuition class is going on.)
Teacher: What is 16 and 3 multiplied?
Boy (smiling wickedly): 24
Teacher (His face shows anger): How many times did I tell you that 16 x 3 is 48? (Pointing his finger at the boy) Do you get it?
Boy: (Nodding his head vigorously) Yes! Yes!
Teacher: Okay! What is 16 and 3 multiplied?
Boy: (With a mischievous smile): 24
Teacher (Very angry.) Yes, 24! You, gorilla! (He rushes to the boy in a rage and gives him a hard slap on the boy’s cheek. The boy never expected such a thing to happen.)
Boy: Aiyo! Aiyo! My teeth are broken, (caressing his cheeks) Oh My God! Oh My God! I will tell my parents you slapped me. I will tell my parents. (He cries loudly. The teacher is confused and he is trying to calm down the boy.)

Question 18.
In the story ‘Crime and Punishment’ we come across the rift among the teacher, student and parents. Consider this story as a satire on the modern education system and prepare a write-up in about 100 words.
Answer:
The rift we see among the teacher, student and parents in the story “Crime and Punishment” by R.K. Narayan is typical of the modern education system. Almost all parents, especially in Kerala, want even their below-average students to become doctors and engineers. The parents have high expectations from their children. The children want to enjoy their life with all the modern gadgets available to them.

Teachers want to make money. Look at the number of coaching centres we have! What is the only aim of the so-called coaching centres? Students are forced to go there by the ambitious parents. So we have a vicious circle. Teachers tlo not do their real work in their regular class hours because they want to ‘work’ in the tuition centres. In the Exams of 2017 we saw how Coaching Centres and people in charge of setting Examination Question Papers collude to make money, playing with the lives of children.

The modern education system especially in Kerala is in a mess. Education has become a major industry in Kerala. The result? Many students commit suicide as they can’t cope with the strain of studies. We should change all that. The earlier, the better.

Question 19.
Imagine that a servant in the boy’s house is a silent witness to the troubles created by the boy in the class. He feels sad at the plight of the teacher who is helpless in disciplining the boy. One day, he meets the boy’s parents and describes what has been going on in the evening class. What would be his comments? Write a paragraph of about four sentences.
Answer:
Sir and Madam, I want to tell you something about your son’s evening class. I don’t think he studies much there. He makes a fool of the teacher. The other day I saw how he forced the teacher to play with him. As he was playing with the train, he wanted the teacher to become the station master. The teacher had to agree because otherwise the boy would complain to you about the teacher and the poor teacher would lose his job here. When the train stopped, he asked the teacher to tell him stories. He told the story of the tiger and the bison and then the story of Ali Baba and 40 thieves. The boy wanted him to repeat the story of the tiger and bison.

When the teacher refused, he ran home and the teacher was running after him to catch him. That was what you saw the other day. But the teacher, being afraid, told you he was trying to keep up the boy’s spirit. The boy is not learning anything except to make mischief and trouble the poor teacher.

Question 20.
The teacher – student relationship in Crime and Punishment is entirely different from the present day teacher-student relationship. Write your experience/ relationship, with one of your teachers to be published on Teacher’s Day in My Experience page of a Daily.
Answer:
Carmel is my best teacher. She loves me like her son. Being a nun, she has no child of her own, but she knows how to love children. She is my Class Teacher iri,Glass XII. She encourages me to work hard and achieve success in life. I am a bit weak in my English. She gives me special homework and corrects it and explains to me things very clearly. She taught me in Class XI also. In these two years of her teaching she has never scolded me. She teaches with a smile. She has a nice voice and students can hear her distinctly. She is a good disciplinarian, but she is not harsh to anyone. She reasons with the law-breakers and tells them the importance of discipline in life.

She taught me to have strong faith in God. She very clearly told me faith alone would not bring marks in the examinations! We should work hard first and then we must pray God to help us. Well, I believe I have been following her advice. What is interesting about her class is that she tells so many interesting stories to keep the class lively. These stories have real value in the life of the students.

She taught me Robert Frost, the American poet. In his poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” Frost wrote:
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
Sr. Carmel explained to me the deeper meaning of the poem. Yes, I too have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep. I remember Sr. Carmel everyday and I pray for her health and long life.

Think And Write

Question 1.
Do you think the boy made the mistake purposefully? Why?
Answer:
I do think the boy made the mistake purposefully. He wanted to annoy the teacher and thus force him to stop teaching him. He wanted to stop learning and start playing.

Question 2.
How do the parents try to bring up their child as a healthy citizen?
Answer:
The parents try to bring up their child as a healthy citizen by letting no prohibition or repression affect the boy’s mind. They thought that if they made restrictions and repressions, they would damage him for life. It will need a lot of discipline on the part of the parents. But it is worth it.

Question 3.
How does the boy blackmail the teacher throughout die story?
Answer:
The boy blackmails the teacher throughout the story by telling him that he would tell his parents that he had slapped him on his cheek. There was the red mark on his cheek as the proof.

Question 4.
Why does the teacher support the boy at the end of die story?
Answer:
The teacher supports the boy at the end of the story because through looks and gestures he appealed to the teacher not to betray him.

Question 5.
Do you think the story is a satire on over-parenting?
Answer:
Yes, I do think the story is a satire on over-parenting. They have only one child and they think no prohibitions or repressions should affect his mind’. They built him a nursery, bought him expensive toys, fitted up miniature furniture sets, gave him a small pedal motor car to move about in the garden. His cupboard was filled with chocolates and biscuits which he could eat as he wanted.

Question 6.
Do you think the mischievous nature of the child is the result of his loneliness? Why? (Mark 2)
Answer:
I certainly think the mischievous nature of the child is the result of his loneliness. He does not have any peers to play with or exchange ideas with. He is either with the teacher or with his parents, who all are grown-ups.

Question 7.
Justify the title or the story. Can you suggest a new one? (Mark 2)
Answer:
The title is short, sweet and apt. Still I think the word ‘crime’ is a bit too harsh. After all, the boy is doing only some small mischievous acts natural to kids. A title I would suggest is: Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child.

Question 8.
Bring out the humour in the story. (Mark 3)
Answer:
The story “Crime and Punishment” is very humorous. The title itself is funny to me because when I saw it first I was reminded of the novel of the same name by the world famous Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Here the crime consists of simple antics by a prankster. There is humour when the parents talk of the boy as a wingless angel, with dimples, smiles and sweetness. The most humorous part is when the teacher is acting like a stationmaster and when he is running after the boy in the garden to catch him.

Activity – I (Indirect speech into direct speech)

Look at this paragraph from the story:
His parents said that the boy was a little angel, all dimples, smiles and sweetness – only wings lacking. He was their only child, they had abundant affection and ample money.
In the above paragraph, the words spoken by the parents are merely reported (Reported speech).

Question 1.
Write in direct speech.
Answer:
His parents said: “Our boy is a little angel, all dimples, smiles and sweetness – only wings lacking. He is our only child. We have abundant affection and ample money.”
Now discuss in groups, the differences that you notice between direct and indirect speech, and write down your findings.
a) The boy – our boy
b) Past tense – present tense
c) Their – our
d) They – we
e) The word that is left out in direct speech 0 Change in the punctuations – use of colon and inverted commas.

Question 2.
Rewrite the following sentences into indirect speech.
Answer:
The boy immediately switched on to another demand.
He said to the teacher: “Tell me a story.”
The teacher: “You have not done a sum and it is 8.30.”
The boy: “I don’t care for sums. Tell me a story.”
The teacher: “No.”
The boy: “Appa, Appa!”
The teacher: Why are you shouting like that for your father?”
The boy: ‘I have something to tell him, something important.”

Activity – II (Prepositions)

Question 1.
Read the sentences from the story and the notes on prepositions given on p. 156.
Now, insert suitable prepositions in the following blanks:
Answer:
a. “You must never set up any sort of contrariness or repression in the child’s mind”, declared the parents. “You’ll damage him for life. It no doubt requires a lot of discipline on our part, but it is worth it”, they declared primly. “We shall be bringing ug a healthy citizen.”

b. The teacher was obliged to begin the story of a bison and a tiger, and the he passed on to ‘Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves’ and ‘Aladdin’s Lamp’. The boy listened, rapt and ordered: “I want to hear the story ofthe bison again. It is good…” The teacher was short of breath. He had done six hours of teaching at school during the day.

A combination of two independent linguistic units, a preposition and a complement is called a prepositional phrase. Read the examples and notes give on p. 156 & 157.

Question 2.
Now read the following sentences and find out the prepositional phrases and identify what type of complementation they involve. Also, identify the structures where complements are not used.
Answer:
a. In one hour
b. In private
c. Went out – no complement
d. Ran off – no complement

a. 1. I will come back in one hour.
2. You can do a lot of work in one hour.

b. 1. I would like to talk to you in private.
2. We should not disclose things we talked in private.

c. 1. After posting the letter he went out.
2. She finished her work and she went out.

d. 1. After the accident, the driver ran off.

b. After committing the theft, the thief ran off.

Activity – III (Using ‘as if’)
Read the sentences a & b on p.157.

Question 1.
Do you think that the underlined words are incorrectly structured?
Answer:
No, they are not. They are correctly structured. (Read the explanation given there.)

Question 2.
Now write as many sentences as possible using such a structure.
Answer: (Three are already in the text)

1. He behaved as if he were the Principal of the college.
2. He was batting as if he were Sachin Tendulkar.
3. She was speaking as if she were Aishwarya Rai.
4. The politician was behaving as if he were a pauper.
5. Joe was talking as if he were the richest boy in the campus.
6. He was dancing as if he were Michael Jackson.
7. The boy was fighting as if he were Bruce Lee.

Activity – IV (Essay writing)

Question 1.
“Spare the rod and spoil the child was a dictum prevalent in the past What is your opinion about it? Should there be any type of corporal punishment in a learning environment? If so, what should be the mode? Discuss the topic in groups and prepare an essay.
Answer:
The children nowadays are too difficult to educate. They don’t have much respect for their parents or for other adults. For this reason, parents don’t know what to do with their children and they become desperate. Because of this desperation, they can’t find other ways than beating their children to make them leam and disciplined. I feel this can be useful in some cases if done in a controlled manner. But if you use the rod in excess, it can cause serious problems for the child and also for the family. So the question comes, “Is it really necessary to beat children to educate them?”

Many people think that if you educate a small child using the rod, beating him and punishing him, you can have a good control over him. They feel that they can somehow know that the child will behave well and that he will leam to have respect for his parents and others. They feel it would be easier to teach the child good manners by using the rod.

But rough treatment makes the child also behave in a cruel mannerto others as he thinks cruelty is an approved form of punishing somebody who does not do as you wish. On the other handfish treatment makes him tough. This toughness can be very useful in future because he is sure to face difficulties and problems in life. A child brought up in a loving manner, in comfort and luxury, will feel puzzled when he is faced with realities outside his home.

Punishment has its negative sides. It kills the initiative and curiosity in children. It makes them less adventurous. They will grow into shy and withdrawn persons and they won’t be respected by others. They will lose confidence and they will be always worried if their actions will be approved by others.

Scholars and even psychologists differ in their views regarding using the rod on children. The fact is it is a highly controversial issue and there is no definite answer to the question “Should the rod be spared?” I remember a story. A criminal was about to be hanged and the judge asked him what his last wish was. He said he wanted to see his mother. She was brought. The criminal embraced the mother, and as he was embracing her he bit off the tip of her nose. All were appalled at this heinous act. He explained: If this woman had used the rod when I did small mistakes, I wouldn’t have grown into a criminal and reached this stage! I want this to be a warning to parents who give their children freedom to do what they want!”
I am sure he had a point.

Activity – V: Spelling

Read the 3 sentences on page 158. There are some words in them with ‘ie’and ‘ei’ combinations (thieves, relieved, mischievously). (Mark 3)
Find more words with re and ‘ei’ combinations:
Answer:
‘ie’ words:

‘ei’ words”:
ceiling
receipt
receive
deceive
conceive
perceive
conceit
deceit
The rule to be followed is: i before e except after c.

Activity – VI (Let’s edit)

Question 1.
The following letter contains some prepositions that have been used incorrectly. Identify the errors and edit the letter.
Answer:
To: Mehas Mehta June 6,2015
Sub: Recommendations for smart phone purchase.
Last week, Marisol asked me to provide you with a comparison of the top ‘smart’ phones. He explained that Ad Tech might purchase smart phones for all 25 sales representatives and service technicians.

I have studied product capabilities and published reviews of the three smart phones that received the highest rating of PC World Magazine: Palm Treo 600, T-Mobile Sidekick and Blackberry 7210.

All the three provide high quality phone service. They key criteria for selection are ease for use and the ability to meet potential needs created by possible expansion of our business.

I shall send the recommendations to you, to youre-mail. With regards,
Kenneth Abvey

Activity – VII (Script writing)

Question 1.
Your class has decided to stage a play during the School Day celebrations. Prepare a script for the play based on the story‘Crime and Punishment”. (Mark 8) Read the sample script given on page 159.
Answer: CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
(It is late afternoon. A nursery near a school.)
(A TEACHER, looking tired, but stem, is standing. He has a small book in his hand. A STUDENT, quite mischievous looking, is toying with his pen. He is looking at something outside.)
Teacher: What is sixteen and three multiplied? (The student just blinks.)
Answer me! What is sixteen and three multiplied?
Student: (Promptly) Twenty-four. (He has a wicked smile on his lips.)
Teacher:  (Angrily) How much?
Student: I said twenty-four.
(Teacher slaps the boy hard on the cheek. The boy looks at him and bursts into tears. Teacher is appalled.)
Teacher: Dont’ cry, little boy! You mustn’t
Student: I will tell them.
Teacher: No, no, no, please don’t.
Student: I’ll tell my mother.
Teacher: You mustn’t cry for these trifling matters. You must be like a soldier!
Student: A soldier? A soldier will shoot with a gun if he is hit. (The teacher laughs taking it as a joke. The student also laughs.)
Teacher: Go and wash your face.
Student: I’ll wash my face if you close the lessons today.
Teacher: No. I can’t do that.
Student: Then I will go and tell my mother.
(The student tries to get up and go. The teacher forces him to sit down.)
Teacher: My dear fellow, I’m to be here for another hour.
Student: Alright. Watch me put the engine on its rails.
Teacher: If your father comes in ….
Student: Tell him it is an engine lesson.
(He goes to his cub-board, opens it, takes out his train set and starts assembling the track. He winds the engine and puts it down and it moves round and round.)
(To the teacher) You are the station master.
Teacher: No, no. You have yourteststhe day aftertomorrow.”
Student: (With a wicked smile) Will you be a station master or not?
Teacher: (Angrily) I won’t be a station master.
Student: Oh, oh, is that what you day? (He gently touches his cheek.) It’s paining me here awfully. I must see my mother. (He moves towards the door.)
Teacher: Don’t boy. You want me to be a station master? What shall I have to do?
Student: When the train comes to your station, you must blow the whistle and shout, “Engine Driver, stop the train! There are a lot of people who have bought tickets.” (The TEACHER sits in a corner. The STUDENT continues playing. After 30 minutes the teacher gets bored and the boy is unhappy. Fortunately for the TEACHER, the train suddenly refuses to move. The boy picks it up and gives it to the teacher.) Repair it, sir.
Teacher: I can’t. I know nothing about it.
Student: It must go.
Teacher: (Tries to do something to it. But does not succeed. The boy stamps his foot angrily, waiting like a tyrant.) I can’t and I won’t.
Student: Okay then. Tell me a story.
Teacher: Story? You haven’t done the sum. It is already 8.30.
Student: I don’t care for sums. Tell me a story.
Teacher: Appa! Appa!
Teacher: Why are you shouting like that for your father?
Student:  I have something to tell him, something important…
Teacher: Okay, okay. I will tell you stories.
The teacher told the stories of A bison and a Tiger, Ali Baba and 40 Thieves and Aladdin’s Lamp.
Student: I want to hearthe story of the bison again. It isgood …
Teacher: I’m tired, boy. I’ll tell you tomorrow. I’ve lost all my breath.
Student: Oh! Alright. I’ll go and tell…
(He runs towards the house, the teacher after him. The teacher is soon tired and sits on the portico step. The parents come out of the house.
Father: (To the teacher) What’s the matter? (To the boy) Why have you been running in the garden at this hour?
Teacher: (Tired of the boy’s blackmailing) I will explain
Father: How’s he preparing for his test in arithmetic?
(Hearing the word ‘test’ by the boy is sad. He hides behinds his parents and gestures to the teacher not to betray him. The teacher feels sorry for him.)
Teacher: Only please let him mug up the 16th table a little more. He is alright. He will pull through. Good night, Sir; we finished our lessons early, and I was just playing about with the child … something to keep up his spirits, you know!

Crime and Punishment (Short story) About The Author

R.K. Narayan (1906-2001) is a famous Indian writer in English. He was born in Chennai and educated at Mysore. His novels and stories are set in the imaginary town of Malgudi. His stories are noted for their irony, humour, romance, energy of life and freshness of themes from everyday life. He writes with simplicity. He has written many books. One of his famous books ‘The Guide’ was made into a famous movie with Dev Anand and Wahida Rahman in the lead roles. It ran to full houses for months.

Crime and Punishment (Short story) Summary in English

Page 150: The teacher asked the boy to tell the result of 16 multiplied by 3. The boy blinked. The teacher repeated the question. The boy promptly answered ’24’. The teacher felt that there was a wicked smile on the lips of the boy when he gave the answer. The boy, he felt, was trying to fool him. He had corrected this mistake many times. Then why is the boy persisting in saying 24? How could this fellow get 50 in the class test? The boy’s parents wanted him to have a double promotion and go to the first Form. To get double promotion he should get 50 in the class test. The teacher felt very angry with the boy for giving the wrong answer. He repeated the question, as a last chance. The boy repeated the same answer. The teacher slapped the boy on the cheek. The boy looked at the teacher and burst into tears. The teacher was surprised by his own action and asked the boy not to cry. But the boy said he would tell his parents. The teacher appealed to him not to inform his parents. He was worried. Fortunately this nursery was a little away from the main building.

The boy said that he would tell his mother. His parents had once said that the boy was a small angel all dimples, smiles and sweetness. He lacked only the wings. He was their only child.

Page 151: They had a lot of love and also money. They built a nursery, bought him expensive toys, fitted up miniature furniture sets, gave him a small pedal motor car to move about in the garden. His cupboard was filled with chocolates and biscuits which he could – eat as he wanted.

The parents thought that no prohibition or repression – should affect the boy’s mind. If you make restrictions and repressions, you will damage him for life. It will need a lot of discipline on the part of the parents. But it is worth it. They wanted to bring up a healthy citizen.

The teacher agreed outwardly. He felt more and more convinced that what the boy needs was not cajoling but beating. The teacher had a very hard life. The only relief for him was the 30 rupees they paid him every month. It took him 3 hours every evening. The first 72 hour he had to listen to the parents who would talk to him on child psychology. The father had written a thesis on infant psychology for his M.A. The mother had studied a good deal of it for her B.A. Both of them lectured to the teacher. It seemed they wanted him to treat the boy as if he was made of thin glass. The teacher had to agree with them although he knew he was managing a little gorilla.

The teacher did not know how to quieten the boy who was still sobbing. He told the boy that he should not cry for small things, but should behave like a soldier. The boy said that a soldier would shoot with a gun if he was hit. The teacher took it as a joke and laughed. The boy also laughed. The teacher then asked the boy to go and wash his face. There was a fine blue porcelain closet attached to the nursery. The boy disobeyed and commanded the teacher to close the lessons for the day. The teacher said no.

Page 152: The boy then threatened to tell his mother. He got up from the chair. The teacher held him down saying that he was to be there for another hour. Then the boy said that he should watch him put the engine on its rails. The teacher was worried if the boy’s father came in there would be problems. The boy gave a suggestion: the teacher should say it is an engine lesson. He then went to the cupboard and took out a train set. He started assembling the track. He wound the engine and put it on the track and it went round and round. He wanted the teacher to be the station master. The teacher refused telling him that the boy had his tests after two days. The boy again asked him to be a station master.

The teacher got angry. He said he did not want to be a station master. The boy touched his cheek and said it was still paining him and he wanted to see his mother. He moved towards the door. The boy’s cheek was still red. So the teacher asked what he should do as a station master.

The boy told him that when the train reached his station he must blow the whistle and ask the train driver to stop the train as there are many people who have bought tickets. The teacher obeyed. He grew tired of the game in 30 minutes. He got up. The boy was unhappy. Luckily for the teacher, the train refused to move. The boy handed it to the teacher and told him to repair it. The teacher turned it around in his hand and said he did not know anything about it.

The boy insisted that the train must go. The teacher did not know what to do as he was not a mechanical minded man. He did not know even to turn a screw even it was to save his life. The boy stamped his foot and was waiting like a tyrant. The teacher put it away saying he could not do it. The boy then wanted the teacher to tell him a story.

The teacher told the boy that it was 8.30 and he still had not done the sum.

Page 153 : The boy insisted on hearing a story. When the teacher said no, he boy started calling his father. When the teacher asked him why he was calling his father, he said he had something important to tell him. The teacher began the story of a bison and a tiger. Then he moved on to Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves. Then he proceeded to Aladdin’s Lamp. The boy was listening intently. He said he wanted to hear the story of the bison again. The teacher was out of breath. He had done 6 hours of teaching at school during the day. He told the boy that he would say that story the next day as he had lost all his breath.

The boy then threatens to tell his parents about the slapping. He starts running towards the house, the teacher following him. The boy was too fast for him and made the teacher run round the garden three times. The teacher looked beaten. The boy took pity on him and stopped near the rose bush. The moment the teacher reached near him, the boy again ran off. The boy enjoyed the ‘game’ immensely. The teacher was out of breath. He felt a darkness swelling up around him. He sank down on the portico step.

At this time the Father and Mother came out of the house. They asked him what happened. The teacher got up, still panting. He could not talk. He had already decided to tell everything and suffer the consequences. He did not want to stand the blackmail by the boy. They asked the boy why he was running round the garden at this time. The boy looked mischievously at the teacher. The teacher was fumbling for words to start his explanation. Suddenly the father asked how the boy was preparing for the test in arithmetic. On hearing the word ‘test’ the boy’s face fell. He went behind his parents and by look and gestures appealed to the teacher not to betray him. The teacher said that the boy was alright; he had only to study the 16th table a bit more. The boy looked relieved. The teacher saw the boy was grateful for his support. He knew he would not tell his parents about the slapping. After wishing the father Good Night, he told him that they had finished the lessons early and they were just playing to keep up the spirits of the boy.

Crime and Punishment (Short story) Summary in Malayalam

Crime and Punishment (Story) Glossary

Kerala State Board New Syllabus Plus Two English Textbook Answers Unit 1 Chapter 1 The 3Ls of Empowerment Text Book Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes.

Kerala Plus Two English Textbook The 3Ls of Empowerment Questions and Answers Unit 1 Chapter 1 (Speech)

The 3Ls of Empowerment (Speech) Questions and Answers

Plus Two English Chapter 1 Question 1.
What are the three essential factors for empowerment?
Answer:
The three essential factors for empowerment are Learning, Labour and Leadership. Together they are called the 3Ls.

Plus Two English Textbook Activity Answers Question 2.
What is the role of learning in empowering women?
Answer:
Education is the foundation on which any change is built. Learning helps women to help themselves and break free of the chains with which they are bound.

3l Of Empowerment Summary In Malayalam Pdf Question 3.
How can we promote more opportunities for women in the workplace?
Answer:
Women can be given more opportunities in the work place by changing some of our laws to ensure that property and inheritance laws do not discriminate against women. Education and healthcare for women should be encouraged. Women should be given more credit facilities so that women can get greater economic independence.

Think And Write

Women Empowerment Speech In Malayalam Question 1.
The role of educated, empowered women in building a strong nation.
Answer:
Educated and empowered women have a big role to play in building a strong nation. India has a population of 1.3 billion of which nearly half are women. If these women are not given their rights and if they do not carry out their economic responsibilities how can we hope to grow and prosper? There should be gender equality between man and woman so that India too can become a developed nation.

The 3ls Of Empowerment Malayalam Meaning Question 2.
The role of learning, labour and leadership skills in making a woman liberated.
Answer:
The 3 Ls are important in liberating a woman. Education makes her conscious of her rights and responsibilities. Labour helps her to earn money and also contribute to the economic development of the nation. Women are sometimes better leaders because they tend to make decisions based on consensus-building, inclusion, compassion and sustainability. Men tend to be rash, whereas women are supposed to be more sober.

3ls Of Empowerment Summary In Malayalam Question 3.
Women should step outside their ‘comfort zones’. Discuss.
Answer:
Women should certainly step outside their comfort zone if they have to get their rightful place in the society. Most women, especially Indian women, feel safe and comfortable within the four walls of their home. Even when they take up jobs they prefer to do safe jobs like teaching, nursing and clerical jobs. They are afraid to take up more challenging jobs because they are afraid of failure. They think if they take up jobs and do things that are usually done by men they will be called ‘men’ and they don’t relish it. So they remain in their comfort zones, denying themselves the opportunity to grow to their potential.

Plus Two English First Chapter Notes Question 4.
Women sometimes lack the confidence to match their competence. Comment on the statement.
Answer:
It is true that many women are competent but they often lack confidence. They are afraid of failure. We have seen women like Golda Meir of Israel, Margaret Thatcher of Britain, Sirimao Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka and Indira Gandhi of India. They were all more manly than men! They were iron ladies who had the courage to do things the way they thought right. But most ladies lack such confidence. They prefer to stay at home, looking after their husbands and children. Their mindset has to change. They should feel that they are in no way inferior to men. There is a popular African saying: “What a man can do, a woman can do better!” Let them believe in it and then they will see the difference.

The 3ls Of Empowerment Summary In Malayalam Question 5.
How can we build self-confidence in women?
Answer:
We can build self-confidence in women by letting them do things on their own, without being advised and guided. They should be made to read the biographies of women like Golda Meir of Israel, Margaret Thatcher of Britain, Sirimao Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka and Indira Gandhi of India. They should also read about Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, and our own Kalpana Chawla. All religious books contain stories about courageous and powerful women. The idea that men and women are equal should be drilled into their minds. Entrust them with responsible jobs.

Activity I (Speech)

Women Empowerment Meaning In Malayalam Question 6.
Can speeches make an impact on the human mind?
Answer:
Speeches can definitely make an impact on the human mind. We see how great men influenced their people with powerful speeches. Our own Subhash Chandra Bose said, “Give me blood, and I will give you freedom”. Many people joined the INA (Indian National Army) because of his speeches. We know how Winston Churchill influenced his countrymen during the Second World War with his ‘Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat’ speech on 13 May 1940. When he was elected the Prime Minister he told the cabinet: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.” Kennedy influenced the American youth and indeed the youth all over the world with his famous inaugural address on 20 January 1961. He said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country.” Speeches do influence us. Some of our political leaders are good speakers and that is why they are in leadership positions.

The 3ls Of Empowerment Malayalam Summary Question 7.
Why do we make speeches?
Answer:
We make speeches to make our listeners follow our ideas and ideologies. Through speeches we let others know what we think is right. Religious leaders make the believers follow their religion through speeches, known as sermons. Political leaders constantly make speeches to retain their following and to prove that their policies and programmes are the best. To be successful in public we ought to master the art of speech-making. Oratorical skills are essential for leaders to make an impact on people. Sometimes, it may sound paradoxical, but words often speak louder than actions!

Read the speeches given on page 11 and 12:

3l Of Empowerment Summary In Malayalam Question 8.
Do you remember any such famous speech?
Answer:
Yes, I do. The speech made by John F. Kennedy on his Inauguration as the 35th President of the United States.

If so, provide the following details:

• Who delivered it: John F. Kennedy
• What was the occasion : His Inauguration as the President
• When was it delivered: On 20 January 1961
• What was the purpose of his speech: To influence the youth, of America
• Who were the audience: Mainly the House of Representatives and the US Congress. But the entire America, and in fact the whole world, listened.
• How was it presented? With powerful voice, apt gesticulations and other oratorical flourishes.

Plus Two English The 3ls Of Empowerment Summary In Malayalam Question 9.
Christine Lagarde suggests various means of empowering women. She persuasively insists on the idea that women should think and act independently. Keeping this in mind; prepare a script of a persuasive speech on the topic ‘Education is the Key to Women Empowerment’ to be delivered at the school assembly on International Women’s Day (March 8).
Answer:
Respected Principal, teachers, and my dear students, As all of you know, today, March 8, is International Women’s Day. All over the world, the day is observed to ensure that women have an equal share in the developmental activities. In many parts of the world women are still considered second class citizens. India is one of the countries where women suffer most because of discriminations. We still have the dowry system. Female foeticide is common. Although these are prohibited by law, they still go on in our society.

The life of an Indian woman, generally speaking, is a series of slaveries. Until she is married, she is a slave of her father; when she is married she is a slave of her husband and when the husband dies she becomes the slave of her son with whom she chooses to stay. It is usual that husbands die before their wives because they marry women much younger to them. This situation has to change and this can be done by 3 Ls – Learning, Labour and Leadership – as shown by Christine Lagarde, who was first woman Finance Minister of France.

Learning helps the woman to know about her rights and duties. Labour or employment gives her the economic power to assert herself. A woman without any income has to depend on her father, husband or son for her needs. Leadership makes the woman powerful. She should be able to lead so that the world becomes a better place to live in. Lagarde says women make better leaders than men. Women tend to make decisions based on consensus-building, inclusion, compassion and sustainability.

It is true that sometimes women lack the confidence to match their competence. They have to change their mindset. They should be ready to “dare the difference”, to take risk and step outside their comfort zones. Indira Gandhi and Kalpana Chawla .came out of their comfort zones and that is why we respect them and remember them almost every day.

I, therefore, ask the girls assembled here to take charge of their lives. You have a lot to gain and nothing to lose by trying to make yourself equal to men.

I wish you success in your endeavours!

II. READ AND ENJOY

Plus Two English Amigo Brothers Notes Question 1.
What is your concept of freedom? When does a person enjoy real freedom?

The 3ls Of Empowerment Story In Malayalam Question 2.
Do women enjoy real freedom?

Hsslive Guru Plus Two English Notes Question 3.
Women support a family, but are they really supported by the family?

3ls Of Empowerment Malayalam Summary Question 4.
Do women share equal status with men?

The 3Ls of Empowerment (Speech) Edumate Questions and Answers

Question 1
In her speech The 3Ls of Empowerment’, Christine Lagarde speaks about the importance of learning in empowering women. Do Indian women get an equal space in the society? Write a paragraph of about 100 words on the social, cultural and economic status of Indian women.
Answer:
Christine Lagarde is quite right in saying that in empowering women, learning has great importance. In the Indian society, women do not have equality with men in many areas. Although the Constitution of India ensures equality of women in all aspects of life, in practice that equality remains on paper. In the social, economic and cultural status, women are inferior to men. Even now there is the dowry system. When a man marries he gets not only a wife, but also a lot of money which is called by euphemistic terms like share, pocket money or gift. But the fact of the matter is women won’t get married unless they pay huge dowries to men. Culturally a woman is discriminated against. She is refused entry in many places, even in some places of worship just because she is a woman. There is also economic discrimination. If a man gets Rs. 800 as his daily wages, a woman is paid only Rs. 400, although she may do more work than a man. Look at the Ministries in the Centre and the States. How many women ministers are there? Look at the Lok Sabha and the State Assemblies. How many women representatives are there? We find in India equality of women is only on paper and to change this, learning has a major role to play.

Question 2.
Imagine that your Residents’ Association is organising a celebration on Women’s Day. As the secretary of the Youth Wing of the Association, you are asked to deliver a speech on the Role of Women in the Family and Society. Draft the speech in the light of your reading of “The 3Ls of Empowerment’ and any Woman’.
Answer:
Respected Principal, teachers, and my dear students, As all of you know, today, March 8, is International Women’s Day. All over the world, the day is observed to ensure that women have an equal share in the developmental activities. In many parts of the world, women are still considered second class citizens. India is one of the countries where women suffer most because of discriminations. We still have the dowry system. Female foeticide is common. Although these are prohibited by law, they still go on in our society. The life of an Indian woman, generally speaking, is a series of slaveries. Until she is married, she is a slave of her father; when she is married she is a slave of her husband and when the husband dies she becomes the slave of her son with whom she chooses to stay. It is usual that husbands die before their wives because they marry women much younger to them. This situation has to change and this can be done by 3 Ls – Learning, Labour and Leadership – as shown by Christine Lagarde, who was first woman Finance Minister of France.

Learning helps the woman to know about her rights and duties. Labour or employment gives her the economic power to assert herself. A woman without any income has to depend on her father, husband or son for her needs. Leadership makes the woman powerful. She should be able to lead so that the world becomes a better place to live in. Lagarde says women make better leaders than men. Women tend to make decisions based on consensus-building, inclusion, compassion and sustainability.

It is true that sometimes women lack the confidence to match their competence. They have to change their mindset. They should be ready to “dare the difference”, to take risk and step outside their comfort zones. Indira Gandhi and Kalpana Chawla came out of their comfort zones and that is why we respect them and remember them almost every day.

I, therefore, ask the girls assembled here to take charge of their lives. You have a lot to gain and nothing to lose by trying to make yourself equal to men.

I wish you success in your endeavours!

Question 3.
You are a regular commuter in city buses. You have noticed that the seats reserved for women are usually occupied by men. The conductor of the bus does not respond to your complaints and you decide to report it to the station master. Draft a letter of complaint.
Answer:
CIassXII
St. Jude’s HSS,
Chalakudy
7 July 20178

The Station Master
City Bus Service
Chalakudy

Sir,
Sub: Seats Reserved for Women in the City Buses

I am a regular traveller in the city buses. As a woman, I find it quite irritating to see men occupying the seats meant for women, while women are standing. The other day I saw a pregnant woman and an old lady standing in the bus, while the seats reserved for women were occupied by some very impolite and rude male passengers. I requested the conductor of the bus to ask the illegal occupants to vacate the seats but the conductor told me that he would be abused or even beaten by the men. I think this is a gross violation of the law by the male passengers. Please ensure that the seats reserved for women are made available to them when they are travelling in the bus.

Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,

Sd /-
(Nelly Jose)

Question 4.
The Ayalkkoottam unit in your locality is opening a canteen for wayfarers and locals. Imagine that you are a journalist and you wish to prepare a feature on how such initiatives boost the self-confidence of women.
Answer:

Opening Of Vanitha Canteen Near Athani Junction

The Ayalkkoottam Unit of Athani is planning to open a Vanitha Canteen for wayfarers and locals very close to the Athani Junction, on the NH 47. The Canteen will be managed by a Committee consisting of only women. The primary aim of opening the Canteen is building self-confidence among women to undertake new initiatives. It will also bring in financial benefits to the Ayalkkootam for planning and executing other welfare services in the locality. Since Athani is a busy junction, close to the Kochi Airport, the Canteen is expected to have a lot of customers. Since the prices are below what is charged by similar places run by private persons, it is expected that Canteen will prove a success.

If you are near the airport for any reason you may visit this Canteen and have nice meals or snacks at quite reasonable prices. The authorities say customers can expect excellent personalized service in their Canteen.

Question 5.
Your friend Raj drafted the following notice for a debate to be conducted by the Social Science Club. But it has some errors. Edit it.

Dear friends,
The Social Science Club of our school has organising a debate in the topic ‘Women are born to do what men cannot do’ on’21.08.2Q17. The programme will inaugurate by Dr. Prasanna who fights for women’s rights. We shall be thankful if you could kindly register your names at least by 18.8.2017.

Sd /-
Convenor
Social Science Club
Answer:
Dear Friends,
The Social Science Club of our school is organizing a debate on the topic “Women are born to do what men cannot do’ on 21.8.2017. The programme will be inaugurated by Dr. Prasanna who fights for women’s rights. We shall be thankful if you could kindly register your names at least by 18.8.2017.

Sd/-
Convenor
Social Science Club

Question 6.
A popular television channel is telecasting a panel discussion on ‘The Need for women Empowerment’. If you are one of the panellists, how will you introduce the topic? Attempt it in about 150 words.
Answer:
The Need for Women Empowerment Empowering women is an urgent need of the day, especially in our society. In the Indian society, women do not have equality with men in many areas. Although the Constitution of India ensures equality of women in all aspects of life, in practice that equality remains on paper. In the social, economic and cultural status, women are considered inferior to men. Even now there is the dowry system. When a man marries he not only gets a wife, but he also gets a lot of money or ornaments. Many women don’t get married because they have no money to pay huge dowries to men. Culturally a woman is discriminated against. She is refused entry in many places, even in places of worship just because she is a woman. There is also economic discrimination. If a man gets Rs. 800 as his daily wages, a woman is paid only Rs. 400, although she may do more work than a man. Look at the Ministries in the Centre and the States. How many women ministers are there? Look at the Lok Sabha and the State Assemblies. How many women representatives are there? We find in India equality of women is only on paper. Therefore the empowerment of women is very essential.

Question7.
The following is an article on the importance of girl child in our society. Complete the paragraph using appropriate adjectives. .
Education of the girl child is a ……….. (a) ……….. (disturbing/distracting/ discussing) question when we analyse the situation in certain rural areas of our country. A girl child is often seen as a ……….. (b) ……….. (big/ negligible /grand) burden by many families in rural areas. The government is trying its best to bring to the fore, the ……….. (c) ……….. (lighter/brighter/tighter) side of learning, especially in the case of the girl child. However, it is the parents who should realise that a girl child is a ……….. (d) ……….. (deliberate/ dedicated/ divine) gift and should be properly taken care of.
Answer:
(a) disturbing,
(b) big,
(c) brighter,
(d) divine

Question 8.
Given below is an excerpt of an article that appeared in a prominent daily newspaper. There are certain errors in the passage given below. Edit them.

The more disturbing fact about the plight of women in India is that the merits of learning and labour are not enjoyed by all. The deepest our analysis, the clearer the picture becomes. Rural women are lesser ill focus when we study the impact of education among women. The great trouble is that it is realty hard to bring the rural, semi-rural, urban and semi-urban women under the same umbrella.
Answer:
The most disturbing fact about the plight of women in India is that the merits of learning and labour are not enjoyed by all. The deeper our analysis, the clearer the picture becomes. Rural women are less in focus when we study the impact of education among women. The greatest trouble is that it is really hard to bring the rural, semi-rural, urban and semi-urban women under the same umbrella.

Question 9.
A debate was conducted by the English Club of your school on the topic ‘Women are not bom to do everything a man can’. As a member of the group that supports the topic, write a short paragraph expressing your arguments in favour of the topic. There should be at least four points in your argument. You may use expressions like ‘I agree … ,”1 don’t agree…’ etc.
Answer:
I quite agree with the idea that “Women are not born to do everything a man can”. I may sound a male chauvinist when I say like that. But look at the facts impartially and decide if a woman can do everything a man can do. Can a woman run as fast as a man? Can a woman lift as much weight as a man can? Can a woman jump as high as a man jumps? Look at the world of science and technology. If you ask people to name some great women inventors they may immediately gome up with the name of Marie Curie and then they will struggle to find a second inventor. But we have hundreds of male inventors. Ask the ladies to name a few literary giants like Shakespeare, Milton, Coleridge, Wordsworth, Keats, Shelley, Dickens and so on. Of course they will come up with some names like Emily Bronte, Jane Austen, Elizabeth Barrett Browning. But can we really compare their works with those of the men? Now ask for great painters among women. Do they have any Raphael, Michael Angelo or Pablo Picasso? Do they have any female composer to match Mozart or Beethoven? So I feel that women can’t do everything that men can do!

Question 10.
Imagine that a leading activist for women’s rights is visiting your school. You are one of the students who got an opportunity to interact with her. Frame four questions on the need of women empowerment that you wish to ask.
Answer:
Madam, do you think women empowerment is really possible?
What is the greatest obstacle you find in women empowerment?
Do you think women themselves are against women empowerment because in many families mothers prefer their sons to their daughters?
We have heard that the 3 L’s for women empowerment are Learning, Labour and Leadership. Are they enough?

The 3LS of Empowerment About The Author

– Christine Lagarde

Christine Lagarde was born in Paris on 1.1.1956. She is the first woman to become the Finance Minister of G-8 economy and to head the International Monetary Fund. She advocates 3 Ls for women empowerment. This speech was made on 19 May 2014 at the National Democratic Institute, Washington DC.

The 3LS of Empowerment Summary in English

Good Afternoon!

It is great to be among friends and kindred spirits.

The 21st century poses many challenges that require new ways of thinking. None of them is more important than the economic role of women in a quickly changing world. But women today remain blocked from contributing their true potential. This has a huge cost. In some countries, the per capita income is very low because women are not given equal opportunity. They are half the world’s population. But their economic contribution is far less than 50%. We have to change this situation. For empowering women, I suggest three Ls – Learning, Labour and Leadership.

Education is the foundation on which any change is built. Learning helps women to help themselves and break free of the chains with which they are bound. This is more necessary in the developing world. In Africa, there is a common saying: “If you educate a boy, you train a man. If you educate a girl, you train a village.”

Labour is the second step. Labour helps women to flourish and achieve their true potential. Unfortunately today, even when women work, they are often limited to jobs where the pay, status and security are low. Globally, women earn only % as much as men, even when they have similar education and similar jobs. One of our important ideas should be “equal pay for equal work”. Researches show that removing the gender inequality in economic participation can bring an increase in the per capita income.

Women can be given more opportunities in the work place. There is a need to change our laws to ensure that property and inheritance laws do not discriminate against women. Education and healthcare for women should be encouraged. Women should be given more credit facilities so that they can get greater economic independence.

The 3rd L is leadership. It enables women to rise and fulfil their inborn abilities and talents. A lot can be done here. Sometimes women make better leaders than men. Women tend to make decisions based on consensus building, inclusion, compassion and sustainability. It is true that sometimes women lack the confidence to match their competence. They have to change their mindset. They should be ready to “dare the difference”, to take risk and step outside their comfort zones. But they face a lot of barriers. These barriers are seen even when we talk about giving primary education for girls in a village orgiving executive positions to women in business.

It is time to create a world where all women can grow to their potential. The world will reap the benefits. The three Ls will help us to get there.

If we dare the difference, the difference will deliver.

The 3LS of Empowerment Summary in Malayalam

The 3LS of Empowerment Glossary