Monday, December 30, 2019

Students India Online Annual Exam - 2020

Welcome to the Students India 
Online Annual Exam - 2020
പരീക്ഷ എഴുതേണ്ട പേപ്പര്‍/മീഡിയം താഴെനിന്നും സെലക്റ്റ് ചെയ്യുക. തുടര്‍ന്ന് ലഭിക്കുന്ന സ്‌ക്രീനില്‍ നിങ്ങളുടെ പേര്, ക്ലാസ്, ഫോണ്‍ നമ്പര്‍, ജില്ല എന്നിവ നല്‍കി സൈന്‍ അപ്/ലോഗിന്‍ ചെയ്യുക.(Select the paper/medium, from the following. Then sign up/login in the next screen by entering  your name, class, district and phone number.)




Students India Online Annual Exam - 2020

Welcome to the Students India 
Online Annual Exam - 2020
പരീക്ഷ എഴുതേണ്ട പേപ്പര്‍/മീഡിയം താഴെനിന്നും സെലക്റ്റ് ചെയ്യുക. തുടര്‍ന്ന് ലഭിക്കുന്ന സ്‌ക്രീനില്‍ നിങ്ങളുടെ പേര്, ക്ലാസ്, ഫോണ്‍ നമ്പര്‍, ജില്ല എന്നിവ നല്‍കി സൈന്‍ അപ്/ലോഗിന്‍ ചെയ്യുക.(Select the paper/medium, from the following. Then sign up/login in the next screen by entering  your name, class, district and phone number.)




Students India Online Annual Exam - 2020

Welcome to the Students India 
Online Annual Exam - 2020
പരീക്ഷ എഴുതേണ്ട പേപ്പര്‍/മീഡിയം താഴെനിന്നും സെലക്റ്റ് ചെയ്യുക. തുടര്‍ന്ന് ലഭിക്കുന്ന സ്‌ക്രീനില്‍ നിങ്ങളുടെ പേര്, ക്ലാസ്, ഫോണ്‍ നമ്പര്‍, ജില്ല എന്നിവ നല്‍കി സൈന്‍ അപ്/ലോഗിന്‍ ചെയ്യുക.(Select the paper/medium, from the following. Then sign up/login in the next screen by entering  your name, class, district and phone number.)




Students India Online Annual Exam - 2020

Welcome to the Students India 
Online Annual Exam - 2020
പരീക്ഷ എഴുതേണ്ട പേപ്പര്‍/മീഡിയം താഴെനിന്നും സെലക്റ്റ് ചെയ്യുക. തുടര്‍ന്ന് ലഭിക്കുന്ന സ്‌ക്രീനില്‍ നിങ്ങളുടെ പേര്, ക്ലാസ്, ഫോണ്‍ നമ്പര്‍, ജില്ല എന്നിവ നല്‍കി സൈന്‍ അപ്/ലോഗിന്‍ ചെയ്യുക.(Select the paper/medium, from the following. Then sign up/login in the next screen by entering  your name, class, district and phone number.)




Students India Online Annual Exam - 2020

Welcome to the Students India 
Online Annual Exam - 2020
പരീക്ഷ എഴുതേണ്ട പേപ്പര്‍/മീഡിയം താഴെനിന്നും സെലക്റ്റ് ചെയ്യുക. തുടര്‍ന്ന് ലഭിക്കുന്ന സ്‌ക്രീനില്‍ നിങ്ങളുടെ പേര്, ക്ലാസ്, ഫോണ്‍ നമ്പര്‍, ജില്ല എന്നിവ നല്‍കി സൈന്‍ അപ്/ലോഗിന്‍ ചെയ്യുക.(Select the paper/medium, from the following. Then sign up/login in the next screen by entering  your name, class, district and phone number.)




Students India Online Annual Exam - 2020

Welcome to the Students India 
Online Annual Exam - 2020
പരീക്ഷ എഴുതേണ്ട പേപ്പര്‍/മീഡിയം താഴെനിന്നും സെലക്റ്റ് ചെയ്യുക. തുടര്‍ന്ന് ലഭിക്കുന്ന സ്‌ക്രീനില്‍ നിങ്ങളുടെ പേര്, ക്ലാസ്, ഫോണ്‍ നമ്പര്‍, ജില്ല എന്നിവ നല്‍കി സൈന്‍ അപ്/ലോഗിന്‍ ചെയ്യുക.(Select the paper/medium, from the following. Then sign up/login in the next screen by entering  your name, class, district and phone number.)




Thursday, December 26, 2019

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Proposal - Play (Part-II)


Proposal - Play (Part-I)

Tale of Custard the Dragon - Analysis


The story of Buddha


The story of Kisa Gotami


Mother to Son എന്ന പാഠത്തിലെ കൂടുതല്‍ ചോദ്യങ്ങളും ഉത്തരങ്ങളും (Class 10)

1. Read the lines from ‘Mother to Son’ and answer the questions that follow. 
Well, son, I’ll tell you:
Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
It’s had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor -
Bare.
But all the time
I’se been a-climbin’ on,
And reachin’ Iandin’s,
And turnin’ corners,
And sometimes goin’ in the dark
Where there ain’t been no light.
So, boy, don’t you turn back.
a. Who is ‘I’ referred to here?
Mother
b. What does the speaker compare her life to?
Crystal stair
c. What is the speaker’s advice to her son?
The speaker advises her son not to turn back.
d. What impression do you get about the speaker from these lines?
The speaker had to face many difficulties in her life. Life was not easy for her. She advises her son to be prepared to the same type of difficulties in his life also.
2. Supply the missing words in the following passage.
Before tracing/ (a) first letter, he glanced several times anxiously/ (b) the door and window, peered at the dark icon, with shelves holding cobbler’s lasts stretching on either side/(c) it, and gave a quivering sigh. The paper lay/(d) the bench, and Vanka knelt on the floor at the bench.
(at, of, by, the, on)
Answers: a) the b) at c) of d) on

Vanka എന്ന പാഠത്തിലെ കൂടുതല്‍ ചോദ്യങ്ങളും ഉത്തരങ്ങളും (Class 10)

1. The story by Anton Chekhov narrates the hardships of the main character ‘Vanka‘. Prepare a brief character sketch of Vanka.
Vanka 
Vanka is an orphan boy. He has no father and mother. He has only one relative. That is his grandfather. He is Konstantin Makarich. He sent Vanka to Moscow as an apprentice of a shoemaker. He is treated like a dog. He is constantly beaten and poorly fed. 
He is very wise, so he selects the Christmas eve to write a letter to his grandfather and post it when the master and mistress have gone to church. He is an obedient child. He obeys even the orders of the other apprentices. He is very loving and kind - hearted too.
2. Prepare a profile of Anton Chekhov using the hints given below.
Born : 1860
Famous as : Major Russian play - wright, One of the masters of modern short story.
Nature of works : Explore the entire range of human spirit, provoke the readers to ask questions.
Popularly known as : outstanding representative of the late 19th century.
Famous works : Three Sisters, The Cherry Orchard, The Lady with the Dog.
Died : 1904
Anton Chekhov was born on January 29, 1860 in Russia. He was a famous Russian playwright, short story writer and physician. He is popularly known as the outstanding representative of the late 19th century. Chekhov, through his works, has tried to explore the entire range of human spirit. It was his particular style to provoke his readers to ask questions. His major works are  ‘Three Sisters’, ‘The Cherry Orchard’ and ‘The Lady with the Dog’. He died in 1904.
3. Read the following conversation and complete the sentences below.
Alyakhin : What are you doing?
Vanka : I am writing a letter.
Alyakhin asked Vanka ................
Vanka replied that ...........
Answers:  Alyakhin asked Vanka what he was doing. 
Vanka replied that he was writing a letter.
4. Read the passage from the story ‘Vanka’ and answer the questions that follow: 
Nine-year-old Vanka Zhukov, who had been apprenticed three months above to Alyakhin the shoemaker, did not go to bed on Christmas eve. He waited till his master and mistress and the senior apprentices had gone to church, and then took from the cupboard a bottle of ink and a pen with a rusty nib, spread out a crumpled sheet of paper, and was all ready to write. Before tracing the first letter, he glanced several times anxiously at the door and window, peered at the dark icon, with shelves holding cobbler’s lasts stretching on either side of it, and gave a quivering sigh. The paper lay on the bench, and Vanka knelt on the floor at the bench.
a. How long has Vanka been with Alyakhin?
b. Why didn’t Vanka go to bed on Christmas eve?
c. What arrangements did Vanka make to write the letter?
d. ‘...he glanced several times anxiously at the door and window...’ Why did Vanka look at the door anxiously?
e. Pick out a word from the passage that means ‘a block of wood shaped like a foot’.
Answers:
a. Three months
b. He wanted to write a letter to his grandfather.
c. He waited till his master and mistress and the senior apprentices had gone to church, took from the cupboard a bottle of ink and a pen with a rusty nib, spread out a crumpled sheet of paper.
d. To make sure that no one was watching him. 
e. Last
5. Read the following passage and use the phrasal verbs given in brackets to fill in the blanks.
Oh! I have ______a______ hope of a peaceful life. All my attempts to ______b______ Alyakhin are in vain. He is cruel and has no sympathy for me. My grandfather doesn’t reply to my letter. I tried to ____c____ my anguish and misery to him in the letter. But I don’t know why he is reluctant to reply. I hope somehow I will ______d_______ the crisis.
(put up with, get away, get over, 
give up, put across)

Answers:
a. given up
b. put up with
c. put across
d. get over
6. Vanka suffered a lot at his master’s house. He was ill-treated by the master, mistress and even by his fellow apprentices. Write a letter to Vanka consoling him.       
House name
Place
Date
My dear Vanka,
I came to know that you are ill-treated a lot by Alyakhin. I don’t know how to console you. I am also a child like you, but I am loved by all. I am very sad when I think about your present situation. I will report the case to the childline authorities tomorrow itself. They will rescue you.  We shall pray to God to make our attempt a success. Let’s hope for the best. With prayers.
Yours lovingly
Sd/-
Name


Poetry എന്ന പാഠത്തിലെ കൂടുതല്‍ ചോദ്യങ്ങളും ഉത്തരങ്ങളും (Class 10)

1. Prepare a profile of Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto (Pablo Neruda) using the details given below.
Birth : July 12, 1904
Place of birth : Parral, Chile
Pen name : Pablo Neruda
Occupation : Poet, diplomat
Awards : Nobel prize in Literature, Lenin Peace Prize
Works : 100 Love Sonnets, Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair, Winter Garden etc.
Death : September 23, 1973
 Answer: Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto was a Chilean poet,  diplomat and politician, born on July 12, 1904. He is popularly known by the pen name Pablo Neruda which was his legal name also. Neruda won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971. He was also the winner of the International Peace Prize and the Lenin Peace Prize (1953). Neruda became a poet when he was ten years old. His important works include ‘100 Love Sonnets’, ‘Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair’, ‘Winter Garden’ etc. He often wrote in green ink which was his personal symbol for desire and hope.  He passed away on September 23, 1973 at the age 69. Neruda is considered to be one of the most influential poet of the 20th century.   His works have been translated to many foreign languages including Malayalam.
2. Read the following lines from ‘Poetry’ and answer the questions that follow.
And it was at that age ... Poetry arrived
in search of me. I don’t know, I don’t know where it came from, winter or a river.
I don’t know how or when,
no they were not voices, they were not
words, nor silence,
but from a street I was summoned,
from the branches of night,
abruptly from the others,
among violent fires
or returning alone,
there I was without a face
and it touched me.
a. ‘Poetry arrived in search of me.’ Why does the poet say so?
b. According to the poet, where did poetry come from?
c. Cite two visual images from the stanza.
d. Pick out an example of personification from the above lines.
Answers:
a. The poet felt a strong and instant impulse to write poetry.
b. Poetry can come from the river or winter.
c. Branches of night, violent fires
d. Poetry arrived in search of me. (Poetry - imagined as a person)


The Scholarship Jacket എന്ന പാഠത്തിലെ കൂടുതല്‍ ചോദ്യങ്ങളും ഉത്തരങ്ങളും (Class 10)

1. Mr. Schmidt was very angry to know that there was a plan to award the Scholarship Jacket to Joann. He argued strongly against it. He noted his reactions and feelings in his diary. Prepare the likely diary entry of Mr. Schmidt. 
12  January 2019
Today is an unfortunate day in my life. I am persuaded by my co-worker Mr. Boone to recommend Miss Joann for the Scholarship Jacket. I was shocked to hear his words. How can I overlook Miss Martha who is the right person deserving the award? I will never do it. My conscience does not allow me to do it. I’m a teacher. I’ve principles. I will fight to the last for justice.
2. On the occasion of honouring Martha the scholarship jacket, the Chairman of the School Board delivered a speech congratulating her. Prepare the likely speech.
Miss Martha, the Principal, respected teachers, beloved students and honourable friends,
I am proud of being here at the time of honouring our beloved student Miss Martha. I congratulate  Miss Martha for being eligible for receiving the scholarship jacket. I know she has been working hard and earnestly all these years for this great award. 
I would like to express my regret at a decision taken by the Board about this award. I wonder how it so happened. I congratulate the respected grandfather of Miss Martha for his justifiable argument, that an award which is paid for is not an award. It was an eye-opener. Thank you very much grandpa.
I also congratulate the principled stand taken by one of our respected teachers, Mr. Schmidt, who placed his arguments with all force in favour of  Miss Martha. Thank you Mr. Schmidt for your ideals. We want teachers like you. 
I would now declare that the Board will not deviate from its policy of awarding the scholarship jacket and that there is no question of demanding any money connected with it. I feel gratified that the mistake has been corrected in time. I exhort all our students to work hard with a vision just as Miss Martha has done. I congratulate Miss Martha and her grandfather once again. 
Thank you all. Thank you very much.
3. The story ‘Scholarship Jacket’ narrates the hurdles that Martha had to face before she got the scholarship jacket. Prepare a brief character sketch of Martha.
Martha
Martha’s parents were poor. They had eight children. So they sent Martha to her grandparents. She was very lean and tall. So people called her ‘beanpole’ and ‘string bean’. Martha had a straight A-Plus average. Martha deserved the scholarship jacket. She had won grade ‘A’ in all the eight years. The next girl in line was not so bright. Martha was shocked when she was informed that the Board had decided to charge fifteen dollars for the scholarship jacket. For Martha, the scholarship jacket was a result of her eight years of hard work and expectation for which she tirelessly worked.
4. Read the following dialogue and answer the questions that follow.
Mr Schmidt :  Martha has scored highest marks all these years.
Mr Boone :  Joann’s father is a Board member.
Now, complete the following sentences.
a. Mr Schmidt told _________.
b. Mr Boone said __________.
Answers:
a. that Martha had scored highest marks all those years.
b. that Joann’s father was a Board member.
5. ‘I could hardly believe my ears.’ I spoke in a trembling rush. ‘Oh! Thank you sir!’ Suddenly I felt great. These words of happiness show how much the scholarship jacket means to Martha. Briefly narrate her story in your own words. You may use the hints given.          
(Hints: wishes to get the scholarship jacket - works hard - overhears the conversation between Boone and Schmidt- Principal asks her to pay for the scholarship jacket - grandpa refuses - finally awarded )
Answer: The celebrated short story ‘The Scholarship Jacket’ was written by Marta Salinas. In this story she talks about an experience she had herself as a fourteen - year - old girl. Martha is a Mexican girl who is striving for a jacket. In Texas high school Martha attended, there was a scholarship jacket that was given to the valedictorian, the student who had maintained the highest grades for eight years. Martha was sure the jacket was hers as her sister had received and also because she had got straight ‘A’ grade since the first. Then by coincidence, she heard the conversation between her teachers. Mr. Schmidt argued for Martha whereas Mr. Boone argued for Joann.
The next day the principal called her and told her that the scholarship jacket was going to cost fifteen dollars and if she couldn’t pay for it, it would be given to the runner up. Martha left school tearfully and was more heartbroken when her grandfather said she couldn’t have the money. She knew that her grandfather was right when he said that she shouldn’t have to pay for something she earned. The next day she told the principal that she couldn’t have the scholarship jacket and explained why. The principal, feeling guilty told Martha that she would have the scholarship jacket.
6. Complete the following conversation between Martha and a News reporter.                              
Reporter : You are Martha, __(a)____?
Martha : Yes. I am.
Reporter : __(b)__?
Martha : I’m in class eight.
Reporter : You won the Scholarship Jacket, __(c)__?
Martha : Yes. I did.
Reporter : __(d)__?
Martha : No, I didn’t pay anything.
Reporter : Indeed you deserve it, __(e)__!
Martha : Thank you sir.
Answer: 
a) aren’t you?
b) Which class do you belong ?
c) didn’t you?
d) Did you pay for it?
e) how excellent!



The Danger of a Single Story എന്ന പാഠത്തിലെ കൂടുതല്‍ ചോദ്യങ്ങളും ഉത്തരങ്ങളും (Class 10)

1. Read the following passage and answer the questions given below:
I come from a conventional, middle-class Nigerian family. My father was a professor. My mother was an administrator. And so we had, as was the norm, live-in domestic help, who would often come from nearby rural villages. So, the year I turned eight, we got a new houseboy. His name was Fide. The only thing my mother told us about him was that his family was very poor. My mother sent yams and rice and our old clothes to his family. And when I didn’t finish my dinner, my mother would say, ‘Finish your food! Don’t you know? People like Fide’s family have nothing.’ So I felt enormous pity for Fide’s family.
1. Describe Adichie’s family.
2. What was the single story she heard about Fide?
3. Why did Adichie feel pity for Fide’s family?
4. My father was a professor. My mother was an administrator. Combine these two sentences using ‘and’.
Answers: 
1. Conventional Nigerian family. Her father was a professor and mother was an administrator.
2. Fide was very poor.
3. She believed that they were very poor and had nothing even to eat.
4. My father was a professor and my mother was an administrator.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

The Ballad of Father Gilligan എന്ന പാഠത്തിലെ കൂടുതല്‍ ചോദ്യങ്ങളും ഉത്തരങ്ങളും (Class 10)

1. Prepare a profile of W.B. Yeats using the hints given below. Use appropriate linkers, wherever necessary.
Birth : June 13, 1865, Sandymount, Republic of Ireland
Spouse : Georgiana Hyde Lees
Renowned as : Poet, dramatist, senator, founder of Abbey Theatre
Major works : Celtic Twilight, The Tower, A Vision
Key traits : Symbolism, allusive imagery
Awards : Nobel Prize in Literature, December, 1923
Death : January 28, 1939
Answer: W. B. Yeats
William Butler Yeats was born on June 13, 1865 in Sandymount, Republic of Ireland. His wife was Georgiana Hyde Lees. Yeats was a renowned poet and dramatist. He was also famous as a senator and the founder of the Abbey Theatre. His major works are ‘Celtic Twilight’, ‘The Tower’, ‘A Vision’ etc. Symbolism and allusive imagery are the main characteristics of his writing style. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in December 1923. Yeats passed away on January 28, 1939.
2. Read the following lines from the poem ‘The Ballad of Father Gilligan’ and write an appreciation focusing on the theme, imagery and other poetic devices.
‘And is the poor man dead?’ he cried
‘He died an hour ago.’
The old priest Peter Gilligan
In grief swayed to and fro.
‘When you were gone, he turned and died,
As merry as a bird.’
The old priest Peter Gilligan
He knelt him at that word.
‘He Who hath made the night of stars
For souls who tire and bleed,
Sent one of this great angels down,
To help me in my need.
‘He Who is wrapped in purple robes,
With planets in His care
Had pity on the least of things
Asleep upon a chair.’
Answer: These lines are part of the poem ‘The Ballad of Father Gilligan’ which is a perfect ballad by W.B. Yeats in every sense. This poem tells the story of an old priest, Father Gilligan. Half of his people in the parish were either in sick-bed or already dead due to an epidemic. Day and night Father Gilligan was in service of them and he was very tired and weak. He could not attend one sick-man’s last moments, as he fell asleep in his chair. Realizing that he had failed to do his duty, the next morning in great grief Father Gilligan rode on his horse to the man’s house. When he reached there, his wife told the priest that her husband had already died and she asked him why he came again. From her question Father  Gilligan understood that in his absence God had sent an angel to perform his duties. He knelt and cried in repentance and thanked God for His mercy. 
The rhyme scheme of the poem is abcb. The images of a powerful but merciful God and a pious priest can be visualized  from these lines. Repeating the line ‘The old priest Peter Gilligan’ and the words ‘priest’ and ‘Peter’, the poetic devices ‘refrain’ and ‘alliteration’ are used respectively. The line ‘As merry as a bird’ is an example of ‘simile’. The theme of the poem is made up of God’s mercy and the priest’s pity and piety.
3. Read the following lines from the poem ‘The Ballad of Father Gilligan’ and prepare a note of appreciation.
‘Mavrone, mavrone! The man has died
While I slept in the chair’;
He roused his horse out of its sleep
And rode with little care.
He rode now as he never rode,
By rocky lane and fen;
The sick man’s wife opened the door,
‘Father! you come again!’
‘And is the poor man dead?’ he cried
‘He died an hour ago.’
The old priest Peter Gilligan
In grief swayed to and fro.
Answer:  The celebrated ballad ‘The Ballad of Father Gilligan’ was written by the famous Irish poet William Butler Yeats. In this poem we can see a priest named Gilligan who was tired of continuous service night and day. The poet narrates an incident that saved father Gilligan from damnation.
Father Gilligan, an old priest, who was sad because all his parishioners were under the  threat of an epidemic. One evening a man  came to the priest and informed that his friend was dying. Father told him that he would visit him soon. But he fell asleep. Next morning father woke from his sleep. He rode to the dead man’s house. Repentance came to father for not performing his duty. The dead man’s wife told him that her husband died as merry as a bird after the father had gone. On hearing that, father Gilligan understood that God had sent one of his angels to perform his duty and saved him from damnation. Father knelt and prayed to God for being kind and merciful to him.
The ballad is rich in various sensuous images. The figures of speech used by the poet are excellent. A series of rhyming words enrich the poem. The poem follows the rhyme scheme abcb.
This is absolutely a fabulous ballad. It is an eye - opener for those who do not believe in God. The wonderful tune of the ballad makes reading interesting.

The Best Investment I Ever Made എന്ന പാഠത്തിലെ കൂടുതല്‍ ചോദ്യങ്ങളും ഉത്തരങ്ങളും (Class 10)

1.  Mr. John in the story  ‘The Best Investment I Ever Made’ was addicted to gambling and lost all his wealth. The doctor helped him to return to his life (when he tried to commit suicide). Imagine that he noted his feelings in his diary. Prepare the diary entry of  Mr. John.
8, August 2018
It was a terrible experience....! At that moment of despair, I tried to embrace death. Hope came in the form of a sergeant and the doctor. They saved my life. The landlady also helped me. I will never follow my dark and evil life. Just like the doctor, the sergeant and the landlady I will also try to change the lives of others.
2. Mr. John in ‘The Best Investment I Ever Made’ feels grateful to the doctor for saving his life. He had given him a second chance in life. He writes a letter to the doctor thanking him for all that the doctor had done for him. Write the likely letter. 
Answer: 
John S
House No. 27
St. Thomas Bay
Geneva
Dear doctor, 
I am very much thankful to you for saving my life. Even after so many years I cannot forget what you had done. That was a terrible experience. At that moment of despair, I tried to embrace death. Hope came in the form of a sergeant and you. The landlady also helped me. I have already given up  my dark and evil life. When I look back, I realise that I was on the verge of death. You were the real God who appeared before me in human form at that time. You were the one who wished the most to see me successful in life. Thank God for sending such a good man like you to save me. Just like you, the sergeant and the landlady, I am also trying to change the lives of others.
With love,
John.
3. Mr. John in the story ‘The Best Investment I Ever Made’ is victim of loose society of the streets. Prepare a brief character sketch of Mr. John.
Mr. John
Mr. John was in his 40s. He was short in build. He had fair complexion. His eyes were clear blue. He had no hair just behind his forehead. His dark suit, sober tie and rimless glasses showed that he was serious-minded and of a reserved disposition. Twenty-five years before, the narrator, being a doctor, saved Mr. John’s  life from a suicide attempt. Mr. John was then a young person living an indisciplined life. He was on the brim of ruin. Mr. John had stolen a small sum of money from the office he had been working. The narrator gave him the money and asked him to put it back in the office. This incident touched the heart of Mr. John. He transformed into a new individual. He got education and became a lawyer. Moreover he was now in the service of saving boys and girls who were victims of bad living conditions. 
4. Read the passage from ‘The Best Investment I Ever Made’ and answer the questions that follow:
On the second day, out from New York, while making the round of the promenade deck, I suddenly became aware that one of the passengers was watching me closely, following me with his gaze every time I passed. I wanted to rest, to avoid the tedium of casual and importunate ship-board contacts. I gave no sign of having noticed the man. Yet there was nothing importunate about him. On the contrary, he seemed affected by a troubled, rather touching diffidence. He was in his early 40s, rather short in build, with a fair complexion and clear blue eyes. His thin hair had begun to recede from his forehead. His dark suit, sober tie and rimless spectacles gave evidence of a serious and reserved disposition. At this point the bugle sounded for dinner, and I went below.
a. Who is the ‘I’ referred to in this passage?
b. Where does the incident take place?
c. Pick out a word from the passage that means ‘boredom’.
d. Why did the narrator wish to take rest?
Answer: 
a. A. J. Cronin/author/narrator
b. On the deck of a ship
c. tedium
d. To avoid the tedium of casual and importunate ship-board contacts.
5. The story ‘The Best Investment I Ever Made’ tells us, how bad habits and bad companions destroy the life of an individual. Prepare a speech on the topic ‘Good friends build good character.’
Answer: Dear friends,
‘A friend in need is a friend indeed.’ If our friends are good, our life will change and they can lead us to build a good character. But if our friend is a bad one, he/she can lead us to a dark and evil life. It will be an indisciplined life.
In this fast moving life, attachments and care towards others are decreasing day by day. But it is very clear that friends can make a person’s life worthy or worthless. They can support us in our problems or can guide us properly if we are in trouble. But like everything in this world, friendship also has a negative side - a chance to mislead a person leading him to troubles. Because it is a fact that, in every man’s life, there is a period when they are deeply influenced by friends, either positively or negatively. But that influence has the power to make one’s life a success or a failure. It is clearly described in the story ‘The Best Investment I Ever Made.’ It is his bad friendship that leads him near to death. At the same time, the care and concern that others gave him, helped him to recover.
So, friends, Let’s be very careful and serious while we select our friends. Let’s hope all of us will have a bright future.
Thank you.


Blowin' In The Wind (song) എന്ന പാഠത്തിലെ കൂടുതല്‍ ചോദ്യങ്ങളും ഉത്തരങ്ങളും (Class 10)

1. Prepare a short profile of Bob Dylan using the hints given below.
Born : May 24, 1941
Known as : American singer, song writer, artist and writer
Notable works : Blowin’ in the Wind, The Times They Are a-Changin’ (anthem for the American Civil Rights, anti-war movements), The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, Bringing It All Back Home, Blonde on Blonde, Time Out of Mind.
Awards/ Honours : Grammy, Academy and Golden Globe Awards, as well as the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Answer: The famous American song writer, singer, artist and writer Bob Dylan was born on May 24, 1941. He has been influential in popular music and culture for more than five decades. His notable works include ‘The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan’, ‘Bringing It All Back Home’, ‘Blonde on Blonde’, ‘Time Out of Mind’ etc. His songs ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ and ‘ The Times They Are a- Changin’ became anthems for the American Civil Rights and anti- war movements. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016.
2. Read the following lines from ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ and answer the questions that follow. How many roads must a man walk down
Before you call him a man?
How many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?
Yes, and how many times must the cannon balls fly
Before they’re forever banned?
The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind
The answer is blowin’ in the wind.
a. What does the word ‘roads’ suggest?
b. Pick out the lines from the poem which give you the sense of ‘war’.
c. What does the poet mean when he says ‘The answer is blowin’ in the wind’?
d. Pick out an instance of alliteration.  
Answers:  a. The word ‘road’ suggests the difficult paths of life. 
b. How many times must the cannon balls fly 
Before they’re forever banned?
c. The poet does not expect a definite answer. The answer is just like blowing in the wind.
d. many roads must a man
seas must a white dove sail


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The Castaway എന്ന പാഠത്തിലെ കൂടുതല്‍ ചോദ്യങ്ങളും ഉത്തരങ്ങളും (Class 10)

1. Prepare the character sketch of  Kiran in the story ‘The Castaway’.
Kiran is a character in the story ‘The Castaway’ having equal importance with the protagonist Nilkanta. She is a favourite of not only her own family but also of the whole village. She once fell seriously ill and now has become fully recovered. Her husband and other members of the family want her to stay a few more days in the riverside house to regain her health. But her mind wishes for going back to her own home in the village. She is a woman loving lots of fun and wants to be back with the villagers steaming with fun. She dislikes the boredom of sitting idle doing nothing. When Nilkanta comes to the riverside house unexpectedly, she becomes much delighted and forgets about going back to her home in the village. Soon Kiran and Nilkanta become good friends. She enjoys his presence always with her and amuses herself with his various theatrical performances. She always supports and ignores all the mischief done by Nilkanta and his naughty friends, without paying any attention to her own husband’s complaints. She takes extra care in all matters of Nilkanta, which irritates her husband and his mother. She took up the role of his sister and mother combined. But when Satish, her husband’s younger brother, comes to live with them, her attention diverts from Nilkanta to Satish. They engage in all merry-making and rollicking activities like playful children. At the time of leaving the riverside house, she wants to take Nilkanta with them and argues for him. But she has to yield before the opposition of all other members of the family. She tries to protect Nilkanta from being termed as the thief of Satish’s inkstand. She examines his box and finds the inkstand, but she secretly takes and throws it into the river to save him. She feels enormous pity on the homeless boy and puts in his box two new suits of clothes, a pair of shoes and a bank note as a surprise gift. Kiran at times appears to be childish when she has to be a matured and responsible wife.

The Never - Never Nest എന്ന പാഠത്തിലെ കൂടുതല്‍ ചോദ്യങ്ങളും ഉത്തരങ്ങളും (Class 10)

1. Prepare a review of the drama ‘The Never - Never Nest’.
The play ‘The Never-Never Nest’ tells us about the merits and demerits of buying things on hire purchase basis. Jack and Jill newly married couple. They are attracted by the hire purchase system. So they buy all the domestic luxuries including their house and a car on installment basis. In fact even their baby did not fully belong to them. It was pledged to the hospital where it was born and had not made full payment of the hospital bill. The system encourages extravagance and the habit of taking loans. The writer may mean that the installment system benefits the low-income group to buy essential articles. At the same time he stresses on the fact that one should not be irresponsible in getting things on installment. It may lead to one’s financial ruin. The play teaches us the moral lesson that one should learn to balance one’s income and expenditure.
2.  Prepare the character sketch of Aunt Jane
Aunt Jane is one of the major characters in the one-act play ‘The Never-Never Nest’. Her words and actions make the play humorous and interesting. She appears to be a lady with a generous and philanthropic mind. She loves her nephew Jack and his wife Jill very much and shows much concern in their well-being. Aunt Jane had given Jack and Jill a gift-cheque for two hundred pounds at the time of their wedding. Now she doubts whether it was really two hundred pounds or by mistake she had written two thousand! The reason is that now when she visits their house and sees their comfortable and luxurious life with all modern facilities, she cannot just believe it. Jack and Jill have a cosy and luxurious house with all facilities like refrigerator, radio, all furniture, piano, car, etc. They say that their house is not on rent, but they own it. But when she realizes that they own them all by the hire-purchase system, she disapproves the way of using others’ things as theirs. She even refuses to sit on the furniture and travel in their car because she believes that these things actually belong to someone else. She proclaims that her motto is to buy thing by paying down, and she dislikes owing a penny to others. She feels restless and wants to leave the house immediately as she believes it belongs to some Mr. Serge or Marks and Spencer. But even when she leaves bidding good bye to Jack and Jill displeased in their way of life, she doesn’t hesitate to help them with a cheque for ten pounds.