Hockey

 

Football

 

The Bishop’s Candlesticks

 

+2 Class: Heights of Harmony എന്ന Unit ലെ കൂടുതല്‍ ചോദ്യങ്ങളും ഉത്തരങ്ങളും (More Questions and Answers)

UNIT 2:  Heights of Harmony

Chapter - 1: Mending Wall
1.    The poem ‘Mending Wall’ presents the paradox in ‘Something there is that doesn’t love a wall’ and ‘good fences make good neighbours.’ Both seem to be equally true but contrasting points of view. Substantiate your own view on this.    
Answer: To be frank, all organisms except humans make use of the resources in nature as is prescribed by nature. The case of humans is different. Humans consider nature wholly as their own. They think they are the only inheritors for the earth. They believe that the whole of nature is their own. They forget about their oneness with the natural world, and them about the oneness that should pracil among themselves. So they started building walls thus separating some of them from the others. Now the questions arises whether these walls are needed. They are the products of being loveless. That is why the forces of nature try to pull down the walls.
    So the lines ‘Something there is that doesn’t love the wall’ become meaningful.
    But at the same time, non-cooperation and selfishness have gone so deep rooted in society that people are used to having walls. Let’s hope for a time when humanity becomes civilised enough when the whole of the humans become ready to pull down all the walls among them.

Chapter - 2: Amigo Brothers
1.You are a friend of the Amigo brothers and you witnessed the contest between them with great excitement. Prepare a blog entry describing the contest.     
    BLOGGER
    Anitha  Raj
    DATE: XXXXXX
    True Friendship
    ‘Good friends care for each other…close friends understand each other, but TRUE FRIENDS stay forever…beyond words, beyond distance, beyond time…!’
     Many of us have friends in our lives over the years. Some friends we make as children and then lose contact as we grow older.  Other friends we make as adults and stay in touch with as long as we are in close nearness to and it is convenient to keep in touch but then over time one moves away or busy schedules slowly pull us apart and we start to lose touch. Those friendships fall into the ‘good friends’ or ‘close friends’ as the opening quote cites. But then there is that last group of friends – those we call true friends – they are those we have a mutual caring about, and we understand each other’s hearts. These are our true friends.
    Amigo Brothers Antonio and Felix are my close friends. They are amazing boxers and just so happen to be best friends as well. They’ve trained together for years and developed different fighting styles. The Golden Gloves Championship Tournament is approaching, and both boys are trying to qualify for the competition. In order to go to the Golden Gloves, they must fight each other to make it to the next stage.  Whoever wins will compete in the championship.
    The best friends promise that they will treat each other as opponents but won’t let this fight get in the way of their friendship. Of course, that proves difficult in reality. During the fight, Antonio and Felix fight hard. They are each determined, and they even keep fighting after the referee rings the bell. The boys realise that this fight is hurting their friendship and decide to leave the ring
together instead of hearing the result. This is true friendship! True friends just do that – they help us grow and change for the better.  They support us in good times and bad.
     ‘A strong friendship doesn’t need daily
conversation, doesn’t always need togetherness as long as the relationship lives in the heart, true friends will never part.’ When someone is genuinely your true friend, they leave an impression on your heart that will never go away, not with time and not with
distance. True friends secure a place in your heart forever.
    I am forever grateful for the true friends in my life, thank you so much for being my true friends!
        Love,
       Anitha

+2 Learning Activities

 CAN YOU CRACK THE RIDDLES!
1.    I'm a bird, a person, and a fruit. What am I?
2.     A seven letter word containing thousands of letters.what am I?
3.     What word is pronounced the same if you take away four of its five letters?
4.    It is always arriving but never really arrives. What is it?
5.    What do you call a bear without ears?
6.     If you multiply this number by any other number, the answer will always be the same. 

        What number is this?
7.     What do you answer even though it never asks you questions?
8.     Who can shave 25 times a day but still have a beard?
9.     What has legs but cannot walk?
10.    What word is spelled wrong in every dictionary?

Answers
1.    Kiwi
2.     Mailbox
3.    Queue
4.     Tomorrow
5.     B
6.     Zero
7.     A doorbell or a phone
8.     A barber
9.     chair
10. Wrong

Wreck of the Titanic - Movie Scene

 

Still We Rise എന്ന Unit മായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട കൂടുതല്‍ വിവരങ്ങള്‍ (Class 6)

 

Cinderella
Fairy Tale
A Fairy tale is a magical story intended for children. The term ‘fairy’ refers to the magical powers within the story. Fairy tales are traditional. They were passed down from generation to generation before being printed as books. Fairy tales include magic spells, talking animals, evil queens, witches, wizards, goblins etc. They spark imagination in children. Through imagination we are able to explore outcomes and possibilities.
Some of the famous Fairy Tales are:
👉Beauty and the Beast
👉Cinderella
👉Rapunzel
👉Puss in Boots
👉Snow white and the seven Dwarfs
👉Hansel and Gretel
👉Peter Pan
👉Little Mermaid
👉Sleeping Beauty
👉Shrek

Still We Rise എന്ന Unit മായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട കൂടുതല്‍ വിവരങ്ങള്‍ (Class 6)

Woman Work

1.    Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow.
    Shine on me, sunshine
    Rain on me, rain.
    Fall softly, dewdrops
    And cool my brow again.
    Storm, blow me from here
    With your fiercest wind
    Let me float across the sky,
    Till I can rest again.
a)    What does the poet ask the dewdrops to do?
b)    Pick out a pair of rhyming words.
c)    ‘Till I can rest again’. Who is the ‘I’ referred  to here?
d)    Where does the poet want to float?
Answers:
a)    To create a cooling effect on her brow.
b)    rain - again
c)    A woman, the speaker of the poem.
d)    Across the sky.

2.    a) Write a message to your mother in connection with ‘Mother’s Day’.
Message
Dear Mom,                                8 May 2022

May I extend to you, dearest Mom, all my good wishes on this great day. I can sincerely say that  what I am now is only because of you. You are the one who has been taking care of me even before I was born. For me  you are the synonym of love, care and sacrifice. You are the most precious gift God has given me. I love you Mom.
Vidya

b)    Design an invitation card for ‘Mother’s Day’.
    (Include the details like whom you want to invite, where the venue is, when it will be conducted etc.)
Answer:
Mother’s Day Celebration

                                             Place: Ernakulam
                                             Date: 5 May 2022
We propose to celebrate Mother’s Day this year. Our M.L.A,
Ms.Leelavathi has agreed to preside over the function.
Venue: Rose Villa
              River Valley
              Ernakulam

The programme begins at 4 p.m.
on 8 May 2022. I invite you to join us
 for the celebration.

Sd/-      
Abel
Secretary
Reception Committee

Cinderella
3.    Read the passage. There are some errors in it which are underlined. Edit and rewrite the passage.
    The fairy touch Cinderella in her magic wand. Her rags changed into betiful clothes on silk and gold. There were
diamonds in her hair, and she wore two pretty glass shoe.
Answers: touched, with, beautiful, of, shoes

Tales and TuneS എന്ന Unit മായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട കൂടുതല്‍ വിവരങ്ങള്‍ (Class 7)

 Aesop’s Fables
The Aesop’s  Fable for children :
The Wolf and the Crane
A Wolf had been feasting too greedily, and a bone had stuck crosswise in his throat. He could get it neither up nor down, and of course, he could not eat a thing. Naturally, that was an awful state of affairs for a greedy Wolf.
So away he hurried to the Crane. He was sure that she, with her long neck and bill, would easily be able to reach the bone and pull it out. “I will reward you very handsomely”, said the Wolf, “if you pull that bone out for me”.  The Crane, as you can imagine, was very uneasy about putting her head in Wolf’s throat. But she was grasping in nature, so she did what the Wolf asked her to do. When the Wolf felt that the bone was gone, he started to walk away. “But what about my reward!” called the Crane anxiously. “What!” snarled the Wolf, whirling around. “Haven’t you got it? Isn’t it enough that I let you take your head out of my mouth without snapping it off?”

Moral:  Expect no reward for serving the one who has no honor. Staying in a company of selfish people will not do anyone any favor.

Hues and Views എന്ന Unit ലെ കൂടുതല്‍ ചോദ്യങ്ങളും ഉത്തരങ്ങളും (More Questions and Answers) Class 8

 

 ⏹ The Mysterious Picture

 1.    Read the excerpt from the story ‘The Mysterious Picture’ and answer the questions that follow.     
    The Captain knew Flemish painters and their pictures were in great demand all over Europe. Tyl was presented to the Archduke. He saluted the Archduke three times and stood before him with his head bowed. ‘May your Highness pardon me for my rashness in thinking that one of my paintings will please your Highness. I have brought a picture of Our Lady, the Virgin, in her royal robes. I have painted it specially so that I might lay it at your noble feet’. Tyl paused a few moments for his words to sink in. Then he continued, ‘You must forgive me, Your Highness, if I’ve dared to hope that this picture will please you. Perhaps Your Highness might wish to offer me the chair of your court painter who died recently. I can see the empty velvet chair waiting to be filled’.
a.     What is the speciality of Flemish paintings?
b.     Pick out a line which shows Tyl’s smartness in presenting things.
c.     What is the intention of Tyl?
d.     Find out from the passage a word which means to ‘forgive someone’.
e.     According to Tyl what is it that may please the Archduke?   
Answers:  
a.     Flemish paintings have great demand all over Europe.
b.    ‘You must forgive me, Your Highness, if I’ve dared to hope that this picture will please you. Perhaps Your Highness might wish to offer me the chair of your court painter who died recently’.
c.    Tyl’s intention is to become the court painter.
d.    Pardon
e.    Tyl believed that his painting of Our Lady, the Virgin, in her royal robes will please the Archduke.
2.    After showing the mysterious picture, Tyl fled from the palace. The Archduke assigns his senior guard to make an announcement to the public to find Tyl. Prepare the text for the announcement.

 3.  Read the excerpt given below from the story ‘The Mysterious Picture’ and answer the questions that follow.
    ‘Your Highness, may it please you to remember me  and my donkey, Jeff, for just one more minute,’   Tyl replied. ‘My donkey has been feeding himself fairly well all along the way on the thorns in the hedges and the grass on the roadside.  But I have had nothing to  eat for the past three days. My stomach has been  complaining very
loudly. Perhaps Your Highness can  even hear it now. I have been feeding myself with  dreams of good food and drink at your royal table’.  The Archduke smiled and said, ‘Well, my dear fellow, you will certainly have something more solid than  dreams to feed on. But where is your donkey?’ ‘I left him outside, opposite the palace. I shall be most  grateful if Jeff is looked after. He needs a little fodder  and lodging at night,’ said Tyl. The Archduke immediately ordered the donkey to be taken care of  and he added. ‘ Treat it like one of my own animals.’
a.      Why is Jeff, the donkey not hungry?    
b.     Pick out the word from the passage that means ‘food for animals’.    
c.     ‘I have been feeding myself with dreams.’ What did Tyl dream of?    
d.     What expression does ‘Tyl use to show that he is  extremely hungry?    
e.     What does Archduke mean by saying, ‘something more solid than dreams’?   
Answer:
a.    Because it has eaten on the way.
b.  Fodder.
c.  Tyl was dreaming of good food and drink at the royal table.
d. The expression was that his stomach had been complaining very loudly.
e.     A nice meal.

The Boy Who Drew Cats
4.    You are the secretary of the Arts Club in your school. The club decides to honour the boy in the story ‘The Boy Who Drew Cats’, in your school assembly. Prepare a speech of appreciation.
    (Hints: The boy always drew cats-sent away from temple by the priest as he always drew cats-went to next village-drew cats in the haunted temple-goblin rat was killed-blood on the mouth of the cats drawn by the boy-became a famous artist)        
Answer:
    Respected principal, teachers and dear friends,
    Today, I am so happy to stand before you to say something about the boy, who saved a village from a monstrous animal, with his work of art. First of all, let me convey my gratitude to the boy for his drawings. It is a fact that his happiness lay in drawing cats. But because of this, he was sent away from the temple. So he reached the nearby village and found the haunted temple. While waiting for the priests, he drew cats all over the white screens there. When he was tired, he found a small room to sleep in, remembering the words of his old priest. At night he heard loud noises outside, and in the morning he found a big goblin rat lying dead. He understood that it was the goblin rat that had frightened the priests away and taken possession of the temple. He found that it was the cats he had drawn, which had killed the goblin.
    Thus, his work of art and its perfection saved a village. Once again let me appreciate his ability and I wish him to become a famous artist in future.
Thank you
5.    Edit the following passage.     
    Whenever he found himself alone, he draw (a) cats. He drew them on the margins of the priests (b) books, and on all the screans (c) on the temple, and on the walls, and on the pillars.
Answer:
a)     drew
b)    priest’s
c)    screens

1. Prepare a character sketch of Tyl Ulenspiegel, the protagonist of the story ‘The Mysterious Picture’.
(Hints: Flemish painter- slim- looks like a skeleton- attracts attention- clever and cunning- sense of humour- values freedom of creativity)
Answer: Tyl was a painter. He wandered from court to court  on his donkey-Jeff. He was a Flemish painter who was slim and he looked like a skeleton. He always wore a cap with feathers. He was cunning and tricky. He had a good sense of humour and he valued his own freedom and
creativity.

2. Edit the following.
      Tyl reach (a) the palace of the Archduke of Battenburg. He had to wait there for 
sometime. the (b) Captain of the gaurds (c) was play (d) chess with his friends. He stopped Tyl on (e) the gate and asked why he came over there.
Answers:
a) reached b) The c) Guards d) playing e) at

 

Bonds of Love എന്ന Unit ലെ കൂടുതല്‍ ചോദ്യങ്ങളും ഉത്തരങ്ങളും (More Questions and Answers)

 Maternity

1.     Report the following comment of the Chinaman about Mikali.     
    Chinaman : “I cannot bear the sight of Mikali wandering across the streets with the wailing baby in his arms. I am ready to help him in any possible way.”
    The Chinaman said that he .....................
    ................. (a)........................... and he added
    that ................ (b) ...........................
    
Answer:
(a) could not bear the sight of Mikali wandering across the street with the wailing baby in his arms.
(b) he was ready to help the boy in any possible way.

2.    Complete the conversation between Chinaman and Mikali.    
Chinaman    :    My dear boy, why are you crying?
Mikali    :    I feel so lonely.
Chinaman     :    You are from the refugee camp, _____(a)____?
Mikali     :    Yes I am.
Chinaman     :    _______ (b)_____?
Mikali     :    It’s my brother on my shoulder and he is hungry.
Chinaman     :    (c)_______?
Mikali     :    I can’t take him to my mom because she is no more.
Chinaman     :    Oh! I’m sorry. If you come with me, ___(d)____
Mikali     :    No sir, Thank you.
Chinaman     :    Don’t worry boy, my wife will feed the child.
Mikali     :    _________(e)______

Answers:
(a)    aren’t you?      
(b)     What is on your shoulder?
(c)     Why can’t you take him to your mom?
(d)     We shall save you both.
(e)     Ok. May God bless you.

3.    Mikali could never forget the day his little brother was fed by the Chinaman’s wife. He records his thoughts and feelings in his diary. Write the diary entry.    

19 August, Tuesday
    Oh God, I am very happy today. How long a time have I been wandering in the camp for some milk for my little brother! He was crying all the time. I knew it was because of his hunger, but I was helpless. I was carrying him on my back and I saw the irritated faces of the people because of his loud cry. My search for a nursing mother was in vain. Somebody who approached us to help us cried aloud and drove us away seeing the horrible face of the child. But a kind Chinaman approached us and  invited us to his house. When I stumbled, he took the baby in his arms with care. He and his wife gave us a warm welcome and showed me their baby. She fed my little brother. It was God’s grace that we met the kind Chinaman and his wife.

Interesting Facts about William Wordsworth

 1.    William Wordsworth was orphaned at an early age.
2.    Wordsworth suffered from anosmia (an inability to smell)
3.    Although Wordsworth had begun to write poetry while still a schoolboy, none of his poems was published until 1793. Although fresh and original in content, the poems received little notice, and few copies were sold.
4.    His masterpiece "The Prelude" was not published during his lifetime.
5.    Even though his contribution led the tide of Romantic movement in English literature, only a few poets imitated his poetic style. Even his best friend Coleridge modified Wordsworth's  poetic theory in the way of creating his own works.
6.    Wordsworth’s popularity was so great in the late 1840s that his home in Grasmere became a tourist attraction
7.    Canadian actor Mike Myers is a descendant of the famous poet. Myers’ grandmother is Eliza Jane Wordsworth which makes the actor & the poet first cousins, seven times removed.

Lines Written in Early Spring എന്ന പാഠത്തിലെ കൂടുതല്‍ ചോദ്യങ്ങളും ഉത്തരങ്ങളും

 1.  Read the following lines from ‘Lines Written in Early Spring’ and write a note of appreciation focusing on the theme, imagery, and other poetic devices.                                    
    The budding twigs spread out their fan,
    To catch the breezy air;
    And I must think, do all I can,
    That there was pleasure there.

    If this belief from heaven be sent,
    If such be Nature’s holy plan,
    Have I not reason to lament
    What man has made of man?
Answers:     
    In the poem ‘Lines Written in Early Spring’ Wordsworth personifies nature, giving her the ability to make decisions, to link herself with the human soul and to experience pleasure. Nature is presented as the doer of the right things.
    This poem has a simple form. It is composed of six  stanzas, each consisting of four lines. The poet has used imagery and other poetic devices to visualise the ideas of the poem. ‘The budding of twigs’ and ‘To catch the breezy air’ are examples of beautiful imagery. He has used personification cleverly. eg: ‘belief be sent from heaven’. Alliteration is another device he used in the poem.
eg: 'Through primrose tufts, in that green bower'. The rhyme scheme of the poem is ab ab.

2.    Read the following lines from the poem ‘Lines Written in Early Spring’ and answer the questions that follow. Each question carries one score.
a.    What does the poet mean by the expression ‘a thousand blended notes’?
b.    Why did the pleasant thoughts bring sad thoughts to the poet’s mind?
c.    Pick out an example of an auditory image from the given lines.
d.    Identify the lines that tell us Nature is linked to the soul of human beings.
Answers: 
a.     The expression ‘a thousand blended notes’ stands for the chirping of the different kinds of birds.
b.    Man’s cruelty to nature and to his fellow beings made the poet sad.
c.    ‘A thousand blended notes’.
d.    ‘The human soul that through me ran
    And much it grieved my heart to think’
3.     Read the lines from ‘Lines Written in Early Spring’ and answer any THREE questions that follow.    
    I heard a thousand blended notes,
    While in a grove I sate reclined,
    In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts
    Bring sad thoughts to the mind.
    To her fair works did Nature link
    The human soul that through me ran;
    And much it grieved my heart to think
    What man has made of man.
a)    How does the poet describe his ‘mood’ and ‘thoughts’?
b)    Pick out instances of a visual image and an auditory image.
c)    Why did the poet grieve?
d)    ‘To her fair works did Nature link...’ What is personified here?
e)    What does Nature link the human soul with?
Answers:  
a) The poet describe his mood as sweet and thoughts  as pleasant.
b)    Visual image    :    In a grove
    Auditory image    :    I heard a thousand blended notes
c)    The poet grieved white thinking what man had made of man.
d)    Nature is personified here.
e)    Nature is personified
f)    Nature links the human soul with her fair works

Hues & Views എന്ന Unit മായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട കൂടുതല്‍ വിവരങ്ങള്‍ (Class 8)

The Mysterious Picture

What are Prefixes and Suffixes?

    In the English language, we often place prefixes and suffixes at the beginning and end, respectively, of a word in order to modify it.

Prefix

    A prefix is a group of letters placed before the root of a word to modify its meaning. For example, the word ‘unhappy’ consists of the prefix  ‘un-’[which means ‘not’]  combined with the root word ‘happy’.

Adding ‘un’- to the word ‘happy’ gives you the word ‘unhappy’, which means not happy.

Examples of Prefixes

Unfriendly, Overlook, Nonsense, International, Disconnect

Suffix

    A suffix is a letter or group of letters added to the end of a word to make a new word. For example, adding ‘ion’ to the verb ‘act’ gives us  ‘action’, the noun form of the word. Suffixes also tell us the verb tense of words or whether the words are plural or singular.
Examples of Suffixes
Wonderful, Selfish, Logical, Creative,Soften
When to use Hyphens with Prefixes and Suffixes
When to Hyphenate Prefixes
The prefixes ‘ex’ and ‘self’ are followed by a hyphen.
For example: ex-student, self-service etc.
If the unhyphenated version could be confused with a different word, add the hyphen.
For example: re-cover  / recover
(If there were no hyphen in ‘re-cover’,(put a new cover) it could be confused with ‘recover’, meaning
‘return to a normal state’.
Insert a hyphen when the prefix ends with the same vowel.
Example: re-entry
When to Hyphenate Suffixes
Hyphen can be used when a word seems lengthy.
Examples: community-wide, scholarly-like
When last letter is same as first letter.
Example: Past-tense

Pather Panchali - Movie clip

The Bermuda Triangle Mystery

Keeping It from Harold

A man who knew too much -Animation Video

Aspire to Win എന്ന Unit മായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട കൂടുതല്‍ വിവരങ്ങള്‍ (Class 9)

Learning the Game

 
Role of Ajit in Sachin’s life
Ajit played a significant role in Sachin’s career giving him inspiration and courage in his childhood. 

The most important thing is that Ajit took Sachin to Ramakant Achrekar, the childhood coach of Sachin Tendulkar, when Sachin was eleven. Ajit introduced the young Sachin to cricket. Ajit Tendulkar and Ramakanth Achrekar inspired Sachin Tendulkar to practise playing cricket well. Ajit was not only a brother to Sachin, but also his mentor, guide, friend and teacher. Sachin Tendulkar became a legend only because of his brother Ajit. He sacrificed a lot to see Sachin on top of the world. Ajit too, was a cricketer. He wanted to become a good player. But his brother’s abilities as a cricketer made him to give up his own dream. Sachin says about his brother, “There is no buddy like a brother! Thank you for all your support over the years Ajit.”
During his farewell speech, Sachin said that his brother Ajit had made him what he is today.

Rain of Love എന്ന Unit മായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട കൂടുതല്‍ വിവരങ്ങള്‍ (Class 6)

Homonyms
Homonyms are words that have different meanings but are pronounced the same or spelled the same.
Examples:

Nature’s Plenty എന്ന Unit മായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട കൂടുതല്‍ വിവരങ്ങള്‍ (Class 7)

 English idioms that everyone should know
    Idioms are a group of words in a fixed order that has a particular meaning that is different from the meanings of each word on its own.
Examples:

 

Nature's plenty എന്ന Unit ലെ കൂടുതല്‍ ചോദ്യങ്ങളും ഉത്തരങ്ങളും

 The Echoing Green
Activity -1
    You have read the poem ‘The Echoing Green’. Here is another poem on the beauty of nature. Read it and answer the questions given.
    Trees are the kindest things I know,
    They do not harm, they simply grow,
    And spread a shade for sleepy cows,
    And gather birds among the boughs.
    They are the first when days begin,
    To touch the beams of morning sun,
    They are the last to hold the light,
    When evening changes into night.
a)    Pick out a pair of rhyming words from the poem.
b)    Somebody suggested ‘The All - Giving Tree’ as a title for this poem. How appropriate is the title?
c)    ‘Trees are the kindest things I know’. Why does the poet say so?
Answer:
a)     know - grow   light - night
b)     The title ‘The All - Giving Tree’ is an appropriate one for this poem because trees are the kindest things. They do not harm anybody  and they help the animals by giving shade to them and their branches are shelter for the birds.
c)    Trees do not do any harm to anybody. They give shade and shelter for animals and birds. So the poet says that trees are the kindest things.

How Far is the River
Activity - 2
    The boy in the story ‘How Far is the River?’ is thrilled after visiting the river. The thickly forested mountain hid the river. The path was steep. After a long walk, he finally reached there. Write a description on the adventurous journey of the boy to the river.                  
    The boy’s journey to the river was an adventurous one. He hadn’t seen the river but he had heard about it from the villagers. The river was in a thickly forested mountain. One day, when his parents had gone to visit their relatives, he took a loaf of bread and walked to the river. On the way he saw a woodcutter.  The woodcutter discouraged the boy. But he continued his journey. The path was steep, and the boy had to run most of the time. In the valley he met a girl who was cutting grass. He asked her how far the river was. But he did not get a clear answer. He continued his journey. Then he saw a village boy. From then on they walked together. The boy shared his bread with his new friend. After some time the village boy took a different route. The boy continued his journey alone. The river was not in  his sight. He began to feel disappointed. But he was determined to see the river. So he walked on. He was all alone. Then, as the boy rounded a sharp bend he heard the sound of the river. Far down the valley, the river tumbled over rocks. The boy began to run. He reached the river. The water was blue and white and wonderful. He felt very
happy.
Activity  - 3
     Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.     
    The path to the river dropped steeply into the valley, then rose and went round the big mountain. It was frequently used by the villagers, the woodcutters, milkmen and mule-drivers; but there were no villages beyond the mountain, or near the river.
    The boy passed a woodcutter and asked him how far it was to the river. The woodcutter was a short but powerful man, with a creased and weathered face, and muscles that stood out in hard, ugly lumps.
    ‘Seven miles’, he said, 'which was fairly accurate. Why do you want to know?’
    ‘I am going to the river’, said the boy.
    ‘Alone?’
    ‘Of course’.
    ‘But it is too far. It will take you  three hours to reach there, and then you have to come back. It will be getting dark. Besides, it is not an easy road’.
‘    But I am a good walker’, said the boy, though he had never walked further than the mile from his house to his school.
a.     Who used the path frequently?
b.     How did the man discourage the boy from going to the river?
c.     Find out the synonym of the word ‘wrinkled’ from the passage.
d.     Pick out two words used to describe the face of the woodcutter.
e.     The villagers used a path. It went around the big mountain.
    (Join the sentences using who/which/where.)
Answer:
a.     The villagers, woodcutters, milkmen and mule-drivers.
b.     He said that it was too far. Thus he discouraged the boy.
c.     Creased
d.     Creased and weathered
e.     The villagers used a path which went around the big mountain.

Writing Style of Basheer

 Writing Style of Basheer
Basheer is known for his unconventional style of language. He did not differentiate between literary language and the spoken language. He did not care about the grammatical correctness of his sentences. Basheer was shocked when he came to know that his original writings were transcribed to ‘Standardised Malayalam’ avoiding freshness and natural flow. So he insisted his publishers to publish the original one instead of the edited one. Basheer’s younger brother Abdul Khadar was a Malayalam teacher. Once while reading one of Basheer’s story, he asked Basheer, “Where are akhyas and akhyathas in this? (related with Malayalam grammar)” Basheer shouted at him saying that “I am writing in normal Malayalam and don’t correct yourself not me”.  This points out the writing style of Basheer. Without taking care of the grammar, he wrote in his own village language. He made funny remarks on himself,
regarding his lack of knowledge in Malayalam. Though his works have been translated to English and 18 Indian languages and the peculiarity of the language he uses makes the translations lose a lot of sheen.

+2 Class English - കൂടുതല്‍ ചോദ്യങ്ങളും ഉത്തരങ്ങളും

UNIT 1: Flights of Freedom 

UNIT 2 : Heights of Harmony
 

English (+2 class) ലെ പാഠഭാഗവുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട കൂടുതല്‍ വിവരങ്ങള്‍

 Amigo Brothers
Three types of friendship according to Aristotle
    How many of your friends are really your friends? How can you differentiate them? Well, Aristotle will help you to find your true friend.
    He classifies friendship into 3 different types.
1.    Friendship of utility
2.    Friendship of pleasure
3.    Friendship of the good.

1)    Friendship of utility
    In this type of friendship where people are on friendly terms mainly due to the benefits each other brings to the table.
eg: Business partners, colleagues etc.
2)    Friendship of pleasure
    Here people find each other because of the enjoyment it brings.
    eg: People hanging out due to similar hobbies.
3)    Friendship of the good
    This is the most important among the three. This friendship is based upon respect, appreciation for each other’s qualities and a strong will to aid and assist the other person because one recognize their greatness.
    The first two types of friendship are easily broken. However friendship based on goodness are usually long lasting. Friendship of the good are hard to find. So if you have friends based on goodness you are indeed blessed.
Some famous friends in the history
1)    Helen Keller, Mark Twain
2)    J.R.R Tolkien & C.S. Lewis
3)    Tobey Maguire and Leonardo DiCaprio
4) Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal
5)    Rajiv Gandhi and Amitabh Bachchan

ഇന്ത്യയുടെ വനമനുഷ്യന്‍ - ജാദവ് പായെംഗ് (Forest Man of India-Jadav Payeng)

 

ഒരാള്‍ ഒറ്റയ്ക്ക് വിചാരിച്ചാല്‍ എന്തൊക്കെ ചെയ്യാനാകും! വേണമെങ്കില്‍ ഒരു കാടുതന്നെ സൃഷ്ടിക്കാം, ആനയും കടുവയും മാനും നിരവധി പക്ഷികളും ശലഭങ്ങളുമെല്ലാം ജീവിക്കുന്ന 1360 ഏക്കര്‍ വരുന്ന കാട്. ഇന്ത്യയുടെ ഫോറസ്റ്റ് മാന്‍ എന്നറിയപ്പെടുന്ന ജാദവ് മൊലായ് പയെങ്ങിന്റെ ജീവിതം തന്നെ ഉദാ ഹരണം. അസമിലെ മൊലായ് ഗോത്രക്കാരനായ ജാദവ് പയെങ് തന്റെ 16ാമത്തെ വയസ്സിലാണ് ബ്രഹ്മപുത്രയുടെ തീരത്തെ മണല്‍പരപ്പില്‍ കാട് സൃഷ്ടിക്കാന്‍ ഒരുങ്ങുന്നത്. ലോകത്തിലെ ഏറ്റവും വലിയ നദീദ്വീപാണ് അസമിലെ മജൂലി ദ്വീപ്. തന്റെ കുട്ടിക്കാലത്ത് നിറയെ മരങ്ങള്‍ നിറഞ്ഞ ദ്വീപായിരുന്നു മജൂലി. വ്യാപകമായ മരംവെട്ടല്‍ മൂലം ദ്വീപ് മരുഭൂമിയ്ക്ക് സമാനമായി. ഒരിക്കല്‍ ബ്രഹ്മപുത്രയിലുണ്ടായ വലിയ വെള്ളപ്പൊക്കത്തില്‍ ഒലിച്ചുവന്ന നിരവധി പാമ്പുകള്‍ മണല്‍പരപ്പില്‍ കുടുങ്ങി ചത്തു. മണല്‍പരപ്പിലെ താങ്ങാനാവാത്ത ചൂടായിരുന്നു ആ സംഭവത്തിന് കാരണം. മരങ്ങളുണ്ടായിരുന്നെങ്കില്‍ ഒരുപക്ഷേ ഈ അവസ്ഥയെ മറികടക്കാന്‍ കഴിയുമെന്ന് ജാദവിന് തോന്നി. ആ വിവരം വനപാലകരെ അറിയിച്ചപ്പോള്‍, മണല്‍പരപ്പില്‍ മരങ്ങള്‍ വളരില്ലെന്നും ഒരുപക്ഷേ മുള വളരുമായിരിക്കും എന്നുമാണ് കിട്ടിയ മറുപടി. അങ്ങനെ ജാദവ് പയെങ് ബ്രഹ്മപുത്രയുെട തീരത്ത് മുളകള്‍ വച്ചുപിടിപ്പിക്കാന്‍ ശ്രമിച്ചു. തോല്‍വിയായിരുന്നു ഫലം. നിരന്തര പരിശ്രമത്തിനൊടുവില്‍ മുളകള്‍ വേരുപിടിച്ചു. ഇതിനിടെ 200 ഏക്കര്‍ വനം സൃഷ്ടിക്കാന്‍ സര്‍ക്കാര്‍ കൊണ്ടുവന്ന വനവല്‍കരണ പദ്ധതിയില്‍ ജാദവ് പയെങ് ജോലിക്കാരനായി.
പയെങ്ങിന്റെ പരിസ്ഥിതി സംരക്ഷണ പ്രവര്‍ത്തനം മുന്‍നിര്‍ത്തി, 128ാം കോമണ്‍വെല്‍ത്ത് പോയിന്റ്‌സ് ഓഫ് ലൈറ്റ് അവാര്‍ഡ് നല്‍കപ്പെട്ടു. അസമിലെ ജോര്‍ഹട് സ്വദേശിയാണ് ജാദവ് മൊലായ് പയെങ്.
2015 ല്‍ പദ്മശ്രീ ലഭിച്ചു. 2013ല്‍ വില്ല്യമ െേഡാഗ്ലസ് മക്മാസ്റ്റര്‍ പയെങിന്റെ ജീവിതത്തെ ആസ്പദമാക്കി തയാറാക്കിയ 'ഫോറസ്റ്റ് മാന്‍' എന്ന ഡോകുമന്ററി ലോകശ്രദ്ധ നേടി.

+2 Class English - More questions and answers (കൂടുതല്‍ ചോദ്യങ്ങളും ഉത്തരങ്ങളും)

 

UNIT 1: Flights of Freedom 

UNIT 2 : Heights of Harmony

+2 Class: Flights of Freedom എന്ന Unit ലെ കൂടുതല്‍ ചോദ്യങ്ങളും ഉത്തരങ്ങളും (More Questions and Answers)

 UNIT 1: Flights of Freedom

Chapter 1
‘The 3Ls of  Empowerment’

1.    ‘It is time to create a world where all women can meet their potential without impediment or prejudice and the world will reap the benefits. The three Ls will help us get there.’
a)    What are the three Ls referred to? 
b)    What does ‘impediment’ mean?      
Answers:
a)    The three Ls referred to here are Learning,
Labour and Leadership.
b)    ‘Impediment’ means obstacle.
2.    The Literary Club of your school is celebrating the International Women’s Day. Prepare the script for  a speech on ‘Educating the girl child’ to be delivered on the occasion.
Answer:
    Respected principal, teachers and my dear friends,
    Today we are celebrating the International Women’s Day. We have assembled here to ponder   on     the  topic ‘Educating the girl child’ in connection with this special day.
    In today’s world, girl children are facing a lot of adversities. To face them boldly the girl should have a certain level of confidence. Education is the best way to raise the confidence level of girls. Our government has taken several steps to promote education to the girl child. Reaching out to the girl child is central to the efforts to universalize elementary education. ‘Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan’ or ‘Education for All’ programme recognizes that ensuring girls’ education requires changes not only in the education system but also in societal norms and attitudes.
    If a girl child is educated, she can lead the family socially, economically and morally to progress. Formerly a girl child was deprived of good education. There existed discrimination against  girls in our country. There was a range of discriminatory practices such as female foeticide, female infanticide, son idealization, early marriage and dowry. I doubt whether some of the above evils still exist in our remote villages.
    As time passes, I am sure such evils will be
discarded. Today women are not behind men in any way. They have truly shown their worth in every field.
    In short we all must agree that giving education to a girl child means we are educating a family, the society, the state and finally our nation. Education will awaken girls to a new life. They are powerful. So we must focus on girl’s education. It sets them on a path to greater economic opportunities. To have progress in our nation, we must empower women in all the ways possible. So dear friends, let’s empower girls through timely education.
    Thank you all
3 ‘.... They need to change the mindset and reset the narrative in their favour. So it is essential that women be ready to ‘dare the difference’ - to take risks and step outside their comfort zones.’ Based on your reading of Christine Lagarde’s speech, prepare an essay on how women can realise their true potential.                 
Answer:
    We know that any society consists of girls and boys and women and men. For years and years in the past it was men who dominated in every field of human activity. Women were to remain within the four walls of the house doing house- hold works, giving birth to children and looking after them. They have no right to think independently and were destined simply to obey. Women in those days were not aware of the inherent abilities in them, which were no less powerful than those of men. Fortunately things are changing now. Women have started identifying their abilities, merits and potential.     Women should have faith in themselves. Most often women lose self confidence. They lack the faith in their talents  and skills. Sincere encouragement can go a long way in helping someone stay the course. The more specific you are, the better the results.
    What matter most are the 3Ls of women empowerment. They are learning, labour and leadership. For the realisation of all these the first thing is education. It can break the shackles of exclusion. The second step is labour. It helps women to flourish and achieve their true potentials. Eliminating gender gap in economic participation can bring an uplift of women in society. The third L which is leadership enable women to fulfil their abilities and talents. Women must have the confidence to match their competence with their counterparts. So women themselves have to change their mindsets and be ready to dare the difference.
    The crucial thing is that women must identify themselves as equal or more than equal to men in society.
4. After reading Christine Lagarde’s speech, a social worker is speaking to the people of your locality about the need for educating women. Fill in the blanks choosing the appropriate adjectives/
adjectival clauses:      Education helps women to be ________ (seriously/financially/sustainably) independent and to break the shackles of exclusion. Women who _____(look good/ look after children/ study) actually help themselves and their community. If learning is the first step, labour is the second. Women who ______ (procure labour/ suffer discrimination/challenge the social norms) are able to flourish and achieve their true
potential. They contribute to the development and well- being of  the community. So it is ______ (clear/essential/favourable) that women equip
themselves with education.
Answer: financially, study, procure labour, essential
5. A  programme chart of the International      Women’s Day celebration conducted in a Higher Secondary School is given below. Imagine that you are the school leader. Prepare a report to be included in the school magazine.    
    8 th March, 2022    :    International Women’s Day Celebration
    Venue    :         School Auditorium
    Programmes
    Time    :     10 am
    Prayer song    :     School Choir
    Welcome Speech    :    Miss Soumya Hassan     (School   Leader)
    Presidential Address    : Mr. Rahul S. Gopal
            (Principal)
    Keynote Address    :    Adv. Remya Jayasankar
(Member, State Vanitha Commission)
    Felicitations    :    Mrs. Suja Kumari (President, Grama Panchayat) Mr. Joy Varghese (Vice- President, PTA)
    Vote of Thanks    :    Mrs. Sheela N.(Secretary, Staff Club)
    Competitions (Essay Writing, Elocution)
    Time    :     11.30 am
    Venue    :     Mini auditorium
Answer:   
    ABC Higher Secondary School celebrated the International Women’s Day on 8 th March 2020. All the students, teachers and guests gathered in the school auditorium. The programme started at 10 am with the prayer song of the school choir. School Leader Miss Soumya Hassan
welcomed the guests.
    The presidential address was given by our Principal, Mr. Rahul S. Gopal. He said that the educated empowered women  can do a lot in building a strong nation. Adv.
Remya Jayasankar, member of  the State
Vanitha Commission, inaugurated the
programme. In the keynote address she expressed her views that education is the best way to raise the confidence level of women. It is the most powerful weapon for women empowerment. Mrs. Suja Kumari ( President, Grama Panchayat) and Mr. Joy Varghese (Vice- President, PTA) gave felicitations. Mrs. Sheela N., the Secretary of the Staff Club thanked all. The programme was over at 11.30 am. After the celebration competitions in essay writing and elocution were conducted.
6. Prepare an essay on the topic ‘Women in Leadership’. (Hints- capable of taking leadership- in business, politics, various jobs- commonsense and evaluating ability- examples of leaders)
Answer: We are familiar with great women playing their role successfully in all walks of life __  industries, politics, science and technology, music, acting, literature, sports and so on __ in the present world. Smt. Indira Gandhi, affectionately called Priyadarshini was the first woman Prime Minister of India, a person with exceptional powers of
administration. As a political leader, she was highly admired not only by the people of India but also by the nations of the world. She was well-known for her strong determination and heroism.
    Marie Curie in turn was a hugely successful physicist and chemist, a pioneer in her field, and the first woman throughout history to win a Nobel Prize. Her persistence, curiosity and her great ability to move forward relentlessly were some of the characteristics that enabled her pioneering mindset, making her an exceptionally successful scientist and female leader whose work has influenced the world of science.
    All successful women leaders, have gained success through their ability to be confident. A leader has to be confident, starting with self-confidence. People love leaders whom they trust. Everyone wants to follow a leader who trust them in turn. Great
leaders dedicate their life to benefit humanity in a creative way, with determination and persistence, but never in a way that would harm others. Their purpose in being humble and helpful is always marked by giving others, including themselves, a sense of hope and inspiration.
    Successful leaders do never copy others, they rather create extraordinary results through unique work, authenticity, a personal style and continuous expression of that uniqueness.
    In the present world also we are familiar with great women who adorn significant positions in various fields in   science,   aviation    industry,  law and order sector, statesmanship and so on.
    ‘If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be’ (Maya
Angelou)


Chapter 4 - Horegallu

7.     After reading  Sudha Murty’s ‘Horegallu’, you realise that it would be worth setting up Horegallus on the pavements to help citizens to take a  break and ease themselves. Write a letter to the Mayor of your city putting forth  the suggestion and explaining the reasons.   
Answer: Name
    Address
    12 July 2022
    The Mayor
    Kochi
    Dear Sir,
    Sub: Setting up of horegallus on the pavements regarding
    I would like to invite your attention on the need to set up horegallus on the pavements to help citizens, especially the aged people.
    Sir, In my opinion, the horegallus have become a necessary thing for the people to take a break and ease themselves. We find many travellers loitering finding a place to take rest to refresh them. If horegallus are there, they can take rest to regain their strength. Moreover, people who are taking rest can share their burden (of problem) to relax or relieve its intensity. It is a kind of both mental and physical relief. Also, the cool, fresh air under the tree will revive them. A pot of pure water also be placed to quench their thirst. It would do a great thing to the travellers
especially while they walk under the scorching heat.
    Sir, I request you to consider this matter to do the needful for the relief of the people.
    Yours sincerely
    Sd/-
    Name


Chapter 3 - Matchbox

8.     There is an African adage that goes : ‘If you
educate a boy, you train a man. If you educate a girl, you train a village’.
    Prepare a write-up explaining the meaning of this adage.   
Answer: This well-known saying is attributed to the Ghandian scholar Dr. James Emmanuel
,one of this century’s greatest educators. This saying is probably used to convince African parents who were more willing to allow their male children to attend missionary schools than their daughters.
    The message here is that once we know the
value of education for men in society, we should allow women also to have equal access to it. The term education is used here to mean knowing, through formal or informal means, what is right for the spirit, mind and body and acting upon this knowledge. Women in general are the newborn child’s primary caregivers in most societies. From the womb through its early formative years the baby has more direct contact with women. It is during this time that the words,
unspoken messages and expectations of the caregiving woman affect and determine the child’s future destiny most. A physically abused and psychologically hurt child at this time is
likely to project his or her anger on society in later life. On the other hand, a child that is
surrounded by the warm embrace of loving women caregivers will most likely spread that love in his or her future dealings with others as the child grows up.
    Hence it can be reasonably stated that
educating a girl child has greater fruitful effect on society and future generation.
9.     Prepare a script for a short speech on the topic ‘Role of Women in the Modern Society’.
    (Hints: role of modern education- out of the home- in work place- all duties independent- equality- leadership)
Answer:
    Respected principal, honourable teachers and my dear friends,
    Women play a great role in the growth and development of the society by making it an advanced and modern one. If a woman is getting educated and empowered, the whole family and society will be benefited. Women form half of the population of the world which means that they contain half the power of the world. If women of any country are not empowered it means that, that country is not utilising half its power.  We need to understand that if an uneducated woman can manage the home successfully then  why can’t a well
educated woman lead a whole country like men. Without woman nothing is possible for men, because they form the foundation of the society, they make families, families make society and ultimately societies make a country. So the contribution of a woman is widespread. The roles and responsibilities of women can never be neglected by the societies. Women know well how to talk, how to behave, how to deal with people of different classes, etc. She knows to handle all situations because she knows well the fundamentals of a good society and can play her roles as a main contributor in building a strong society.
    Thank you.

Matchbox-story- Powerpoint Presentation

The Boy Who Drew Cats

 

 

What is Haiku?

A Haiku poem is a type of poetry that originated in 17th century Japan. Haiku poems follow strict rules. Each poem must have three lines with seventeen syllables in total, arranged in a pattern of 5-7-5. The first line consists of 5 syllables, the second line consists of 7 syllables and the last line consists of another 5 syllables.
Haiku is often written in the present tense and focused on the associations between mental images, especially those related to nature. There is also a pause at the end of the first or second line. In Japanese, the pause is shown with a ‘Kireji’ word, or a type of Japanese word traditionally used in poetry to signify a pause. In English, the pause may be shown with a dash or an ellipse, since there are no English translations for kireji words. Because of the fundamental differences between the character-based Japanese and the letter-based English languages, the syllable count rarely survives in the translations.

 

ഇന്ത്യയുടെ വനമനുഷ്യന്‍ - ജാദവ് പായെംഗ്   

(Forest Man of India-Jadav Payeng)

Gallery(Class 10)

▲ The Snake and the Mirror

Vaikom Muhammad Basheer

Basheer

Basheer with wife Fathima Basheer (Fabi)

▲ Adventures in a Banyan Tree

Ruskin Bond

Banyan Tree

Final Flight

Song of the Rain

Keeping It from Harold

A dog named Duke

 

How i Taught My Grandmother To Read

ANNE FRANK’S DIARY - An animated feature film