COURSEBOOK B.

1. The king was of the opinion that he would

never fail at anything if he knew the answers to
his three questions. He believed that knowing
Chapter 1: Three Questions the right time to do things, the right people to
Summary trust and the right thing to do would make him
successful in all his endeavours.
This is a story about a king who wants to know the right 2.  In reply to the first question, some learned men
time to do things, the right people to give importance said that one must draw up a table of days,
to and the most important thing to do. He went to months and years, and live strictly according
a hermit to find the answer to his questions. After to it. Others declared that it was impossible
spending the entire day there, he did not get a proper to decide beforehand the right time for every
answer from the hermit. While he was about to leave, action; one should be attentive to all that was
an unknown man came running, injured and bleeding. going on and do what was the most needed.
After he was nursed back to health, he revealed that he Some said that the king should have a council
was the king’s enemy and wanted to kill him. After the of wise men to help him decide the proper time
incident, the hermit finally explained to the king the for everything. Yet others said there were things
answers of the questions he had asked earlier. one had to decide at once, for which one must
know beforehand what was going to happen.
Let’s Get Started Since only magicians knew that, one must
A. Sample answer: consult magicians.
3.  Councillors, priests, doctors and warriors were
What we can do A good Situations
some of the most important people, in the
to build stronger neighbour when we
opinion of different learned men.
bonds might need
4.  The king put on simple clothes, left his horse
Answer Key

help from
others and bodyguards behind, and went alone to
meet the hermit.
•  e should help
W A good If we run out
5.  An unknown person, whose face was covered in
them whenever neighbour of resources,
beard came running towards the king and the
they need help. is helpful, or if someone
hermit. The bearded man had a large wound in
empathetic is sick at home
•  e should
W his stomach. He was moaning feebly as he fell
and is not and there is
celebrate to the ground.
intrusive. an emergency,
festivals with 6.  The king washed and bandaged the large
we might
them. wound in the stranger’s stomach several times
need help
till the blood ceased flowing. The stranger
•  e should not
W from others.
confessed that he was an enemy of the king who
be nosy about
had sworn to revenge himself on him, because
their matters.
the king had executed his brother and seized his
B. 
Students should follow the instructions and property. He knew he had gone alone to see the
complete the task. They might draw a diagram of hermit and resolved to kill the king on his way
a seed or a river to show the effect that passage of back. But the day passed and the king did not
time has. return. So he came out from his hideout to find
him. He came upon the king’s bodyguards, who
Comprehension recognised him and wounded him. He escaped
from them and would have bled to death had
Quick Recap the king not dressed his wound.
A. 1. time for every action, the right people to listen to 7.  According to the hermit, if the king had not
and avoid, and the most important thing to do pitied his weakness and dug those beds,
2.  magicians could foretell the future and certain but had gone his way, that man would have
decisions could only be taken if the future is attacked him. So, the most important time
known was when the king was digging the beds.
The hermit was the most important man. To
3. he was dissatisfied with all the answers
help the hermit was the king’s most important
4. he looked tired business. Afterwards when the bearded
5.  his enemy stranger approached them, the most important
6.  the work that a person is doing at the current time was when the king was attending to
moment him, for if he had not helped the wounded
person, he would have died without having

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

 made peace with the king. So, he was the Study Skills
most important man. What the king did for him
was his most important business. The hermit 1. pho-to-graph 4. bra-va-do
reminded the king that the most important time 2. re-fe-rence 5. pa-tron
is the present time. It is the only time when we 3. in-ha-bit 6. per-mit-ted
have any power.
8. a. The hermit says this to the king who had Listening and Speaking
been helping him dig up the roots. Students should follow the instructions and complete
b.  The king says this to the bearded stranger the exercise.
who arrived suddenly at the hermit’s
Sample answer:
cottage, in a badly injured state, and seeking
Conversation about the past
forgiveness from the king. The king was
Speaker A: I wonder why the train has been waiting at
surprised because he had never seen that
this station for so long. I hope there is no
person before and could not understand
problem. Have you faced such an incident
why he was asking for his forgiveness.
before?
c.  The hermit explained to the king how his Speaker B: No, I rarely use trains as I spent my
timely actions determined the course of his childhood on an island.
life. If the king had not stopped to help the Speaker A: Now that’s interesting. Why did you leave
hermit, he would have been attacked and your home?
killed by his enemy. Speaker B: I got a chance to study in a big city. Have
Life Skills and Values you always lived in a city?
Speaker A: Yes, in the past I lived in a small town up
1. It
 shows us that even enemies change into friends in the mountains, but then I moved to this
if treated with compassion and care.

Answer Key
city.
2. The three questions of the king are important How did life change when you came to
because they help us to focus on what is important this city?
in our lives. Speaker B: It became faster and more complicated. I
3. The latter option is a better one as that involves also miss my school friends. How do you
the active learning and understanding process of keep in touch with your school friends?
the person concerned. Speaker A: We meet often. I like reliving past
memories. What is your best memory of
Way with Words school?
Speaker B: Oh, it’s winning the annual inter-school
A. exhaustion proclamation quiz contest!
reconciliation complexity
forgiveness hostility Pen it Down
B. 1.  reconciliation 4.  complexity Sample answer:
2.  Hostility 5.  forgiveness
To - Rahul.bose@gmail.com
3.  proclamation 6.  exhaustion
From – neha.verma@gmail.com
C. 1.  declared 4. stopped Subject – An unusual encounter
2. weak 5. loyal Dear Rahul,
3. weary
I hope you are well. You must remember my
neighbour, the stern faced grumpy man who always
Grammar in Use
scolded us when our football would land in his
A. 1.  bought: transitive 5.  sings: intransitive garden. Well, he is not at all how he seems.
2.  danced: intransitive 6.  found: transitive I had to leave Rocky alone for the weekend as I had to
3.  went: intransitive 7.  are: intransitive travel for an urgent meeting. I was frantically looking
4.  play: transitive for a caretaker but no one was willing to take care
of my dog. Imagine my surprise and relief when my
B. 1.  more 5.  little neighbour offered his help. It was so unexpected and
2.  a few 6.  A few at first, I hesitated slightly, knowing that Rocky is quite
3.  Few 7.  little aggressive with strangers. But they got along very
4.  more, less 8.  a little well, and when I returned, I saw that the man and my
dog had become fast friends.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

 I will never judge people hastily again. I really 3. a. The poet has heard the ‘Bird’ in the coldest
appreciate the true neighbourly spirit of this man. lands and unknown seas.
b.  The poet praises the bird by saying that
Let’s plan to meet sometime soon! although the presence of the bird brought
Yours affectionately, her much joy and courage, it did not ask for
Neha anything in return.The lines indicate that ‘Hope’
is an ever-generous presence. It does not ask
anything in return for its constant supply of
Chapter 2: Hope is the Thing with Feathers courage to the human heart.
c.  ‘Extremity’ refers to a very difficult situation. It
Summary has been personified here.
This poem is themed on hope. The poet defines hope B. metaphor:
by comparing it to a bird. She talks about the tenacity Line - ‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers –
of hope to weather every crisis and still be present That perches in the soul –
in human life. Moreover, hope is ever-giving and Explanation – Hope is like a bird that alights on the
nurturing and does not ask for anything in return. soul and stays there giving courage.
symbol:
Let’s Get Started Line - in the Gale
Explanation – The trials and tribulations of life are
List the qualities that you want to see in yourself: symbolized by the word ‘gale’ which means storm.
bravery, intelligence, diligence, sensitivity personification:
List the values you believe in: Line - Yet – never – in Extremity,
honesty, patience, perseverance, empathy, courtesy Explanation - Extremity or difficult life situations
Answer Key

List your main personality traits: have been personified here. The line highlights
shy, clever, hardworking, friendly, generous, kind how even in the most difficult situations, ‘Hope’
I referred to myself as optimistic because I always look has always generously given courage but never
at the brighter side of things and believe that things asked for anything in return.
always get better. Life Skills and Values

Comprehension 1. Hope
 is the source of courage and fortitude to
face the future which is uncertain. It also helps us
Quick Recap to face any situation with a positive outlook.
A. 1. a. ‘Hope’ has been described as ‘the thing with 2. Hope is a constant friend and never leaves the side
feathers’ because like a little bird with its song, of the person. It is also generous, never asking for
it brings courage to the heart with its presence. anything in return.
b.  A bird is free and may alight on any branch Hope is also inspiring as it motivates people
at any time. It fills the heart of the listeners to face the problems of life. It is a source of
with happiness when it sings. Similarly, confidence and self-belief.
‘Hope’ can arise in anybody’s heart at any 3. Another title for the poem might be ‘Hope is Our
time and its presence fills the person with Friend’. This title indicates the role of a true friend
courage and fortitude to face the future. that is played by hope in our lives.
c.  ‘Hope’ keeps ‘singing’ its song even without
the words. This refers to the constant Way with Words
presence of hope inside our souls which
never leaves us and continues to inspire us Imagery Type and Explanation
with the courage to face the future. 1. Like
  a painted ship Visual- This paints the
2. a. The word ‘abash’ means to bewilder or to make on a painted ocean image of a motionless
someone feel ill at ease. ship standing upon a very
b.  According to the poet, a storm could make still and calm ocean. The
the ‘Bird’ feel bewildered or ill at ease. This is ship and ocean are so still
a reference to the turbulent situations that can that it seems like both are
occur in our lives. a part of a painting.
c.  The continuous singing of the bird kept many
warm, which refers to the constant presence
of hope in the lives of men which keep their
courage alive.

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 2. Her
  dreams crashed Auditory- The sound 5. The
  grandfather stayed in Tripura at the home
like a thousand of the shattering of of his maternal uncle.
mirrors cracking. the person’s dreams is 6. He had passed the matriculation examinations.
compared to the sound of 7.  He studied medicine at R.G.Kar Medical
the breaking of glass into Hospital in Kolkata and he met the daughter of
a thousand pieces. The a famous politician there.
sadness of the breaking of B. Students should follow the instructions and
the dream is indicated by complete the task.
this imagery.
3. It
  was her first book- Tactile-The gentleness Pen it Down
soft and velveteen to with which the person A. Sample answer:
the touch. touches the book is
compared to the feel of a Dear Ahana,
soft velvety texture. I must share some distressing news with you.
4. The
  sun had become Visual- The image of the Yesterday, I found an injured bird on my balcony.
a light yellow yolk. sun is being compared to Its wing was torn and it was too weak to move. I
the colour of the yolk of manged to make it drink some water and moved
the egg. it to a comfortable place. However, I feel the bird
needs special care. Could you help me take it to
5. After
  the blizzard, Visual- The immense the vet as soon as possible?
the blanket of snow layer of snow that had
covered everything covered everything after I fear we might not have much time. Let’s meet at
in sight. the blizzard is being 5 p.m. this evening and decide what we can do to
compared to a blanket. save the bird.

Answer Key
Sohum
Grammar in Use B. 
Sample answer:
A. 1. Which 5. many, every It is important to be hopeful in life. It helps us
2. any, this 6. some to view the challenges life throws at us with a
3. all, the 7. My positive outlook. A positive outlook can make us
4. which 8. The, their, her see our strengths instead of weaknesses. Hope
B. 1. clause 5. clause motivates us to be more self-confident in handling
the uncertain future. This inspires others around
2. clause, phrase 6. clause
us to be hopeful as well. It is also important to
3. phrase 7. phrase, clause remember that we cannot deal with everything by
4. clause ourselves and being hopeful is also seeking for
Study Skills help when we need it. We should not hesitate to
seek help to aid us to face certain predicaments.
1. chat. to have a discussion on something
2. out for. gone on an outing
Chapter 3: Looking for Vultures’ Eggs
3. drag. boring
4. stand. currently located Summary
5. rattrap. a dingy building This is a story about a young boy named Opu and
6. good chap. a person who carries out some errand how he tried to experiment with flying. He had found
for someone else an old book which described a method for flying.
Listening and Speaking One of the ingredients necessary for the experiment
was vultures’ eggs. Opu went to a great length to
A. 1. The grandfather liked to narrate the story about acquire the eggs, but before he could carry out his
a poor boy who aspired to be a doctor. It was experiment, the eggs were broken when his elder
his own life story. sister, Durga, dropped them from a shelf.
2.  The boy’s father was a ticket checker at the
1. Ray
 cast Chunibala Devi, an 84-year-old former
local railway station.
actress, in the role of Indir Thakrun, the children’s
3.  The father was deaf in one ear and so was
much-loved aunt. She became the first Indian to
referred to as Kala Babu.
win the best actress award in an international film
4.  The mother pawned her jewellery to fund the festival, for this role.
expenses of his education.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

 2. 
Pather Panchali first appeared as a serial in a 2. The
  boy told Opu that the vultures built their
Bengali periodical in 1928. In the film Aparajito, nests at the top of big trees in the open
the family shifts to Varanasi, where Apu grows country. He further said that it was a very risky
up. The story then shifts to Calcutta in the 1940s, job to get vultures’ eggs as one needed to
where he aspires to be a writer. climb to the very top of the tree.
3. The books are set in Nischindipur, and the 3.
  The cowherd wanted two annas for getting
incidents have certain similarities with the author’s vulture’s eggs for Opu. Opu managed to get two
own life. pice from his sister and completed the deal. The
4. Satyajit Ray turned the first book into a film, which cowherd took some of Opu’s cowries as well.
went to Cannes Film Festival, in Paris. This gained 4.  Initially, Opu felt delighted and full of
him worldwide recognition. enthusiasm. Then, doubts started creeping in
5. Ray went on to make two more films covering the and he began to have doubts about whether
later parts of the trilogy. he would be able to fly, when he would fly and
where he would fly to—his uncle’s house or
Comprehension to his father, or whether he should fly across
the river or to where the stars rise in the sky.
Quick Recap
5.  While Durga was rummaging among some torn
A. 1.  a. This book was found in a wooden chest rags, the two eggs rolled from the back of the
crammed with books. shelf, fell on to the floor and broke.
Opu found this book. Opu cried and refused to touch his food for a
b.  The writer in the book was describing the whole day.
properties of mercury. If you put some Life Skills and Values
mercury in a vulture’s egg, leave it out in the
1. Opu
 wanted to be the first one to acquire the
Answer Key

sun for a few days, and then hold it in your

mouth, you can fly high up in the sky. ability to fly. That’s why he did not tell anyone what
c.  It was amazing because it was so easy to fly he had found in the book.
and yet nobody knew about it. 2. If somebody had told him about it, he would have
2. a. Opu was speaking to his elder sister Durga. been astonished, but this was not hearsay, it was
b.  Opu was asking about vultures because he in cold print. To Opu’s mind, anything that was
wanted to find some eggs of the vultures. written in a book could not have been a lie. Hence,
He needed it to try out the experiment as Opu took it as the truth.
written in the book he had come across. 3. One cannot acquire the power to fly by following
c.  His sister replied that she did not know the method prescribed in the book. Thus, the author
where vultures build their nests. says ironically that if the method described in the
book had any element of truth in it, everyone would
B. have been able to fly as the book would have been
feelings description behaviour personality easily accessed by all.
traits
excited at small poor rebellious, curious, Way with Words
the prospect boy who keen to brave, A. particular place, worldly matters, poor sport, torn
of flying, lived in the explore, active, rags, enormous fuss
disappointed village with secretive, resourceful,
B.
at the his parents, easily simple, A B
breaking of aged aunt believes in sensitive,
the eggs and elder things trusting 1. useful d. advice
sister 2. remember e. vaguely
Durga 3. make a. progress
C. 
1. The book had a peculiar old smell. The pages 4. spiteful c. remarks
were thick and covered with dust, and Opu 5. hopeless f. situation
loved their smell. The cover was faded and
mottled like marble; and as he turned it back, 6. crying b. shame
a swarm of silverfish escaped from its pages.
C. 1.  worship, 4. continuous,
There was something about the book which
made him think of his father. 2. neighbourhood, 5. paragraph
3. newspaper,

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

 1. The word worship is meant for a higher or B. While enacting the conversation keep the
powerful being, while the others indicate following points in mind.
relationships based on equality. •  Dialogues must be concise. Long lines are
2. The word neighbourhood is beyond the realm tedious for the reader.
of the family. •  Dialogues should tell you something about the
3. A newspaper is an outlet of media while the character speaking it.
others are books. •  Dialogue should be broken up with action.
4. The word continuous suggests duration, while
the others refer to qualities. Pen it Down
5. While the other three are parts of speech, a
A. The essay should be written in the first person
paragraph is made up of sentences.
narrative. The specific focus should be on the
Grammar in Use smell. Synonyms of ‘smell’ like ‘aroma’ and
‘fragrance’ should be used. The memory should be
A. 1. astonishment. Jack could not hide his expressed in clear and concise form. Humour and
astonishment when he saw the rabbit come out nostalgia can be used.
of the wizard’s hat. Sample answer:
2. toleration. Toleration is the best way to ensure
long lasting peace. Our sense of smell is a powerful trigger of memory.
3.  imagination. The little boy’s imagination took When I was a baby, my mother would often use a
him to far off lands and distant shores. few drops of peppermint oil in my bath. Even today,
when I smell peppermint, I am taken back to a time
4.  artist. Van Gogh is considered one of the
in my life where everything was arranged for my
greatest artists of all time.
comfort and pleasure. The warm soapy bathwater,
5.  cosmos. Do you think some supernatural force

Answer Key
my mother’s gentle hands, the soft towels come
drives the cosmos?
alive in my memory when I smell peppermint.
6.  action. You should be ready to accept the
consequences of your action. B. 
Keep these points in mind while writing an
alternative ending:
B. 1.  Wasn’t Rita sure that she would win?
•  An ending should make the reader think, and
2. This is not the way a person should behave. should make him want to discuss the story again
3.  It is terrible that the garbage has not been from a different angle.
removed. •  An ending can be happy or sad. It must
4. Our freedom fighters can never be forgotten. make the reader believe that this is the right
5. Shouldn’t we always fight for justice? conclusion to the story.
6.  Can I believe that Srilatha didn’t win the singing •  The main character of your story should be
contest? involved in its ending.
7.  Wasn’t watching whales in their natural habitat
the best part of our holiday? Chapter 4: Coromandel Fishers
8. There is no one who hasn’t heard of Darwin.
Summary
Study Skills This is a poem about the lives of the fishermen. They
1. amuse assess assist assume wake up before the break of the dawn and go to the
2. rapid register require robot sea to catch their daily haul. Whether it is a stormy
day or a calm one, the fishermen are always at the
3. collapse combine compass convert
sea, plying their trade. They consider themselves as
4. darkness delete demand destination the masters of the sea and depend on the god of the
sea to protect them.
Listening and Speaking
A. This city is Kolkata. Let’s Get Started
Describe the city of your choice. Focus on The Kochi coast is known for huge cantilevered
some important landmarks of the city without Chinese fishing nets that droop down over the
mentioning them by name. This will help the water. They have become a popular tourist attraction. It
listeners guess the city you are describing. is believed that they were first introduced around 1350-
1450 AD by a Chinese explorer. He was a member of
the court of Kublai Khan, the great Mongol emperor.
These nets are carefully attached to teak wood and

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 bamboo poles and are spread over 20 meters. Lights b. Sweeter
  than sitting on the shore and
are attached to the poles to attract the fish. Each enjoying its beauty, is facing the waves,
fishing net is operated by more than four fishermen. seeing them dance and feeling the salty
Fishing is usually done in the morning and early spray on the face. This is because the
evening. The net is lowered into the water for a short fishermen prefer their lives on the sea rather
time and then raised delicately by pulling on the ropes. than on the shore.
The slow rhythm and balancing of the net appears c.  The speaker asks his comrades to row
spell-binding to a first-time viewer. towards the meeting place of the sky and
sea. This is referred to as the horizon.
Comprehension
Life Skills and Values
Quick Recap
1. Fishermen
 face stormy weather, high waves and
A. 1. This line describes the sky at dawn. The early rough seas. They may also not get enough fish as
morning sky looks as if it is awakening from a catch on a particular day.
night’s slumber and is worshipping the rising sun. 2. The fishermen are ready to brave any challenge
2.  The fishermen will hurry to their boats to set out and obstacle at sea. They prefer life on sea to
for the sea that beckons them. the comfortable life of sitting on the shore and
3.  The lines ‘What though we toss at the fall of watching the waves from a distance.
the sun where the hand of/the sea-god drives?’ 3. The fishermen are dependent on nature.
indicate the courage of the fishermen. They work in close communion with her. It is a
4.  ‘Row, brothers, row to the edge of the verge, relationship of dependence, awe and fear from the
where the low sky/mates with the sea.’ In this fishermen’s point of view.
example, the image highlighted is the farthest
point of the horizon, the direction in which the Way with Words
Answer Key

fishermen are headed.

A.
‘Sweet is the shade of the cocoanut glade, A B
and the scent of/the mango grove,’ In this line,
particularly the second half, the sweet fragrance 1. call
  a spade a c. say
  exactly what one
of the mango grove is suggested. spade thinks without hiding
one’s opinion
B. 1.  a.  The fisherman is the speaker.
b.  The fish which keep leaping out of the 2. call someone e. use
  insulting words
waves and the nets of the fishermen are names about somebody
being described as the ‘leaping wealth of 3.  call into question b. doubt
  something or
the tide.’ The figure of speech used here is make others doubt it
metaphor. 4.  call the shots a. be
  the person who
c.  The catamaran had fallen into rough controls a situation
turbulent weather at sea during a bad storm. 5. call someone’s d. challenge someone
d.  They refer to themselves as the ‘kings of the bluff to give proof of his or
sea’ as they imagine themselves lording over her claims
the waves and conquering all the challenges
that come their way.
B. 1.  called for 4.  call in
2. a. It is with a spirit of kinship with the sea,
clouds and waves that the speaker refers 2. call her up 5.  called away
to them thus. He, like the other fishermen, 3.  called off
shares a close bond with these three.
b.  Sunset is being referred to here.
Grammar in Use
c.  God is being referred to as ‘he’. He controls 1. It is a pretty dress.
the storm at sea, and will also protect the 2. How sad that we lost the match!
fishermen and keep their lives safe in his heart. 3.How beautiful the sky is looking today!
3. a. ‘Sweet’ has been used to indicate the 4.
It is a disaster.
soothing shade of the coconut trees. It has 5.
It is a pity that she is no more.
also been used to indicate the pleasing 6.
What a touching moment!
aroma of the mango grove. 7.
That actor looks very odd in his purple jacket and
white shoes.
 . What a lovely night it is!
8

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Study Skills Sample answer:

Word Origin Meaning Fishing is an ancient human occupation. Nowadays, this

activity has become difficult and offers challenges that
juggernaut Sanskrit huge overwhelming seem impossible to overcome.
force
A commercial fisherman uses fishing poles, trolling,
cheetah Sanskrit a large swift feline trawling and traps. Fish is sold for profit. Large factory
mammal ships that can stay out on the water for weeks can
bandicoot Telegu a small marsupial catch, clean, process and freeze the fish. However, not
jaggery Malayalam brown sugar all fishermen have access to such technology. Climate
change and unpredictable weather conditions are
pariah Tamil outsider
additional hazards for the fishermen.
doollaly Urdu temporarily insane Accidents at sea are common and the fishermen are
patchouli Tamil aromatic oil often helpless when attacked by large sea animals.
sorbet Arabic a dessert made of
frozen fruit Chapter 5: Where Tigers Swim
dinghy Hindi small boat
Summary
mandarin Portuguese/Hindi official
lacquer Portuguese a liquid protective This is a factual writing on the wildlife in the
coating Sundarbans. One of the most biodivers locales in the
world, the Sundarbans is home to the Royal Bengal
Listening and Speaking tiger, and a number of other rare species of birds
and animals. However, the region is threatened by
A. 1. These stories are a product of human fears

Answer Key
continuous interventions from human beings, as they
and imagination. exploit its resources mindlessly without thinking about
2.  The many-armed kraken and the Loch Ness the consequences.
monster
3. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Let’s Get Started
Jules Verne
people and transport and relief and aid
4.  The giant squid is twenty-five feet long. Its
animals communication
huge immobile eyes were of a blue-green
colour. The eight arms, or rather legs, coming • rescue • remove uprooted • treat injuries at
out of its head were twice as long as its body people trees to clear hospitals
and were twisting about. It had 250 suckers from roadblocks
• collect fund for
lining the inside of its tentacles. The monster’s collapsed
• repair phone repair work
mouth—a horny beak like that of a parakeet— buildings
lines
opened and closed vertically. Its tongue was and flood • air-drop relief
also made of a horn-like substance and armed water • restore electricity materials at
with several rows of sharp teeth. unreachable areas
• shift • remove live
5.  A bird’s beak in a mollusc. It is a giant sea people wires from water • distribute food,
creature but has a beak like a bird. to higher to prevent water, clothes,
6.  The colour changed according to the animal’s ground electrocution medicines and dry
mood, would vary from a ghastly grey to ration
• rescue • evacuate areas
reddish brown.
animals in case of further • provide candles,
B. Follow instructions and complete the exercise. from dangers torches, flashlights
drowning that would help till
Pen it Down
power is restored
• create
This essay can be preceded by reading out accounts of
makeshift
different kinds of nature-based occupations in today’s
camps
world. Students can write about how the people
for the
practising that profession cope with these hardships.
displaced

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

 Comprehension 3. The
  author says that the Sundarbans is a deltaic
patch of low-lying mud and silt. It is a tropical
Quick Recap estuarine swamp forest where as many as 65
A. species of mangrove plants grow, making it the
A B most biodiverse mangrove forest in the world.
1. fiddler crabs h. earth jewels 4.  The Sunderbans is significant because it is a
natural habitat for many species of flora and
2. adapted for f. mudskippers fauna. It also protects the region against the
movement on land onslaught of cyclones.
3. Haldibari Camp e. confiscated boats 5.  The mangrove swamps acted as a buffer zone
of logs to the cyclone Amphan.
4. water
  of the i. brackish 6.  Air: dragonfly, butterfly, curlews and whimbrels,
Sundarbans sandpipers, brown-winged kingfishers, pigmy
5. a
  Royal Bengal c.  a floating log pipistrelles
tiger Water: crabs, crustaceans
Land: crustaceans, crocodiles, monitor lizards,
6. Ghazikhali b.  place to drop anchor
mudskippers and fiddler crabs, snake
7. Matla
  Four Forest d. digging
  a sweet water 7.  The cat’s head, silhouetted and dark like some
Compartment pond ancient god: The silhouetted head of the cat
8. mangroves g. as
  many as 65 reminds the narrator of the majestic head of
different species some primitive god-like being.
9. Cyclone Amphan a. pushed
  water levels On slick mud banks that melt like chocolate into
up to 15 kilometers the water: The soft mud on the shores is like
melted chocolate.
Answer Key

inland
Life Skills and Values
B. 1. The narrator was making his way along the
blue-green waters of the Netidhopani river in 1. majestic,
 powerful, terrifying, vulnerable, beautiful,
the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve, when about striking, competent swimmer, curious
250 metres ahead of his vessel, he spotted 2. Humans look to serve their own interest without
a floating log. He watched the log in a worrying about the effects it will have on the
disinterested way, waiting for it to drift closer environment. Therefore, they come into conflict
to their boat. That never happened. Instead, with it.
he began to notice that it was moving at right
angles to them and to the powerful current. At Way with Words
a distance of 150 metres, he peered through A. 2.  I love to eat sun-dried tomatoes.
his binoculars and was able to spot the wild
3. There was a ten-minute gap.
tiger. The cat’s head—silhouetted and dark—
was perhaps 500 metres to their left from the 4. I have a two-week vacation.
far shore. As they draw nearer, he could see 5. The lecture was hour-long.
her ears twitching. When she turned her head 6. My memories of that holiday are bitter-sweet.
to stare at their boat, he was taken up by 7. That dog is dangerous-looking.
the yellow of her beautiful eyes. She headed 8. Seema is always self-satisfied.
straight for the far bank but surprisingly began 9. The colour of the wallpaper was sky-blue.
to swim back in the direction she came from.
B. 
moan, damage, sheer, presume, conscious,
As their boat came to a near halt, she began
lifestyles, affects, principal, apathy, consequences
to swim back towards them with the current,
came as close as ten metres, and glancing up C. 1. Tom was marked for life as he had experienced
at them, headed towards the shore from behind the loss of his best friend at a very young age.
their vessel. 2. He was within striking distance of the goalpost
2.  At the Matla Four Forest Compartment, scores when he was tackled from behind.
of labourers were busy digging a huge, sweet 3.  As soon as we entered the room, the party
water pond out of the mangrove swamp. The inside came to a near halt.
narrator wondered why, since every Sundarbans 4. The soldiers launched a direct onslaught on the
creature had learned to survive very well in the enemy forces.
brackish water environment, human beings 5.  Unless you see him in flesh and blood, do not
needed special provisions. presume that he will arrive on time.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

 6. As
  she stood on the podium to receive her Pen it Down
gold medal, she felt that her heart was fit to
burst with joy. It has to be a first person narrative. Students should
research on how a tiger lives and write the account
Grammar in Use using the guidelines provided.

A. 1. There are ten dancers in this talented group.

Sample answer:
Quantity, Quality
2. Do you have enough food for the picnic? I was born in a dark cave in the Sundarbans. I had a
Quantity happy childhood playing with my brothers and sisters
3. He lost all his money due to bad loans. in the serene green waters under the shade of the
Quantity mangroves. We never saw or even smelt humans as
4.  This movie seems interesting. Which day of the area was inaccessible to all. I was a favourite of
the week are you free to watch it with me? my mother and she said my eyesight was the most
Demonstrative perfect and she could completely depend on me
when we went on hunts together. She always said that
5. Several people were chosen for the second trip
the forest would provide us with enough food and
to Mars. Quantity, Number
that the humans must always be avoided because
6. The young man has a bright future.
they were cunning and would eventually trap me.
Quality, Quality
7. If you go that way, you will reach the old Many years passed. The forest became smaller,
municipal building. Demonstrative, Quality and for the first time I observed human beings at a
8. Only few days are left for the final examinations. distance. They seemed to be building something and
Quantity, Quality were always shouting at each other. I remembered my
mother’s advice and kept myself hidden at all times.

Answer Key
B. 1. sang 5. are However, food has become scarce nowadays and I
2. dreams 6. will have completed have to hunt for miles sometimes. I dread the day I
3. have been working 7. had finished, asked will be face to face with a human.
4. ate 8. plays, is playing
C. 1. Nutrients were pouring into this ‘food factory’ Chapter 6: Composed upon Westminster
from all sides. Bridge, September 3, 1802
2. Humans were not really welcome in the
Sundarbans and life could be very dangerous Summary
for them. This poem is a beautiful evocation of a moment
3.  This utterly fragile, strange and magical ecosystem described by the poet. It describes the city of London
was evolving throughout the past years. in the early hours of the morning from the vantage
4. The air was thick with drama as the sun began point of the Westminster Bridge. It provides descriptive
to set. details of the sombre mood of the morning, as well as
5.  Half an hour later, we had docked at the a sense of tranquillity that pervades the scene.
Haldibari Camp jetty.
6. We were walking through a net-protected
walkway when we suddenly heard a loud roar. Let’s Get Started
1. arch 3. suspension 5. beam
Study Skills 2. viaduct 4. cantilever
A. 1.  a. mov‘/ing 4.  a. dis’/turb
Comprehension
2.  a. ti’/ger 5.  a. re’/morse
3.  a. per’/haps 6.  a. es’/cape Quick Recap

Listening and Speaking A. 1. The poet is describing the city of London at

breaking dawn, as viewed from the Westminster
A. 1.  False 3.  False 5.  True Bridge.
2.  True 4.  False 6.  False 2. The poem was composed in 1802.
3.  The poet mentioned ships, towers, domes,
B. 
Follow instructions and complete the exercise. theatres and temples of the city.
Students should be encouraged to use
4.  The poet talks about the field, sky, sun, valley,
visuals, data and statistics to supplement
rock, hill and river in the poem.
their points.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

 5. The
  first eight lines of the poem focus on Way with Words
describing the moment as seen by the poet.
The last six lines touch upon the theme of the A. 1. After travelling the whole day, the child slept
awareness of the dormant spirit in all what he like a log, on reaching home.
sees. 2.  They might be twins, but they are as different as
The tone shifts from descriptive to reflective. night and day.
3. The glass slipper fit Cinderella like a glove.
B. 1.  a.  The figure of speech used here is a simile.
4.  The new marble I added to my collection is as
b.
  The poet says that just like a person wears a
shiny as a new pin.
garment, similarly, the beautiful morning has
draped itself over the city of London. 5.  The trek leader was as tough as nails, and
guided the team safely out of the blizzard.
c.
  This comparison establishes how beautiful
the sleeping city looks in the early hours of 6.  It was as dark as midnight inside the cave, and
the morning. we could barely see anything.
2. a. The poet is referring to the ships, towers, 7.  Please give me some water. My throat is as dry
domes, theatres and temples he can see as a bone.
shining in the light of the early morning sun. B. 1. Never did sun more beautifully steep/In his first
b.
  The poet wishes to indicate the purity of splendour, valley, rock, or hill
the air by using the word ‘smokeless’. It The sun has been personified.
indicates that the factories had not begun 2.  The yellow and blue bike raced past us,
functioning as yet. screaming for attention.
c.
  Yes, it does. It captures the beauty of The bike has been personified.
a dormant city in the early hours of the 3.  The very houses seem asleep.
morning and is perfect as a setting for The houses have been personified.
Answer Key

reflective thinking as well. 4.  The bees played hide and seek with the flowers
3. a. It is early hours in the morning and because in the garden.
of the lack of visible activity, the houses seem The bees have been personified.
asleep. 5.  The autumn breeze brushed my cheek and
b.  The phrase ‘mighty heart’ refers to the people blew my hat away.
who would go about their busy lives in a few The autumn breeze has been personified.
hours. They make up the collective heart of a 6.  The smell of warm apple pie welcomed him
bustling city. inside.
c.
  It indicates how overwhelmed with emotion The aroma of the warm apple pie has been
the poet is at the sight of the city. personified.
7.  The flood water devoured everything in its path.
Life Skills and Values The waters of the flood have been personified.
1. a.  Never did sun more beautifully steep 8.  Time and tide wait for none.
In his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill; Time and tide have been personified.
b. Ne’er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!
The river glideth at his own sweet will: Grammar in Use
2. The poet observes that a person who is not carried A. 1.  had watched 6. have walked
away by the beauty of the sight, is definitely dull in 2. will have finished 7. had been
his soul. 3. has been acting 8.  will have been
These lines point to our lack of observation of the 4. have you seen living
beauty of the moment as we go about our busy
5. has taken
lives. We fail to notice the beauty around us and
this indicates that we have become numb and dull. B. 1.  ‘Look out! Man-eating tiger ahead.’
3. Yes, it highlights the coexistence of man and 2.  Prithviraj Kapoor, his two sons, Shashi Kapoor
nature. and Raj Kapoor, were all talented actors.
‘Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie 3.  ‘There is only one thing to do, surrender!’ said
the general, and we did it.
Open unto the fields, and to the sky;’
These lines indicate how the man-made structures
lie peacefully juxtaposed against the sky and
fields.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

 4. My
  sister carries the following items to work— Pen it Down
her lunch box, her laptop and her purse.
A. Sample answer:
5.  ‘Who thought,’ wondered Tanuja, ‘that I would
be a successful singer today? It all began with a My dear Ramanuj,
newspaper advertisement for the “Singing Stars
of Tomorrow” competition. After winning the After reading your last email about your imminent visit
contest, I started singing in Mumbai.’ to Kolkata, I contacted Calcutta Walks, a popular walking
tour company who have planned an entire day’s outing
6.  ‘Have some water,’ the March Hare said in an
for us to know the city well. I hope you will enjoy every
encouraging tone. Alice looked all round the
moment of walking around the city as much I do.
table, but there was nothing on it but tea. ‘I
don’t see any water,’ she remarked. ‘There isn’t We will first visit the Victoria Memorial near the
any,’ said the March Hare. ‘Then it wasn’t very Maidan area in the city. This is a magnificent
civil of you to offer it,’ said Alice angrily. monument built by the Britishers to boast of their
C. 1.  She is, She would grandeur and power. This monument, made of pure
2. Have you not, It is marble, has a wonderful museum inside as well.
3. They are, David has Then we will visit the Indian Museum which is the
4. It would, It is not oldest museum in Asia. It is a grand structure which
5. They will, Should we not houses dinosaur bones, various species of extinct flora
and fauna, and even an Egyptian mummy.
Study Skills
We shall also visit the grand St John’s Church, which
angel, way, cable, ray, mail, nail, reign, display, play, houses the Black Hole tragedy memorial.
able, weight, eight, weigh, lay, lake
You must bring along your latest camera with you and

Answer Key
take images of these amazing historic structures.
Listening and Speaking
We will be meeting at Park Street metro station on 25
A. Sample answer: November, a day after you arrive in the city, at 8 a.m.
Speaker
 A – I would never have thought that visiting Waiting to hear back from you,
the famous flower market in Kolkata would be such
an amazing experience. Your friend,
Speaker
 B – Yes! I could hardly walk as every bend Shalini
and turn of the road revealed a riot of colours and
fragrance. B. Sample answer:

Speaker
 A – The people carrying large bundles on The two cities are very different. The city of London
their heads could easily have collided with us. Have has more of a natural backdrop with a river, valley and
you ever seen such roses and marigold? field mentioned in the poem. The city in the picture
has a more urban backdrop, though there are trees in
Speaker
 B – We were told the market is best seen
the foreground.
in the early hours of the morning, so we must visit
again. It was a feast for the senses! The city in the poem has been described in the wee
Speaker
 A – And this time I must carry my camera! hours of the morning, while in the image the sun has
I am determined to get some wonderful picture of already risen over the horizon and it is morning.
the vivid scenes. The poem and this image describe two very different
B. 
Nev-er did sun more beau-ti-ful-ly steep eras. In the former, the Industrial Age had just begun
In his first splen-dour, va-lley, rock, or hill; and therefore life had two paces, the rich who still
Ne’-er saw I, nev-er felt, a calm so deep! led leisurely lifestyles and the poor who worked in
The riv-er gli-deth at his own sweet will: factories and on farms. But today, the pace of life is
hectic for all.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

 Chapter 7: Mary Shelley B. 1.  a. Mary Shelley was having the ‘vision’.
b.  Mary wanted to write a ghost story that was
Summary sinister and shocking. She also heard Byron
This graphic story is themed on the life of young Mary and Shelley discussing how electricity might
Shelley, who was inspired to create the story of Victor be used to bring back the dead to life. These
Frankenstein, a scientist who brings to life a creature thoughts led her to the vision.
cobbled together from old body parts. The chapter It was referred to as a ‘waking dream’ as she
illustrates the journey of Mary and her struggles in was sleeping in fits when she had the vision.
becoming a successful writer at a time when women c.  In the ‘waking dream’, she saw a young
authors were unheard of. scientist assembling a frightful creature.
2. a. Mary wanted to write about the story of young
Let’s Get Started Victor Frankenstein, a scientist who brought to life
a creature cobbled together from old body parts.
Mary Shelley’s novel is about the gifted young b.  In 1818, with her husband Percy Shelley’s
scientist, Victor Frankenstein who brings to life encouragement, Mary completed the novel
a human-like creature, cobbled together using and published it anonymously, with the title
the body parts of dead people. Frankenstein had Frankenstein.
hoped to create the perfect man, but his Creature is c.  Lord Byron described her story as ‘a wonderful
hideous. However, he is an intelligent being whose work for a girl of nineteen’.
deepest wish is to be loved and accepted by others.
3. a.  Mary Shelley said these words.
He is rejected by his maker, who is horrified by his
appearance, as well as by other people he meets. b.  Mary had watched the successful play based
Enraged, he seeks revenge on his creator. Frankenstein on her novel which projected the creature as
wanted to ‘play God’ by creating life, but by the end a monster and not as an innocent victim at all.
Answer Key

of the story, he loses everything he holds dear. This prompted her to comment on the play, as
she had not intended on such an interpretation
B. 1d 2b 3a 4e 5c of her story.
c.  Mary had wanted to show how the monster was
Comprehension actually innocent.
Quick Recap d.  The creature had been depicted as a terrifying
evil monster in the play. This was why she felt
A. 1. 18-year old Mary Godwin, her stepsister Claire, the message had been altered.
Mary’s dear friend Percy Shelley, Lord Byron and
his doctor, John Polidori were staying at Villa Life Skills and Values
Diodati.
1. The possibility was the usage of electricity to bring
2.  It was cold and wet, with spells of rain which
back people to life from the dead.
made venturing out impossible.
Lord Byron and Percy Shelley were discussing it.
3.  Lord Byron issued the challenge that they had
one week to write a ghost story and the best Mary doubted that the possibility went against the
one would be chosen from amongst them. laws of nature and therefore was not a feasible idea.
4.  Mary wanted to write a story that was sinister I think keeping in mind the times she lived it,
and one that would shock people. having such doubts was feasible.
5.  Mary’s mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, was a 2. Women were not expected to be writers or
champion of women’s rights. Her father was interested in fields of knowledge like science. It
William Godwin, a political writer. was difficult for them to get due recognition for
their efforts and be respected as writers or any
6.  Mary would spend hours in the library and also
other kind of working professionals.
read books by her mother’s tomb.
Nowadays, the treatment of women is inconsistent
7.  People’s reactions to Mary’s novel ranged from
– while more stress is given to education and
astonishment to shock.
career prospects, yet women are still expected to
They could not believe that someone so young, be primary care givers at home, or even lead a
and that too a woman, could write something conventional domestic life.
so unique and frightening like Frankenstein.
The fact that women still need to fight for their
Therefore, they thought, Percy Shelley was the
due recognition today is what I find common
real author.
between the two periods. The main difference is
8.  After Percy Shelley’s death, Mary kept writing to the accessibility to education and opportunities to
support herself and to bring up and educate her women is much more today than before.
only surviving son, Percy Florence.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

3. Mary
 was an independent woman with a creative Research and Write
mind. Her determination to make a story that was
unique and shocking indicate this. A. Students should follow the instructions and
She believed in herself and her writing abilities – complete the exercise.
this is shown by her penning the ghost story and B. 
1. Students should follow the instructions and
making it a successful novel. complete the exercise.
She was also a self-respecting woman who 2.  endangered species, immediate protection,
provided for her family in spite of all setbacks. animal kingdom, shrinking habitat, ecological
After the death of her husband, Percy Shelley, balance, global warming, climate change,
Mary sustained her family with her writing. natural resources, real possibility
3. a. overutilization
Way with Words b. tropical rainforest
A. 1b 2e 3a 4f 5d 6c c. endangered species
B. 2. The athlete was disqualified from the final d. shrinking habitat
round of the race. e. ecological balance
3.  The teacher said that Mala’s rude behaviour was C. 
Students speaking for the motion can talk about
unacceptable in school. how we are planting more trees, trying to use
4. Deepak was dissatisfied with a third place in the environment-friendly materials, reduce carbon
race. emission, etc. Students speaking against the motion
5.  She is unreliable and untrustworthy. can talk about how we are cutting down trees,
6.  Informal clothes can be worn at the party. causing global warming and increasing number of
factories which is worsening the situation.
Grammar in Use

Answer Key
Chapter 8: Grannie
A. 1.  with a beard
2.  main character, of Malaysian origin, seven Summary
feet tall
This is a poem about a young boy who lived with his
3. made of wood grandmother. To his young eyes, the grandmother
4. in a black cape looked like a huge protective barrier all around him.
5. of great wealth Once he grew up, they fell out of touch. Later, during
B. 1.  to fly kites World War II, he got wounded and was in a hospital
2. my favourite channel in the town where his grandmother lived. When she
came to visit him, he wondered at how frail and tiny
3.  annoying people
she looked. But once the old lady smiled, he realised
4. to win the toss
the old love and affection was still there.
5. to answer the question
6. cheating in examinations Let’s Get Started
Sample answers:
Study Skills
• right to adequate medical care
1. chronic 5. argument • right to shelter
2. occasion 6. disappointed • right to be provided financial assistance
3. spectacle 7. calendar • right to receive free ration supplies
4. acquaintance 8. sinister • right to protection of property and life

Listening and Speaking Comprehension

Students should follow the instructions and complete Quick Recap
the task.
A. 1. The speaker lived with his grandmother for
Pen it Down two years.
2.  The speaker remembers his grandmother’s
Free response. Accept all valid answers. warm protective smile. He also remembers
the soothing fragrance of lavender that hung
around his grandmother.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

 3. ‘I
  stayed with her when I was six then went/To Way with Words
live elsewhere when I was eight years old.‘
‘Years later war broke out and I became/A A. 1. Mr Roberts was brutally murdered by an
soldier and was wounded while in France.’ escaped convict for a mere Rs 500.
4.  It was a dark and cold day when the speaker 2.  Let us feed that famished dog.
lay on the hospital bed, wounded in the 3. Miss Simms is suffering from a mild headache.
war. He was depressed and sad. He got 4. Kavya has badly burnt her hand.
the best surprise of his life when his doting B. 
a faint scent, a warm protective shawl, praised me
grandmother came to visit him. Her loving lavishly, a tiny frail old lady
presence was like the sun, lighting up the
darkness all around.
Grammar in Use
B. 1.  a. The speaker is the poet Vernon Scannell.
b.  The grandmother is being referred to as ‘she’. A.
A B
The grandmother was like a protective barrier
between the child and all the things that 1. She
  knows her f. doesn’t she?
worried and frightened him. She gave him a dialogues,
sense of security and a feeling of being loved. 2.  They went home, a. didn’t they?
c.  The grandmother was gentle and 3. Roy
  ate a hearty d. didn’t he?
understanding of every wish and dream breakfast,
of the little boy, and she managed to
4. I  shouldn’t be c. should I?
make the speaker feel loved, although she
sharing this,
seemed tall and large to him.
2. a. The speaker was in France. He was a soldier. 5. We
  must work b. mustn’t we?
together,
Answer Key

b.  The speaker was fighting as a soldier in the

Second World War. He was wounded in 6.  They have come, e. haven’t they?
France and had been brought to a hospital 6.  They have come, e. haven’t they?
in his town, which was close by to his
grandmother’s place. B. 
the youngest, older, the most fascinating, the
c.  When the speaker realised that he was in the swiftest, more well-read, more troublesome,
same town as his grandmother, he took the funnier, smarter, more handsome, the most
opportunity to write to her to request her to capable
come and visit him.
Study Skills
3. a. The speaker realised that his grandmother
was actually a tiny, frail lady and not a A. Follow instructions and complete the exercise.
large, tall mountain as he remembered her.
B. Follow instructions and complete the exercise.
b.  It was a shock because of the contrast
between his memory and his current Listening and Speaking
perception.
c.  The grandmother limped up to him, peered A. Rhyme scheme: ababcdc
into his face and smiled lovingly at him. Rhyming words: went-sent, old-scold, all-shawl,
near-fear, had-bad
Life Skills and Values
B. 
While presenting the give points students should
1. The
 grandmother had grown old and frail. It is present them in the order of importance, illustrate
probable she was making sure it was her grandson using personal example if required and summarise
lying there on the bed. Moreover, she had not at the end of his speech.
seen her grandson for many years and was unsure
how to greet him. That is why there was initial Pen it Down
hesitation on her part.
Students should follow the instructions and make the
2. Yes, it does seem so that the poet had lost touch
poster with the relevant details included.
with his grandmother over the years.The lines
which suggest this are, ‘I realised suddenly that
circumstance/Had brought me close to that small
town where she/Was living still.’

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

Chapter 9: Grandpa Learns to Read B. 1.  a. The narrator’s Grandfather is the speaker. He
and Write is speaking to his grandson.
b.  The grandfather offered a proper wage to
Summary his grandson as an incentive to stay on the
This is a story about a young boy and his grandfather farm, and teach him to read and write.
who wants to learn how to read and write. All his life c.  The narrator’s grandfather was feeling
he had spent working on the farm and never got a hesitant and shy to ask his grandson to teach
chance to educate himself properly. He promises to him to read and write. Picking at his knuckles
sponsor his grandson’s Australia trip if he helps him was a sign of his nervousness.
to learn how to read and write. Once the teaching 2. a. The narrator had been taken to the barn by
period is over, the old man not only reads out a his Grandfather.
chapter from a Christie book, but also writes an b.  The grandfather switched on the light, sat
original story for his grandson to read. down on the bale of straw, motioned for the
narrator to sit next to him. Then, he went
Let’s Get Started on to take a book out of his pocket and
My neighbourhood and friends: Using pictures read. The narrator was surprised because his
to learn words on the subject and then framing grandfather actually read out from the book.
sentences with them. c.  The barn provided the desired privacy for the
Grandfather to read out to his ‘teacher’. This is
My favourite subject: Conducting a discussion on why he chose the barn. It was also significant
what is their favourite subject and why. because all his life, grandfather had spent
My country: Doing a crossword puzzle with them on working as a farmer. Thus, he went back to the
words connected to our country. barn on such an important night for him.

Answer Key
3. a. The speaker is the grandson, who is also
1. They
 can be independent in their old age for the narrator of the story. He was on a train
writing a letter or filling a form. from Eggesford Junction to Exeter, going
2. They can feel empowered and have self-respect. back home.
3. They can take up a hobby based on their learning b.  The narrator did not want to leave his
and pursue it in their free time. grandfather alone. He had developed a
fondness for the old man and a liking for life
Comprehension on a farm. This is why he did not wish to travel
Quick Recap anymore. The narrator was on his way home,
and then to Australia, sometime in February.
A. 1. Grandpa lived on the farm as a child. His school c.  His grandpa gave him an envelope of ten
was two miles from his home. ten-pound notes and an original story he had
2.  As his parents could not manage without him, written. He also found a note written by his
Grandpa was needed as an extra pair of hands. grandfather and addressed to him.
He was needed to help at harvest time.
Life Skills and Values
3.  As he was always dropping off to sleep in class,
he used to get a scolding from his teacher, 1. Grandpa
 and Grandma shared a close bond. In
Mr Burton. fact, his wife had even offered to help him read
4.  Grandpa wondered sadly why the wars did not and write. They loved each other deeply and
end. He was upset about the conflicts in the depended on each other for help and support.
world. 2. Yes, Grandfather’s effort was praiseworthy. In spite
5.  Grandpa bought books, a dictionary and a of his advanced years, failing eyesight and health,
magnifying glass. He stayed up nights working. Grandfather displayed admirable determination
He wrote each letter very carefully, pressing and perseverance in learning to read and write.
down too hard on the paper and often breaking 3. The simplicity of the note is very appealing. The
his pencil in the process. But he did not give emotions of the grandfather at being able to read,
up. The main challenge he faced was that his write and then compose a story are beautifully
fingers were not supple enough for writing. He captured in the note.
did not give up, however.
6.  The jumble sale got them a copy of Animal
Farm, Travels with a Donkey, a dozen Tintin
books, a dictionary and a magnifying glass.
These helped to speed up his reading.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

 Way with Words Listening and Speaking
A. 1
 F 1. oldest living women in the small town where
she lived
R
2. worn-out folding chair
2
 P O U N D 3. chatted with the servants, neighbours, anyone
W 3
 E 4. pickles, chutneys
4
J U N C T I O N 5. take a walk around the house to ensure that the
V doors and windows were shut and barred
 T R E A S U R E
5 6. potter around in the attic, looking at old and dusty
knick-knacks
L 6
 L
7. the keys to that old, discoloured trunk
7
 B O T H E R
P S Pen it Down
E S  B
8
Free response. Accept all valid answers.
9
 B O S 10
 N I A
Sample answer:
N I L
L E 11, Lansdowne Road,
Ajanta Apartments,
E
Kolkata – 700017
B. 1. 
 c.  I couldn’t remember anything 22 October, 2021
2. b. succeed easily
Dear Grandma,
Answer Key

3. a.  to slow down in progress

4. b.  know very well I have some exciting news to share with you. I tried to
5. b. leave school or college, without completing convince you to visit the local book fair, but you were
your studies unwell. You missed meeting your most ardent fan!

Grammar in Use I was browsing around in one of the stalls after buying
the last copy of your book when a nervous looking
A. 1.  off 5.  with young man came up to speak to me. The young man
2.  on 6.  of introduced himself as a college student and asked
3.  in 7.  along me where I had purchased the book. He revealed
that he loved reading your books and was most
4.  into 8.  among
disappointed to see that they were all sold out. When
B. 1.  in the garb of 5. in exchange for
I offered him my copy, he politely refused but seemed
2. at the top of 6. in keeping with very disappointed. Finally, I told him the author was
3. in defence of 7. by means of my grandmother. At first, he did not believe me, but
4. under the weather 8.  on the brink of when I showed him our pictures, he was ecstatic. He
gladly took my copy as I convinced him that I could
Study Skills get more from you. He left the fair with a broad smile
Word Latin plural English plural on his face.
index indices indexes I wish I could have introduced him to you. He has read
stadium stadia stadiums all your books and even has a fan page dedicated to
you. I felt proud to be your grandson. We must go to
thesaurus thesauri thesauruses the next book fair together. Take care of yourself.
formula formulae formulas
Your loving grandson,
gymnasium gymnasia gymnasiums
Bobby
millennium millennia millenniums
aquarium aquaria aquariums
antenna antennae antennas
nucleus nuclei nucleuses

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

Chapter 10: Dar es Salaam to Nairobi B. 1. The Company allowed him to enlist in the
by Ford Prefect war, assuring him that they would continue to
pay him salary as long as the war continued
Summary and as long as he was alive. This was the
‘magnanimous gesture’.
This is a story about how the author, Roald Dahl,
travels from Dar es Salaam to Nairobi to join the 2.  The author used to frequently encounter
war efforts against Nazi Germany. In the course of giraffes on his drive to Nairobi. They were
the travel, he comes across animals like giraffes and usually found in groups of three and four,
elephants and reflects on how they live a peaceful and often with a baby in tow. The author found
better life than human beings. He also meets some them surprisingly tame. Whenever he chanced
tribal men and a one-of-a-kind customs official. When upon them, he would get out of his car and
he finally reaches his destination, he undergoes the shout out greetings to them. But then, the
medical check-up and joins the army, but not before giraffes surprisingly remained unconcerned.
worrying about getting disqualified because of being 3.  The cobra was a very large thick greenish-
too tall. brown snake. It was seven or eight feet long
and was holding its hood six inches up in the
Let’s Get Started air. The narrator stopped his car so as not to
run over the snake. Then, he drove backwards
Points for class discussion:
as far as possible and did not stop till the time
Solo travel the snake was no longer visible. The sight of
• sense of responsibility and alertness the snake frightened him to his core.
• can follow personal preferences 4.  The narrator observed that an air of
• can make new friends tranquillity hung around the elephant family.
They looked as if they were wearing ill-fitting

Answer Key
Travel with family
• increases bonding trousers handed down from their ancestors.
• can help in emergencies 5.  The old man at the checkpoint was unusually
friendly and very casual. He even offered
• can share excitement with close ones
the author a cup of tea, apologising for the
B. 1.  Ibn Battuta: e. Megasthenes: f.
4.  absence of sugar. The man refused to check
2.  Marco Polo: d. Fa Hien: a.
5.  the passport, saying they all looked alike but
3.  Hiuen Tsang: b. Al Biruni: c.
6.  the actual reason being that he could not read
as he had no spectacles. Customs officials are
Comprehension strict and extremely formal, unlike this old man.
6.  The narrator parked his car in a scrubby patch
Quick Recap
of land in the jungle and with the windows
A. 1. In the words of the author, solitude on a long down, sat in the car listening to jungle sounds.
and risky journey magnifies every feeling 7.
 The  narrator was six feet six inches tall. The
of delight and fear. Beautiful things appeal doctor who was in charge of his medical
even more and frightening things become examination commented that it was not the ideal
scarier. This was the feeling the author was height for pilots. This made the narrator think
experiencing while driving from Dar es Salaam that he might not be selected for flying duties.
to Nairobi to enlist in the RAF in the war effort
against Hitler and Nazi Germany. Life Skills and Values
2.  The six locals who helped the author cross the
Wami River with his car on a raft said these 1. The lines are: a. ‘I myself am, at this moment, on
words, as they laughed at him. They were my way to kill Germans or to be killed by them,
amused to observe his sheer alarm at the but those elephants have no thought of murder
sight of the crocodiles in the river swimming in their minds.’ and b. ‘A great sense of peace
towards his raft. and serenity seemed to surround these massive,
slow-moving, gentle beasts.’
3.  The author makes this comment upon
observing the elephant family at peace with 2. The narrator met the locals at the Wami River,
itself, moving slowly in a line near the edge of the very old man at the customs outpost and the
the forest. He remarked that these creatures group of Masai tribesmen.
were happier and wiser than he or any other 3. The narrator was against the policies of Hitler and
human was. Nazi Germany. He himself disliked violence, but
found it impossible to not act against the inhuman
actions of the Nazi army. Therefore, he enlisted
for the war, even though he preferred peace.
© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.
 4. a. All my inhibitions would disappear and I B. 2. Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on
would shout, ‘Hello, giraffes! Hello! Hello! the moon.
Hello! How are you today?’ And the giraffes 3. I was heartbroken to hear of her illness.
would incline their heads very slightly and 4.  The pilot was the first man to parachute out of
stare down at me with languorous demure the plane.
expressions, but they never ran away. 5.  I found it exhilarating to be able to walk freely
b.  I sat helpless in the car watching the crocodiles among the wild creatures.
swimming around the raft, and the crocodiles 6.  Mr Gordon was the only man to come forward
stared up at me with their cruel black eyes. I as a witness to the crime.
was bobbing about on that river for over an
7.  The robber escaped from the police station to
hour, but in the end the six strong men won
avoid punishment for his crimes.
their battle with the currents and pulled me
across. ‘That will be three shillings, bwana,’ they 8. We were shocked to see the headlines.
said, laughing. 9. You will have to work hard to pass the test.
c.  ln any event, he added, smiling secretly, he C. 1.  upsetting 4.  giving
could not read without spectacles and he did 2.  winning 5.  making
not possess any. 3.  cheating 6.  solving

Way with Words Study Skills

A. 1.  chirping 3.  rattled 5.  slammed 1. red herring: a false clue. The clue that the
2.  sizzled 4.  gurgling 6.  squeaked detective was following from the beginning turned
B. out to be a red herring.
 E 1
2. eager beaver: a hardworking and enthusiastic
2
 A N 3
 C
Answer Key

person. When she first joined the science club, she

C O H was a real eager beaver.
A 4
 T H R E A T E N 3. dark horse: a candidate about whom little is known
C 5
 C M N but who wins unexpectedly. In the inter-class
6
 I N H E R I T O T football tournament, the team representing class 8
A O U E turned out to be the dark horse.
7
  S P E C T 8  A C L E S D 4. black sheep: a person who is considered a
disgrace. John has always been the black sheep
H O E
of the family, right from the time he was expelled
A D R from school.
C 9
 I V O R Y 5. guinea pig: an experimental subject. Patients
K L D should not be treated by doctors as guinea pigs
E R for testing new medicines.
O 6. clothes
 horse: a person who cares too much about
M wearing fashionable clothes. For a clothes horse, he
E spent very little on shopping when he went to Dubai
last month.
Grammar in Use
Listening and Speaking
A. 1. I am going to study in a prestigious business
school. 1. The Aunt’s husband and her two young brothers
2. She need not lie about her qualifications. 2. In crossing the moor to their favourite snipe
3.  It proved difficult for me to drive the car without shooting ground, they were all drowned in a
enough fuel. dangerous piece of bog.
4.  It is no fun to look after so many children in 3. The Aunt still believed that they would walk in
kindergarten. some day through the open window.
5. It is unwise to waste an opportunity like that. 4. The speaker is a young girl. ‘Bertie, why do you
bound’
6. She can speak louder than this.
5. He was unnerved by the strange story and did not
know what to expect.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

Pen it Down 3. stand-up:
  entertains an audience with jokes and
humorous stories
Free response. Accept all valid answers.
4.  slapstick: shows exaggerated incidents of
Sample answer: physical harm
B. Students should follow the instructions and
To
complete the exercise.
The Editor
The Statesman Comprehension
1 Park Street Quick Recap
Kolkata- 700017
A. 1. Auntie Hilda was really happy that a woman
Dear Sir, athlete had created such a remarkable record
This is to bring to the attention of the concerned for the long jump event at the Olympics. This
authorities a horrifying incident of poaching witnessed is why she was challenging every man she had
by me in the Sundarbans. I was travelling for a met to equal Mary Rand’s record.
business meeting when my car came to a sudden halt 2.  Auntie Hilda challenged Uncle Alfred, her
in front of a small van which had blocked the road. husband, directly to equal Mary Rand’s record.
3.  ‘And launched himself/Into a fifty yard run-up.’
The driver was arguing with a few men over what Uncle Alfred did not take a run up of fifty yards.
seemed to a large bag kept in the back of the van. To The poet is exaggerating about the distance to
my horror, the bag suddenly started moving and there show how seriously he took the challenge.
was a sudden terrified shriek from the men. A baby
4.  It is ironical that Uncle Alfred was dreaming
crocodile emerged from the bag and darted across
of attempting to set a high jump record by
the road and disappeared into a nearby pond. The

Answer Key
jumping over clothes lines. Moreover, he did
men were poachers and ran away. I manged to quickly
not have any high jump technique to begin
get in touch with the local authorities and gave them
with, making the line all the more ironical.
a description of the car and the men. This incident
would not have been possible if the local forest B. 1.  a. Uncle Alfred is the husband of Auntie
authorities were more careful and vigilant. Hilda. His wife had just challenged him to
break the record created by Mary Rand.
I earnestly hope that the law enforcement officials and He was pitted against the record set by a
Forest Department look into the matter so that such woman and thus felt that his reputation as
incident are avoided. a man had been challenged.
Yours faithfully, b. Uncle Alfred was tired after a day’s work.
Sara Sharma c.  Uncle Alfred kept his briefcase, bowler hat
and umbrella down and braced himself to
take up the challenge.
Chapter 11: Uncle Alfred’s Long Jump d.  Uncle Alfred began a fifty yard run-
up, starting from the lamp-post, full of
Summary
confidence and zest. Uncle Alfred was not
This is a funny poem about how Auntie Hilda successful. He ended up injuring himself,
challenges her husband, Uncle Alfred, to match with both his legs in plaster.
the Olympic long jump record of Mary Rand. Uncle 2. a. The speaker, Uncle Alfred, attempted a long
Alfred takes up the challenge gallantly and believes jump to show his wife that he was as good
he can easily complete the challenge. However, the at it as Mary Rand. However, he ended up at
only thing he manages to accomplish is getting both the hospital and the only record he set was
his legs broken. Despite the debacle, he considers that of getting his name recorded in the list
this to be great achievement. Lying on the hospital of people treated at the hospital.
bed, he plans of becoming successful in high b.  Uncle Alfred was referring to the record
jump also. created by Mary Rand at the Olympics in
Let’s Get Started long jump.
c.  The conversation took place at the Royal
A. 1. farce: shows incidents that are too ridiculous to Infirmary. The infirmary was filled with
be true patients who coughed and snored all night.
2.  improv: creates a skit or tells unplanned jokes in d.  Uncle Alfred dreamt about the washing line
the moment or on the spot and how he could improve upon his high
jump technique.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

 Life Skills and Values 6. Study hard or you will fail.
7.  He came from a poor family but rose to the top
1. Uncle Alfred felt that his manhood and reputation of his profession.
was at stake, so he accepted the challenge readily.
8.
  I requested for just a day’s leave but was refused.
He spoke about his injuries with pride because he
wanted to show off for taking up such a challenge B. 1.  so that 5. when
and doing—by his standards—quite well. 2.  Although 6.  where
2. The elements that make this poem comic are: a. 3.  so 7.  nor
Aunt Hilda throwing a challenge to all the men 4.  and
she saw passing her house, including a dog, b. B. 1.  Everything 4.  everyone
Uncle Alfred taking up the challenge seriously and 2.  something 5.  anyone
attempting the high jump, c. Uncle Alfred boasting 3.  anything 6.  Nobody
about the record he had apparently set while he
lay in the infirmary. Study Skills
Way with Words silent b silent p silent h silent t
A. 1. A bullock cart is a slow-moving vehicle. The car debt symptom rhetoric bristle
is moving very slowly and not going fast at all. subtle empty heir moisten
2.  The speaker is actually tired of working hard
and is not looking forward to the next day. silent l silent k silent g
3.  It was supposed to be unsinkable, but could
almond knell campaign
not even complete one voyage before sinking.
4.  The room is barely furnished and is completely palm knuckle malign
Answer Key

unlike a palace.
Listening and Speaking
5.  A wet carpet is indicative of something dull
and boring. The name of dog, Bouncer, also A. 1.  A doctor and clairvoyant
indicates that it should be energetic and lively. 2.  She would try all sorts of herbal and natural
However, the dog is extremely boring. medication on anyone who came in contact
B. with her.
A B 3.  The woman in a bright blue sari was the wife
1. Birds
  of a feather c. People
  of the same of a neighbour. She appeared to be going to
flock together. sort are usually found some sort of a party.
together. 4.  ‘Don’t go where you are going. But if you do,
2. It’s
  no use crying d. We
  should not worry I urge you to note down my name and phone
over spilt milk. about a situation that number and leave a note at home, asking your
can’t be changed. husband to contact me in case of need.’
5.  What happened a day later is still a mystery.
3. Don’t
  bite the b. Don’t
  harm the person
The woman in blue had suffered a loss of
hand that feeds who helps you.
memory. Strangely, after my aunt’s visit, she
you.
regained her memory.
4. Beauty
  lies in e. What
  one person finds 6.  He avoided her aunt because he did not
the eye of the beautiful might not want to be fed herbal medication or have any
beholder. seem admirable to predictions made about him.
another.
B. Some
 amount of background reading will be
5. There’s
  no such a. Things
  that are offered required before attempting this topic. Students
thing as a free for free have a hidden should voice their own opinions and give their
lunch. cost. reasons for believing or not believing fortune-tellers.

Grammar in Use Pen it Down

A. 2. He wanted to paint the pot red but he did not Students should be explained the general layout of
have red paint, so he had to paint the pot green. a newspaper report. They should make the headline
3. I was very upset, but I kept quiet. interesting and short, give the location and the date,
4. Jane and Mary are planning a picnic. and sign off as ‘By a Staff Reporter’.
5.  She did not do her job efficiently so she was
dismissed.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

Sample answer: Comprehension
A MISS IS AS GOOD AS A MILE Quick Recap
Warwick, 12 November, 2021. It was a memorable day A. 1. The Invisible Man could not see his feet and
for the residents of Tunbridge. The celebrations for therefore found it difficult to go downstairs.
Mary Rand’s incredible Olympic feat had spilled out 2.  The Invisible Man was hit on the back of neck
of the Town Hall and street parties began in several by a basket of soda water because the person
localities. The neighbourhood of Temple Street was carrying it could not see him. In retaliation,
however in for a special treat. Mrs Owen, a long term he swung the basket of soda water bottles in
resident of the area, was at the door waiting for her the air, only to be hit painfully on his ear by a
husband’s return from office. Mr Owen, however, after a cabman who had come rushing to save what
hard day at the office, was in no mood for a celebration. he thought was a basket of bottles up in the air.
Annoyed by Mrs Owen’s comment that men would The Invisible Man dropped the basket on the
never achieve Mary Rand’s extraordinary feat, he poor cabman leading to commotion.
decided to immediately challenge his wife’s comment. A
3.  The Invisible Man got into the cab and escaped
young resident who witnessed Alfred Owen’s misguided
the commotion outside.
attempt to jump over the rosebush comments ‘It was the
4.  Great Portland Street, Oxford Street, Tottenham
funniest thing I ever saw! I cheered him on as I realized
Court Road, Mudie’s, Bloomsbury Square, the
nothing could make him see the folly of his attempt.’
Museum, the Pharmaceutical Society’s offices,
Mr Alfred Owen’s high jump did not win him a medal, Great Russell Street, and Russell Square are the
but it did grant him a special place in the Royal London streets and buildings mentioned in
Infirmary. He is on the road to recovery and though the story.
both his legs are in plaster, his spirits are high. 5.  The Invisible Man ran away from a butcher

Answer Key
boy, a tall woman, a little white dog, people in
Sheldon Holmes
the Salvation Army procession, two urchins, a
Special Correspondent
blind man, and six or seven people giving his
footprints the chase.
Chapter 12: The Invisible Man B. 1.  a. The speaker is the Invisible Man. He was
speaking to Kemp.
Summary
b.  The Invisible Man was a scientist, who was
This is an extract from H.G. Well’s famous science successful in his experiment of making
fiction story, The Invisible Man. In the extract, the himself invisible. Therefore, on realization of
protagonist has just managed to make himself his success, he was excited and happy.
invisible. Flushed with success, he tries to roam c.  The speaker wished to play practical jokes
around the city of London. However, he soon realises on people, to shock them, to slap them on
that being invisible has its drawbacks as well. After a their backs, throw their hats aside and enjoy
series of mishaps, he finally returns to his own locality, the freedom his invisibility brought him.
only to discover that his entire house, with all his d.  The speaker felt a sense of power and
research equipment and notes have burnt down. advantage, like a man with eyesight wearing
noiseless shoes and clothes in a city of blind
Let’s Get Started
men, which would make him undetectable.
‘Science fiction’ is a term which was first used in 1958 2. a. The speaker was at the northward corner
by Forest J. Ackerman. Science fiction, or Sci fi as it is of the Bloomsbury Square when he saw the
known, is a genre of fiction which talks of themes of dog.
space exploration, time travel and extra-terrestrial life. b.  The dog made a beeline for him and started
This type of writing talks of imaginative and futuristic barking and jumping. This was a problem
concepts based on advanced science and technology. for the Invisible Man as the dog would have
Some famous science fiction works are Dune by Frank given away his location to people.
Herbert, The Foundation trilogy by Isaac Asimov, c.  The speaker ran into a procession of the
Neuromancer by William Gibson and 2001: Space Salvation Army, blaring out loud music.
Odyssey by Arthur C. Clark.
d.  The speaker was in an exultant mood initially
but soon it turned into one of fear, anxiety
and stress.
3. a. The speaker is one of the street urchins
following the Invisible Man. He was referring
to the Invisible Man.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

 b. The   urchin had spotted muddy footprints 4. The
  thief was subjected to an interrogation in
on the newly whitened steps. He made that his own house.
observation studying the direction of the 5.  The Invisible Man’s presence in his house filled
footprints. The footprints were only going Kemp with nervousness.
up, not coming down. 6. Kishori felt no hesitation in asking for
c.  The speaker drew his friend’s attention to a promotion.
the outline of the Invisible Man’s foot
splashed with mud. Grammar in Use
d.  The boy actually reached out and tried to
touch the Man. He almost touched him before A. 1.  growing. Present participle
the he was startled by the Invisible Man.The 2. shocked. Past participle
Invisible Man swung himself over into the 3. exhausted. Past participle
porch of the next house to escape them. 4. fascinating. Present participle
4. a. The Invisible Man was at a dead end in his 5. sparkling. Present participle
life because his lodgings with all his scientific 6. whining. Present participle
findings had been burnt down. He seemed 7. broken. Past participle
doomed to live in that state of invisibility
B. 1.  The sheep dog chased away the bad wolf.
forever.
2. By whom was this vase broken?
b.  The Invisible Man, on reaching where his
home was, saw that everything had been burnt 3.  This year, the harvest might be destroyed by
down. His lodging, his clothes, apparatus and excessive rains.
all his resources were up in flames. 4. Who teaches you karate?
c.  The speaker was injured and in a state of 5.  The entrance to the theatre was crowded by the
absolute distraught. His back had become press photographers.
Answer Key

very stiff and sore, his tonsils were painful 6. We must stop violence against women.
from the cabman’s fingers and the skin of his 7. We decorated the mansion with streamers.
neck had been scratched by his nails, and he 8. It is believed that God exists.
was lame from a little cut on one foot. 9. By whom was this work of art created?

Life Skills and Values Study Skills

1. Yes, I agree that the Invisible Man did think initially A. headword: exalt, pronunciation: /εgz :l'tei∫( )n/,
that his new found power would free him from the parts of speech: noun
rules because he had the sudden desire to play meaning: a feeling of intense happiness
practical jokes on people, to shock them, to slap The cricket team was in a state of exaltation as
them on their backs, throw their hats aside and they lifted the trophy.
enjoy his invisibility.
B. 
Allow students to form any word of their choice.
2. Yes, I do feel sorry for him because he was trapped
in that condition of invisibility and no help was in Listening and Speaking
sight.
Sample conversation:
Way with Words Invisible Man: Kemp, I have a favour to ask of you.
A. 1.  symptoms of having a cold Kemp: Certainly. How can I help you?
2. a footprint made by someone who is not visible Invisible Man: I have a cut on my left leg and I need
some medicine and bandages.
3.  same questions being asked and same replies
being given repeatedly Kemp: I would be happy to help, but you must tell me
how this happened.
4. cover
Invisible Man: I would be very grateful if you don’t ask
5. apparent emptiness
me for any explanations now. I am in considerable pain.
6. suddenly leave for a destination northwards
Kemp: I understand. But you must be honest with me.
7. joined the crowd
Invisible Man: Thank you so much for helping me out at
B. 2. The man looked with amazement at the boy’s a difficult time, Kemp.
skill with the football. Kemp: No problem.
3. Rajesh suffered a collision with a moving vehicle
as he was not looking which way he was going.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

Pen it Down b. The   painter would paint the face of the
beggar and sell the painting. The beggar
Students should research on the topic before writing would be paid a small amount of money
the essay. They can write about atomic energy and for being the model. It was the beggar’s
how it was used for creating atom bombs instead of face that attracted the painter to draw him.
using it as an alternative energy source. Therefore, his face was his fortune.
c.  Hughie was speaking to his artist friend,
Research and Write Alan Trevor. He was putting finishing touches
to a life-sized portrait of the beggar.
A. Students can look up the Internet to find out how d.  Trevor said loudly that such beggars are
a family tree is created. rarely found and that Rembrandt would have
B. 1. a. extremely beautiful or exciting: breathtaking made a fine etching of him.
b. remote and distant: far-flung 3. a. Hughie is speaking to his friend Alan Trevor.
c. historic and old: ancient b.  Trevor had just revealed the identity of the
d. a mix of cultures: cosmopolitan beggar to him. He told Hughie that the
beggar was Baron Hausberg, one of the
e. pretty, striking and vivid: picturesque
richest men in Europe.
f. calm and peaceful: tranquil
c.  Hughie felt foolish because he had given
g. fast and hectic: bustling
alms to one of the richest men in Europe,
h. uninhabited: isolated mistaking him for a beggar.
2. Free response. Accept all valid answers.
B. 1. Hughie Erskine was a young man, who was in
C. Free response. Accept all valid answers. love but not wealthy enough to marry as yet.
He never realised that to be in love, one must

Answer Key
Chapter 13: The Model Millionaire have enough wealth to sustain that relationship.
The poor had to accept the hard realities of life.
Summary
2.  Hughie had tried his hand at different
This story is about a young man, Hughie, who cannot professions. He worked as a stock trader at the
marry Laura, the woman he loves, for want of money. Exchange and even a tea merchant.
One day, while visiting a friend’s studio, he sees an 3.  Alan Trevor was a rugged looking fellow with
extremely poor man there, posing for the picture his a freckled face and a red ragged beard. He
friend was painting. Feeling sad for the beggar, he did not look like what people usually expect a
gives him what little money he could spare. A few painter‘s appearance to be like.
days later, his friend informs him that the beggar was 4.  Hughie walked up to the beggar and handed
actually one of the richest men in all of Europe and him a sovereign. The beggar was startled and
had presented Hughie with the money he needs to accepting the sovereign, thanked Hughie.
marry Laura. 5.  Hughie thought of donating his old clothes to
Let’s Get Started the beggar.
6.  ‘A face like wrinkled parchment’. In this simile,
1. b 2. c 3. a the wrinkled and lined face of the beggar
is being compared to that of a wrinkled or
Comprehension crumpled piece of paper.
7.  Models who are rich and millionaires are rare
Quick Recap
to find, but millionaires who are role models in
A. 1.  a. Colonel Merton said these words to Hughie their generosity are even rarer.
Erskine.
b.  The issue of the engagement of his daughter Life Skills and Values
Laura to Hughie is being referred to as ‘it’.
1. This statement shows that Hughie was a very fair
c.  Hughie needed to have that much of person, with a strong sense of ethics.
money before he could ask for Laura’s hand
2. Yes, it does, because Hughie mistook the Baron to
in marriage. This was to ensure financial
be a beggar as he was dressed in those tatters.
stability.
3. Yes, he was. He set an example of generosity and
2. a. The old beggar is being referred to in these
humility for others like him. His sensitivity
lines. He was an old, miserable looking man.
and sympathy for other people’s problems
He was dressed in rags, a torn brown cloak
are exemplary.
and a pair of patched boots. He leant on a
stick and held out his hand asking for alms.

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 Way with Words Pen it Down
A. 1.  battered 4.  devoted Free response. Accept all valid answers.
2.  stroll 5.  stammer Sample answer:
3.  patches
Dear Diary,
B. 1.  disgusting 4. modern 7.  soggy
2. public 5.  miserly 8.  lowered It has been a busy and satisfying day for me. I woke as
3.  fine 6. automatic 9.  insincere usual at the crack of dawn for my regular swim and had
C. 1.  exact and accurate a quick breakfast before I boarded the 3-hour flight to
New Delhi. I was confident that my bid to take over a
2. making something as good as possible
charitable hospital would be accepted and I could start
3. free of mistakes my dream project soon. I decided to take my personal
4. the best of its kind butler on this trip as I wanted everything to be perfect
5. of excellent quality for the gala dinner I was planning that evening.

Grammar in Use Things went smoothly and now I am the proud owner
of a cancer hospital that will provide free health care
A. 2.  request 6.  future action to the poor of my home city. The dinner was attended
3.  seeking permission 7.  request by several well-respected doctors and social workers
4.  possibility 8.  ability who will help this project.
5.  possibility The 3-hour flight back home has been exhausting
B. 1. Unless you love the subject, you should not but I can now sleep with the comfort of knowing that
take it up for further studies. things are working well for me.
2.  If you don’t try out the dress, you will never
Answer Key

know if it fits you.

Chapter 14: The Human Seasons
3. Make a promise only if you intend to keep it.
4. If Harry is forced, he will fight Voldemort. Summary
5.  Unless you heed the warning, the brook will
This poem is based on the theme of how our life
run dry.
changes as we age. It talks about how the various stages
6. Unless you know the truth, do not speak up. in human being’s life is similar to the four seasons.
7.  If we insist, they will keep the area clean. Like the year, a human being also passes through four
seasons in his life. Spring and summer are reflected in
Study Skills youth, middle age is autumn, while old age is winter.
Soft ‘g’ Hard ‘g’ Silent ‘g’
privilege legal sign Let’s Get Started
gentle growth weight Students should follow the instructions and complete
the tasks. For the first task, they can choose pictures
apologies begin design
of their first birthday, first day at school, a past family
barrage Hausberg delightful vacation, a sports day or a concert in which they had
participated.
Listening and Speaking
Comprehension
Sample conversation:
Quick Recap
Hughie Erskine: Remember the story I told you about
the beggar I gave money to in Alan’s studio? A. 1. 
 Four seasons fill the measure of a year.
Laura: That funny old man who asked you a lot of 2.  During his ‘spring’, man absorbs all the beauty
personal questions? Of course, I do. around him and his imagination is at its most
Hughie: Well, it turns out he is a millionaire and has active.
given us an enormous cheque for our wedding! 3.  Every person’s mortal nature is that he/she does
Laura: I don’t believe it! Are you serious? not live forever and has only an allotted time
here on earth.
Hughie: Who would have thought this could
be possible! B. 1. a.  Man, in general, has been referred to here.
Laura: That’s amazing! I am so happy for both of us. b.  During his ‘summer’, man is given to
ruminating on thoughts of love, that make
him feel a heavenly bliss.

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 c. The  youthful thoughts are referred to thus, Way with Words
because they are sweet, full of love and keep
frequenting the mind of the individual. It is A. 1.  a.  She brought joy and happiness.
a metaphor. 2. b. He had to choose between two equally
 a. Autumn is a time for gradual withdrawal from
2. difficult options.
the world and its hustle and bustle. Man 3. c.  She makes a problem seem bigger than it is.
is content, looking upon the busy world, 4. a.  You can overcome any problem.
lost in his own reminiscences. Man is being 5. a. He was the only person expressing a
compared to a bird here. particular opinion, which people understood
b.  In the autumn of life, man retreats from the later to be correct.
hectic activity of the world and looks on it B. 1.  ruminated: chewed the cud
contentedly, lost in his own thoughts.
2. season: add spices
c.  Man is happy to ignore the beautiful things
3.  fancy: fashionable
that pass him by.
4.  measures: actions
3. a. This phrase refers to the gradual deformities
that set in with old age. Grammar in Use
b. This season refers to his old age.
c.  If there was no old age, there would be no 1. Main clause: (It) is a known fact, Subordinate
death. Therefore, man would forego his clause: that he will be elected
‘mortal nature’ which is to die. 2. Main clause: this is the house, Subordinate clause:
that Jack built
Life Skills and Values 3. Main clause: the audience wondered, Subordinate
clause: what was being said on stage
1. Each season symbolises a specific stage in the life

Answer Key
4. Main clause: the school is being whitewashed,
of human beings. Spring represents childhood, Subordinate clause: which is near my house
when the newness of everything attracts the
5. Main clause: I want to reach home, Subordinate
individual and fills the person with wonder.
clause: before it gets too hot
Summer represents youth, when thoughts of love
6. Main clause: I exercise every day, Subordinate
and joy fill the individual with pleasure. Autumn
clause: so that I stay fit
represents middle age, when human beings begin
to retreat from the surrounding world. And finally, 7. Main clause: she ran, Subordinate clause: as if she
winter symbolises old age, the last stage of life had seen a ghost
before he/she passes away. 8. Main clause: Mary had a little lamb, Subordinate
2. Spring: During his ‘spring’, Man absorbs all the clause: whose fleece was white as snow
beauty around him and his imagination is at its
most active. Adjective used: lusty Study Skills
Summer: During his ‘summer’, Man is given to A. 1. soft th: thirteen, thawing
ruminating on thoughts of love, that make him feel hard th: mother, they, the, t: after, went, out,
a heavenly bliss. Adjectives used: honeyed cud, bought, but, thyme
thoughtful youth 2. soft th: athlete, author, marathon, length,
Autumn: Autumn is a time for gradual hard th: the, then, their, t: talked, great, went,
withdrawal from the world and its hustle and separate, about, at
bustle. Man is content, looking upon the busy 3. soft th: maths, rethink, theory, hard th: the, t:
world, lost in his own reminiscences. Man is test, went, strategy, Thomas
compared to a bird, folding its wings. Adjective
used: contented B. /k/ sound /s/ sound
Winter: This is a time of increasing deformities and caterpillar cinema
failing faculties. Adjective used: pale misfeature character cycle
3. Yes, each season brings with it its own set of
cacophony cease
experiences, which are vital for the development of
human. It completes his/her life. chameleon cedar
4. Another title can be ‘Seasons of Life’ because each
season represents a phase in the life of
the individual.

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 Listening and Speaking Comprehension
I wander’d lonely as a cloud (↓) Quick Recap
That floats on high o’er vales and hills, (↓)
A. 1. The term refers to the fears a sociologist
When all at once I saw a crowd, (↓) might have in seeing a whole lot of kids from
A host of golden daffodils, (↓) a disadvantaged background being together.
Beside the lake, beneath the trees (↑) The school had children from underprivileged
backgrounds, where there was much domestic
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. (↓)
trouble and financial difficulties, which affected
Continuous as the stars that shine (↑) the children.
And twinkle on the milky way, (↑) 2.  Miss Smith had brown-grey hair which was
They stretch’d in never-ending line (↑) cropped short. Her skin was waxy and pale.
Along the margin of a bay: (↓) However, her eyes were bright and cornflower
blue in colour.
Ten thousand saw I at a glance (↑)
3.  James Ogori had more zest and rhythm in
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. (↓) his movements than the others. It seemed he
danced with his heart, soul and mind. Miss
Pen it Down Smith would push him to do more than the
Students have to write about the similarity between others, often more challenging steps than the
life and the topic of their choice. The teacher can help others. In this way, his talent was honed by her.
them select rhyming words. Allow students to use 4.  Perspiring profusely after the demanding
their imagination and write the poem. practices of Miss Smith, James resembled a
glistening black pearl. After someone pointed it
out once, the nickname stuck with him.
Answer Key

Chapter 15: Miss Smith and the Black Pearl 5.  Miss Smith pushed James more than the other
students to perform the most difficult steps
Summary and jumps. Moreover, she sponsored James’
This is a story about James Ogori, a boy from an special classes in a good but expensive dancing
underprivileged background and his teacher, Miss school.
Smith. Miss Smith recognises the great dancer the boy 6.  Miss Smith thought that James would definitely
is and hones his skills to the best of her ability. James return to meet her when he had reached
went on to become a huge celebrity and returns to his the top of his career. She knew that he was
school many years later. When he asks Miss Smith to ambitious and would return after accomplishing
dance with him, she makes the startling revelation that his goals.
she herself has always been a clumsy dancer. 7.
  James gifted his teacher a fragile chain, with a
black pearl hanging from it. The gift represented
Let’s Get Started
his gratitude to her for having recognised and
From the 1920 to the 1940s, the Harlem Renaissance encouraged his talent, the talent of the ‘Black
was an important cultural period for the African Pearl’.
American community. Harlem, a New York City 8.  Miss Smith revealed that she was actually a
neighbourhood, became the centre of activity for clumsy dancer and could not dance well herself.
black artists, musicians, intellectuals and writers. They All that she could do was make others dance.
had migrated from various parts of America to seek a 9.  ‘He looked like a black pearl.’ James is being
new identity free from slavery and poverty. Through compared to a shiny black pearl because of his
their work, they expressed pride in their racial identity appearance after exhausting dance practices.
and spoke against prejudice and discrimination based ‘like a tiny beacon’ Miss Smith looked like a tiny
on race. The Harlem Renaissance included poetry lamp of hope, as she taught the children with
and prose, painting and sculpture, jazz and swing, her back arched and with outstretched arms.
opera and dance. The movement instilled in African B. 1.  a. ‘They’ refers to the students of class XI of
Americans a new spirit of self-determination and the Penrose Road School. They moved to
provided a foundation for the Civil Rights Movement the music on Miss Smith’s record player
of the 1950s and 1960s. In doing so, it validated the and imagined they were trees, butterflies
belief that art could be a vehicle to improve the lives or gazelles. They hung out their hands like
of the discriminated. branches, kicked their legs, swung their hips
and forgot all about their worries at home.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

 b. Miss   Smith coaxed them gently, in fact, Life Skills and Values
almost hypnotised them into dancing in her
class. Miss Smith taught spellings, sums, 1. Miss
 Smith was encouraging, understanding,
drawing and reading. empathetic, inspiring, selfless and very humble.
c.  The students came from very ordinary 2. Miss Smith focused on inspiring the children to
backgrounds, with financial difficulty and love dance and that was how she was a good
domestic troubles. dance teacher, albeit not a dancer herself. She had
the eye to recognise talent in her students and the
d.  This line indicates that the students were
ability to nurture that talent.
quite weak in their studies and did not know
simple tables and basic spellings. 3. It did not matter to James that his teacher did
not know how to dance. He was grateful to her
 a. The end of term concert, West Side Story, in
2.
for helping him discover his own talents and
which James Ogori was the lead performer,
encouraging him.
is being referred to here.
b.  James played the leader of the Puerto Rican Way with Words
gang.
c.  It was James Ogori’s school leaving year. It A. 1.  long 4.  kind
was his last concert at Penrose Road School. 2.  dependable 5.  delicious, happy
d.  James’ mother cried when she saw her son 3.  skilled 6.  morally upright
performing so well, while the father had B. 1.  live: give, live: dive
a lump in his throat as he felt pride at his
2. lead: seed, lead: head
son’s performance.
3. blessed: ragged, blessed: dressed
3. a. Miss Smith is speaking to James Ogori’s
mother, Mrs Ogori. 4. minute: linnet, minute: flute
5. tear: pear, tears: near

Answer Key
b.  James wanted to go to London and also
take up stage performances. His father had C. 1. impart: She entered the room with an air of
refused while his mother was frightened. excitement and we knew she had news to impart.
This is when Miss Smith reassured them. 2.  plead with: James said he would plead with his
c.  James wanted to take up stage aunt to let him go for the picnic on Sunday.
performances in London. 3.  inspiration: Sarah is a real inspiration to others
d.  In London, James was quickly picked out of as she is a very hardworking girl.
the chorus line of some ordinary show and 4. feted: Shane was feted for his brave act by the
given a solo part. Then, he got a larger part in mayor of the town.
a better show, until at nineteen, he was cast 5. hypnotised: We were hypnotised by the
in a remake of West Side Story, in the very performance of the ballerina.
same role that he had played in school years 6.  let someone down: We knew he would
ago. Soon, a famous songwriter wrote a rock let someone down one day as he is a very
version of Othello specially for James Ogori. It irresponsible boy.
went on to become a huge success in London.
7.  revival: The exhibition showcased a revival of
4. a. James Ogori, who had become a celebrity, traditional handicrafts.
was going to come to his old school,
8.  have two left feet: Hari did not to participate in
Penrose Road School. The occasion was the
the dance competition as he has two left feet.
end of term concert.
b. The headmaster informed Miss Smith of the Grammar in Use
letter he had received from James’s agent.
The letter informed of James’ intention of A. 1. Raj invited us for his birthday party and all of us
coming back to his school for the annual attended it. Compound
concert. 2.  My mother smiled brightly at me. Simple
c.  James Ogori was a celebrity and the most 3. If everyone agrees, we will plan the picnic for
famous student Penrose Road School had Sunday. Complex
ever produced. Therefore, the kids would be 4. Anju said she might get her brother a gift or
nervous performing in front of him. take him out for a film. Compound
d.  The students performed Godspell in the 5. Mrs Sen, who taught us geography, retired last
concert that year. April. Complex
6. Sid doesn’t need a new bike, nor does he need
another vacation. Compound

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 7.  Who took the last cookie from the jar? Simple 5.  ASAP: As Soon As Possible
8. I want to go to Seema’s house, but it’s raining 6.  RAM: Random Access Memory
cats and dogs. Compound
9. Although Mala was sick, she came for football Listening and Speaking
practice. Complex Sample conversation:
B. 1. John Keats was a talented poet but he died at a Miss Smith: Good morning, James. How do you like
young age. your new school?
2.  When I informed the authorities, they took action. James: Good morning, ma’am. I like it very much.
3.  I was very hungry after school so I went to a I know I shall enjoy myself here.
nearby shop to buy a cupcake.
Miss Smith: I think you will. I saw you playing
4. John admitted hesitantly that he was guilty. basketball in the courtyard yesterday. You were good.
5. Subhash neither likes cricket nor watching films. Do you want to be a sportsman?
6.  He should not have sweets yet he has them James: Not really, ma’am. Actually, I love dancing.
every day on his way home.
Miss Smith: Is that so? Well, we shall see if you can
7. The tiger is in pain because it is wounded.
dance as well as you can play. Don’t you have a lesson
8.  The soldier was hurt and was waiting to with me tomorrow?
be rescued.
James: Yes, I do, ma’am. I am really looking forward
C. 1. which is situated on the banks of the river,
to it.
mansion
2. that he was ready, day Miss Smith: Well, now so am I.
3. which was tinged with anxiety, smile
4.  which was in power for about 400 years, Pen it Down
Answer Key

Mughal dynasty Free response. Accept all valid answers.

5. where the new hotel is going to be built, site
6. who is wearing pink pyjamas, boy 11, Lansdowne Road,
Ajanta Apartments,
D. 1. That is the book which was given to me by
my mother. Kolkata – 700017
22 October, 2021
2.  She is the girl who was awarded a medal
for bravery. Dear Mrs Sen,
3.  They are the people who were protesting
I was so happy to meet you at the school reunion
against the price rise.
party last week. I wish we had more time to talk but
4. The students who were disciplined were
there were so many of us eager to chat with you that
rewarded.
I did not get a chance to share many things about
5. Indians who work hard are praiseworthy. myself.
6. The man who is wearing the grey suit is a
famous author. I remember your biology lessons in my final year of
school. It was your passion and expert knowledge of
Study Skills the subject that made me try to become a doctor.
Although I did not succeed, I have remained with
A. abbreviations used in my favourite subject and am now doing research in
genetic engineering. The biggest lesson you taught
1. CFC c.  on an aerosol can
me was to never look for shortcuts and always have
2. BP e.  on a medical certificate alternative plans in place. When I could not give
3. B.Sc a.  on an academic certificate my final examinations because of an emergency
appendicitis operation, you taught me that patience
4. C/O b.  on a letter or envelope
and accepting things beyond our control would
5. RIP d.  on a tombstone always be a true test of character, not just marks or a
certificate.
B. 1. laser: Light Amplification by Stimulated
Emission of Radiation I want to thank you for all that you have done for me
and I promise to always be in touch with you.
2.  scuba: Self-Contained Underwater Breathing
Apparatus Yours affectionately,
3. FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions Rahil Ghosh
4. radar: Radio Detection And Ranging

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Chapter 16: Unbreakable B. 1.  a. Charles was Mary Kom’s coach. Mary was
nervous because of the posters of the
Summary Olympics she saw everywhere at Heathrow.
This is an excerpt from the autobiography of M.C. Mary She was relieved to see a familiar face in
Kom, India’s champion boxer. The excerpt narrates her Charles.
Olympic experience, where she won the bronze medal. b.  To acclimatise Mary to the conditions in
She fought with opponents who were often bigger in London was the main reason for reaching
size and stronger. Despite winning the bronze medal, early.
she was bitterly disappointed for missing out on the c.  The local kids came to see her train. She felt
gold. However, her coach told the press that she was the encouraged by their presence.
better fighter, in spite of not being able to win the bout. d.  Mary practised with her coach at a boxing
gym where Charles had arranged for
Let’s Get Started sparring partners for her. She also mentally
Students should follow the instructions and complete planned her moves according to the
the task. They can talk about these points: opponents she thought she would meet.
She restricted calls from her family to reduce
• 
Keeping the house clean and cooking are life skills stress and involved herself in prayer and
not gender roles. meditation.
• Women sports persons are part of a progressive 2. a. It was her first match in the Olympics and the
society. birthday of her twin boys.
• Mutual respect in public spaces is important. b.  The vastness of the stage, the fact that
she was participating in the Olympics, made
Comprehension her nervous.

Answer Key
Quick Recap She rationalised her fears about her
opponent, seeing her as human like herself
A. 1. Mary Kom had dreamt of representing India at and chanted the mantra that she had to win
the Olympics for many years. the bout.
2.  She addressed her husband as Onler. Rengpa c.  Karolina lacked technique. Mary used her
and Nainai were her children. skill, tactics and her previous experience
3.  Charles was like a father to Mary Kom. She of fighting strong yet raw boxers to defeat
fondly remembered his love and affection for Karolina.
her. d.  Mary declared that she dedicated the win to
4.  Mary Kom’s physiotherapist told her that she her sons whose birthdays coincided with her
recovered faster from injuries than any other first game.
athlete he had come across. 3. a. The prize distribution ceremony at the
5.  Adams was bigger, stronger, taller and had Olympics is being referred to here. She
better reach than Mary. received the bronze medal.
6.  ‘as if I were a matador facing an angry bull’ At b.  Mary wanted to win the gold medal for India
London’s Heathrow airport, seeing the posters and hear the national anthem played. As she
of the Olympics everywhere, Mary Kom felt the did not win it, she was sad.
rush of excitement and nervousness a matador c.  Her father had told her not to be discour-
feels while facing an angry bull. ‘like hitting aged as there would be opportunities in the
a concrete wall’ Mary’s opponent Karolina future to win the gold. The gold medal was
Michalczuk of Poland was so strong, that being not her birth right, she got what she de-
pitted against her was like fighting a wall of served.
concrete. d.  Charles praised her performance by saying
7.  On the flight, Mary thought of the many times Mary did not get hurt while facing the
she had to leave her children behind, putting eventual gold medallist. She was the better
up a brave front. But the sacrifice had been fighter in the match, who went out and
worth it, she was returning home with an attacked her opponent while her opponent
Olympic medal. She hoped her sons would be played a defensive game to win the bout.
proud of her when they grew up.

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 Life Skills and Values 8. Main
  clause: (it) is a mystery, Noun clause:
where the monk lives
1. This
 story shows the indomitable spirit of Mary Kom
who overcame many challenges to win a medal. B. 1. We came back after finishing our meal at the
She had to make sacrifices at every step, not being restaurant. Adverb clause of time
able to spend enough time with her family, having 2.  Olympic silver medallist Ravi Dahiya started
to fight back-to-back matches. Still, she took all that wrestling seriously after he turned ten. Adverb
in her stride and fulfilled her dream of representing clause of time
India in the Olympic Games. 3. She sang as beautifully as Begum Akhtar.
2. Yes, her family was very supportive of her. Her Adverb clause of manner
father advised and reassured her in the hour of 4. The soldiers went where their commander
disappointment. Her husband Onler, too, always asked them to. Adverb clause of place
spoke words of encouragement to her. They took 5. He walked as if he had a stone tied to his leg.
care of the family, giving Mary the opportunity to Adverb clause of manner
pursue her dream. 6. Since she was very hungry, she decided to
3. Mary found it extremely difficult to leave her little make herself a quick snack. Adverb clause
sons behind. She also dedicated her first win to of reason
them. She wanted to accomplish her goals to 7. There was chaos when the lockdown was
make this sacrifice worth it. These gestures show announced. Adverb clause of time
that Mary is a loving mother.
8. Can
  you tell me where I can buy a bouquet of
Way with Words flowers? Adverb clause of place

A. 1.  holding our chin up Study Skills

2. taken a toll
Answer Key

A. 1. ‘f’ sound spelt with ph:

3. drew upon his experience
philanthropy: the act of helping others by
4. left no stone unturned
donating to organizations
5. balm to the soul
philately: hobby of collecting postage stamps
6. missing in action
2. ‘k’ sound spelt with ch:
7. like a father figure
chronic: something that happens repeatedly
8. curtains came down
3. silent ‘p’:
B. 1.  race against time: athletics psalm: a sacred song
2. ball is in your court: tennis
B. 1. photobiotic: an organism that lives only in the
3. hit below the belt: boxing presence of light
4. keep one’s head above water: swimming 2. photocopy: duplicate a document
5. be on a sticky wicket: cricket 3. photogenic: attractive looking
6. bite the dust: wrestling 4.  photosynthesis: a process of using sunlight to
7.  tee-off: golf produce carbohydrates
5. photograph: a picture taken using a camera
Grammar in Use
A. 1. Main clause: I am sure, Noun clause: that he will Listening and Speaking
answer the questions truthfully Sample conversation:
2.  Main clause: she wondered, Noun clause: why Interviewer: Congratulations! How does it feel to win a
nobody was her friend Grand Slam title?
3.  Main clause: is known to everyone, Noun
Tennis player: Wonderful! I rate this as one of my
clause: that he is guilty
best matches.
4.  Main clause: I know, Noun clause: why Shweta
Interviewer: You seem to love the Centre Court at
didn’t come to school on Monday
Wimbledon. You always perform well here.
5.  Main clause: scientists predict, Noun clause:
that we are heading for drastic climate changes Tennis player: Yes, I really enjoy playing here. And the
spectators are always very supportive.
6.  Main clause: Ruby forgot, Noun clause: that she
had dance classes after school. Interviewer: What do you think was the turning point
7.  Main clause: I don’t understand, Noun clause: of the match?
why you are not getting enough sleep Tennis player: I suppose the rain delay helped me
get back my concentration and focus better than my
opponent.

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Interviewer: Did you face any major worries during Comprehension
the tournament.
Quick Recap
Tennis player: Well, yes. My coach was a bit worried
about my fitness as I was down with flu a few days A. 1. The speaker was annoyed because the lady
before the tournament. But thankfully, I recovered well. kept giving away the details of the plot which
Interviewer: What are your thoughts for the next spoiled his theatre experience.
tournament? 2.  The speaker was watching a murder mystery.
Tennis player: The French Open is a very difficult Suspense, humour and mystery were its three
tournament. But my preparations are also on course. elements.
3.  The niece needed to be explained every part of
the play and the lady kept doing that, thereby
Pen it Down spoiling it for the speaker.
This activity can be preceded by a group discussion on 4.  The speaker asked the lady not to speak and
famous women sportspersons of the world. Students not to breathe down his neck.
can then talk about these points in their paragraphs: 5.  The speaker was sitting in the row in front of
• The picture is especially significant because it the talkative lady. He felt her breathing down
shows the strength and power of a female athlete. his neck.
• The athlete is participating in a discus throwing B. 1.  a. The speaker is a member of the audience at
event. A discuss is a heavy flat metal object. The the theatre. The annoying lady behind him is
sport originated in ancient Greece and judged the being addressed thus.
physical strength and coordination of athletes. b.  She was revealing the identity of the
• The presence and participation of women murderer before anyone could figure that
in sporting activities is an indication of the out for themselves.

Answer Key
progressive values of a society which treats both c.  This is because she was spoiling the
men and women equally. experience of watching a murder mystery
• Women sports persons are always inspirational by revealing too much about its plot.
figures. She did not allow the plot to develop its
atmosphere of suspense and mystery.
Chapter 17: At the Theatre: To the Lady 2. a. The merit lay in creating an atmosphere of
suspense and mystery.
Behind Me
b.  By revealing details of the plot, she spoiled
Summary the surprise for the audience and ruined the
play.
This is a poem about the speaker who has gone to
c.  The irony lies in the fact that there is no
watch a murder mystery play and is annoyed by a
surprise element left in the play for the
woman and her niece who are sitting behind him. They
speaker because of the lady’s annoying habit
are constantly discussing the plot of the play in a loud
of revealing too much details.
voice, giving out crucial details and preventing the
speaker from enjoying the play. The speaker uses irony Life Skills and Values
and sarcasm to ask the lady to stop talking altogether, 1. The speaker is a person who is very candid and
being polite and well-mannered all the while. blunt, but he is also careful to not allow his
Let’s Get Started irritation affect his manners. He believes in using
irony instead of rude words to get his point
A. 1. b. 2. c. 3. d. 4. a. across.
B. the scenery/background: the sets were innovative 2. The speaker is admonishing the annoying lady and
the actors and the clothes worn by them: the her niece but the tone is of extreme deference.
costumes looked spectacular; every member of Herein, lies the irony.
the cast played their parts well 3. Yes, there is a change. The intensity with which
the organisation and guidance given: masterful the speaker is addressing the lady increases as the
guidance of the director narrative progresses. It occurs when he says, ‘In
the illusions and technology used: the special short, dear woman, it would suit/Me just as well if
effects were stunning you were mute’.
the overall response: the audience gave a standing 4. The lady and her niece are annoying people, who
ovation; the newspapers carried rave reviews are inconsiderate as well. No, they were displaying
inappropriate behaviour inside the theatre by
giving away the plot.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

 Way with Words Listening and Speaking
A. A. 1. he might injure his brain, he knew he had no
Idiom Meaning
brains
1.  play for time e. delay
  the result of 2.  old and fat, kept his limbs very supple
an activity to gain
3.  suet, a goose with bones and beak, arguing
advantage
with his wife
2.  play at something c. pretend 4. eel at the end of his nose
3.  play with fire b. do something 5. give himself such airs, kick him down the stairs
dangerous or risky
B. Free response.
4.  play it cool d. keep
  calm and not
show emotion Pen it Down
5. play
  cat and mouse a. try
  to defeat The essay should avoid rudeness or harshness.
with someone by tricking Students can use sarcasm and irony in their writing.
them to make a Allow them to use their imagination and come up with
mistake innovative ways of dealing with the situation.
B. 1.  lump 4. cast
2.  wealth 5. clump
Chapter 18: Twelfth Night
3.  bulb 6. department
Summary
Grammar in Use
Act 1 Scene 1 sets the tone for the play when the
A. 1.  after the game readers are introduced to the lovelorn Duke Orsino
Answer Key

2.  after sundown who thinks he is very much in love with Countess
3. on a lower scale Olivia. Sadly for him, she has rejected every proposal
4. without thinking of the consequences of love from him through the emissaries he keeps
sending to her. Duke Orsino is despondent and
5. after the end of the match
nothing cheers him up. His latest messenger to Olivia
6. on a velvet bed has also met with failure as the information given is
B. 1.  in a sleepy manner: sleepily that she is in mourning for her brother’s death and will
2. in silence: silently not entertain any messages of love for seven years.
3. at this moment: now The scene also introduces the shipwrecked Viola, who
4. in a tired way: tiredly decides to disguise herself as a young man, and be of
service to the Duke.
5. at this spot: here
6. with confidence: confidently Let’s Get Started
C. 1. He was so excited that he could not speak Students should follow the instructions and complete
clearly. the fact sheet.
2. As he was guilty, he thought of running away.
3. He liked what I had suggested for the project.
Comprehension
4.  I spotted a beautiful lake which was in the
middle of the valley. Quick Recap
5.  The senators were biased enough to refuse to
agree with the speaker’s point of view. A. 1.  Viola and the captain landed in Illyria.
6.  As he was down with fever, he could not go for 2.  The captain informed Viola that Orsino had
the final match. sought the hand of Olivia in marriage only to be
consistently refused by her.
7.  Unless you hurry, you will miss the flight.
3.  Olivia was in mourning for her dead brother
8.  Rani believes in the existence of magical
and was not going to meet or grant any
beings.
petitions. Therefore Viola would not get to
Study Skills meet her and seek employment under her.
4.  Viola decided to disguise herself as a man
1. homophone 4. homograph and with the help of the captain, acquire
2. homophone 5. homograph employment at Orsino’s court. She would
3. homograph entertain him and be of service to him.

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 5. Cesario’s
  youth will be more appealing to Olivia Way with Words
who will find it more agreeable to grant him an
audience. This was Orsino’s opinion. A. 1.  it was 5. has 9. often
6.  Olivia unveiled her face before Viola, who 2. yours 6. is 10. should
praised her beauty profusely. 3. here 7. where 11. ever
B. 1.  a. Viola said these words to the captain of the 4. do 8. know 12. please
ship. B. 1.  office: workplace; business
b.  The captain informed Viola that he had seen 2. compass: instrument; accomplish
her brother, Sebastian, save himself from 3. mellow: soft; suitable
drowning by holding onto a mast. This kept 4. constellation: collection of stars; character
alive Viola’s hope that her brother had survived 5. suit: garment; appeal
the shipwreck. Therefore she rewarded the
6. embassy: office; agent
captain with gold for this good news.
c.  Viola refers to the fact that her own survival Grammar in Use
also extends her hope to the survival of her
brother. A. 1. He exclaimed with delight that it was an
2. a. Duke Orsino said these words to Cesario, his amazing sight.
newly employed page. 2.  She pleaded with them to not leave her
b.  Duke Orsino had confided in Cesario his behind.
love for Olivia and his failure at winning her 3. He enquired what Greenwich Mean Time was.
hand in marriage. He is referring to this in 4.  ‘I am sorry for being late this evening,’ he
these words. said.
c.  Duke Orsino instructed Cesario to go to 5. ‘I will never travel with you again!’ she said.

Answer Key
Olivia’s house and stand there till they give B. 1. Olivia asked Viola if she was a comedian. Viola
him access to meet her. He told him to denied this, saying that she swore by the very
be loud and even impolite, but not return fangs of malice that she was not what she
without meeting her and presenting his suit played. Then she asked Olivia if she was the
before Olivia. lady of the house, to which Olivia affirmed,
3.  a. Olivia is speaking here. She estimates saying that the position stayed if she did not
Cesario’s praise for her beauty to be feigned. usurp herself.
b.  Cesario had been saucy at the gates. 2.  Then Opu asked the boy if they were real or
    He had been allowed to approach the not. The boy replied that he had got them
speaker because Olivia was curious to see from the top branch of a very high tree and
who he was, rather than hear his message. mentioned that it had been a very risky job. He
c.  Olivia asks Cesario to deliver his message. added that he could not let Opu have them for
less than two annas.
Life Skills and Values 3.  While shaking hands with his friend Trevor,
Hughie whispered, ‘The model is amazing!’
1. Viola was a strong lady. She did not feel helpless
Trevor shouted at the top of his voice, ‘I think
but was resourceful enough to plan her disguise
so too! Such beggars are not to be met every
to acquire employment and shelter in the Duke’s
day. Rembrandt would have made a wonderful
household.
etching of him!’
Viola was intelligent and practical, winning the
trust of both Orsino and Olivia rather quickly. Listening and Speaking
She was brave and unafraid to deal with any
situation. A. Students should follow the instructions and
2. Cesario, or Viola was obviously a sensitive and complete the task.
intelligent person, who was not afraid to speak his B. Students should follow the instructions and
mind. This obviously won Orsino’s trust. complete the task.
3. Duke Orsino comes across as a rather soft-hearted C. 1. As it is spoke, she never will admit me. (the lady
person. being spoken of will not admit me)
He was more in love with the idea of love than As it is spoke, she never will admit me. (the lady
love itself. will not admit me, whatever the circumstances
might be)
As it is spoke, she never will admit me. (the lady
might admit others, but not me.)

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 2. And what should I do in Illyria? (the emphasis is B. 
Students need do a detailed research on both the
on the work that could be done in that place) eras before writing the essay. The two eras are
And what should I do in Illyria? (the emphasis is similar in how the human nature is the same in all
on what the speaker would do in that place) of them. They behave with each other in a similar
And what should I do in Illyria? (the emphasis is fashion, irrespective of the period. On the other
on the place itself and what can be done there) hand, the mode of transport, the clothes worn, the
sort of language used have changed vastly.
Pen it Down C. Students
 should follow the instructions and
complete the exercise.
A. Students should follow the instructions and write
the report. The teacher should ensure that they D. Students
 need to research on Elizabethan
cover the points given in the coursebook in their theatrical practices before writing the essay. They
reports. can write about how some of the most famous
B. Students should follow the instructions and create theatres like Globe were burnt down and needed
their own posters. to be rebuilt, mention some of the famous
playwrights like Ben Jonson, William Shakespeare
and Christopher Marlowe and how the playhouses
Research and Write
separated the wealthy from the poor.
A. Students should look up the Internet and read
some more haiku before attempting this exercise.
The teacher should help them to identify the
central idea and describe it in three short lines.
Answer Key

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