Foundation Course in English 3

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SYBA Sem. 3 ~ FCE 3 SYLLABUS

Text: Wings (“SEMESTER III” Portion)
Board of Editors Publishers: Orient BlackSwan, Hyderabad. 2018 [40 Marks]
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Prose:
1. Who am I? by Vishwanath Limaye
2. Patriotism by Alexis de Tocqueville
3. Yoga: The Elixir of Life by A. Chandramouly
Poems:
1. The Mountain and the Squirrel by Ralph Waldo Emerson
2. Daffodils by William Wordsworth
3. The Felling of the Banyan Tree by Dilip Chitre
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Grammar & Composition [30 Marks]
 Voice (10 Marks)
 Phrasal verbs (10 Marks)
 Short Composition (Describing an object / Narration on a Given Topic) (10 Marks)
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Semester end examination: [70 Marks]
1 (A) Answer in one line: (Text) 5/7…………. (05 Marks)
(B) Short notes: (Text) 2/3…………………. (15 Marks)
2 Short answer question: (Text) 5/7………… (20 Marks)
3 (A) Voice: 10/10…………………………….. (10 Marks)
(B) Phrasal verbs: 10/10…………………... (10 Marks)
(i) matching (ii) use in sentences
4 Description/Narration: 1/2…………………… (10 Marks)
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1
 Prose: 1 Who am I? by Vishwanath Limaye
About the Author:
Madhukar Vishwanath Limaye (1924-2015) completed his education from
Mumbai University and thereafter devoted himself to working for the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Limaye spent a large part of his life in Assam,
conducting and spreading RSS work in the remotest corners of Northeast India.
He was proficient in several languages, namely Marathi, English, Sanskrit, Hindi,
Bengali and Assamese, and was best known as a sensitive and gifted writer.
Limaye was awarded the O.N.E. India award in recognition of his services and
contribution to the Northeast region and its people.
About the Essay:
The following is an excerpt from Limaye's 'I Versus We' which attempted to
understand the 'Why' of everything. He was interested in understanding the
interrelationships that exist between the Individual, Society and Creation. In this
section he draws on theories by Western and Indian philosophers to focus
specifically on the Individual.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In our universe every creature including man appears to be running after
something. Its every activity must have some purpose. What can this purpose be?
Outwardly, it appears to be the fulfilment of some want. Of all creatures, man
alone is endowed with the qualities of mind and intellect, through which he can
dive deep and search for an answer to the 'Why' of everything. It is but natural,
therefore, that gifted persons the world over have thought on this subject with all
powers at their command and have tried to find answers to these questions.
For centuries, philosophers and scientists have sought to get at the root of the
universe. In outward appearance it is a mixture or combination of innumerable
sentient સંવેદનશી઱ and insentient bodies. Are the components several or only two
--- life and matter? or only one --- life?

2
 Indian Rishis of yore (ancient) tried to find out the answers and reach the truth.
One of their major conclusions may help us in dealing with the subject we want to
discuss in this treatise. According to Ishavasy Upnishad the first truth is: Even in
the smallest being in the universe there is His - God's -- existence. He manifests
Himself in this world through His own Maya or Prakriti which is also endless and
beginningless like Him.
The Bhagvad Gita says: Know that both Prakriti and Purusha are beginningless.
Earlier the Lord says: Though I am unborn, imperishable and the Lord of all
beings, yet through My Prakriti I come into being by My own Maya.
Modern thinkers like Aurobindo or Gandhi also had the same experience. The
former says: 'Consciousness is a fundamental thing, the fundamental thing in
existence -- it is the energy, the motion, the movement of consciousness that
creates the universe and all that is in it -- not only the macrocosm but also the
microcosm is nothing but consciousness arranging itself. When it wants to liberate
itself, slowly, evolutionarily, out of matter, but still in the form, it emerges as life, as
animal, as man and it can go on evolving itself still farther out of its involution and
become something more than mere man.'
To quote Mahatma Gandhi: "There is an indefinable mysterious power that
pervades everything. I feel it, though I do not see it. It is this unseen power that
makes itself felt and yet defies proof, because it is so unlike all that I perceive
through my senses. It transcends reason. But it is possible to reason out the
existence of God to a limited extent."
With this introduction let us now come to our topic of discussion. The subject is
the Individual, the Society, Creation -- the Universe, and the Almighty and their
interrelationship. Does there exist harmony and co-operation or is there
disharmony and conflict between them? Let us start with the individual. The other
units will be discussed in the subsequent thoughts and then we shall try to
understand their relationship. Whenever you want to know about something, its
origin, its purpose and its end are to be understood.

3
The approach should be scientific and we have to answer the three basic
questions: Whence? Why? And Whither? That is: Whence has one come? Why is
one here today? Whither, i.e. in what direction is one going, or what is his ultimate
goal?
Origin of Man -- Western Views
There are many views current in the world regarding Man's coming into being.
One section believes that Man is just a combination of different parts and like an
automatic watch, he lives for a particular period, i.e., till the sustaining capacity of
the components (of which he is made) is exhausted. Some say, he is a particular
type of combination of electrons. There is no question of his being created. They
do not find it necessary to explain how and from where the electrons have come
into existence out of nothing. How can there be any effect without a cause? How
has such a systematic arrangement in the universe been possible where all
existence is so correlated, and interdependent and with such wonderful
dimensions that the best talents find it difficult to reach the reality?
Darwin's Theory of Evolution and New Research
There is another view expressed by men of eminence like Darwin, Spencer and
others. They hold that the human being is just a biological phenomenon and
matter is its original source. They do not accept any other power but insist that
matter is the only omnipresent reality. Even the mind is a super-structure of
matter. There is no quarrel over the latter idea. It will be difficult for them to explain
wherefrom matter comes. But as science has developed much beyond Darwin's
age, naturally, his theory has become outdated.
Scientists from all over America gathered at New York to celebrate the
centenary of Darwin's theory of the origin of species. In that conference, Julian
Huxley, in his lectures on 'Evolutionary Vision', said; 'Man's evolution is not
biological but psychological. It operates by mechanism of cultural traditions which
involve cumulative self-reproduction and self-variation of mental activities and their
products....'

4
Psycho-Social Phase of Evolution
Darwin has further added: 'Eventually.... the organisation of awareness reached
a level at which experience could not only be stored in the individual but could
also be transmitted to the next generation. The second critical point initiated the
human or psycho-social phase of evolution. In broadest terms the biological phase
sterns from the new invention of self-producing matter, and the human phase from
self-producing mind.'
The Economic Man
Darwin had a staunch કટ્ટર follower in Marx, who while giving due recognition to
biological evolution put more emphasis on the Economic Man. He was supposed
to be an ardent પ્રખર materialist who never accepted the importance of religion,
culture or ethics. He emphasised that they all reflect, or are related to the
economic condition of the society. As usual the followers proved more enthusiastic
than the prophet himself. They reduced the economic man to a Mr Stomach. Louis
Fischer told Gandhiji, 'Communists have corrupted Marxist teaching go to suit
their purpose.' When Gandhiji asked him, 'What about Lenin?' Fischer replied,
'Lenin started it, and Stalin has completed it,' But like Darwinians, some of the
Marxists also have now started saying that Marx was not a crude materialist. They
are trying to prove, from the articles written by Marx in 1842 on individual liberty
and independent press, and in 1844 on economic and philosophic topics, that he
was not a materialist. There he has accepted that 'lifeless matter affects the
unseen thoughts. Similarly the unseen thoughts influence the material conditions.'
Economic Conditions and Ethics Act and React
If, on the one hand, socio-economic conditions play an important role in the
development of Religion, Culture or Ethics, they in their turn, also determine the
socio-economic conditions. In short, they act and react on each other.
Modern scientists and psychiatrists have arrived at one and the same conclusion -
-- that a self-evolving cause is the source of the beginning of this universe.
According to them matter is convertible into energy, and the gross form of energy
5
is matter. Well, this self-evolving cause or energy-- whatever name they may give
to it-- is none other than the omnipresent and omnipotent God in our language.
Man, a Passionate Being
Thinkers like Sigmund Freud have considered man to be only a passionate
being. According to Freud, man's sole purpose to live in this world is to satisfy his
passions or desires in whatever way possible. He feels that man is dominated by
deep-seated biological desires --- voracious instinctive appetites --- constantly
hankering after satisfaction. Though kept under restraints, his primitive nature may
break free and take over any moment. Freud, in a letter to Dr Van Eoden, wrote,
'Psycho-analysis has concluded.... that the primitive, savage, evil impulses of
mankind have not vanished in any individual but continue their existence though in
a repressed state or in an unconscious state and wait for an opportunity to display
their activity. It has taught us that our intellect is feeble and dependent, a tool of
our impulses and passions or emotions, that all of us are forced to behave cleverly
or stupidly according to what our attitudes and inner resistance ordain.'
Selfishness, the Motive Force
Thomas Hobbes's view has gone a step further. He tells us that it is not
instinctive sexual energy alone, but social drives of a self centred sort as well that
dominate man. Man seeks to secure for himself or for his group as much wealth,
as much power and as much prestige as he possible can, and he cares for none
else. According to him the world is dominated by force and fraud in which every
man is the enemy of the other and only the power of the state can ensure peaceful
co-existence and maintain social harmony.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glossary:
fulfilment - the act of accomplishing something which is desired or necessary
endow - to be given a quality or ability
gifted - possessing great talent or ability
6
sentient - living beings capable of thought and emotion
Rishi - a Hindu sage
of yore - of times that have long since passed; long ago
treatise - writing which formally focuses on a specific subject
manifest - here, to show or appear
Maya or Prakriti - according to Hinduism, the power by which the universe is
formed
imperishable - that which cannot die or be destroyed but lasts forever
macrocosm - the universe; the entirely of a system
microcosm - that which exhibits in a similar form the characteristics of something
much larger
liberate - set free
involution - here, the process of complicating something or of being complicated
pervade - to spread and be present everywhere
omnipresent - widespread; present everywhere
super-structure - a structure 'built' on top of another structure
centenary - the hundredth anniversary of an event
staunch - loyal; committed
ardent - passionate; dedicated
materialist - money-oriented; interested only in material possessions
hanker - desire; yearn
repress - to bottle up or suppress one's emotions
======================================================================

7
 Prose 1 Who Am I ? Textual QA
Q 1. Answer the following questions in about 50 to 100 words each.
Q.1 What is the first truth according to Ishavasya Upnishad?
Ans. According to Ishavasya Upnishad the first truth is: Even in the smallest being
in the universe there is His --- God's existence.
Q.2 Describe the author's attitude towards Western views regarding Man's
'coming into being'.
Ans. There are many views current in the world regarding Man's coming into
being. One section believes that Man is just a combination of different parts and
like an automatic watch, he lives for a particular period, i.e., till the sustaining
capacity of the components (of which he is made) is exhausted. Some say, he is
a particular type of combination of electrons. There is no question of his being
created. They do not find it necessary to explain how and from where the
electrons have come into existence out of nothing.
Q.3 Summarise in your own words what Julian Huxley said in his lecture on
'Evolutionary Vision'.
Ans. Scientists from all over America gathered at New York to celebrate the
centenary of Darwin's theory of the origin of species. In that conference, Julian
Huxley, in his lectures on 'Evolutionary Vision', said: Man's evolution is not
biological but psychological. It operates by mechanism of cultural traditions which
involve cumulative self-reproduction and self-variation of mental activities and their
products...'
Q.4 What is man's sole purpose according to Freud?
Ans. According to Freud, man's sole purpose to live in this world is to satisfy his
passions or desires in whatever way possible. He feels that man is dominated by
deep-seated biological desires -- voracious instinctive appetites - constantly
hankering after satisfaction. Much kept under restraints, his primitive nature may
break free and take over any moment.
8
Q.5 What, according to Hobbes, are man's motivating factors?
Ans. Mas Hobbe says that it is not the instinctive sexual energy alone, but social
drives of a self-centred sort as that dominate man. Man seeks to secure for
himself or for his group as much wealth, as much power and as much prestige as
he possible can, and he cares for none else. According to him the world is
dominated by force and fraud in which every man is the enemy of the other and
only the power of the state can ensure peaceful co-existence and maintain social
harmony.
Q 2. Answer the following questions in about 150 to 200 words each.
Q.1 Explain this quotation with reference to context: 'Whenever you want to know
about something, its origin, its purpose and its end are to be understood.'
Ans. To quote Mahatma Gandhi: "There is an indefinable mysterious power that
pervades everything. I feel it, though I do not see it. It is this unseen power that
makes itself felt and yet defies proof, because it is so unlike all that I perceive
through my senses. It transcends reason. But it is possible to reason out the
existence of God to a limited extent."
With this introduction let us now come to our topic of discussion. The subject
is the Individual, the Society, Creation -- the Universe, and the Almighty and their
interrelationship. Does there exist harmony and co-operation or is there
disharmony and conflict between them? Let us start with the individual. The other
units will be discussed in the subsequent thoughts and then we shall try to
understand their relationship. Whenever you want to know about something, its
origin, its purpose and its end are to be understood.
The approach should be scientific and we have to answer the three basic
questions: Whence? Why? And Whither? That is: Whence has one come? Why is
one here today? Whither, i.e. in what direction is one going, or what is his ultimate
goal?
Q.2 Describe, in your own words, three theories on man which are elaborated
upon in this essay.
9
Ans. 1. Origin of Man -- Western Views:
There are many views current in the world regarding Man's coming into being.
One section believes that Man is just a combination of different parts and like an
automatic watch, he lives for a particular period, i.e., till the sustaining capacity of
the components (of which he is made) is exhausted. Some say, he is a particular
type of combination of electrons. There is no question of his being created. They
do not find it necessary to explain how and from where the electrons have come
into existence out of nothing.
2. The Economic Man:
Darwin had a staunch કટ્ટર follower in Marx, who while giving due recognition to
biological evolution put more emphasis on the Economic Man. He was supposed
to be an ardent પ્રખર materialist who never accepted the importance of religion,
culture or ethics. He emphasised that they all reflect, or are related to the
economic condition of the society. As usual the followers proved more enthusiastic
than the prophet himself.
3. Man, a Passionate Being:
According to Freud, man's sole purpose to live in this world is to satisfy his
passions or desires in whatever way possible. He feels that man is dominated by
deep-seated biological desires --- voracious instinctive appetites --- constantly
hankering after satisfaction. It has taught us that our intellect is feeble and
dependent, a tool of our impulses and passions or emotions, that all of us are
forced to behave cleverly or stupidly according to what our attitudes and inner
resistance ordain.'
Q.3 Explain the significance of the title of the essay.
Ans. The title of the essay is 'Who Am I ?' It is an excerpt from Limaye's 'I Versus
We' which attempted to understand the 'Why' of everything. He was interested in
understanding the interrelationships that exist between the Individual, Society and

10
Creation. In this section he draws on theories by Western and Indian philosophers
to focus specifically on the Individual.
The subject is the Individual, the Society, Creation -- the Universe, and
the Almighty and their interrelationship. Does there exist harmony and co-
operation or is there disharmony and conflict between them? Let us start with the
individual. The author says that broader units will be discussed in the subsequent
thoughts and then we shall try to understand their relationship. Whenever you
want to know about something, its origin, its purpose and its end are to be
understood. The approach should be scientific, and we have to answer the three
basic questions: Whence? Why? And Whither? That is: Whence has one come?
Why is one here today? Whither, i.e. in what direction is one going, or what is his
ultimate goal?
======================================================================

SQ.
1. What does a man appear to be in our universe?
Ans. In our universe every creature including man appears to be running after
something.
2. What can be the purpose of every activity in this universe?
Ans. It appears that the purpose of every activity might be the fulfilment.
3. Which quality is man alone endowed with in this universe?
Ans. Of all creatures, man alone is endowed with the qualities of mind and
intellect, through which he can dive deep and search for an answer to the 'Why' of
everything.
4. What can a man do with his mind and intellect?
Ans. Man is endowed with the qualities of mind and intellect, through which he can
dive deep and search for an answer to the 'Why' of everything.
5. What have philosophers and scientists sought to get for centuries?
11
Ans. For centuries, philosophers and scientists have sought to get at the root of
the universe.
6. How is the root of the universe appearing in outward appearance?
Ans. In outward appearance it is a mixture or combination of innumerable sentient
and insentient bodies.
7. What is the first truth according to Ishavasya Upnishad?
Ans. According to Ishavasya Upnishad the first truth is: Even in the smallest being
in the universe there is His --- God's existence.
8. What is endless and beginningless?
Ans. God's own Maya or Prakriti is also endless and beginningless like Him.
9. What does the Bhagavad Gita say?
Ans. The Bhagvad Gita says that both Prakriti and Purusha are beginningless.
10. What subject does the author deal with in 'Who am I?'
Ans. The subject is the Individual, the Society, Creation --- the Universe, and the
Almighty and their interrelationship.
11. What should be understood first to know about something according to the
author?
Ans. Whenever you want to know about something, its origin, its purpose and its
end are to be understood.
12. Why did scientists from all over America gather at New York?
Ans. Scientists from all over America gathered at New York to celebrate the
centenary of Darwin's theory of the origin of species.
13. What plays an important role in the development of Religion, Culture or
Ethics?
Ans. Socio-economic conditions play an important role in the development of
Religion, Culture or Ethics.
12
14. Who considered man to be only a passionate being?
Ans. Thinkers like Sigmund Freud have considered man to be only a passionate
being.
15. What is the sole purpose of a man according to Freud?
Ans. According to Freud, man's sole purpose is to live in this world is to satisfy his
passions or desires in whatever way possible.
16. What does Freud feel about a man?
Ans. Freud feels that man is dominated by deep-seated biological desires ---
voracious ખાઉધરો instinctive appetites -- constantly hankering ઝંખના after
satisfaction.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LQ
1. What does Aurobindo say?
Ans. Aurobindo says, 'Consciousness' is a fundamental thing, the fundamental
thing in existence -- it is the energy, the motion, the movement of consciousness
that creates the universe and all that is in it -- not only the macrocosm but also the
microcosm is nothing but consciousness arranging itself. When it wants to liberate
itself, slowly, evolutionarily, out of matter, but still in the form, it emerges as life, as
animal, as man and it can go on evolving itself still farther out of its involution and
become something more than mere man.
2. What does Mahatma Gandhi say?
Ans. Mahatma Gandhi says, "There is an indefinable mysterious power that
pervades everything. I feel it, though I do not see it. It is this unseen power that
makes itself felt and yet defies proof, because it is so unlike all that I perceive
through my senses. It transcends reason. But it is possible to reason out of the
existence of God to a limited extent.'
3. What subject does the author deal with? How?
13
Ans. The subject is the Individual, the Society, Creation -- the Universe, and the
Almighty and their interrelationship. Does there exist harmony and co-operation or
is there disharmony and conflict between them? Let us start with the individual.
The author says that broader units will be discussed in the subsequent thoughts
and then we shall try to understand their relationship. Whenever you want to know
about something, its origin, its purpose and its end are to be understood. The
approach should be scientific, and we have to answer the three basic questions:
Whence? Why? And Whither? That is: Whence has one come? Why is one here
today? Whither, i.e. in what direction is one going, or what is his ultimate goal?
4. Write in brief about the Western views of origin of man.
Ans. There are many views current in the world regarding Man's coming into
being. One section believes that Man is just a combination of different parts and
like an automatic watch, he lives for a particular period, i.e., till the sustaining
capacity of the components (of which he is made) is exhausted. Some say, he is
a particular type of combination of electrons. There is no question of his being
created. They do not find it necessary to explain how and from where the
electrons have come into existence out of nothing.
5. What questions does the author raise against the Western views about the
origin of man?
Ans. The author raised two questions: How can there be any effect without a
cause? How has such a systematic arrangement in the universe been possible
where all existence is so correlated, and interdependent and with such wonderful
dimensions that the best talents find it difficult to reach the reality?
6. Write in brief about Darwin's theory of Evolution and new research. OR
What do Darwin's theory of Evolution and new research say about the human
being?
Ans. There is another view expressed by men of eminence like Darwin, Spencer
and others. They hold that the human being is just a biological phenomenon and
matter is its original source. They do not accept any other power but insist that
14
matter is the only omnipresent reality. Even the mind is a super-structure of
matter. There is no quarrel over the latter idea. It will be difficult for them to explain
wherefrom matter comes. But as science has developed much beyond Darwin's
age, naturally, his theory has become outdated.
7. Write in brief about the views of Julian Huxley.
Ans. Scientists from all over America gathered at New York to celebrate the
centenary of Darwin's theory of the origin of species. In that conference, Julian
Huxley, in his lectures on 'Evolutionary Vision', said: Man's evolution is not
biological but psychological. It operates by mechanism of cultural traditions which
involve cumulative self-reproduction and self-variation of mental activities and their
products...'
8. What are the views of the author on economic conditions and Ethics act and
react?
Ans. The author is of the opinion that socio-economic conditions play an important
role in the development of Religion, Culture or Ethics, they, in their turn, also
determine the socio-economic conditions. In short, they act and react on each
other. Modern scientists and psychics have arrived at one and the same
conclusion -- that a self-evolving cause is the source of the beginning of this
universe. According to them matter is convertible into energy, and the gross form
of energy is matter. Well, this self-evolving cause or energy --- whatever name
they may give to it-- is none other than the omnipresent and omnipotent God in
our language.
9. What does Freud think about man?
Ans. Thinkers like Sigmund Freud have considered man to be only a passionate
being. According to Freud, man's sole purpose to live in this world is to satisfy his
passions or desires in whatever way possible. He feels that man is dominated by
deep-seated biological desires -- voracious instinctive appetites - constantly
hankering after satisfaction. Much kept under restraints, his primitive nature may
break free and take over any moment.

15
10. What does Mas Hobbe think about man?
Ans. Mas Hobbe says that it is not the instinctive sexual energy alone, but social
drives of a self-centred sort as that dominate man. Man seeks to secure for
himself or for his group as much wealth, as much power and as much prestige as
he possible can, and he cares for none else. According to him the world is
dominated by force and fraud in which every man is the enemy of the other and
only the power of the state can ensure peaceful co-existence and maintain social
harmony.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Short Notes
1. Darvin's Theory of Evolution and his views on Psycho-Social Phase of
Evolution:
Ans. There is another view expressed by men of eminence like Darwin, Spencer
and others. They hold that the human being is just a biological phenomenon and
matter is its original source. They do not accept any other power but insist that
matter is the only omnipresent reality. Even the mind is a super-structure of
matter. There is no quarrel over the latter idea. It will be difficult for them to explain
wherefrom matter comes. But as science has developed much beyond Darwin's
age, naturally, his theory has become outdated.
Darwin has further added: 'Eventually... the organisation of awareness reached
a level at which experience could not only be stored in the individual but could
also be transmitted to the next generation. The second critical point initiated the
human or psycho-social phase of evolution. In broadest terms the biological phase
stems from the new invention of self-producing matter, and the human phase from
self-producing mind'.
2. The Economic Man:
Ans. Darwin had a staunch follower in Marx, who while giving due recognition to
biological evolution put more emphasis on the Economic Man. He was supposed

16
to be an ardent materialist who never accepted the importance of religion, culture
or ethics. He emphasised that they all reflect or are related to the economic
condition of the society. As usual the followers proved more enthusiastic than the
prophet himself. They reduced the economic man to a Mr. Stomach. Louis Fischer
told Gandhiji that the Communists have corrupted Marxist teaching to suit their
purpose. When Gandhiji asked him about Lenin. Fischer replied that Lenin started
it, and Stalin has completed it. But like Darwinians, some of the Marxists also have
now started saying that Marx was not a crude materialist. They are trying to prove
from the articles written by Marx in 1842 on individual liberty and independent
press, and in 1844 on economic and philosophic topics, that he was not a
materialist. There he has accepted that lifeless matter affects the unseen
thoughts. Similarly, the unseen thoughts influence the material conditions.
3. Man : A Passionate Being:
Ans. Thinkers like Sigmund Freud have considered man to be only a passionate
being. According to Freud, man's sole purpose to live in this world is to satisfy his
passions or desires in whatever way possible. He feels that man is dominated by
deep-seated biological desires -- voracious instinctive appetites --- constantly
hankering after satisfaction. Much kept under restraints, his primitive nature may
break free and take over any moment. Freud, in a letter to Dr Van Eoden, wrote,
'Psycho-analysis has concluded...that the primitive, savage, evil impulses of
mankind have not vanished in any individual but continue their existence though in
a repressed state or in an unconscious state and wait for an opportunity to display
their activity. It has taught us that our intellect is feeble and dependent, a tool of
our impulses and passions or emotions, that all of us are forced to behave cleverly
or stupidly according to what our attitudes and inner resistance ordain.'
Mas Hobbes's views has gone a step further. He tells us that it is not the
instinctive sexual energy alone, but social drives of a self-centred sort as that
dominate man. Man seeks to secure for himself or for his group as much wealth,
as much power and as much prestige as possible can, and he cares for none else.
According to him the world is dominated by force and fraud in which every man is

17
the enemy of the other and only the power of the state can ensure peaceful co-
existence and maintain social harmony.
======================================================================
Prose: 2 Patriotism by Alexis de Tocqueville
About the Author
Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-59) was born in Paris and was a French diplomat,
politician and historian. In 1831 the French government sent him to America to
study the country's prison system. He used this assignment as an opportunity to
observe American society, and when he returned to France it was a wealth of
information which he compiled and published in two volumes as Democracy in
America. He is also remembered for his work The Old Regime and the Revolution,
which analysed French society and the causes of the French Revolution.
About the Text
Drawing on his experience in America and his knowledge as a historian,
Tocqueville examines patriotism in all its forms, particularly in the
interrelationships between man, government and country.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There is one short of patriotic attachment which principally arises from that
instinctive, disinterested, and indefinable feeling which connects the affections of
man with his birthplace. This natural fondness is united to a taste for ancient
customs, and to a reverence for ancestral traditions of the past; those who cherish
it love their country as they love the mansions of their fathers. They enjoy the
tranquillity which it affords them; they cling to the peaceful habits which they have
contracted within its bosom; they are attached to the reminiscences which it
awakens, and they are even pleased by the state of obedience in which they are
placed. This patriotism is sometimes stimulated by religious enthusiasm, and then
it is capable of making the most prodigious efforts. It is in itself a kind of religion; it
does not reason, but it acts from the impulse of faith and sentiment. By some
nations the monarch has been regarded as a personification of the country; and
18
the fervour of patriotism being converted into the fervour of loyalty, they took a
sympathetic pride in his conquests, and gloried in his power. At one time, under
the ancient monarchy, the French felt a sort of satisfaction in the sense of their
dependence upon the arbitrary pleasure of their king, and they were wont to say
with pride, 'We are the subjects of the most powerful king in the world.'
But, like all instinctive passions, this kind of patriotism is more apt to prompt
transient exertion than to supply the motives of continuous endeavour. It may save
the State in critical circumstances, but it will not infrequently allow the nation to
decline in the midst of peace. Whilst the manners of a people are simple and its
faith unshaken, whilst society is steadily based upon traditional institutions whose
legitimacy has never been contested, this instinctive patriotism is wont to endure.
But there is another species of attachment to a country which is more rational
than the one we have been describing. It is perhaps less generous and less
ardent, but it is more fruitful and more lasting, it is coeval with the spread of
knowledge, it is nurtured by the laws, it grows by the exercise of civil rights, and, in
the end, it is confounded with the personal interest of the citizen. A man
comprehends the influence which the prosperity of his country has upon his own
welfare; he is aware that the laws authorise him to contribute his assistance to that
prosperity, and he labours to promote it as a portion of his interest in the first
place, and as a portion of his right in the second.
But epochs sometimes occur, in the course of the existence of a nation, at
which the ancient customs of a people are changed, public morality destroyed,
religious belief disturbed, and the spell of tradition broken, whilst the diffusion of
knowledge is yet imperfect, and the civil rights of the community are ill secured, or
confined within very narrow limits. The country then assumes a dim and dubious
shape in the eyes of the citizens; they no longer behold it in the soil which they
inhabit, for that soil is to them a dull inanimate clod; nor in the usage of their
forefathers, which they have been taught to look upon as a debasing yoke; nor in
religion, for of that they doubt; nor in the laws, which do not originate in their own
authority; nor in the legislator, whom they fear and despise. The country is lost to

19
their senses, they can neither discover it under its own nor under borrowed
features, and they entrench themselves within the dull precincts of a narrow
egotism. They are emancipated from prejudice without having acknowledged the
empire of reason; they are neither animated by the instinctive patriotism of
monarchical subjects nor by the thinking patriotism of republican citizens; but they
have stopped halfway between the two, in the midst of confusion and of distress.
In this predicament, to retreat is impossible; for a people cannot restore the
vivacity of its earlier times, any more than a man can return to the innocence and
the bloom of childhood; such things may be regretted, but they cannot be
renewed. The only thing, then, which remains to be done, is to proceed, and to
accelerate the union of private with public interests, since the period of
disinterested patriotism is gone by forever.
I am certainly very far from averring that, in order to obtain this result, the
exercise of political rights should be immediately granted to all the members of the
community. But I maintain that the most powerful, and perhaps the only, means of
interesting men in the welfare of their country which we still possess is to make
them partakers in the Government. At the present time civic zeal seems to me to
be inseparable from the exercise of political rights; and I hold that the number of
citizens will be found to augment or to decrease in Europe in proportion as those
rights are extended.
In the United States the inhabitants were thrown but as yesterday upon the soil
which they now occupy, and they brought neither customs nor traditions with them
there; they meet each other for the first time with no previous acquaintance; in
short, the instinctive love of their country can scarcely exist in their minds; but
everyone takes as zealous an interest in the affairs of his township, his country,
and of the whole State, as if they were his own, because everyone, in his sphere,
takes an active part in the government of society.
The lower orders in the United States are alive to the perception of the influence
exercised by the general prosperity upon their own welfare; and simple as this
observation is, it is one which is but too rarely made by the people. But in America
20
the people regards this prosperity as the result of its own exertions, the citizen
looks upon the fortune of the public as his private interest, and he co-operates in
its success, not so much from a sense of pride or of duty, as from what I shall
venture to term cupidity.
It is unnecessary to study the institutions and the history of the Americans in
order to discover the truth of this remark, for their manners render it sufficiently
evident. As the American participates in all that is done in his country, he thinks
himself obliged to defend whatever may be censured; for it is not only his country
which is attacked upon these occasions, but it is himself. The consequence is that
his national pride resorts to a thousand artifices, and to all the petty tricks of
individual vanity.
Nothing is more embarrassing in the ordinary intercourse of life than this
irritable patriotism of the Americans. A stranger may be very well inclined to praise
many of the institutions of their country, but he begs permission to blame some of
the peculiarities which he observes -- a permission which is, however, inexorably
refused. America is therefore a free country, in which, lest anybody should be hurt
by your remarks, you are not allowed to speak freely of private individuals, or of
the State, of the citizens or of the authorities, of public or of private undertakings,
or, in short, of anything at all, except it be of the climate and the soil; and even
then Americans will be found ready to defend either the one or the other, as if they
had been contrived by the inhabitants of the country.
In our times option must be made between the patriotism of all and the
government of a few; for the force and activity which the first confers are
irreconcilable with the guarantees of tranquillity which the second furnishes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glossary:
reverence : great respect
cherish : to treasure or highly value something; adore
tranquillity : peace
21
bosom : here, referring to the 'heart' of the country
reminiscences : memories; recollections of the past
prodigious : enormous
wont to : used to accustomed
transient : temporary; lasting only a short period of time
exertion : effort
contest : here, to challenge
coeval : sharing the same age with something else
epoch : a period of time
inanimate : not alive
clod : a lump of earth
yoke : here, referring to that which is regarded as oppressive
entrench : establish
emancipate : set free
vivacity : here, liveliness and energy
aver : declare; to state something
partaker : to join in something
zeal : great energy; passion
augment : to increase or make larger
cupidity : referring to a greed for material wealth
censured : here, that which has been criticised
artifice : tricks; devices used to deceive others
inexorably : in a manner that is unstoppable

22
furnish : here, to provide
======================================================================

Prose 2 Patriotism Textual QA

Q.1 Answer the following questions in about 50 to 100 words each.
1. Explain the following with reference to context: 'they took a sympathetic pride in
his conquests'.
Ans. By some nations the monarch has been regarded as a personification of the
country; and the fervour of patriotism being converted into the fervour of loyalty,
they took a sympathetic pride in his conquests, and gloried in his power. At one
time, under the ancient monarchy, the French felt a sort of satisfaction in the
sense of their dependence upon the arbitrary pleasure of their king, and they were
wont to say with pride, 'We are the subjects of the most powerful king in the world.'
2. What does Tocqueville mean by 'instinctive patriotism'?
Ans. Like all instinctive passions, this kind of patriotism is more apt to prompt
transient exertion than to supply the motives of continuous endeavour. It may save
the State in critical circumstances, but it will not infrequently allow the nation to
decline in the midst of peace. Whilst the manners of a people are simple and its
faith unshaken, whilst society is steadily based upon traditional institutions whose
legitimacy has never been contested, this instinctive patriotism is wont to endure.
3. What is the 'more rational' form of 'attachment to a country' that he describes?
Ans. Apart from the loyalty to a country, there is another species of attachment to
a country which is more rational than the one we have been describing. It is
perhaps less generous and less ardent, but it is more fruitful and more lasting; it is
coeval with the spread of knowledge, it is nurtured by the laws, it grows by the
exercise of civil rights, and, in the end, it is confounded with the personal interest
of the citizen.
4. What does Tocqueville believe to be the most powerful means by which society
can be interested in the state of the country?
23
Ans. In the United States the inhabitants were thrown. They did not bring any
customs nor traditions with them. They meet each other for the first time with no
previous acquaintance. In short, the instinctive love of their country can scarcely
exist in their minds, but everyone takes as zealous an interest in the affairs of his
township, his country, and of the whole State, as if they were his own. They do it
because everyone, in his sphere, takes an active part in the government of
society.
5. Explain the author's use of the term 'cupidity'.
Ans. The lower orders in the United States are alive to the perception of the
influence exercised by the general prosperity upon their own welfare; and simple
as this observation is, it is one which is but too rarely made by the people. But in
America the people regards this prosperity as the result of its own exertions, the
citizen looks upon the fortune of the public as his private interest, and he co-
operates in its success, not so much from a sense of pride or of duty, as from that
the author use the term 'cupidity'.
Q.2 Answer the following questions in about 150 to 200 words each.
1. Tocqueville states that patriotism 'is in itself a kind of religion; it does not
reason, but it acts from the impulse of faith and of sentiment'.
Ans. There is one sort of patriotic attachment which principally arises from that
instinctive, disinterested and indefinable feeling which connects the affections of
man with his birthplace. This natural fondness is united to a taste for ancient
customs, and to a reverence for ancestral traditions of the past; those who cherish
it love their country as they love the mansions of their fathers. They enjoy the
tranquillity which it affords them; they cling to the peaceful habits which they have
contracted within its bosom; they are attached to the reminiscences which it
awakens, and they are even pleased by the state of obedience in which they are
placed.
This patriotism is sometimes stimulated by religious enthusiasm, and then it can
make the most prodigious efforts. It is a kind of religion; it does not reason, but it

24
acts from the impulses of faith and of sentiment. By some nations the monarch
has been regarded as a personification of the country; and the fervour of
patriotism being converted into the fervour of loyalty, they took a sympathetic pride
in his conquests, and gloried in his war. At one time, under the ancient monarchy,
the French felt a sort of satisfaction in the sense of their dependence upon the
arbitrary pleasure of their king, and they were wont to say with pride, 'We are the
subjects of the most powerful king in the world.'
2. Describe Tocqueville attitude towards Americans and their form of patriotism.
Ans. It is unnecessary to study the institutions and the history of the Americans in
order to discover the truth of national pride, for their manners render it sufficiently
evident. As the American participates in all that is done in his country, he thinks
himself obliged to defend whatever may be censured; for it is not only his country
which is attacked upon these occasions, but it is himself. The author says that
nothing is more embarrassing in the ordinary intercourse of life than this irritable
patriotism of the Americans.
A stranger may be very well inclined to praise many of the institutions of their
country, but he begs permission to blame some of the peculiarities which he
observes. A permission which is, however, inexorably refused. America is
therefore a free country, in which, lest anybody should be hurt by your remarks.
One is not allowed to speak freely of private individuals, or of the State, of the
citizens or of the authorities, of public or of private undertakings. In short, one is
not allowed to speak about anything at all, except it be of the climate and the soil;
and even then Americans will be found ready to defend either the one or the other,
as if they had been contrived by the inhabitants of the country.
======================================================================
SQ
1. Where does patriotic attachment arise from?
Ans. Patriotic attachment principally arises from that instinctive, disinterested, and
indefinable feeling which connects the affections of man with his birthplace.
25
2. By what is patriotism stimulated?
Ans. This patriotism is sometimes stimulated by religious enthusiasm.
3. What kind of religion patriotism is? How does it act?
Ans. It is a kind of religion; it does not reason, but it acts from the impulse of faith
and of sentiment.
4. What has the monarch been regarded by some nations?
Ans. The monarch has been regarded as a personification of the country by some
nations.
5. What happened with the inhabitants in the US?
Ans. In the United States the inhabitants were thrown.
6. What did the inhabitants in US not bring with them?
Ans. The inhabitants in US did not bring any customs or traditions with them.
7. What does the author say about the irritable patriotism of the Americans?
Ans. The author says that nothing is more embarrassing in the ordinary
intercourse of life than this irritable patriotism of the Americans.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LQ
1. How does patriotic attachment arise?
Ans. There is one sort of patriotic attachment which principally arises from that
instinctive, disinterested, and indefinable feeling which connects the affectations of
man with his birthplace. This natural fondness is united to a taste for ancient
customs, and to a reverence for ancestral traditions of the past; those who cherish
it love their country as they love the mansions of their fathers. They enjoy the
tranquillity which it affords them; they cling to the peaceful habits which they have
contracted within its bosom; they are attached to the reminiscences which it

26
awakens, and they are even pleased by the state of obedience in which they are
placed.
2. Why does the author connect patriotism with religion?
Ans. This patriotism is sometimes stimulated by religious enthusiasm, and then it
can make the most prodigious efforts. It is a kind of religion; it does not reason,
but acts from the impulse of faith and of sentiment. By some nations the monarch
has been regarded as a personification of the country; and the fervour of
patriotism being converted into the fervour of loyalty, they took a sympathetic pride
in his conquests, and gloried in his war. At one time, under the ancient monarchy,
the French felt a sort of satisfaction in the sense of their dependence upon the
arbitrary pleasure of their king, and they were wont to say with pride, 'We are the
subjects of the most powerful king in the world.'
3. Apart from the loyalty to the authority, what species of attachment to a country
are mentioned in the essay 'Patriotism'?
Ans. Apart from the loyalty to a country, there is another species of attachment to
a country which is more rational than the one we have been describing. It is
perhaps less generous and less ardent, but it is more fruitful and more lasting; it is
coeval with the spread of knowledge, it is nurtured by the laws, it grows by the
exercise of civil rights, and, in the end, it is confounded with the personal interest
of the citizen. A man comprehends the influence which the prosperity of his
country has upon his own welfare; he is aware that the laws authorise him to
contribute his assistance to that prosperity, and he labours to promote it as a
portion of his interest in the first place, and as a portion of his right in the second.
4. What happens when a dark era of a nation begins?
Ans. Epochs sometimes occur, in the course of the existence of a nation, at which
the ancient customs of a people are changed, public morality destroyed, religious
belief disturbed, and the spell of tradition broken, whilst the diffusion of knowledge
is yet imperfect, and the civil rights of the community are ill secured, or confined
within very narrow limits. Country then assumes a dim and dubious shape in the

27
eyes of the citizens; they no longer behold it in the soil which they inhabit, for that
soil is to them a dull inanimate clod; nor in the usages of their forefathers
5. What happens when a country loses to the citizens' senses?
Ans. The country is lost to their senses, they can neither discover it under its own
nor under borrowed features, and they entrench themselves within the dull
precincts of a narrow egotism. They are emancipated from prejudice without
having acknowledged the empire of reason; they are neither animated by the
instinctive patriotism of monarchical subjects nor by the thinking patriotism of
republican citizens; but they have stopped halfway between the two, in the midst
of confusion and the distress.
6. What should the government do when the people lose their faith from
patriotism?
Ans. In the dark era when people are found to be disappointed with their country,
it is quite impossible for the authority or the government to retreat; for a people
cannot restore the vivacity of its earlier times, any more than a man can return to
the innocence and the bloom of childhood; such things may be regretted, but they
cannot be renewed. The only thing, then, which remains to be done is to proceed,
and to accelerate the union of private with public interests, since the period of
disinterested patriotism is gone by forever.
7. Why the inhabitants in the US take interests in their country?
Ans. In the United States the inhabitants were thrown. They did not bring any
customs nor traditions with them. They meet each other for the first time with no
previous acquaintance. In short, the instinctive love of their country can scarcely
exist in their minds, but everyone takes as zealous an interest in the affairs of his
township, his country, and of the whole State, as if they were his own. They do it
because everyone, in his sphere, takes an active part in the government of
society.
8. What is the striking difference between the perception on prosperity of people
belong to the United States and America?
28
Ans. The lower orders in the United States are alive to the perception of the
influence exercised by the general prosperity upon their own welfare, and simple
as this observation is, it is one which is but too rarely made by the people. But in
America the people regard this prosperity as the result of its own exertions; the
citizen looks upon the fortune of the public as his private interest, and he co-
operates in its success, not so much from a sense of pride or of duty.
9. When is instinctive patriotism wont ટેવ to endure?
Ans. Whilst the manners of a people are simple and its faith unshaken, whilst
society is steadily based upon traditional institutions whose legitimacy has never
been contested, this instinctive patriotism is wont to endure.
10. Is it necessary to study the institutions and the history of the Americans in
order to discover the truth of national pride?
Ans. It is unnecessary to study the institutions and the history of the Americans in
order to discover the truth of national pride, for their manners render it sufficiently
evident. As the American participates in all that is done in his country, he thinks
himself obliged to defend whatever may be censured; for it is not only his country
which is attacked upon these occasions, but it is himself.
11. What type of a free country America is according to the author?
Ans. A stranger may be very well-inclined to praise many of the institutions of
their country, but he begs permission to blame some of the peculiarities which he
observes. A permission which is, however, inexorably refused. America is
therefore a free country, in which, lest anybody should be hurt by your remarks.
One is not allowed to speak freely of private individuals, or of the State, of the
citizens or of the authorities, of public or of private undertakings. In short, one is
not allowed to speak about anything at all, except it be of climate and the soil; and
even then Americans will be found ready to defend either the one or the other, as
if they had been contrived by the inhabitants of the country.
12. What does the author express about the patriotism of all and of the
government of a few?
29
Ans. The author is of the opinion that option must be made between the patriotism
of all and the government of a few. He says that it is necessary because it is the
force and activity which the people confer are irreconcilable with the guarantees of
tranquillity which the government of a few furnishes.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Short Notes
1. Patriotism and Religion:
Ans. There is one sort of patriotic attachment which principally arises from that
instinctive, disinterested and indefinable feeling which connects the affections of
man with his birthplace. This natural fondness is united to a taste for ancient
customs, and to a reverence for ancestral traditions of the past; those who cherish
it love their country as they love the mansions of their fathers. They enjoy the
tranquillity which it affords them; they cling to the peaceful habits which they have
contracted within its bosom; they are attached to the reminiscences which it
awakens, and they are even pleased by the state of obedience in which they are
placed.
This patriotism is sometimes stimulated by religious enthusiasm, and then it can
make the most prodigious efforts. It is a kind of religion; it does not reason, but it
acts from the impulses of faith and of sentiment. By some nations the monarch
has been regarded as a personification of the country; and the fervour of
patriotism being converted into the fervour of loyalty, they took a sympathetic pride
in his conquests, and gloried in his war. At one time, under the ancient monarchy,
the French felt a sort of satisfaction in the sense of their dependence upon the
arbitrary pleasure of their king, and they were wont to say with pride, 'We are the
subjects of the most powerful king in the world.'
2. Dark Era of a Nation:
Ans. But epochs sometimes occur, in the course of the existence of a nation, at
which the ancient customs of a people are changed, public morality destroyed,
religious belief disturbed, and the spell of tradition broken, whilst the diffusion of
30
knowledge is yet imperfect, and the civil rights of the community are ill secured, or
confined within very narrow limits, country then assumes a dim and dubious shape
in the eyes of the citizens; they no longer behold it in the soil which they inhabit,
for that soil is to them a dull inanimate clod; nor in the usages of their forefathers,
which they have been taught to look upon as a debasing yoke, nor in religion, for
of that they doubt; nor in the laws, which do not originate in their own authority;
nor in the legislator, whom they fear and despise. The country is lost to their
senses, they can neither discover it under its own nor under borrowed features,
and they entrench themselves within the dull precincts of a narrow egotism. They
are emancipated from prejudice without having acknowledged the empire of
reason; they are neither animated by the instinctive patriotism of monarchic
subjects nor by the thinking patriotism of republican citizens; but they have
stopped halfway between the two, in the midst of confusion and of distress.
3. Public-Private Union:
Ans. In the dark era when people are found to be disappointed with their country,
it is quite impossible for the authority or the government to retreat; for a people
cannot restore the vivacity of its earlier times, any more than a man can return to
the innocence and the bloom of childhood; such things may be regretted, but they
cannot be renewed. The only thing, then, which remains to be done is to proceed,
and to accelerate the union of private with public interests, since the period of
disinterested patriotism is gone by forever.
In order to obtain this result, the exercise of political rights should be
immediately granted to all the members of the community. But I maintain that the
most powerful and perhaps the only, means of interesting men in the welfare of
their country which we still possess is to make them partakers in the Government.
4. American Patriotism:
Ans. It is unnecessary to study the institutions and the history of the Americans in
order to discover the truth of national pride, for their manners render it sufficiently
evident. As the American participates in all that is done in his country, he thinks
himself obliged to defend whatever may be censured; for it is not only his country
31
which is attacked upon these occasions, but it is himself. The author says that
nothing is more embarrassing in the ordinary intercourse of life than this irritable
patriotism of the Americans.
A stranger may be very well inclined to praise many of the institutions of their
country, but he begs permission to blame some of the peculiarities which he
observes. A permission which is, however, inexorably refused. America is
therefore a free country, in which, lest anybody should be hurt by your remarks.
One is not allowed to speak freely of private individuals, or of the State, of the
citizens or of the authorities, of public or of private undertakings. In short, one is
not allowed to speak about anything at all, except it be of the climate and the soil;
and even then Americans will be found ready to defend either the one or the other,
as if they had been contrived by the inhabitants of the country.
======================================================================

Prose: 3 Yoga: The Elixir of Life by A. Chandramouly

About the Author:
Dr. A. Chandramouli is the Principal of Rashtrapita Mahatma Gandhi College,
Saoli, and is a yoga practitioner.
About the Essay:
This essay traces the history of yoga and briefly describes the various forms of
yoga which have featured prominently in ancient Indian texts. It also delves into
the mental and physical benefits one gains from the practice to make the claim
that yoga is indeed the elixir of life.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For more than a decade, yoga -- asana, pranayama and meditation --- has
become an activity practised across the world, irrespective of region, religion,
caste, culture, sex and age. With the advent of technology, and due to hectic
schedules, many people nowadays practise yoga in front of their TV sets or
laptops instead of attending an outdoors yoga camp. And while the higher aspect
32
of yoga is a search for enlightenment and bliss, today's e-tech generation does it
to maintain physical and mental well-being. The reality of the situation is that the
popularity of yoga is increasing at a rapid pace day after day because of its
positive results. For many, this includes enhancing one's inherent power in a
balanced manner, or achieving self-realisation, or finding harmony between mind
and body. Yoga may also help in physiotherapy or the treatment of muscle
injuries. Recognising the varied benefits it brings, the United Nations General
Assembly (UNGA) declared 21 June as International Yoga Day. Considering its
importance and relevance in our times, it is advisable to know the history of this
discipline.
The word 'yoga' is taken from the Sanskrit word 'yug', which means to yoke or
unite. This could mean uniting the individual spirit with the universe. According to
Maharshi Patanjali, yoga involves a freeing of the mind and spirit. Yoga guru
B.K.S. Iyengar stated, 'Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured, and
endure what cannot be cured.' The definition of yoga thus varies, but in an
ordinary sense we can define yoga as an ancient Indian ascetic discipline which
involves specific postures, breathing and meditation techniques to facilitate one's
physical, mental and spiritual development.
It is difficult to provide the precise history of yoga due to the oral transmission of
its sacred texts and its early teachings transcribed on palm leaves that were easily
damaged, destroyed or lost. That being said, researchers have traced the
beginnings of yoga to over 5000 years ago and have divided its evolution into four
periods: the Vedic age, the Patanjali age, the Hatha age and the present age.
The word 'yoga' first appeared in the Rigveda, which was a collection of Vedic
Sanskrit hymns considered to be one of four Vedas or sacred texts of Hinduism. It
later appeared in the Upnishads, ancient literature which has come to represent
core spiritual values of Hinduism. Around 500 BCE the Bhagavad Gita spoke of
how 'Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self.' This age
preached karma yoga or a form of living in a selfless way. In the second century
the Yoga Sutras was written by Patanjali, who is considered to be the father of

33
yoga. The work detailed an eight-limbed system of yoga, known as Ashtanga
Yoga, towards obtaining enlightenment. These sutras still influence most modern
styles of yoga. The Hatha Age, arriving a few centuries after Patanjali, saw the
creation of a new system of practices, such as Tantra Yoga and Hatha yoga,
which aimed to rejuvenate the body and prolong life by exploring physical-spiritual
connections. Finally, the present age began when yoga teachers travelled across
the country and to the West. At the 1893 Parliament of Religions in Chicago,
Swami Vivekananda lectured on world religions and yoga. In 1924, the yoga
teacher T. Krishnamarcharya opened the first Hatha Yoga School in Mysore. In
1936, the spiritual leader Swami Sivananda founded the Divine Life Society on the
banks of the Ganges. He also founded yoga centres across the world.
The following types of yoga feature prominently in ancient texts:
1. Japa yoga, which involves the repeated recitation of a mantra or divine name.
2. Karma yoga, which preaches selflessness and to perform all actions without
any vested interest. In this discipline, a yogi considers his duty as divine action
and performs it with whole-hearted dedication.
3. Gyan yoga, which seeks to differentiate between the self and non-self and
practices acquiring knowledge of one's spiritual entity through the study of
scriptures, the company of Saints and meditation.
4. Bhakti yoga, which is a system of devotion with an emphasis on a complete and
intense surrender to divine will.
5. Raja yoga, popularly known as Ashtanga Yoga, which is widely practiced to
build internal heat and to aid mental and physical development. The eight aspects
of Ashtanga yoga are Yama (morally), Niyam (discipline), Asana (exercise),
Pranayama (breathing), Pratyahara (detachment), Dharana (concentration),
Dhyana (meditation) and Samadhi (self-realisation).
6. Hatha yoga, which involves physical postures as a form of higher meditation to
balance, stretches and strengthens the body.

34
7. Swara yoga, which focuses on awareness, observation and the control or
manipulation of breathing.
8. Kundalini yoga or Sahaja yoga, which is a part of the Tantric tradition.
According to yogis, the seat of Kundalini is a small gland located at the base of the
spinal cord. The movements and meditations practised by the discipline aim to
release the primal energy within this gland.
9. Nadi yoga, as described by yogic texts, involves nadis or a flow of energy which
can be visualised at the psychic level. The entire network of nadis is so vast that
yogic texts differ in their calculations of the exact number. Some place their
number at 72000 emerging from the navel. Of all the nadis, Ida, Pingala and
Susumna are said to be the most important; they conduct energy to chakras
situated along the spinal column.
The names of the various forms of yoga may differ, but they are interrelated and
share the same goal of helping one acquire enlightenment. And while the central
theme of yoga is spiritual, it provides innumerable physiological, psychological and
biochemical benefits to its practitioners. Physiological benefits range from better
sleep to increased energy and strength. Psychological benefits include, among
others, managing anxiety and stress. Biochemical benefits include decreasing
cholesterol levels and balancing endocrine and nervous systems. So wide-ranging
are its benefits that yoga, originally by which one could seek spiritual
enlightenment, has now become a popular global practice, thus proving itself to be
the true elixir of life.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glossary:
asana : a term used to describe postures in yoga
pranayama: control of one's breathing during yoga
advent: the arrival or beginning of something
aspect: here, plane or level of existence
35
inherent: built-in; an essential or intrinsic characteristic
self-realisation : the fulfilment of one's potential
ascetic: that which involves discipline and a frugal or monastic lifestyle, typically
for religious reasons
oral transmission: here, referring to how the theories behind yoga were shared
transcribe : to write
sutra : referring to a rule or truth in Sanskrit literature
recitation: the act of repeating something aloud from memory
vested interest: a personal interest in something
gland: an organ which produces and releases chemical
substances (hormones) to help maintain the body's internal system
chakra: according to yogic theory, a centre of spiritual power in the body
innumerable : countless
physiological: that which relates to the body
psychological: that which relates to the mind
biochemical: that which relates to the body's internal system
endocrine system: the system of glands in the body
======================================================================

Prose 3 Yoga: The Elixir of Life Textual QA

Q.1 Answer the following questions in about 50 to 100 words each.
1. Why, according to the author, do many people prefer to practise yoga at home
nowadays instead of attending an outdoor camp?

36
Ans. According to the author, many people prefer to practise yoga at home
nowadays because of their hectic schedules. They practise yoga in front of their
TV sets or laptops at home instead of attending an outdoors yoga camp.
2. Why is 21 June a significant date and how did that come to be?
Ans. The reality of the situation is that the popularity of yoga is increasing at a
rapid pace day after day because of its positive results. For many, this includes
enhancing one's inherent power in a balanced manner, or achieving self-
realisation, or finding harmony between mind and body. Yoga may also help in
physiotherapy or the treatment of muscle injuries. Recognising the varied benefits
it brings, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared 21 June as
International Yoga Day.
3. In your own words, explain the meaning of the word 'yoga'.
Ans. The word 'yoga' is taken from the Sanskrit word 'yug', which means to yoke
or unite. This could mean uniting the individual spirit with the universe. According
to Maharshi Patanjali, yoga involves a freeing of the mind and spirit.
4. Who is Patanjali and how did his work contribute to the field of yoga?
Ans. In the second century the Yoga Sutras was written by Patanjali, who is
considered to be the father of yoga. The work detailed an eight-limbed system of
yoga, known as Ashtanga Yoga, towards obtaining enlightenment. These sutras
still influence most modern styles of yoga.
5. How did, yoga, in the present age, develop into a worldwide phenomenon?
Ans. Finally, the present age began when yoga teachers travelled across the
country and to the West. At the 1893 Parliament of Religions in Chicago, Swami
Vivekananda lectured on world religions and yoga. In 1924, the yoga teacher T.
Krishnamarcharya opened the first Hatha Yoga School in Mysore. In 1936, the
spiritual leader Swami Sivananda founded the Divine Life Society on the banks of
the Ganges. He also founded yoga centres across the world.
Q.2 Answer the following questions in about 150 to 200 words each.
37
1. Trace the history of yoga and briefly describe the four stages of its evolution.
Ans. It is difficult to provide the precise history of yoga due to the oral
transmission of its sacred texts and its early teachings transcribed on palm leaves
that were easily damaged, destroyed or lost. That being said, researchers have
traced the beginnings of yoga to over 5000 years ago and have divided its
evolution into four periods: the Vedic age, the Patanjali age, the Hatha age and
the present age.
The word 'yoga' first appeared in the Rigveda, which was a collection of
Vedic Sanskrit hymns considered to be one of four Vedas or sacred texts of
Hinduism. It later appeared in the Upnishads, ancient literature which has come to
represent core spiritual values of Hinduism.
In the second century the Yoga Sutras was written by Patanjali, who is
considered to be the father of yoga. The work detailed an eight-limbed system of
yoga, known as Ashtanga Yoga, towards obtaining enlightenment. These sutras
still influence most modern styles of yoga.
The Hatha Age, arriving a few centuries after Patanjali, saw the creation of a
new system of practices, such as Tantra Yoga and Hatha yoga, which aimed to
rejuvenate the body and prolong life by exploring physical-spiritual connections.
Finally, the present age began when yoga teachers travelled across the
country and to the West. In 1936, the spiritual leader Swami Sivananda founded
the Divine Life Society on the banks of the Ganges. He also founded yoga centres
across the world.
2. What arguments can be made to prove that yoga is indeed the elixir of life?
Ans. The names of the various forms of yoga may differ, but they are interrelated
and share the same goal of helping one acquire enlightenment. And while the
central theme of yoga is spiritual, it provides innumerable physiological,
psychological and biochemical benefits to its practitioners. Physiological benefits
range from better sleep to increased energy and strength. Psychological benefits
include, among others, managing anxiety and stress. Biochemical benefits include
38
decreasing cholesterol levels and balancing endocrine and nervous systems. So
wide-ranging are its benefits that yoga, originally a means by which one could
seek spiritual enlightenment, has now become a popular global practice, thus
proving itself to be the true elixir of life.
3. Describe, in your own words, five of the forms of yoga which have featured
prominently in ancient Indian texts.
Ans. The following types of yoga feature prominently in ancient texts:
1. Karma yoga, which preaches selflessness and to perform all actions without
any vested interest. In this discipline, a yogi considers his duty as divine action
and performs it with whole-hearted dedication.
2. Gyan yoga, which seeks to differentiate between the self and non-self and
practices acquiring knowledge of one's spiritual entity through the study of
scriptures, the company of Saints and meditation.
3. Raja yoga, popularly known as Ashtanga Yoga, which is widely practiced to
build internal heat and to aid mental and physical development. The eight aspects
of Ashtanga yoga are Yama (morally), Niyam (discipline), Asana (exercise),
Pranayama (breathing), Pratyahara (detachment), Dharana (concentration),
Dhyana (meditation) and Samadhi (self-realisation).
4. Kundalini yoga or Sahaja yoga, which is a part of the Tantric tradition.
According to yogis, the seat of Kundalini is a small gland
located at the base of the spinal cord. The movements and meditations practised
by the discipline aim to release the primal energy within this gland.
5. Nadi yoga, as described by yogic texts, involves nadis or a flow of energy which
can be visualised at the psychic level. The entire network of nadis is so vast that
yogic texts differ in their calculations of the exact number. Some place their
number at 72000 emerging from the navel. Of all the nadis, Ida, Pingala and
Susumna are said to be the most important; they conduct energy to chakras
situated along the spinal column.

39
======================================================================

SQ
1. Why do many people practise yoga in front of their TV?
Ans. Due to their hectic schedules, many people nowadays practise yoga in front
of their TV sets or laptops instead of attending an outdoors yoga camp.
2. Why is today's generation interested in yoga?
Ans. Today's e-tech generation is interested in yoga to maintain physical and
mental well-being.
3. Why is the popularity of yoga increasing at the rapid pace day after day?
Ans. The popularity of yoga is increasing at a rapid pace day after day because of
its positive results.
4. What day is declared as International Yoga Day?
Ans. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared 21 June as
International Yoga Day.
5. What is the definition of yoga?
Ans. In an ordinary sense, yoga is an ancient Indian ascetic discipline which
involves specific postures, breathing and meditation techniques to facilitate one's
physical, mental and spiritual development.
6. Which periods is the evolution of yoga divided into?
Ans. The evolution of yoga is divided into four periods -- Vedic age, the Patanjali
age, the Hatha age and the present age.
7. Where did the word 'yoga' appear first?
Ans. The word 'yoga' first appeared in the Rigveda.
8. What is Rigveda?

40
Ans. Rigveda is a collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns considered to be one of four
Vedas or sacred texts of Hinduism.
9. What is Upnishads?
Ans. Upnishads is a kind of ancient literature which represents core spiritual
values of Hinduism.
10. Who is considered as the father of yoga?
Ans. Patanjali is considered to be the father of yoga.
11. When did Swami Vivekananda lecture on world religions and yoga? OR
Where did Swami Vivekananda lecture on world religions and yoga?
Ans. At the 1893 Parliament of Religions in Chicago, Swami Vivekananda lectured
on world religions and yoga.
12. When did T. Krishnamarcharya open the first Hatha Yoga School? OR
Where did T. Krishnamarcharya open the first Hatha Yoga School?
Ans. In 1924, the yoga teacher T. Krishnamarcharya opened the first Hatha Yoga
School in Mysore.
13. When did Swami Sivananda found the Divine Life Society? OR
Where did Swami Sivananda found the Divine Life Society?
Ans. In 1936, the spiritual leader Swami Sivananda founded the Divine Life
Society on the banks of the Ganges.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LQ
1. Give a brief introduction of yoga. OR
What is yoga? How does it help us?
Ans. For more than a decade, yoga -asana, pranayama and meditation -- has
become an activity practised across the world, irrespective of region, religion,
41
caste, culture, sex and age. With the advent of technology, and due to hectic
schedules, many people nowadays practise yoga camp. And while the higher
aspect of yoga is a search for enlightenment and bliss, today's e-tech generation
does it to maintain physical and mental well-being. The reality of the situation is
that the popularity of yoga is increasing at a rapid pace day after day because of
its positive results. For many, this includes enhancing one's inherent power in a
balanced manner, or achieving self-realisation, or finding harmony between mind
and body. Yoga may also help in physiotherapy or the treatment of muscle
injuries. Recognising the varied benefits, it brings, the United Nations General
Assembly (UNGA) declared 21 June as International Yoga Day.
2. What are some benefits of yoga? Write in brief?
Ans. The popularity of yoga is increasing at a rapid pace day after day because of
its positive results. For many, this includes enhancing one's inherent power in a
balanced manner, or achieving self-realisation, or finding harmony between mind
and body. Yoga may also help in physiotherapy or the treatment of muscle
injuries.
3. Give in brief about the origin of yoga.
Ans. Considering its importance and relevance in our times, it is advisable to know
the history of this discipline. The word 'yoga' is taken from the Sanskrit word 'yug',
which means - to yoke or unite. This could mean uniting the individual spirit with
the universe. According to Maharishi Patanjali, yoga involves a freeing of the mind
and spirit. Yoga guru B.K.S. Iyengar stated, 'Yoga teaches us to what need not be
endured and endure what cannot be cured.'
4. Write in brief about the history of yoga.
Ans. It is difficult to provide the precise history of yoga due to the oral transmission
of its sacred texts and its early teachings transcribed on palm leaves that were
easily damaged, destroyed or lost. That being said, researchers have traced the
beginnings of yoga to over 5000 years ago and have divided its evolution into four
periods: the Vedic age, the Patanjali age, the Hatha age and the present age.

42
5. Write in brief about Kundalini yoga.
Ans. Kundalini yoga or Sahaja yoga, which is a part of the Tantric tradition.
According to yogis, the seat of Kundalini is a small gland located at the base of the
spinal cord. The movements and meditations practised by the discipline aim to
release the primal energy within this gland.
6. Write in brief about Nadi yoga.
Ans. Nadi yoga, as described by yogic texts, involves nadis or a flow of energy
which can be visualised at the psychic level. The entire network of nadis is so vast
that yogic texts differ in their calculations of the exact number. Some place their
number at 72000 emerging from the navel. Of all the nadis, Ida, Pingala and
Susumna are said to be the most important; they conduct energy of chakras
situated along the spinal column.
7. How can yoga be called the elixir of life?
Ans. The names of the various forms of yoga may differ, but they are interrelated
and share the same goal of helping one acquire enlightenment. And while the
central theme of yoga is spiritual, it provides innumerable physiological,
psychological and biochemical benefits to its practitioners. Physiological benefits
range from better sleep to increased energy and strength. Psychological benefits
include, among others, managing anxiety and stress. Biochemical benefits include
decreasing cholesterol levels and balancing endocrine and nervous systems. So
wide-ranging are its benefits that yoga, originally a means by which one could
seek spiritual enlightenment, has now become a popular global practice, thus
proving itself to be the true elixir of life.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Short Notes
1. Yoga : Origin and Spread:
Ans. The word yoga first appeared in the Rigveda, which was a collection of Vedic
Sanskrit hymns considered to be one of four Vedas or sacred texts of Hinduism. It
43
later appeared in the Upnishads, ancient literature which has come to represent
core spiritual values of Hinduism. Around 500 BCE Bhagvad Gita spoke of how
Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self. This age preached
Karma Yoga or a form of living in a selfless way. In the second century the Yoga
Sutras was written by Patanjali, who is considered to be the father of yoga. The
work detailed an eight-limbed system of yoga, known as Ashtanga Yoga, towards
obtaining enlightenment. These sutras still influence most modern styles of yoga.
The Hatha Age, arriving a few centuries after Patanjali, saw the creation of a new
system of practices, such as Tantra Yoga and Hatha Yoga, which aimed to
rejuvenate the body and prolong life by exploring physical-spiritual connections.
Finally, the present age began when yoga teachers travelled across the country
and to the West. At the 1893 Parliament of Religions in Chicago, Swami
Vivekananda lectured on world religions and yoga. In 1924, the yoga teacher T.
Krishnamarcharya opened the first Hatha Yoga School in Mysore. In 1936, the
spiritual leader Swami Sivananda founded the Divine Life Society on the banks of
the Ganges. He also founded yoga centres across the world.
2. Types of Yoga in Ancient Texts:
Ans. The following types of yoga are talked about in our ancient texts:
1. Japa Yoga, which involves the repeated recitation of a mantra or divine name.
2. Karma Yoga, which preaches selflessness and to perform all actions without
any vested interest. In this discipline, a yogi considers his duty as divine action
and performs it with whole-hearted dedication.
3. Gyana Yoga, which seeks to differentiate between the self and non-self and
practices acquiring knowledge of one's spiritual entity through the study of
scriptures, the company of Saints and meditation.
4. Bhakti Yoga, which is a system of devotion with an emphasis on a complete
and intense surrender to divine will.
5. Raja Yoga, popularly known as Ashtanga Yoga, which is widely practiced to
build internal heat and to aid mental and physical development. The eight aspects
44
of Ashtanga Yoga are Yama (morality), Niyam (discipline), Asana (exercise),
Pranayam (breathing), Pratyahara (detachment), Dharana (concentration),
Dhayana (meditation) and Samadhi (self-realisation).
6. Hatha Yoga, which involves physical postures as a form of higher meditation to
balance, stretch and strengthen the body.
7. Swara Yoga, which focuses on awareness, observation and the control or
manipulation of breathing.
8. Kundalini Yoga or Sahaja Yoga, which is a part of the Tantric tradition.
According to yogis, the seat of Kundalini is a small gland located at the base of the
spinal cord. The movements and meditations practised by the discipline aim to
release the primal energy within this gland.
9. Nadi Yoga, as described by yogic texts, involves nadis or a flow of energy
which can be visualised at the psychic level. The entire network of nadis is so vast
that yogic texts differ in their calculations of the exact number. Some place their
number at 72000 emerging from the navel. Of all the nadis, Ida, Pingala and
Susuma are said to be the most important; they conduct energy to Chakras
situated along the spinal column.
3. Yoga : The Elixir of Life:
Ans. The popularity of yoga is increasing at a rapid pace day after day because of
its positive results. For many, this includes enhancing one's inherent power in a
balanced manner, or achieving self-realisation, or finding harmony between mind
and body. Yoga may also help in physiotherapy or the treatment of muscle
injuries.
The names of the various forms of yoga may differ, but they are interrelated and
share the same goal of helping one acquire enlightenment. And while the central
theme of yoga is spiritual, it provides innumerable physiological, psychological and
biochemical benefits to its practioners. Physiological benefits range from better
sleep to increased energy and strength. Psychological benefits include, among
others, managing anxiety and stress. Biochemical benefits include decreasing
45
cholesterol levels and balancing endocrine and nervous systems. So wide-ranging
are its benefits that yoga, originally a means by which one could seek spiritual
enlightenment, has now become a popular global practice, thus proving to be the
true elixir of life.
================================================================================

Poem: 1 The Mountain and the Squirrel by Ralph Waldo Emerson

About the Poet:
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-82) was an American philosopher and poet. He
was born in Boston, and educated at Harvard University. He became a pastor
(priest), but resigned from the church after the death of his first wife. He travelled
to England and came into close contact with the Romantic poets Wordsworth and
Coleridge, and the English prose writer and thinker Thomas Carlyle. On his return
to America, he lectured extensively on philosophical topics regarding human life,
and was held in great respect all over the United States. His highly acclaimed
essay titled 'Nature' was published in 1836. He was the central figure of a group of
writers and thinkers called the Transcendentalists. Later, he was actively involved
in the anti-slavery campaign of America.
About the Poem:
Emerson was deeply interested in Eastern thought, particularly in the Bhagvad
Gita and the Upnishads. Many of his poems show the influence of Oriental ઩ૌવાાત્ય
mysticism. "The Mountain and the Squirrel" is a poem in the form of a dialogue
between a mountain and a squirrel. It shows that every creature is important in
God's creation. The squirrel is not huge like a mountain, but it is active and can
run around freely. The mountain has its own role in nature -- it supports forests
with trees which provide food for the little squirrel.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The mountain and the squirrel
Had a quarrel,
46
 And the former called the latter 'Little Prig',
Bun replied: "You are doubtless very big;
But all sorts of things and weather
Must be taken in together
To make up a year
And a sphere.
And I think it no disagrce
To occupy my place.
If I'm not so large as you,
You are not so small as I,
And not half so spry.
I'll not deny you make
A very pretty squirrel track;
Talents differ; all is well and wisely put;
If I cannot carry forests on my back,
Neither can you crack a nut."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glossary:
former: the first, that is, the mountain
latter: the second, that is, the squirrel
prig: a person who is proud and imagines that he is morally superior to others ઘમંડી
bun: a playful name for a squirrel

47
sphere: here, the earth
disgrace: shame
spry: actively, lively
squirrel track: a narrow path for a squirrel to run on
======================================================================
Poem 1 The Mountain and the Squirrel Textual QA
Q.1 Answer the following questions in about 50 to 100 words each.
1. The poem describes a quarrel. Between whom does the quarrel take place?
Ans. In the poem, the quarrel takes place between a squirrel and a mountain.
2. By what name is the squirrel referred to in this poem?
Ans. The squirrel is referred to by the name 'bun' in the poem.
3. Identify one adjective each for the mountain and the squirrel.
Ans. 'Big' and 'large' are the adjectives that are used to describe the mountain in
the poem. Prig, small, spry, and pretty are the main adjectives that are used to
describe the squirrel in the poem.
4. Why does the squirrel say it is 'no disgrace' for her to be small?
Ans. While quarrelling with the squirrel, the mountain tries insulting her by calling
'little prig'. The mountain is large in size and feels superiority, therefore. But the
squirrel knows very well that only a few qualities do not make anything superior.
The God has given all some special characteristics which others may not have.
Furthermore, the squirrel knows the importance of smallness. Therefore, the
squirrel does not consider her status as disgraceful.
5. Which are the two voices (persona) that the poet uses to build up a dialogue?
Ans. The voices (persona) that the poet uses to build up a dialogue are: a
mountain and a squirrel.

48
6. What are the different arguments that the squirrel uses to counter the remark of
the mountain?
Ans. While quarrelling with the mountain, the squirrel says to the mountain about
the size that undoubtedly the squirrel is not so large as the mountain, but the
mountain also should not forget that he is not so small as the squirrel is. The
squirrel also tells the mountain that if she cannot carry the forest on her back nor
can he crack a nut.
7. "And the former called the latter Little prig'" - who is the 'former' and who is the
'latter' in the poem?
Ans. Former is the mountain and latter is the squirrel.
8. What do you understand by the expression -- 'a positive attitude to life? Does
the squirrel convey a positive attitude to life?
Ans. Yes, the squirrel conveys a positive attitude to life. God has given all some
special characteristics which others may not have. Furthermore, the squirrel
knows the importance of smallness. Therefore, the squirrel does not consider her
status as disgraceful.
9. Why does the poet talk about a year and a sphere?
Ans. Because to make a year and a balanced environment for living beings, all
types of things and weather are needed. So, the poet wants to mean that all kind
of things are important in the world.
10. What was the cause of the fight between the mountain and the squirrel? Why
do you think so?
Ans. The cause of fight between the mountain and the squirrel might be their size
and ability. The mountain is proud of its gigantic and power. So, it said the squirrel
a 'little prig'. But the squirrel replies wisely that although it is too small, it is more
lively and active. If it cannot carry forests on its back, neither the mountain can
crack a nut. They both have different talents.
======================================================================
49
SQ
1. Who is the writer of 'The Mountain and the Squirrel'?
Ans. 'The Mountain and the Squirrel' is written by Ralph Waldo Emerson.
2. Which word does the mountain use for the squirrel in the poem?
Ans. In the poem, the mountain uses the word 'prig' for the squirrel.
3. "And the former called the latter Little prig'" - who is the 'former' and who is the
'latter' in the poem?
Ans. Mountain is the 'former' and squirrel is the 'latter' in the poem.
4. What striking difference is between the mountain and the squirrel?
Ans. The squirrel is not so huge as the mountain is.
5. What does the poet want to convey?
Ans. According to the poet, every creature has some talents.
6. Between whom does the quarrel take place in the poem?
Ans. The quarrel takes place in the poem between a squirrel and a mountain.
7. What does the mountain call the squirrel? Why?
Ans. The mountain calls the squirrel 'little prig'. Being large, the mountain feels self
superior to the squirrel.
8. By what name is the squirrel referred to in the poem?
Ans. The squirrel is referred to by the name 'bun' in the poem.
9. What are the adjectives used to describe the mountain in the poem?
Ans. 'Big' and 'large' are the adjectives that are used to describe the mountain in
the poem.
10. What are the adjectives used to describe the squirrel in the poem?

50
Ans. Prig, small, spry, and pretty are the main adjectives that are used to describe
the squirrel in the poem.
11. What does the squirrel say to the mountain about size?
Ans. While quarrelling with the mountain, the squirrel says to the mountain about
the size that undoubtedly the squirrel is not so large as the mountain, but the
mountain also should not forget that he is not so small as the squirrel is.
12. What does the phrase 'cannot carry forests on my back' mean?
Ans. The phrase 'cannot carry forests on my back' simply means the mountain's
power to provide base to a number of trees grown on it.
13. List as many rhyming words as you can find in the poem.
Ans. Prig-big, weather-together, year-sphere, disgrace-place, track-back and I-
spry are some rhyming words that can be found in the poem.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LQ
1. Write a short biographical note on Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Ans. Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American philosopher, essayist and poet. He
was born in Boston and educated at Harvard University. He travelled to England
and came into close contact with well-known poets like William Wordsworth and
Samuel Taylor Coleridge. His first book 'Nature' was published in 1836. Through
his career of 40 years, he gave about 1500 public lectures. He was the main
spokesman of his age for moral optimism and belief in the individual.
2. Why does the squirrel think that it is 'no disgrace' for her to be small?
Ans. While quarrelling with the squirrel, the mountain tries insulting her by calling
'little prig'. The mountain is large in size and feels superiority, therefore. But the
squirrel knows very well that only a few qualities do not make anything superior.
The God has given all some special characteristics which others may not have.

51
Furthermore, the squirrel knows the importance of smallness. Therefore, the
squirrel does not consider her status as disgraceful.
3. What is the message of the poem?
Ans. The Mountain and the Squirrel is a poem that shows how the God has
maintained equilibrium in his all creatures. Every creation of God has its own role
to perform. None is superior, none is inferior. Here in this poem, the poet has used
the mountain and the squirrel effectively in conveying how much one over-
estimates himself and how one need not intimidated about his or her physical
appearance or success measures in life.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Short Notes
1. Message of The Mountain and the Squirrel:
Ans. 'The Mountain and the Squirrel' is a poem that truly showcases the problem
of complexes in human beings. It shows the God has maintained equilibrium in his
all creatures. Every creation of God has its own role to perform. The mountain
carrying forests on its back cannot crack a nut whereas the squirrel that can crack
a nut cannot carry forests. None is superior, none is inferior. Here in this poem,
the poet has used the mountain and the squirrel effectively in conveying how
much one overestimates himself and how one need not intimidated about his or
her physical appearance or success measures in life. All creatures serve as
spokes in the wheel of life. God merely acts as the hub holding everything
together.
======================================================================
Poem: 2 Daffodils by William Wordsworth
About the Poet:
William Wordsworth (1770-1850) was a major poet of the Romantic
Movement in English poetry and influential force in literary history. From 1843 till
his death in 1850 he remained the poet laureate of England. The Lyrical Ballads,
52
which he composed along with S.T. Coleridge in 1798, inaugurated the Romantic
Movement. Preface to Lyrical Ballads, which he added in 1800, is considered to
be the acknowledged manifesto of the Romantic Movement and ranks as a
valuable piece of literary criticism. Preface sums up the need for simplicity of
language in poetry and prioritising heart and emotion over rationality.
About the Poem:
Many of Wordsworth's poems are noted for their humanity and abortion of
nature. 'Daffodils' is one such poem. The speaker of the poem, on seeing a large
patch of daffodils growing beside a bay, depicts the beauty of the scene. More
significantly, in the final stanza, he acknowledges the value of this sight as
providing an everlasting source of solace. This is a fine illustration of
Wordsworth's philosophy that poetry is 'emotion recollected in tranquillity'.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I wondered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
53
 The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed --- and gazed --- but little thought
What wealth the saw to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
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Glossary:
vale: another word for 'valley'
host: here, used to imply a large number of something
milky way: the galaxy that contains our solar system
sparingly: in a way that is lively and full of energy
glee: delight, great happiness
jocund: merry and happy
pensive: thoughtful, contemplative
inward eye: here, used to suggest what the speaker sees in his memories
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 Poem: 2 Daffodils Textual QA
Q.1 Answer the following questions in about 50 to 100 words each.
1. What does the speaker compare himself to at the beginning of the poem?
Ans. The speaker compares himself with a cloud that floats over higher vales and
hills at the beginning of the poem.
2. Explain what the poet means by the phrase, 'the bliss of solitude'.
Ans. By the term bliss of solitude the poet wants to express that he felt happy in
the joyful company of the daffodil flowers and the waves. They seemed to
compete with each other in such a mood. The poet caught the joyful mood and
thus became a part of nature itself. He only kept on watching the scene, unable to
decide what wealth of joy, he had received from it. The greatest benefit of this
experience was that whenever the poet lay on his couch in an unoccupied and
sad mood, the fond and the sweet memory of the daffodils crashed upon his eye
of imagination; which a source of joy and inspiration to the poet in his lonely and
pensive mood.
3. Apart from the daffodils, what other elements of nature does Wordsworth use in
the poem?
Ans. Apart from the daffodils, Wordsworth uses stars and waves as elements of
nature. Other natural elements he uses are: cloud, trees, lake, milky way, breeze,
hills, valleys etc.
4. What does Wordsworth compare the daffodils to in the second stanza?
Ans. In the second stanza, Wordsworth compares the daffodils to the stars that
shine and twinle on the milky way.
5. Identify and explain the metaphors used by the poet in the poem.
Ans. Wordsworth has used one metaphor in this poem in the last stanza as “They
flash upon that inward eye.” Here “inward eye” represents the sweet memory of
daffodils.

55
Q.2 Answer the following questions in about 150 to 200 words each.
1. Explain how time is used in this poem to leave a lasting impact on the reader.
Ans. In this poem, time is used to leave a lasting impact on the reader marks as a
break in time. There is a clear shift from the past to the present. The poet says
that whenever he lies on his couch in a free or sad mood, the beautiful scene of
daffodils seen by him flashes across his mind. This happens only in solitude. The
memory of the beautiful scene fills the poet's mind with joy. His heart begins to
dance with the dancing daffodils. This is the crux of the poem. The poet conveys
the idea that nature has the power to make us come out of our melancholy or
depressed mood and be happy.
2. Describe the tone of the poem.
Ans. The tone of the poem is nature. The poem brings home the idea that nature
is a source of eternal joy. Nature is full of beauty that captivates us all the time.
The beautiful objects of nature-flowers, plants, mountains, lakes, stars, the sun,
the moon, so on and so forth -- fill our minds with pleasure. In the poem 'Daffodils',
it is the beautiful scene of the golden daffodils that mesmerized the poet. The
daffodils, growing near the lake appeared to be tossing their heads in a gentle
breeze, as if in a dance and the poet realized.
He continued to gaze at the beautiful sight, the real worth of which he realized
only when he was removed far from it. He comes to realize that nature has the
ability to soothe and delight us flashes across his mind, and he feels as is his
heart were dancing in joy with the dancing daffodils.
3. What is the central theme of the poem?
Ans. The central theme of the poem is nature's healing power. This poem shows
how nature has the power to heal our stressed soul. If we care to turn to nature,
we are amazed to find wonderful sights, such as the one described in the poem
'Daffodils'.
The memory of the scene of golden daffodils fills the poet's mind with joy. His
heart begins to dance with the daffodils. He forgets his sadness or loneliness. It is,
56
of course, in solitude that human mind captures the things already seen. The poet
wants to emphasize that nature is a source of eternal joy to man.
The concluding stanza makes it clear that a beautiful sight in nature is capable
of removing any stress and gloom from our minds. The poet says that whenever
he is in a sad or idle mood the beautiful scene of daffodils fills his mind with
pleasure. This is what we feel in the lap of nature. By just looking at the starry sky,
the rising or setting sun, a garden birds and trees, we forget all our weals and
woes.
4. Describe the lasting impact the sight of the daffodils has on the speaker.
Ans. The poet gives us a vivid description of the daffodils and the place where he
saw them. The poet also mentions that when he saw the daffodils, he didn't
realize the wealth of experience he had accumulated. However, later on, when he
sat in a thoughtful mood, the image of the daffodils flashed in his mind. This tells
us that the show of the daffodils has had a long-lasting effect on the poet.
5. Analyse Wordsworth's attitude to nature, memory and imagination in the poem.
Ans. We can see Wordsworth's attitude to nature, memory and imagination in the
poem 'Daffodils'.
Nature: It is obvious to say that Daffodils is a nature poem. In this poem we note
how the poet's mind receives the impression from his chance meeting with a host
of golden daffodils growing under the trees beside the bank of a lake. The flowers
were swaying in the breeze. Enchanted by the beautiful scene the poet compares
them to the twinkling stars in the Milky Way. The pleasant encounter with the
daffodils remains etched in his mind. This has the capacity to make him calm and
happy in his melancholy or idle mood.
Memory: The daffodils have an everlasting impact on the mind of the poet when
the poet had first seen the daffodils beside a lake he was cheerful as the natural
beauty of daffodils give him with a sense of joy and pleasures. He was charmed
by the beauty of the daffodils. It had made him free from all the troubles faced in
solitude. It had become a source of joy for him. Whenever the poet was in an off
57
mood the view of the golden daffodils flashed in his mind and fitted him with a
sense of joy and happiness. The view of daffodils is the bliss of solitude to the
poet. So the daffodils have an everlasting impact on the mind of the poet.
Imagination: The inward eye means visual imagination that takes the poet to the
world of past recollection. It is something that cannot be shared with other people.
The golden daffodils which he has seen in the valley flash upon his inward eye.
The memory of dancing and fluttering daffodils fills his heart with pleasure. It is like
a spiritual vision that brings a feeling of joy. It is a blessing for the poet. That is
why the poet calls the inward eye a bliss of solitude.
6. Explain the structure of Daffodils.
Ans. Written by William Wordsworth, this poem is a wonderful literary piece of
nature‟s description. It was first published in 1807 in Poems in Two Volume. It was
written as a lyric poem to capture the bewitching beauty of the wildflowers and
express a deeper feeling and emotions of the poet. It has become an eternal
classic for describing the nature and its scenic beauty.
Stanza: A stanza is the poetic form of some lines. In this poem, there are four
stanzas with six lines in each stanza.
Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows the ABABCC rhyme scheme, where the first
line rhymes with the third, and the second line rhymes with the fourth lines
respectively.
Iambic Tetrameter: The poem follows Iambic Tetrameter which means there are
four feet per line, or each unstressed syllable is followed by a stressed syllable as
in the first line of this poem such as “I wandered lone-ly as a ”
Parallelism: It is the use of components in a sentence that is similar in their
construction, sound, meaning or meter such as, “beside the lake, beneath the
trees.”
7. Explain the literary devices used in Daffodils.

58
Ans. Literary devices are used to bring richness and clarity to the texts. The
writers use them to make their texts appealing and meaningful. Wordsworth has
also made the poem deeper and richer by using these devices. The analysis of
some of the literary devices used in this poem is given below.
Simile: Simile is a device used to compare one object to another to help readers
understand or to clarify the meanings using „as‟ or „like‟. There are two similes
used in this poem. “I wandered lonely as a cloud.” He compares his loneliness
with a single cloud. The second is used in the opening line of the second stanza,
“Continues as the stars that shine.” Here Wordsworth compares the endless row
of daffodils with countless stars.
Personification: Personification is to attribute human characteristics to lifeless
objects. The poet has personified “daffodils” in the third line of the poem such as,
“When all at once I saw a crowd.” The crowd shows the number of daffodils. The
second example of personification is used in the second stanza as, “Tossing their
heads and sprightly dance.” It shows that the Daffodils are humans that can
dance. The third example is in the third stanza such as, “In a jocund company.”
Here he considered the daffodils as his buoyant company.
Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of the same consonant sounds in the same
lines of poetry such as the use of /g/ sound in, “I gazed and gazed” and the use of
/w/ sound in, “What wealth the show to me had brought.”
Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line such as
the sound of /a/ in “Ten thousand I saw at a glance” and /e/ sound in “They
stretched in never-ending.”
Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds such as the
sound of /t/ in “what wealth the show to me had brought” and /n/ sound in “in
vacant or in pensive.”
Metaphor: Wordsworth has used one metaphor in this poem in the last stanza as
“They flash upon that inward eye.” Here “inward eye” represents the sweet
memory of daffodils.

59
Imagery: The use of imagery makes the reader visualize the writer‟s feelings and
emotions. Wordsworth has used images appealing to the sense of sight such as
“lonely as a cloud”, “ a crowd”, “never-ending line”, ”milky way” and “jocund
company.” These descriptions help the reader to imagine or feel the same joy felt
by the speaker.
======================================================================
SQ
1. What was the poet doing?
Ans. The poet was wandering alone in the countryside.
2. While the poet was wandering, what did he see and where did he see them?
Ans. The poet saw a host of golden daffodils while he was wandering. He saw the
daffodils growing beside the lake, beneath the trees.
3. Where did the poet see the daffodils?
Ans. The poet saw several daffodils fluttering in the breeze, under the trees, along
the margin of a bay.
4. How many daffodils does the poet say that he saw at a glance? Why does he
say so?
Ans. The poet says that he saw ten thousand daffodils at glance. He says so in
order to highlight that the whole area along the lake was covered with blooming,
uncountable daffodils.
5. What does the first line of the poem tell you?
Ans. The first line tells us that the poet wanders lonely as a cloud.
6. What does 'jocund company' mean?
Ans. 'Jocund Company' means a cheerful company. The joyful company of
daffodils was the ultimate source of pleasure for the poet and he can feel nothing
but happiness in that company.

60
7. Explain the lines: Outdid the sparkling waves in glee....
Ans. The poet says that there were waves which were dancing in the lake but
were no match for the waves of daffodils rippling in the breeze. The joyful dance of
daffodils was a way better than theirs.
57. Describe the poet's thoughts on seeing the daffodils.
Ans. The poet felt that one cannot be anything but happy in the company of the
cheerful daffodils. The beautiful daffodils filled his heart with joy.
8. What is the 'wealth' the poet gained?
Ans. The wealth that the poet gained from the daffodils was the wealth of
happiness that fills his heart when he thinks of the daffodils.
9. When does the poet remember the daffodils? How does he feel?
Ans. The poet often remembers the daffodils when he rests on his couch in a
deep and pensive mood. The memory of the daffodils fills his heart with pleasure.
10. When do the daffodils flash upon the poet's inward eye?
Ans. The scene of the daffodils flash upon the poet's inward eye when he lies on
his couch in a pensive mood.
11. Where were the daffodils growing?
Ans. The daffodils were growing beside the lake under the trees.
12. What are the objects the poet compares with the daffodils?
Ans. The poet compares the daffodils with the dancing waves and shining and
twinkling stars.
13. What is the effect of daffodils on the poet?
Ans. The daffodils fill the poet's heart with pleasure and he feels happy with them.
14. Why does the poet stop on seeing the daffodils?

61
Ans. The poet stops on seeing the daffodils because never-before in his life had
he seen such beautiful golden daffodils and that too in such a very large number.
15. What is the theme of this poem?
Ans. The healing and refreshing effect of Nature is the theme of this poem.
16. What does the poet compare the daffodils with?
Ans. The poet compares the daffodils to the stars that shine and twinkle on the
milky way as the daffodils dances with joy like the shining stars in the sky.
17. What happens to the poet when he is lying on his couch in a pensive mood?
Ans. When the poet was lying on his couch in a pensive mood the view of the
daffodils flashed in his mind and he was filled with joy and pleasure.
18. What does 'inward eye' mean?
Ans. The inward eye means the spiritual eye (insight).
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LQ
1. What does the first stanza of Daffodils say? OR
How beautiful was the sight of daffodils?
Ans. The poet recalls how once he wandered as freely as a cloud over valleys and
hills. Suddenly he saw a large number of golden daffodils. The daffodils had
grown under the trees near the lake. A cool breeze was blowing. So the beautiful
flowers tossed their heads in the breeze as if in a dance. The beautiful scene,
thus, captivated the poet.
2. What does the second stanza of Daffodils say? OR
Write in brief about the flowers' dancing narrated by Wordsworth.
Ans. The poet, then recalls that the daffodils he saw were as numerous as shining
stars in the Milky Way in the sky. The simile underlines the large number and the
beauty of the flowers. The daffodils growing beside the lake seemed to form an
62
endless line. They tossed their heads to and fro in the breeze as if they were
engaged in a lively dance. The daffodils are personified as human beings dancing
and tossing their heads. Earlier, they have been described as a crowd and a host.
This personification continues throughout to underline an inherent unity between
man and nature.
3. What does the third stanza of Daffodils say? OR
What impact did the dance of daffodils leave in the mind of the poet?
Ans. The poet recalls how the shining waves in the lake seemed to be dancing in
the breeze. But their dance was surpassed by the dance of the daffodils. The
daffodils seemed to be dancing with much more liveliness and vigour. The poet is
of the opinion that no sensitive person can help feeling delighted in the company
of such joyful companions. He recalls how he continued to gaze at the beautiful
scene. He could not think what wealth of joy it had brought to him.
4. What does the fourth stanza of Daffodils say? OR
How does the Daffodils affect the poet? In what way?
Ans. This stanza marks a break in time. There is a clear shift from the past to the
present. The poet says that whenever he lies on his couch in a free or sad mood,
the beautiful scene of daffodils seen by him flashes across his mind. This happens
only in solitude. The memory of the beautiful scene fills the poet's mind with joy.
His heart begins to dance with the dancing daffodils. This is the crux of the poem.
The poet conveys the idea that nature has the power to make us come out of our
melancholy or depressed mood and be happy.
5. Write in brief about the origin of the poem Daffodils.
Ans. The poem Daffodils was inspired by a real incident. Wordsworth and his
sister Dorothy came across a large number of golden daffodils during a walk in the
woods. Wordsworth gave poetic expression to his experience and the poem he
wrote wad published in 1807. Its revised version appeared in 1815.
6. How far is the title of the poem Daffodils appropriate?
63
Ans. Wordsworth entitled his poem Daffodils. The title Daffodils is apt, as the
whole poem is about the golden daffodils which the poet saw during his walk and
which became a source of continuous joy for him.
7. How would you like to tell that Daffodils is a nature poem?
Ans. It is obvious to say that Daffodils is a nature poem. In this poem we note how
the poet's mind receives the impression from his chance meeting with a host of
golden daffodils growing under the trees beside the bank of a lake. The flowers
were swaying in the breeze. Enchanted by the beautiful scene the poet compares
them to the twinkling stars in the Milky Way. The pleasant encounter with the
daffodils remains etched in his mind. This has the capacity to make him calm and
happy in his melancholy or idle mood.
8. How does the nature heal the wounds of reality?
Ans. The poem has a clear shift from the real world full of tensions, weal and woes
to the utopian world of nature where peace and happiness prevail. The very
opening line I wandered lonely as a cloud shows the poet's sense of loneliness
(which was marked by the death of his brother John) which was not pleasant.
There is then a sudden shift to the world of nature in which beautiful flowers
capture his capture his attention and he is transported to another world of bliss. In
the last stanza, the poet brings us back to the real world in which one cannot
escape from the daily problems, worries and anxieties of life. Now he realizes the
true worth of the beautiful sight of the daffodils. He recollects the sight and regains
his peace of mind and then his heart begins to dance with the dancing daffodils.
9. Why does it appear that waves and the daffodils are competing?
Ans. When the poet saw the daffodils, they appeared to be tossing their head in
sprightly dance. The waves in the bay beside which the daffodils grew also
appeared to be moving in a joyful dance. Moreover, the poet felt that the
movement of the daffodils was better than that of the sparkling waves. Thus, it
appears as though the daffodils and the waves were competing.

64
10. What does the poet compare daffodils to? Why does he make such a
comparison?
Ans. The poet compares the daffodils to the stars that shine and twinkle in the
Milky Way. The poet makes such a comparison, because to him, the daffodils
seemed to grow in never-ending lines like the stars in a galaxy. Also, the yellow
daffodils seemed to shine and glow brightly like the stars twinkling in the sky.
11. How do we know that this show of the daffodils had a long-lasting effect on the
poet?
Ans. The poet gives us a vivid description of the daffodils and the place where he
saw them. The poet also mentions that when he saw the daffodils, he didn't
realize the wealth of experience he had accumulated. However, later on, when he
sat in a thoughtful mood, the image of the daffodils flashed in his mind. This tells
us that the show of the daffodils has had a long-lasting effect on the poet.
12. After reading the poem, can you guess what a daffodil is?
Ans. The daffodil is a flower that is yellow and therefore comparable to gold in its
colour. They usually grow near lakes. On seeing the yellow daffodils the poet
perhaps recollects some golden memories that he cherishes in the lonely time.
He, therefore, calls them golden daffodils.
13. Why does the poet compare the daffodils to stars?
Ans. The poet compares the daffodils to stars because the daffodils stretch in
never-ending line like the stars in the galaxy. Moreover, like stars, the daffodils
shine as they are golden and also twinkle like the stars as they flutter due to the
breeze. This is a clear indication that daffodils are heavenly stars.
14. Why has the poet described solitude as being blissful?
Ans. The poet described solitude as being blissful because when the poet is lonely
and not doing anything the thought of golden daffodils that he has seen dancing
and fluttering in the valley fills his mind with pleasure and he rejoices the moment.

65
15. What does the inward eye mean? What is it that flashes upon his eye? Do you
think the poet is affected by it in any way? Give reasons.
Ans. The inward eye means visual imagination that takes the poet to the world of
past recollection. It is something that cannot be shared with other people. The
golden daffodils which he has seen in the valley flash upon his inward eye. The
memory of dancing and fluttering daffodils fills his heart with pleasure.
It is like a spiritual vision that brings a feeling of joy. It is a blessing for the poet.
That is why the poet calls the inward eye a bliss of solitude.
16. What is the bliss of solitude according to the poet?
Ans. When the poem is in solitude and there is nobody around him. He is all
alone. He has the opportunity to think of nature. In the poem the poet says that
when he is either busy thinking or not thinking about anything he is reminded of
the daffodils. He says that loneliness becomes lovely if he thinks about daffodils in
his loneliness. When he remembers the daffodils, he starts feeling happy, content
and perfectly at peace with himself. This happens because of solitude.
17. Why does the poet compare himself to a cloud? OR
Why has the poem called daffodils a crowd and how are they in contrast to his
loneliness?
Ans. The poet compares himself to a cloud in the beginning of the poem because
he is wandering about in a state of loneliness and detachment. Just like the cloud
are moving overhead unattached to the scene below similarly the poet is walking
all alone detached from the scenes of nature that surround him.
18. What do the words crowd and host suggest?
Ans. The words crowd and host suggest a multitude or a large number of
daffodils. It suggests the suddenness with which the poet comes upon the
daffodils where his first impression of the daffodils is their sheer numerousness.
19. How do the daffodils resemble the stars?

66
Ans. The daffodils remind the poet of the stars both in their brightness and in
numbers. They are golden in colour. Just as the stars shine along the curves of
the heavens, similarly the daffodils glow in along the bank of the lake.
20. Why is dance important in the poem?
Ans. Dance or movement is an important image in the poem symbolizing the idea
of joy, harmony and life itself. Both the daffodils and the waves are dancing in joy.
Everything in nature is rejoicing in the One Life that blows through them. They are
rejoicing with the principle of joy and pleasure that is there in life itself. Unlike the
daffodils and the waves it is only the poet who is solitary and lonely: the only
creature in creation capable of feeling not at home and wonders "lonely as a
cloud."
21. Are the daffodils competing with the waves?
Ans. It appears that the daffodils are not only competing with but also outdoing the
shimmering and dancing waves in the lake. The daffodils are tossing their heads
about in a joyous and merry dance.
22. How did the poet actually feel as "gazed and gazed"?
Ans. As the poet gazed upon the scene of the daffodils beside the lake he was
mesmerised by the sight. The moment he saw the daffodils his spirit soared and
the mood of loneliness and detachment changed to one of joy and happiness.
23. What does 'wealth' signify?
Ans. The sight of the daffodils becomes a treasure cove that lifts the poet's spirit
and rejuvenates him in times of loneliness and despair. Whenever the weariness,
the fever and the fret of the world becomes too much for him he returns in his
imagination to the joyous experience of that spring morning. It lends him the same
joy that it gave the first time. It becomes a permanent source of wealth or treasure
to which he can turn in times of distress or need.
24. Why does the poet consider solitude to be blissful?

67
Ans. Solitude for Wordsworth was a blissful experience where he could recall from
memory the experience of joy and ecstasy that the daffodils had imparted to him.
In solitude he could be rejuvenated by the sights and sounds of nature that he had
stored in his memory. Solitude for him was not a lonely experience but an
enriching one.
25. How has the poet described the daffodils?
Ans. The poet compares the daffodils to the stars in brightness as well as in
numbers. Growing along the curve of the lake, the daffodils remind him of the
stars that shine along the curve of the heavens. They seem to be as numerous
and unending as the stars above. Just as if one looks up at the night sky one can
take in the immeasurability of the stars in one glance; similarly Wordsworth sees
hundreds and thousands of flowers in a single glance. But the flowers are not
standing stationary. They are acted upon by the breeze, moving and tossing their
heads in a dance of joy. The flowers are tossing their heads about, reverberating
in joy.
26. What is being compared to the stars and why?
Ans. The host of golden daffodils by the side of the lake under the tree are being
compared to the stars. A milky way is a cluster of stars which shine brightly across
a huge stretch of space. Similarly like the stars in the milky way the poet feels that
the daffodils are not only uncountable but also they are dancing with full energy
and joy in never ending line along the margin of the lake.
27. What is the bliss of solitude referred to here?
Ans. By the term bliss of solitude the poet wants to express that he felt happy in
the joyful company of the daffodil flowers and the waves. They seemed to
compete with each other in such a mood. The poet caught the joyful mood and
thus became a part of nature itself. He only kept on watching the scene, unable to
decide what wealth of joy, he had received from it. The greatest benefit of this
experience was that whenever the poet lay on his couch in an unoccupied and
sad mood, the fond and the sweet memory of the daffodils crashed upon his eye

68
of imagination; which a source of joy and inspiration to the poet in his lonely and
pensive mood.
28. Describe in your own words the poet's feeling when he sees the host of golden
daffodils.
Ans. The poet was thrilled to see a host of golden daffodils by the side of the lake
under the trees moving their head in a joyful dance. They seemed to be dancing
like a human being expressing their energy and joy. When the poet saw the
flowers, his imagination travelled to another world to find a comparison. He was
reminded of the stars twinkling in the milky way at night. The log line of the
daffodils flowers bore comparison with the bright stars seen across the night sky.
29. Why does the poet say I gazed and gazed but a little thought / What wealth
that show to me had brought?
Ans. The poet was alone. He was moving about aimlessly over the high valleys
and hills watching the beautiful scenes of nature. Suddenly he saw a great
number of golden coloured flowers by the side of the lake under the trees moving
their heads in joyful dance. The waves in the lake, by the side of the flowers, were
also dancing but the daffodils had outdone the waves in their expression of joy. A
poet felt happy in such a joyful company of the dancing flowers and the waves. In
sheer delight and surprise he could not decide what joy this sight had brought for
him. He could perhaps gaze at the pleasure of the present moment but he could
not imagine how again and again in the future he would recall and re-live this
experience and what ecstasy that memory would bring for him.
30. Why has the poet described solitude as being blissful?
Ans. According to the poet solitude as being blissful because when the poet is
alone and in an off mood the cheerful view of the daffodils comes to his mind and
at once he becomes cheerful. In fact, none can enjoy solitude. Because solitude is
boring and there is nobody to share one's own feelings. But here the poet is very
happy and cheerful in solitude whenever the view of daffodils comes to his mind. It
gives him pleasure. He cheers up with the dancing daffodils in solitude. Because

69
he does not get bared by solitude but solitude brings the memory of the cheerful
view to his mind. Thus, the view of the golden daffodils is the bliss of solitude to
the poet.
31. The poet compares the flowers to the milky way. Is the comparison apt?
Ans. Like the Milky Way, the flowers are roughly concentrated in a line that seem
to stretch as far as the eye can see (never ending). The flowers line the shore
(margin) of a bay of the lake, which must be a relatively large lake. The Milky Way
appears to be a band that has more stars and a brighter appearance than the
night sky around it. It's not a perfectly clear line, but more like a fuzzy
approximation of a line. We imagine the same effect with the flowers. It's not as if
there are flowers outside the shore of the lake, but most of them are concentrated
on the shore. So to a large extent the comparison is apt.
32. The poet uses the word lonely in reference to a cloud. Explain.
Ans. The first concept that we want to take a look at is that the cloud is lonely. Are
clouds lonely? Well, maybe the ones that float about valleys (vales) and hills are
lonely. It's more likely, the speaker is projecting his own loneliness on the clouds.
But that still doesn't explain the strange image because clouds usually travel in
groups. Maybe a cloud is lonely because it is so far above the rest of the world. Its
thoughts are just so lofty, and maybe the speaker's thoughts are, too. Also, the
cloud be lonely because it floats over a natural landscape with no people in it.
Maybe the speaker has thought of hills and valleys because he happens to be
wandering through such a landscape.
33. What does the inward eye mean? What is it that flashes upon the eye? Do you
think the poet is affected by it in any way? Give reasons for your answer.
Ans. The inward eye means the eye of the mind i.e. the mental eyes. The poet
mentions that in his mental or inward eye, the cheerful view of the golden daffodils
is flashed. And whenever the view of the daffodils comes on his mind, the poet
becomes happy and cheerful and begins to dance with the golden daffodils. The

70
cheerful view pleases his mind and his mind becomes active. In this way, he is
benefitted by the daffodils.
34. Had the poet realized the importance of the scene when he had first seen it?
Give reasons for your answer.
Ans. When the poet had first seen the scene of daffodils, he had not realized its
importance. He just looked steadily for a long time and became cheerful by
viewing the scene beauty of the daffodils. He did not pay any attention to the
impact of the view on his mind. But it was later on whenever he was alone and in
off-mood, he realized its importance. Because suddenly when the view flashed in
his mind, it made him happy and he forgets his material surroundings and feels
himself with those cheerful daffodils. Only then he could know that the view had
left him a treasure of pleasure and cheerfulness.
35. What impact do the daffodils have on Wordsworth?
Ans. The daffodils have an everlasting impact on the mind of the poet when the
poet had first seen the daffodils beside a lake he was cheerful as the natural
beauty of daffodils give him with a sense of joy and pleasures. He was charmed
by the beauty of the daffodils. It had made him free from all the troubles faced in
solitude. It had become a source of joy for him. Whenever the poet was in an off
mood the view of the golden daffodils flashed in his mind and fitted him with a
sense of joy and happiness. The view of daffodils is the bliss of solitude to the
poet. So the daffodils have an everlasting impact on the mind of the poet.
36. Describe in your own words the landscape which inspired the poet to write The
Daffodils?
Ans. The landscape which inspired the poet to write The Daffodils was full of
beauty and charm. While wandering aimlessly like the clouds over the hills and
valley, the poet saw a cluster of golden daffodils beside a lake under a tree. Like
the infinite twinkling stars in the sky, they were stretched over an indenting line
along the bay of the lake. These daffodils were dancing with joy with their dance
the waves also danced. Even such a beautiful landscape filled the poet with

71
immense joy and pleasure. The beauty of the daffodils inspired the poet to write
the daffodils as it had an everlasting impact on the mind of the poet.
37. Why is the poet in a vacant and pensive mood?
Ans. The poet sitting on a couch is feeling bored like a teenager with no great
thought and sight. He feels that his mind is empty at that moment not happy and
no zeal. He is in such a vacant and pensive mood.
38. Describe the scene that flashes through the poet's inward eye.
Ans. In his vacant mood the sight of the daffodils flashes through his inward eye.
The very memory of such a beautiful sight makes him extremely happy, equally
happen as he was when he had seen the real daffodils which had erased his
loneliness from his heart. His heart is set to rhythm by the memory of the dancing
flowers.
39. Describe in your words the sight that Wordsworth sees when he is wandering
around lonely as a cloud.
Ans. Wordsworth in the poem the daffodils say that he was wandering lonely and
then he notices the daffodils. He describes the daffodils as excessively beautiful
and heart touching. The golden daffodils were dancing with the moving wind.
Wordsworth personifies the daffodils vividly. He says that the golden daffodils
were dancing and moving in ecstasy. He says that the daffodils were even tossing
their heads while dancing. He expresses his own happiness to see the wonderful
flowers.
40. What comparison does the poet draw between the waves and the daffodils?
Ans. As per William Wordsworth with the dance of the daffodils the waves of the
lake also danced. But the dance of the daffodils was better than the waves. The
daffodils were dancing cheerfully like the infinite twinkling stars in the sky but the
waves sent out flashes of light while dancing.
41. Describe in your own words the poet's feelings when he sees the host of
golden?
72
Ans. The poet was thrilled to see a host of golden daffodils by the side of the lake
under the trees moving their heads in a joyful dance. They seemed to be dancing
like a human being expressing their energy and joy. When the poet saw the
flowers, his imagination travelled to another world to find a comparison. He was
reminded of the stars twinkling in the milky way at night. The long line of the
daffodils flowers bore comparison with the bright stars seen across the night sky.
42. Why does the poet say I gazed and gazed but a little thought / What wealth
that show to me had brought?
Ans. The poet was alone. He was moving about aimlessly over the high valleys
and hills watching the beautiful scenes of nature. Suddenly he saw a great
number of golden coloured flowers by the side of the lake under the trees moving
their heads in joyful dance. Waves in the lake by the side of the flowers were also
dancing but the daffodils flowers had outdone the waves in their expression of joy.
A poet is found to be happy in such a joyful company of the dancing flowers and
the waves. In sheer delight and surprise he could not decide what kind of joy this
sight has brought for him. He could perhaps gazed the pleasure of the present
moment but he could not imagine how again and again in future he would recall
and relive this experience.
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Short Notes
1. Nature : A Source of Eternal Joy:
Ans. The poem brings home the idea that nature is a source of eternal joy. Nature
is full of beauty that captivates us all the time. The beautiful objects of nature-
flowers, plants, mountains, lakes, stars, the sun, the moon, so on and so forth -- fill
our minds with pleasure. In the poem 'Daffodils', it is the beautiful scene of the
golden daffodils that mesmerized the poet. The daffodils, growing near the lake
appeared to be tossing their heads in a gentle breeze, as if in a dance and the
poet realized.
He continued to gaze at the beautiful sight, the real worth of which he realized
73
only when he was removed far from it. He comes to realize that nature has the
ability to soothe and delight us flashes across his mind, and he feels as is his
heart were dancing in joy with the dancing daffodils.
2. Nature's Healing Power:
Ans. This poem shows how nature has the power to heal our stressed soul. If we
care to turn to nature, we are amazed to find wonderful sights, such as the one
described in the poem 'Daffodils'.
The memory of the scene of golden daffodils fills the poet's mind with joy. His
heart begins to dance with the daffodils. He forgets his sadness or loneliness. It is,
of course, in solitude that human mind captures the things already seen. The poet
wants to emphasize that nature is a source of eternal joy to man.
The concluding stanza makes it clear that a beautiful sight in nature is capable
of removing any stress and gloom from our minds. The poet says that whenever
he is in a sad or idle mood the beautiful scene of daffodils fills his mind with
pleasure. This is what we feel in the lap of nature. By just looking at the starry sky,
the rising or setting sun, a garden birds and trees, we forget all our weals and
woes.
3. Summary of the Poem 'Daffodils':
Ans. In the beginning, the poet describes himself as a cloud that floats over the
hills. Suddenly, his eyes fell upon a large 'belt' of daffodils by the side of the lake.
They were sheltered under growing trees. A gentle breeze made these golden-
coloured flowers wave and dance.
The poet feels that the daffodils were as numerous as the stars that shine and
twinkle in the Milky Way. They were spread in a long line on the bank of the lake.
The poet saw many of them moving their heads as if they were dancing and
rejoicing.
The poet observes that the waves on the surface of the lake seemed to be
dancing. But the dance of daffodils surpassed their dance in liveliness. The poet
feels that no poet can help feeling delighted in the presence of such delighted
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companions. He continued to gaze at the beautiful scene. He was so lost in its
beauty that he could hardly realize its worth then. He realized its worth only when
he was away from the sight.
The memory of the scene of golden daffodils fills the poet's mind with joy. His
heart begins to dance with the daffodils. He forgets his sadness or loneliness. It is,
of course, its solitude that human mind captures the things already seen. The poet
wants to emphasize that nature is a source of eternal joy to man.
4. Daffodils:
Ans. A great lover of nature, William Wordsworth, had once wandered aimlessly
just like a cloud floats in the sky. He had suddenly come across countless golden
daffodils by the side of a lake. Those golden daffodils were fluttering and dancing
in the air, appearing like stars twinkling in the sky. They made as if they were
dancing in a frenzy.
The poet compares the golden daffodils with the stars that shine and twinkle in
the sky. The poet feels the number of the daffodils as never-ending as the stars in
the Milky Way.
The waves of the lake are also dancing but the dance of the daffodils surpassed
the dance of the waves in happiness. The poet is wonderfully delighted in such a
pleasant company. According to the poet, he could scarcely realize that he was
collecting a treasure in his mind.
As time went on the poet found himself in the vacant or pensive mood but the
beautiful sight of the golden daffodils began appearing in his mind and that
recollection filled the poet's heart with extraordinary delight.
======================================================================

Poem: 3 The Felling of the Banyan Tree by Dilip Chitre

About the Poet:
Dilip Chitre (1938-2009) was a teacher, painter, film maker and magazine
columnist. A winner of the Sahitya Akadami Award, Chitre lived and taught in
75
Ethiopia and the U.S.A. He was a bilingual writer, writing mostly in Marathi. His
major translations from Marathi into English include the 1968 collection An
Anthology of Marathi Poetry (1945-1965), and Says Tuka (1991). Exile, alienation,
self-disintegration and death are major themes in Chitre's poetry. His poems
reflect a cosmopolitan culture and urban sensibility, and use oblique expressions
and ironic tones to explore the vicissitudes ચડતી-઩ડતી of urban life.
About the Poem:
As the title suggests, this poem depicts the cutting down of a banyan tree in the
speaker's ancestral house. Through this act, the poet explores themes such as
family, roots and relocation.
The poem begins with movement: tenants are forced to vacate the premises
and trees are cut down and taken away. It is the old and large banyan tree which
acts as a symbol of immobility. Everything in its description implies stability,
including the aerial roots that droop from the branches to hold it to the ground. As
the tree is destroyed, the theme of movement emerges with 'insects and birds'
abandoning the tree. Chopping the tree's bark reveals its 'rings of two hundred
years' and 'a raw mythology' for the family. The felling of the banyan tree seems to
signify the separation from one's roots -- a movement to a different and more
modern atmosphere, as signified by the speaker and his family moving away from
Baroda to Mumbai.
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My father told the tenants to leave
Who lived in the houses surrounding our house on the hill
One by one the structures were demolished
Only our own house remained and the trees
Trees are sacred my grandmother used to say
Felling them is a crime but he massacred them all
76
 The sheoga, the audumber, the neem were all cut down
But the huge banyan tree stood like a problem
Whose roots lay deeper than all our lives
My father ordered it to be removed
The banyan tree was three times as tall as our house
Its trunk had a circumference of fifty feet
Its scraggly aerial roots fell to the ground
From thirty feet or more so first they cut the branches
Sawing them off for seven days and the heap was huge
Insects and birds began to leave the tree
And then they came to its massive trunk
Fifty men with axes chopped and chopped
The great tree revealed its rings of two hundred years
We watched in terror and fascination this slaughter
As a raw mythology revealed to us its age
Soon afterwards we left Baroda for Bombay
Where there are no trees except the one
Which grows and seethes in one's dreams,
Its aerial roots looking for ground to strike.
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Glossary:
fell: here, to cut down

77
massacre: to kill in a deliberate and ruthless manner
circumference : here, the boundary of something which has a circular shape
scraggly: lacking neatness or order, uneven
aerial roots: tree roots dropping down to earth
saw: here, to use a hand tool with a thin, sharp serrated blade to cut through wood
fascination: a very strong attraction
slaughter: savage and excessive killing
seethe: to be in an agitated emotional state, to move about widely and roughly
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Poem 3 The Felling of the Banyan Tree Textual QA
Q.1 Answer the following questions in about 50 to 100 words each.
1. Describe the setting of the poem.
Ans. The setting of the poem is the poet's father's ancestral house. There were
many tenants in the house. They were told to leave their houses. Many trees were
cut down. A huge banyan tree and the poet's house were last to be demolished.
The tree was also cut down at last. Then the poet's family left Baroda and went to
Bombay. The poet had the tree only in his dreams. He could not forget the
slaughter of the banyan tree.
2. What did the family watch happen 'in terror and fascination'?
Ans. The family watched 'in terror and fascination' the slaughter which means
felling of the banyan tree.
3. What did the grandmother say to try and dissuade કોઈ કાયા ન કરવા સમજાવવ ં the
father from felling all the trees?
Ans. The poet's grandmother was a religious lady. She regarded the trees as
sacred. According to her, the act of felling such useful and sacred trees was a
crime. She dissuades the father not to cut the trees. There are many legends
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surrounding the sheoga, the oudumber, the neem and most of all the banyan tree.
These are considered mythologically relevant and holy in Hinduism. Old folk who
are deeply religious consider it sin to cut down these trees as they are to be
worshipped according to the Holy Scriptures. They even say that if one brings
neem or peepal down by felling them they are cursed with ill fate. There are plenty
of stories in our mythology that fear and plague our society with as many
superstitions as possible. Thus, the poet is merely trying to convey the fears and
religious beliefs of old folk like his granny.
4. What is meant by the words 'raw mythology'?
Ans. The Banyan tree is a mythological one, and when his grandmother calls it
along with the other trees to be sacred. A religious sentiment is brought out in not
just the poet but the reader as well. When the tree is slaughtered on the orders of
the poet‟s father, a mystery is revealed. First the scraggy aerial roots were brought
down unleashing age old trunk that had a circumference of fifty feet. It was a tree
that had witnessed ages and held all the knowledge knotted inside. When it was
brought down it felt as if all the mythology was revealed to the poet. The darkness
and the concealed, the enlightenment it has secreted away since so long. The
reasons and the answers to all the logic all was beheld by the tree and now was
slaughtered.
5. Explain the significance of the insects and birds leaving the tree.
Ans. The huge banyan tree was a home for many insects and birds. When it was
being cut down, they left the tree. Insects and birds began to leave the banyan
tree because the felling of the tree destroyed their nests, they were afraid of the
axes and the loud noise of the workers.
Q.2 Answer the following questions in about 150 to 200 words each.
1. How was the banyan tree different from the other trees? How does the poet
describe the tree?
Ans. The poet is impressed by the banyan trees' huge figure as he says, “the
great tree revealed its rings of two hundred years”. The physical description of the
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banyan tree carves an image of an enigma. The tree‟s aerial roots dangling from
above to reach out to the ground. They are the proof of all the years and decades
the tree has lived. It is a tough tree and it takes more than usual effort to bring it
down. And when it happens, all watched it fall in terror and fascination, the
slaughter of the age old banyan tree. It feels as if a raw mythology was revealed it
age to the poet and his folk.
2. What is the significance of the last four lines of the poem? How does it relate to
the rest of the poem?
Ans. The last four lines are as follows:
"Soon afterwards we left Baroda for Bombay
Where there are no trees except the one
Which grows and seethes in one's dreams,
Its aerial roots looking for ground to strike."
In the climax of the poem, the poet with his family moved to Bombay. There,
the poet sees banyan tree. The memory of the banyan tree in his own garden
rushes to him. And now that the tree in reality is dead, for his father brought it
down, the poet carries its memories in his faded dreams. The poet personifies the
banyan tree by saying that this tree is the one that grows in one‟s dreams, i.e., in
poet‟s dreams. There in the dreams, the tree seethes, i.e., boils. It is to be
considered for why the poet has used the second term. Is it possible that the tree
is in anguish, because it was brought down, and thus it boils in anger while it
grows in the poet‟s dreams though dead in reality.
3. What is the attitude of the speaker towards the cutting down of the banyan
tree? What lines and words in the poem reveal this?
Ans. The poet had learned from his grandmother and believed that the trees are
sacred and they must not be cut down. His grandmother had always taught them
to love and respect the trees. Yet, his father ignored grandmother's teachings and

80
felled down the tree. Poet did not like his father's ghastly act of cutting down the
tree. These lines revealed the poet's feelings towards the tree.
“Its scraggy aerial roots fell to the ground”
“Sawing them off for seven days and the heap was huge”
“Insects and birds began to leave the tree”
“Fifty men with axes chopped and chopped”
“We watched in terror and fascination this slaughter”.
======================================================================
SQ
1. What revealed the age of the banyan tree?
Ans. The rings in the trunk of the giant tree revealed its age.
2. How would you save the natural habitat of wildlife?
Ans. By avoiding the cutting of trees I would save the natural habitat of wildlife.
Because trees are not only home to birds and insects, but they also provide food
and shelter to the wild animals.
3. Find from this extract an example of Repetition.
Ans. Fifty men with axes chopped and chopped.
4. Pick out any two lines from the extract showing pictorial quality of human action.
Ans. (i) sawing them off for seven days and the heap was huge.
(ii) Fifty men with axes chopped and chopped.
5. Why were the tenants asked to leave their houses?
Ans. The tenants were asked to leave their houses because one by one their
houses were demolished.
6. What, according to the grandmother, is a crime?
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Ans. The poet's grandmother used to say that the trees are sacred and felling
them is a crime.
7. 'But the huge banyan tree stood like a problem'. Identify and explain the figures
of speech.
Ans. Simile: As two dissimilar things the banyan tree and a problem is directly
compared by using a word like.
8. What did the poet's father do with the trees?
Ans. The poet's father massacred all the trees.
9. Why did the poet's father want to demolish the old structures?
Ans. The poet's father wanted to demolish the old structures around in his house
because he wanted to use the space for development.
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LQ
1. Give a brief introduction of Dilip Chitre.
Ans. Dilip Chitre (1938) was born in Baroda. He writes poetry both in Marathi and
English. Travelling in a Cage, from which the poem selected here has been taken,
was published in 1980. Apart from poetry, Chitre has also written short stories and
critical essays. An Anthology of Marathi Poetry 1945-1965 is one of his most
important works of translation. He sees poetry as an expression of the spirit. He
lives and works in Mumbai.
2. How has the poet indicated that his father had done something he did not like?
Ans. The poet had learned from his grandmother and believed that the trees are
sacred and they must not be cut down. His grandmother had always taught them
to love and respect the trees. Yet, his father ignored grandmother's teachings and
felled down the tree. Poet did not like his father's ghastly act of cutting down the
tree.
3. Why did the banyan tree a problem?
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Ans. It was very easy for the woodcutters to cut down the trees like the sheoga,
the oudumber and the neem which were comparatively smaller trees. But the
banyan tree was a problem because it was massive. It was very tall and huge, and
had spread over large area.
4. Describe the huge Banyan tree in your own words.
Ans. The banyan tree was tall, huge and attractive. It stood in front of the poet's
house. It was three times as tall as the poet's house. Its huge trunk had a
circumference of about fifty feet. Its slim aerial roots struck the ground from the
height of about thirty feet. It housed many insects and birds. The poet loved that
tree.
5. What was a crime according to the grandmother?
Ans. The poet's grandmother was a religious lady. She regarded the trees as
sacred. According to her, the act of felling such useful and sacred trees was a
crime.
6. Which trees were cut down first?
Ans. Along with the huge banyan tree, there stood some smaller trees too. The
trees like the sheoga, the oudumber, the neem etc. were cut down first as they
were smaller in size than the huge banyan.
7. How was the Banyan tree cut down at last?
Ans. The felling of the banyan tree was a challenge for the woodcutters. Fifty
woodcutters were required to fell it down. They went on chopping the branches for
seven days. First, they chopped off the aerial roots and branches. At last, they
chopped off the massive trunk.
8. What was the effect of felling of the banyan tree on insects and birds?
Ans. The huge and massive banyan tree was the inhabitant of many insects and
birds. The poor creatures had to go away from that place when the banyan tree
was being felled.

83
9. Where does the banyan tree still exist?
Ans. No physical traces of the banyan tree were left behind. But the banyan tree
continues to exist in the memory the poet. He can see it growing in his dreams.
10. ‟Whose roots lay deeper than our lives‟ – what aspect of human behaviour
does this line reflect?
Ans. A banyan tree‟s life cycle is a unique one, it grows as an epiphany. It may
live for more than 200 years or even 400-450 years. In contrast an average
human life is of 70-80 years. It is clearly visible that one banyan alone may survive
generations of humans. Banyan has strangled roots knotted in its trunk that grow
for centuries. It transcends human life and rolls and grows with the knowledge that
it witnesses all the while. The poet has subtly juxtaposed a human life to that of a
banyan. For all its mythical hugeness that makes it an enigma a human is thrown
into utter bewilderment and surprise for all the knowledge that it secrets away
inside its vast trunk, which grows with its aerial roots that grow to reach the
ground. They resemble the lives that it has lived again and again witnessing all the
human lives that descended and perished with time standing tall and erect.
11. Identify the lines that reveal the critical tone of the poet towards the felling of
the tree.
Ans. There are many expressions in the poem that reveal the critical tone of the
poet towards the felling of the tree:
“Its scraggy aerial roots fell to the ground”
“Sawing them off for seven days and the heap was huge”
“Insects and birds began to leave the tree”
“Fifty men with axes chopped and chopped”
“We watched in terror and fascination this slaughter”
12. Identify the words that help you understand the nature of the poet‟s father.

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Ans. There are many words in the poem that help one understand the nature of
the poet‟s father. The father was a much practical man. Probably because the
whole family was moving to Bombay, the father got all the trees removed and the
surrounding property demolished. He was not an emotional man but a man of
actions.
"My father told the tenants to leave"
“but he massacred them all”
“My father ordered it to be removed”
13. 'No trees except the one which grows and seethes in one‟s dreams‟- why is
the phrase „grows and seethes‟ used?
Ans. In the climax of the poem, the poet with his family moved to Baroda. There,
the poet sees banyan tree. The memory of the banyan tree in his own garden
rushes to him. And now that the tree in reality is dead, for his father brought it
down, the poet carries its memories in his faded dreams. The poet personifies the
banyan tree by saying that this tree is the one that grows in one‟s dreams, i.e., in
poet‟s dreams. There in the dreams, the tree seethes, i.e., boils. It is to be
considered for why the poet has used the second term. Is it possible that the tree
is in anguish, because it was brought down, and thus it boils in anger while it
grows in the poet‟s dreams though dead in reality.
14. Comment on the contemporary concern that the poem echoes.
Ans. Poet is concerned about the pace with which the traditions are changing and
are affected by modern notions. The value attached to the trees in earlier times is
not of concern to people living in modern society. The old cultural values are
breaking free giving way to western science and studies. The religious values that
were inculcated in a child from her/his childhood are payed no heed. Life is busy
and is consuming not just our time and space but our lifestyle. The moral values
our tradition was raised on are now treated as bygones. The poet wonders at the
change our society is undergoing and has written the poem on it.
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Change the voice: 500 Sentences
Ex. 1
1. The sweet dish was not eaten.
Ans. She did not eat the sweet dish.
2. This car is driven with a robot.
Ans. A robot drives this car.
3. All the bottles of cold-drinks have been drunk.
Ans. They have drunk all the bottles of cold-drinks.
4. A rat can be drawn easily.
Ans. We can draw a rat easily.
5. Roma's homework is never done in time.
Ans. Roma never does her homework in time.
6. A big tunnel was being dug in the field.
Ans. They were digging a big tunnel in the field.
7. In the days of monsoon, tall trees in our city are being cut down.
Ans. In the days of monsoon, they are cutting down tall trees in our city.
8. Some of the chain-snatchers have been caught by the police.
Ans. The police have caught some of the chain-snatchers.
9. All the listed goods have been bought.
86
Ans. I have bought all the listed goods.
10. The house next to mine was being rebuilt.
Ans. They were rebuilding the house next to mine.
11. This programme is being broadcast all over the world.
Ans. They are broadcasting this programme all over the world.
12. The window has been broken.
Ans. Someone has broken the window.
13. Megha was bitten by a dog yesterday.
Ans. A dog bit Megha yesterday.
14. He was beaten up last week.
Ans. They beat up him last week.
15. Politics is not taught in our college.
Ans. We do not teach Politics in our college.
16. 'King Lear' was written by Shakespeare.
Ans. Shakespeare wrote 'King Lear'.
17. Everything that had been overheard by you was not truth.
Ans. Everything that you had overheard was not truth.
18. Everything is going to be forgotten soon after they depart.
Ans. We are going to forget everything soon after they depart.
19. Bhikhu has not been given the money.
Ans. They have not given the money to Bhikhu.
20. This secret had not been known for years.
Ans. We had not known this secret for years.

87
21. It is said that learning English is easy.
Ans. People say that learning English is easy.
22. Jiya and Lara were not misled.
Ans. They did not mislead Jiya and Lara.
23. Our horses are well fed.
Ans. We feed our horses well.
24. Rohit and Mohit were hurt in an accident.
Ans. Someone hurt Rohit and Mohit in an accident.
25. The battles for liberation had been fought.
Ans. They had fought the battles for liberation.
26. The best solution of this problem will be found as soon as possible.
Ans. We will find the best solution of this problem as soon as possible.
27. Mr Patel has not been given any instruction.
Ans. They have not given any instruction to Mr Patel.
28. The painting of M.F. Husain is being sent to a famous museum.
Ans. They are sending the painting of M.F. Husain to a famous museum.
29. The stolen bike was left in the ditch.
Ans. Someone left the stolen bike in the ditch.
30. The treasure must have been hidden.
Ans. They must have hidden the treasure.
31. What you have done to me cannot be forgiven.
Ans. I cannot forgive what you have done to me.
32. Thirty more people were laid off last week.

88
Ans. The company laid off thirty more people last week.
33. The protesters at Ramlila Maidan were being held back by the police.
Ans. The police were holding back the protesters at Ramlila Maidan.
34. The old theatre is being pulled down.
Ans. They are pulling down the old theatre.
35. The keys must have been left behind.
Ans. I must have left the keys behind.
36. The criminal was locked up.
Ans. They locked up the criminal.
37. The candle was blown out by the wind.
Ans. The wind blew out the candle.
38. Whatever happened with Mrs Tendulkar has never been heard of.
Ans. We have never heard of whatever happened with Mrs Tendulkar.
39. Miss Basu was let off with a fine.
Ans. They let off Miss Basu with a fine.
40. The poor old man was knocked down by a bus.
Ans. A bus knocked down the poor old man.
41. Nothing can be held against me.
Ans. You cannot hold anything against me.
42. My bank loan will be paid off in five years.
Ans. I shall pay off my bank loan in five years.
43. A proposal was put forward for discussion.
Ans. They put forward a proposal for discussion.

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44. A story of fake encounter of the terrorist will be made up.
Ans. They will make up a story of fake encounter of the terrorist.
45. As many as 1000 employees were kicked out.
Ans. The company kicked out as many as 1000 employees.
46. A plan to stop drug trafficking had been drawn up before they started the
campaign.
Ans. They had drawn up a plan to stop drug trafficking before they started the
campaign.
47. A ten year old school boy was run over by a bus as he was crossing the road.
Ans. A bus ran over a ten year old school boy as he was crossing the road.
48. His confidence will be built up by this bright result.
Ans. This bright result will build up his confidence.
49. My friends have been done in by all that exercise.
Ans. All that exercise has done in my friends.
50. I am being caught up by the other students of English.
Ans. The other students of English are catching up me.
51. Many faults can be found with him.
Ans. She can find many faults with him.
52. More and more farmland is being eaten up.
Ans. They are eating up more and more farmland.
53. Most of the land in the area has been bought up by property developers.
Ans. Property developers have bought up most of the land in the area.
54. One of the other prisoners was beaten up.

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Ans. They beat up one of the other prisoners.
55. Farsaan has been cut out from my diet.
Ans. I have cut out Farsaan from my diet.
56. Jesica is being brought up in a friendly atmosphere.
Ans. They are bringing up Jesica in a friendly atmosphere.
57. Rina's engagement was broken off just two days before the wedding.
Ans. Rina broke off her engagement just two days before the wedding.
58. The national library had been blown up by the terrorists.
Ans. The terrorists had blown up the national library.
59. Various political parties will be called on to stop fighting.
Ans. They will call on various political parties to stop fighting.
60. The road outside my house is being dug up by RMC.
Ans. RMC is digging up the road outside my house.
61. The central government could be brought down by this scandal.
Ans. This scandal could bring down the central government.
62. Unemployment must be dealt with by the government.
Ans. The government must deal with unemployment.
63. A good film was shown in the cinema yesterday.
Ans. They showed a good film in the cinema yesterday.
64. Are you sure the door has been shut?
Ans. Are you sure you have shut the door?
65. Such types of things must not be thrown out in the waste.
Ans. We must not throw out such types of things in the waste.

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66. Chinese is going to be taught in this college.
Ans. They are going to teach Chinese in this college.
67. Everything is being swept diligently.
Ans. They are sweeping everything diligently.
68. An army man was shot in crossfire.
Ans. They shot an army man in crossfire.
69. His English can easily be understood.
Ans. We can easily understand his English.
70. His mother had not been told about the accident before you mentioned it.
Ans. We had not told his mother about the accident before you mentioned it.
71. Shailesh was woken up by the alarm clock at 6 o'clock.
Ans. The alarm clock woke up Shailesh at 6 o'clock.
72. Many well-known songs are being sung at this competition.
Ans. They are singing many well-known songs at this competition.
73. Mr Kotak was sworn in as the mayor.
Ans. They swore in Mr Kotak as the mayor.
74. Nothing more can be written about my love for you, my love.
Ans. I can write nothing more about my love for you, my love.
75. Our cars were not taken by traffic police.
Ans. Traffic police did not take our cars.
76. The bottle of aerated drinks should not be shaken.
Ans. We should not shake the bottle of aerated drinks.
77. The class were split up into groups of five.

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Ans. They split up the class into groups of five.
78. The jewellery was stolen.
Ans. Someone stole the jewellery.
79. The paper was stuck on the window.
Ans. Someone stuck the paper on the window.
80. The plaster was being torn down off the wall when we arrived.
Ans. They were tearing down the plaster off the wall when we arrived.
81. Too much money is being spent on the army by Russia.
Ans. Russia is spending too much money on the army.
82. We were held up in the traffic.
Ans. Something held up us in the traffic.
83. This song has been known for years.
Ans. We have known this song for years.
84. The tables were laid.
Ans. They laid the tables.
85. Children must be left to do what they want to.
Ans. We must leave children to do what they want to.
86. The books were laid on the table.
Ans. We laid the books on the table.
87. They put out all the candles that had been lit.
Ans. All the candles that they had lit were put out.
88. The passport is an important document. It must not be lost.
Ans. The passport is an important document. We must not lose it.

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89. A decision must be made today.
Ans. We must make a decision today.
90. I had at least that much money that the bills could be paid.
Ans. I had at least that much money that I could pay the bills.
91. The message has been read out loud.
Ans. They have read out the message loud.
92. The bells would be rung if they could.
Ans. They would ring the bells if they could.
93. The old dog was run over by a lorry.
Ans. A lorry ran over the old dog.
94. It is said to be important.
Ans. People say it to be important.
95. Some products can hardly be sold.
Ans. They can hardly sell some products.
96. Rest assure. Your parcel will be sent today.
Ans. Rest assure. We will send your parcel today.
97. All the clocks were set forward.
Ans. They set forward all the clocks.
98. This dress has been chosen for Neha's wedding.
Ans. They have chosen this dress for Neha's wedding.
99. The cover of the car was blown away by the wind.
Ans. The wind blew away the cover of the car.
100. The matter decided in the meeting could not be kept secret.

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Ans. They could not keep the matter decided in the meeting secret.
Ex. 2
1. The Hindus read the Ramayana.
Ans. The Ramayana is read by the Hindus.
2. Does Sachin like English movies?
Ans. Are English movies liked by Sachin?
3. Have they constructed the bridge?
Ans. Has the bridge been constructed by them?
4. Post this letter at once.
Ans. Let this letter be posted at once. OR
You are ordered to post this letter at once.
5. It is time to say the prayer.
Ans. It is time for the prayer to be said.
6. Krishna plays the flute.
Ans. The flute is played by Krishna.
7. The news surprised me.
Ans. I was surprised by the news.
8. She has promised him a bicycle.
Ans. He has been promised a bicycle by her. OR
A bicycle has been promised to him by her.
9. Parthiv teaches the 'Bhagvad Gita'.
Ans. 'The Bhagvad Gita' is taught by Parthiv.
10. People say that honesty is the best policy.

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Ans. It is said that honesty is the best policy.
11. Chocolates are liked by children.
Ans. Children like chocolates.
12. He was cheated by the people.
Ans. People cheated him.
13. That letter has been written by her.
Ans. She has written that letter.
14. Sugar is sold by the grocer.
Ans. The grocer sells sugar.
15. Students will be helped by the principal.
Ans. The principal will help students.
16. Letters were being written by them.
Ans. They were writing letters.
17. The book is kept in the bag by her.
Ans. She keeps the book in her bag.
18. I shall write a love story.
Ans. A love story will be written by me.
19. Meena is washing her clothes.
Ans. Meena's clothes are being washed by her.
20. The police caught the thief.
Ans. The thief was caught by the police.
21. Does Leena sing a song?
Ans. Is a song sung by Leena?

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22. Birds build nests.
Ans. Nests are built by birds.
23. She completed the journal.
Ans. The journal was completed by her.
24. All trust an honest man.
Ans. An honest man is trusted by all.
25. He cut it.
Ans. It was cut by him.
26. He gives me ten rupees a day.
Ans. I am given ten rupees a day by him. OR
Ten rupees are given to me a day by him.
27. Who broke this glass?
Ans. By whom was this glass broken?
28. A poor boy was given a piece of bread?
Ans. They gave a poor boy a piece of bread.
29. Please, get down from the bus.
Ans. You are requested to get down from the bus.
30. Urvi has done her work sincerely.
Ans. Urvi's work has been done sincerely by her.
31. Do you know Mr Shah?
Ans. Is Mr Shah known to you?
32. A frog never drinks water.
Ans. Water is never drunk by a frog.

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33. Our nation is built by great people.
Ans. Great people build our nation.
34. I want to take breakfast.
Ans. I want breakfast to be taken.
35. The tea pot contains tea.
Ans. Tea is contained in the tea pot.
36. It is believed that the earth is round.
Ans. People believe that the earth is round.
37. The principal has promised us a holiday.
Ans. A holiday has been promised to us by the principal. OR
We have been promised a holiday by the principal.
38. They have offered me a job at the bank.
Ans. I have been offered a job at the bank by them. OR
A job has been offered to me at the bank by them.
39. No one had ever dreamt of such a tragedy.
Ans. Such a tragedy had never been dreamt of by any one.
40. His words can't be depended upon.
Ans. We can't depend upon his words.
41. Where did you find the purse?
Ans. Where was the purse found by you?
42. I saw him opening the box.
Ans. He was seen opening the box by me.
43. Let these men be released.

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Ans. Release these men.
44. Finish this job in a week's time.
Ans. Let this job be finished in a week's time.
45. It is known that he is innocent.
Ans. All know that he is innocent.
46. I want him to do this work.
Ans. I want this work to be done by him.
47. Please do not create a nuisance here.
Ans. You are requested not to create a nuisance here.
48. Having closed the shop, the shopkeeper went home.
Ans. The shop having been closed, the shopkeeper went home.
49. Do the scientists understand everything about life?
Ans. Is everything about life understood by the scientists?
50. It is time to dry up the clothes.
Ans. It is time for the clothes to be dried up.
51. Are you solving your paper of English today?
Ans. Is your paper of English being solved by you today?
52. The servant opened the door.
Ans. The door was opened by the servant.
53. The teacher asked many questions.
Ans. Many questions were asked by the teacher.
54. Mother washes our clothes.
Ans. Our clothes are washed by mother.

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55. The watchman is closing the gate.
Ans. The gate is being closed by the watchman.
56. Father will drive the car.
Ans. The car will be driven by father.
57. This boy has painted the picture.
Ans. The picture has been painted by this boy.
58. The landlord was building a wall.
Ans. A wall was being built by the landlord.
59. The policeman had arrested the thief by that time.
Ans. The thief had been arrested by the policeman by that time.
60. The cruel master has punished them.
Ans. They have been punished by the cruel master.
61. The peon will deliver the letters this evening.
Ans. The letters will be delivered by the peon this evening.
62. The waves are tossing about the boat.
Ans. The boat is being tossed about by the waves.
63. The teacher is guiding the boys.
Ans. The boys are being guided by the teacher.
64. The noise has frightened the horse.
Ans. The horse has been frightened by the noise.
65. The heavy rains had destroyed all crops.
Ans. All crops had been destroyed by the heavy rains.
66. Sheetal has invited us to dinner tomorrow.

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Ans. We have been invited to dinner by Sheetal tomorrow.
66. Am I disturbing you?
Ans. Are you being disturbed by me?
68. My parents love me.
Ans. I am loved by my parents.
69. Do you need money?
Ans. Is money needed by you?
70. Who makes these programmes?
Ans. By whom are these programmes made?
71. A bus knocked him down.
Ans. He was knocked down by a bus.
72. Did the maid break the jug?
Ans. Was the jug broken by the maid?
73. How did you catch the thief?
Ans. How was the thief caught by you?
74. Will you help me?
Ans. Shall I be helped by you?
75. Are they calling me?
Ans. Am I being called by them?
76. The policeman is watching us.
Ans. We are being watched by the policeman.
77. Why were they beating the boys?
Ans. Why were the boys being beaten by them?

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78. A young girl was picking flowers.
Ans. Flowers were being picked by a young girl.
79. We have won the match.
Ans. The match has been won by us.
80. Has she learnt the speech?
Ans. Has the speech been learnt by her?
81. We had finished the work before sunset.
Ans. The work had been finished by us before sunset.
82. The parrot has learnt many new words.
Ans. Many new words have been learnt by the parrot.
83. When does she sing a prayer?
Ans. When is a prayer sung by her?
84. I am to visit the Taj Mahal tomorrow.
Ans. The Taj Mahal is to be visited by me tomorrow.
85. Do this work carefully.
Ans. Let this work be done carefully.
86. The teacher made him stand for an hour.
Ans. He was made to stand for an hour by the teacher.
87. Mr Homes refuses the case.
Ans. The case is refused by Mr Holmes.
88. Dr Watson invites Sir Henry for dinner.
Ans. Sir Henry is invited for dinner by Dr Watson.
89. John beats his wife.

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Ans. His wife is beaten by John.
90. China helps Shri Lanka financially.
Ans. Shri Lanka is helped financially by China.
91. Bina is cleaning the room.
Ans. The room is being cleaned by Bina.
92. Alia is not helping Nitu.
Ans. Nitu is not being helped by Alia.
93. He is repairing the window.
Ans. The window is being repaired by him.
94. Majnubhai is painting an accident scene.
Ans. An accident scene is being painted by Majnubhai.
95. Is Mr Bean painting the fence?
Ans. Is the fence being painted by Mr Bean?
96. Ranabir has scolded his wife.
Ans. His wife has been scolded by Ranabir.
97. The hound did not catch him.
Ans. He was not caught by the hound.
98. Did you repair my TV?
Ans. Was my TV repaired by you?
99. Did she hurt his feelings?
Ans. Were his feelings hurt by her?
100. Didn't you win the prize?
Ans. Wasn't the prize won by you?

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Ex. 3
1. The cook has made my lunch.
Ans. My lunch has been made by the cook.
2. I haven't spoiled the soup.
Ans. The soup hasn't been spoiled by me.
3. Gandhiji has taught the truth.
Ans. The truth has been taught by Gandhiji.
4. She has done this job.
Ans. This job has been done by her.
5. She has selected a blue dress.
Ans. A blue dress has been selected by her.
6. I was repairing my car.
Ans. My car was being repaired by me.
7. They were making a new bridge.
Ans. A new bridge was being made by them.
8. She was writing a novel.
Ans. A novel was being written by her.
9. Where was he playing chess?
Ans. Where was chess being played by him?
10. Who was distributing sweets?
Ans. By whom were sweets being distributed?
11. She has insulted me.
Ans. I have been insulted by her.

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12. He has confessed the crime.
Ans. The crime has been confessed by him.
13. Bindu has seen the dead body.
Ans. The dead body has been seen by Bindu.
14. Have you got the news?
Ans. Has the news been got by you?
15. She has completed her work.
Ans. Her work has been completed by her.
16. Thieves had stolen a lot of valuables.
Ans. A lot of valuables had been stolen by thieves.
17. She had removed my doubts.
Ans. My doubts had been removed by her.
18. Had all the girls purchased the text books?
Ans. Had the text books been purchased by all the girls?
19. My visit had surprised him.
Ans. He had been surprised by my visit.
20. The policeman had beaten the thief.
Ans. The thief had been beaten by the police.
21. The students will not burn the bus.
Ans. The bus will not be burnt by the students.
22. He should help her.
Ans. She should be helped by him.
23. The nuclear war will destroy the world.

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Ans. The world will be destroyed by the nuclear war.
24. She will have finished her job.
Ans. Her job will have been finished by her.
25. I shall have passed my exam.
Ans. My exam will have been passed by me.
26. We must obey the laws of the country.
Ans. The laws of the country must be obeyed by us.
27. I could not find my purse.
Ans. My purse could not be found by me.
28. You ought not to buy an expensive car.
Ans. An expensive car ought not to be bought by you.
29. They might buy this flat.
Ans. This flat might be bought by them.
30. May God bless her with a son!
Ans. May she be blessed with a son by God!
31. Who may have done this mistake?
Ans. By whom may this mistake have been done?
32. Clothe your baby.
Ans. Let your baby be clothed.
33. Close the window.
Ans. Let the window be closed.
34. Sell this house off.
Ans. Let this house be sold off. OR

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This house should be sold off.
35. Let me buy a wrist-watch.
Ans. Let a wrist-watch be bought by me.
36. Do not disturb me.
Ans. I should not be disturbed. OR
You are warned not to disturb me.
37. Give up smoking.
Ans. Smoking should be given up. OR
You are advised to give up smoking.
38. Do not board a running train.
Ans. A running train should not be boarded. OR
You are advised not to board a running train.
39. Bring me a cup of coffee.
Ans. Let a cup of coffee be brought for me.
40. Let me taste this apple.
Ans. Let this apple be tasted by me.
41. My sister was helping me in arranging the files.
Ans. I was being helped in arranging the files by my sister.
42. Having completed his work, he went home.
Ans. His work having been completed, he went home.
43. Isha is making something.
Ans. Something is being made by Isha.
44. We are to take only vegetable soup.

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Ans. Only vegetable soup is to be taken by us.
45. Why are you disturbing the sleeping patients?
Ans. Why are the sleeping patients being disturbed by you?
46. Who is to post these letters?
Ans. By whom are these letters to be posted?
47. Don't reveal it to anybody.
Ans. You are suggested not to reveal it to anybody.
48. He may invite you all to lunch.
Ans. You all may be invited to lunch by him.
49. A teacher always keeps the students busy.
Ans. The students are always kept busy by a teacher.
50. It is now time to ring the bell.
Ans. It is now time for the bell to be rung.
51. Please be regular.
Ans. You are requested to be regular.
52. My father has advised me to seek your advice.
Ans. I have been advised by my father to seek your advice.
53. Do not insult the weak.
Ans. Let the weak not be insulted. OR
You are suggested not to insult the weak. OR
The weak should not be insulted.
54. Whom do you consider a sensible man?
Ans. Who is considered a sensible man by you?

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55. Can anybody build a house on sand?
Ans. Can a house be built on sand?
56. Why have you not bought a car?
Ans. Why has a car not been bought by you?
57. You should have informed me.
Ans. I should have been informed by you.
58. Had they paid money before they left the place?
Ans. Had money been paid by them before they left the place?
59. Let her draw a picture.
Ans. Let a picture be drawn by her.
60. Shailesh wrote that letter on 14th July.
Ans. That letter was written on 14th July by Shailesh.
61. What is going to be done by you?
Ans. What are you going to do?
62. I shall be delighted by her presence.
Ans. Her presence will delight me.
63. Let this chapter be finished first.
Ans. Finish this chapter first.
64. Much work has been left unfinished by Trupti.
Ans. Trupti has left much work unfinished.
65. It is now time for the previous chapter to be revised.
Ans. It is now time to revise the previous chapter.
66. Our surroundings ought to be kept tidy.

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Ans. We ought to keep our surroundings tidy.
67. By whom was your car being followed?
Ans. Who was following your car?
68. It is known to you all.
Ans. You all know it.
69. Why is a fool being dealt with by you?
Ans. Why are you dealing with a fool?
70. It is said that one can't satisfy all.
Ans. People say that one can't satisfy all.
71. A new scooter is to be bought by her next week.
Ans. She is to buy a new scooter next week.
72. A letter should have been written before he left Surat.
Ans. He should have written a letter before he left Surat.
73. Were the ghazals being sung by Jagjit Singh then?
Ans. Was Jagjit Singh singing the ghazals then?
74. An opportunity has been lost forever by him.
Ans. He has lost an opportunity forever.
75. Why am I being looked at by you?
Ans. Why are you looking at me?
76. Had she been more careful, the mirror might not have been broken.
Ans. Had she been more careful, she might not have broken the mirror.
77. I am loved by my mother.
Ans. My mother loves me.

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78. Which book is read regularly by you?
Ans. Which book do you read regularly?
79. Your lesson should be learnt by you.
Ans. You should learn your lesson.
80. An order for books has been placed by me.
Ans. I have placed an order for books.
81. Farmers use tractors and thrashers.
Ans. Tractors and thrashers are used by farmers.
82. A newspaper does not report on small events.
Ans. Small events are not reported by a newspaper.
83. Who conducts the GPSC exam?
Ans. By whom is the GPSC exam conducted?
84. Did Gandhiji agree to the British plan?
Ans. Was the British plan agreed to by Gandhiji?
85. How many people did the soldiers kill at Jalianwala Bag?
Ans. How many people were killed by the soldiers at Jalianwala Bag?
86. The post man clears this box three times.
Ans. This box is cleared three times by the postman.
87. Sweepers sweep this street every day.
Ans. This street is swept by sweepers every day.
88. Some people steal things from the mall.
Ans. Things are stolen from the mall.
89. The watchman called the police.

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Ans. The police were called by the watchman.
90. We left the purse in the hotel yesterday.
Ans. The purse was left in the hotel by us yesterday.
91. The court has fined Rs. 2000 to Vijay Malya.
Ans. Rs. 2000 has been fined to Vijay Malya by the court. OR
Vijay Malya has been fined Rs. 2000 by the court.
92. The cleaner may give the purse to the owner.
Ans. The purse may be given to the owner by the cleaner.
93. They threw away the rubbish in the morning.
Ans. The rubbish was thrown away by them in the morning.
94. A Japanese firm makes these television sets.
Ans. These television sets are made by a Japanese firm.
95. Everyone looked up to him.
Ans. He was looked up by everyone.
96. He can't repair your clock.
Ans. Your clock can't be repaired by him.
97. They didn't look after the children properly.
Ans. The children were not looked after properly by them.
98. Her story didn't take them in.
Ans. They were not taken in by her story.
99. She didn't introduce me to her mother.
Ans. I wasn't introduced to her mother by her.
100. The rich don't help the poor.

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Ans. The poor are not helped by the rich.
Ex. 4
1. Who brings notice to you?
Ans. By whom is notice brought to you?
2. What do you take in the morning?
Ans. What is taken by you in the morning?
3. From where did you buy it?
Ans. From where was it bought by you?
4. How many dresses did you buy last year?
Ans. How many dresses were bought by you last year?
5. Why did no one inform me of the change of plan?
Ans. Why was the change of the plan not informed to me?
6. Did the earthquake destroy the town?
Ans. Was the town destroyed by the earthquake?
7. Can we exchange the articles?
Ans. Can the article be exchanged by us?
8. Do you take tea in the afternoon?
Ans. Is tea taken by you in the afternoon?
9. Shall we prosecute trespassers?
Ans. Will trespassers be prosecuted by us?
10. Does he read the English newspaper daily?
Ans. Is the English newspaper read by him daily?
11. Wheat is grown in Gujarat.

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Ans. The farmers grow wheat in Gujarat.
12. Did the lions kill those deer?
Ans. Were those deer killed by the lions?
13. What can be done in this matter?
Ans. What can we do in this matter?
14. How will the Americans solve the problem of gun-culture?
Ans. How will the problem of gun-culture be solved by the Americans?
15. Someone has said that the show must go on.
Ans. It has been said that show must go on.
16. At any cost, I'll have to carry out this by this evening.
Ans. At any cost, this will have to be carried out by me by this evening.
17. They are setting up a media house there.
Ans. A media house is being set up there by them.
18. She picked up what he wanted to say.
Ans. What he wanted to say was picked up by her.
19. Go back to your room now.
Ans. You are ordered to go back to your room now.
20. I take this risk on your words.
Ans. This risk is taken on your words by me.
21. Please come back.
Ans. You are requested to come back.
22. People say that bell-bottom trousers have gone out of fashion.
Ans. It is said that bell-bottom trousers have gone out of fashion.

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23. Please point out what to do and what not to do.
Ans. You are requested to point out what to do and what not to do.
24. They will find out some way to get out of it.
Ans. Some way will be found out to get out of it by them.
25. Don't worry about her.
Ans. You are suggested not to worry about her.
26. He saw a crocodile coming up suddenly from the river.
Ans. A crocodile was seen coming up suddenly from the river by him.
27. You should make up your mind to solve this issue.
Ans. You should make up your mind for this issue to be solved.
28. Adani will take over that company.
Ans. That company will be taken over by Adani.
29. Come out of your room and enjoy the rain.
Ans. You are advised to come out of your room and enjoy the rain.
30. She has not received my letters yet.
Ans. My letters have not been received by her yet.
31. Why did the foreign investors sell the shares?
Ans. Why were the shares sold by the foreign investors?
32. When will you promote me as a manager?
Ans. When shall I be promoted as a manager by you?
33. How beautifully she coloured the picture!
Ans. How beautifully the picture was coloured by her!
34. How will she settle this problem?

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Ans. How will this problem be settled by her?
35. Who has designed this plan?
Ans. By whom has this plan been designed?
36. I'll undertake the situation now.
Ans. The situation will be undertaken by me now.
37. She may not accept his offer.
Ans. His offer may not be accepted by her.
38. How will you define it?
Ans. How will it be defined by you?
39. Describe the picture in ten sentences.
Ans. You are suggested to describe the picture in ten sentences. OR
Let the picture be described in ten sentences. OR
The picture should be described in ten sentences.
40. Shailesh has created ten WhatsApp groups named English World.
Ans. Ten WhatsApp groups named English World have been created by Shailesh.
41. After a long five years, the government took up the seventh pay commission
for college teachers.
Ans. After a long five years, the seventh pay commission for college teachers was
taken up by the government.
42. The sinners will be punished.
Ans. God will punish the sinners.
43. She accidently tore the sofa.
Ans. The sofa was accidently torn by her.
44. You should send someone to help her.
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Ans. Someone should be sent to help her by you.
45. Do not extinguish the candles.
Ans. Let the candles not be extinguished.
46. Let the truth be revealed.
Ans. Reveal the truth.
47. He quit the game.
Ans. The game was quitted by him.
48. Surrender your weapons.
Ans. You are ordered to surrender your weapons.
49. You ought not to abandon hope.
Ans. Hope ought not to be abandoned by you.
50. I will have my hair cut tomorrow.
Ans. I will have a barber cut my hair tomorrow.
51. The judge acquitted the man of his crime.
Ans. The man was acquitted of his crime by the judge.
52. Nina is making a bouquet of roses and lilies.
Ans. A bouquet of roses and lilies is being made by Nina.
53. People believe all that appear in newspapers.
Ans. All that appear in newspapers are believed by people.
54. The crows built a nest on the jackfruit tree.
Ans. A nest was built on the jackfruit tree by the crows.
55. My sister will cook dinner tonight.
Ans. Dinner will be cooked by my sister tonight.

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56. The teacher had prepared the students well for the test.
Ans. The students had been prepared well for the test by the teacher.
57. The man outside the store was ringing a bell.
Ans. A bell was being rung by the man outside the store.
58. Maya has left all the windows open.
Ans. All the windows have been left open by Maya.
59. They were carrying baskets of flowers and sweets.
Ans. Baskets of flowers and sweets were being carried by them.
60. You will have read the book by the time I return.
Ans. The book will have been read by you by the time I return.
61. Find the lost documents.
Ans. You are requested to find the lost documents. OR
Let the lost documents be found.
62. When did you read the story?
Ans. When was the story read by you?
63. Can you pay the tuition fees tomorrow?
Ans. Can the tuition fees be paid by you tomorrow?
64. Build a bridge across the river.
Ans. You are requested to build a bridge across the river. OR
Let a bridge be built across the river.
65. Does Lata read science fiction?
Ans. Is science fiction read by Lata?
66. Carry the injured to the ambulance.

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Ans. You are requested to carry the injured to the ambulance. OR
Let the injured be carried to the ambulance.
67. Will the rising water flood the fields?
Ans. Will the fields be flooded by the rising water?
68. When do they open the gate?
Ans. When is the gate opened by them?
69. Send presents to the bride.
Ans. You are requested to send presents to the bride. OR
Let the presents be sent to the bride.
70. Is the nurse dressing the wound?
Ans. Is the wound being dressed by the nurse?
71. The doctor will ask us many questions.
Ans. We will be asked many questions by the doctor. OR
Many questions will be asked to us by the doctor.
72. It was noticed that the attendance in the school was picking up.
Ans. We noticed that the attendance in the school was picking up
73. We can repair this toaster easily.
Ans. This toaster can be repaired easily by us.
74. A book on naturopathy is being published by the Ayurveda College.
Ans. The Ayurveda College is publishing a book on naturopathy.
75. The people in the auditorium saw a man running up to the stage.
Ans. A man was seen running up to the stage by the people in the auditorium.
76. The dogs have not been fed today.

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Ans. They have not fed the dogs today.
77. Everybody praises Timothy's illustrations.
Ans. Timothy's illustrations are praised by everybody.
78. The antique was stolen.
Ans. Someone stole the antique.
79. Can Bipin set up a meeting for us with the director?
Ans. Can a meeting for us be set up with the director by Bipin?
80. Women are still denied the right to vote in some parts of the world.
Ans. Government still denies women the right to vote in some parts of the world.
81. John repaired the toaster.
Ans. The toaster was repaired by John.
82. Leena dropped the spoons into the sink.
Ans. The spoons were dropped into the sink by Leena.
83. The church choir will present some well-known hymns.
Ans. Some well-known hymns will be presented by the church choir.
84. The retired defence officers in the town are organising a show.
Ans. A show is being organised by the retired defence officers in the town.
85. Riya gave Maya a present.
Ans. Maya was given a present by Riya. OR
A present was given to Maya by Riya.
86. Shaila will send me the journal.
Ans. I will be sent the journal by Shaila. OR
The journal will be sent to me by Shaila.

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87. The teacher is showing the students sample test papers.
Ans. The students are being shown sample test papers by the teacher. OR
Sample test papers are being shown to the students by the teacher.
88. The social welfare organisation gave the tsunami victims food and medicines.
Ans. The tsunami victims were given food and medicines by the social welfare
organisation. OR
Food and medicines were given to the tsunami victims by the social welfare
organisation.
89. Everyone says that this government should go.
Ans. It is said that this government should go.
90. They believed that the child was safe.
Ans. It was believed that the child was safe.
91. We know that many species of plants and animals are in danger of extinction.
Ans. It is known that many species of plants and animals are in danger of
extinction.
92. Vinu feels that the weather will improve.
Ans. It is felt by Vinu that the weather will improve.
93. Parents hope that their children will grow up to be fine human beings.
Ans. It is hoped by parents that their children will grow up to be fine human
beings.
94. The scientists argued that a fair amount of original research was being done in
the country.
Ans. It was argued by scientists that a fair amount of original research was being
done in the country.

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95. Do not write on the wall.
Ans. You are forbidden to write on the wall.
96. The soldiers were given a warm reception by the people.
Ans. The people gave the soldiers a warm reception.
97. The house was cleaned before the guests arrived.
Ans. The maid cleaned the house before the guests arrived.
98. The window-panes were broken.
Ans. Someone broke the window-panes.
99. The rioters were arrested.
Ans. The police arrested the rioters.
100. People in the earthquake affected areas were evacuated and they were sent
to relief camps by the authority.
Ans. The authority evacuated people in the earthquake affected areas and sent
them to relief camps.
Ex. 5
1. The mixture of hydrochloric acid and salt was shaken vigorously.
Ans. The chemist shook the mixture of hydrochloric acid and salt vigorously.
2. The work has to be completed by Friday.
Ans. We have to complete the work by Friday.
3. The fishing village was completely destroyed by the tsunami.
Ans. The tsunami completely destroyed the fishing village.
4. It is confirmed that the leaders of the two countries will hold high-level talks
soon.

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Ans. We confirm that high-level talks will be held by the leaders of the two
countries soon.
5. Today, a lot of money is being spent on food, clothes and entertainment.
Ans. Today, we are spending a lot of money on food, clothes and entertainment.
6. The reader can gain new information from reading.
Ans. New information can be gained from reading.
7. We must master these basic skills.
Ans. These basic skills must be mastered by us.
8. We can learn word recognition while reading.
Ans. Word recognition can be learnt while reading by us.
9. Readers can parrot the words printed on a page.
Ans. The words printed on a page can be parroted by readers.
10. We should acquire the necessary comprehension skills.
Ans. The necessary comprehension skills should be acquired by us.
11. They will not understand the content, sequence or characters.
Ans. The content, sequence or characters will not be understood by them.
12. Do not read the text out loudly to yourself.
Ans. You are advised not to read the text out loudly to yourself. OR
Let the text not be read out loudly to yourself.
13. Who disliked the disagreeable man?
Ans. By whom was the disagreeable man disliked?
14. When did the ill-natured man experience a strange feeling?
Ans. When was a strange feeling experienced by the ill-natured man?

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15. Who confessed ingratitude and asked for forgiveness?
Ans. By whom was ingratitude confessed and forgiveness asked for?
16. What haunts the writer when he is travelling?
Ans. By what is the writer haunted when he is travelling?
17. Advertisements target specific audience.
Ans. Specific audience is targeted by the advertisements.
18. Advertisers can put up creative images of their product for the public to see.
Ans. Creative images of their product can be put up for the public to see by
advertisers.
19. The passers-by can easily see the ads.
Ans. The ads can be easily seen by the passers-by.
20. I will have to do this project.
Ans. This project will have to be done by me.
21. Give him some money.
Ans. Let him be given some money.
22. Make the bed.
Ans. Let the bed be made.
23. Give everyone food and water.
Ans. Let everyone be given food and water.
24. Did you understand the lesson?
Ans. Was the lesson understood by you?
25. Do they sell building material?
Ans. Is building material sold by them?

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26. Will Neha buy the two-wheeler?
Ans. Will the two-wheeler be bought by Neha?
27. Can we change the curtains?
Ans. Can the curtains be changed?
28. Should Vikram take an injection?
Ans. Should an injection be taken by Vikram?
29. Where does Soman keep the car keys?
Ans. Where are the car keys kept by Soman?
30. When did Padma shut down the computer?
Ans. When was the computer shut down by Padma?
31. Send invitation to all the relatives.
Ans. You are requested to send invitation to all the relatives. OR
Let invitation be sent to all the relatives. OR
Let all the relatives be sent invitation.
32. You should not pluck the flowers.
Ans. The flowers should not be plucked by you.
33. The students are making noise.
Ans. Noise is being made by the students.
34. Why were the people throwing the stones?
Ans. Why were the stones being thrown by the people?
35. What did Shailesh write?
Ans. What was written by Shailesh?
36. Where can I get this information?

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Ans. Where can this information are got by me?
37. Did Diya buy the television?
Ans. Was the television bought by Diya?
38. Who wrote this book?
Ans. By whom was this book written?
39. Has the servant finished his work?
Ans. Has his work been finished by the servant?
40. Have you drunk the milk?
Ans. Has the milk been drunk by you?
41. People always praise him.
Ans. He is always praised (by people).
42. They told him the story.
Ans. He was told the story by them. OR
The story was told to him by them.
43. Someone can take these goods.
Ans. These goods can be taken (by someone).
44. Somebody has picked my pocket.
Ans. My pocket has been picked (by somebody).
45. He approached me for a loan.
Ans. I was approached for a loan by him.
46. Please pay the fee.
Ans. You are requested to pay the fee. OR
Let the fee be paid.

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47. The principal informed the teacher about the seminar.
Ans. The teacher was informed about the seminar by the principal.
48. They should not ask any more questions.
Ans. No more questions should be asked by them.
49. The book will be published in September.
Ans. The author will publish the book in September.
50. Have you fed the dog with bread?
Ans. Has the dog been fed with bread by you?
51. Give the answer quickly.
Ans. You are suggested to give the answer quickly.
52. Let's co-operate them.
Ans. Let them be co-operated by us.
53. Has the boy eaten the banana?
Ans. Has the banana been eaten by the boy?
54. Had our army observed the enemy soldiers on the border?
Ans. Had the enemy soldiers been observed on the border by our army?
55 They purchased a new car.
Ans. A new car was purchased by them.
56. The room was filled with sweet fragrance.
Ans. Sweet fragrance filled the room.
57. He never mixes business with pleasure.
Ans. Business is never mixed with pleasure by him.
58. They accused the general of mistreating the prisoners.

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Ans. The general was accused of mistreating the prisoners.
59. Did you mistake the margarine for butter?
Ans. Was the margarine mistaken for butter by you?
60. You can feel a damp breeze near the sea.
Ans. A damp breeze can be felt near the sea by you.
61. I flavour my custard with lemon extracts.
Ans. My custard is flavoured with lemon extracts by me.
62. My niece has designed these hats.
Ans. These hats have been designed by my niece.
63. We saw flames coming out of the hotel.
Ans. Flames were seen coming out of the hotel by us.
64. He installed the bulbs on the ceiling.
Ans. The bulbs were installed on the ceiling by him.
65. She filled the bottle with turpentine.
Ans. The bottle was filled with turpentine by her.
66. We should filter the water before drinking it.
Ans. The water should be filtered before drinking it by us.
67. The judge found her guilty of shoplifting.
Ans. She was found guilty of shoplifting by the judge.
68. The girl was complemented on her fine manners by us.
Ans. We complemented the girl on her fine manners.
69. The dress was cut accurately by the tailor.
Ans. The tailor cut the dress accurately.

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70. His forge could not be repaired by the blacksmith.
Ans. The blacksmith could not repair his forge.
71. Was your name forgotten by her?
Ans. Did she forget your name?
72. His notes were forgotten at home by him.
Ans. He forgot his notes at home.
73. What gives him such a reddish complexion?
Ans. By what is he given such a reddish complexion?
74. You don't have to spend your money on her.
Ans. You don't have money to be spent on her.
75. We had expected lower fees.
Ans. Lower fees had been expected by us.
76. The son owes a debt.
Ans. A debt is owed by the son.
77. I slapped him because he was teasing a girl.
Ans. He was slapped by me because a girl was being teased by him.
78. Has your homework been done by you?
Ans. Have you done your homework?
79. An axe cut the tree.
Ans. The tree was cut with an axe.
80. Which movie did you watch yesterday?
Ans. Which movie was watched by you yesterday?
81. Can I borrow your car?

129
Ans. Can your car be borrowed by me?
82. I will quit smoking.
Ans. Smoking will be quitted by me.
83. Your dress will have been prepared by tomorrow.
Ans. I will have prepared your dress by tomorrow.
84. If they had been asked by you, you would have been helped by them.
Ans. If you had asked them, they would have helped you.
85. Why wasn't my advice followed by you?
Ans. Why didn't you follow my advice?
86. I hope I shall be recognized by her.
Ans. I hope she will recognize me.
87. I might lend you money.
Ans. You might be lent money by me. OR
Money might be lent to you by me.
88. Are English movies often watched by them?
Ans. Do they often watch English movies?
89. How does Neha know him?
Ans. How is he known to Neha?
90. Who is wanted to meet by you?
Ans. Whom do you want to meet?
91. What was done by you then?
Ans. What did you do then?
92. I am followed by my dog wherever I go.

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Ans. My dog follows me wherever I go.
93. My sister got her friends to make clay models.
Ans. My sister got clay models made by her friends.
94. I had Sureshbhai wash my car.
Ans. I had my car washed by Sureshbhai.
95. The young offender was given a light sentence by the compassionate judge.
Ans. The compassionate judge gave the young offender a light sentence.
96. We are throwing a party on his birthday.
Ans. A party is being thrown on his birthday by us.
97. Who has donated all these books to the library?
Ans. By whom have all these books been donated to the library?
98. What was she given by you?
Ans. What did you give to her?
99. We ought not to waste water.
Ans. Water ought not to be wasted by us.
100. She writes stories, doesn't she?
Ans. Stories are written by her, aren't they?
==============================================================
Change the Voice
1. Hetal ate three Pizzas at dinner.
Ans. Three Pizzas were eaten by Hetal at dinner.
2. We are going to watch a movie tonight.
Ans. A movie is going to be watched by us tonight.

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3. Rajesh read the novel in one day.
Ans. The novel was read by Rajesh in one day.
4. The two ministers are signing the treaty.
Ans. The treaty is being signed by the two ministers.
5. The librarian will give you instructions.
Ans. You will be given instructions by the librarian. OR
Instructions will be given to you by the librarian.
6. The boy laughed at the beggar.
Ans. The beggar was laughed at by the boy.
7. I do not abuse my servants.
Ans. My servants are not abused by me.
8. Maya has helped the needy people.
Ans. The needy people have been helped by Maya.
9. Divya was watching T.V. at that time.
Ans. T.V. was being watched by Divya at that time.
10. Vipul will give a book to Ram.
Ans. A book will be given to Ram by Vipul. OR
Ram will be given a book by Vipul.
11. What did Aryan bring?
Ans. What was brought by Aryan?
12. Who broke the glass?
Ans. By whom was the glass broken?

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13. Open the window, please.
Ans. You are requested to open the window.
14. Shailesh knows me.
Ans. I am known to Shailesh.
15. When can Nisha visit Nilesh?
Ans. When can Nilesh be visited by Nisha ?
16. Rashi will have bought many books by this Sunday.
Ans. Many books will have been bought by Rashi by this Sunday.
17. Sachin and Vinod are playing cricket now.
Ans. Cricket is being played by Sachin and Vinod now.
18. Does Ronak speak English regularly?
Ans. Is English spoken regularly by Ronak?
19. Ankita visited Ashok yesterday.
Ans. Ashok was visited by Ankita yesterday.
20. Sneha will telephone Shailesh tomorrow.
Ans. Shailesh will be telephoned by Sneha tomorrow.
21. Can Harsha solve this sum?
Ans. Can this sum be solved by Harsha?
22. Who has written this essay?
Ans. By whom has this essay been written?
23. How many daffodils did the poet see at a glance?
Ans. How many daffodils were seen by the poet at a glance?

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24. By what name did the mountain call the squirrel?
Ans. By what name was the squirrel called by the mountain?
25. You should give up your bad habits.
Ans. Your bad habits should be given up by you.
26. Vihan likes skating.
Ans. Skating is liked by Vihan.
27. Aryan was helping Dhairya at that time.
Ans. Dhairya was being helped by Aryan at that time.
28. Has Mishty completed the project?
Ans. Has the project been completed by Mishty?
29. When will Zyesha return my book?
Ans. When will my book be returned by Zyesha?
30. Who made noise in the class yesterday?
Ans. By whom was noise made in the class yesterday?
31. Open the door, please.
Ans. You are requested to open the door.
32. Hari asked Ram a question.
Ans. Ram was asked a question by Hari. OR
A question was asked to Ram by Hari.
======================================================================

50 Phrasal Verbs:
1. Go on – continue; stop saying those things; not so; I don‟t believe you.
The show must go on.

134
2. Carry out – to perform a task; to perform an assignment. (Also literal.)
l'll have to carry out this project by tomorrow.
3. Set up – to establish someone as something; to help establish; to provide
something for someone to start up something
Setting up a media house is not a child's play.
4. Pick up – to clean; to learn/obtain; to get busy; to go faster
He spoke a little in the presence of others but I picked up what he wanted to say.
5. Go back – to return to one‟s origin/previous location; to break a promise
I take this risk on your word. If you go back, I'll be ruined.
6. Come back – to (have) return(ed.) to one‟s origin/previous location; to retort; a
return success
After several failures, Amitabh came back with KBC.
7. Go out – to try out for something (usually sports); to go out of fashion; to go out
with someone for entertainment; to date someone. (Also literal)
High boots went out last year.
8. Point out – to select or indicate someone or something (from a group).
Please, point out what to do and what not to do.
9. Find out – discover; learn of; to discover facts about someone or something; to
learn a fact
Don't worry. They are in group and they will find out some way to get out of it.
10. Come up – to happen unexpectedly. (Also literal)
In no time, he came up and said 'hello'.
11. Make up – to put make up on oneself; to repay or redo something; to create a
story or a lie from no facts at all; to compensate for

135
Mr. Ramanuj made up his mind to interfere and solve the issue, at last.
12. Take over – to take charge; to assume control
Tech Mahindra has taken over Satyam.
13. Come out – to become; to turn out; to be presented/released to the public.
After years' exile, Narendra Modi came out and became the CM of Gujarat.
14. Come on – to hurry up; to follow; to flirt aggressively
Come on, I'm getting late.
15. Come in – to receive or acquire something. (Also literal.)
Rajyasabha election information just came in.
16. Go down – to be accepted; to happen. (Also literal.)
How will your ideas of promoting sales go down?
17. Work out – to settle/solve a problem; to turn out/to happen. (Also literal.)
They are working out over the issue.
18. Set out – to begin a journey or Course; to define/describe; to design/plan; to
undertake/attempt.
When he got fed up with his dull, life, he set out on a fresh journey.
19. Take up – to accept someone‟s offer; to begin to deal with an issue; to shorten
a skirt, dress or pants.
After a long five years, the government took up the seventh pay commission for
college teachers.
20. Get back – to return; to repay one for a bad deed; to continue communicating
with someone at a later time.
Please wait, I'm getting back soon.
21. Sit down – to encamp or besiege. (Also literal.)

136
She sat down on the sofa next to Bina.
22. Turn out – to end satisfactorily; to send someone out of somewhere; to
manufacture/produce something; to be present/attend; to turn off/extinguish
The printing press turns out a thousand books an hour.
23. Take on – to undertake/assume; to employ; to acquire; to show great emotion.
Nitin Industries started taking on new staff last week.
24. Give up – to quit; to surrender; to abandon hope
At last, he gave up his job to settle down in his father's business.
25. Get up – to arise; to ascend; to dress (as in costume).
I get up at six in the morning.
26. Look up – to search for information; to become more prosperous. (Also literal.)
He did not know the meaning of that word so he looked it up in a dictionary.
27. Carry on – to continue with something; to make a great fuss over somebody or
something; to cry and become out of control about somebody or something.
In spite of his critical condition, he carried on his work.
28. Go up – to increase; happening; to be in the process of construction. (Also
literal).
The baby is keeping well, her weight is going up steadily.
29. Get out – to get free/away; to produce or complete.
The teacher got his mischievous students out of the classroom.
30. Take out – to take someone on a date; something made to be taken away (as
in food) /a restaurant that performs this service. (Also literal.)
Being a civic, he was taken out of the party.

137
31. Come down – to drop; to descend to someone through inheritance; to
attack/scold vigorously. (Also literal.)
After clash with Sunil, Kapil Sharma's popularity came down in no time.
32. Put down – to write down, record; to attribute; to mercifully kill an animal.
Put down my words, it is going to happen.
33. Put up – to provide lodging for someone; to display or show; to offer
something; to build/erect something.
My son put up my photo on the wall of his study-room.
34. Turn up – to appear; to search for and find something; to intensify or increase;
to happen/occur.
It's my favourite song. Please turn up the volume a bit.
35. Get on – to make progress; to agree or be friendly; to advance in age. (Also
literal.)
Since he started his business, he has been getting on.
36. Bring up – to mention a person or thing; to raise a child; to vomit; to (cause to)
stop quickly.
My cousin was brought up by my parents.
37. Bring in – to yield as profit or income; to present (for consideration) formally; to
submit.
The government is going to bring in necessary legislation to cop up with terrorism
in J. & K.
38. Look back – to review past events; to return in thought. (Also literal.)
When I look back, I realize my mistakes.
39. Look down – to regard with disdain or scorn; have contempt for. (Also literal.)
We should not look down on any person on the base of caste, creed or religion.
138
40. Bring back – to return; to return to consciousness.
Whatever you are, you cannot bring back your childhood.
41. Break down – to fall apart; to have a physical or mental collapse; to itemize; to
decompose.
Hearing the news of her father's death, she broke down.
42. Take off – to leave the ground and begin to fly; to become popular and
successful; to begin to chase something; to take a break from something; to
withdraw or remove from; to deduct.
Take off your belongings here.
43. Go off – to explode; to leave; to happen (as planned).
The firecrackers went off.
44. Bring about – to make something happen.
His resignation was unexpected. What brought it about?
45. Go in – to take part in something; to make an approach, as before an attack.
The police warned them to surrender before they went in.
46. Set off – to cause to be ignited/exploded; to anger someone; to begin.
We set off late at night for our journey.
47. Put out – irritated, bothered; to extinguish; to publish; to exert/apply.
Put out the lamp.
48. Look out – to be vigilant or on guard; to afford a view (Also literal.)
Look out, those guys are suspicious.
49. Take back – to withdraw or cancel one‟s statements; to regain ownership; to
cause to remember. (Also literal)
I did not mean what I said -- I take back my words.

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50. Hold up – to rob someone; to offer; to expose; to support; to hinder; to wait.
Can you hold up for a while till I complete my task?
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sb = somebody sth = something
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100 Phrasal Verbs
1. Catch out
Meaning: to show that sb is doing wrong
Example Sentence: One day he caught her out when he found some letters she‟d
written.
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2. Catch up on (sth)
Meaning: to deal with a special activity to complete it.
Example Sentence: You have to catch up on your reading.
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3. Catch (sb) up on (sth)
Meaning: to give sb the latest news or information about sth
Example Sentence: Can someone catch us up on the latest news?
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4. Catch on
Meaning: to become popular
Example Sentence: This game will catch on among young people.
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5. Catch up (sb)
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Meaning: to reach sb by walking faster
Example Sentence: Shailesh caught up with you later.
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6. Catch up in (sth)
Meaning: to be involved in sth unwillingly
Example Sentence: They weren‟t part of the conflict; they were just caught up in it.
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7. Clear away
Meaning: to take away sth to clear a place
Example Sentence: You should clear away all your toys before bedtime.
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8. Clear out (of)
Meaning: to leave a place
Example Sentence: Alka will clear out of the house in two weeks.
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9. Clear sb off
Meaning: to make sb go away from a place
Example Sentence: The police will use dogs to clear the protesters off the road.
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10. Clear up
Meaning: to solve or explain
Example Sentence: I think the trouble will clear up in a couple of days.
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11. Check off
Meaning: to mark with a tick
Example Sentence: Let‟s check off the names of the people to be invited.
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12. Knock off
Meaning: to stop working at the end of the day
Example Sentence: What time will they knock off?
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13. Knock back
Meaning: to quickly drink sth
Example Sentence: We have knocked back two double rums.
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14. Knock up
Meaning: to build or assemble sth quickly
Example Sentence: Shailesh knocked up a bed out of some old pieces of wood?
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15. Carry over
Meaning: Continue past a certain point
Example Sentence: The meeting carried over into lunch time.
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16. Carry out
Meaning: Perform a task
Example Sentence: I would like to carry out the plan.

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---------------------------------------------
17. Carry on with
Meaning: Continue
Example Sentence: I want you to carry on with the work while I am out of country.
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18. Get on
Meaning: Enter a train, bus, plane etc… to climb on board
Example Sentence: I think they get on the wrong train.
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19. Drop off
Meaning: Take somebody to a place
Example Sentence: Where do you want me to drop you off?
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20. Check in
Meaning: Confirm you are taking a flight
Example Sentence: I usually check in online.
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21. Touch down
Meaning: Land (planes)
Example Sentence: Our flight touched down before night.
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22. Hold up
Meaning: Delay when travelling

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Example Sentence: I‟m sorry, I am late but I was help up at work.
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23. Set off
Meaning: Start a journey
Example Sentence: They set off for London just after five.
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24. Stop over
Meaning: Stay at a place for a night on the way to somewhere else
Example Sentence: They stopped over in Singapore on their way to Australia.
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25. Get away
Meaning: Take a vacation, especially because you need a rest
Example Sentence: I would love to get away and go to the beach next month.
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26. Hang around
Meaning: to move or to do sth slowly
Example Sentence: Don‟t hang around, you have a train to catch!
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27. Hang on
Meaning: to wait for a short time
Example Sentence: Hang on a minute; I‟m just coming.
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28. Hang out

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Meaning: to spend a lot of time in a place
Example Sentence: We will spend the whole day hanging out by the pool.
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29. Hang over
Meaning: to hover over
Example Sentence: The clouds of war will hang over the east.
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30. Keep from
Meaning: refrain, control yourself
Example Sentence: I couldn‟t keep from playing football.
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31. Keep in
Meaning: not allow someone out.
Example Sentence: Children were kept in after school.
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32. Keep off
Meaning: to not touch something
Example Sentence: Shailesh kept off the subject of his divorce.
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33. Keep away
Meaning: to avoid someone or something
Example Sentence: You must keep away medicines from children.
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34. Make after
Meaning: to chase or follow
Example Sentence: The policeman made after the thief.
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35. Make up
Meaning: to make peace
Example Sentence: Please come back. I want to make up.
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36. Make out
Meaning: to succeed in business
Example Sentence: How are you making out in your new job?
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37. Make up for
Meaning: to recover, make sth better
Example Sentence: Nothing can make up for the loss of a child.
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38. Make into
Meaning: to change sth into sth else
Example Sentence: We had made the living room into an office.
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39. Read back
Meaning: to read something again
Example Sentence: Please read back the text of the message.

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---------------------------------------------
40. Read up on sth
Meaning: to read a lot about in order to learn about it
Example Sentence: I read up on the history of the World War II.
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41. Read over
Meaning: look for mistakes or check details
Example Sentence: I asked her to read over my essay.
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42. Read through
Meaning: to read quickly beginning to the end
Example Sentence: Always read through your work when you‟ve finished.
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43. Look ahead
Meaning: to think about future
Example Sentence: The past is past. Let us look ahead.
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44. Look back
Meaning: to think about past
Example Sentence: When I look back, I can see where we went wrong.
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45. Look after
Meaning: to take care of sb/sth

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Example Sentence: He is not competent to look after young children.
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46. Look round
Meaning: to visit a place and look at the things in it
Example Sentence: I will spend all day looking round the city.
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47. Look on
Meaning: to watch sth happen without taking part in it
Example Sentence: Look on the bright side –no one was badly hurt.
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48. Look forward to
Meaning: something that is going to happen
Example Sentence: Shailesh had worked hard and was looking forward to his
retirement.
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49. Look in
Meaning: to pay a short visit
Example Sentence: You‟ll look in and say hello when you have time.
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50. Take over
Meaning: to get control of sth
Example Sentence: He can take over the business when I‟m away.
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51. Take away
Meaning: to remove sth/sb from
Example Sentence: Take away the glasses and the tray.
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52. Take in
Meaning: to allow sb to stay in your home
Example Sentence: My house is full; I can‟t take in any more guests.
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53. Take against
Meaning: to start to dislike
Example Sentence: Why have you suddenly taken against her?
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54. Take down
Meaning: to remove sth from a high position
Example Sentence: Take down this book and read slowly.
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55. Cut back
Meaning: to reduce
Example Sentence: The Government will cut back on defence spending.
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56. Cut in
Meaning: to interrupt
Example Sentence: When you cut in on our conversation, we were talking.

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---------------------------------------------
57. Cut into
Meaning: to shortening into parts or to make sth smaller
Example Sentence: Knives easily cut into the cake.
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58. Cut across
Meaning: to make a shorter route
Example Sentence: If I cut across the field, it‟ll save time.
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59. Cut through
Meaning: to go through by cutting
Example Sentence: We cut through the solid rock to build the tunnel .
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60. Cut up
Meaning: to cut into pieces
Example Sentence: My mother cut up the onions and put them in the pot.
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61. Cut out
Meaning: to stop working
Example Sentence: There are two engines. One of them cut out yesterday.
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62. Let in
Meaning: to allow sth/sb to enter

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Example Sentence: Alka opened the window to let in some fresh air.
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63. Let into
Meaning: to put into the surface of sth
Example Sentence: A skylight had been let into the roof.
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64. Let in on
Meaning: to allow sb to know sth
Example Sentence: I„m going to let him in on a little secret.
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65. Let off
Meaning: to allow sb to leave
Example Sentence: They„ll let you off if you apologize.
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66. Let through
Meaning: to allow to pass
Example Sentence: Shailesh was let through to the front of the queue.
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67. Let up
Meaning: to stop or to diminish
Example Sentence: When the rain lets up, you can go to outside.
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68. Run across

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Meaning: to meet or to find unexpectedly
Example Sentence: I ran across some old friends at the party.
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69. Run away
Meaning: to leave a place or sb
Example Sentence: The prisoners ran away from the prison.
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70. Put up with
Meaning: to tolerate
Example Sentence: I can‟t put up with it any longer.
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71. Put away
Meaning: to clean up, to tidy
Example Sentence: Put away any valuable or breakable objects.
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72. Put across
Meaning: to explain sth clearly
Example Sentence: He was trying to put across a serious point.
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73. Put out
Meaning: to stop burning
Example Sentence: It took two hours to put out the fire
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74. Put down
Meaning: to write
Example Sentence: Put down your name in capitals.
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75. Put on
Meaning: to wear
Example Sentence: She put on a new pair of nylon socks.
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76. Run into
Meaning: to experience sth unexpectedly
Example Sentence: I‟ve run into a difficulty with the project.
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77. Run against
Meaning: to oppose towards sb or sth
Example Sentence: Luck was really running against you yesterday!
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78. Run around
Meaning: to be very busy doing lots of things
Example Sentence: The child ran around all day in the garden
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79. Run over
Meaning: to look at quickly
Example Sentence: We„ll just run over the main points again.

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---------------------------------------------
80. Run on
Meaning: to continue without interruption
Example Sentence: The discussion ran on for hours.
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81. Run down
Meaning: to decline in number or size
Example Sentence: The battery has run down; it needs recharging.
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82. Set about
Meaning: to begin doing something
Example Sentence: Tina set about studying.
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83. Set forth
Meaning: to start a journey
Example Sentence: They set forth on their travels in early June.
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84. Set off
Meaning: to initiate sth working
Example Sentence: Someone set off a fire extinguisher.
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85. Set up
Meaning: to place or to build sth

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Example Sentence: The travelers set up a camp on the river bank.
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86. Set to
Meaning: to make sb feel sad
Example Sentence: When my work gets me down, I want to resign.
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87. Set aside
Meaning: to keep sth available for a purpose
Example Sentence: We set aside some money for repairs.
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88. Set in
Meaning: to take root, start and continue
Example Sentence: The rainy season has set in.
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89. Set on/upon sb
Meaning: to attack sb
Example Sentence: He was set on by a vicious dog.
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90. Set down
Meaning: to write
Example Sentence: The rules for service have been set down.
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91. Set back

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Meaning: to delay sth or sb
Example Sentence: The government will set back the reforms.
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92. Get along
Meaning: to have a friendly relationship
Example Sentence: It‟s impossible to get along with her.
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93. Get out
Meaning: to become known
Example Sentence: I don‟t want it to get out that I‟m leaving.
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94. Get across
Meaning: to make sb understand
Example Sentence: Your meaning didn‟t really get across.
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95. Get away
Meaning: to escape from sb/sth
Example Sentence: Alka will get away from work as soon as she can.
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96. Get (sb) down
Meaning: to make sb feel sad
Example Sentence: When my work gets me down, I want to resign.
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97. Get through
Meaning: to be connected by phone
Example Sentence: I tried to call her but couldn‟t get through.
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98. Get around
Meaning: to visit lots of places
Example Sentence: It is quite easy to get around London.
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99. Get over
Meaning: to overcome
Example Sentence: How would you get over that problem?
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100. Get ahead
Meaning: to be success
Example Sentence: Shailesh wants to get ahead in his career.
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Description / Narration: 20 paragraphs 10 marks

1. Making a Cup of Tea
2. Bathroom Singers
3. How I Spend a Sunday
4. The Night before the Examination
5. My Visit to a Consumer Fair
6. The Things I Love and Hate

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7. Commerce Courses
8. Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
9. Rabindranath Tagore
10. Television
11. Computer
12. Internet
13. Books: Our Best Friends
14. Co-education
15. Hobby
16. Importance of English
17. Sports and Games
18. Mahatma Gandhi
19. Discipline: A Must for Progress
20. Rising Prices
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1. Making a Cup of Tea
Ans. It is quite easy to make a cup of tea. It is a simple process. Take water, milk,
tea and sugar. Mix similar quantity of water and milk in a tea vessel and put it on
the stove. After a couple of minutes, add some tea leaves into the mixture. Take
as much quantity of tea leaves as per your taste. Some people like strong tea
while some prefer moderate or mild tea. Let it be boiled. The more you boil the
mixture, the tastier it will be. Now add some sugar into it. Once again, the quantity
of sugar is the subject of taste! If you like, you can add a pinch of tea-masala or
some ginger into it. Don't forget to stir it continuously. Get the vessel off the stove,
filter it and enjoy Kathiyawadi tea.

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2. Bathroom Singers
Ans. Music has been interwoven with each sphere of our life. Most of us are fond
of music and songs but a few are blessed with melodious voice. Their singing
gives pleasure to others. All others are bathroom singers. Their singing pleases
themselves in one way and others another way! Singing in bathroom requires
neither skill nor practice. They just enter into the bathroom and start singing. They
know very well that they don't know singing. If they are asked to sing somewhere
else, they won't. But in the bathroom, they have privacy to satisfy their hobby to
sing safely. They lost in singing; forget everything and the others waiting for the
bathroom curse them! Are you a bathroom singer?
3. How I Spend a Sunday
Ans. Sunday is my favourite day. It's simply because it's a holiday. In fact, majority
of the people like Sunday because it is their own day. I get up late in the morning
on Sunday. I go to my bathroom where I brush my teeth and take a bath in leisure.
Then I enjoy luxury of hot tea and breakfast, and have a glance over newspaper.
Then I use my mobile to check some posts on WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram
etc. I also enjoy some film songs on YouTube using my headphone. I take my
lunch with my family members and then take rest for a couple of hours. Having
taken afternoon tea, I study for a couple of hours. Then I go to my friend's place
and we go out to roam here and there. I return home after an hour. I spend one
hour in taking with my family members on the terrace. At night, after dinner, I
watch some movies. Then I go to sleep worrying about early rising on next
morning i.e. Monday.
4. The Night before the Examination
Ans. People don't fear of death, they fear of the fear of death. Don't you feel it's
befitting with examinations also? The night before the examination is just like
'Kayamat Ki Raat'. I certainly get confused at the night before the examination of
the uncertainty of the next day. A brigade of questions takes over my mind --
whether the paper will be easy or .... , whether I'll be able to solve it in time....,
whether my preparation will be helpful to me...., and so on. I prepare my
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examination kit including I-card, the hall ticket, a few pens etc. I hurriedly glance
over some important questions and answers. I intend to sleep earlier, go to bed
earlier, but cannot do it. Ultimately I pray to god and try to sleep.
5. My Visit to a Consumer Fair
Ans. One day in the last vacation, I visited a consumer fair held on the Race-
course Ground. It was really a huge fair containing twenty-two big domes. Each
dome has many stalls of almost same kind of goods of various brands. As it was
my first experience, I got amazed seeing every kind of consumer goods --
stationeries, computers, cosmetics, consumer electronics, consumer electrical,
food, health-care, kitchenware, confectionary, and hundreds of others. Majority of
stall keepers offered special discounts, schemes to attract consumers. I saw many
latest goods in the fair for the very first time. I was given leaflets containing
information of particular products. I think that such fairs help the consumers a lot
as they can watch products, know about them, can compare their quality and price
under one roof.
6. The Things I Love and Hate
Ans. Apart from my family, I love children. To me, they are the form of God. I love
the various forms of nature because they are pure and unique in themselves. I
love books of my taste because books are our never-failing friends. I love to speak
the truth. Of course, I don't claim that I always speak the truth only. I love hard
working and sincere friends because sincerity is the noblest gift to a man from a
man. I hate liars the most. I hate non-vegetarian food also. I dislike dishonest
people who often lie. I cannot adjust myself with hypocrite, self-centred people
without any common sense.
7. Commerce Courses
Ans. Nothing is stable. Everything changes with the change of time. Even the
selection of the courses for career building has also changed. Once upon a time,
people preferred Arts subjects like languages, Philosophy, Psychology, History,
Geography etc. Then there was a craze for Science. But for the last few years,

160
students choose Commerce. It is due to our policy of globalization and
liberalization. Trade and industry are booming and the scope for the commerce
education is widening. Today there is much demand of B.Com.s, B.B.A.s,
M.B.A.s, C.A.s because of the dramatic changes in the fields of marketing, finance
sector and service sector. Job that such degree holder gets is very lucrative. Job
in a bank is one of the most popular ones. There is no salary bar for such eligible
and efficient degree holders.
8. Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Ans. Dr Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam was born on 15th October 1931 at
Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu. Dr Kalam became the 11th President of India in
2001. He helped to develop India's first indigenous satellite launch vehicle (SLV-3)
and made India an exclusive member of Space Club. He then took up the
responsibility of developing indigenous guided missiles. He was responsible for
the development and organization of Agni and Prithvi missiles. He also led the
Pokhran -- 2 nuclear test which made India a nuclear weapon state. Dr Kalam is
one of the most distinguished scientists of India with the unique honour of
receiving honorary doctorates from 30 universities and institutions. He has been
awarded the coveted civilian awards Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan in
1981 and 1990 respectively. In 1997, he received the highest civilian award
Bharat Ratna. His focus is on transforming India into developed nations by 2020.
9. Rabindranath Tagore
Ans. Rabindranath Tagore was born in 1861 in Calcutta in a wealthy family. He is
a well-known Indian poet, philosopher and Nobel laureate. He began to write
poetry when he was a child. His first book was published when he was 17 years
old. He went to England to study law. Soon after returning to India he became
most important and popular. He wrote poetry, short stories, novels and plays. He
also composed several hundred popular songs and in 1929, he began painting.
Tagore wrote primarily in Bengali but translated his many works into English
himself. In 1913, He was awarded Noble Prize in literature for his creation
'Gitanjali', a collection of poetry. In 1915, he was awarded 'Knighthood' by the
161
British King George 5th. But Tagore renounced his Knighthood award in 1919
following the Amritsar massacre of about 400 Indian demonstrators by British
troops. Two of his songs are national anthems of India and Bangladesh.
10. Television
Ans. Television is one of the ways to spend our free time. Sometimes it shows
good or sometimes bad things. It's good, that there are some documentary films,
which show us the life of wild animals, old civilizations, and the lost world. There is
news, which inform us about the things, which are happening all around the world.
TV shows some talk shows, where we can hear the interesting interviews. But
there are a lot of violence and debauchery in TV films, even in cartoons. And
violence has a bad effect on viewers, especially on children and teenagers. They
can't understand what is right or what is wrong.
11. Computer
Ans. Computer is revolutionary scientific invention. It has been such a useful and
important invention that it has gained a place of importance right after the
discovery of wheel and fire. It has technology, transport, communication which has
drastically changed business, education, economy, crime, society, entertainment
and everything one can imagine. Computer is of great use to us. It is used in
measuring daily routine work, trade and commerce, diagnosing diseases,
entertainment, games and sports, transport, educational sector, researching
space and what not. It has done wonders in inventing e-mail. Internet and robot.
Besides, it's utility in controlling population, preparing budget, and analyzing
natural calamity is very great. However, computer is not of unmixed blessing. For
its wide use unemployment problem is getting severe. It also causes various
diseases to the users. Its ray is very harmful to them. By using computer, the
users may lose eye-sight. Nevertheless, present lives cannot be led without
computer. Truly speaking, modern civilization is dependent on computer to a great
extent. If utilized properly, it is surely an asset to the development of a nation.
12. Internet

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Ans. Internet can be considered as one of the greatest inventions of mankind. It is
useful for people of all ages. Information, communication and entertainment are
the key functions of the internet. With the help of modern technology, you can
easily use internet and get lots of valuable information such as weather forecast,
latest political news, films updates, news related to medicine, literature, software,
business, leisure etc. You can also use internet to communicate with your dear
and near ones in any part of the globe. You can transfer any document, audio,
video and other stuff to anyone connected with the web. You can listen to your
favourite songs, and watch your favourite videos through the web. It is quite useful
in the field of education also. Students can log on to internet and browse various
subjects to complete their projects, assignments and update their subject related
knowledge. However, some harms like porn sites, account hacking, financial fraud
through the web also should not be forgotten while talking about the advantages
of the internet but considering its immense benefits it could be said that the
internet is a necessary evil.
13. Books: Our Best Friends
Ans. Books are our never-failing friends. Our worldly friends desert us, but they
never desert us. They are our best friends, philosophers and guides. Friends are
plenty when the purse is full but fair-weather friends fall off in adversity. Books,
like a true friend stand by us through thick and thin. They uphold and encourage
us when we feel sad and despondent. They lift the poor out of poverty and the
wretched out of misery. They make the burden bearer forget his burden, the sick
his sufferings and the downtrodden his degradation. They bring light into darkness
and sunshine into shadow. All the same. We should be very judicious in the
selection of books as in the choice of friends. The friendship of good books is the
medicine of life but there are books more dangerous than snakes and more
poisonous than scorpions. The really good books sharpen our intellect, broaden
our mind, enrich our experience, and widen our knowledge, uplift our morals,
making us nobler and happier in life.
14. Co-education

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Ans. Co-education is a system of education in which boys and girls study together.
Co-education was prevalent in Greece in ancient times. Today, this system of
education is there in almost all the countries of the world. It is economical. It helps
generating a spirit of comradeship between boys and girls. The problem of
shortage of well-qualified, eligible, trained and experienced teachers can be dealt
with by this system. Boys overcome their curiosity and girls, their shyness. They
learn to respect one another, deal with one another. However some conservative
people are against this system but their views do not hold ground. Co-education
generates harmonious relationship, a sense of co-operation, and thus, helps in the
progress of the society and the nation as a whole.
15. Hobby
Ans. It is difficult to find a man without any hobby. Hobby is something that one
likes to do in one's spare time. It is developed through a constant and systematic
process. The old and the young equally derive pleasure from hobbies. Hobbies
play an important role in developing our personality. They keep a person active,
busy and cheerful. A person who does not have a hobby is like a machine. The
educated and the uneducated alike pursue one hobby or the other. Some hobbies
like photography, gardening, reading books, watching movies and TV, swimming,
painting, listening to music etc. are quite popular. The youth today who are too
busy to devote time for hobbies should choose career oriented hobbies. Hobbies
should have a creative and instructive effect upon the person.
16. Importance of English
Ans. There are many languages in the world where English is the foremost of
them all. English is an international language. It is understood and spoken almost
everywhere in the world. English has become the key instrument of globalization.
The English language is used all over the globe for transaction of international
trade. And therefore, English is the only language that the German, the Chinese,
the Japanese & the Russian are keen to learn although their mother languages
are developed as English. In the field of education too. Now almost all the
universities are conducting scientific studies through English medium only. It is
164
almost indispensable for higher studies. What is needed today is to know how to
use the English language rather than just knowing it.
17. Sports and games
Ans. Sports and games play very important roll the life of human beings. Sports
and games make our bodies strong and healthy. Thus, in turn they help to keep
our minds healthy too. We must start doing sports and games from our early
childhood. Games such as cricket, volleyball, football and tennis give practice in
making our eyes, brain, and muscle work together. Sports and games help us to
build our characters. Playing a game like cricket we need unity. It's not the spirit of
the team is destroyed. To develop this spirit. We need qualities such as patience,
courage and a sense of responsibility. All these qualities together prepare us to
live as good citizen in the future.
18. Mahatma Gandhi
Ans. Mohandas K. Gandhi studied law in England, and then spent 20 years
defending the rights of immigrants in South Africa. In 1914 he returned to India
and became the leader of the Indian National Congress. Gandhi urged non
violence and civil disobedience as a means to independence from Great Britain. In
1947, he participated in the post-war negotiations that led to Indian independence.
Gandhi was considered and called Mahatma by his admirers. Gandhi was one of
the leading Indian politicians of the Indian independence movement. However, he
was much more than a politician. He was a committed Vegetarian and was
devoted to the principles of non violence and pacifism. At the age of 36, Gandhi
adopted the life of a brahmacharya-- spiritual and practical purity-- largely
associated with celibacy. Gandhi also placed great emphasis on his spiritual
practices, prayer, meditation, fasting and observance of silence once a week. He
was shot to death by Nathuram Godse in 1948.
19. Value of discipline in life. OR Discipline: A must for progress
Ans. Discipline is necessary in all walks of life. A man without discipline is not a
man at all. Without maintaining discipline students cannot learn anything; neither

165
the teacher can teach. The head of the family will not be able to run his family
properly if the family members do not observe discipline . No office can function
without discipline. The members of the assembly must observe it if they are there
to do any good job. Even in the playground. Discipline is must -- the players have
to obey the rules of the game, they have to play under discipline. In fact, discipline
is necessary in every sphere of society. The absence of discipline, we will find
nothing but confusion, disorder and chaos. No works , no progress is possible
without discipline. Discipline is training of mind, it cannot be enforced by law
alone. It has to come from within.
20. Rising prices
Ans. Nowadays, the issue of 'rising prices ' has turned up as one of the major
issues in India. India is a developing country. Rise of prices is inevitable in a
developing economy. It is mainly attributed to inflation. Limited inflation contributes
to economic growth. But for some time now, the level of inflation has gone far
beyond controllable limits. This has caused harassment to the common man,
especially the poorer section of the society. Over population, black-marketing,
profiteering, speculation and policy-based malpractice are major reasons for the
issue of sky rocketing price hike. Steps should be taken to increase production in
all sectors. Continuous price hikes may lead to anarchy- a complete failure of all
government and official systems. Effective steps must be taken to check rise in
prices and to maintain a stable economy.
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Test paper 1
Qus.1(A) Answer the following questions in one or two sentences:
(any five) [5 marks]
1. What can be the purpose of every activity in this universe?
2. What does the Bhagavad Gita say?
3. Where does patriotic attachment arise from?
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4. What happened with the inhabitants in the US?
5. What does the author say about the irritable patriotism of the Americans?
6. What day is declared as International yoga day?
7. Who is the writer of the Mountain and the Squirrel?
(B) Write short notes: (any two) [15 marks]
1. Message of 'The Mountain and the Squirrel '
2. Daffodils
3. Yoga: the elixir of life
Qus.2 Answer the following questions in brief:(any five) [20 marks]
1. Write in brief about the Western views of origin of man.
2. What does Mas Hobbe think about man?
3. What happens when a dark era of nation begins?
4. Why the inhabitants in the US take interest in their country?
5. What types of a free country America is according to the author?
6. Give in brief about the origin of yoga.
7. Write in brief about Nadi Yoga.
Qus.3 (A) Change the voice: [10 marks]
1. My parents love me.
2. Who makes these programs?
3. Did the maid break the jug?
4. Will you help me?
5. The policeman is watching us.
6. A young girl was picking flowers.

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7. Has she learnt the speech?
8. The parrot has learnt many new words.
9. I am to visit Taj Mahal tomorrow.
10. The teacher made him stand for an hour.
(B) Give the meaning of the following phrasal verbs and use them into
sentences: [10 marks]
1. Come on
2. Go down
3. Give up
4. Carry on
5. Take out
Qus.4 Describe any one of the following: [10 marks]
1. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
2. Rabindranath Tagore
3. Television
4. Computer
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Test paper 2
Qus.1(A) Answer the following questions in one or two sentences:
(any five) [5 marks]
1. What have philosophers and scientists sought to get for centuries?
2. Who considered man to be only a passionate being?
3. By what is patriotism stimulated?

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4. What did the inhabitants in US not bring with them?
5. Why is the popularity of yoga increasing at a rapid pace day after day?
6. Which period is the evolution of yoga divided into?
7. What striking difference is between the mountain and the Squirrel?
(B) Write short notes: (any two) [15 marks]
1. The Economic Man
2. Patriotism and religion
3. Yoga: origin and spread
Qus.2 Answer the following questions in brief:(any five) [20 marks]
1. What impact do the daffodils have on Wordsworth?
2. Describe in your own words the poet's feeling when he sees the host of golden.
3. Which trees were cut down first?
4. Describe the huge Banyan tree in your own words.
5. Why does the Squirrel think that it is 'no disgrace' for her to be small?
6. Write a short biographical on Ralph Waldo Emerson.
7. Are the daffodils competing with the waves?
Qus.3 (A) Change the voice: [10 marks]
1. Am I disturbing you?
2. Do you need money?
3. A bus knocked him down.
4. How did you catch the thief?
5. Are they calling me?
6. Why were they beating the boys?

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7. We have won the match.
8. We had finished the work before sunset.
9. When does she sing a prayer?
10. Do this work carefully.
(B) Give the meaning of the following phrasal verbs and use them into
sentences: [10 marks]
1. Come down
2. Turn up
3. Bring in
4. Look out
5. Hold up
Qus.4 Describe any one of the following: [10 marks]
1. How I spend a Sunday
2. The Night before the Examination
3. My visit to a Consumer Fair
4. The Things I Love and Hate
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