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Question 1
Question: Are we raising techno tots?
The conversation on swirling wine the right way, the perils in investment banking and the heated debate on what should be done with Salman Khan was certainly not to four-year-old Nikhil Reddy's liking.
Boredom clouding his impish face, he nudges his mother and getting that familiar nod, off he goes to daddy's study to spend the evening with his electronic baby sitter.
In dad's room, he inserts his favourite Panchatantra CD into the Apple Macintosh and stares fixedly at the screen. Nothing can disturb him now. Well, nothing except for mum's mobile which lies ignored by her bedside. At the first ring, he presses the red button.
"Hello. Nikhil here." Pause. It's his five-year-old cousin at the other end - the two techno tots settle down for some serious conversation.
With the click culture starting at the cradle, babies have never been busier. Today, most preschools and middle-class homes have a computer.
Nikhil started at one, but today ten-month-old infants sit at the computer with mum or dad as part of the interactive parent-child programme at school. Technology is an integral part of their world and they aren't afraid of it.
And who's complaining? Yes, the debate whether technology inhibits or encourages creativity rages on, but then the threat that the little ones unexposed to technology may be unprepared for the future, looms large.
"Nikhil probably learnt to say mummy and PC at the same time," muses his mother, Deepa Reddy, a software consultant, who has been working from her plush South Mumbai apartment, ever since he was born. "Often Nikhil would be on my lap while I sat at the PC. And soon enough he started demanding that it be used for his work and not mine".
CD Roms for kids are a dime a dozen, and so daddy obliged. Initially, Deepa would operate and Nikhil would watch. Today, he's his own master. "We started him off just for entertainment and then I realised that not only is he constructively occupied, he's also learning. I mean, what does he gain by watching Cartoon Network?"
Nothing, say teachers, educationists and parents in unison. And so, TV is outlawed (Tom Cruise allows his children nothing more than 45 minutes of television a week) and the PC a totem. Though it occupies pride of place at both home and school, exposure is restricted to doses depending on the age group.
For, along with the pride - "Computer games taught my five-year-old to do his sums" - comes the fear - "Do tech-savvy kids end up inhibited and shy?" After all, can a CD replace granny's bedtime stories?
The lack of definitive research in the field encourages the myth machines, but work is on. Dr Vijaya Murthy, who represented India at the international organizing committee of the World Forum of Early Educators, was once a staunch opposer of tech childhood, but today claims to be a convert.
"Most homes have a computer. It is an excellent learning aid and most importantly, children enjoy it - so we can't deny it to them. But, it is essential to adopt the midway approach - strike a balance. Don't substitute running, listening and reading with playing with the computer. Depending on the child's age, between 15 to 45 minutes a week, is all preschoolers need. The computer makes your child competent, but you still have to teach him to be human."
Dr. Murthy emphasizes that to incorporate the tech advances, the "chalk and talk" method needs to be replaced and the syllabi upgraded in elementary schools.
"The government has realised that we will attain our goal of literacy only by emphasizing on elementary education. The syllabus is being upgraded to adopt the technological advances at private and municipal schools across the country, she says.
And children are enjoying the sci-fi. In Bangalore, five-year-old Arjun Maini has his own laptop. The five KB machine is preloaded with games that make Arjun a smart boy.
His two-year-old sibling, Kush, is jealous of big brother's booty and amuses himself by punching the keys on daddy's laptop and dancing when the random punching produces music.
Arjun's tech craze might be attributed to his father Gautam Maini, who introduced Reva, India's first electronic car. But tech savvy is not always handed down: Shah Rukh Khan's laptop is his constant companion, but his son, Aryan, prefers to run wild.
And though daddy Sachin Tendulkar's favourite gizmo is the laptop. Arjun, his young son, prefers building blocks.
I Answer the following:
1) 'With the click culture starting at the cradle'. What does the writer mean by this?
2) Why is the PC considered a totem?
3) Why can tech-savvy kids end up inhibited and shy?
4) Why is it important to approach technology in a balanced way?
5) What are the advantages of being technology savvy?
II Pick out words, which mean the same
1) dangers (paragraph 1)
2) naughty/mischievous (paragraph 2)
3) gadget ( last paragraph)
Answer:
I
1) Children are now familiar with computers from early childhood.
2) A totem is an object which is respected by the members of a community. The PC commands such respect in the modern world.
3) They do not learn to socialize. They have only the electronic gadgets as companions.
4) Tech-savvy kids end up inhibited and shy because children can get dehumanized if they are glued to gizmos all the time. It is not a substitute for the natural things in life.
5) They learn everything faster. They are exposed to more information.
II
1) dangers (paragraph 1) - perils
2) naughty/mischievous (paragraph 2) - impish
3) gadget ( last paragraph) gizmo
Question 2
Question: Dahej or Hunda - Dowry and Bride price
Dowry is a deplorable practice. It is not a practice for which there is religious sanction, but it continues to be practiced in India today.
Ridding the society of this practice, which demeans women, and cheapens the sacredness of marriage, is a challenge to today's youth. This article by Sudheer Birodkar explains the historic background of dowry.
Dowry is one of those social practices, which no educated Indian would own up with pride, although many still adhere to this much deplorable practice. Dowry continues to be given and taken. Even among the educated sections of society, dowry continues to form an essential part of the negotiations that take place in an arranged marriage. During the marriage ceremony the articles comprising the dowry are proudly displayed in the wedding hall. Dowry is still very much a status symbol. A number of marriage-negotiations break down if there is no consensus between the bride's and groom's families. Dowry deaths of a newly married bride are still regularly in the news.
Although the practice of dowry exists in many countries, it has assumed the proportion of a challenge to the forces of modernity and change only in India. Many reasons are put forward for explaining this practice. It is said that a dowry is meant to help the newly-weds to set up their own home.
That dowry is given as compensation to the groom's parents for the amount they have spent in educating and upbringing their son. These explanations may seem logical in the present day context, but they cannot explain how this practice originated. A search for the origins of dowry would have to move backwards into antiquity. Discussion about dowry has to take into account the less prevalent practice of bride price, which is but a reversal of dowry. Although it may not be possible to ascertain when and where these practices originated, it can be supposed that dowry and bride price are posterior to the institution of monogamy. This is the same as saying that dowry and bride price came into being after the practice of monogamous marriage had become prevalent.
But monogamous marriage is itself a culmination of the human adaptation of animal promiscuity. Man's is the only species practicing monogamy; all other species are promiscuous. Thus it is a logical corollary that Man's institution of monogamy came into being at sometime in the long evolution of his species. The practice of monogamy itself evolved in stages as is evident from historical anecdotes of Mahabharata where the five Pandava brothers had one wife.
Promiscuity gave way to polygamy/polyandry, and after various permutations and combinations, monogamy became the established system. As long as promiscuity existed there was no question of dowry or bride price. The origin of these two practices could be linked up with the discarding of promiscuity in favour of polygamy and polyandry. These two forms of marriage are themselves mutual opposites. While in polygamy there is pairing between one male and multiple women, and polyandry is the pairing of one woman with multiple men.
The existence of the diametrically opposite practices of dowry and bride price, possibly owe their origin to polygamy and polyandry. The formation of polygamous and polyandrous forms of marriage could have been made necessary by changes in the demographic balance between the sexes. A rise in the number of females as compared to that of males is a congenital situation for the emergence of polygamy. Moreover the chances of more than one female member of society being in wedlock with one male member are more.
In the absence of polygamy, in a society having a larger number of females as compared to males, many female members would have to be deprived of marital life. The obligation to get more than one female member into wedlock with one male member could have been the situation which gave birth to dowry as a price expected by the male and his family from the female's family.
The origin of bride price could have taken place in opposite circumstances where the sex ratio favoured females and as there were a large number of males for every female, polyandry and bride price could have been the result.
Along with this generalized hypothesis there were many factors specific to different situations, which gave birth to dowry and bride price. These factors can be identified with more certainty. In India's context, these practices can be seen to be a result of the dialectics of our caste system. The conflict of opposing tendencies of the caste hierarchy, as we know has resulted in endogamy, preventing inter-marriage between members of different castes. A reason for the origin of dowry and bride price can also be seen in the same conflict. Hence discussion on these two practices would have to be intertwined.
Dowry as we all know is paid in cash or kind by the bride's family to the groom's family along with the giving away of the bride (Kanyadanam). The ritual of Kanyadanam is an essential aspect in Hindu marital rites: Kanya - daughter, danam - gift. A reason for the origin of dowry could perhaps be that the groom and his family had to take up the 'onerous' responsibility of supporting the bride for the rest of her life.
Bride price on the other hand involves the receipt of presents, in cash or kind, by the bride's family in return for giving away of the bride. Hence bride price has the character of an exchange.
One feature about dowry and bride price that is conspicuous is that bride price was prevalent among the tribal, Vaishyas and Shudras whereas dowry was prevalent amongst Brahmins and Kshatriyas. We can only conjecture as to why this curious combination could have come into being.
In ancient times, the Vaishya's and Shudras did most of the physical labour and menial work. The coming of a bride into the family meant an increase in the number who could work along with other members and become a source of income for the family while the family from where the bride came suffered the loss of one earning member. Hence a bride price was paid to the bride's parents to compensate for this loss.
The Brahmins and Kshatriyas had only priestly and martial duties allocated to them and no manual labour was assigned. A marriage meant an additional member who was to be supported and hence was a burden on the groom's family, as the bride did not go out to earn and contribute to the family income. Thus a dowry was collected to provide the additional burden resulting from a bride's entry into the groom's family.
I Answer the following questions:
1) Give two explanations given for dowry.
2) Give one difference between dowry and bride price.
3) Give one reason why Vaishyas and Shudras practiced bride price.
4) Give one reason why Brahmins and Kshatriyas practiced dowry?
II Complete the following
1) Dowry is considered ___________ and is very much a part of negotiations in ___________.
2) Polyandry gave rise to __________ and polygamy to ___________.
3) Bride price has the character of exchange because __________________.
4) There was no bride price or dowry ______________________.
5) Dowry is payment of cash or kind by ______________________.
Answer:
I
1) a) it helps the newly-weds to set up their home.
b) compensation to the groom's parents for the amount they have spent in educating and bringing up their son.
2) Dowry is the cash is paid to the groom by the bride's father whereas bride price is the cash paid by the groom to the bride's father.
3) They did menial work. Coming in of a bride meant an additional source of income so she was an asset.
4) They had priestly and martial duties, which the bride couldn't do. So she was considered a burden.
II
1) Dowry is considered a status symbol and is very much a part of negotiations in arranged marriages.
2) Polyandry gave rise to dowry and polygamy to bride price.
3) Bride price has the character of exchange because it involves the receipt of presents, in cash or kind, by the bride's family in return for giving away of the bride.
4) There was no bride price or dowry before monogamy/during promiscuity.
5) Dowry is payment of cash or kind by the bride's family to the groom's family along with the giving away of the bride.
Question 3
Question: Evolution
The cry of the bird, which perceives the cat, is a sounding-signal, and the birds may have only this single kind of signal. But that is sufficient as they are able only to perform one kind of adequate behaviour. They need no more signals, as the adequate reaction in any case should be the same: Fly! That is whether the situation, which provoked the signal was the approach of cat, a dog, or a man.
Species, which are able to perform more acts, which are adequate in various situations, might evolve more signals. That is case of the vervet monkeys:
It has been observed that some vervet monkeys, which live in flocks, use various sounding signals for various predators. If one individual of the flock spots a leopard, it exclaims one particular kind of sounding. If an individual spots a bird of prey, it exclaims another kind of sounding, and the sight of a snake gets a third sounding. And the individuals of the flock, which did not actually see the danger, react to the soundings by climbing high up in the trees where they are in security from the leopard, by hiding beneath the trees where the eagle cannot catch them, or by standing up, looking around for the danger, according to the signal uttered.
These monkeys thus have three kinds of signal-soundings:
1) The 'leopard-signal',
2) The 'eagle-signal', and
3) The 'snake-signal', which are motivated by three different situations. And they have three kinds of adequate reactions to these signals. They may have even more signal-sounds motivated by other situations and motivating to other reactions.
These soundings might be comprehended as a simple language with only three words, but that is not the case; it is not a language. The monkeys simply act according to a hereditary pattern of behaviour, which motivates them to make the different soundings, which motivate them to perform various pre-programmed actions.
The characteristic of this particular behaviour is that a link is put between the situations and the programmed acts: the sound signal. Various situations motivate an individual to make various programmed sounding signals, and the sounding signals motivate other individuals to make various programmed acting according to the signal.
I Based on the passage, complete the following:
| Kinds of signals | Reactions |
1) Snake - signal |
1) |
2) Eagle - signal |
2) |
3) Leopard - signal |
3) |
II Complete the following:
1) The more evolved an animal the _________________
2) The sounds are made to produce_________________
3) Though sounds are understood to be _____________
4) The hereditary pattern of behaviour makes monkeys ________
5) Even individuals _____________
Kinds of signalsReactions
1) Snake - signal
1)
2) Eagle - signal
2)
3) Leopard - signal
3)
Answer:
I
| Kinds of signals |
Reactions |
1) Snake - signal |
By standing up, looking around for the danger |
2) Eagle - signal |
By hiding beneath the trees where eagles cannot catch them |
3) Leopard - signal |
By climbing up high in the trees where they are in security |
II
1) The more evolved an animal the more kinds of sounds they make.
2) The sounds are made to produce adequate reactions to the signals.
3) Though sounds are understood to be language, they are not so.
4) The hereditary pattern of behaviour makes monkeys make various pre-programmed actions and programmed signals.
5) Even individuals make various programmed signals and others to act in a programmed manner
Kinds of signals
Reactions
1) Snake - signal
By standing up, looking around for the danger
2) Eagle - signal
By hiding beneath the trees where eagles cannot catch them
3) Leopard - signal
By climbing up high in the trees where they are in security
Question 4
Question: Global Warming - Climate
An Introduction
According to the National Academy of Sciences, the earth's surface temperature has risen by about 1 degree Fahrenheit in the past century, with accelerated warming during the past two decades. There is new and stronger evidence that most of the warming over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities. Human activities have altered the chemical composition of the atmosphere through the build-up of greenhouse gases - primarily carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. The heat-trapping property of these gases is undisputed although uncertainties exist about exactly how the earth's climate responds to them.
Our Changing Atmosphere
Energy from the sun drives the earth's weather and climate, and heats the earth's surface; in turn, the earth radiates energy back into space. Atmospheric greenhouse gases (water vapour, carbon dioxide, and other gases) trap some of the outgoing energy, retaining heat somewhat like the glass panels of a greenhouse. Without this natural 'greenhouse effect', temperatures would be much lower than they are now, and life as known today would not be possible. Instead, thanks to greenhouse gases, the earth's average temperature is a more hospitable 600F. However, problems may arise when the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases increases.
Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide have increased nearly 30%, methane concentrations have more than doubled, and nitrous oxide concentrations have risen by about 15%. These increases have enhanced the heat-trapping capability of the earth's atmosphere. Sulphate aerosols, a common air pollutant, cool the atmosphere by reflecting light back into space; however, sulphates are short-lived in the atmosphere and vary regionally.
Why are greenhouse gas concentrations increasing? Scientists generally believe that the combustion of fossil fuels and other human activities are the primary reason for the increased concentration of carbon dioxide. Plant respiration and the decomposition of organic matter release more than 10 times the CO2 released by human activities; but these releases have generally been in balance during the centuries leading up to the industrial revolution with carbon dioxide absorbed by terrestrial vegetation and the oceans.
What has changed in the last few hundred years is the additional release of carbon dioxide by human activities. Fossil fuels burned to run cars and trucks, heat homes and businesses and power factories are responsible for about 98% of United States carbon dioxide emissions, 24% of methane emissions, and 18% of nitrous oxide emissions. Increased agriculture, deforestation, landfills, industrial production, and mining also contribute a significant share of emissions. In 1997, the United States emitted about one-fifth of total global greenhouse gases.
Estimating future emissions is difficult, because it depends on demographic, economic, technological, policy, and institutional developments. Several emissions scenarios have been developed based on differing projections of these underlying factors. For e.g., by 2100, in the absence of emission control policies, carbon dioxide concentrations are projected to be 30-150% higher than today's levels.
I Read the passage and complete the flow chart:
II Complete the following:
1) Human activities have resulted in ________ which in turn cause __________.
2) Without green house gases __________________. However, excess of these gases _________________.
3) Though Sulphate aerosol a common air pollutant cools the atmosphere _____.
4) Actually the balance of green house is maintained by ____________ but in the last hundred years_____________have changed this.
5) _____________ has resulted in increased carbon dioxide levels.
6) If ___________, by 2100 CO2, concentrations are projected to be 30-150% higher than today's level.
7) Apart from burning of fossil fuels ____________ also contribute to the increased levels of carbon dioxide.
8) The atmosphere is compared to ______________
9) The green house gases are ___________________
III Complete the web diagram:
Answer:
I
II
1) Human activities have resulted in increase of green house gases which in turn cause global warming.
2) Without green house gases life would not have been possible on earth. However excess of these gases can result in problems.
3) Though Sulphate aerosol a common air pollutant cools the atmosphere it is short-lived and varies regionally
4) Actually the balance of green house is maintained by plants which absorb CO2, but in the last hundred years increased human activities like burning of gases. have changed this.
5) Combustion of fossil fuels and other human activities. has resulted in increased carbon dioxide levels.
6) If there are no emission control policies, by 2100 CO2, concentrations are projected to be 30 - 150% higher than today's level.
7) Apart from burning of fossil fuels increased agriculture, deforestation, landfills, industrial production, mining also contribute to the increased levels of carbon dioxide.
8) The atmosphere is compared to the glass panels of a green house
9) The green house gases are CO2, methane, and nitrous oxide.
III
Question 5
Question: Gods that Failed
Having been ruled so long by outsiders, we, the people, refuse to accept responsibility.
When I first came to live in Singapore nearly a decade ago, a taxi driver chuckled that Indians had rights but Singaporeans had rice. Ideally, the two need not be in conflict and, indeed, are not in the democratic market economies of the West. People in Britain and America enjoy rice and rights, the noble vision that inspired India's tryst with destiny 55 years ago.
Things have turned out somewhat differently in practice. India lags behind Japan and China. Southeast Asia has marched far ahead. If India is a faltering giant with soaring pretensions whose proudest asset is its still unrealized potential, it is because we have failed ourselves. Not some single entity like the government or politicians or bureaucrats (though all must bear blame in greater or lesser degree) but we, the people, as a whole.
There are men and women of honesty and goodwill in India, many caring organizations that work with selfless zeal. Millions of Indians live in hopes of good governance that will meet their basic expectations. But the system itself is rotten and collapsing. It is corrupt and inefficient and the only force that holds up its creaking timbers is an overwhelming arrogance that is for me the most detestable feature of Indian life.
My worst nightmare in India is having to deal with authority. Municipal councilors and government secretaries are dragons breathing fire and brimstone; electricity board officials and people in charge of water and sewage give me the shivers. I would rather be without the telephone than report its death and risk a snarl or a shrug. I shy away even from the managers of nationalized banks who are so often cocooned in pompous self-importance.
In that high noon of democracy when Morarji Desai's Sun rode high in the heavens, I sought a meeting for purely professional purposes with Subramanian Swamy. He was the hero of the hour, a man who had not just studied at Harvard like so many others but actually taught there, and who had eluded Indira Gandhi's sleuths during the Emergency to slip in and out of Parliament as adroitly as any Elusive Pimpernel. So I telephoned his office, was told when and where he gave darshan and turned up to sit squashed in a room with hundreds of supplicants, patiently waiting my turn to be called.
When it came and I gave my name, Swamy was innocently aghast. Why hadn't I asked for a proper appointment? I had. But couldn't I have told his office who I was? Who was I then, to put on airs, I wondered. Just another scribbler of ephemera. But a by-line is also something to be paraded in a world where anonymity is death.
Consequence is measured in terms of exceptions. The important Indian does not queue at the airport check-in counter; he does not submit to security checks at official functions, he does not provide ration card or passport as identification. It is not a question of inconvenience; it is a question of izzat. Not only is he above the rules that govern ordinary mortals but also must be seen by the world to be so blessed.
The other day, I found J.Y. Pillay, former chairman of Singapore Airlines, former high commissioner to Britain and now chairman of the Singapore Exchange, in the queue beside me at Changi airport. Lee Kuan Yew once said that Pillay compared with the best administrators in Britain or America. Indians know him for battling long and hard to launch a domestic airline in India in collaboration with the Tatas.
--- Sunanda K. Datta Ray
I Answer the following questions:
1) What did the taxi driver mean when he said Indians had rights but Singaporeans had rice?
2) Why has the author called India a faltering giant with soaring pretensions?
3) What according to the author is the basic problem of India?
4) Why was Swamy innocently aghast?
5) By giving the example of J.Y. Pillai what does the author wish to tell us?
6) What is the author's opinion about India's keepers of authority?
II Complete the following:
1) " But a by-line is also something to be paraded in a world where anonymity is death" means ________________
2) Though there are men of honesty and goodwill in India the ______
3) The noble vision that inspired India's tryst with destiny is ________________
4) The problem with Indian bureaucrats is that they are ______________ and full of ______________.
III Find the words in the passage, which mean the same
1) lasting only a short time
2) escaped
3) skillfully
4) Shocked
Answer:
I
1) India boasted of democracy but Singapore though not a democracy gave them economic security.
2) India is a big democracy, which is under the false impression that it is the greatest.
3) The system itself is rotten and collapsing.
4) Because the author had not informed him earlier that he was a famous journalist and had waited in the queue for a meeting.
5) Such a great administrator stood in the long queue patiently. even he was not recognized in India.
6) They are corrupt, pompous and full of self-importance. They do not consider themselves as ordinary mortals.
II
1) " But a by-line is also something to be paraded in a world where anonymity is death" means even being a journalist has to be flaunted because in our society someone who is not well established does not get any attention.
2) Though there are men of honesty and goodwill in India the system itself is rotting and corrupt.
3) The noble vision that inspired India's tryst with destiny is democracy and economic security can co-exist.
4) The problem with Indian bureaucrats is that they are pompous and full of corruption and self importance.
III
1) Ephemeral
2) Eluded
3) Adroitly
4) Aghast
Question 6
Question: Learning to Take A Back Seat
By Sadhu Vishwamurthidas
Some people are compulsive exhibitionists. You can find them almost anywhere; they would do anything to get noticed. At a wedding, they want to be the bride and at a funeral, the corpse.
Julius Caesar, who was an incorrigible egotist, was kidnapped when he was a child. He was held for a ransom of 11,000 gold pieces. Horrified, he exhorted his captors to raise the ransom amount to 2,50,000 gold pieces so as to preserve his prestige!
William Shakespeare said: " Praises are my wages" . Agreed American writer Mark Twain: " I can live an entire week on compliments alone" . More recently, musician Elton John said: " Even if I had only a single finger left, I would play the piano to be loved" .
There are very few people who don't like being the centre of attraction. They are the ones who are able to derive their nourishment from within. They are the true giants of humanity; the others are insignificant.
It is said that a famous boxer once refused to tie his seat belt aboard a plane. " Superman doesn't need a belt," he resisted. Tying his belt for him, the airhostess replied: " Superman doesn't need a plane either" .
The truly great are those who know their weaknesses and aren't afraid to admit them. They accept their limitations and blend with the crowd because they know that when it comes to the basics, everyone's the same.
Whether rich or poor, American, Afghan or Indian, we all have the same emotions deep within us - to protect the family, educate children, provide for healthcare, to be free to walk the streets in safety, to have time for oneself, to contribute to the good of the world and to leave one's mark, however small, on history. And the last is something all human beings do - for better or for worse. Even an ant does not go through this world without affecting its outcome in someway.
From the worldly perspective, humility can be imbibed by realizing that the population of the planet is six billion. If there were only one person on earth, he would have all the rights of law, legislation, amendment and ownership.
Today, six billion people share equal rights - that is just one six billionth or 0.000000000166 rights per person! Yet, unable to come to terms with this reality, some people behave as though they are owners of the planet.
They are unable to take a back seat in any subject. They demand to be consulted before any decisions are made. They demand to be glorified and welcomed at every meeting. To sustain their narcissistic beliefs, some can go to the extent of humiliating others under any banner or guise, whether it is religion, country or justice.
God-consciousness is the permanent cure for egomania. Ego usually translates into 'he-go' or 'she-go'. With God-consciousness, it transforms into 'I-go'. Explains Lord Swaminarayan: " When one realizes the infinite greatness and glory of God, where is there room for self-pride?"
King Canute, who ruled England in the 11th century, one day placed his golden throne on the seashore.
He sat on his throne and waited for the tide to come in. Eventually it did and wetted his feet.
He repeatedly ordered the tide to go back, but it didn't. In fact, it returned with even greater force and overturned his throne.
Canute threw off his crown and never wore it again. He declared to the people: " Only by whose nod the heaven, earth and sea obey eternal laws should be called King" .
(Website: www.swaminarayan.org)
http:/spirituality.indiatimes.com
I Read the passage and answer the following:
1) Julius Caesar, Shakespeare, Mark Twain and Elton John are all egotists because they _____________
2) The true giants are those who ___________
3) The truly great know ___________________
4) The common emotions all human beings possess are ____________
5) Some people behave if they are owners of the planet. The cure for them is _________
6) When King Canute saw that the tide did not go back at his repeated orders he realised _____________ God.
7) Humility can be imbibed by ____________
II Answer the following questions:
1) What are the characteristics of compulsive exhibitionists?
2) Why is it important to know one's limitation?
3) Name one thing that all human beings do.
4) Egotists behave as though they are owners of the planet because they are unable to come to terms with one reality. What is that reality?
5) What is wrong about getting used to praises?
III Find words in the passage that mean:
1) loving oneself
2) boundless/endless
Answer:
I
1) Julius Caesar, Shakespeare, Mark Twain and Elton John are all egotists because they loved being the centre of attraction and wanted praises.
2) The true giants are those who don't like being centre of attraction and derive nourishment from within.
3) The truly great know their weaknesses and are not afraid to admit them.
4) The common emotions all human beings possess are to protect the family, to contribute to the world and leave a small mark on history.
5) Some people behave if they are owners of the planet. The cure for them is God consciousness
6) When King Canute saw that the tide did not go back at his repeated orders he realised the greatness and glory of God.
7) Humility can be imbibed by realizing that we are one of the six billion population of the world.
II
1) They are unable to take a back seat and want to be the centre of attraction.
2) Because we will not have a distorted self image of being the greatest/we'll feel one among the others.
3) Every human being leaves a small mark on history.
4) They have just one six billionth rights.
5) We have a distorted view of ourselves. We really believe that we are superior.
III
a) Narcissistic
b) Infinite
Question 7
Question: If you want to make a difference
Anyone who had the pleasure of watching jazz musician Benny Goodman at work saw a rather ordinary-looking man in rimless glasses and a conservative business suit, but they also saw a human being who could play the clarinet like no one before or since. This made Benny Goodman a unique individual.
It is doing something better than other people that make us unique. Yet a surprising number of people still see individuality as a surface thing. They wear garish clothes, dye their hair with strange colours and decorate their skin with tattoos to make some kind of social statement. They believe that mediocrity will somehow gain new credentials from exterior cosmetics. But an ordinary guy who has dyed his hair purple or orange is nothing more than the same person with a funny looking head.
The whole purpose of individuality is excellence. The people who comprehend the simple principle of being unique through performance, who invent, who improvise, who know more about a subject than other people do and who take something that doesn't work and make it work - these people are the very soul of capitalism.
Charles Kettering didn't like the idea of cranking a car to make it start, so he invented the electric starter. Henry Ford figured out the assembly-line technique and made it possible to mass-produce automobiles. Lewis Waterman saw no need to go on dipping a pen into an inkwell, so he put the ink into the pen. George Westinghouse told the world how to stop a train, and Elisha Otis, inventor of the elevator, indirectly created the city skyline. These people understood that individualism means working at the top of one's capacity.
The student who earns top marks has grasped the idea and has found the real meaning of individuality. So has the youngster who has designed his own space ship, who gives piano recitals, who paints pictures of the world around him or who can name all the states and their capitals.
Benny Goodman understood it too. This is why he was at his best, blowing his clarinet, in a blue suit and black shoes.
I. Read the above article and fill in the gaps and complete the paragraph given below:
Anybody watching Benny Goodman sees not only an _______ but also a ______ who _______. To be unique one must _______. Yet people wear garish clothes, dye their hair with strange colours because _______ will be mistaken for _______ with the help of external cosmetics. People who are _______ in their performance are unique.
Unique people _______, _______ and know more about a subject than other people. Charles Kettering, Henry Ford, Lewis Waterman, George Washington possessed _______ because they worked at the top of their capacity.
II. Pick out words from the passage, which mean the same as the following words or phrases:
a) Traditional (Para 1)
b) Average quality (Para 2)
c) Showy, Gaudy (Para 2)
d) To make up on the spur of the moment (Para 3)
Answer:
I
Anybody watching Benny Goodman sees not only an ordinary looking man but also a person or man who could play the clarionet. To be unique one must do something like no one has. Yet people wear garish clothes, dye their hair with strange colours because they think mediocrity will be mistaken for new credentials with the help of external cosmetics. People who are excellent in their performance are unique.
Unique people invent, improvise and know more about a subject than other people do. Charles Kettering, Henry Ford, Lewis Waterman, George Washington possessed individuality because they worked at the top of their capacity.
II
a) Conservative
b) Ordinary
c) Garish
d) Improvise
Question 8
Question: Night bus to Ajmer
How often do memories of one festival bring back those of others gone before? Idling on the porch a day after Diwali and savouring the nip in the air that signals a winter coming too soon, my mind harks back some 20 years to a day when I stood at Delhi's Kashmere Gate. I was waiting for the night bus to Ajmer on the eve of Holi, the chill hinting at a departing winter.
People talk of the great romance of the Indian railway. But a bus journey between the small towns and villages of India is an experience of its own. The overcrowded, mud-splattered and creaking bus is closer to the heart of India.
The village bus, unlike our suburban transport, is a great leveller, as I realize when I get in with a couple of scores of joyous humanity in Delhi that night. On Holi eve, there is no limit to the number that the bus can take. No one is exclusive. No one objects. The sardine can is a poor comparison. Along with your city-dweller clothes, you carry the colours of a dozen saris and turbans. There is hardly a face that does not smile at you, or a hand that does not extend an eatable produced magically from some fold in the clothing. There is a great deal of noise too, and all of it made by the bus.
The journey seems as quick as it is noisy. It is already past midnight and somewhere near Jaipur. Most of my companions have already got off at their various places. For them, even Jaipur is a big city. The road is a ribbon. The sky is a clear inky blue. The soil alongside, the walls and houses in Jaipur and its outskirts are all a contrasting and clear pink. Pink against dark blue. I have not seen anything this vivid in any painting. Pink palaces on dark hills against a blue sky. There is another sight to overwhelm the traveller: Indian Oil carts drawn by languorous camels with their heads held high against the sky. Image upon image, a night journey is the best introduction to Rajasthan.
Before long, I am in Ajmer, asking for directions to a friend's house in a small street. I ask for lawyer Mathur's house. I am told that all the residents in that road are Mathurs and that four of them are lawyers. I finally ask for Munna's father, and I am shown the house.
It is morning soon. Peacocks walk fearlessly in the middle of the road. And at night, the town is full of little Holi fires. And singing.
I travel from Ajmer into the desert. The poorer the people, the brighter are the colours of their clothes. I join a busload of pilgrims, including some Hippies, to Pushkar. The little shops beside the bathing ghats sell pictures of gods and goddesses along with those of Rishi Kapoor and Hema Malini.
Rajasthan was not created; it was simply painted by the greatest artist of them all.
I. On the basis of your understanding of the passage above, complete the paragraph below using only one word in each blank.
The author _________ his past. Once when he was _________ to Ajmer with the _________ almost gone, he finds a bus journey a great _________ because it _________ the Indian tradition. Nobody is treated _________ in buses. The author an urban man is impressed by the _________ of the villagers.
The mud-splattered, overcrowded _________ bus carries masses of _________. The writer loves the _________ outside. Till today he carries these _________ in his heart.
The shops selling pictures of gods and goddesses along with filmstars reveal how _________ and modernity co exist in India.
II. Answer the following questions:
a) What does the writer mean when he says that the village bus is a great leveller?
b) Why does even Jaipur appear like a big city to his travelling companions?
c) What is the bus compared to and why is it a 'poor comparison'?
III. Write whether the following statements are True or False and correct the false statements:
a) The bus allowed only fixed number of passengers.
b) The writer travelled to Ajmer on the eve of Holi and remembers it exactly 20 years later on the same day.
c) The soil of Jaipur is pink, the sky dark and the hills blue.
d) The Oil carts pulled by languorous camels with their heads held high against the sky is a great image.
IV. Pick out words from the passage, which mean the same as the following words or phrases:
a) Enjoying
b) To have a sharp biting effect
c) Treated as same
d) Lazy
Answer:
I
The author remembers or recalls his past. Once when he was going or traveling or journeying to Ajmer with the winter almost gone, he finds a bus journey a great experience because it reflects the Indian tradition. Nobody is treated specially or differently in buses. The author an urban man is impressed by the hospitality or behaviour or warmth or simplicity of the villagers.
The mud-splattered, overcrowded creaking or noisy bus carries masses of humanity. The writer loves the view or scene outside. Till today he carries these images in his heart.
The shops selling pictures of gods and goddesses along with filmstars reveal how tradition and modernity co exist in India.
II
a) He means that all are treated the same.
b) His travelling companions are from villages, so to them even Jaipur is a big city.
c) The bus is compared to a tightly packed sardines. Sardine can is a poor comparison as the bus is more crowded.
III
a) False. The bus had no fixed seats. It was overcrowded.
b) False. The poet travelled to Ajmer on the eve of Holi and remembers it 20 years later a day after Diwali.
c) False. The soil of Jaipur is pink, the sky blue and the hills dark.
d) True.
IV
a) Savouring
b) Nip
c) Leveller
d) Languoro
Question 9
Question: Consequences of Nuclear Explosions
The detonation of a nuclear bomb over a target such as a populated city causes immense damage. The degree of damage depends upon the distance from the centre of the bomb blast, which is called the hypocenter or ground zero. The closer one is to the hypocenter, the more severe is the damage. The damage is caused by several things e.g., a wave of intense heat from the explosion, pressure from the shock wave created by the blast, radiation and radioactive fallout (clouds of fine radioactive particles of dust and bomb debris that fall back to the ground)
At the hypocenter, everything is immediately vapourized by the high temperature (up to 500 million degrees Fahrenheit or 300 million degrees Celsius). Outward from the hypocenter, most causalities are caused by burns from the heat, injuries from the flying debris of buildings collapsed by the shock wave, and acute exposure to the high radiation. Beyond the immediate blast area, casualties are caused from the heat, radiation, and fires spawned from the heat wave. In the long-term, radioactive fallout occurs over a wider area because of prevailing winds. The radioactive fallout particles enter the water supply and are inhaled and ingested by people at a distance from the blast.
Scientists have studied survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings to understand the short-term and long-term effects of nuclear explosions on human health. Radiation and radioactive fallout affect those cells in the body that actively divide (hair, intestine, bone marrow, reproductive organs). Some of the resulting health conditions include nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, cataracts, hair loss and loss of blood cells. These conditions often increase the risk of leukaemia, cancer, infertility and birth effects.
Scientists and physicians are still studying the survivors of the bombs dropped on Japan and expect more results to appear over time.
In the 1980s, scientists assessed the possible effects of nuclear warfare (many nuclear bombs exploding in different parts of the world) and proposed the theory that a nuclear winter could occur. In the nuclear-winter scenario, the explosion of many bombs would raise great clouds of dust and radioactive material that would travel high into the Earth's atmosphere. These clouds would block out sunlight, lower the surface temperature of the planet and reduce photosynthesis by plants and bacteria. The reduction in photosynthesis would disrupt the food chain, causing mass extinction of life (including humans). This scenario is similar to the asteroid hypothesis that has been proposed to explain the extinction of the dinosaurs. Proponents of the nuclear-winter scenario pointed to the clouds of dust and debris that travelled far across the planet after the volcanic eruptions of Mount St. Helena in the United States and Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines.
Nuclear weapons have incredible, long-term destructive power that travels far beyond the original target. This is why the world's governments are trying to control the spread of nuclear-bomb-making technology and materials and reduce the arsenal of nuclear weapons deployed during the Cold War.
I Read the passage and complete the following table:
| Distance from centre |
Extent of Damage |
1) Hypocentre |
______________ |
2) Outward from the hypocentre |
______________ |
3) Beyond the immediate blast centre |
______________ |
4) Wider area |
______________ |
II Complete the flow chart given below that describes what would happen if a nuclear winter occurred:
III Complete the given web diagram:
IV Listed on the right are the effects of nuclear explosions on health. Identify whether they are short-term effects or long-term effects.
| Birth defects |
|
| |
Leukaemia |
| |
Cataracts |
| Short-term |
Hair loss |
| |
Loss of blood cells |
| |
Nausea vomiting diarrhea |
| Long term |
Cancer |
| |
Infertility |
Distance from centre
Extent of Damage
1) Hypocentre
______________
2) Outward from the hypocentre
______________
3) Beyond the immediate blast centre
______________
4) Wider area
______________
Birth defects
Leukaemia
Cataracts
Short-term
Hair loss
Loss of blood cells
Nausea vomiting diarrhea
Long term
Cancer
Infertility
Answer:
I
| Distance from centre |
Extend of damage |
1) Hypocentre |
Everything is immediately vaporized by the high temperature. |
2) Outward from the hypocentre |
Burns from heat, injuries from buildings collapsing, acute exposure to high radiation. |
3) Beyond the immediate blast centre |
Causalities caused from the heat, radiation and fires spawned from the heat wave. |
4) Wider area |
Radioactive fallout occurs. |
5) At a distance |
Radioactive fallout enter water supply and are ingested by people. |
II
III
IV
| Short term: |
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea Cataracts Hair loss Loss of blood cells |
| Long term: |
Leukaemia Cancer Infertility Birth defects |
Distance from centre
Extend of damage
1) Hypocentre
Everything is immediately vaporized by the high temperature.
2) Outward from the hypocentre
Burns from heat, injuries from buildings collapsing, acute exposure to high radiation.
3) Beyond the immediate blast centre
Causalities caused from the heat, radiation and fires spawned from the heat wave.
4) Wider area
Radioactive fallout occurs.
5) At a distance
Radioactive fallout enter water supply and are ingested by people.
Short term:
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
Cataracts
Hair loss
Loss of blood cells
Long term:
Leukaemia
Cancer
Infertility
Birth defects
Question 10
Question: Massive Security
(India Today - Sept 9)
His handmade locks intimidate potential thieves with their sheer size.
Here's A KEY YOU WILL NOT LOSE IN A HURRY. It is a solid piece of brass and gun metal, weighs about 5 kg and has teeth the size of a standard calculator. And it is more than a foot long. You have seen enough of these monstrosities being presented to celebrity citizens by Mayors. So what's new? Look carefully and you will notice this is not one of those ceremonial " Gates of the City" dummy key. This one opens a real, gigantic lock. And behind them the Lord of Puri remains safe and secure.
A few weeks ago, both the giant lock and key, crafted by Kolkata locksmith Jitendra Prasad Singh, were handed over to the management of Chhotiamuth Jagannath temple in Puri. It all began when the authorities faced the mind-boggling task of securing the new 1.5-ton temple gate, and no ordinary lock would do. They approached Trusty, Singh's company in Kolkata, to help them out. It came up with the giant key and the 2-ft tall, 1-ft wide lock that weighed 80 kg.
When the temple authorities commissioned Singh to make what is probably the world's largest lock, he did not have to think twice. He had travelled down the path before. A similar assignment, 41 years ago, had put him on the path to the manufacturing of gigantic locks and keys for special occasions. In 1961, Queen Elizabeth II was visiting India, and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru wanted something truly impressive to wow her. He summoned Singh's family from Kolkata with a request: they were to make the world's largest lock for the World Trade Fair to be held in Delhi that year. " At that time, it was a tricky proposition," says Singh, whose family-run business of handmade locks was set up in Kolkata by his great-grandfather Batuk Singh. " But I was determined to make an impression on Pandit Nehru."
Three months later, Singh arrived in Delhi with his creation - a huge lock that was 2 ft high and weighed over 50 kg. It is not clear if the Queen was impressed, but Nehru certainly was. A few weeks later, he called Singh with another challenge: make the world's smallest lock. Now, the tiny silver item, barely 5 mm high with a delicate key to match, is something of a lucky charm for the Singhs.
A special feature of Singh's mammoth locks is the excellent mechanism within. This was put to test by a three-year-old girl on the Puri lock. She definitely needed some help in holding up the key, but once she had inserted it in the socket, the levers turned quite easily. That is because the grid inside runs on well oiled ball bearings and a single turn snaps three clasps in place.
If Singh has no competitors in this unique market, it is because he is one of the last involved in the painstaking process of making locks by hand. Machine-made locks are more lucrative and are about five times cheaper. But Singh prefers his somewhat antiquated method: the Chubbs technique of manufacture that the British introduced to Kolkata's locksmiths in the early 1800s. However, Singh has improvised on the method. Instead of producing locks in an assembly line, only three Trusty locks are handcrafted every day and each is unique. The manufacturing unit is now in Aligarh, where it moved lock, stock and barrel a few years ago.
The reason why Singh continues to keeps his patrons happy is because it is not possible to pick or break the locks he crafts. Large locks may be the only solution to check the frequent temple break-ins, and this one from Singh's smithy may be a blessing for Puri, which has seen a spate of idol thefts in recent times. The new lock is so heavy that it requires four men to hold it. Of the three keys made, two are kept aside for daily use while the third remains in the head priest's safekeeping for emergency use. Duplicating the key will take at least five days, says a confident Singh, and will certainly draw attention. And after hoisting an 80-kg lock, he wonders, will a thief have any energy left to sprint away with heavy idols?
The Puri authorities were not the first to be fascinated by the Trusty locks. Singh's workmanship secures many temples in and around Kolkata. The 8-inch lock that holds the gates of the Dakshineshwar Temple together is also his creation. Another of a similar size seals the sanctum sanctorum of the nearby Adyapeeth. In Singh's north Kolkata neighbourhood, his handiwork can be seen on the gates of the Baikunthanath Temple.
Singh has installed these locks for free, including the one at Puri, which cost him Rs 35,000. " It is for the best cause in the world" , says the obviously God-fearing businessman. " If I donate them to a temple, goodwill and blessings are bound to come back to me" . Perhaps that's the key to his success.
I Answer the following questions after reading the above passage:
1) Describe the lock and the key designed for the Jagannath temple in Puri by Jitendra Prasad Singh.
2) What had Jitendra Prasad been assigned to do in 1961 and by whom?
II Complete the following sentences.
1) The fact that Pandit Nehru was impressed by Singh's work is revealed by _________________
2) The __________within the lock is unique that even a _________
3) A three year-old girl could open the lock in Puri easily, after being helped to insert the lock into the key, because ______________
4) Machine-made locks are preferred to handmade ones because ____________
5) Singh has improvised on the British ___________ of manufacture and crafts only three ___________one every day.
6) Patrons still go to Singh because __________________
7) Large temples like Jagannath Puri use it to prevent ___________
8) " If I donate them to a temple, goodwill and blessings are bound to come back to me" . Perhaps that's the key to his success. Explain the pun intended in the last sentence.
III Pick out words from the passage which mean:
1) huge, enormous things (para 1)
2) overwhelming (para 2)
3) a thing a person is entrusted to do (para 3)
4) very careful, assiduous (para 6)
Answer:
I
1) The lock is huge, weighing 80 kgs with a width of 1foot and a height of 2 feet. The key is a solid piece of brass and gunmetal, weighing 5kg and has teeth the size of a standard calculator.
2) In 1961 Jawaharlal Nehru had assigned Singh with the task of making the world's largest lock for the World Trade Fair to be held in Delhi that year.
II
1) The fact that Pandit Nehru was impressed by Singh's work is revealed by the fact that he challenged Singh to make the world's smallest lock.
2) The Excellent mechanism within the lock is unique that even a a child could easily open the lock.
3) A three year-old girl could open the lock in Puri easily, after being helped to insert the lock into the key, because The grid inside runs on well-oiled bearings and a single turn snaps three clasps in place.
4) Machine-made locks are preferred to handmade ones because They are more lucrative and are about five times cheaper.
5) Singh has improvised on the British Chubb's technique of manufacture and crafts only three unique/special ones every day.
6) Patrons still go to Singh because it is not possible to pick or break the locks he crafts.
7) Large temples like Jagannath Puri use it to prevent break-ins and idol thefts
8) The word 'key' has two meanings. The keys Singh manufactures have brought him success. Also his generosity in donating free lock and keys to temples has been the key to his success.
III
1) huge, enormous things - monstrosities
2) overwhelming - mind-boggling
3) a thing a person is entrusted to do - commissioned
4) very careful, assiduous - painstaking