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ENGLISH
CLASS - XI
Government of Kerala
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
State Council of Educational Research and Training
(SCERT), Kerala
2016
THE NATIONAL ANTHEM
Jana-gana-mana adhinayaka jaya he
Bharatha-bhagya-vidhata
Punjab-Sindh-Gujarat-Maratha
Dravida-Utkala-Banga
Vindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-Ganga
Uchchala-Jaladhi-taranga
Tava subha name jage,
Tava subha asisa mage,
Gahe tava jaya gatha
Jana-gana-mangala-dayaka jaya he
Bharatha-bhagya-vidhata
Jaya he, jaya he, jaya he,
Jaya jaya jaya, jaya he!
PLEDGE
India is my country. All Indians are my brothers and
sisters.
I love my country, and I am proud of its rich and varied
heritage. I shall always strive to be worthy of it.
I shall give my parents, teachers and all elders respect,
and treat everyone with courtesy.
To my country and my people, I pledge my devotion.
In their well-being and prosperity alone lies my
happiness.
Prepared by :
State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT)
Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram 695012, Kerala
Website : www.scertkerala.gov.in e-mail : [email protected]
Phone : 0471 - 2341883, Fax : 0471 - 2341869
Typesetting and Layout : SCERT
© Department of Education, Government of Kerala
To be printed in quality paper - 80gsm map litho (snow-white)
FOREWORD
Dr P. A. Fathima
Director
SCERT, Kerala
Textbook Development Team
Members
Dr Bindu S. V.
HSST (English), JPHSS, Ottasekharamangalam, Thiruvananthapuram.
Smt. Beena Sebastian K.
HSST (English), St. Josephís Girls' HSS, Changanasserry.
Sri. Mohammed Shiyas M. V.
HSST (English), GHSS, Beypore, Kozhikode.
Smt. Jyolsna P. K.
HSST (English), Sree Ramakrishna Mission HSS, Kozhikode.
Sri. Rakesh R.
HSST (English), SRKGVM HSS, Puranattukara, Thrissur.
Sri. Vasanthakumaran Nair K.
HSST (English), Govt. Girls HSS, Cotton Hill, Thiruvananthapuram.
Sri. Bitter C.
HSST, Govt. HSS for Girls, Nedumangad, Thiruvananthapuram.
Sri. Anand Kumar S.
HSST (English), Govt. Model HSS, Varkala, Thiruvananthapuram.
Sri. Satheesh
HSST (English), HSS Chempazhanthi, Thiruvananthapuram.
Sri. Haridasan N. K.
Art Teacher, GHSS, Azhiyoor, Kozhikode.
Experts
Dr K. Reghunathan Pillai
Professor of English (Rtd.), University College, Thiruvananthapuram.
Dr Thomas Kuruvilla
Principal, Govt. Victoria College, Palakkad.
Dr Beena Gopinath
Principal (Rtd.), Govt. College, Attingal.
Dr D. Radharamanan Pillai
Professor of English (Rtd.), NSS College, Nilamel.
Prof. S. Bindu Sasibhooshan
Professor of English (Rtd.), University College, Thiruvananthapuram.
Academic Coordinator
Dr S. Raveendran Nair
Head, Department of Curriculum, SCERT, Kerala
CONTENTS
UNIT 1 GLIMPSES OF GREATNESS Pages 07 - 37
r His First Flight - Liam OíFlaherty
r I will Fly - Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
r Quest for a Theory of Everything - Kitty Gail Ferguson
r If (Poem) - Rudyard Kipling
Letís begin
1.†ëSome†are†born†great;†some†achieve†greatness;†some†have†greatness
thrust†upon†them.í† --†William†Shakespeare†(Twelfth†Night).
Is† greatness† an† innate† trait?† Is† it† acquired† by† the† successful† or
thrust† upon† them?† Discuss.
2. What† qualities† make† people† great?† Discuss† with† your† friends† and
write† them† in† the† boxes† below.
Hard work
Greatness Perseverance
3. We† strive† to† reach† heights,† achieve† greatness† and† be† successful
in† life.† But† at† times,† it† seems† difficult.
Now,† look† at† the† picture† given† below.
m What†thoughts†and†feelings†does†it†evoke†in†you?
m Give†a†suitable†caption†to†the†picture.
m Have† you† had† any† similar† experience?† If† so,† share† it† with† your
friends.
8
Unit†-†1†GLIMPSES†OF†GREATNESS
9
Textbook† for† Class† XI† -† ENGLISH
HIS†FIRST†FLIGHT Liam†OíFlaherty
The†young†seagull†was
alone†on†his†ledge.†His
two† brothers† and† his
sister†had†already†flown
away†the†day†before.†He
had† been
ï Why†was†the†young†seagull
afraid†to†fly afraid† to† fly?
with† them.
Somehow,†when†he†had
taken† a† little† run
forward†to†the†brink†of†the†ledge†and†attempted†to†flap†his
wings,† he† became† afraid.† The† great† expanse† of† sea
stretched†down†beneath,†and†it†was†such†a†long†way†down
ó†miles†down.†He†felt†certain†that†his†wings†would†never
support†him;†so†he†bent†his†head†and†ran†away†back†to
the†little†hole†under†the†ledge†where†he†slept†at†night.
Even†when†each†of†his†brothers†and†his†little†sister,†whose
wings† were† far† shorter† than† his† own,† ran† to† the† brink,
flapped†their†wings,†and†flew†away,†he†failed†to†muster†up
courage† to† take† that† plunge† which† appeared ï What†did†the†parents†do†to
to† him† so† desperate.† His† father† and† mother motivate† the† young† bird
had† come† around† calling† to† him† shrilly, when†it†failed†to†muster†up
scolding†him,†threatening†to†let†him†starve†on enough†courage†to†fly?
his†ledge,†unless†he†flew†away.†But†for†the†life†of†him,†he
could†not†move.
That†was†twenty-four†hours†ago.†Since†then,†nobody†had
come†near†him.†The†day†before,†all†day†long, ï How† did† the† parents
he†had†watched†his†parents†flying†about†with support†and†encourage†the
his†brothers†and†sister,†perfecting†them†in†the young† seagullís† brothers
and† sister?
art† of† flight,† teaching† them† how† to† skim† the
waves†and†how†to†dive†for†fish.†He†had,†in†fact,†seen†his
older† brother† catch† his† first† herring† and† devour† it,
standing† on† a† rock,† while† his† parents† circled† around
raising† a† proud† cackle.† And† all† the† morning,† the† whole
10
Unit†-†1†GLIMPSES†OF†GREATNESS
family†had†walked†about†on†the†big†plateau†midway†down
the†opposite†cliff,†laughing†at†his†cowardice.
The†sun†was†now†ascending†the†sky,†blazing†warmly†on
his†ledge†that†faced†the†south.†He†felt†the†heat†because
he† had† not† eaten† since† the† previous† nightfall.† Then,† he
had† found† a† dried† piece† of† mackerelís† tail† at
the†far†end†of†his†ledge.†Now,†there†was†not†a ï Cite† an† instance† which
shows† the† pathetic
single†scrap†of†food†left.†He†had†searched†every condition† of† the† young
inch,† rooting† among† the† rough,† dirt-caked bird.
straw† nest† where† he† and† his† brothers† and
sister† had† been† hatched.† He† even† gnawed† at† the† dried
pieces†of†eggshell.†It†was†like†eating†a†part†of†himself.
He†then†trotted†back†and†forth†from†one†end†of†the†ledge
to†the†other,†his†long†gray†legs†stepping†daintily,†trying†to
find†some†means†of†reaching†his†parents†without†having
to†fly.†But†on†each†side†of†him,†the†ledge†ended†in†a†sheer
fall† of† precipice,† with† the† sea† beneath.† And ï How† did† the† bird† try† to
between† him† and† his† parents,† there† was† a reach† its† parents† without
having†to††fly?
deep,†wide†crack.
Surely† he† could† reach† them† without† flying† if† he† could
only†move†northwards†along†the†cliff†face?†But†then,†on
what†could†he†walk?†There†was†no†ledge,†and
he†was†not†a†fly.†And†above†him,†he†could†see
ï Why†could†the†seagull†not
nothing.†The†precipice†was†sheer,†and†the†top succeed†in†its†attempt?
of†it†was,†perhaps,†farther†away†than†the†sea
beneath†him.
He† stepped† slowly† out† to† the† brink† of† the† ledge,† and,
standing†on†one†leg†with†the†other†leg†hidden†under†his
wing,†he†closed†one†eye,†then†the†other,†and†pretended†to
be†falling†asleep.†Still,†they†took†no†notice†of†him.†He†saw
his†two†brothers†and†his†sister†lying†on†the†plateau†dozing,
with† their† heads† sunk† into† their† necks.† His† father† was
preening†the†feathers†on†his†white†back.†Only†his†mother
was†looking†at†him.
She†was†standing†on†a†little†high†hump†on†the†plateau,
her†white†breast†thrust†forward.†Now†and†again,†she†tore
at† a† piece† of† fish† that† lay† at† her† feet,† and† then† scraped
each†side†of†her†beak†on†the†rock.†The†sight†of
ï Do†you†think†that†the†young
the†food†maddened†him.†How†he†loved†to†tear seagullís† parents† were
food†that†way,†scraping†his†beak†now†and†again cruel?
11
Textbook† for† Class† XI† -† ENGLISH
to† whet† it!† He† uttered† a† low† cackle.† His† mother† cackled
too,†and†looked†at†him.
ëGa,†ga,†ga,í†he†cried,†begging†her†to†bring†him ï Can†you†justify†the†attitude
over† some† food.† ëGawl-ool-ah,í† she† screamed of†the†parents?
back†mockingly.†But†he†kept†calling†plaintively, ï Your† parents† sometimes
behave† in† the† same
and†after†a†minute†or†so,†he†uttered†a†joyful manner.† They† may† seem
scream.†His†mother†had†picked†up†a†piece†of cruel† and† unrelenting.
fish†and†was†flying†across†to†him†with†it.†He Does†it†mean†that†they†do
leaned†out†eagerly,†tapping†the†rock†with†his not†love†you?
feet,† trying† to† get† nearer† to† her† as† she† flew† across.† But
when†she†was†just†opposite†to†him,†abreast†of†the†ledge,
she†halted,†her†legs†hanging†limp,†her†wings†motionless,
the† piece† of† fish† in† her† beak† almost† within† reach† of† his
beak.
He† waited† a† moment† in† surprise,† wondering ï What†prompted†the†young
why† she† did† not† come† nearer,† and† then seagull† to† fly† finally?
maddened† by† hunger,† he† dived† at† the† fish.† With† a† loud
scream,†he†fell†outwards†and†downwards†into†space.†His
mother†had†swooped†upwards.†As†he†passed†beneath†her,
he†heard†the†swish†of†her†wings.
Then†a†monstrous†terror†seized†him†and†his†heart†stood
still.†He†could†hear†nothing.†But†it†only†lasted†a†moment.
The† next† moment,† he† felt† his† wings† spread
ï Why† was† the† young† bird
outwards.†The†wind†rushed†against†his†breast terrified?† How† did† it
feathers,†then†under†his†stomach†and†against overcome†its†fear?
his† wings.† He† could† feel† the† tips† of† his† wings† cutting
through†the†air.†He†was†not†falling†headlong†now.†He†was
soaring†gradually,†downwards†and†outwards.†He†was†no
longer†afraid.†He†just†felt†a†bit†dizzy.†Then,†he†flapped†his
wings†once†and†he†soared†upwards.
He†uttered†a†joyous†scream†and†flapped†them†again.†He
soared†higher.†He†raised†his†breast†and†banked ï How†did†the†family†support
against†the†wind.†ëGa,†ga,†ga.†Ga,†ga,†ga.í†ëGawl- the† seagull?
ool-ah.í† His† mother† swooped† past† him,† her
wings†making†a†loud†noise.†He†answered†her†with†another
scream.†Then,†his†father†flew†over†him†screaming.†Then,
he† saw† his† two† brothers† and† sister† flying† around† him,
soaring†and†diving.
Then,†he†completely†forgot†that†he†had†not†always†been
able† to† fly,† and† commenced† to† dive† and† soar,† shrieking
shrilly.
12
Unit†-†1†GLIMPSES†OF†GREATNESS
He† was† near† the† sea† now,† flying† straight† over† it,† facing
out†over†the†ocean.†He†saw†a†vast†green†sea†beneath†him,
with†little†ridges†moving†over†it;†he†turned†his ï Why† couldnít† the† young
beak† sideways† and† crowed† amusedly.† His seagull†stand†on†the†green
parents†and†his†brothers†and†sister†had†landed sea?
on†this†green†floor†in†front†of†him.†They†were†beckoning†to
him,†calling†shrilly.†He†dropped†his†legs†to†stand†on†the
green†sea.†His†legs†sank†into†it.†He†screamed†with†fright
and† attempted† to† rise† again,† flapping† his ï Do†you†think†that†the†birdís
wings.†But†he†was†tired†and†weak†with†hunger parents†loved†him?†Why?
and†he†could†not†rise,†exhausted†by†the†strange
exercise.† His† feet† sank† into† the† green† sea,† and† then† his
belly†touched†it†and†he†sank†no†farther.
He† was† floating† on† it.† And† around† him,† his† family† was
screaming,† praising† him,† and† their† beaks† were† offering
him†scraps†of†dog-fish.
He†had†made†his†first†flight.
13
Textbook† for† Class† XI† -† ENGLISH
m Identify† the† words† or† expressions† used† in† the† story† to† express
thoughts,† attitudes,† movements,† sounds,† emotions,† appearance,
descriptions† of† the† birds/† places,† etc.
e.g.†description†of†the†young†seagull's†legs†as†ëlong†gray,톆the†ledge†as
ëa†sheer†fall†of†precipice,톆its†walk†as†ëtrotted†back†and†forth,í†etc.
m Do† you† think† such† expressions† make† the† narrative† more† effective
and† engage† your† interest† and† attention?
m What† is† the† message† of† the† story?
Activity II† (Review)
r Based†on†the†discussion,†prepare†a†review of†the†story.
Seagullís life
failure success
fear need
m m
m m
14
Unit†-†1†GLIMPSES†OF†GREATNESS
I†WILL†FLY
Dr†A.†P.†J.†Abdul†Kalam
When†I†wish†upon†a†star,
Makes†no†difference†who†I†am.
Anything†my†heart†desires
Will†come†to†me.
Dear† friends,
I† realize† how† the† contributions† of† the† youth† in† the† past
have† continuously† contributed† to† the† world† of† today† in
many† fields.† I† would† like† to† assert† that†no† youth† today
needs† to† fear† about† the† future.† Why?† The ï Why† does† Dr.† Kalam† say
ignited†mind†of†the†youth†is†the†most†powerful that†ëNo†youth†needs†to†fear
about†the†futureí?
resource† on† the† earth,† under† the† earth,† and
above†the†earth.†Dear†young†friends,†I†would†like†to†talk
to†you†on†the†topic†ëI†am†born†with†wings.í
Last†year,†I†went†to†a†village†to†inaugurate†a†programme
called† Sasthrayaan,† which† means† ëthe† propagation† of
Scienceí.† The† mission† of† Sasthrayaan† was† to ï What† was† the† mission† of
ensure†the†preparation†of†about†two†thousand ëSasthrayaaní?
students† from† different† schools,† towards
making†them†eligible†to†be†engineers,†scientists,†doctors,
qualified† managers,† and† civil† servants.† This
action† would,† in† turn,† empower† about† two ï Dr††Kalamís†talk†was†on†the
thousand†families†of†the†village.†My†inaugural topic† ëScience† Empowers
the† Nation.í† How† does
address†to†a†mixed†audience,†consisting†of†five science† empower† the
thousand†students†and†their†family†members, nation?
was† on† the† topic,† ëScience† Empowers† the
Nationí.
After† my† address,† hundreds† of† hands† were† raised† for
asking†questions.†Due†to†the†limited†availability†of†time,†I
selected†twelve†students†at†random,†from†the†last†row†to
the†first,†to†ask†questions.†I†would†like†to†share†with†you
one† question† of† great† concern† which† was† asked† by† a
student.
The†question†was†from†a†teenager†who†had†come†from†a
far† away† village.† He† was† nervous† and† a† typical
representative† of† the† youth† of† India.† The† boy† began
15
Textbook† for† Class† XI† -† ENGLISH
16
Unit†-†1†GLIMPSES†OF†GREATNESS
says,† ëWhy† donít† you† become† like† the About the Author
first† five† rankers† in† the† class?í
Wherever†you†go,†people†say,†ëYou†have Dr†A.†P.†J.†Abdul†Kalam
to†be†somebody†else†or†everybody†elseí. Dr† Kalam,† the† former
Now,†dear†young†friends,†how†many†of President† of† India,† is† a
distinguished† † scientist,
you†would†like†to†be†unique†yourself? well-known† for† his
significant† contribution
The†challenge,†my†dear†young†friends, to†the†field†of†space†research.†His†vision
is† that† you† have† to† fight† the† hardest is†to†transform†India†into†a†developed
nation†by†2020.
battle†which†any†human†being†can†ever
Born† on† 15† October,† 1931,† at
imagine,† and† never† stop† fighting† until Rameswaram† in† Tamil† Nadu,
you†arrive†at†your†destined†place,†that Abdul† Kalam† specialised† in
Aeronautical† Engineering† from† the
is,†a†UNIQUE†YOU! Madras† Institute† of † Technology.† He
became†Professor†of †Technology†and
(Adapted) Societal† Transformation† at† Anna
University,†and†was†involved†in†teaching
and†research.
Glossary:
dais†(n) : platform/stage
propagate†(v) : spread/†promote
Activity II (Speech)
r Imagine†that†you†get†the†opportunity†to†address†Class†X†students
before† their† public† examination.† On† the† basis† of
Dr† Kalamís† message,† prepare† a† speech to† motivate† and† prepare
them† for† the† examination.
17
Textbook† for† Class† XI† -† ENGLISH
QUEST†FOR†A†THEORY†OF†EVERYTHING
Kitty†Gail†Ferguson
18
Unit†-†1†GLIMPSES†OF†GREATNESS
wealthy,†but†they†believed†in†the†value†of†education.†So
they†planned†for†Stephen†to†go†to†Westminster,†a†famous
public† school† in† the† heart† of† London.† Unfortunately,
Stephen†was†ill†at†the†time†of†the†scholarship†examination
for† Westminster.† Therefore,† he† attended† the† local† Saint
Albanís†School.
By†the†time†he†was†eight,†he†was†thinking†seriously†about
becoming†a†scientist.†Frank†Hawking†encouraged†his†son
to†follow†him†into†medicine,†but†Stephen†found†biology†too
imprecise.†He†wanted†a†subject†in†which†he ï What† do† you† learn† about
could†look†for†exact†answers†and†get†to†the Stephen† Hawking ís
root†of†things. childhood?
Young†Stephen†was†no†prodigy.†He†was†just†an†ordinary
English† school† boy,† slow† in† learning† to† read,† his
handwriting†the†despair†of†his†teachers!†He†was†ranked
no†more†than†halfway†up†in†his†class,†though†he†now†says
in†his†own†defence,†ëIt††was†a†very†bright†class.í
At† fourteen,† Stephen† knew† that† he† would† pursue
mathematics†and†physics.†His†father†called†this†impractical
for† there† were† no† jobs† in† mathematics† except† teaching.
Moreover,† he† wanted† his† son† to† attend† his† own† college
and†Oxford†offered†no†mathematics.†He†followed†his†fatherís
advice† and† studied† chemistry,† physics† and† only† a† little
mathematics,†in†preparation†for†the†entrance†into†Oxford.
He† did† well† in† physics† and† the† interview† was† brilliantly
accepted.
In†1959,†at†the†age†of†seventeen,†Hawking†went†to†Oxford
to†study†natural†science†and†to†specialize†in†physics.†He
joined†University†College,†his†fatherís†college†and†the†oldest
at†Oxford,†founded†in†1249†AD.
Nevertheless,† for† about† a† year† and† a† half, ï Comment†on†Hawkingís†life
Hawking† was† lonely† and† bored.† He† was† not at†Oxford.
inspired† to† relieve† his† boredom† by† exerting† himself
academically.† But† halfway† through† his† second† year,† he
began†enjoying†Oxford.
He†became†popular†and†well-accepted†among†his†peers.
They† remember† him† as† lively,† buoyant,† and
adaptable.†He†wore†his†hair†long,†was†famous ï What† opinion† did
Hawkingís††peers†at†Oxford
for†his†wit,†liked†classical†music†and†science have†about†him?
fiction,†and†took†part†in†sports.
19
Textbook† for† Class† XI† -† ENGLISH
However,† at† the† end† of† the† third† year,† Hawking† almost
floundered.† He† selected† theoretical† physics† as† his
specialty.†He†had†then†applied†to†do†a†Ph.D.†at†Cambridge
and†was†accepted†on†condition†that†he†got†a†ëFirstí†from
Oxford.†Hawking†was†confident†that†he†could†get†through
successfully.†But†as†the†examination†day†approached,†his
confidence†failed.†Hawking†ended†up†disastrously†on†the
borderline†between†a†first†and†a†second.
Faced†with†a†borderline†result,†the†examiners†summoned
Hawking†for†an†interview†and†questioned†him†about†his
plans.†In†spite†of†the†tenseness†of†the†situation,
ï Cite† an† example† to† prove
Hawking†managed†to†come†up†with†the†kind†of that†Stephen†Hawking†was
remark† for† which† he† was† famous† among† his sharp-witted.† Did† his† wit
friends.†ëIf†I†get†a†first,†I†shall†go†to†Cambridge. help†him†in†any†way?
If†I†receive†a†second,†I†will†remain†at†Oxford.†So†I†expect
that† you† will† give† me† a† first.í† He† got† his† ëFirstí† and† he
went†to†Cambridge.
His† first† year† at† Cambridge† was† worse† than
that† at† Oxford.† His† slipshod† mathematical ï Stephenís† first† year† at
Cambridge†was†worse†than
background†caught†up†with†him,†and†he†found that†at†Oxford.†Why†?
general†relativity†extremely†tough.†Another†far
more†disastrous†problem†arose†then.†During†his†third†year
at† Oxford,† Hawking† started† getting† clumsy.† Heíd† fallen
once† or† twice† for† no† apparent† reason.† The† following
autumn,† at† Cambridge,† he† had† trouble† tying† his† shoes
and†sometimes,†he†had†difficulty†talking.
Shortly†after†his†twenty-first†birthday†in†1963, ï How† did† tragedy† strike
Hawking†contracted†a†rare†disease,†amyotrophic Hawking† shortly† after† his
lateral†sclerosis,†for†which†there†was†no†known twenty†first†birthday?
cure.†It†caused†a†gradual†disintegration†of†the†nerve†cells
in†the†spinal†cord†and†the†brain.†At†first,†he†went†into†a
deep†depression.†He†did†not†know†what†he†ought†to†do,†or
what†his†future†would†be†like.
ëMy† dreams† at† that† time† were† rather† confused,í† he
admitted.†ëBefore†my†condition†was†diagnosed,†I†had†been
very† bored† with† life.† There† did† not† seem† to† be† anything
worth† doing.† But† shortly† after† I† came† out† of† hospital,† I
dreamt† that† I† was† going† to† be† executed.† I ï What†drastic†change†came
suddenly† realized† that† there† were† a† lot† of over† Hawking† after† the
worthwhile† things† to† do,† if† I† were† reprieved. diagnosis† of† the† disease?
20
Unit†-†1†GLIMPSES†OF†GREATNESS
Another† recurring† dream† was† the† idea† of ï What† trait† of† Hawking's
sacrificing†my†life†to†save†others.†After†all,†if†I character† do† you† note
were†going†to†die,†I†might†as†well†do†some†good.í here?
Hawkingís†doctors†hoped†that†his†condition†would†stabilize,
but† the† disease† aggravated† rapidly.† They† soon† informed
him†that†he†had†only†about†two†more†years†to†live.
Two† years† passed.† The† progression† of† the† disease† had
slowed.†ëI†didnít†die.†In†fact,†although†there†was†a†cloud
hanging†over†my†future,†I†found†to†my†surprise†that†I†was
enjoying† life† in† the† present,† more† than† beforeí.† Total
disability† and† death,† though† still† a† not-too-distant
certainty,† were† postponed.† Hawking† had† his† reprieve,† a
precarious†and†a†temporary†one,†but†life†was†precious.
At† a† New† Yearís† party† at† Saint† Albanís,† just† before† he
entered† the† hospital† for† tests,† Hawking† met ï What†was†Janeís†impression
Jane†Wilde.†To†her,†this†dishevelled†graduate of†Hawking?
student† seemed† terribly† intelligent,† eccentric
and†rather†arrogant.†But†he†was†interesting†and†she†liked
his†wit.
When† Jane† met† him† again† after† his† discharge† from† the
hospital,† he† was† really† in† a† pathetic† state.† ëI† think† heís
lost†his†will†to†live.†He†was†very†confused,í†she ï Write† a† note† on† the
commented.†She†was†not,†however,†put†off†by character†of†Jane.
his† physical† or† mental† condition.† She† was† rather† a† shy
teenager,† serious-minded,† with† a† strong† faith† in† God
ingrained†from†childhood†by†her†mother,†and†a†belief†that
good†can†come†out†of†any†adversity.
Hawking† admired† her† optimism† and† their† friendship
developed†slowly.†After†a†while,†the†two†began†to†realize,
in†Janeís†words,†ëthat†together,†we†could†make ï How† did† Janeís† optimism
something†worthwhile.í†For†Stephen,†that†made influence†Hawking?
ëall†the†difference.í†He†applied†for†a†research†fellowship†at
Caius,†one†of†the†colleges†in†Cambridge†University.
In†1965,†at†the†age†of†twenty-three,†Hawking†received†his
fellowship†at†Caius.†And†in†July†of†the†same†year,†Jane
and†he†were†married.
People† who† remember† Hawking† in† the† University† in† the
late†1960s,†recall†him†making†his†way†around†the†corridors
with†a†cane,†supporting†himself†against†the†wall.†He†spoke
with†what†sounded†like†a†slight†speech†impediment.†But
21
Textbook† for† Class† XI† -† ENGLISH
more†than†that,†they†remember†his†brashness†in†sessions
involving†some†of†the†worldís†most†distinguished†scientists.
While†other†young†researchers†kept†a†reverential†silence,
Hawking† daringly† asked† unexpected† and† penetrating
questions.†He†clearly†knew†what†he†was†talking ï Is† Stephen† Hawking† really
about.† His† reputation† as† ëa† genius,í† ëanother a† great† mind† on† par† with
Einstein,í†began†then. the† likes† of† Einstein† and
Newton.† Justify† your
In†1980,†a†practical†need†for†funds†launched answer.
him†into†a†new†enterprise†that†was†to†have†a
far†reaching†impact†on†the†Hawkings†and†others†all†over
the†world.†He†thought†of†writing†a†book†about†the†universe,
about†the†most†interesting†questions†that†had†made†him
want†to†study†cosmology†and†quantum†theory:†Where†did
the†universe†come†from?††Is†the†universe†infinite†or†does
it†have†any†boundaries?†Will†it†come†to†an†end; ï List† the† interesting† facts
if† so,† how?† Is† there† a† complete† theory† of† the dealt† with† in† Hawkingís
universe† and† everything† in† it?† Is† there† a book.
beginning†of†Time?†Could†time†run†back?†The†book†begins
by†rewinding†the†great†theories†of†the†cosmos†from†Newton
to† Einstein.† He† wrote† the† book† to† make† science
understandable†to†non-scientists.
He†completed†the†first†draft†in†1984.†While†the†revision
process†was†going†on,†he†made†a†trip†to†Switzerland.†There
he†was†down†with†pneumonia†and†was†left†on†a†life-support
system.†Doctors†gave†a†choice†as†to†whether†a†tracheotomy
operation† which† would† remove† his† windpipe† should† be
conducted†or†not.†It†might†save†his†life,†but†afterwards†he
would†never†again†be†able†to†speak†or†make†a†vocal†sound.
With†grave†misgivings,†Jane†consented.
ëThe†future†looked†very†bleak,í†Jane†remarked. ï What†could†have†been†the
Hawking†could†no†longer†breathe†through†his misgivings†of†Jane?
mouth†and†nose,†but†only†through†a†permanent
opening†made†in†his†throat.†After†many†weeks†of†intensive
care,†he†went†home†to†join†Jane†and†his†three†children.
He† was† still† too† weak† and† ill† to† continue† his ï How† could† he† overcome
research.†Walt†Woltosz,†a†computer†expert†in his† difficulties† after† the
California,† sent† him† a† programme† he† had tracheotomy†operation?
developed,† called† the† Equalizer,† which† allowed† Hawking
to†select†words†from†the†screen.
He† thought† he† would† be† unable† to† finish† his† book.
22
Unit†-†1†GLIMPSES†OF†GREATNESS
With†the†support†of†his†student†Brian†Whitt,†A†Brief†History
of†Time†was†published†in†1988.†September,†2005,†saw†the
release†of†an†abridged†version†of†the†original†book.†This
version†was†updated†to†address†the†new†issues†that†had
arisen†due†to†further†scientific†developments.
One†will†encounter†a†multitude†of†paradoxes†in†the†book:
ëIn† science† and† with† people,† things† are† often† not† what
they†seem,†and†pieces†that†ought†to†fit†together†refuse†to
do†so.†Youíll†learn†that†beginnings†may†be†endings;†cruel
circumstances†can†lead†to†happiness,†although†fame†and
success† may† not;† two† great† scientific† theories† taken
together† seem† to† give† us† nonsense;† empty† space† isnít
empty;† black† holes† arenít† black;† and† a† man
ï Mention† some† of† the
whose† appearance† inspires† shock† and† pity unique† ideas† and
takes†us†laughing†to†where†the†boundaries†of paradoxes† put† forward† by
time†and†space†ought†to†be,†but†are†not.í Stephen†Hawking.
It† is† of† course† a† miracle† that† Hawking† has† been† able† to
achieve†everything†he†has;†that†he†is†still†alive.†However,
when† you† experience† his† intelligence† and† humour,† you
begin†to†take†his†unusual†mode†of†communication†and†his
obviously†catastrophic†physical†problems†no†more†seriously
than†he†seems†to†himself.†That†is†exactly†the
way† he† wants† it.† He† chooses† to† ignore† the ï What† was† Hawking's
difficulty† and† he† expects† others† to† adopt† the attitude† to† his† disability?
How†do†you†estimate†it†in†a
same† attitude. wider†social†context?
Stephen† Hawking† has† overcome† his† crippling
disease†to†become†the†ësupernovaí†of†world†physics.
(Adapted)
About the Author
Kitty†Gail†Ferguson†is†a†science†writer,
lecturer† and† a† former
professional†musician.† She† has
authored† numerous† science† books
including†books†on†biographical†facts.
Your teacher will help you watch the Fergusonís†works†are†recognized†for
visualisation of the profile. their†degree†of †detail†and†accuracy.†She
is†known†for†her†ability†to†explain†very
complicated†scientific†concepts.
23
Textbook† for† Class† XI† -† ENGLISH
Glossary:
apparent†(adj) : clear
brashness†(n) : boldness
buoyant†(adj) : cheerful
dishevelled†(adj) : untidy
flounder†(v) : struggle
imprecise† (adj) : inexact
misgivings† (n) : doubts
penetrating†(adj) : sharp
precarious†(adj) : unstable
prodigy†(adj) : genius
reprieve† (n) : release
slipshod†(adj) : careless
summon†(v) : call
supernova†(n) : a†star†that†suddenly†becomes†brighter†(often,†because
of†an†explosion)
Activity I† (Writing)
r Attempt†an†assessment†of†the†personality†of†Hawking†in†a†short
paragraph.
Activity II (Timeline)
r List† the† facts† you† have† learned† about† Stephen† Hawking,† in
chronological†order,†in†the†timeline given†below:
1959
1950
1942 Birth
24
Unit†-†1†GLIMPSES†OF†GREATNESS
r Now,†look†at†the†list†you†have†made.†What†facts†do†the†readers
expect†in†a†profile?
ï Date† of† birth
ï ....................
ï ....................
ï ....................
ï ....................
ï ....................
ï ....................† etc.
Activity III † (Interview)
r Read†the†excerpt†from†the†interview†of†Stephen†Hawking†by†Kitty
Gail† Ferguson.† She† interviews† him† to† collect† details† for† his
biography.† Find† out† Stephenís† responses† from† the† profile† and
complete†the†interview.
Interviewer : Shortly† after† your† twenty-first† birthday,† your† doctors
diagnosed† that† you† had† amyotrophic† lateral† sclerosis,
a† rare† disease† for† which† there† is† no† known† cure.† How
did† you† react† to† the† diagnosis?† How† did† you† manage
to† cope† with† the† situation?
Interviewee : ...............................................................................
...............................................................................
...............................................................................
Interviewer : What†made†you†think†that†life†was†precious?†Can†you
recollect† any† † particular† instance† in† your† life† that
has† become† crucial?
Interviewee : ...............................................................................
...............................................................................
...............................................................................
Interviewer : It† is† said† that† you† wrote† a† book† to† make† science
understandable† to† non-scientists.† Is† that† so?
Interviewee : ...............................................................................
...............................................................................
...............................................................................
r Now,† prepare† a† set† of† questions,† and† conduct† † an† interview with
a† person† who† has† become† successful† in† any† field† in† your† locality.
You† can† identify† people† who† became† successful† in† any† walk
of† life,† such† as† farming/† entrepreneurship/† the† civil† services/
competitive† examinations,† etc.
25
Textbook† for† Class† XI† -† ENGLISH
Your teacher will help you watch the visualisation of model GDs
26
Unit†-†1†GLIMPSES†OF†GREATNESS
27
Textbook† for† Class† XI† -† ENGLISH
Letís practise
moreover firstly
on† the† other† hand whereas
at† last then
however actually
besides though
1. I† had† a† terrible† day† at† work† and† lost† my† umbrella† too.
______† I† spoke† to† that† nice† guy† who† works† in† the† coffee
shop.
2. Television† turns† people† into† lazy† couch† potatoes.† ______,
there† are† some† educational† programmes† on.
3. ______,† I† would† like† to† welcome† you† all† to† the† conference
today.
4. ______† the† film† was† a† little† boring,† we† still† had† a† nice
evening† out.
5. I've† always† known† Caroline† as† a† miser.† ______,† she† lent
me† † 1000† yesterday† without† my† having† to† ask† twice!
6. I† got† up† at† 9† o'clock† yesterday† and† had† a† cold† shower.
______,† I† had† breakfast† and† left† for† work.
7. My† brother† works† in† a† large† office† ______† I† work† on† my
own† at† home.
8. Why† do† you† think† I† don't† want† to† go† out† tonight?† ______,
I† would† be† delighted† to† get† out† of† the† house.
9. You† should† participate† in† the† school† youth† festival† as† it
gives† you† a† chance† to† meet† many† people.† ______,† it† gives
you† an† opportunity† to† showcase† your† talents.
10.† I† don't† want† to† go† to† the† football† game.† Football† bores† me
and† I† don't† want† to† pay† 40† for† a† ticket.† ______,† look† at
the† weather!† All† that† rain!
28
Unit†-†1†GLIMPSES†OF†GREATNESS
Letís practise
Arunís† teacher† is† talking† about† his† merit† and† achievement
to† his† parents† while† giving† the† end-of-term† report.† Imagine
what† the† teacher† would† say,† and† complete† the† sentences
using†suitable†collocations†from†those†given†in†the†box†above.
Arun† has† ______† in† Maths† this† year,† doing† excellent† work
compared†to†last†year.†It†is,†of†course,†a† ______†on†his†part.
This† year† has† seen† a† ______† in† Arunís† English.
His† ______† is† his† performance† in† the† schoolís† staging† † of
ëOthelloí.
He† has† found† some† effective† ways
of† working† with† natural† materials
this† year,† and† his† self-portrait† is Collocation† is† the† way† in
a† ______ which† some† words† are† used
He† is† now† able† to† ______.† Playing together† or† in† combination.
for† the† school† cricket† team† has e.g.† ëcommit† a† crimeí† is† a
certainly† ______ † in† him† and† he standard† collocation† in
rightly†______†of†all†his†teammates. English.†(ëDid†a†crimeí†is†not.)
29
Textbook† for† Class† XI† -† ENGLISH
IF
Rudyard† Kipling
If†you†can†keep†your†head†when†all†about†you
Are†losing†theirs†and†blaming†it†on†you;
If†you†can†trust†yourself†when†all†men†doubt†you,
But†make†allowance†for†their†doubting†too:
If†you†can†wait†and†not†be†tired†by†waiting,
Or,†being†lied†about,†donít†deal†in†lies,
Or†being†hated†donít†give†way†to†hating,
And†yet†donít†look†too†good,†nor†talk†too†wise;
If†you†can†dream†−†and†not†make†dreams†your†master;
If†you†can†think†−†and†not†make†thoughts†your†aim,
If†you†can†meet†with†Triumph†and†Disaster
And†treat†those†two†impostors†just†the†same:
If†you†can†bear†to†hear†the†truth†youíve†spoken
Twisted†by†knaves†to†make†a†trap†for†fools,
Or†watch†the†things†you†gave†your†life†to,†broken,
And†stoop†and†build†íem†up†with†worn-out†tools;
If†you†can†make†one†heap†of†all†your†winnings
And†risk†it†on†one†turn†of†pitch-and-toss,
And†lose,†and†start†again†at†your†beginnings,
And†never†breathe†a†word†about†your†loss:
If†you†can†force†your†heart†and†nerve†and†sinew
To†serve†your†turn†long†after†they†are†gone,
And†so†hold†on†when†there†is†nothing†in†you
Except†the†Will†which†says†to†them:†ìHold†on!î
If†you†can†talk†with†crowds†and†keep†your†virtue,
Or†walk†with†Kings†−†nor†lose†the†common†touch,
If†neither†foes†nor†loving†friends†can†hurt†you,
If†all†men†count†with†you,†but†none†too†much:
If†you†can†fill†the†unforgiving†minute
With†sixty†secondsí†worth†of†distance†run,
Yours†is†the†Earth†and†everything†thatís†in†it,
And†−†which†is†more†−†youíll†be†a†Man,†my†son!
30
Unit†-†1†GLIMPSES†OF†GREATNESS
31
Textbook† for† Class† XI† -† ENGLISH
Pick†out†the†other†expressions†where
the† poet† uses† personification. Personification†means† giving
human† traits† and† qualities† to† an
m ëUnforgiving†minutesí†is†a†metaphoric
inanimate† object.
expression† as† it† refers† to† time† that
waits† for† no† man;† it† is† like† a† race Metaphor†is†a†figure†of†speech†that
where† every† second† is† important. describes† a† subject† by† asserting
that† it† is,† at† some† point† of
Now,† identify† other† metaphoric† ex- comparison,†the†same†as†another,
pressions† used† in† the† poem. otherwise,† unrelated† object.
m What† do† knaves† represent? Symbol† is† an† object† that
What† other† symbols† are† used† in† the represents††an†idea,††image†or†an
poem†ëIfí? action.
about†the†poet
Introduction
theme
meaning
Brief† summary implied† meaning† (if† any)
structure
sound† effects
(rhyme,† alliteration,† assonance† etc.)
images
Poetic† devices symbols† (if† any)
language
mood
figures† of† speech
32
Unit†-†1†GLIMPSES†OF†GREATNESS
Third If + past Would / Unreal past • If you had gone there, you
could have met him.
conditional perfect should / situation
could / might • If I had worked with
+ have + past confidence, I would have
participle succeeded.
Letís practise
Would you like to know the story of ëThe Cat and the Mouse.í
Complete the conditional sentences to get the full story.
Once†upon†a†time,†a†cat†bit†a†mouseís†tail†off.†ëGive†me†back†my
tail,í†said†the†mouse.†And†the†cat†said,†ëWell,†I†would give†(give)
your†tail†back,†if†you†fetched me†some†milk.†But†thatís†impossible
for†a†little†mouse†like†you.í
The†mouse,†however,†went†to†a†cow.†ëThe†cat†will†only†give†(give/
only)†me†back†my†tail†if†I†fetch†her†some†milk.í
33
Textbook† for† Class† XI† -† ENGLISH
And†the†cow†said,†ëWell,†I†would†give†you†some†milk,†if†you†____
(get)† me† some† hay.† But† thatís† impossible† for† a† little† mouse† like
you.í
The†mouse,†however,†went†to†a†farmer.†ëThe†cat†will†only†give††my
tail†back†if†the†cow†____†(give)†me†some†milk.†And†the†cow††____
(only/†give)†me†some†milk†if†I†get†her†some†hay.í
And†the†farmer†said,†ëWell,†I†would†give†you†some†hay†if†you†____
(bring)†me†some†meat.†But†thatís†impossible†for†a†little†mouse†like
you.í
The†mouse,†however,†went†to†a†butcher.†ëThe†cat†will†only†give††my
tail† back† if† the† cow† ____† (give)† me† some† milk.† And† the† cow† will
only†give†me†some††milk†if†she†____†(get)†some†hay.†And†the†farmer
____†(only/†give)†me†some†hay†if†I†get†him†some†meat.í
And† the† butcher† said,† ëWell,† I† would† give† you† some† meat† if† you
____†(make)†the†baker†bake†me†a†loaf†of†bread.†But†thatís†impossible
for†a†little†mouse†like†you.í
The†mouse,†however,†went†to†a†baker.†ëThe†cat†____†(give/†only)
my†tail†back†if†I†fetch†her†some†milk.†And†the†cow††____†(give/†not)
me†some†milk†if†I†donít†get†her†some†hay.†And†the†farmer†will†only
give†me†some†hay†if†the†butcher†____†(have)†some†meat†for†him.
And† the† butcher† will† not† give† me† some† meat† if† you† ____† (bake/
not)†him†a†loaf†of†bread.í
And†the†baker†said,†ëWell,†I†____†(give)†you†a†loaf†of†bread†if†you
promise†never†to†steal†my†corn†or†meal.í
The†mouse†promised†not†to†steal,†and†so†the†baker†gave†the†mouse
a†loaf†of†bread;†the†mouse†gave†the†butcher†the†bread.†The†butcher
gave†the†mouse†some†meat;†the†mouse†gave†the†farmer†the†meat.
The† farmer† gave† the† mouse† some† hay;† the† mouse† gave† the† cow
the†hay.†The†cow†gave†the†mouse†some†milk;†the†mouse†gave†the
cat†the†milk.†And†the†cat†gave†the†mouse†her†tail†back.
But†imagine†what†would†have†happened†otherwise:
If†the†mouse†had†not†promised†(promise/†not)†never†to†steal†the
corn†or†meal,†the†baker†would†not†have†given†(not/give)†the†mouse
the†bread.
If† the† baker† ____† (not/† give)† the† mouse† the† bread,† the† butcher
____†(refuse)†to†give†her†the†meat†for†the†farmer.
34
Unit†-†1†GLIMPSES†OF†GREATNESS
If† the† butcher† ______† (refuse)† her† any† meat,† the† farmer† ______
(not††be)†willing†to†give†the†mouse†the†hay.
If†the†farmer†______†(not/†be)†willing†to†give†the†mouse†the†hay,†the
mouse†____†(not/†receive)†the†milk†from†the†cow.
If† the† mouse† ____† (not/† receive)† the† milk† from† the† cow,† she† ____
(not/†get)†back†her†tail.
Extended Activities
Activity I† (Read† and† respond)
r Read†the†extract†from†the†newspaper†article.
TEACHERíS†PRIDE
Many†of†the†old†teachers†of†the†University†College†in†the†city†would†have
felt†a†thrill†of †pride†and†joy,†on†reading†in†the†newspapers†the†news†that
their†old†student†Arun†M.†Kumar†has†been†selected†by†President†Obama
to†a†very†important†post†in†his†government.†Arun†is†now†Assistant†Secretary
and† Director† General† of † the† United† States† and† Foreign† Commercial
Service,† International† Trade† Administration,† in† the† Department† of
Commerce.†The†President†has†spoken†appreciatively†of†the†new†team†he
has†chosen.
A†rare†honour,†indeed,†and†a†well-deserved†recognition†of †merit.†Arun
did†his†three-year†undergraduate†course†in†Physics†in†the†University†College.
I†taught†that†class†their†English†prose.†It†was†a†very†bright†class,†with†some
of†the†students†brilliant†without†any†self-consciousness†of†their†brilliance.
And†Arun†was†among†the†most†brilliant.†Well-read†in†many†subjects,†keen
in†understanding,†quick,†sensitive,†and†cultured†beyond†his†years†in†his
responses,†it†was†a†privilege†and†a†pleasure†to†have†him†in†my†class,†and
sometimes,†to†discuss†things†with†him†outside†the†class.†Over†the†years,†as
his†mind†matured,†his†sense†of†language†had†become†fine†ñ†a†sure†pointer
to†deeper†changes.†Confined†to†my†academic†pursuits,†I†know†little†about
the†wider†world†of †Arunís†enterprises.†To†see†him†trusted†with†the†intricate
problems†of†international†finance†is†enough†to†make†me†feel†that†his†choices
and†decisions†were†right.
Arun†and†his†friends†were†responsible†for†starting†the†Science†Society†of
Trivandrum†for†the†benefit†of †school†children.†It†has†done†a†lot†of †good
to†school†students,†both†in†terms†of †financial†help†and†academic†training.
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Textbook† for† Class† XI† -† ENGLISH
You† have† now† read† an† extract† from† the† article† written† by
Prof.†B.†Hrdayakumari†about†Mr†Arun†M.†Kumar,†her†former†student,†who
was† nominated† by† Mr† Barack† Obama,† (the† President† of† USA)† to† a† key
administrative†post.
r This† is† an† unusual† excerpt† wherein† a† teacher† makes† an
assessment† of† a† student† † after† several† years.† Don't† you† think
that† each† of† your† classmates† has† his/† her† own† special† qualities?
List† out† the† qualities† that† you† have† noticed.
r Now,† based† on† your† findings,† prepare† an† article† on† your† views† of
an† ideal† person,† for† your† school† magazine.
Activity IV (Collection)
r Collect† inspiring† speeches† (both† script† and† audio/video)† of† great
persons† like† Martin† Luther† King,† Swami† Vivekananda,† Winston
Churchill,† Jawaharlal† Nehru,† etc.† Make† a† presentation† based† on
the† common† factors† in† the† speeches.
36
Unit†-†1†GLIMPSES†OF†GREATNESS
The†major†learning†outcomes†of†this†unit†are†listed†below.
Thematic outcomes
Linguistic outcomes
Students†demonstrate†the†ability†to
ï speak†and†express†their†views†in†a†speech,†group†discussion,
etc.
ï write†reviews,†appreciations,†profiles,†newspaper†and†magazine
articles,† letters,† e-mails,† etc.
ï prepare†questions†and†interview†others.
ï participate†actively†in†group†discussions.
ï read†and†comprehend†a†given†story†or†reading†material†and
prepare† notes† on† it† in† the† form† of† a† tree† diagram,† timeline,
short†points,†etc.
ï use†cohesive†devices†and†collocations†appropriately.
ï use†conditionals†effectively.
ï browse†the†Internet†for†additional†information.
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
Unit
2
Keep your thoughts positive
because your thoughts become your words.
Keep your words positive
because your words become your behaviour.
- Mahatma Gandhi
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Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS
Letís begin:
r Deeds must be an execution of words. Mahatma Gandhi, the
Father of our Nation, was true to his words in his deeds. His life
was, in fact, his message.
In 1939, Albert Einstein wrote thus about Gandhiji, on his
seventieth birthday:
Mahatma Gandhi
of force; a man of wisdom and
humility, armed with resolve
and inflexible consistency, who
has devoted all his strength to
the uplifting of his people and
the betterment of their lot; a
A leader of his people, man who has confronted the
unsupported by any outward brutality of Europe with the
authority; a politician whose dignity of the simple human
success rests not upon craft nor being, and thus, at all times risen
the mastery of technical superior.
devices, but simply on the Generations to come, it may be,
convincing power of his will scarce believe that such a
personality; a victorious fighter one as this, ever in flesh and
who has always scorned the use blood, walked upon this earth.
Letís discuss
m What impression of Gandhiji do you get from the brief
description given above? Discuss.
m What kind of a 'fighter' is Gandhiji?
m 'One must practise what one preaches'. How far is the
statement true of Mahatma Gandhi?
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
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Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
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Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
Glossary:
About the Author
agony (n) : extreme physical or
mental pain Jawaharlal Nehr u
derelict (adj) : not cared for (14 November 1889 - 27
dismal (adj) : gloomy May 1964) was the first
Prime Minister of India.
flaunt (v) : to show something you are Jawaharlal Nehru
proud of to others promoted democracy, socialism,
furtive (adj) : secret secularism and unity, while adapting
interloper (n) : intruder modern values to Indian conditions.
Nehru was a prolific writer in English
monster (n) : a creature that is very ugly and wrote a number of books, such as
and frightening The Discovery of India, Glimpses of World
morass (n) : a complicated situation History, and An Autobiography. In 1955,
that is difficult to escape Nehru was awarded the Bharat Ratna,
India's highest civilian honour.
from
phantom (n) : frightening vision
prop (v) : support
quagmire (n) : a difficult and dangerous
situation
repressive (adj) : controlling people by force
strangle (v) : to kill by pressing on the throat
threshold (n) : door step
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Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS
fearlessness
truth
m His teachings .......................
and methods
.......................
.......................
challenging and
resisting foreign rule
m His two-fold minority problem
action
....................... .......................
.......................
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
Hints
ï Peace
ï Fearlessness
ï Truthfulness
ï Influence
ï ...............................
ï ...............................
ï ...............................
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Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
Note : For the management of space, the editor may edit your letter,
omitting the address and other unnecessary details. But when
you draft a letter to the editor, you should write your full name
and address.
Activity VI (Concord)
r Look at the following sentence from the given passage.
ëDifferent people react differently and each gives his/her own
answer to the question.í
Here, ëeachí agrees with a singular verb.
Generally, a singular subject agrees with a singular verb and a
plural subject agrees with a plural verb. However, a deeper
understanding of agreement (concord) will help us to write
correctly when certain nouns, phrases or combinations of nouns
come in the subject position.
Language Tips
m When a singular subject and a plural subject are joined by
either...or, neither...nor, etc., the verb agrees with the sub-
ject nearer to it.
e.g. Ram or his brothers go home every month.
m When two subjects are joined by ëas well as,í ëmore than,í and
ëas much as,í the verb agrees with the first subject.
e.g. The girls, as well as their teacher, have left.
m When two subjects are joined by ëwith,í ëalong with,í ëtogether
with,í ëin the company of,í ëin addition to,í ëbesides,í ëaccompa-
nied by,í etc., the verb agrees with the first subject.
e.g. My friend, with all his students, has arrived.
m One of/each of/everyone of/either/neither of + plural noun
(pronoun) carries a singular verb.
e.g. One of the players was selected for the national team.
m When every or each is used with two singular subjects con-
nected by and, we use a singular verb.
e.g. Every school and college has a playground.
m A (good/great) deal (of) + singular noun + singular verb.
e.g. A good deal of time was wasted on this case.
m When ëoneí means ëanyoneí, ëeveryoneí, it is called the ëindefi-
nite one.í The indefinite one is not usually replaced by any
other pronoun.
e.g. One should do oneís duty for oneís country.
m Expressions like ëfive poundsí, ëten rupeesí, ëtwo weeksí, ëthree
milesí, etc. are singular when they are thought of as indicat-
ing a single amount, period or distance.
e.g. Five rupees is not a big sum.
Three weeks is not a long time.
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Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
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Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
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Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
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Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
Maggie?'
'Yes,' Mrs. Clifford answered, 'Maggie plays quite well.
Maggie, please play something for us.'
'Oh, Mother!' Maggie looked at her in protest.
'Maggie,' I pleaded, 'please play something! I am very fond
of the violin. I have a sister at home about your age. She
used to play for me.'
'The way I play is not at all worth listening to,' Maggie
said.
My entreaties at last persuaded her to play. 'I do not know
many pieces,' she said. 'What would you like to hear?'
'Shall I choose something? All right, then, give me your
music. Let me see what you have.'
Maggie brought out an old music case bound in black
leather. I opened it. Most of the pieces were light airs
like, 'Good-bye Dolly Grey,' 'Honeysuckle and the Bee',
etc. There were a few really good, though old-fashioned
ones, things like 'Robin Adair', ' Annie Laurie', 'The Last
Rose of Summer,' etc. There were several Scotch songs.
So I selected 'The Blue Bells of Scotland' and handed
Maggie the music. Maggie played and I hummed the tune
to myself.
When the song was over, I praised her playing lavishly as
I thanked her. 'Maggie has never had the opportunity to
study,' Mrs. Clifford said. 'She has learned what she knows
by herself. If our circumstances ever improve, I shall
arrange for her to have lessons.' On my way back, I was
filled with astonishment. The incident touched me very
deeply. ï Describe the incident
Three months passed. I visited Maggie and her which touched the narrator
mother several times, at their home, and took deeply.
Maggie to see the Zoo once. She rode the elephant 'Indian
Rajah,' like all the other boys and girls. How delighted
she was!
But no news had come from her brother. Urged by Mrs.
Clifford, I went to India House, one day, and made
inquiries. I was told the regiment to which Frank belonged
was fighting on the Northwest Frontier. Mrs. Clifford
became extremely worried when she heard it. One day, I
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Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
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Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
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Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS
Glossary:
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
Fable Adventure
story
Myth Anecdote
.............
Story .............
Detective
Folk tale
story
A B
1. Story a. a very old traditional story from a particular place,
that was originally passed on to people in a spoken
form
2. Anecdote b. a story from ancient times, especially one that was
told to explain natural events or to describe the early
history of a people
3. Tale c. an imaginative story, especially one that is full of
action and adventure
4. Folk tale d. a description of events and people that the writer or
the speaker has invented in order to entertain people
(adventure story, detective story, love story)
5. Fable e. a story about magic or fairies, usually meant for
children
6. Fairy tale f. a traditional short story that teaches a moral lesson,
especially one with animals as characters
7. Fiction g. an interesting or amusing story about a real person
or event
8. Myth h. a type of literature that describes imaginary people
and events
Which category, does the story 'The Price of Flowers' belong to? Discuss.
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Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS
Activity V (Write-up)
r 'I want work that will make me use my head, brain work.'
How far can you relate this statement to your life? What kind of
profession do you like? Why? Prepare a write-up.
Activity VI (Letter)
r ëWhen I go to that part of the country, I shall visit your brotherís
grave and write to you.í A few weeks after the narratorís departure,
Maggie receives a letter from him. What might be the content of
the letter? Draft a letter, assuming that you are the narrator.
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
The very next day the narrator told his friend about the girl and their
conversation.
Read and find out how he presented it.
The girl asked me whether I was an Indian.
I answered in the affirmative.
Then she asked me politely if I was a vegetarian.
I enquired why she asked that.
She said (that) she had heard that most Indians were
vegetarians.
I further asked her how it was that she knew anything about
India.
She replied that her elder brother was in India and added
that he was a soldier.
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Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
Glossary:
altar (n) : a holy place in a church or temple
blood (n) : family origins
captive (n) : kept as a prisoner or in a confined space
crooked (adj.) : dishonest
laurels (n) : a bush with dark smooth shiny leaves; also, represents
honour and praise
sceptre (n) : the ornamental rod of a king, a symbol of power
scythe (n) : a tool with a long handle and a slightly curved blade, used
to cut grass or grain
spade (n) : a garden tool with a broad metal blade and a long handle
stoop (v) : surrender
tame (v) : control
tumble : fall down
68
Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS
r The following words are taken from the poem. Parse them with
the help of a dictionary.
armour : ÖÖnounÖ wither : ÖÖÖÖÖÖ
but : ÖÖÖÖÖÖ tame : ÖÖÖÖÖÖ
murmuring : ÖÖÖÖÖÖ stoop : ÖÖÖÖÖÖ
boast : verb crumble : ÖÖÖÖÖÖ
where : ÖÖÖÖÖÖ reap : ÖÖÖÖÖÖ
cold : ÖÖÖÖÖÖ boast : ÖÖÖÖÖÖ
sweet : ÖÖÖÖÖÖ bleeds : ÖÖÖÖÖÖ
Figures of speech:
Personification --- a figure of speech in which human qualities
are attributed to inanimate objects. e.g. O wild west wind!
Metaphor --- a word or expression used to describe somebody/
something in a way that is different from its normal use. One is
identified with the other.
e.g. O, my love is a red, red rose (metaphor)
O, my love is like a red, red rose (simile)
Metonymy --- when one thing is mentioned instead of another
with which it has become closely associated, because of a
recurrent relation in common experience.
e.g. ëthe crowní stands for a king
ëHollywoodí for the film industry
Oxymoron --- when two terms which, in ordinary usage, are
contraries are used together.
e.g. pleasing pains, loving hate; I burn and freeze.
Identify the figure of speech in 'Death lays its icy hand on kings:'
Pick out examples of metaphor, metonymy and oxymoron in the poem.
Discuss the poetic effect of these figures of speech.
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
Activity IV (Appreciation)
Men are mortal. Triumph and failures are a part and parcel of life.
However, we have to think of the consequences of our action before
we do something. The effect of our mistaken deeds cannot often be
rectified.
..........................................................................................
..........................................................................................
Think and add your views.
r Now attempt an appreciation of the poem. What should be in-
cluded in it?
- introduction
- brief summary
- poetic devices
- message
- your opinion
-
Activity V (Collection)
r Collect articles, biographies, poems, memoirs, etc., on great people
like Mahatma Gandhi and Abraham Lincoln, and prepare a Class
Magazine.
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Unit - 2 WORDS AND DEEDS
Thematic outcomes
Students demonstrate the ability to
ï maintain the unity between words and deeds.
ï uphold the importance of values in life.
ï realise the role of each individual to enrich the
culture of India.
ï appreciate literature.
ï develop an empathetic attitude.
Linguistic outcomes
Students demonstrate the ability to
ï use correct subject-verb agreement in discourses.
ï use reported speech in various contexts.
ï use dictionary reference skills.
ï prepare and deliver speeches.
ï participate in Group Discussions.
ï draft different types of letters.
ï prepare an appreciation of poems / short stories.
ï make notes and summarise passages.
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
Unit
3
Ö all experience is an arch wherethro'
Gleams that untravell'd world whose margin fades
For ever and forever when I move.
Alfred Lord Tennyson
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Unit - 3 BEYOND THE HORIZON
Letís begin:
r 1.† Look† at† the† illustration† given† below.
†††Give†a†suitable†caption†to†it.
What† more† would† you† like† to† include† in† this† illustration?
r Travel†is†an†integral†part†of†modern†life.†It†opens†up†new†horizons
of†experience.†Imagine†that†you†are†planning†a†tour†to†a†place†of
importance.
What† are† your† criteria† for† selecting† your† tourist† destination?
List†them†below:
m Scenic†beauty m .............................
m ............................. m .............................
2. Read and discuss:
r The† lush† beauty† of† a† place† is† a† real† feast† for† the† eyes.† It† never
fails† to† attract† us.† Here† is† an† account† of† the† magical† beauty† of
nature†-†the†panoramic†view†from†the†top†of†Thamarasseri†Ghats*
towards†the†Arabian†Sea.
'High† mountains† rise† to† the† left† with† water† glistening† on† bare
black† rocks† like† tears† of† gladness† in† the† eyes† of† sorrow;† forests
stretch†away†here†with†gentle†slope†and†easy†undulation;†far†below
lie†swamps†choked†with†thorny†thickets†and†rank†coarse†grasses
in†whose†bosoms†are†stored†the†streams†which†water†those†large
stretches† of† rice† fields,† here† sere† and† yellow† after† the† sickle† of
the† reaper,† there† whitening† unto† harvest† or† again† a† vivid† green
where†the†second†crop†matures.
* Thamarasseri†Ghats†is†a†hilly†highway†with†nine†hairpin†curves†from†Adivaram
(Valley)†to†Lakkidi,†in†Wayanad.†It†is†also†known†as†Thamarasseri†Churam.
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
r Think† of† a† place† in† your† locality† which† is† noted† for† its† scenic
beauty.
Is† it† as† attractive† and† beautiful† as† the† place† described† in† the
above†passage?†Discuss†with†your†friends.
74
Unit - 3 BEYOND THE HORIZON
SUNRISE†ON†THE†HILLS
H. W. Longfellow
I†stood†upon†the†hills,†when†heavenís†wide†arch
Was†glorious†with†the†sunís†returning†march,
And†woods†were†brightened,†and†soft†gales
Went†forth†to†kiss†the†sun-clad†vales.
The†clouds†were†far†beneath†me;†bathed†in†light,
They†gathered†midway†round†the†wooded†height,
And,†in†their†fading†glory,†shone
Like†hosts†in†battle†overthrown.
As†many†a†pinnacle,†with†shifting†glance,
Through†the†gray†mist†thrust†up†its†shattered†lance,
And†rocking†on†the†cliff†was†left
The†dark†pine†blasted,†bare,†and†cleft.
The†veil†of†cloud†was†lifted,†and†below
Glowed†the†rich†valley,†and†the†riverís†flow
Was†darkened†by†the†forestís†shade,
Or†glistened†in†the†white†cascade;
Where†upward,†in†the†mellow†blush†of†day,
The†noisy†bittern†wheeled†his†spiral†way.†
I†heard†the†distant†waters†dash,
I†saw†the†current†whirl†and†flash,
And†richly,†by†the†blue†lakeís†silver†beach,
The†woods†were†bending†with†a†silent†reach.
Then†oíer†the†vale,†with†gentle†swell,
The†music†of†the†village†bell
Came†sweetly†to†the†echo-giving†hills;
And†the†wild†horn,†whose†voice†the†woodland†fills,
Was†ringing†to†the†merry†shout,
That†faint†and†far†the†glen†sent†out,
Where,†answering†to†the†sudden†shot,†thin†smoke,
Through†thick-leaved†branches,†from†the†dingle†broke.†
If†thou†art†worn†and†hard†beset
With†sorrows†that†thou†wouldst†forget,
If†thou†wouldst†read†a†lesson,†that†will†keep
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
Thy†heart†from†fainting†and†thy†soul†from†sleep,
Go†to†the†woods†and†hills!†No†tears
Dim†the†sweet†look†that†Nature†wears.
Glossary:
beset†(v) : affect†somebody†/†something About the Author
in†a†harmful†way
bittern†(n) : a†small,†speckled†bird†of†the H.W.† Longfellow†
heron†family,†found†in†North (1807-1882)† was† an
influential† American
America poet,† translator† and
cascade†(n) : a†small†waterfall professor† at† Harvard
cliff†(n) : a† high† area† of† rock† with† a University.† During† his† lifetime,
very† steep† side,† often† on† a Longfellow†was†considered†the†best†of
all†American†poets,†and†his†work†was
coast widely† translated† and† published† in
dingle†(n) : a†deep†wooded†narrow†valley various† other† † languages.† The† poem
glen†(n) : valley ëSunrise† on† the† Hillsí† presents† the
horn†(n) : the† great† horned† owl† of experience†of†the†poet†as†he†watches
the†sun†rise†amidst†the†hills.
America,†or†the†screech†owl
lance† (n) : a† very† long† thin† pointed
weapon† used† in† the† past† by† soldiers† on† horses.† (here)† the
sharp†pointed†top†of†hills†/rocks.
mellow†(adj) : smooth†and†soft
pinnacle† (n) : the†top†of†a†very†high†mountain;†a†tall†thin†pointed†piece†of
stone†or†rock
thy† (determiner) : your,†the†possessive†form†of†thou†(you)
wooded†(adj) : covered† with† trees
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Unit - 3 BEYOND THE HORIZON
Your teacher will help you listen to the recitation of the poem.
r Does† any† image† stand† out† as† the† most† important?† Why† do† you
think† so?
r What† is† your† overall† assessment† of† the† poem?
r Based† on† the† above† discussions,† prepare† an† appreciation† of† the
poem.† You† may† follow† the† format† given† below.
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
m What† does† the† travel† experience† of† this† teacher† tell† us?
m What† do† you† think† interests† him† more:† where† to† travel† or† how† to
travel?
How interesting does the earth look when viewed from a different angle
from far away, from out there? Letís read ëThe Trip of Le Horla,í which
chronicles Maupassantís ride in a balloon called ëLe Horlaí.
THE†TRIP†OF†LE†HORLA
Guy de Maupassant
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Unit - 3 BEYOND THE HORIZON
Two†or†three†hundred†people†are†looking†at†it,†sitting†or
standing,†and†some†are†examining†the†basket,†a†nice†little
square†basket†for†a†human†cargo,†bearing†on†its†side†in
gold†letters,†on†a†mahogany†plate,†the†words:†Le†Horla.
Suddenly,†the†people†begin†to†stand†back,†for†the†gas†is
beginning†to†enter†into†the†balloon†through†a†long†tube†of
yellow† cloth,† which† lies† on† the† soil, ï What is the other thought that
swelling†and†undulating†like†an†enormous occurs to every mind?
worm.† But† another† thought,† another† picture† occurs† to
every†mind.†It†is†thus†that†nature†itself†nourishes†beings
until†their†birth.†The†creature†that†will†rise,†soon†begins
to†move,†and†the†attendants†of†Captain†Jovis,†as†Le†Horla
grows†larger,†spread†and†put†in†place†the†net†which†covers
it,† so† that† the† pressure† will† be† regular† and† equally
distributed†at†every†point.
The†crowd†has†begun†to†talk,†and†some†men,†who†appear
to†be†specialists,†affirm†with†authority†that†we†shall†come
down† before† reaching† the† fortifications. ï Express the attitude of the
Several†other†things†have†been†criticized spectators and passengers
in† this† novel† type† of† balloon† with† which towards the sport of ballooning.
we†are†about†to†experiment,†with†so†much†pleasure†and
success.† Meanwhile,† the† balloon† is† growing† slowly† but
surely.
While†Captain†Jovis†and†his†assistants†are†busy†with†the
last† details,† the† travellers† go† to† dine† in ï What is the established custom
the†canteen†of†the†gas-works,†according mentioned here?
to†the†established†custom.
When†we†come†out†again,†the†balloon†is†swaying,†enormous
and†transparent,†a†prodigious†golden†fruit,†a†fantastic†pear
which†is†still†ripening,†covered†by†the†last
rays†of†the†setting†sun.†Now,†the†basket ï When the travellers come out,
what do they see?
is†attached,†the†barometers†are†brought;
the† siren,† which† we† will† blow† to† our† hearts'† content,† is
also† brought;† also† the† two† trumpets,† the† eatables,† the
overcoats†and†raincoats;†all†the†small†articles†that†can†go
with†the†men†in†that†flying†basket.
Captain†Jovis†is†now†ready,†and†calls†all†the†passengers.
Lieutenant†Mallet†jumps†aboard,†climbing ï Name the passengers in the
first†on†the†aerial†net†between†the†basket balloon.
and†the†balloon,†from†which†he†will†watch,
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
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Unit - 3 BEYOND THE HORIZON
a†coloured†map,†an†immense†plan
of† the† country.† All† its† noises,
however,† rise† to† our† ears† very
distinctly,†easily†recognizable.†We
hear† the† sound† of† the† wheels
rolling† in† the† streets,† the† snap† of
a† whip,† the† cries† of† drivers,† the
rolling†and†whistling†of†trains†and
the†laughter†of†small†boys†running
after† one† another.† Every† time† we† pass ï All the noises are easily
recognisable. Mention the
over† a† village,† the† noise† of† children's diverse sounds that reach the
voices†is†heard†above†the†rest,†and†with travellersí ears.
the† greatest† distinctness.
The†view†is†superb;†it†is†dark†on†the†earth,†but†we†are†still
in†the†light,†and†it†is†now†past†ten†o'clock.†Now,†we†begin
to†hear†slight†country†noises,†the†double
cry† of† the† quail† in† particular,† then† the ï How do the animals receive the
balloon? How does the balloon
mewing†of†cats†and†the†barking†of†dogs. appear before them?
Surely,†the†dogs†have†scented†the†balloon;
they†have†seen†it†and†have†given†the†alarm.†We†can†hear
them†barking†all†over†the†plain,†and†making†the†identical
noise†they†make†when†baying†at†the†moon.†The†cows†also
seem† to† wake† up† in† the† barns,† for† we† can† hear† them
lowing;† all† the† beasts† are† scared† and† moved† before† the
aerial†monster†that†is†passing. ï The delicious odours of the soil
The† delicious† odours† of† the† soil† rise rise toward us, the smell of hay,
of flowers, of the moist, verdant
towards†us,†the†smell†of†hay,†of†flowers, earth, perfuming the airÖIdentify
of†the†moist,†verdant†earth,†perfuming†the the type of imagery used here.
air.
At†times,†we†rise†and†then†descend.†Every ï What do you think would be the
few† minutes,† Lieutenant† Mallet, fate of the balloon?
suspended†in†his†cobweb†of†netting,†says
to†Captain†Jovis:†ëWe†are†descending;†throw†down†half†a
handful.í†And†the†captain,†who†is†talking ï Why does Mallet ask the Captain
and†laughing†with†us,†with†a†bag†of†ballast to throw down half a handful of
between†his†legs,†takes†a†handful†of†sand sand?
out†of†the†bag,†and†throws†it†overboard.
Nothing†is†more†amusing,†more†delicate,†more†interesting
than†the†manoeuvring†of†a†balloon.†It†is†an†enormous†toy,
free†and†docile,†which†obeys†with†surprising†sensitiveness,
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Unit - 3 BEYOND THE HORIZON
minds,† all† trouble† from† our† thoughts;† we† have† no† more
regrets,†plans†nor†hopes.†We†look,†we†feel,†we†wildly†enjoy
this†fantastic†journey;†nothing†in†the†sky ï The author calls the balloon ëa
but† the† moon† and† ourselves!† We† are† a world wandering in the skyí and
wandering,† travelling† world,† like† our ëa wandering, travelling world.í
Can you coin similar
sisters,† the† planets;† and† this† little† world descriptions of the balloon?
carries†five†men†who†have†left†the†earth,
and† who† have† almost† forgotten† it.† The† barometers† mark
twelve† hundred† metres,† then† thirteen,† fourteen,† fifteen
hundred;†and†the†little†rice†papers†still†fall†about†us.
We†are†now†at†two†thousand†metres;†we†go†up†to†two†thousand
three†hundred†and†fifty;†then†the†balloon
ï When does the balloon stop?
stops.†We†blow†the†siren†and†are†surprised Why?
that†no†one†answers†us†from†the†stars.
We† are† now† going† down† rapidly.† M.† Mallet† keeps† crying:
ëThrow†out†more†ballast!†throw†out†more†ballast!í†And†the
sand† and† stones† that† we† throw† over,† come† back† into† our
faces†as†if†they†are†going†up,†thrown†from†below†toward†the
stars,†so†rapid†is†our†descent. ï How does the author describe the
rapid descent of the balloon?
Here†is†the†earth!†Where†are†we?†It†is†now
past† midnight,† and† we† are† crossing† a† broad,† dry,† well-
cultivated†country.†To†the†right†is†a†large†city,†and†farther
away† to† the† left† is† another.† But† suddenly† from† the† earth
appears† a† bright† fairy† light;† it† disappears,† reappears† and
once†more†disappears.†But†one†hardly†has†time†to†see†them
as†the†balloon†passes†as†quickly†as†the†wind.
We†are†now†quite†near†the†earth,†and†Beer†exclaims:†ëLook
at†that!†What†is†that†running†over†there†in†the†fields?†Isn't
it† a† dog?í† Indeed,† something† is† running† along† the† ground
with† great† speed,† and† this† something† seems† to† jump† over
ditches,†roads,†trees†with†such†ease†that
we†could†not†understand†what†it†might†be. ï How does the shadow of the
balloon appear to the travellers?
The† captain† laughs:† ëIt† is† the† shadow† of
our†balloon.†It†will†grow†as†we†descend.í
I†distinctly†hear†a†great†noise†of†foundries
in†the†distance.†And,†according†to†the†polar ï How far does the polar star guide
the travellers?
star,†which†we†have†been†observing†all†night, Do you think it is a scientific way
we†are†heading†straight†for†Belgium*. to travel?
* Belgium† borders† the† Netherlands† to† the† north,† Germany† to† the† east,† Luxembourg† to
the† southeast,† France† to† the† south† and† the† North† Sea† for† 70† km† to† the† north† east.
Brussels† is† the† capital† of† Belgium.
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Our†siren†and†our†two†horns†are†continually†calling.†We
bellow:†ëWhere†are†we?í†But†the†balloon†is†going†so†rapidly
that†the†bewildered†man†has†not†even†time†to†answer†us.
The†growing†shadow†of†Le†Horla,†as†large
ï Who is the bewildered man? Why
as†a†child's†ball,†is†fleeing†before†us†over is he bewildered?
the†fields,†roads†and†woods.†It†goes†along
steadily,†preceding†us†by†about†a†quarter†of†a†mile;†and
now,†I†am†leaning†out†of†the†basket,†listening†to†the†roaring
of† the† wind† in† the† trees† and† across† the† harvest† fields.† I
say†to†Captain†Jovis:†ëHow†the†wind†blows!í
He†answers:†ëNo,†those†are†probably†waterfalls.í†I†insist,
sure† of† my† ear† that† knows† the† sound† of† the† wind,† from
hearing† it† so† often† whistle† through† the
rigging.†Then†Jovis†nudges†me;†he†fears ï Comment on the reaction of the
to†frighten†his†happy,†quiet†passengers, Captain to the roaring of the
wind. Can you justify the
for† he† knows† full† well† that† a† storm† is Captainís behaviour?
pursuing†us.
Suddenly,†the†lights†of†a†town†appear†before†us.†Such†a
wonderful†flow†of†fire†appears†below†us†that†I†think†myself
transported† into† some† fairyland† where† precious† stones
are†manufactured†for†giants.
The† clouds† are† gathering† behind† us,† hiding† the† moon,
whereas† towards† the† east† the† sky† is† growing† lighter,
becoming†clear†blue,†tinged†with†red.†It†is†dawn.†It†grows
rapidly,† now† showing† us† all† the† little
details† of† the† earth,† the† trains,† the ï Identify the sights and sounds
that welcome the dawn.
brooks,†the†cows,†the†goats.†And†all†this Sights Sounds
passes†beneath†us†with†surprising†speed.
Cocks†are†crowing,†but†the†voice†of†ducks
drowns†everything.
The†early†rising†peasants†are†waving†their†arms†and†crying
to† us:† ëLet† yourselves† drop!í† But† we† go† along† steadily,
neither†rising†nor†falling,†leaning†over†the
edge†of†the†basket†and†watching†the†world ï ëThe world fleeing under our feetí
- What experience does the
fleeing†under†our†feet. author try to convey?
And,†indeed,†far†ahead†of†us†stretches†a
bright† highway,† in† the† light† of† the† dawning† day.† Yes,† it
looks†like†a†river,†an†immense†river†full†of†islands.
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Unit - 3 BEYOND THE HORIZON
ëGet†ready†for†the†descent,í†cries†the†captain.†He†makes
M.†Mallet†leave†his†net†and†return†to†the†basket;†then,†we
pack†the†barometers†and†everything†that†could†be†injured
by†possible†shocks.†M.†Bessand†exclaims:†ëLook†at†the†masts
over†there†to†the†left!†We†are†at†the†sea!í ï If you were in such a situation,
how would you react?
Fogs† have† hidden† it† from† us† until† then.
The†sea†is†everywhere,†to†the†left†and†opposite†us.
It† is† necessary† to† descend† within† a† minute† or† two.
The†rope†to†the†escape-valve,†which†has ï ìReligiously enclosedî -
been†religiously†enclosed†in†a†little†white What is your opinion about the
adverb used here? How is it
bag†and†placed†in†sight†of†all†so†that†no connected with the verb
one† will† touch† it,† is† unrolled,† and ëenclosed?í
M.† Mallet† holds† it† in† his† hand† while
Captain†Jovis†looks†for†a†favourable†landing.
Behind†us,†the†thunder†is†rumbling†and ï Why do you think the birds are
not†a†single†bird†follows†our†mad†flight. hesitant to follow the balloon?
We† are† passing† over† a† canal.† The† basket† trembles† and
tips†over†slightly.†The†guy-rope†touches†the†tall†trees†on
both† banks.We† pass† with† frightful† rapidity† over† a† large
farm,† from† which† the† bewildered
ï List out the words and
chickens,† pigeons† and† ducks† fly† away, expressions that indicate the
while† the† cows,† cats† and† dogs† run, mad flight of the balloon.
terrified,†toward†the†house.
Just† one-half† bag† of† ballast† is† left.† Jovis† throws† it
overboard,†and†Le†Horla†flies†lightly†across†the†roof.
The†captain†once†more†cries:†ëThe†escape-valve!í
M.†Mallet†reaches†for†the†rope†and†hangs ï What action does Mallet
to†it,†and†we†drop†like†an†arrow.†With†the perform?
slash† of† a† knife† the† cord† which† retains
the† anchor† is† cut,† and† we† drag† this† grapple† behind† us,
through†a†field†of†beets.†Here†are†the†trees.
ëTake†care!†Hold†fast!†Look†out†for†your†heads!í
We†pass†over†them.†Then†a†strong†shock†shakes†us.†The
anchor†has†taken†hold.
ëLook† out!† Take† a† good† hold!† Raise† yourselves† by† your
wrists.†We†are†going†to†touch†the†ground.í
The†basket†does†indeed†strike†the†earth.†Then†it†flies†up
again.†Once†more,†it†falls†and†bounds†upward†again,†and
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
at† last,† it† settles† on† the† ground,† while ï Comment on the visual effect of
the† balloon† struggles† madly† like† a ëthe balloon landing.í
wounded†beast.
Peasants†run†toward†us,†but†they†do†not†dare†approach,
for† one† cannot† set† foot† on† the† ground† until† the† bag† is
almost†completely†deflated. ï Describe the reception of the
Then,† almost† at† the† same† time† as† the balloon by the peasants.
bewildered†men,†some†of†whom†show†their†astonishment
by†jumping,†with†the†wild†gestures†of†savages,†all†the†cows
that† are† grazing† along† the† coast† come† towards† us,
surrounding†our†balloon†with†a†strange†and†comical†circle
of†horns,†big†eyes†and†blowing†nostrils.
With†the†help†of†the†accommodating†and†hospitable†Belgian
peasants,†we†are†able,†in†a†short†time,†to†pack†up†all†our
materials†and†carry†it†to†the†station†at†Heyst*,†where,†at
twenty†minutes†past†eight,†we†take†the†train†for†Paris.
The†descent†occurred†at†three-fifteen†in†the†morning.
Thanks† to† Captain† Jovis,† thanks† to† this† brave† man,† we
were†able†to†see,†in†a†single†night,†from†far†up†in†the†sky,
the† setting† of† the† sun,† the† rising† of† the† moon† and† the
dawn† of† day,† and† to† go† from† Paris† to† the† mouth† of† the
Scheldt**†through†the†skies.
(Adapted) About the Author
Glossary: Guy†de†Maupassant†(1850
ballast†(n) : a†substance†such†as†water, ñ†1893)†was†a†popular†19th-
sand†or†metal†that†is†carried century† French† writer,
considered† one† of† the
in†ships†or†large†balloons†to masters†of†the†modern†short
help†them†remain†steady story†and†one†of†its†finest†exponents.
barometer†(n) : a† device† that† measures† air The††short†story†called†ëThe††Trip†of †Le
pressure† and† shows† when Horla,í†appeared††in†the†Figaro,†in†1887,
the† weather† is† likely† to under†the†title†ëFrom†Paris†to†Heystí.
change ëThe††Trip†of †Le††Horla,í†is†about†the
bellow†(v) : utter† in† a† loud,† powerful authorís†ride†in†a†hot†air†balloon.
voice
deflate†(v) : let†out†air†or†gas†from†a†tyre†or†balloon
ditch†(n) : a†long,†narrow†open†hole†that†is†dug†into†the†ground,†usually
at†the†side†of†a†road†or†field,†used†especially†for†supplying†or
removing†water†or†for†dividing†land
docile†(adj) : quiet†and†easy†to†influence,†persuade,†or†control
* Heyst† is† a† place† with† a† very† small† population† in† the† province† of† West† -† Vlaanderen,
Belgium.† The† closest† major† cities† include† Antwerp† and† Brussels.
** Scheldt† is† a† river† that† rises† in† France,† flows† through† Belgium† and† empties† into† the
North† Sea.
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Unit - 3 BEYOND THE HORIZON
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
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Unit - 3 BEYOND THE HORIZON
With†the†help†of†the†accommodating†and
Experiences†of†the†place hospitable†Belgian†peasants,†we†are†able,
in† a† short† time,† to† pack† up† all† our
materials...
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
r Pick†out†the†instances†in†the†story†where†the†present†continuous
tense†form†of†the†verb†is†used.
Sentence/Segment We†are†crossing...
Context At†the†moment†of
speaking
r Frame†a†sentence†on†your†own.
Context Sentence
happening†at†the†moment†of†speaking
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Unit - 3 BEYOND THE HORIZON
THE†SACRED†TURTLES†OF††KADAVU
On†the†island†of†Kadavu†(pronounced Kandavu),†one†of†the
larger†islands†of†the†Fiji†Group,†and†some†fifty†miles†by
water†from†the†capital†city†of†Suva,†is†the
Fijian† village† of† Namuana.† Namuana ï How, according to the legend, did
the warriors of Kadavu save
nestles† at† the† foot† of† a† beautiful† bay themselves a long journey by sea?
adjacent† to† the† Government† Station† in
Vunisea†Harbour.†Here,†the†island†of†Kadavu†narrows†down
to†an†isthmus,†and†by†climbing†the†hill†behind†Namuana
village,†one†can†stand†on†the†saddle†and†look†out†to†the
sea†to†the†south†and†to†the†north.†Legend†says†that†in†the
days†gone†by,†the†warriors†of†Kadavu†slid†their†canoes†on
rollers†up†over†the†narrow†neck†of†land†to†save†the†long
journey†around†the†east†and†the†west†of†Kadavu†island.
The†women†of†Namuana†village†still†preserve†a†very†strange
ritual,† that† of† calling† turtles† from† the† sea.† If† you† visit
Namuana†village†to†see†the†turtle†calling,†your†schooner
anchors†in†a†beautiful†bay†right†under†the†cliffs†of†a†rocky
headland.†You†land†on†the†beach†and†then,†either†sit†on
the†rocks†under†the†bluffs†on†the†beach†or†climb†a†rocky
tract† to† a† point† some† 150† or† 200† feet† up† the† rock† face.
Here,†you†have†a†splendid†view†and†will†find†assembled
all†the†maidens†of†the†village†of†Namuana,†singing†a†strange
chant.†As†they†chant,†if†you†look†very†carefully†down†into
the†water†of†the†bay,†you†will†see†giant†turtles†rise†one†by
one†to†lie†on†the†surface,†listening†to†the†music.
This†is†not†a†fairy†tale;†it†actually†does†take†place†and†the
water†in†this†area†is†forbidden†for†the†fishing†of†turtles.
Another†interesting†sideline†to†this†performance†is†that†if
any†member†of†the†nearby†village†of†Nabukelevu†is†present,
then† the† turtles† will† not† rise† to† the† surface† of† the† bay,
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
and† the† turtle† calling† will† have† to† be ï The turtles will not rise to the
surface of the bay if any member
abandoned.
of the nearby village of
As†is†usually†the†case†with†such†strange Nabukelevu is present there.What
ceremonies†and†customs,†in†Fiji,†the†turtle could be the reason?
calling†is†based†on†an†ancient†legend†still
passed†on†from†father†to†son,†among†the ï Are all rituals strange? Why?
Fijian†people†of†Kadavu.
Many,†many†years†ago,†in†the†beautiful†village†of†Namuana,
on†the†island†of†Kadavu,†lived†a†very†lovely†princess†called
Tinaicoboga† who† was† the† wife† of† the† chief† of† Namuana
village.† Tinaicoboga† had† a† charming
daughter† called† Raudalice,† and† the† two ï Comment on the opening
women† often† went† fishing† on† the† reefs sentence of the legend.
around†their†home.
Once,†Tinaicoboga†and†Raudalice†went†further†afield†than
usual.†They†waded†out†onto†the†submerged†reefs†which
stretch†out†from†the†rocky†headline†to†the†east†of†the†bay
on†which†Namuana†village†is†situated.
They† became† so† engrossed† with† their† fishing† that† they
did†not†notice†the†stealthy†approach†of†a†great†war†canoe,
filled† with† fishermen,† from† the† nearby† village† of
Nabukelevu.†This†village†is†situated†in†the†shadow†of†Mount
Washington,† the† highest† mountain† on† Kadavu† island.
Today,† Mount† Washington† is† well† known† to† mariners
because† there† is† a† splendid† lighthouse† there,† warning
them†of†the†dangers†of†the†rocky†coastline.
Suddenly,†the†fishermen†leapt†from†their†canoe†and†seized
the†two†women,†bound†their†hands†and
feet† with† vine,† † tossed† them† into† the ï when
What happens to the two women
they go fishing?
bottom†of†the†canoe,†and†set†off†in†great
haste† for† home.† Although† the† women† pleaded† for† their
lives,†the†cruel†warriors†from†Nabukelevu†did†not†listen†to
their† entreaties.
The†gods†of†the†sea,†however,†were†kind, ï What does the change in weather
and† soon,† a† great† storm† arose† and† the signify?
canoe† was† tossed† about† by† huge† waves† which† almost
swamped† it.† As† the† canoe† foundered† in† the† sea,† the
fishermen†were†astounded†to†notice†that†the†two†women,
lying†in†the†water†in†the†hold†of†the†canoe,†had†suddenly
changed†into†turtles,†and†to†save†their†own†lives,†the†men
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Unit - 3 BEYOND THE HORIZON
seized†them†and†threw†them†into†the†sea.
As† they† slipped† over† the† side† of† the† canoe,† the† weather
changed†and†there†were†no†more†waves.
The†Nabukelevu†fishermen†continued†their†journey†back
to†their†home†village,†and†the†two†women†from†Namuana
who†had†been†changed†to†turtles†lived†on†in†the†water†of
the†bay.†It†is†their†descendants†today†who†rise†from†the
water†when†the†maidens†of†their†own†village†sing†songs
to†them†from†the†cliffs.
The†translation†of†the†strange†song,†which†is†chanted†on
such†occasions,†is†as†follows:
ëThe†women†of†Namuana†are†all†dressed ï Why are the women dressed in
mourning ?
in†mourning
Each† carries† a† sacred† club† each† tattooed† in† a† strange
pattern
Do†rise†to†the†surface†Raudalice†so†we†may†look†at†you
Do†rise†to†the†surface†Tinaicoboga†so†we ï What do the lines of the song
may†also†look†at†you.í indicate?
You† may† doubt† the† truth† of† the† legend,† but† you† cannot
doubt†the†fact†that†the†chanting†of†this†strange†song†does,
in† fact,† lure† the† giant† turtles† to† the† surface† of† the† blue
waters†of†the†bay,†near†Namuana†village,†on†the†island†of
Kadavu.
(From a Fijian Legend)
Glossary:
afield†(adv) : a†long†distance†away
entreaty† (n) : an†attempt†to†persuade†someone†to†do†something
founder†(v) : fill†with†water†and†sink
isthmus† (n) : a† narrow† piece† of† land† that† joins† two† larger† areas† and† has
water†on†both†sides.
mourning†(n) : sadness†felt†because†someone†has†died;†also,†the†black†clothes
that†are†worn†in†some†countries†as†an†expression†of†sadness
at†someoneís†death
reef† (n) : a†line†of†rocks†or†sand†just†above†or†just†below†the†surface†of
the†sea,†often†dangerous†to†ships
schooner†(n) : a†sailing†ship†with†at†least†two†masts†{tall†poles}
swamp†(v) : fill†or†cover†something†with†a†lot†of†water;†(here)†the†canoe†is
surrounded†by†huge†waves†which†tossed†it.
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
About Fiji
The†Republic†of†the†Fiji†Islands†is†a†multicultural†island†nation
with†the†cultural†traditions†of†the†people†of†Oceanic,†European,
South† Asian,† and† East† Asian† origins.† Fiji† consists† of
approximately†320††islands†in†the†southwest†Pacific†Ocean,†about
1,960†miles†(3,152†kms)†from†Sydney,†Australia.†About†100†of
these†islands†are†inhabited.
Activity I (Debate)
r Who†do†you†think†are†really†punished:†the†Nabukelevu†fishermen
or†the†two†women†from†Namuana?
Discuss†the†situation†in†the†present†context†of†atrocities†against
women.
Conduct†a†debate†on†the†topic†ëAre† women†empowered†in†our†soci-
ety?í
For
................................................................................................
................................................................................................
................................................................................................
Against
................................................................................................
................................................................................................
................................................................................................
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Unit - 3 BEYOND THE HORIZON
Extended Activities
Activity I (Translation)
r Travel†writing†is†popular†not†only†in†English†but†also†in†Malayalam.
We†have†noted†travel†writers†in†Malayalam.†S.†K.†Pottekkatt†is†a
prominent†figure†who†has†several†books†on†travel†to†his†credit.
Here†is†a†excerpt†from†his†novel†'Oru†Desathinte†Katha'†followed
by†its†English†translation†ëTales†of†Athiranippadamí†.*
{io[-cs\ kw_-‘n-®n-StØmfw Ce-™n-s∏m-bn¬ ]pXn-sbmcp ambm-temI-
am-bn-cp-∂p. AXn-cm-Wn-∏m-SsØ sNfn-tØm-Sp-Ifpw HmSn-°f - n-°m-\n-Sa
- n-√mØ
CSp-ßnb ]d-ºp-Ifpw hn´p hnim-e-kp-µ-c-am-sbmcp temIØv kz—µw
hnlcn°mw. Fs¥mcp am‰w! ]®-°-dn-tØm-∏p-I-fn-eqsS Np‰n-\S°mw.
\nd∏In-´m¿∂ ]m∏m-Øn-If - p-sSbpw Xpºn-If
- p-sSbpw ]n∂mse \rØw-sh®p
\oßmw. Infn-I-fpsS ]m´p-Iƒ tIƒ°mw. N°bpw amßbpw Xn∂p
aSp°pw.
To Sreedharan, Elanjippoyil was a world of wonder.
Athiranippadam had only small muddy streams and narrow
stretches of land where he could hardly move about freely. The
difference between the two places was overwhelming. At
Elanjippoyil, he could walk for hours and hours through the
vegetable gardens where bright, multi-coloured butterflies,
beetles and dragon flies fluttered about. He could run after them
with wild delight, and listen to the sweet melody of the birds. He
could stuff his tummy with jackfruits and mangoes.
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
ï Discuss†the†above†translation.
Tips
ï Transfer†the†meaning;†avoid†word†for†word†translation.
ï Be†aware†of†the†cultural†differences†in†languages.
ï Ensure† that† the† translation† is† in† tune† with† the† linguistic
features†of†the†target†language.
r Now,† read† the† following† passage† in† Malayalam,† from† the† same
novel,†and†translate†it†into†English.
Hcp henb NXp-∏p-]mSw Ime-{I-taW Xq¿∂p-≠mb Hcp IpSn-∏m¿∏p tI{µ-amWv
AXn-cm-Wn-∏m-Sw. ]pcm-X-\-Im-eØv Hcp sNdnb ]pg AXn-eqsS Hcp ssa¬ ]Sn-
™m-dp≈ kap-{Z-Øn-te°v Hgp-In-t®¿∂n-cp-∂p. iXm-_vZ-߃°n-S-bn¬ B ]pg
h‰n, Nfn-sI´n aqSn hen-sbmcp tXmSmbnØo¿∂p. B `mK-Øn\v ]pg-h-°Øv
F∂mWv Ct∏mgpw ]d™p hcp-∂-Xv. B tXmSpw {ItaW Xq¿∂p-Xq¿∂v Ahn-
sS-sa√mw NXp-∏p-\n-e-ßfmbn-Øo¿∂p. B NXp∏p-\n-e-ßfpw Xq¿∂p XpS-ßn-
b-t∏mƒ B ]mS-ß-fn¬ a\p-jy≥ {]th-in®p.
r You† decide† to† conduct† a† tour† programme.† What† are† the† different
††††††stages†involved†in†it?†Discuss.
Activity II (Travel† info)
r We†get†information†about†tourist†destinations†from†Travel†Info.
Travel Info
Getting There
Heathrow Airport is one of the largest and busiest airports in Britain which
connects the major cities in the world.
The London Metro connects you to the major tourist destinations of the city.
Don't miss out
The National Gallery
The British Museum
The Tower of London
Windsor Castle
The cuisine
Fish and Chips-a true English treat of freshly caught fish and crisp potato
fries.
Travel Info may include appropriate visiting time, how to get there, where to
dine, cultural highlights, etc.
Letís†prepare†a†Travel Info†of†a†place†of†your†choice.
Activity III (Conversation)
r Decide†on†a†place†to†visit,†and†approach†a†travel†agency†to†make
arrangements.
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Unit - 3 BEYOND THE HORIZON
Write†the†conversation†between†you†and†the†travel†agent.
Tips
You†should†book†the†cheapest†holiday†possible,†inquire†about†distance,†price,
travel† time,† etc.
The† travel† agent† should† try† to† sell† the† most† expensive† package† and† try† to
impress† the† client.
Structure†the†conversation,†using†appropriate†expressions.
This†interactive†activity†aims†at†establishing†and†maintaining†social†relations
i.e.,† requesting,† offering,† asking/granting/refusing† permission,† etc.
Request
Asking†to†do†things
Could I /May I / Can I / Do you mind if I
Asking†people†to†do†things
Can you / Could you / Will you /Would you / Do you think you could
(Avoid† Do you think you can)
Asking†for†things
Can I have/Could I have/May I have / Iíd like to have
Offers
Can I /Would you like (Avoid Do you like)
Permission
Asking† Permission
Can I / Could I / May I
Giving permission
You can /You may (Avoid You could )
Could†I†borrow†the†book†?†Of†course,†you can.
Refusing permission
You canít / You may not
Could†I†borrow†the†book†?
I†am†sorry.†Iím†afraid†you canít.
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
..........................................................................................
†Tips
Introducing special events / highlights
.............................................................. Speech† should† be
.............................................................. m interpersonal
............................................................... m spontaneous
Offering advice (Dos & Doníts) m loosely† structured
..............................................................
m informal
..............................................................
...............................................................
m event† oriented
Closing remarks m concrete
..............................................................
..............................................................
...............................................................
Activity V† (Discussion)
r You†may†read†the†poem†ëGoodbye Party for Miss Pushpa T. S.í†by
Nissim†Ezekiel†which†is†given†below.
In†the†poem,†Ezekiel†uses†a†variety†of†Indian†English.†It†is†in†the
form†of†a†speech†made†by†one†of†Miss†Pushpaís†friends.
There†are†grammatical†mistakes,†strange†arrangements†of†words,
phrases†and†idioms†which†are†direct†translations†of†expressions
from†Indian†languages;†all†of†which†sound†very†odd†in†English.
Identify†them†and†discuss.
Friends,
Our†dear†sister†
is†departing†for†foreign†
in†two-three†days,
and†
we†are†meeting†today
to†wish†her†bon†voyage.†
You†are†all†knowing,†friends,†
what†sweetness†is†in†Miss†Pushpa.
I†donít†mean†only†external†sweetness†
but† internal† sweetness.†
Miss†Pushpa†is†smiling†and†smiling†
even†for†no†reason
but†simply†because†she†is†feeling.†
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Unit - 3 BEYOND THE HORIZON
Miss†Pushpa†is†coming
from†very†high†family.†
Her†father†was†renowned†advocate†
in†Bulsar†or†Surat,†
I†am†not†remembering†now†which†place.†
Surat?†Ah,†yes,
Once†only†I†stayed†in†Surat
with†family†members
of†my†uncleís†very†old†friend,
his†wife†was†cooking†nicelyÖ
that†was†long†time†ago.†
Coming†back†to†Miss†Pushpa
she†is†most†popular†lady†
with†men†also†and†ladies†also.†
Whenever†I†asked†her†to†do†anything,
she†was†saying,†ëjust†now†only
I†will†do†it.í†That†is†showing
good†spirit.†I†am†always†
appreciating†the†good†spirit.†
Pushpa†Miss†is†never†saying†no.
Whatever†I†or†anybody†is†asking
She†is†always†saying†yes,
And†today†she†is†going†
to†improve†her†prospect†
and†we†are†wishing†her†bon†voyage.
Now†I†ask†other†speakers†to†speak
and†afterwards†Miss†Pushpa
will†do†summing†up.†
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
Thematic outcomes
Students†demonstrate†the†ability†to
ï appreciate†tourist†destinations†from†different†angles†(physical
features,†scope†for†adventure,†traditional†and†cultural†aspects).
ï plan†and†organise†tour†programmes†following†the†various†steps
systematically.
ï handle†practical†issues†related†to†travel†--†arranging†mode†of
travel,†accommodation,†etc.
ï adopt† precautionary† measures,† foresee† the† problems† they
might†encounter†during†travel.
ï analyse† rituals,† highlighting† their† social† and† cultural
significance†in†the†present†scenario.
Linguistic outcomes
Students†demonstrate†the†ability†to
ï narrate†events/incidents†from†different†perspectives.
ï design†Travel†Brochures/†Travel†Info†etc.
ï establish†and†maintain†social†relations†focusing†on†requesting,
offering,†asking/†granting/†refusing†permission.
ï write†about†their†travel†experiences.
ï discuss†the†pros†and†cons†of†an†issue.
ï draft†the†script†of†a†live†TV†Report.
ï translate†to†English†passages†written†in†Malayalam.
ï differentiate†between†the†use†of†the†simple†present†and††the
present†continuous†tense†forms.
ï prepare† and† give† short† speeches† introducing† a† tourist
destination.
100
Unit 4 BRAVING THE HAZARDS
Unit
Disasters,†both†natural†and†man-made,†have†become†very
common†today.†Whatever†the†form,†thousands†die†each†year†due
to†disasters.†They†also†cause†widespread†destruction†and
damage.†It†is†the†need†of†the†hour†to†be†informed†and††equipped
to† face† impending† disasters.† The† concept† of† disaster
management†has†gained†great†currency††across†the†globe†in
recent†times.
The†unit†entitled†'Braving†the†Hazards'†comprises†three†texts.
The†first††is†an†essay†written†by†Anjana†Majumdar†about†disaster
management† in† India.† The† second† is† a† short† story† by
A.†J.†Cronin.†The†third†is†a†poem†by†Benjamin†Peck†Keith†about
the† wreck† of† the† ship† Titanic.† In† addition,† there† is† also† a
newspaper†report†and†an†excerpt†from†the†essay†'On†Courage',
by†A.†G.†Gardiner.
The†texts†and†the†activities†of†this†unit†aim†to†make†the†learners
aware†of†different†disasters,†and†to†equip†them†to†act†promptly
in†moments†of†crisis.
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
Letís begin:
1. Examine the pictures given below.
Letís discuss
102
Unit 4 BRAVING THE HAZARDS
People are becoming more and more vulnerable ï What are some of the
to disasters of all types, which include common disasters?
earthquakes, floods, cyclones, landslides,
droughts, accidents, plane crashes, forest fires, etc. This
is quite true in the case of both developed and
ï What is true about both
developing countries. The floods in the UK and developed and
France, and the heat waves in Europe, developing countries?
particularly the one in France in 2003, claimed
lots of lives. In the last few years, America has also faced
devastating disasters in the form of tornadoes, hurricanes
and cyclones. They caused great loss of lives and property.
Even though the progress in technology is helping human
beings to reduce the impact of the disasters, it is still
inadequate.
There is a direct correlation between higher human
development and better preparedness to manage ï What is the relationship
disasters. The countries which have lower between human
human development are more vulnerable to the development and
risks of disasters and damage. disaster preparedness?
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
add to this problem. India, which has only two per cent of
the total geographical area, has to support 18 per cent of
the total population of the world. Therefore, ï What causes tremendous
there is tremendous pressure on the natural pressure on the natural
resources, which directly or indirectly leads resources in India?
to the occurrence of disasters, namely floods, droughts,
landslides, earthquakes, etc.
The northern region of India faces problems due to
landslides, floods, droughts, and earthquakes, because
this region falls under the seismic zones III to V. The
eastern region is confronted with heavy floods in the
perennial rivers which include the Brahmaputra, the
Ganga, etc. Drought, heatwaves, hailstorms, cyclones,
heavy winds and earthquakes are also common in this
region. The north-eastern region encounters floods,
landslides, and earthquakes. This region comes under
the seismic zones IV and V.
The western region is widely known for severe droughts,
wind erosion of land and soil, floods and cyclones. This
area is also prone to earthquakes. The southern region,
particularly the coastal region, is vulnerable to cyclones,
sea erosion, tsunami, and landslides. The islands of
Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep are confronted
with the problems of sea erosion and tsunami. The Indian
coastal areas have faced some of the severest cyclones
both along the eastern and western coasts.
Among all the disasters in India, the tsunami
ï Which is a relatively new
is a relatively new phenomenon. Due to the natural disaster in
lack of an adequate warning system, the India?
tsunami of 2004 devastated a large portion of
the coastal regions of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra
Pradesh, besides the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It
claimed a large number of lives and destroyed property
worth crores of rupees.
India has faced a number of disasters, ranging from
natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, ï Which is the man-made
cyclones, tsunami, drought and landslides to disaster that India
witnessed in the last
man-made disasters like the Bhopal Gas century?
Tragedy (1984). During this century, India has
witnessed some major disasters which include the Gujarat
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Unit 4 BRAVING THE HAZARDS
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
Glossary:
seismic (adj) : related to the vibration of the earth or
earthquake
tectonic forces (n) : forces arising out of the movements of the
earth's crust
vulnerable (adj) : susceptible
Activity I (Note-making)
r You have read the essay ëDisasters and Disaster Management in
India.í Given below is an outline of the notes on this essay. Read
the essay carefully again and complete the notes.
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
2.4.1
2.4.2
2.4.3.
2.4.4.
2.4.5.
3. The direct and indirect impact of disasters
3.1.
3.2.
3.3.
3.4.
3.5. poor sections --- most affected
4. Risk due to disaster --- need for safer buildings
4.1. cyclones, tsunami, earthquakes, defects in construction of
building can cause greater destruction.
4.2. scenario in the developing countries
4.2.1.
4.2.2.
4.2.3.
4.3. suggestions for safer infrastructure
4.3.1.
4.3.2.
4.3.3.
5. Management in India
5.1. purpose --- not prevention, but reduction of impact
5.2. state government
5.2.1. role ---
5.2.2. structure ---
5.3. central government
5.3.1. role ---
5.3.2. structure ---
5.3.3. support offered ---
5.4. rehabilitation of victims
5.4.1.
5.4.2.
5.4.3. rescue teams --- additional skills, and equipped with
latest technology.
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Unit 4 BRAVING THE HAZARDS
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
Clues:
ACROSS
1. A violently destructive windstorm occurring over land,
characterized by a funnel-shaped cloud extending toward the
ground.
3. Vibration on the earth's surface resulting from underground
movement.
5. Molten rock that flows out of an erupting volcano.
6. Widespread scarcity of food due to crop failure, population
imbalance, etc.
8. Gravitational movement of a mass of rock, earth or debris down
a slope.
10. A rotating column of air, whirling in destructive speed.
11. A tropical storm with winds that have a speed of 74 miles per
hour or more.
DOWN:
2. A high sea wave caused by an earthquake or other distur-
bances.
4. A mass of snow, ice and rocks falling rapidly down a
mountainside.
7. The luxury ocean liner Titanic hit an ___ berg in the Atlantic.
9. A violent disturbance of the atmosphere with strong winds,
and usually rain, thunder, lightning or snow.
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Unit 4 BRAVING THE HAZARDS
Activity VI (Project)
The author says that ëOf all the disasters, floods are the most
commonÖÖÖÖÖ India, China and Bangladesh are the most affected
by floods.í In Kerala also, we experience floods during the monsoon.
The water levels of rivers rise, flooding cities and towns. What are
the reasons for this flooding?
Investigate the reasons for flooding in your locality. Write a report of
your findings. Make an ICT assisted presentation.
Activity VII (Collection)
We†are†highly†vulnerable†to†many†natural†disasters.†While†some†fail
to†act†in†the†moment†of†crisis†or†become†victims†of†these†disasters,
some†others†rise†up†to†the†occasion†and†help†the†victims.†Here†is†a
newspaper†report†about†four†children†who†won†bravery†awards†for
their†timely†and†heroic†action†in†a†moment†of†crisis.
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
112
Unit 4 BRAVING THE HAZARDS
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
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Unit 4 BRAVING THE HAZARDS
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
116
Unit 4 BRAVING THE HAZARDS
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
Glossary:
antipyretic (adj) : a medicine that reduces fever
impromptu (adj) : (here) without proper preparation
lazaretto (n) : (here) the isolated shelter made for treating the
infected patients
leitmotif (n) : repeated theme
papular (adj) : related to small, solid, usually inflammatory elevation
of the skin that does not contain pus.
prodromal (adj) : symptomatic of the onset of an attack or a disease
purulent (adj) : containing pus
serang (n) : a petty officer in a merchant ship; a boatswain; a lascar
Activity II (Letter)
r You know that A. J. Cronin, the physician of the ship is extremely
impressed by the service of Hasan. Imagine that after the voyage,
Cronin writes a letter to the director of the company which owns
the ship Ranaganji, detailing the selfless service Hasan rendered
during the voyage. He also requests the director to reward Hasan
with a promotion in return for his service. Draft the letter which
Cronin would write.
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Unit 4 BRAVING THE HAZARDS
Activity IV (Role-play)
r Miss Jope-Smith soon hears about the promotion given to Hasan
and the reason for the promotion. She feels sorry for her
prejudiced remarks about him. She decides to meet Hasan in
person, and congratulate him for his efforts and the promotion
he has received.
Form pairs. Imagine that one of you is Ms. Jope-Smith and the
other is Hasan. Role-play the whole conversation between Jope-
Smith and Hasan.
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
Activity VI
The Past participle as Adjective
r Study the following expressions carefully.
a. smartly-dressed woman
b. well-bred voice
c. amused gaze
d. titled friends
The expressions smartly-dressed,†well-bred,†amused†and†titled are used
as adjectives. They are the past participle form of the verbs dress,
breed,†amuse and title respectively. So, you know that the past participle
forms of some verbs can be used as adjectives.
m A. J. Cronin has used many such expressions in the story 'The
Serang of Ranaganji.'
Find out more expressions from the story where the past participle
forms of the verbs have been used as adjectives. Explain the meaning
of these expressions to your friends.
e.g. added source --- a source which is added to something.
m
m
Language Note
Prefixes like under-, over-, etc., can also be added to the past
participle form of a verb to function as an adjective. e.g. over-
crowded ship, understaffed crew.
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Unit 4 BRAVING THE HAZARDS
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
122
Unit 4 BRAVING THE HAZARDS
Extended Activities
Activity I
r Given below is a list of some of the cases in which first-aid would
be required. You may add more to the list.
m Injured leg - bleeding
m Fractured hand
m Burnt fingers
m Fits
m Snake bite
m
What first-aid would you give in these situations? Search the internet
or seek the help of a medical practitioner to collect the details.
Form groups and prepare a first-aid chart for the emergency situations
given above. Include visuals and precise instructions.
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
On Courage
... But if I were asked to name the instance of individual action
which had most impressed me, I should find the task more difficult.
Should I select something that shows how war depraves, or
something that shows how it ennobles? If the latter, I think I
would choose that beautiful incident of the sailor on the
Formidable.
He had won by ballot a place in one of the boats. The ship was
going down, but he was to be saved. One pictures the scene: The
boat is waiting to take him to the shore and safety. He looks at
the old comrades who have lost in the ballot and who stand there
doomed to death. He feels the passion for life surging within him.
He sees the cold, dark sea waiting to engulf its victims. And in
that great moment -- the greatest moment that can come to any
man -- he makes the triumphant choice. He turns to one of his
comrades. ëYou've got parents,í he says. ëI haven't.í And with that
word -- so heroic in its simplicity -- he makes the other take his
place in the boat and signs his own death warrant.
I see him on the deck among his doomed fellows, watching the
disappearing boat until the final plunge comes and all is over. The
sea never took a braver man to its bosom. ëGreater love hath no
man than this ...í
Can you read that story without some tumult within you -- without
feeling that humanity itself is ennobled by this great act and that
you are, in some mysterious way, better for the deed? That is the
splendid fruit of all such sublime sacrifice. It enriches the whole
human family. It makes us lift our heads with pride that we are
men -- that there is in us at our best this noble gift of valiant
unselfishness, this glorious prodigality that spends life itself for
something greater than life. If we had met this nameless sailor,
we should have found him, perhaps, a very ordinary man, with
plenty of failings, doubtless, like the rest of us, and without any
idea that he had in him the priceless jewel beside which crowns
and coronets are empty baubles. He was something greater than
he knew.
m ëThe sea never took a braver man to its bosomí. What does Gardiner
mean by this expression? Do you agree with Gardiner? Write
your views in a paragraph.
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Unit 4 BRAVING THE HAZARDS
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
126
Unit 4 BRAVING THE HAZARDS
Theme Emotion
1. shipwreck 1. patriotism
2. .................... 2. ....................
3. .................... 3. ....................
Language Relevance
1. simple 1. insights about crisis management
2. .................... 2. ....................
3. .................... 3. ....................
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
Share your ideas with your friends in your group. Collect more views
from them, and enrich your understanding of the poem.
Based on your analysis, write a critical appreciation of the poem,
'The Wreck of the Titanic.'
Activity IV (Newspaper report)
r We know that newspaper reports are non-fictional and that they
give us factual information about an incident.
Given below are the features of a good newspaper report.
m Headline : Short and attention grabbing.
m Byline : Usually written below the headline. It may carry the
writerís name.
m Paragraphs : Follow the inverted pyramid principle. The most
important details come in the initial paragraphs.
m Quotes : It will be interesting and useful to quote the words of
people involved in the incident.
m Facts and opinions: Try to add all the facts possible using the five
W's (who, what, why, where, when).
m Third Person : The report is written in the third person, as the
reporter is retelling the incident without being involved in it.
r Now, think of the tragic end of the Titanic. Work in groups and fill
up the table given below, based on your knowledge of the inci-
dent. You may also use the internet to collect more details about
the Titanic, her final voyage, the passengers on board, the colli-
sion with the iceberg, and the heroic acts of her crew.
Features Details
Headline
Byline
Paragraphs
(Number and broad
outline of each paragraph)
ï Who
ï What
ï Why
ï Where
ï When
Quotations (Narration
and opinions of the survivors)
128
Unit 4 BRAVING THE HAZARDS
m Use the clues in the table and prepare a newspaper report about
the wreck of the Titanic.
Activity V (Pronunciation)
r Find out how the following words are pronounced. You may use a
standard English dictionary.
m sank -.........................
m band -.........................
m grand -........................
Discuss
m Which is the vowel sound used in these words?
m How do you pronounce this sound?
m Do you have this vowel sound in your mother-tongue?
m Find out more words from the poem with this vowel sound.
The†major†learning†outcomes†of†this†unit†are†listed†below.
Thematic outcomes
Students demonstrate their ability to
a. respond promptly at the time of a disaster.
b. assume leadership in disaster management activities.
c. work individually and as the member of a team, at the time of
disaster and crisis.
d. imbibe the importance and value of sacrifice.
Linguistic outcomes
Students demonstrate their ability to
a. make notes to store information.
b. use adverbs of frequency in appropriate contexts.
c. use their knowledge of etymology to understand the meaning
of words.
d. use past tense and passive voice for reporting events.
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
Unit
130
Unit- 5: HARMONY OF LIFE
Letís begin:
r Look†at†the†logo†given†below.
Can†you†identify†the†words†that†appear†with†the†entry†'wellness'
in†the†following†logo?
What†is†your†idea†of†wellness?
Does†it†pertain†to†the†physical†realm†alone?
m What†are†the†activities†conducted†by†your†school†Health†Club†for
promoting†wellness?
m Now,†prepare†a†logo†for†your†school†Health†Club.
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
GOOSEBERRIES
Anton Chekhov
132
Unit- 5: HARMONY OF LIFE
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
lathered†his†long†hair†and†neck,†and†the†water†round†him
became†brown.
Ivan†Ivanich†came†out†of†the†shed,†plunged†into†the†water
with†a†splash,†and†swam†about†in†the†rain,†flapping†his
arms,†and†sending†waves†back;†he†swam†out†to†the†middle
of†the†pool†and†dived,†trying†to†reach†the†bottom. ï How did Ivan respond to
ëAh!†how†delicious!í†he†shouted†in†his†glee.†ëHow the rain?
delicious!í†Bourkin†and†Aliokhin†were†already†dressed†and
ready†to†go,†but†he†kept†on†swimming†and†diving.
ëDelicious,í†he†said.†ëToo†delicious!í
ëYou've†had†enough,í†shouted†Bourkin.
They†went†to†the†house.†And†only†when†the†lamp†was†lit
in†the†large†drawing-room†up-stairs,†and†Bourkin†and†Ivan
Ivanich,† dressed† in† silk† dressing-gowns† and
ï When did Ivan start
warm†slippers,†lounged†in†chairs,†and†Aliokhin narrating his story?
himself,†washed†and†brushed,†in†a†new†frock
coat,†paced†up†and†down,†did†Ivan†Ivanich†begin†his†story.
ëWe† are† two† brothers,í† he† began,† ëI,† Ivan† Ivanich,† and
Nicholai†Ivanich,†two†years†younger.†I†went†in†for†study
and†became†a†veterinary†surgeon,†while†Nicholai†was†at
the†Exchequer†Court†when†he†was†nineteen.†Our†father,
Tchimsha-Himalaysky,†was†a†cantonist*,†but†he†died†with
an† officer's† rank† and† left† us† his† title† of† nobility† and† a
small†estate.†After†his†death,†the†estate†went†to†pay†his
debts.† However,† we† spent† our† childhood† there† in† the
country.†We†were†just†like†peasantsí†children, ï How did the brothers
spent† days† and† nights† in† the† fields† and† the spend their childhood
woods,† minded† the† horses,† barked† the† lime- after their father's death?
trees,†fished,†and†so†on...
ëAnd† you† know,† once† a† man† has† fished,† or† watched† the
thrushes†hovering†in†flocks†over†the†village†in†the†bright,
cool,†autumn†days,†he†can†never†really†be†a†townsman,
and†to†the†day†of†his†death†he†will†be†drawn†to†the†country.
My† brother† pined† away† in† the† Exchequer.† Years† passed
and† he† sat† in† the† same† place,† wrote† out† the† same
documents,†and†thought†of†one†thing,†how†to†get†back†to
the†country,†and†to†buy†a†small†farm†somewhere†by†the
bank†of†a†river†or†a†lake.
ëHe† was† a† good† fellow† and† I† loved† him,† but† I† never
* Cantonist was the 19th Century common name for the service obliged military. The term was first
coined in 1713 by the Polish Colonel R. Pastetzky .
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Unit- 5: HARMONY OF LIFE
sympathised† with† the† desire† to† shut† oneself ï Comment on Ivanís view on
up†on†one's†own†farm.†It†is†a†common†saying the saying that a man
needs only six feet of land.
that† a† man† needs† only† six† feet† of† land.† But
surely†a†corpse†wants†that,†not†a†man.†To†leave†town,†and
the†struggle†and†the†swim†of†life,†and†go†and ï ëTo leave town, and the
hide†yourself†in†a†farmhouse†is†not†life†---††it†is struggle and the swim of
life, and go and hide
egoism,† laziness. yourself in a farmhouse is
ëMy†brother†Nicholai,†sitting†in†his†office,†would not life --- it is egoism,
laziness.í - Do you agree?
dream† of† eating† out† in† the† open† air,† and† of Why?
sleeping† in† the† sun,† and† of† sitting† for† hours
together†on†a†seat†by†the†gate†and†gazing†at†the†fields†and
the†forest.†Books†on†agriculture†and†the†hints†in†almanacs
were†his†joy,†his†favourite†spiritual†food;†and
he† liked† reading† newspapers,† but† only† the ï the What was the difference in
attitudes of Ivan and
advertisements† of† land† to† be† sold,† with† a Nicholai towards life?
farmhouse,†river,†garden,†mill,†and†mill-pond.
And†he†would†dream†of†garden-walls,†flowers,†fruits,†nests,
carp†in†the†pond,†don't†you†know,†and†all†the†rest†of†it.
These† fantasies† of† his† used† to† vary† according† to† the
advertisements†he†found,†but†somehow†there ï What was Nicholaiís
was† always† a† gooseberry-bush† in† every† one. dream?
Not† a† house,† not† a† romantic† spot† could† he
imagine†without†its†gooseberry-bush.
ëCountry† life† has† its† advantages,í† he† used† to ï Mention some of the
say.†ëYou†sit†on†the†veranda†drinking†tea†and advantages of country life.
your†ducklings†swim†on†the†pond,†and†everything†smells
good.†.†.†and†there†are†gooseberries.í
ëHe† used† to† live† meagerly† and† never† had
enough†to†eat†and†drink,†dressed†God†knows ï ëF ixed goals help us
achieve success in life.í
how,†exactly†like†a†beggar,†and†always†saved What is your opinion?
and† put† his† money† into† the† bank.† He† was
terribly†stingy.†It†used†to†hurt†me†to†see†him,†and†I†used
to†give†him†money†to†go†away†for†a†holiday,†but ï What were the sacrifices
he†would†put†that†away,†too.†Once†a†man†gets that Nicholai made to
a†fixed†idea,†there's†nothing†to†be†done. achieve his goal?
ëYears† passed;† he† completed† his† fortieth† year† and† was
still†reading†advertisements†in†the†papers†and†saving†up
his† money.† Then† I† heard† he† was† married.† Still† with† the
same†idea†of†buying†a†farmhouse†with†a†gooseberry-bush,
he†married†an†elderly,†ugly†widow,†not†out†of†any†feeling
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
for† her,† but† because† she† had† money.† With† her† he† still
lived† stingily,† kept† her† half-starved,† and† put† the† money
into†the†bank†in†his†own†name.†Money,†like†vodka,†can
play†queer†tricks†with†a†man.í
ëAfter†the†death†of†his†wife,í†Ivan†Ivanich†continued,†after
a†long†pause,†ëmy†brother†began†to†look†out†for†an†estate.
Through†an†agent,†my†brother†Nicholai†raised
ï Nicholai had to buy an
a† mortgage† and† bought† three† hundred† acres estate quite different from
with†a†farmhouse,†a†cottage,†and†a†park,†but what he had dreamt of. But
there†was†no†orchard,†no†gooseberry-bush,†no he didn't grieve much. How
duck-pond;†there†was†a†river†but†the†water†in would you behave in such
a situation?
it† was† coffee-coloured† because† the† estate† lay
between†a†brick-yard†and†a†gelatine†factory.†But†my†brother
Nicholai† was† not† worried† about† that;† he† ordered† twenty
gooseberry-bushes†and†settled†down†to†a†country†life.
ëLast†year,†I†paid†him†a†visit.†I†thought†I'd†go†and†see†how
things† were† with† him.† In† his† letters,† my† brother† called
his†estate†Tchimbarshov†Corner,†or†Himalayskoe.†I†arrived
at†Himalayskoe†in†the†afternoon.†It†was†hot.†There†were
ditches,† fences,† hedges,† rows† of† young† fir-trees,† trees
everywhere,† and† there† was† no† telling† how† to† cross† the
yard†or†where†to†put†your†horse.†I†went†to†the†house†and
was†met†by†a†red-haired†dog,†as†fat†as†a†pig.†He†tried†to
bark†but†felt†too†lazy.†Out†of†the†kitchen†came†the†cook,
barefooted,†and†also†as†fat†as
a† pig,† and† said† that† the
master† was† having† his
afternoon† rest.† I† went† in† to
my† brother† and† found† him
sitting† on† his† bed† with† his
knees†covered†with†a†blanket;
he† looked† old,† stout,† flabby;
his† cheeks,† nose,† and† lips
were† pendulous.† I† half
expected†him†to†grunt†like†a
pig.
ëWe†embraced†and†shed†a†tear
of†joy†and†also†of†sadness†to
think†that†we†had†once†been†young,†but†were†now†both
going†grey†and†nearing†death.†He†dressed†and†took†me†to
see† his† estate.
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Unit- 5: HARMONY OF LIFE
ëWell?†How†are†you†getting†on?í†I†asked.
ëAll†right,†thank†God.†I†am†doing†very†well.í
ëHe† was† no† longer† the† poor,† tired† official,† but† a† real
landowner†and†a†person†of†consequence.†And,
ï What were the ëgood worksí
like†a†good†landowner,†he†looked†after†his†soul of Nicholai? How did he
and†did†good†works†pompously,†never†simply. care for his peasants?
What† good† works?† He† cured† the† peasants† of
all†kinds†of†diseases†with†soda†and†castor-oil,†and†on†his
birthday†he†would†have†a†thanksgiving†service†held†in†the
middle†of†the†village,†and†would†treat†the†peasants†to†half
a†bucket†of†vodka,†which†he†thought†the†right†thing†to†do.
Ah!†These†horrible†buckets†of†vodka.
ëBut†my†point†does†not†concern†him†so†much†as†myself.†I
want†to†tell†you†what†a†change†took†place†in†me†in†those
few†hours†while†I†was†in†his†house.†In†the†evening,†while
we†were†having†tea,†the†cook†laid†a†plateful†of†gooseberries
on†the†table.†They†had†not†been†bought,†but†were†his†own
gooseberries,†plucked†for†the†first†time†since†the†bushes
were†planted.†Nicholai†Ivanich†laughed†with†joy†and†for†a
minute† or† two† he† looked† in† silence† at† the† gooseberries
with†tears†in†his†eyes.†He†could†not†speak†for†excitement,
then†put†one†into†his†mouth,†glanced†at†me†in†triumph,
like†a†child†at†last†being†given†its†favourite†toy,†and†said:
ë'How†good†they†are!'
ëHe†went†on†eating†greedily,†and†saying†all†the†while:
ë'How†good†they†are!†Do†try†one!'
ëIt†was†hard†and†sour,†but†I†saw†a†happy†man,†one†whose
dearest†dream†had†come†true,†who†had†attained†his†goal
in†life,†who†had†got†what†he†wanted,†and†was ï The gooseberries were
pleased†with†his†destiny†and†with†himself.†In unripe and sour, but
my† idea† of† human† life† there† is† always† some Nicholai found them
alloy† of† sadness,† but† now† at† the† sight† of† a delicious. Why?
happy†man†I†was†filled†with†something†like†despair.†And
at†night†it†grew†on†me.†A†bed†was†made†up†for†me†in†the
room†near†my†brother's†and†I†could†hear†him,†unable†to
sleep,†going†again†and†again†to†the†plate†of†gooseberries.†I
thought:† 'After† all,† what† a† lot† of† contented, ï Was Nicholai happy with
happy† people† there† must† be!† What† an his life? How do you know
that?
overwhelming† power† that† means!† .† .† .† .† And
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
such†a†state†of†things†is†obviously†what†we†want;†apparently
a†happy†man†only†feels†so†because†the†unhappy†bear†their
burden† in† silence,† but† for† which† happiness ï What distinction did Ivan
would†be†impossible. make between the happy
and the unhappy?
ëThat† night† I† was† able† to† understand† how† I,
too,†had†been†content†and†happy,í†Ivan†Ivanich†went†on,
getting†up.†ëFreedom†is†a†boon,†I†used†to†say,†as†essential
as†the†air†we†breathe,†but†we†must†wait.†Yes†- ï What, according to Ivan, was
-†I†used†to†say†so,†but†now†I†ask:†'Why†do†we the relevance of freedom?
wait?í
†Ivan†Ivanich†glanced†angrily†at†Bourkin.†ëWhy†do†we†wait,
I†ask†you?†What†considerations†keep†us†fast?†I†am†told
that† we† cannot† have† everything† at† once,† and† that† every
idea† is† realised† in† time.† But† who† says† so?† Where† is† the
proof†that†it†is†so?†Tell†me,†I†say,†why†should†we†wait?
ëI†left†my†brother†early†the†next†morning,†and†from†that
time†on†I†found†it†impossible†to†live†in†town.†The†peace
and† quiet† of† it† oppress† me.† I† dare† not† look† in† at† the
windows,† for† nothing† is† more† dreadful† to† see† than† the
sight†of†a†happy†family,†sitting†round†a†table, ï Why did Ivan find it
having†tea.†I†am†an†old†man†now†and†am†no difficult to live in town
good†for†the†struggle.†I†commenced†late.†I†can after visiting his brother?
only†grieve†within†my†soul,†and†fret†and†sulk.†At†night†my
head†buzzes†with†the†rush†of†my†thoughts†and†I†cannot
sleep...†Ah!†If†I†were†young!í
Ivan†Ivanich†walked†excitedly†up†and†down†the†room†and
repeated:
ëIf†I†were†young.í
He†suddenly†walked†up†to†Aliokhin†and†shook†him†first†by
one†hand†and†then†by†the†other.
ëPavel†Koustantinich,í†he†said†in†a†voice†of†entreaty,†ëdon't
be† satisfied,† don't† let† yourself† be† lulled† to† sleep!† While
you†are†young,†strong,†wealthy,†do†not†cease†to†do†good!
Happiness† does† not† exist,† nor† should† it,† and† if† there† is
any†meaning†or†purpose†in†life,†they†are†not†in†our†peddling
little†happiness,†but†in†something†reasonable†and†grand.
Do†good!í
Then†they†all†three†sat†in†different†corners†of†the†drawing-
room† and† were† silent.† Ivan† Ivanich's† story† had† satisfied
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Unit- 5: HARMONY OF LIFE
neither†Bourkin†nor†Aliokhin.†It†was†tedious†to†hear†the
story† of† a† miserable† official† who† ate† gooseberries.† .† .† .
Somehow† they† had† a† longing† to† hear† and† to† speak† of
charming† people,† and† of† women.† And† the† mere† fact† of
sitting† in† the† drawing-room† was† much† better† than† any
story.
Aliokhin†wanted†very†much†to†go†to†bed;†he†had†to†get†up
for† his† work† very† early,† about† two† in† the† morning,† and
now†his†eyes†were†closing.†.†.†.
ëHowever,†it's†time†to†go†to†bed,ësaid†Bourkin,†getting†up.†ëI
will†wish†you†good†night.í
Aliokhin†said†good†night†and†went†down-stairs,†and†left
his†guests.†Each†had†a†large†room†with†an†old†wooden†bed
and†carved†ornaments.†Ivan†Ivanich†undressed†in†silence
and†lay†down.
ëGod†forgive†me,†a†wicked†sinner,ëhe†murmured, ï What change in attitude
came over Ivan at the end?
as†he†drew†the†clothes†over†his†head.
The† rain† beat† against† the† windows† all† night
long. ï How can happiness be
achieved in life?
(Abridged)
Glossary:
entreaty : a† serious† request† for About the Author
something
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
exchequer† court : in† English† law.† a† very (1860- 1904)
ancient† court† of† record,
A Russian physician,
which† was† originally† the dramatist and author,
king's† treasury Chekhov is one of the greatest short
gelatine† (n) : a† clear† substance† that† is story writers. His career as a dramatist
made† by† boiling† animal produced four classics and his best
bones†or†tissues†and†used†in short stories are held in high esteem
by writers and critics alike.
making† jelly. ëGooseberriesí is the middle story in a
mortgage†(n) : a† legal† agreement† in† which trilogy of Chekhov's tales; the first titled
a† person† borrows† money† to ëThe Man in a Shellí and the last titled
buy†property†and†pays†back ëAbout Loveí. All are united in theme;
the† money† over† a† period† of the isolation and escape from life. The
story is one of Chekhov's finest works
years and has much irony and humour, and
pendulous†(adj) : hanging†down†and†swinging is poetic in mood.
freely
pompously†(adj) : exhibiting† self-importance
vodka†(n) : a†strong,†clear†alcoholic†drink†that
is†originally†from†Russia
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
Symbolism
In† literature,† a† symbol† is† an† object† or† reference† used† to† provide
meaning† beyond† what† is† essentially† being† described.† An† author
may† repetitively† use† the† same† object† to† communicate† a† deeper
meaning†or†might†use†distinctions†of†the†same†object†to†produce
an† overarching† mood† or† feeling.†
q Analyze† Ivanís† argument† against† happiness† (ëThere† is† nothing
sadder† than† the† sight† of† a† happy† maní).
q How† does† Chekhov† develop† his† theme† in† the† story?† What† are† the
techniques† used?† (story† within† the† story,† realism,† irony,† symbol-
ism† etc.)
Activity II† (Review)
Based†on†the†above†points,†attempt†a†review†of†Chekhovís†ëGooseber-
riesí† bearing† in† mind† the† following† hints:
ï Read† and† recall† what† you† have† read,† and† formulate† your† own
observations.
ï Theme/content
ï Writing† style/presentation
ï Characters
ï Depiction† of† landscape
ï Symbolic† relevance
Activity III (Write-up)
ï According† to† Chekhov,† ëmoney† like† vodka† plays† queer† tricks† with
maní.†How†far†is†this†statement†relevant†in†the†present-day†world?
Prepare† a write-up† on† the† topic.
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Unit- 5: HARMONY OF LIFE
Tips
ï Present† it† effectively.
ï Maintain† eye† contact.
ï Find† a† steady† spot† to† place† your† feet.
ï Start† by† taking† a† deep† breath.
ï Speak† slowly,† carefully† and† convincingly.
ï Don't† be† discouraged† by† opposing† arguments.
ï Be† relaxed.
ï Make† use† of† non-verbal† communication† (gestures† and† body
language).
ï Be† polite.
Activity V† (Seminar)
r In†the†story,†ëgooseberriesí†represent†whatever†is†indigenous,†what-
ever†should†be†preserved†to†retain†the†culture†of†the†countryside.
Do†you†think†that†it†is†our†responsibility†to†preserve†our†indig-
enous†culture?†Conduct†a†seminar on†this†topic.
ï Present† your† paper† in† the† class.
ï Prepare† a† report† of† the† presentation.
You† may† take† note† of† the† following† guidelines.
ï Introduction
ï Objective
ï Theoretical† background† -† what† others† say† on† the† topic
ï Research† -† connect† theoretical† background
ï Conclusion† -† your† inferences† and† findings† -† reflect† on† what† you
have† been† able† to† prove.
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
Points to note
While† presenting† your† paper
ï speak† slowly,† with† adequate† pauses,† loudly† and† clearly.
ï use† examples† from† everyday† life.
ï use† slides† and† handouts,† where† necessary.
ï adhere† to† the† time† limit.
ï keep† eye† contact† and† use† gestures.
ï give† straight† answers† to† the† questions† asked.
ï be† confident.
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Unit- 5: HARMONY OF LIFE
How long will it take to reach length (time or space) How long
Sophino, where Aliokhin lives?
How much land does a man need? quantity (uncountable) How much
How come (informal) he can't asking for a reason, asking why How come
stand their happiness?
Reported Questions
When† we† report† what† people† say,† we† usually† change† the† tense† of† the
verbs†to†indicate†that†we†are†reporting.†There†are†also†other†important
differences† between† direct† questions† and† reported† questions.
Example:
Questions - Why†donít†you†go†to†the†bathing-shed?
Reported† questions - He† asked† why† he† didnít† go† to† the† bathing-
shed.(or)† He† asked† me† why† I† didnít† come† ...
When there is a question word, we repeat that question word in the reported
question. The word order is like that of an affirmative sentence.
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
4. Ivan†saw†a†happy†man.
5. I† went† away† from† my† brother's† house† early† in† the† morning.
6. That† night,† Ivan† realized† that† he† too† was† happy† and† contented.
Activity VII (Exclamations)
r We†use†exclamations†to†express†strong†emotions†in†a†special†way.
It†is†important†to†know†how†to†express†exclamations†because†they
are† very† common† in† both† speech† and† writing.
Study† the† following† sentences.
m That† is† a† shocking† report.
m What† a† shocking† report!† OR† How† shocking!
Here,† an† assertive† sentence† is† converted† into† an† exclamatory
sentence.
Note†the†use†of†the†punctuation†mark†(!)†at†the†end†of†the†exclamatory
sentence.
Exclamatory sentences† are† often† constructed† with† how and† what or
with†so and†such.
You† may† notice† the† structural† changes† in† each† sentence.
m How† delicious† it† is!
m How† you† have† grown!
m What† a† lovely† song!
m What† a† surprise!
m What† tasty† gooseberries!
m What† fools!
m What† beautiful† weather!
m What† a† beautiful† smile† you† have!
m You† are† so† sweet!
m He† is† such† a† nice† boy!
m They† are† such† kind† people!
m They† talk† such† rubbish!
Letís practise
Change† the† following† assertive† sentences† into† exclamatory† sentences.
1. It† was† a† great† beautiful† land.
2. The† water† looked† cold† and† contaminated.
3. That† was† a† very† interesting† dream.
4. Nicholai† is† very† generous.
5. It† would† be† nice† if† I† were† young† once† again.
6. He† is† an† incredibly† positive† man.
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Unit- 5: HARMONY OF LIFE
TO SLEEP
William Wordsworth
A†flock†of†sheep†that†leisurely†pass†by
One†after†one;†the†sound†of†rain,†and†bees
Murmuring;†the†fall†of†rivers,†winds†and†seas,
Smooth†fields,†white†sheets†of†water,†and†pure†sky;
I've†thought†of†all†by†turns,†and†still†I†lie
Sleepless;†and†soon†the†small†birds'†melodies
Must†hear,†first†utter'd†from†my†orchard†trees,
And†the†first†cuckoo's†melancholy†cry. 8
Even†thus†last†night,†and†two†nights†more†I†lay,
And†could†not†win†thee,†Sleep!†by†any†stealth:
So†do†not†let†me†wear†to-night†away:
Without†Thee†what†is†all†the†morning's†wealth?
Come,†blessÈd†barrier†between†day†and†day,
Dear†mother†of†fresh†thoughts†and†joyous†health! 14
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
m The†poem†ends†in†a†note†of†wistful†hope†and†prayer.†Do†you†agree?
Why?
m The† length† of† the† poem† and† the† poetic† form.
m The†poet†uses†several†images†in†the†poem,†like†the†sound†of†rain
and†the†sight†of†fields.
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Unit- 5: HARMONY OF LIFE
Poetic devices
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
Wordsworthís† ëTo† Sleepí† tells† us† how† important† it† is† to† have† a† sound
sleep† in† order† to† remain† mentally† and† physically† fit.
ï In† this† world† where† everything† is† ëinstantí† or† instantly† done,† † isn't
it† important† to† avoid† unhealthy† habits?† Discuss.
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Unit- 5: HARMONY OF LIFE
might†suddenly†say†ëCome†out†for†a†walk!í†in†that†sharp
imperative† tone† which† he† would† not† dream† of† using† it.
People†seem†to†think†there†is†something†inherently†noble
and†virtuous†in†the†desire†to†go†for†a†walk.†Any†one†thus
desirous† feels† that† he† has† a† right† to† impose† his† will† on
whomever† he† sees† comfortably† settled† in† an† arm-chair,
reading.†It†is†easy†to†say†simply†ëNoí†to†an†old†friend.†In
the†case†of†a†mere†acquaintance,†one†wants
ï What is the author ís
some† excuse.† ëI† wish† I† could,† butí---† † nothing excuse to avoid walking?
ever†occurs†to†me†except†ëI†have†some†letters
to† write.í† † This† formula† is† unsatisfactory† in† three† ways.
(1)† It† isn't† believed.† (2)† It† compels† you† to† rise† from† your
chair,†go†to†the†writing-table,†and†sit†improvising†a†letter
to† somebody† until† the† walk† monger† (just† not ï Why is the authorís excuse
daring†to†call†you†liar†and†hypocrite)†shall†have ineffective?
lumbered†out†of†the†room.†(3)†It†won't†operate
on†Sunday†mornings.†ë There's†no†post†out†till†this†eveningí
clinches†the†matter;†and†you†may†as†well†go†quietly.
Walking†for†walking's†sake†may†be†as†highly†laudable†and
exemplary†a†thing†as†it†is†held†to†be†by†those†who†practise
it.†My†objection†to†it†is†that†it†stops†the†brain.†Many†a†man
has†professed†to†me†that†his†brain†never†works†so†well†as
when†he†is†swinging†along†the†high†road†or†over†hill†and
dale.†This†boast†is†not†confirmed†by†my†memory†of†anybody
who,†on†a†Sunday†morning,†has†forced†me†to†partake†of
his† adventure.† Experience† teaches† me† that
ï What makes the author say
whatever†a†fellow-guest†may†have†of†the†power that walking for walking's
to†instruct†or†to†amuse†when†he†is†sitting†on†a sake stops one's brain?
chair,† or† standing† on† a† hearth-rug,† quickly
leaves†him†when†he†takes†one†out†for†a†walk.†The†ideas
that† came† so† thick† and† fast† to† him† in† any† room,† where
are†they†now?†Where†is†the†encyclopaedic†knowledge†which
he†bore†so†lightly?†Where†the†kindling†fancy†that†played
like† summer† lightning† over† any† topic† that† was† started?
The†man's†face†that†was†so†mobile†is†set†now;†gone†is†the
light† from† his† fine† eyes.† He† says† that† A.† (our† host)† is† a
thoroughly† good† fellow.† Fifty† yards† further† on,† he† adds
that† A.† is† one† of† the† best† fellows† he† has† ever† met.† We
tramp†another†furlong†or†so,†and†he†says†that†Mrs.†A.†is†a
charming† woman.† Presently† he† adds† that† she† is† one† of
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
the†most†charming†women†he†has†ever†known.†We†pass†an
inn.† He† reads† rapidly† aloud† to† me:† ë The† King's† Arms.
Licensed†to†sell†Ales†and†Spirits.í†I†foresee†that†during†the
rest† of† the† walk† he† will† read† aloud† any† inscription† that
occurs.†We†pass†a†milestone.†He†points†at†it†with†his†stick,
and† says† ëUxminster.† 11† Miles.í† We† turn† a
sharp†corner†at†the†foot†of†a†hill.†He†points ï ë Trespassers will be
prosecutedë - Write down
at†the†wall,†and†says†ëDrive†Slowly.í†I†see†far two more such wall notices.
ahead,† on† the† other† side† of† the† hedge
bordering†the†high†road,†a†small†notice-board.†He†sees†it
too.†He†keeps†his†eye†on†it.†And†in†due†course†ë Trespassers,í
he†says,†ëWill†Be†Prosecuted.í†Poor†man!---††mentally†a†wreck.
Luncheon† at† the† A.S,
however,†salves†him†and
floats† him† in† full† sail.
Behold† him† once† more
the† life† and† soul† of† the
party!† Surely† he† will
never,† after† the† bitter
lesson† of† this† morning,
go†out†for†another†walk.
An†hour†later,†I†see†him
striding† forth,† with† a
new†companion.†I†watch
him† out† of† sight.† I† know† what† he† is† saying.† He† is† saying
that†I†am†rather†a†dull†man†to†go†for†a†walk†with.†He†will
presently† add† that† I† am† one† of† the† dullest† men† he† ever
went†for†a†walk†with.†Then†he†will†devote†himself†to†reading
out†the†inscriptions.
How†comes†it,†this†immediate†deterioration†in†those†who
go† walking† for† walking's† sake?† Just† what† happens?
I†take†it†that†not†by†his†reasoning†faculties†is†a†man†urged
to† this† enterprise.† He† is† urged,† evidently,† by
something†in†him†that†transcends†reason;†by ï What, according to the
author, is the thought
his† soul,† I† presume.† Yes,† it† must† be† the† soul process taking place in the
that†raps†out†the†ëQuick†march!í†to†the†body.--- brain during a walk?
ëHalt!†Stand†at†ease!†ëInterposes†the†brain,†and
ëTo†what†destination,†ëIt†suavely†asks†the†soul,†ëand†on†what
errand,† are† you† sending† the† body?† ëOn† no† errand
whatsoeverí,†The†soul†makes†answer,†ëand†to†no†destination
at†all.í†It†is†just†like†you†to†be†always†on†the†look-out†for
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Unit- 5: HARMONY OF LIFE
some†subtle†ulterior†motive.†The†body†is†going†out†because
the† mere† fact† of† its† doing† so† is† a† sure† indication† of
nobility,†probity,†and†rugged†grandeur†of†character.í†---
ëVery†well,†Vagula,†have†your†own†wayula*!†But†I,í†says
the†brain,†ëflatly†refuse†to†be†mixed†up†in†this†tomfoolery.
I†shall†go†to†sleep†till†it†is†over.í†The†brain†then†wraps
itself† up† in† its† own† convolutions,† and† falls† into† a
dreamless†slumber†from†which†nothing†can†rouse†it†till
the†body†has†been†safely†deposited†indoors†again.
Even†if†you†go†to†some†definite†place,†for†some†definite
purpose,†the†brain†would†rather†you†took†a†vehicle;†but
it† does† not† make† a† point† of† this;† it† will† serve
you†well†enough†unless†you†are†going†out†for†a ï What is the author's
walk.†It†won't,†while†your†legs†are†vying†with opinion of having a vehicle
for every destination?
each†other,†do†any†deep†thinking†for†you,†nor
even† any† close† thinking;† but† it† will† do† any† number† of
small† odd† jobs† for† you† willingly† ---† † provided† that† your
legs,† also,† are† making† themselves† useful,† not† merely
bandying†you†about†to†gratify†the†pride†of†the†soul.†Such
as† it† is,† this† essay† was† composed† in† the† course† of† a
walk,† this† morning.† I† am† not† one† of† those† extremists
who†must†have†a†vehicle†to†every†destination.†I†never†go
out†of†my†way,†as†it†were,†to†avoid†exercise.†I†take†it†as
it†comes,†and†take†it†in†good†part.†Those†valetudinarians
who† are† always† chattering† about† it† and
indulging† in† it† to† excess† are† no† reason† for ï What holds the author
back from going out for a
despising† it.† I† am† inclined† to† think† that† in walk?
moderation†it†is†rather†good†for†one,†physically.
But,†pending†a†time†when†no†people†wish†me†to†go†and
see†them,†and†I†have†no†wish†to†go†and†see†any†one,†and
there† is† nothing† whatever† for† me† to† do† off† my† own
premises,†I†never†will†go†out†for†a†walk.
(Adapted)
*† very†well†soul,†the†wanderer†have†your†won†way
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
Glossary:
acquaintance† (n) : someone†you†know,†but
who†is†not†a†close†friend About the Author
ambush†(n) : surprise
Sir Henry Maximilian Max
exemplary†(n) : deserving† imitation Beerbohm (1872 - 1956), the
hustle†(v) : hurry English writer and caricaturist,
hypocrite†(n) : one†who†puts†on†a†false is remembered for the elegance
and gentle humour of his personal
appearance essays. He is best known today for his
imperative : commanding 1911 novel Zuleika Dobson. 1n the
kindling† fancy : arousing† interest† easily essay ëGoing Out for a Walkí (1918),
Beerbohm challenges the notion that
laudable†(adj) : worthy†of†praise†or walking is a productive mental exercise,
admiration especially if one is accompanied by a
talkative companion.
perambulator†(n) : a†baby†carriage
prattle†(v) : make† meaningless† sounds
profess†(v) : make† a† false† claim
squalor†(n) : dirty†and†unpleasant
conditions
suavely†(adj) : confidently,†elegantly†and†politely
(though†not†sincerely)
valetudinarian† (n) : a†person†with†a†sickly
constitution
walk†monger†(n) : (humorously)†a†person†who†forces
another†to†go†out†for†a†walk
Activity I (Write-up)
m Do† you† usually† go† out† for† a† morning† walk† or† an† evening† stroll?
m Who† do† you† usually† go† out† with† (friends,† family† members,
neighbours† etc.,?
m What† do† you† enjoy† the† most† while† walking?
m How† do† you† feel† after† a† walk?
m Make†a††distinction†between†going†out†for†a†walk†and†being†taken
out†for†a†walk.
Now,† prepare† a† write-up† on† walking† and† your† preferences.
Activity II (Personal† essay)
r A† personal essay† usually† explores† a† personal† experience.
It† is† an† anecdote† (or† more† than† one)† from† your† life† that† is
connected† to† an† idea.† The† intention† of† a† personal† essay† is† to† use
an† experience† as† a† vehicle† to† explore† a† larger† theme† or† question.
ï The† author† gives† an†account† of† reasons,† i.e.,† a† theory† to† support
his† explanation.
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Unit- 5: HARMONY OF LIFE
Tips
A† good† essay† should† have
ï Focus ï Development
ï Unity ï Coherence
ï ï
Now,† attempt† to† write† a† personal essay† on† a† topic† of† your† choice.
(e.g.† swimming,† jogging,† etc.)
Tips
ï Select† a† topic† (choose† a† subject† that† is† interesting† or† relevant
to†you).
ï Prepare† an† outline.
ï Write† the† introduction.
ï Write† the† body.
ï Write† the† conclusion.
ï Review†what†you†have†written†(make†additions†and†deletions).
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
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Unit- 5: HARMONY OF LIFE
We† use† the† past† tense† after would The†brain would rather you
rather† when† we† speak† about took† a† vehicle† than† walk.
peopleís† actions† even† though† the
action†is†in†the†present†or†the†future.
Letís practise
r Answer†the†following†questions†using would rather:
m What† did† you† have† for† breakfast† today?
m How† would† you† like† your† coffee,† with† some† cream† or† milk?
m How† are† you† going† to† the† doctorís?
m Where†do†you†like†to†go†on†vacation?
m Whom†do†you†like†to†go†out†with?
(ii) I wish I could
ëI† wish† I† could,† butÖ† I† have† some† letters† to† writeí.
We† use† the† past† tense† modals† would† and† could† to† talk† about† wishes
in† the† future.
m I†don't†like†my†job.†I†wish†I†could†get†a†better†job.
m That's† a† dreadful† noise.† I† wish† it† would† stop.
We† use† the† past† tense† forms† to† talk† about† wishes† in† the† present.
m I† wish† it† wasn't† so† cold.
m These† seats† are† very† uncomfortable.† I† † wish† I† were† travelling† by
first† class.
We† use† the† past† perfect† to† talk† about† wishes† which† refer† to† the† past.
m I† wish† I† had† worked† harder† when† I† was† at† school.
m I† wish† I† hadn't† wasted† my† time† too† much.
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
Answers to the activity ëCan you find happiness?í (The scores are
given in brackets).
(1) YES†-6,†NO-8 (5) YES-18,†NO-5 †(9) YES-12,†NO-8
(2) YES-2,†NO-18 (6) YES-18,†NO-6 (10) YES-12,†NO-8
(3) YES-12,†NO-9 (7) YES-15,†NO-7 (11) YES-3,†NO-9
(4) YES-14,†NO-6 (8) YES-2,†NO-12 (12) YES-4,†N0-8
Now, add up your score.
136† to† 150† points† --† You† have† a† wonderful† outlook† on† life.† Your
family,† friends† and† colleagues† will† stick† by† you.† You† have† the
courage† to† face† life† as† it† is.
125†to†135†points†--†You†are†thoughtful†and†can†see†both†sides†of
life.† You† have† the† capacity† to† find† happiness.
80†to†120†points†--†You†are†inclined†to†see†things†as†being†darker
than† they† really† are.† Dont† be† afraid† of† the† future.† It† will† hold
much†joy†for†you.
Below† 80† points† --† You† must† get† into† the† habit† of† saying† only
pleasant† and† cheerful† things.† Fill† your† mind† with† happy† things.
You† will† find† your† list† of† happiness† growing† and† each† day† will
turn†out†to†be†happier†for†you.
[adapted†from-Psychology-Evaluate Your Self]
Discuss† your† plans† with† your† friends† and† exchange† strategies† for† † a
more† effective† implementation.
Activity VI (Project)
You may conduct a†survey among your friends.
† The† teacher† can† help† you† in† selecting† survey† topics† relating† to
m dietary† habits
m rest† (e.g.,† nap,† adequate† sleep)
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Unit- 5: HARMONY OF LIFE
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
Extended Activities
Activity I (Discussion)
r Discuss† the† need† to† have† physical† education† compulsory† to† the
higher† secondary† students.
All† students† have† to† be† involved† in† sports.† It† is† said† that† physical
education† is† important† because† it† provides† students† with
m a† healthy† and† active† lifestyle
m leadership† qualities
m a† positive† attitude
m team† spirit
m more† confidence† and† self-esteem
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Unit- 5: HARMONY OF LIFE
m better† learning
m civic† virtues† like† volunteering† to† help† others
Activity II (Write-up)
r Do†you†think†that†there†should†be†physical†education†in†schools?
Prepare†a†write-up†saying†why†or†why†not.
Activity III (Speech)
r The† newspaper† headlines† below† may† remind† you† of† some† of† your
friends††who†are†addicted†to†junk†food,†energy†boosters,†computers,
bike† racing,† etc.† You† are† worried† about† how† these† habits† will
affect† them† mentally,† physically† and† academically.† Being† the
Health† Officer† of† your† school,† you† decide† to† make† a† speech† in† the
morning† assembly† on† the† adverse† effect† of† such† a† lifestyle† and
the†need†to†take†charge†of†oneself.†Draft†the†script of the speech.
m Youngsters† today† don't† think† that† homemade† food† is† 'cool'.
m Stress† and† a† hectic† lifestyle† lead† to† ill† health† and† anxiety-
related† diseases.
m Tech-savvy† youngsters† suffer† from† gadget† withdrawal† when
deprived† of† gadgets† such† as† mobiles.
m Scientists† have† established† that† just† one† night† of† sleep
deprivation† can† lead† to† weight† gain.
m Energy† drinks† contain† alarming† rates† of† caffeine.
m Play†vigorously,†do†not†remain†indoors†for†too†long,†enjoy†eating
fruits† and† vegetables.
m Nuts† and† buttermilk† help† to† cut† flab.
m Keep† pets,† beat† stress.
Activity IV (Role† play)
r Last† year,† I† went† to† pay† him† a† visit.† I† thought† I† would† go† and† see
what† it† was† likeí--† Ivan† goes† on† to† narrate† his† meeting† with† his
brother.† Attempt† a† role-play† of† the† narration.
m Plan† your† role† play† by† reading† over† the† options,† and† identify
the† core† concepts† and† issues† that† you† will† need† to† know† for
this† activity.
m Decide† on† who† will† be† who.
m Take† concrete† steps† to† complete† your† preparation.
m Take†time†to†set†the†stage†and†establish†the†mood†for†the†role-
play† scenario.
m Clearly† understand† the† mechanism† of† the† role-play.
m Behaviour† etiquette† should† be† explicitly† outlined
m During† the† role-play,† you† have† to† gain† control† over† the† roles
you† are† handling.
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
m To† get† the† most† out† of† the† role-play,† it† is† important† to† take
some† time† afterwards† to† debrief† with† your† teacher.
m The† first† couple† of† times† you† do† the† role-play,† it† is† helpful† to
discuss† both† the† process† and† the† content† of† the† role-play† with
your† teacher.
Activity V (Essay)
r ëSatisfaction,† self-sufficiency† and† piety† are† the† characteristics† of
a† happy† life.í† --† Do† you† agree?† Keeping† in† mind† all† the† texts† that
you† have† read† in† this† unit,† prepare† an† essay† on† your† idea† of† a
happy†life.
Activity VI (Comparative† analysis)
r Here† is† a† poem,†ëOde on Solitudeí† by† Alexander† Pope.† Read† it
many†times,†carefully.†What†is†the†poet†trying†to†convey†through
the† poem?† Make† a† comparative analysis of† this† poem† with
Wordsworthís†ëTo†Sleepí,†that†you†have†read†earlier.
Happy†the†man,†whose†wish†and†care
A†few†paternal†acres†bound,
Content†to†breathe†his†native†air
†††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††in†his†own†ground.
Whose†herds†with†milk,†whose†fields†with†bread,
Whose†flock†supply†him†with†attire;
Whose†trees†in†summer†yield†him†shade†,
††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††in†winter†fire.
Blest,†who†can†unconcern'dly†find
Hours,†days,†and†years,†slide†soft†away
In†health†of†body,†peace†of†mind,
†††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††quiet†by†day,
Sound†sleep†by†night;†study†and†ease
Together† mixt,† sweet† recreation,
And†innocence,†which†most†does†please
†††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††with†meditation.
Thus†let†me†live,†unseen,†unknown;
Thus†unlamented†let†me†die;
Steal†from†the†world,†and†not†a†stone
††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††tell†where†I†lie.
ëOde† on† Solitudeí† is† a† poem† by† Alexander† Pope,† written† when† he† was
twelve† years† old† and† widely† included† in† anthologies.† Alternately† titled
ëThe†Quiet†Lifeí,†it†was†written†to†celebrate†the†virtues†of†a†happy†and
satisfied† life.† In† this† poem,† Pope† discusses† the† characteristics† of† a
happy† life† like† satisfaction,† self-sufficiency,† and† piety.† Man† was† the
fittest† subject† for† his† poetry† and† he† makes† imaginative† treatment† of
man† in† relation† to† individuals,† society,† and† the† universe.
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Unit- 5: HARMONY OF LIFE
m Write† about† the† effect† created† by† † both† the† poems† on† you.
m Show† how† they† are† similar† and† how† they† are† different.
m The† content† of† the† poems† ---† what† they† are† about.
m The† ideas† the† poet† may† have† wanted† us† to† think† about.
m The† mood† or† atmosphere† of† the† poems.
m How† they† are† written† ---† the† words† and† phrases† you† find
interesting,† the† way† they† are† organized,† etc.
Thematic outcomes
Students†demonstrate†the†ability†to:
ï read† and† understand† that† physical† and† mental† health† are
complementary.
ï realise†the†holistic†concept†of†wellness.
ï realize†the†importance†of†preserving†indigenous†culture.
ï understand†the†need†of†having†a†sound†mind†in†a†sound†body.
ï realise†the†need†for†holistic†health†and†to†lead†an†orderly†life.
Linguistic outcomes
Students†demonstrate†the†ability†to:
ï read†and†comprehend†short†stories,†poems†and†essays.
ï prepare†write-ups†and†essays.
ï express†their†views†on†a†given†topic†for†debate.
ï review†a†prose†passage.
ï critically†appreciate†poems.
ï conduct†an†investigative†project.
ï prepare†questionnaires.
ï conduct†a†survey†and†prepare†survey†reports.
ï use† the† structures† ëwould† rather,í† † ëI† wish† I† could,í† etc.† to
produce†exclamatory†sentences.
ï use†question†words†and†reporting†questions†correctly.
ï Identify†and†use†various†poetic†devices.
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
Unit
6
'That's one small step for a man,
one giant leap for a mankind.'
- Neil A. Armstrong
162
Unit- 6: LEAPS AND BOUNDS
Letís begin
Look at these pictures carefully
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
THE CYBERSPACE
Esther Dyson
Something in the modern psyche loves new frontiers. We
hanker after wide-open spaces; we like to explore; we
like to make rules instead of following them. However, is
there a place where you can go and be yourself ï What is special about the
without worrying about the neighbours? ëmodern psyche'?
Yes, there is such a place: cyberspace.
Formerly, a playground for computer nerds and techies,
cyberspace now embraces every conceivable constituency,
including school children. Can they all get
ï What is cyberspace? How
along amicably in the cyber world? Or will has it evolved over the
our fear of kids misusing the cyberspace years?
provoke a crackdown?
The first order of the business is to grasp what cyberspace
is. It might help to leave behind metaphors of highways
and frontiers and to think instead of real estate. Real
estate, remember, is an intellectual, legal, ï What type of metaphor is
artificial environment constructed on top of used by the author to
land. It recognizes the difference between describe cyberspace?
parkland and shopping mall, between red-light ï Mention some of the
zone and school district, between church, traditional metaphors
state and drug store. used to denote cyberspace.
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Unit- 6: LEAPS AND BOUNDS
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
166
Unit- 6: LEAPS AND BOUNDS
Glossary:
About the Author
frontier : new field for developmental
activity Esther Dyson is an
American technology
cyberspace : the online world of analyst who is a leading
computer networks, commentator on digital
especially the Internet technology, biotech-
nerd : a person who is very nology and space.
interested in technical Since the late 80s, Dyson
subjects, computers, etc. became increasingly involved in public
discussions about the future of the
crackdown : an increased effort to Internet. ëThe Cyberspaceí is a
enforce a law or rule discussion on the possibilities and
unbounded : having no limit challenges involved in using cyberspace.
beam : a line of light coming from
a source
offensive : very unpleasant
unsavoury : offensive
alluring : having the power to attract
extraneous : not forming a necessary part of
something, not important
Activity I (Writing)
r A group of students are asked to prepare a list of Dos and Doníts
of using the cyberspace. They list the following points after their
discussion.
1 Do not reveal your e-mail address to everyone.
2 Do not waste your precious time visiting unwanted sites.
3 Computers should be kept in open view in a common hall.
4 Children should have a specific time schedule for browsing the
net.
5 Teachers should check the authenticity of the sources used in
students' term papers.
6 Awareness programmes should be conducted on the various
cyber security measures.
7 Late-night browsing should be discouraged.
8 At school, certain checks should be ensured so that children
do not misuse the net.
9 The net addicted should be given counselling in the school
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Unit- 6: LEAPS AND BOUNDS
IS SOCIETY DEAD?
Andrew Sullivan
I was visiting New York last week and noticed ï What aspect of New York did
something I'd never thought I'd say about the the author notice?
city. Yes, nightlife is pretty much dead and
ï The day life in New York is
I'm in no way the first to notice that. But day powerfully presented in
life, that insane mishmash of yells, chatter, these lines. Suppose you
hustle and chutzpah was a little different. It describe the same in your
own city, what points will
was quieter. you note?
Manhattan's downtown is now a Disney-like
string of malls, riverside parks and pretty upper middle
class villages. But there was something else. And as I
looked across the throngs on the pavements, I began to
see why.
There were little white wires hanging down from their
ears, or tucked into pockets, purses or jackets. The eyes
were a little vacant. Each was in his or her ï Have you noticed i-Pod
own musical world, walking to their sound- people in your town too? Is
track, stars in their own music video, almost there any difference
between the i-Pod
oblivious to the world around them. These are generation in New York and
the i-Pod people. those in your own town?
Even without the white wires you can tell who they are.
They walk down the street in their own MP3 cocoon,
bumping into others, deaf to small social cues, shutting
out anyone not in their bubble.
Every now and again, some start unconsciously emitting
strange tuneless squawks, like badly tuned radio, and
their fingers snap or their arms twitch to some strange
soundless rhythm. When others say ëExcuse ï What, according to the
me', there's no response. 'Hi,' ditto. It's strange author, are the markers to
to be among so many people and hear so little. identify the i-Pod generation?
Except that each one is hearing so much.
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Unit- 6: LEAPS AND BOUNDS
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
Glossary:
About the Author
mishmash : a confused mixture
throng : a large, densely-packed crowd Andrew Michael
Sullivan is a British
of people or animals author, editor, and
bump : knock or run into someone or blogger in the United
something with a jolt States. An influential
shut out : screen someone or commentator and a
seasoned lecturer, Sullivanís writing is
something from view known for its excellent journalistic
squawks : (of a bird) loud, harsh noise insights and heavy use of imagery.
twitch : give or cause to give a short, This article on the ëi-Pod generationí
sudden jerking or convulsive appeared in The Times Online, on
movement February 20, 2005.
clunky : solid, heavy, and old-
fashioned
sleek : smooth and glossy
compulsive : resulting from or relating to an irresistible urge
obsession : the state of being obsessed with someone or something
addictive : (of a substance or activity) causing or likely to cause someone
to become addicted to it
cult : a system of religious veneration and devotion directed towards
a particular figure or object
auto pilot : an electronic control system, as on an aircraft, spacecraft, or
ship, that automatically maintains a preset program
commuter : a person who travels some distance to work on a regular basis
serendipity : the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy
or beneficial way
atomization : separating something into fine particles
bloke : man
hilarious : extremely amusing
shard : a piece of broken ceramic, metal, glass, or rock,
typically having sharp edges
obscure : not discovered or known
Activity 1 (Writing)
r When you read any article, you will realize that some of the
statements made are facts and some others are mere opinions. A
good reader must be able to distinguish between the facts and
opinions presented in any article.
Now, sit in pairs and identify examples of facts and opinions from
the article ëIs Society Deadí?. You may write them in the two
columns given below.
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Unit- 6: LEAPS AND BOUNDS
FACT OPINION
I was visiting New York Each was in his/her own
last week musical world
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
CONCEPTUAL FRUIT
Thaisa Frank
When he told his family about the site on the Internet
where you could create whole streets, his wife and son
went on eating their pasta and artichokes.
ï How does the wife and the
Only his daughter Greta looked up. ëI could son react to the manís
buy a house on Pomanger Street,í he said, excitement? What does this
ëand put as many rooms in it as I wanted. I tell us about their character?
could fill it with fruit and make my own library.í
ëSure, Dad,í said his son, who was eleven. ëYou could do
that. If you wanted to.í
His son already knew how to programme ï Why are the son and the
computers, but wasnít interested. These days wife uninterested? Do you
he wanted to give away books and devote his approve of their attitude?
life to karate.
His wife ate the heart of the artichoke carefully.
ëWell?í he said.
ëThe thing is,í she answered, ëIím in front of a computer all
day and I like to spend the evenings in the garden.í He
understood she wasnít interested.
Greta looked up from her artichoke leaves. She was
arranging them in a swirling pattern in her bowl.
ëYou said there were streets. You said there could be fruit.í
These werenít questions. Greta often repeated whatever
she heard. Sheíd worked hard to tie her shoes by age ten
and could read at fifth-grade level, five grades below Joel,
even though she was sixteen. She went to a special school.
ëI want to see,í she said.
ëIíll show you,í he answered. His wife and his ï Greta is a special child. How
son made eyes. Heís at it again. Heís getting do you know that? Have you
ever visited a special
Greta into it, too. school?
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Unit- 6: LEAPS AND BOUNDS
ëCome on. Iíll show you where you can make up streets
and bowls of fruit.í
Greta sat in his chair, and he sat next to her. Greta could
type very slowly. By the time she left her ï What is the father's
school, she might be able to type fast enough expectation of his daughterís
to get a word processing job. No one knew for future prospects?
sure.
ëThereís this guy named Sam who set up this whole library
of classics. He lives in Illinois, but he made ï Who is Sam? Why is he
this incredible place. Watch.í He clicked into mentioned here? Do you
the programme and was about to show Greta have any friend who has
the collection of books when he saw her done interesting things in the
field of computers?
staring into space. ëYou want something of
your own, donít you?í
ëYes. Peaches and pears and artichokes.í
ëDo you want them in a house, with bowls in a kitchen?
Or maybe in a garden?í He was already typing, creating a
street called Gretaís Street, a house called Gretaís House.
ëWhy are you writing all that down?í
ëBecause theyíre yours. They belong to you.í
Greta looked at the screen. Her blond hair blended with
her sweater. Her blue eyes were the only colour in her
face.
ëI want a bowl in every room,í she said. ëPeaches in the
kitchen and living room and all the bedrooms.í
ëWhat about artichokes?í
Greta picked at her sweater ñ something she did when
she knew she hadnít gotten it right. Sheíd forgotten about
the artichokes, and he was sorry heíd reminded her. ëItís
okay,í he said. ëWeíll put peaches everywhere. Should the
bowls be a colour?í
ëBlue.í
ï How is Greta described in
He asked Greta how many windows she these lines? What does this
wanted, whether there should be a fireplace, convey about the character
and if there should be curtains. Greta chose of Greta?
eleven windows covered with sheer white curtains like
the ones she had in her bedroom.
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
ëOkay, now the fruit,í he said. ëWeíll start with the kitchen.í
He wrote Gretaís Kitchen, and added, Walk around. Help
yourself to this bowl of fruit.
ëBut where are the peaches?í
ëIn a minute. Look, this is cool. You click under bowl, and
see what happens?í He shielded the screen for a moment
and wrote peaches. ëTry it,í he said. ëJust click bowl.í
Greta clicked bowl. The word peaches appeared. ëItís just
a word,í she said to him.
ëWell, thatís the idea. But you can see a picture
of the fruit.í ï What made Greta
disappointed? How did her
ëI thought you could make real peaches.í father try to console her?
Was his explanation
ëNo. You have to go to the store for those.í convincing ?
ëBut these are just words.í
ëWell, yes.í
ëThen why do people like them?í
ëBecause they remind them of what they stand for. Like
in your books.í
He created other rooms, asking Greta what she wanted:
a kitchen, a dining room, a living room, a bedroom, a room
for a cat, and one bathroom.
ï Why doesnít Greta intend to
ëNo, not a bathroom,í she decided. ëThis isnít have a bathroom in her
a real house, so people wouldnít use it.í house?
ëYouíre right,í he said. ëYou donít need a bathroom.í
He programmed bowls of peaches in every room. ëNow,í he
said to Greta. ëYou click.í
ï Why does she give a furtive
Greta clicked and this time smiled when the smile when she saw the word
word peaches appeared. It was a furtive smile ëpeachesí on the computer
ñ a smile she got when she pretended she screen. What does it
indicate?
understood something that made no sense.
ëThere could be other fruit,í he said. ëThere could be apples,
pears. There could be flowers.í
ëSure,í said Greta. ëThere could be anything.í
ï Can you identify the words
His wife was cutting blackberries in the that tell you that she is
garden, and Greta was already sliding from disinterested?
the chair to help her. Greta would never have a house of
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Unit- 6: LEAPS AND BOUNDS
her own. She would live in a group house with ï What are the thoughts of the
other people like her. He hoped the house father? Do you think that they
are touching? Why?
would be large and have sheer white curtains
billowing in all the rooms. He hoped it would have an
orchard with fruit to put in real blue bowls: apples, pears,
peaches ñ whatever Greta wanted.
Glossary:
About the Author
artichoke (n) : round vegetable with thick
green leaves Thaisa Frank is a critically acclaimed
swirl (v) : move in a twisting pattern short story writer. She worked as a
incredible : impossible to believe psychotherapist before becoming a full
time writer. In addition to writing
blonde : fair/pale yellow hair fiction, Frank also teaches at the
blend (v) : mix with another University of San Francisco.
substance so that they This short story ëConceptual Fruití
combine together about the Internet appears in the
peach (n) : a round fruit with juicy collection Sleeping in Velvet.
yellow flesh
furtive : attempting to avoid
attention
slide (v) : move smoothly
billow (v) : swell/ bulge out
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Unit- 6: LEAPS AND BOUNDS
Activity IV (Writing)
r Read the last paragraph of the story again and see how the au-
thor has touched the readersí mind with his powerful and careful
use of words.
"Greta would never have a house of her own. She would live in a group
house with other people like her. He hoped the house would be large
and have sheer white curtains billowing in all the rooms. He hoped it
would have an orchard with fruit to put in real blue bowls: apples, pears,
peaches --- whatever Greta wanted.
Now, look at the various elements of language such as punctua-
tion, sentence structure and repetition of words. How do they
create the required mood and tone in this paragraph?
If you were the author of the story, how would you end the story?
Write an alternative ending to the story.
Activity V
r Letís revisit the story. Spend a few minutes reflecting on the story.
You can make use of the following hints.
m Theme of the story
m Important characters
m Tender moments in the story
m Your feelings after reading the story
m Language, tone, mood and structure of the story
Now, plan how you are going to tell people about your understanding
of the story. Think about how you would convey the story in the following
formats.
ï a text message to a friend
ï an email to a relative
ï a post on a social network medium
Make notes about the content and style, in groups, before writing out
the texts in the boxes below.
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Unit- 6: LEAPS AND BOUNDS
r You decide to apply for the post. Type an application letter and a
CV on your desktop or laptop.
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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH
Thematic outcomes
Students demonstrate the ability to
ï realise the disadvantages of the over-informed society.
ï be aware of the issues related to technology, and to distinguish
between the positive and negative sides of technology,
specifically cyberspace.
ï Recognize the responsible ways of using cyberspace.
Linguistic outcomes
Students demonstrate the ability to
ï read and analyse articles on technology related issues.
ï write short articles presenting the arguments convincingly.
ï recognise the style, structure and format of e-mails.
ï prepare e-mails for communicating ideas.
ï identify the different techniques adopted by writers in
academic and literary writings.
ï conduct/ attend telephonic interviews.
ï write application letters and CVs.
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