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1Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow :

How does television affect our lives? It can be very helpful to people whocarefully choose the shows that they watch. Television can increase our knowl-edge of the outside world; there are high quality programmes that help us under-stand many fields of study, science, medicine, the arts and so on. Moreover,television benefits very old people, who cant often leave the house as well aspatients in hospitals. It also offers non-native speakers the advantage of dailyinformal language practice. They can increase their vocabulary and practicelistening.

On the other hand, there are several serious disadvantages of television. Ofcourse, it provides us with a pleasant way to relax and spend our free time, butin some countries, people watch the boob-tube for an average of six hours ormore a day. Many children stare at a television screen for more hours each daythan they do anything else, including studying and sleeping. It is clear that thetube has a powerful influence on their lives and that its influence is often nega-tive.

Recent studies show that after only thirty seconds of television, a personsbrain relaxes the same way that it does just before the person falls asleep.Another effect of television on the human brain is that it seems to cause poorconcentration. Children who view a lot of television can often concentrate on asubject for only fifteen to twenty minutes. They can pay attention only for theamount of time between commercials.

Another disadvantage is that television often causes people to become dissat-isfied with their own lives.

Real life does not seem as exciting to these people as the lives of actors onthe screen. To many people, television becomes more real than reality and theirown lives seem boring. Also, many people get upset or depressed when they cantsolve problems in real life as quickly as television actors seem to.

Before a child is fourteen years old, he or she views eleven thousand murderson the tube. He or she begins to believe that there is nothing strange about fights,killings and other kinds of violence. Many studies show that people become moreviolent after certain programmes. They might even do the things that they saw ina violent show.

The most negative effect of the boob-tube might be peoples addiction to it.People often feel a strange and powerful need to watch television even when theydont enjoy it. Addiction to a television screen is similar to drug or alcoholaddiction. People almost never believe they are addicted.

1. Complete the following sentences with one word only. [1/2 4 = 2 marks](i) If people carefully choose the shows they watch, television can be very ___________.

(ii) Watching a lot of television can cause poor ___________ among children.

Assignments in Communicative English Class-IX (Term-II)Section A: Reading

(Unseen Passages with MCQs)

2(iii) Watching television for long hours often causes people to become ______________ with theirown lives.

(iv) The most negative effect of boob tube might be peoples __________ to it.

Ans. 1. ____________ 2. ____________ 3. ____________ 4. ____________

2. Answer the following questions briefly in your own words. [1 6 = 6 marks](i) How is television useful to us? Give two reasons.

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

(ii) What are the benefits derived by very old people from television?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

(iii) How does the television affect children?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

(iv) Why do people feel dissatisfied by their own lives after watching TV?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

(v) Write down the sentence which tells you that people become violent when they watch certainprogrammes.

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

(vi) Can we say that people are addicted to television?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

3. Write words from the passage which mean the following : [1/2 4 = 2 marks](i) friendly

(ii) look with a fix gaze(iii) discourage, to cast a gloom(iv) unduly dependent upon

Ans. 1. ____________ 2. ____________ 3. ____________ 4. ____________

Goyal Brothers Prakashan

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ASSIGNMENT A-2

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.When the car had gone and they were left standing alone, staring at the suddenly quiet house,

they saw who it was who was to stay on at Mon Repos a thin elderly man with a white beardand spectacles on his nose. He did not notice them at all for he had a pair of binoculars gluedto his eyes and was staring intently into the trees. The girls stared at the trees, too, wonderingwhat he was looking at. There seemed to be nothing there but then they heard a rustle and anashy grey and russet bird flew out, trailing a long russet tail behind it as it came out of thefoliage and around to the back of the house. The man lowered his binoculars with a sigh anddrew out a book from his pocket and began to scribble in it.

Lila and her sisters tiptoed around the corner and into the kitchen so as not to disturb him.What is he doing? they whispered as they quietly washed the dishes that had been left

behind in the sink.Who knows? Lila shrugged. He is here to study something, the sahib said.Study what the birds? asked Bela, and Kamal laughed at the idea. It was so ridiculous.Anyway, he wont notice us at all we just have to cook his meals and call him to come

and eat them, said Lila.That was what they did. Now they had not their mother to look after, or Hari or their father,

they quietly cooked and marketed and swept and washed for the strange gentleman who neverspoke to them, only glanced through his spectacles at the food when they called him for hismeals, and disappeared for the whole day sometimes, they ran into him as he stumbled aboutthe marsh, splashing through the mud and reeds, or sitting very quietly on a stone under thetrees, staring intently at everything except people. He seemed hardly to notice that there wereany people in Thul, they did not appear to interest him at all. But he was polite and quiet andgave no trouble at all since he had neither complaints nor demands and so they did not mindhis oddities or even giggle at him much except once when he stepped backwards off the log intothe creek with a splash and they had to run to help him up and to retrieve his bag and papersand spread them out on the veranda to dry. Then they noticed that his papers were covered withcareful pencil sketches of birds. They were wonderstruck.

See, he is studying the birds, whispered Bela as they knelt on the veranda tiles, carefullyseparating the wet sheets and spreading them out in the sun.

Studying the birds? whispered Kamal and burst into uncontrollable giggles. But Lilafrowned at them and told them to take care, the drawings were so beautiful, they must not spoila single one.

The strange gentleman came out of his room in dry clothes and stood watching them worriedly.Then, Thank you, thank you, he said gratefully and took some money out of his pocket to giveBela and Kamal. For sweets, he said in a mumble, and hurried away in embarrassment.

He looked just as embarrassed when he paid Lila her salary at the end of the month and shewhisked out of sight as quickly as possible, then ran round the house and across the creek totheir hut, laughing with joy. It was wonderful to earn money. There was enough now to stocktheir kitchen with rice and tea and sugar, and Lila went every week to the hospital in Alibaghby bus to take some to their father who bought extra milk and fruits for their mother with it. Themoney made everything possible and Lila hoped the gentleman would stay on and on so that shecould continue to earn money.

But no one stops in the monsoon, Kamal said. Everyone goes away when the monsooncomes. Only we stay.


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1. Complete the following sentences. [1 6 = 6 marks](a) ____________ is the name of the village in which the story is set and ____________ was the name

of the new occupant of the house.

(b) The girls thought him to be strange because __________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

(c) Lila and her sisters did not laugh at the strange behaviour of their new employer because (give two

reasons) ________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

(d) The girls realised that their employer really studied the birds when ________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

(e) Lila left happy after getting her salary because _________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

(f) She gave some money to her father so that_____________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

2. Three words or phrases are given below. Give the meaning of each word as used in the passage.One word answer or short phrases will be accepted. [1/2 4 = 2 marks](a) trailing _________________________________________________________________________

(b) splashing _______________________________________________________________________

(c) embarrassment ___________________________________________________________________

3. Fill in the blanks with one word only. [1/2 4 = 2 marks]

When the strange gentleman paid Lila her salary he looked _______ . Lila ran round the house _______

with joy because for her to earn money was _______. Now she had enough to _______ her kitchen with

rice.

Ans. (a)________________ (b) ________________ (c) ________________ (d) ________________

(a)

(c) (d)

(b)


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ASSIGNMENT A-3

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow :At first it seemed that writing a biography would come easily to a journalist.

After all, it is only an extended interview : 100,000 words instead of 1,000. Butthen the obstacles began to appear : the subjects self-regard, false memories,and, most worryingly, the clatter of skeletons tumbling out of cupboards.

Also, whereas the journalist could feel supported by the power of the press,this would be an encounter of individuals, one to one. The biographer couldbecome aware that his or her subject was so much more important than himself.Could one have half-emulated the feats of this war hero, or written anything halfas memorable as this literary lion? Of course not.

So, first of all, a degree of inferiority must be overcome, but not to the extentthat breeds cheek. The relationship between biographer and his living subject isa delicate one. Am I a magistrate or a counsellor? Am I asking what to him, orher, and to me, sound an impertinent question because it is important tounderstanding, or because I want to cut him down to size?

When a biography is authorised and the biographer depends upon hissubjects cooperation, the problems are obvious. Does he ask the embarrassingquestions and, if so, does he accept an answer he suspects is, at best, evasive? Ifthe subject seems to have been careless and trusting, does he publish and bedamned as a betrayer of confidences? The portraits of living people are never asrounded as they might have been because of the subjects veto and thebiographers own scruples.

A biographer may thus well prefer to write about subjects who have diedwithin living memory. But these voyages of discovery are not without obstacles.Families and friends may have cultivated fond legends and can be reluctant to riskchallenge, let alone demolition, even if neither is the biographers intention. Andoften access to unpublished letters and diaries is accompanied with the conditionthat the family be the first to read the typescript and, if necessary, censor it. Sucha compromise may not always be acceptable to a biographer.

Such experiences have prompted a few biographers to adopt the Hundred YearRule. When the subject has been dead for a century, there will be no snarls fromdefensive friends, and even descendants will be likely to see failings asentertaining, if not lovable.

Yet here, too, are problems. After months of reading letters, diaries, andaccounts by contemporaries, the biographer will have got as close to his subjectas the laws of mortality will allow. One danger is that without an animate objectto concentrate upon the vacuum is filled by the biographer himself identifying withhis subject : I can see why you wrote about him, they will say. Or, as the authormay know more about his character than anybody else, there is the risk ofbecoming proprietorial. The discovery of a letter showing the subject acting outof character or what it was assumed to be can prompt a reaction worthy ofan outraged friend or relative : He would never have behaved like that!


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1. Complete the following sentences : [1 4 = 4 marks]

(a) The relationship between a biographer and his subjects is a ______________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

(b) The biographer depends upon his subjects cooperation when ______________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

(c) A biographer may well write about the subjects who have _______________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

(d) As the author knows everything about his character there is _______________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

2. Answer the following questions briefly.(a) What are the common obstacles faced by a biographer? [1 4 = 4 marks]

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

(b) How can the power of press be used in support of the journalist?

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

(c) What are the problems faced by a biographer in writing about a subject who has died recently?

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

(d) Why is the biography of a living subject never complete?

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

3. Pick out phrases from the text which mean the same as the following : [1/2 4 = 2 marks](a) hidden secrets (para 1)(b) to set someone right (para 3)(c) be criticised and condemned (para 4)(d) coming generations (para 6)

Ans. (a)________________ (b) ________________ (c) ________________ (d) ________________


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ASSIGNMENT A-4

(DISCURSIVE)Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow :

A SPIRIT OF SCIENCE1. It is no small honour to be asked to address the convocation of a university in India, and

certainly it is a unique experience for me at any rate, to be called upon to address auniversity convocation.

2. I know poverty and misery and I quite appreciate, by personal experience, what it is to bepoor, what it is to have no clothes, what it is to have no books, what it is to struggle throughlife, what it is to walk through the streets without an umbrella, without conveyance alongmiles in dusty roads. I have been through it all and I can understand the difficulties that mostof you graduates have to face up today. I am speaking from a long experience of 60 years.Please do not imagine that all the 60 years are milk and roses. To be able to accomplishsomething, I want to tell you that you have to go through such experience. I admit successin life is not always to the intelligent or the strong and it is to some extent a bit of a gamble,but nonetheless those who have got their minds right and those who know their job, willsooner or later, sooner perhaps than later, make their way in life. But they should not bedisappointed if they do not, they have to face up life and take it as they find it. This is thekind of philosophy that I have learnt by experience and I make a free gift of it to you all. WhatI say is this that the great things in life are not really great things in life. The Nobel Prize,the F.R.S. and the like, many of them leave a bitter taste in the mouth. What I love is to enjoythe common things of life. I am happy that I am still able to sleep at night provided I havethree miles walk in the evening. I am still able to enjoy a good lunch or a good dinner. I amstill able to look at the blue sky and like it. I still like to walk in the open fields and like thesmell of the Ragi or Jowar. I feel a younger man when I see the Babul flowers and sayGod has given us these wonderful things. That is the real philosophy of life to appreciatewhat we see around us.

3. We think that happiness consists in going to pictures and seeing thrilling films and technicolourdramas. Not at all, the great things in life are the God-given things which cost nothing. Whatyou need is the desire to appreciate them. If you have your minds and hearts open, you havearound you things which give you joy. There is the butterfly jumping about in flourishingcolours on all sides. Look at this wonderful thing that God has given for our enjoyment. Wehave to love nature and appreciate nature and appreciate her wonderful gifts, her marvellousingenuity, her resourcefulness, her infinite variety. It is the same thing that has inspired meall my life.

4. I study science not because anything is going to happen to me but because I feel it is a kindof worship of this great goddess Nature of which we are a part. That has been my inspirationas a man of science. I feel now that is the one thing that can always make a man happy, thesmall things in life not only in nature our old friends, old music and the things that wehave around us. Many a time I would like to go back to them. It may be a sign of cynicism,but I would like to go back to the common things of life. A glass of cold water, for example,gives us vigour and freshness. I can assure you there is no pleasure in this world to healthyman; there is no pleasure in this world after a vigorous exercise or doing something hardthan to go home and have a glass of cold water. If you have lost the capacity to appreciatethat, you may as well drink a cup of hemlock as Socrates had to do

Dr. C.V. Raman


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1. Answer the following questions briefly. [1 4 = 4 marks](a) What is the real poverty according to Dr. Raman?

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________(b) What advice does he give to the intelligent people who are not lucky?

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________(c) What reason does the speaker give for studying science?

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________(d) How can we enjoy things around us?

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

2. The speaker enjoys the common things of life. Choose any eight from the following tablewhich you think are most appropriate. [1/2 8 = 4 marks]

The Noble Prize Good conversation A jumping butterfly

The F.R.S. A good sleep Old friends

Babul flowers Smell of Jowar Tasty dishes

Blue sky Technicolour dramas Comfortable bed

Old music A cold glass of water

(i) ___________ (ii) ___________ (iii) ___________

(iv) ___________ (v) ___________ (vi) ___________

(vii) ___________ (viii) ___________

3. Pick out words from the text which mean the following: [1/2 4 = 2 marks](a) achieve (para 3)(b) clever at inventing things (para 3)(c) A trait that others motives are bad (para 4)(d) poison (para 4)

Ans. (a)________________ (b) ________________ (c) ________________ (d) ________________


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ASSIGNMENT A-5

(FACTUAL)Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow :

A NOSE FOR NAVIGATION1. Scientists have discovered the secret of pigeons remarkable ability to navigate perfectly over

journeys of several hundred miles. They do it by smell.2. Research found that pigeons create odour maps of their neighbourhoods and use these to

orient themselves. This replaces the idea that they exploited variations in the Earths magneticfield to navigate.

3. This is important because it is the first time that magnetic sensing and smell have beentested side by side, said Anna Gagliardo, of the University of Pisa, who led the research.

4. The discovery that birds have an olfactory positioning system is the latest surprising discov-ery about bird migration. Birds know exactly when to binge on berries or insects to fattenthemselves for long flights, and some species recognise constellations, which helps them tofly at night. Birds also travel immense distances: the average Manx Shearwater travels fivemillion miles during its life.

5. Research into navigation has included an experiment in which robins were released with apatch over one eye some on the right eye, some on the left. The left-eye-patched robinsnavigated well, but those with right-eye patches got hopelessly lost. It is a very strangefinding, said Graham Appleton, of the British Trust for Ornithology. It is clear the cuesrobins use to navigate are only detectable in one eye. Why that should be the case, I have noidea.

6. In the Pisa experiments, Ms. Gagliardo, working with Martin Wild of the University ofAuckland, followed up experiments done in 2004, which showed that pigeons could detectmagnetic fields. She argued that this did not mean they actually did.

7. So in 24 young homing pigeons she cut the nerves that carried olfactory signals to theirbrains. In another 24 pigeons she cut the trigeminal nerve, linked to the part of the brain thatdetects magnetic fields.The 48 birds were released 30 miles from their loft.

8. All but one of those deprived of their ability to detect magnetic fields were home within 24hours, indicating that it was not an ability that helped them to navigate. But those who hadbeen deprived of their sense of smell fluttered all over the skies of northern Italy. Only fourmade it home. Ms. Gagliardo and her team conclude that pigeons read the landscape as apatchword of odours.

9. Every spring, hundreds of millions of birds head north in order to exploit new resources.Gulls head to the Arctic to make use of the 24 hours of daylight prevailing there, whileSwallows and other birds leave Africa to exploit the British summer time.

10. The navigation involved in these long journeys is still a cause of considerable debate amongscientists. Among the main theories are suggestions that some birds remember visual maps ofthe terrain they fly over; that they follow the lines of Earths magnetic field; and that night-time flyers remember star maps of the sky.

11. However, the discovery of pigeons prowess at exploiting smells is considered importantbecause their navigational abilities are some of the most acute in the natural world. Pigeonsexcel at getting home when released in unfamiliar locations.............

The Hindu


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1. Complete the following information as given in the text. [1 3 = 3 marks](a) The most surprising discovery about bird migration is that birds have an ______________.

________________________________________________________________________________(b) Some birds recognise ______________ which help them to fly at night.

________________________________________________________________________________(c) Pigeons excel in _____________ even when they are released in unfamiliar locations.

________________________________________________________________________________

2. Table A contains the names of birds and Table B their habits. Match them according to theinformation given in the passage. [1/2 4 = 2 marks]

Table A Table B

(i) Manx Shearwater (a) Fly by smells(ii) Gulls (b) Travel 5 million miles during its life

(iii) Swallows (c) Use 24 hours of daylight(iv) Pigeons (d) exploit the British summer time

Ans. (i) ______________ (ii) _____________ (iii) ______________ (iv) ________________

3. Pick out the words that mean the same. [1/2 4 = 2 marks](a) concerned with smell (para 4)(b) study of birds (para 5)(c) having properties of a magnet (para 6)(d) utilise (para 9)

Ans. (a)________________ (b) ________________ (c) ________________ (d) ________________

4. Answer the following questions briefly. [1 3 = 3 marks](a) How do the pigeons orient themselves?

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________(b) What helps the pigeons that fly at night?

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________(c) How do the pigeons prepare themselves for long flights?

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________


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ASSIGNMENT A-6

(FACTUAL)Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow :

1. Following the advice of the committee the Delhi High Court has already barrednursery schools from conducting any kind of interviews or interaction withchildren or their guardians during the admission process, and has fixed a pointsystem ranging from one to 100 on the basis of which the children could gainadmissions. The court has accepted that priority should be given to childrenstaying within 3 km radius of the schools for admissions.

2. Children living within three kilometres of the school will be awarded 20 pointsand those between 4 and 10 kilometres will be awarded on a sliding scale witha minimum of 8 points being allotted to those who live 10 kilometres away. Theschool is given 20 points for any particular parameter a school may want to fix.It is here that schools hope to find their wiggle room.

3. Places in a good school are a very scarce resource. In many schools thePrincipals are subject to all types of pressures to give places. Offers of bribes,threats, and bureaucratic and political pressure are commonplace. Pressurecomes from every quarter. From the owners and board members, from thefriends of the management and teachers, from the senior, and sometimes not-so-senior, bureaucrats, and from politicians.

4. Some of the schools owned by industrial houses have quotas for their manage-ment staff and, on top of this, places are often found for the siblings of theirindustry partners and top customers.

5. Many schools will seek to override the 3 km neighbourhood concept and con-tinue business as usual by using their discretionary 20 points. However, this willbe tough.

6. The parameters the school will want to fix are required to be made public andopen to challenge.

7. Some schools are already contemplating dropping their nursery sections andadmitting straight into class one where they can ignore the admission standardsthat the court has ruled only apply to nursery classes.

8. For those schools continuing with nursery education, the advantage given togirls by the new proposals could be problematic. All things being equal, one ofthe major effects will be that in future all nursery schools will have far moregirls than boys.

9. In the new scheme five points are earmarked for girl children, and so every girlstarts off with an unassailable higher ranking than any boy in the same situa-tion. In many schools we could see that girls take all the places in the schoolexcept for those given to the boy children of staff and the brothers of existingsiblings.

10. We must wait to see how many schools continue with nursery classes and whatthe reaction of the parents of boy children will be. No doubt they will think thatthe committee has produced a camel. The parents of the girl child will think itis a horse on which they can ride to a happier horizon.

Abha Adams


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1. Complete the following sentences. [1 5 = 5 marks](a) The decision of Delhi High Court regarding nursery admissions has been ___________________

________________________________________________________________________________(b) The different types of pressures faced by the Principals are ______________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

(c) The schools, owned by industrial houses, ensured admission for their people on the basis ________

________________________________________________________________________________

(d) Some schools are contemplating dropping admissions in the nursery section because ____________

________________________________________________________________________________(e) The schools continuing with nursery classes are finding the new proposals problematic because

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

2. Say whether the following are true or false, according to information given in the above passage.Write the correct answers in the answer-sheet. [1/2 4 = 2 marks]

Criterion for granting admission Points True / False

(1) Children living within 3 km 18 ___________

(2) Children living between 4 and 10 km 5 ___________

(3) Maximum points a school can award 20 ___________

(4) Points given to a girl child 3 ___________

Ans. (a)________________ (b) ________________ (c) ________________ (d) ________________

3. Find out words from the passage, which mean the same as the following. [1/2 6 = 3 marks](a) distance from the centre (para 1) (b) variable Quantity (para 2)

(c) Thanking of (para 7) (d) to disregard (para 7)

(e) Unchallenged (para 9) (f) reserved for a purpose (para 9)

Ans. (a) ____________________ (b) ___________________

(c) ____________________ (d) ___________________

(e) ____________________ (f) ___________________


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ASSIGNMENT A-7

(FACTUAL)Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.

1. This month the Mumbai High Court directed all schools in Maharashtra to strictly abide bynew guidelines for students with learning disabilities such as dyslexia (reading), dysgraphia(writing) and dyscalcula (mathematics). To make sure that there is total compliance to theguidelines, the court said that any school that failed to provide facilities to such studentscould face contempt of court. The court ruled that once it is established that the child hasone of these conditions the school is bound to provide facilities to the students free of cost.It also makes it mandatory for all Maharashtra schools to schoolchildren who fail to dowell in examinations at classes 3 and 6.

2. Because dyslexia, dysgraphia or dyscalcula are incurable, the child will never be able toperform like a child without these disabilities, but there are learning interventions that canbe introduced to alleviate the childrens disadvantage. The court has ruled that schools haveto give added help/resources to those children to mitigate their disability.

3. The bad news is that schools who have been resisting exams for young children will now haveto hold exams for all children in class three, and there will also be pressure on them to sendall children who do not do well in exams to a qualified psychologist to be tested for thesecognitive learning disorders.

4. At present a large number of children are being labelled by untrained educators as dyslexicwhen they have problems with reading and writing that are not connected with cognitivedisabilities. A child is bored and does not pay attention, or has not been taught to sequenceproperly, or has not been taught how to concentrate, or has a low IQ, and teachers (andmany parents) are quick to label him dyslexic. This ruling should stop that situation occur-ring since these cognitive conditions will now be subject to specialized professional expertiseand diagnostics.

5. The good news is that this ruling is another small step towards making schools provideeducation and facilities for children that meets the childs needs regardless of their abilities.It opens the door for other challenges to our schooling system.

6. Now it can be argued that if schools have to provide special education for those with theselearning disabilities, they should also have to provide education to suit the needs of othereducationally disadvantaged pupils. It will not be long before someone successfully arguesthat children with memory, dexterity, social, or had parenting problems should also be giveneducation and schooling resources to meet their needs.

7. With this ruling, schools in Maharashtra will continue to move away from our fit the childinto the system approach and towards fitting education to the childs abilities and needs. Itis a significant shift away from an education system that was originally designed to progres-sively exclude the many, and include only the privileged few. It is progress on the path ofmaking schooling more of an aid to the development of the child, and not the insurmountablehurdle that it is designed to be for most. It is a sign of progress towards introducing child-centred education into India, and as such it is very welcome. Let us hope these guidelinesare adopted across the country.

Abha Adams


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1. Answer the following questions briefly. [1 4 = 4 marks](a) What directive is given by Mumbai High Court to schools?

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________(b) What kind of pressure is being faced by the schools?

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________(c) Which kind of children are labelled dyslexic by many parents and teachers?

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________(d) What is child-centred education? How is it beneficial?

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

2. The table given below reveals some learning disabilities. Match Column A with Column B tocomplete the information and write it in the answer-sheet. [1/2 4 = 2 marks]

Type of learning disability Related to

(i) Dyslexia (a) Mathematics(ii) Dysgraphia (b) Awareness

(iii) Dyscalcula (c) Reading(iv) Cognitive abilities (d) Writing

3. Pick out words from the text, which mean the same as the following. [1/2 4 = 2 marks]

(a) decrease (para 2) (a) ____________________________

(b) in proper order (para 4) (b) ____________________________

(c) science for identification of a disease (para 4) (c) ____________________________

(d) which cannot be crossed (para 7) (d) ____________________________

4. Fill in the blanks with one word only. [1/2 4 = 2 marks]

At present, a large number of children are being labelled by untrained educators as dyslexic. If a childis ____________ and does not pay ____________ or has not been taught how to ___________, orhas a low IQ, the teachers (and many parents) are quick to label ____________.

Ans. (a)________________ (b) ________________ (c) ________________ (d) ________________

(a) (b) (c)(d)


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ASSIGNMENT A-8

(FACTUAL)Read carefully the passage given below and answer the questions that follow :

Although Louis Braille died when he was only forty-three yearsold, he succeeded in devising a system of reading and writing forthe blind which is now taught all over the world.

Braille lost his sight accidentally as a child. Nevertheless, hewas able to complete his education at a school for the blind inParis and became a teacher. In his days, the few books that wereavailable for blind people were printed in big raised type; theletters used were those of the ordinary alphabet. The reading ofsuch books required immense effort. Not only that, writing wasalmost impossible for a blind person was still restricted to analphabet which was extraordinary difficult to reproduce on paper.Brailles idea was to use raised dots instead of raised letters. Heevolved a system which made use of only six dots in all. By variouscombinations of these dots, it not only proved possible to representeach letter in the alphabet, but punctuation marks, numbers, andmusical notation as well. Reading and writing have thus beenenormously simplified. The sensitive fingers of a blind person cantravel rapidly over the dots; and there is a small machine, somethinglike a typewriter, which enables the blind to write quickly andclearly.

Improvements are continually being made on the system, thoughbasically it is the same as that contrived by Braille. Large raiseddots, printed on one side of a page only, make many books for theblind cumbersome. A single book in ordinary print often runs severalvolumes when it is transcribed into the dot system. Furthermore,the books that are used in lending libraries for the blind eventuallybecome unreadable. The dots are subjected to a great deal of wearand tear, and finally disappear, so that the books become useless.A machine has now been invented which fixes plastic dots on topaper, instead of just making depressions in the pages. These dotsdo not wear out at all, and there is no danger of their becomingunstruck. Since it is possible, by this means, to make use of bothsides of a page, books for the blind are now less bulky. This newway of dotting pages can also be used for such things as theproduction of atlases with the outlines of countries clearly imprinted.

Though many modern inventions like the radio have broughtgreat benefits to the blind, Brailles system remains the greatestlandmark of all. It has provided a simple means for producingbooks, magazines, and even newspapers, and ensured that no blindperson need spend his life in ignorance as well as darkness.


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2. Answer the following questions briefly. [1 4 = 4 marks](a) What did Louis Braille do before he died at the age of forty three?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________(b) What system did he evolve that enabled the blind people to read and write?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

(c) How do the blind people read and write Braille?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

(d) How did the invention of books and newspapers help the blind people?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

3. Write words that mean the same as the following. [1/2 4 = 2 marks](a) to compose(b) that cannot be measured, vast(c) to invent to plan(d) Write over from one book to another

Ans. (a)________________ (b) ________________ (c) ________________ (d) ________________

3. Complete the following sentences taking help from the passage. [1 4 = 4 marks]

(a) Although Louis Braille lost his eyesight in his childhood, he was able to _________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

(b) In earlier days the few books available for blind people were ___________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

(c) Braille evolved a system which ____________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

(d) Despite many modern inventions Brailles system remains ______________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________


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ASSIGNMENT A-9

(FACTUAL)Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.

HANDWRITING REVEALS THE INNER YOU1. Remember when neat, legible writing was a prized skill? Before the digital age, when employees were

valued for flowering script? Now employees can go weeks without scribbling anything more than atelephone number on a post-it note. But that does not mean your scrawl does not matter anymorewriting analysis is an increasingly popular way to screen job applicants.

2. A swell in the popularity of handwriting analysis, or graphology, in overseas European recruitmentcould see the trend catch on.

3. When used correctly, graphology can give a good indication of a persons personality structure, theirabilities, ability to grow and develop, and perhaps most importantly, their integrity, says grapholo-gist Margaret White, who uses her skills to assess job applicants for recruiters.

4. But while recruitment-graphology is growing, employers are reluctant to admit they use the technique.Why? Handwriting analysis is often viewed with scepticism and companies appear to be afraid thatthis sentiment will discredit the professionalism of their company.

5. But not all employers are so coy : London banking group Butterfields publicly states that it usesgraphology for recruitment. As managing director Paul Turtle explains : It is not used as thedefining factor in the decision-making process. However, it has been shown to add an extra dimensionto the jigsaw, which has frequently been validated once an employee is in situ.

6. The British Graphology Institute would certainly agree that the optimum use of graphology in recruit-ment is in conjunction with other method. Psychometric tests are fine, but they can be manipulated,as people can change their answers depending on what they think the company wants to hear, saysa spokesperson. But used in conjunction with graphology you can double check that one validatesthe other.

7. Cynics may suggest that the reason companies are reticent about revealing their use of graphologyis because they use it without an applicants knowledge although this would be strictly against theethics of any professional graphologist. Graphology is always undertaken with the permission of thecandidate, says the Graphology Institute.

8. Where problems may arise, of course, is in employers conducting their own impromptu analysis ofan applicants handwriting, based on little besides their own prejudices. For those of us with less thanperfect script, this may certainly raise concerns when applying for jobs that call for a letter in ownhandwriting. In fact, professional graphologists agree that bad handwriting is by no means a signof sloppy work or a lazy attitude to employment it can frequently mean a high degree of intelligenceand enthusiasm.

9. In any case, it seems writing is getting better. There was a significant drop in standards around 20years ago, says Mr. White, But then school reintroduced copy books into schools, so in my opinionthe writing submitted by people who are aged 20 or 30 have better handwriting than previousgenerations. From a graphologists point of view, the legibility isnt necessarily an issue buthandwriting is impossible to fake, as opposed to CVs, which tend to be increasingly embroidered,shall we say. A person might be able to fool me for a few lines, but their true style will show prettyquicklyparticularly if theyre writing about something theyre interested in.

10. All this probably sounds quite tempting to time-pressed recruiters, particularly if theyve been burnedin the past with an exaggerated CV, or simply a candidate who doesnt fit in with the team. Gra-phology works very well as an assessment of whether a person will fit in with a company, or stickout like a sore thumb, says Ms. White. For small companies in particular, this is cutting out a lotof risk.


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11. As companies become ever more aware of the costs of recruiting, it looks likely they will be open toa number of new screening processes. And graphology certainly looks set to remain one of the waysin which job applicants are taken on, or written off.

Catherine Quinn

1. Complete the following sentences. [1 3 = 3 marks](a) When used correctly graphology can give _____________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

(b) Professional graphologists agree that bad handwriting is _________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

(c) Graphology works very well to assess whether a person _________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

2. Answer the following questions briefly. [1 3 = 3 marks](a) Mention any two uses of graphology.

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________(b) Why are companies reticent about revealing their use of graphology?

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________(c) What problems can arise, due to the use of graphology in recruitment of new employees?

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

3. Match the information given in Column A with Column B, by completing the sentences, accordingto the passage. [1 2 = 2 marks]

Column A Column B

(i) Psychometric tests (a) will discredit their company.(ii) Company experts feel that the tests (b) high degree of intelligence or enthusiasm.

(iii) Bad handwriting can also mean (c) can be manipulated.(iv) Companies are also looking for (d) new screening processes.

Ans. (i) ______________ (ii) _____________ (iii) ______________ (iv) ________________

3. Pick out that mean the same as the following : [1/2 4 = 2 marks](a) People who are unwilling to believe (para 4) (a) ____________________________

(b) measurement (para 5) (b) ____________________________

(c) on the spot (para 8) (c) ____________________________

(d) judgement (para 10) (d) ____________________________


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ASSIGNMENT A-10


1. Children should be great bundles of energy tearing about and getting into mischief anddriving their parents to distraction.But instead, they are becoming couch potatoes, a lazy group venturing outdoors only go getchips and sweets and spare batteries for their computer toy.

2. Studies show the younger generation is a lazy one. They get virtually no exercise, have poordiets and spend leisure time in front of computer games or television.The old age it wasnt like that in my day is certainly true. Their grandparents would thinknothing of walking several miles to school and would consider a piece of fruit an after-schoolluxury.

3. But only a few decades later children are wooed with bags of chips, sweets and other junkfood. And they dont walk to the shop for these things, they get a gift.

4. Recent research of Suffolk School, children aged nine to thirteen revealed almost half of thegirls and one-third of the boys were incapable of sustaining anything more taxing thanwalking for more than a few minutes.Only a small fraction did any exercise that was either strenuous enough or lasted longenough to benefit their bodies.

5. The shocking figures have promoted the first ever conference on childrens fitness in Britain.Exercise experts met last month at the Internal Convention for Childrens Health RelatedFitness in London to find ways to coax kids off the couch and into a more healthier lifestyle.

6. The aim is to find practical solutions to the real problem of inactivity in children, saysAndy Jackson, director of international organisation Fitkid, which runs exercise clubs foryoungsters. Scottish survey showed 80-85 per cent of school kids do less than five minutesvigorous activity a week.

7. An ongoing study in Devon by Exeter University Professor, Neil Armstrong, confirms thisgloomy picture.He feels parents are partly to blame as his research suggested kids were more likely to keepfit if parents did.And a recent National Fitness Survey showed, 95 per cent of adults did not take regularphysical exercise.

8. Two prime causes of this are the television and car. Latest figures show the average childspends up to 28 hours a week watching TV, not to mention the time spent on computer games.And many children for their safety and convenience are ferried to and from school andfriends house, where previous generations would have walked or cycled.

9. But if childrens lack of physical fitness is frightening, then their diets give equal cause forconcern. Once again modern day conveniences have a lot to answer for.

10. Shopping research shows that instead of eating nourishing foods, kids nag their parents intobuying them junk food. These habits have led to one or more risk factors associated withheart disease.


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1. On the basis of your reading of the passage, complete the summary by filling in gaps with oneword. [1/2 4 = 2 marks]The children of the present generation are called couch potatoes because they (a) __________ enoughexercise and eat junk food. Extensive (b) work in the field of juvenile fitness has proved that todyschildren are less healthy than the previous generation. Long hours of T.V. watching and (c) __________way of life are to be blamed for their deplorable condition. Fortunately people have become(d) _________ of this mounting problem.

Ans. (a)________________ (b) ________________ (c) ________________ (d) ________________

2. On the basis of your reading of the passage, match the cause and effect and write it in the margin.One example is done for you. [6 marks]

Cause Effect Result(1) Children dont get any (a) The present generation cannot (i) Children have turned

exercise do anything into couch potatoes.

(2) Older generation led a hard (b) So that it could provide recreation (ii) ___________________and strenuous life and exercise for ___________________

(3) Children dont have time to (c) Children dont have an ideal (iii) ___________________exercise their muscles since to flow ___________________they commute by car

(4) Parents are bad models for (d) A conference on child fitness was (iv) ___________________children launched in Britain ___________________

(5) They are used to eating (e) They have become couch potatoes (v) ___________________junk food ___________________

(6) Children dont get enough (f) They led a healthier and fuller life (vi) ___________________exercise and nourishing ___________________food, so they have poor

___________________physical health

___________________

(7) An international organisation (g) One in four are prone to (vii) ___________________called Fitkid was established heart problems ___________________

3. Give opposites of the following words. [1/2 4 = 2 marks](a) relaxing (para 4)(b) lazy (para 6)(c) theoretical (para 6)(d) safety (para 10)

Ans. (a)________________ (b) ________________ (c) ________________ (d) ________________


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ASSIGNMENT A-11


You are on a diet and have to stay off sugar. You dont want the usual sugar-free sweetener either.Go honey. Not only will it cut the calories and make your face just as sweet, it will also keep you goingon the energy circuit.

Nutritionists across the world have traditionally favoured honey as a source of energy vis-a-vis sugarfor the innumerable benefits it offers. Honey has carbohydrate compounds that are singularly acceptableand practical and is considered most effective to generate heat, create and replace energy and, further-more, form certain tissues.

The chief rooting factor is that honey is a pure food, no chemicals are used in its production, and so,it is entirely utilised by the digestive tract. Refined sugar (that we eat), on the other hand, is whats leftof raw sugar after it is washed, filtered and bleached. Compared to sugar, honey has a healthier GlycemicIndex (GI) which measures the negative impact of a given food on the blood glucose level. The lower theGI rating, the slower the absorption and infusion of sugars into the blood stream and hence a moregradual and healthier digestion process.

Besides that, honey has several antioxidants and has been shown to improve cholesterol and otherblood lipid levels. According to chief dietician and consultant at Fortis La Femme, Dr. KanupriyaKhanna, honey, like spinach, apples or oranges contains antioxidants which combat the free radicalswhich can damage cells. It has a mild protective effect. Honeys therapeutic properties are also wellknown. When mixed in carrot juice it helps improves ones eyesight. It also protects against colds, cough,and helps cure a throat and a runny nose if added in ginger juice.

Research is on to establish the relation between antioxidants in honey and its intake and preventionof cancer, says Dr. Khanna. The more honey you have during a day, it adds to antioxidants in the bodywhich combat cells causing cancer.

Some alternative medical practitioners use large doses of honey to relieve allergy symptoms. Accord-ing to the American Journal of Nutrition, honey is a quicker source of energy than sugar, a richer sourceof minerals and definitely less fattening as honey contains water. Besides, honey also contains iron andcalcium.

New findings that show supplies of fructose, a sugar that helps the body metabolise alcohol, and isrich in vitamin B6; it can therefore reduce hangover symptoms. Honey also helps the treatment of somewounds better than most modern antibiotics. The treatment now known as medi-honey can work won-ders even for chronic wounds infected with multi-resistant bacteria which can often be healed within afew weeks. Dieticians say with hospitals being faced with more and more germs today, which are resistantto antibiotics, the medical use of honey is gaining ground.

Primarily composed of sugars like glucose and fructose and minerals like magnesium, potassium,calcium, sulphur, iron phosphate, honey also contains vitamins B1, B2, C, B6, B5 and B3. Copper, iodineand zinc are also present in small quantities. 1 tablespoon of sugar has 64 calories, while a tablespoonof honey has 46 calories.

Honey and ginger juice is a good expectorant. It helps in colds, cough, sore throat and runny nose.To improve eyesight, mix honey with carrot juice. Drink an hour before meals in the morning.Natural honey causes a lower rise in blood sugar than refined sugar for Type 2 diabetic patients.

A little unprocessed honey may be added in their drinks when they crave some sweetness in their diet.(Courtesy : The Sunday Express)


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1. Complete the following sentences . [1 5 = 5 marks]

(a) By saying, Go honey writer means to say that _________________________________________

(b) The nutritionists across the world preferred honey to sugar because _________________________

(c) Honey help in lowering cholesterol and blood lipid levels by ______________________________

(d) Medi-honey can work wonders ______________________________________________________

(e) Natural honey can help Type-2 diabetic patients by _______________________________________

2. (a) Words from the passage are given below. Give the meaning of each word as used in the passage.One-word answers or short phrases will be accepted. [1/2 4 = 2 marks]

(a) calories ___________________________________________________________________________

(b) combat ___________________________________________________________________________

(c) resistant __________________________________________________________________________

(d) intake ____________________________________________________________________________

3. Complete the following table. One is solved for you. [1 3 = 3 marks]

Cause Effect

(i) Corbohydrate compounds generate heat, create and replace energy(ii) Adequate intake of honey during a day ____________________________________

(iii) Honey mixed in carrot juice ____________________________________(iv) Honey mixed in ginger juice ____________________________________


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ASSIGNMENT A-12


An important reason for ants success is their ability to talknot with words but withtastes and smells. Their vocabulary is made up of a mixture of substances they producein various parts of their bodies and emit via their glands. The so-called pheromones aresignals that other ants can smell and taste. The messages they communicate set off aspecific kind of behaviour fetching food, for instance, or looking after the brood orfeeding the queen. Furthermore, ant-talk is not limited to food. Ants use a hundreddifferent scents to communicate a hundred different messages. With such a sophisticatedarray of messenger fragrances, ants organise complicated tasks with close-to-perfectefficiency.

Every ant is a specialist with a vocation of its own. The queen has one of the biggestworkloadslaying eggs round the clock. Despite the presence of a queen, an ant colonyis not a monarchy. The word queen is actually a misnomer. She doesnt reign over theothers, says Holldobler. Shes a machine for laying eggs. From morning till night sheproduces her daughters, the sterile workers of the colony. Males dont have to do muchand the queen only produces them when reproduction time is approaching. Their mainjob is to fertilise the winged females. After that they die.

Messengers dont have much free time either. When you see a handful of ants scur-rying around in the kitchen without any apparent purpose, it doesnt mean theyve losttheir bearings. Theyre scouts foraging for food. Once theyve found something edible,they report back to base, depositing their chemical spores on the way. Food located,please collect, is the taste and smell message for the other members back at the nest.

Very soon, long chains of worker-ants begin scurrying back and forth from their nestferrying food which they hand over to ants who specialise in housekeeping. The dutiesof these ants include keeping the nest in good order and cleaning and feeding the queen.

Jet ants settle in hollow trees where they build papery structures to live in. In thesetrees they keep herds of greenflies which they actually milk in the same way we milkcows. Its a model partnership. To satisfy their need for amino acids, the greenflies haveto ingest large quantities of sap. As a result, surplus sugar forms in their bodies whichthey excrete through their rear ends. This so-called honeydew is the jet ants main sourceof nourishment. In return, the ants see to it that the greenflies dont get stuck fast in theirown honey and also protect their herds from marauding predators such as ladybirds. Itsa form of dairy farming, says Holldobler.

Dairying is only one of the many ingenious ideas ants have come up within the courseof evolution. Small red wood ants, for example, regulate the temperature in their high-rise anthills by sunbathing on warm spring days and then scuttling back to the nestdouble quick to give off the warmth theyve soaked up.

An ant colony, Holldobler says, is an almost perfectly organised network of equalstatus elements complementing one another in all they do. Ants will do anything as longas its in the service of the common weal. Maybe socialism does work after all undercertain circumstances, Holldobler grins. Karl Marx just had the wrong species inmind.


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1. Complete the following sentences taking cues from the passage. [1/2 4 = 2 marks]

(i) Jet ants settle in hollow trees where __________________________________________________

(ii) Jet ants keep herds of greenflies which ________________________________________________

(iii) Greenflies have to ingest large quantities of sap to satisfy ________________________________

(iv) Jet ants main source of nourishment is_______________________________________________

2. Answer the following questions briefly. [1 4 = 4 Marks](a) Why is the word queen a misnomer?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

(b) When do the chains of worker-ants move about in a hurry?_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

(c) What is referred to as milk from greenflies?_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

(iv) What do greenflies receive in return for giving milk to the ants?_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

3. Find words from the passage which mean the same as the following. [1/2 4 = 2 marks](a) Order or arrangement(b) To look for(c) Killers, those who live by killing(d) To walk in haste

Ans. (a)________________ (b) ________________ (c) ________________ (d) ________________4. Complete the table given below : [1/2 4 = 2 marks]

Types of Ants Works They Do

(i) Queen Ant (i) ________________________

(ii) Messenger Ants (ii) ________________________

(iii) Worker Ants (iii) ________________________

(iv) Housekeeping Ants (iv) ________________________

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