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A Legend OF the Northland Answers to Text book questions Thinking about the Poem I. 1.Which country or countries do you think “the Northland” refers to? (ANS)The Northland” could refer to any extremely cold country in the Earth's north polar region, such as Greenland, the northern regions of Russia, Canada, Norway etc. 2.What did Saint Peter ask the old lady for? What was the lady’s reaction? (ANS)Saint Peter asked the old lady for one of her baked cakes to satisfy his hunger. The lady tried to bake a small cake for the saint. 3. How did he punish her? (ANS)He punished the lady by changing her into a woodpecker that built “as birds do” and gathered scanty food by boring in the “hard, dry wood” all day long. 4. How does the woodpecker get her food? (ANS)The woodpecker gets her food by boring holes into trees. 5. Do you think that the old lady would have been so ungenerous if she had known who Saint Peter really was? What would she have done then? (ANS)No, the old lady ...

ARTICLE WRITING You decide to write an article in the school magazine on cleaning and rejuvenating the Ganga. Write an article in about 150-180 words. Cleaning and Rejuvenating the Ganga                           -Rajiv/ Radhika The Ganga is not merely a river for all the Indians and more particularly to the Hindus, but it is the lifeline of India and the physical and spiritual nourisher of crores of its people. It is a symbol of India’s great heritage, ancient traditions, cultures, songs and stories. We can’t think of India without the Ganga and the Himalayas. Unfortunately, the sacred Ganga has become one of the most polluted rivers of the world in recent years. Fortunately, the Modi government has shown its commitment to clean and rejuvenate the Ganga. Uma Bharti heads a specially created ministry for cleaning the holy river. Cleaning the Ganga will be an unprecedented national social effort. What makes the Ganga...

Descriptive Writing of an Event  Sample 1 : Milwaukee Native American Indian Festival The Milwaukee Native American Indian Festival is truly and amazing event. For three days in September every year, thousands gather in Milwaukee, USA, to celebrate Indian culture. Last year, I was lucky enough to attend the festival and experience it for myself. The preparations take months. Dance teams from all over the country practise to compete in the tribal Pow Wow dance contest. Indian craftsmen work to produce the many traditional items on display. Then, in the week before the festival, the stalls are put up and the food is prepared, so that everything is ready for the big day. The celebrations began at 4pm and there was plenty to see and do. I visited a traditional Indian village, watched skilled craftsmen carve totem poles, and even learned how to do tribal Indian dancing. It was also a great opportunity to sample some traditional native dishes. The festival was fun, entertaining a...

THE snake and the mirror Answers to Text book questions I. Write the answer in short . (30-40 words) 1. “The sound was a familiar one.” What sound did the doctor hear? What did he think it was? How many times did he hear it? When and why did the sounds stop? (ANS)The doctor heard a familiar sound caused by the movement of something on the beam as returned to his room after a meal. He thought it was the sound made by the rats that infested his room. He heard this sound three times, after short intervals and it stopped when the snake fell down with a thud on the floor, as if a rubber tube had fallen. When he turned, he saw a snake that wriggled over the back of the chair and landed on his shoulder. 2. Which two ‘important’ and ‘earth-shaking decisions did the doctor make as he looked at his image in the mirror? (ANS)The doctor made two decisions after looking at himself in the mirror. The first was that he would shave daily and grow a thin moustache in order to look more handsome...

SAMPLE THE TEEN BATIA BHAVAN  Col .Vishwanathan retired from the Army and bought a house called the Teen Batia Bhavan in the quite town of Hazaria. Having fought three wars, it made no difference to him that the house was supposedly haunted. On his first day in the Teen BatiaBhavan, Col. Vishwanathan settled down in an arm chair in front of his T.V suddenly, the lights went off and the room was plunged into darkness. “Here, Gitten Ram,” Col. Vishwanathan called to his house-keeper. “Beware. Don’t shout,” said a hoarse voice. The Colonel looked up in surprise. Hovering him over the air was a soldier in armour. “My dear fellow,” said Col. Vishwanathan in a voice filled with admiration, “ I don’t know how you do this levitation. Especially seeing as you are dressed in a fancy dress party.” The ghost gave a withering cry. Oh Sir, don’t scream so. I like a bit of peace in the evening,” said the colonel. “Would you like to have a drink with me?” The ghost screamed again and continued ...

The happy prince Answers to Text book questions 1. Why do the courtiers call the prince ‘the Happy Prince’? Is he really happy? What does he see all around him? (ANS)While the prince was alive he lived in his palace. No sorrow was allowed to enter. The prince was always happy. He did not know what sorrow was. So the courtiers called him the ‘Happy Prince’. But after his death, his statue was put on a high pedestal. Now he could see the misery of poor people all around. It made him very sad. 2. Why does the Happy Prince send a ruby for the seamstress? What does the swallow do in the seamstress’ house? (ANS)The Happy Prince sees that the poor woman’s son is ill. The boy is asking oranges. But the poor woman has no money. So the Happy Prince sends a ruby for her. The swallow puts the ruby on a table. He fans the boy’s forehead with his wings. The boy gets relief and falls into deep sleep. 3. For whom does the prince send the sapphires and why? (ANS)The prince sends one sapphire f...

The kingdom of fools Answers to Text book questions: 1. What are the two strange things the guru and his disciple find in the Kingdom of fools? (ANS)Everything was different in the kingdom of fools. People worked in the night and slept during the day. Not only have the human beings even the animals stayed awake at night. Anything and everything could be bought for a ‘Duddu’. A ‘Duddu’ could buy a mass of rice as well as a bunch of bananas. 2. Why does the disciple decide to stay in the Kingdom of Fools? Is it a good idea? (ANS)The disciple thinks of the easy life ahead. He didn’t want to leave the kingdom because everything was cheap. The disciple wanted only good cheap food. He dreams of relishing every rich food on offer as everything cost same in that kingdom. In the end the idea did not prove good for the disciple was chosen to be executed a he fit the stake due to his large size. 3. Name all the people who are tried in the king’s court, and give the reasons for their trial...

Iswaran the Storyteller CHARACTER SKETCH Iswaran Iswaran was Mahendra’s cook and was an asset to him. He was dedicated to his master and followed him uncomplainingly to all his postings. He would cook for him, wash his clothes, and also chat with him at night. He had the ability to improvise cooking material even at the remotest place and cook delicious dishes in a very brief time. Iswaran was fond of reading popular Tamil thrillers. Their imaginative descriptions and narrating styles would fascinate him. He became a master storyteller by adopting the art of storytelling from these novels. He would always add suspense and surprise even to the smallest incident and could make up innumerable stories on different subjects. While describing, he would get so involved that he would jump about on the foor. He would narrate the story in installments and would deliberately leave it unfinished midway. On returning, he would not pick it up right away till Mahendra reminded him to. In this ma...