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My Childhood

Answers to text book questions. Answer these questions in one or two sentences each. 1. Where was Abdul Kalam’s house? Abdul Kalam’s house was on mosque street in Rameshwaram. 2. What do you think Dinamani is the name of? Give a reason for your answer. The fact that Abdul Kalam used to read headlines, to know about the war and the fact that his cousin was newspaper distributor indicate that Dinamani is the name of a newspaper. 3. Who were Abdul Kalam’s school friends? What did they later become? One of his friends Ramanadha Shastry became a priest in Rameshwaram, Aravindam went into a business of tour operator and Shivaprakasan became a catering contractor with Southern Railways. 4. How did Abdul Kalam earn his first wages? When there was a suspension of the train halt at Rameswaram, Abdul’s cousin asked him for help in collecting newspaper bundles which were thrown from the moving train. This task helped Abdul Kalam earn his first wages. 5. Had he earned any money befo...

A legend of the northland

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

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

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

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 short story

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

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...