Unit 4
Look at the pictures and identify who they are. Write their names in the given spaces. The quotes against each picture may also help you recognise them.
1st picture … Rabindranath Tagore
2nd picture .. Albert Einstein
3rd picture .. Helen Keller
4th picture .. Subhash Bose
- How do the quotes reflect the beautiful mind of the Notes personalities mentioned? Discuss in pairs of four, jot down your points, and then present to the class.
1st picture.. Tagore .. “It is very simple to be happy, but very difficult to be simple”. This quote of Tagore throws light on the iconic literateur’s universal and extremely liberal mindset. Tagore was a simple man of simple habits, but his thinking was lofty and heavenly. Almost all his novels, short stories and poems were rooted in the underprivileged and disadvantaged classes of society.
2nd picture.. Albert Einstein .. Einstein had a mathematical brain that baffled everyone, and continues to confound even the elite intellectuals of today. He was extremely stubborn knowledge hunter and a passionate pursuer of the secrets of nature that were beyond the capacity of human intelligence.
3rd picture .. Helen Killer .. Hellen Keller had a heart that suffused with compassion and sympathy. Despite her enfeebled eyesight, she continued to actively campaign for the rights of the physically handicapped people. She was an astounding author too. Her quote reveals her highly productive mind that never felt weakened by her near-zero eyesight.
4th picture .. Subhash Bose .. Subhash Bose was a patriot and a visionary. He was both audacious and a daring planner. The quotes reveals his innate desire to sacrifice himself for his people. His life ended mysteriously, but people still worship him as the greatest and the boldest Indian to be ever born.
Reading Comprehension
Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
Text I
The World as I See It
In my opinion, the present symptoms of decadence are explained by the fact that the development of industry and machinery has made the struggle for existence very much more severe, greatly to the detriment of the free development of the individual. But the development of machinery means that less and less work is needed from the individual for the satisfaction of the community’s needs. A planned division of labour is becoming more and more of a crying necessity and this division will lead to the material security of the individual. This security and the spare time and energy which the individual will have at his command can be made to further his development. In this way the community may regain its health, and we will hope that future historians will explain the morbid symptoms of present-day society as the childhood ailments of an aspiring humanity, due entirely to the excessive speed at which civilization was advancing. (An extract from The World As I See It by A. Einstein)
1. What is responsible for the present degradation of individual development?
Ans .. As machines were invented, manufacturing and processing activities shifted from manual mode to machines mode. Productivity soared dramatically, so did the availability of free time for human beings. To spend such free time, many workers indulged in immoral and wasteful activities. This trend corrupted the society. Human life got degraded.
2. What is the meaning of development in relation to individuals?
Ans .. Development is desirable as it results in growth and prosperity, but it has a negative side too. Individuals can either be ruined or intellectually elevated depending upon how they make use of their enhanced earning and extended free time.
3. What is the ‘planned division of labour’? How will it be helpful in human development?
Ans .. Planned division of labour will result in higher skill levels, more dedicated involvement in professional activities and over all, progress of humanity in the right direction.
4. What does the phrase ‘symptoms of decadence’ mean in the opening line?
(a) diagnosis of degradation (b) warning signs of depravity (c) signs of prosperity (d) diagnosis of indifference
Ans .. (b) Warning signs of depravity
5. The phrase ‘crying necessity’ in the opening paragraph means:
(a) urgent need (b) weeping need (c) sad need (d) average need
Ans .. (a) Urgent need
6. Circle the odd one out
(a) presence, distance, existence, being, alive (b) possible, feasible, probable, unthinkable, obtainable (c) violence, assault, roughness, passivity, fierceness (d) conflict, contest, contention, rivalry, accord (e) consolation, compassion, annoyance, sympathy, support
Text II
Read the following text and answer the questions.
When Einstein wrote to Gandhi
In 1931, Albert Einstein wrote the following short letter of admiration to another of the world’s greatest minds, Mohandas Gandhi. Despite their intentions, the pair never met in person.
Respected Mr. Gandhi,
I use the presence of your friend in our home to send you these lines. You have shown through your words, that it is possible to succeed without violence even with those who have not discarded the method of violence. We may hope that your example will spread beyond the borders of the country, and will help to establish an international authority, respected by all, that will take decisions and replace war conflicts. With sincere admiration I hope that I will be able to meet you face to face someday.
With sincere admiration
Yours (Signed, ‘A. Einstein’)
Gandhi’s response
LONDON, October 18, 1931
DEAR FRIEND, I was delighted to have your beautiful letter sent through Sundaram. It is great consolation to me that the work I am doing finds favour in your sight. I do indeed wish that we could meet face to face and that too in India at my Ashram.
Yours Sincerely (Signed, ‘M.K Gandhi’)
(Source: Letters of Note, Volume 2, by Shaun Usher)
1. Albert Einstein admired M.K. Gandhi because: [tick (P) the right answer]
(a) Gandhi discarded the method of violence.
(b) Gandhi showed that it is possible to succeed without violence with those who have discarded the method of violence.
(c) Gandhi showed that it is possible to succeed without violence only with those who have discarded the method of violence.
(d) Gandhi showed that it is possible to succeed without violence with all irrespective of whether they have continued or discarded the method of violence.
2. Where did Gandhi wish to meet Einstein? [tick (P) the right answer]
(a) his residence in London
(b) his Ashram in India
(c) his Ashram in London
(d) during his tour to London
3. Why does Einstein want Gandhi’s example to go beyond India?
Ans ..Einstein was convinced that Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence could rid the human race of hatred, bloodshed, and destruction. This is why he adored Gandhi as a path-breaking revolutionary.
4. You have read the chapter and the exchange of letters between A. Einstein and M. K. Gandhi. What similarities do you find in the ideas of both the personalities?
Ans .. Both individuals were deeply respectful of each other. They both wanted an end to violence and destruction that have plagued the human race from the time immemorial.
5. Find the opposites of the words given below from Einstein’s letter.
(a) impossible___possible
(b) fail__succeed
(c) peace__violence
(d) absence__presence
(e) enemy_–friend
6. In the context of Gandhi’s response to Einstein’s letter, ‘finds favour in your sight’ means:
(a) satisfied you
(b) delighted you
(c) appreciated by you
(d) not accepted by you
Text III
If
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, don’t deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t 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 you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with wornout 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: “Hold on”;
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 seconds’ worth of distance run—
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!
—Rudyard Kipling
1. Which lines in the poem tell us to have self control, a clear head and not to become bitter when people speak against us? Stanza 1
Answer – “If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you;” “Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;” – These are the lines in the poem that tell us to have self-control.
2. One must be just as graceful in losing as he is in winning. What are the two words in the poem that can replace the underlined ones? Stanza 2
Answer – One must be just as graceful in disaster as he is in triumph.
3. In the third stanza what does the poet mean by ‘And lose, and start again’?
Answer – By ‘And lose, and start again’, the poet means that one must be indifferent to winning and losing. A lose does not mean the end of the world. One must have the courage to resume back from the square one.
4. There is a necessity to treat all people equal and amidst people we should not lose our self ‘who we are’? How has the poet expressed this in the fourth stanza?
Answer – The poet begins the fourth stanza by saying that one should not lose his virtue to the crowd. He says that one should act indifferently in the company of aristocrats and the commoners. He further adds that, if one is strong from within, he would not be hurt by either his enemies or his loving friends. This is how he expresses the necessity to treat all people equally without losing ourselves.
5. List two things from each stanza that we can do to make the Earth ours, as given in the poem.
Answer – Stanza 1 –
i) Keeping calm when others are against us
ii) Not internalizing negativity when faced with the same
Stanza 2 –
i) Remaining indifferent in winning and losing
ii) Having the fortitude to face losing everything we have devoted our lives to
Stanza 3 –
i) Starting back from square one when everything is lost
ii) Continuing to be resilient when everything falls apart
Stanza 4 –
i) Treating everyone equally
ii) Remaining unaffected by hurtful words by either friends or foes
Vocabulary
1. Read the paragraphs mentioned against each explanation and find out the words in that paragraph which best match the explanation given. Refer to the chapter ‘A Truly Beautiful Mind’ given in your textbook, Beehive.
(a) A word used disapprovingly to talk about a person who is unusual and doesn’t behave like others._____________________________(paragraph 1)
Answer – Freak
(b) Taking part in an activity for pleasure, not as a job.____________________________ (paragraph 3)
Answer – Amateur
(c) Respecting and allowing many different types of beliefs or behaviour._________________(paragraph 5)
Answer – Liberal
(d) A person who is lacking in or hostile or smugly indifferent to cultural values, intellectual pursuits, etc.________________________________(paragraph 7)
Answer – Philistine
(e) Relating to work that needs special training or education.__________________________(paragraph 8)
Answer – Job
Different usages of Regret I regret to inform you that the musical concert is cancelled. I regret missing the study tour. Maya left her job with no regrets. Do you regret declining the offer to be the class monitor? 2. Einstein was a world citizen. This means he does not belong to one country because his contributions to science and the society have moved beyond the borders of his country. ‘World’ has different meanings in a variety of contexts. Read the sentences given below and find out the meanings of ‘world’ in each sentence.
(a) My mother means the world to me.
Answer – Everything
(b) Vasco da Gama sailed round the world.
Answer – The entire planet
(c) He is a big name in the world of fashion.
Answer – A particular field
(d) Stars from the sporting and artistic worlds participated in the function.
Answer – Two different fields
(e) She is a simple person in real world as well as in the movies.
Answer – In real day to day life
Grammar
Participle Clause
You have read about and done exercises on participle clauses (Beehive, p. 52). We know that participle clause is a form of adverbial clause which enables us to say information in a more economical way. We can use participle clauses when the participle and verb in the main clause have the same subject.
Example: Waiting for John, I made some tea.
1. Choose the correct option for the sentences below.
(a) Waiting for the doctor, ____________________________ ________________________________ [a big noise scared everybody, Dave read a magazine, the alarm went off]
Answer – Waiting for the doctor, Dave read a magazine.
(b) ____________________________________ in the jungle, George had to find the way out on his own. [having lost, lost, losing]
Answer – Lost in the jungle, George had to find the way out on his own.
(c) _____________________________________ our pottery will last for generations. [treating with care/you treat with care/treated with care]
Answer – Treated with care, our pottery will last for generations.
(d) ____________________________________ a holiday, all the banks were closed. [having been/been/ being]
Answer – a holiday, all the banks were closed.
(e) ____________________________________ for so long, he had lost all hope. [being unemployed/unemployed/ having been unemployed]
Answer – Having been unemployed for so long, he had lost all hope.
2. Join the following sentences using a present-participle as given in the example.
Example:
We walked along the footpath. We saw an accident.
Walking along the footpath, we saw an accident.
(Note: Out of the two actions, the one which takes place first is changed into present participle.)
(a) He stood by the side of a temple. He asked people to go in.
Answer – Standing by the side of a temple, he asked people to go in.
(b) She came out of the room. She greeted the visitors.
Answer – Coming out of the room, she greeted the visitors.
(c) He heard the news. He started crying.
Answer – Hearing the news, he started crying.
(d) He found the lock broken. He rang up the Police.
Answer – Finding the lock broken, he rang up the police.
(e) He felt sleepy. He went to bed.
Answer – Feeling sleepy, he went to bed.
Editing
There is an error in each line. Underline the incorrect word and write the correct word in the blank given. The first one has been done for you as an example.
I entered the manager’s office and sat down. entered
I have just lost five hundred rupees and I felt very upset.
(a) feel “I leave the money in my desk,” I said (b) had left “and it is not there now”. The manger was very sympathetic but he can do nothing. (c) could “Everyone loses money theses days,” (d) these he said. He start to complain about this wicked world, (e) started but is interrupted by a knock at the door. (f) was
Listening
Listen to the story given below. The teacher or your classmate will read the story aloud. Listen to it carefully and then answer the questions that follow.
Gautama Buddha was journeying through the Kosala region. He was warned not to pass through the deep jungle, as it was the den of a famous robber chief, Angulimala. He was the terror of the whole countryside. He lived by plundering travellers and feared no one. He had committed many murders. All attempts to capture the inhuman Angulimala had failed. So he continued his crimes unpunished. The people of Kosala pleaded with the Buddha not to expose himself to the dangers of the robber’s territory.
But Gautama Buddha knew no fear. The warnings of the people of Kosala did not affect him. He made his way into the jungle. Angulimala got enraged at this boldness. He was determined to kill the intruder. But when he saw the Buddha, calm and self-possessed, and heard his words of kindness, the robber hesitated. His arm, which had been uplifted to kill, fell helpless by his side. His wrath cooled, and he knelt down before the Buddha. He confessed all his sins and declared his faith in the Buddha. When the people saw the new disciple following his Master, they were amazed and could not believe that this was the ferocious man who had been a terror for so long. Angulimala became a monk. His past was forgotten, and he was widely respected for his holiness.
1. Why did the people of Kosala warn the Buddha not to go into the jungle?
Answer – The people of Kosala warned the Buddha to not go into the jungle as the famous robber chief named Angulimala lived there. People knew that Buddha would be endangering his life by exposing himself to the dreaded criminal.
2. Why was Angulimala considered to be a terror?
Answer – Angulimala was considered to be a terror as he livlihood depended on plundering the teavellers and murdering people at will. All attempts to catch had proved to be unsuccessful.
3. What enraged Angulimala when he saw the Buddha?
Answer – The boldness of the Buddha enraged Angulimala. Everybody feared him, so he expected the Buddha to fear him as well.
4. Why did the robber hesitate to kill the Buddha?
Answer – The hesitated to kill the Buddha because the he was deeply moved by the Buddha’s calm demeanor and kindness.
5. What kind of transformation took place in Angulimala?
Answer – The presence and words of the Buddha transformed Angulimala. He realized the pointlessness of his sub-human conducts. Wasting no time, he knelt down before the Buddha. He confessed all his sins and declared his faith in the Buddha.
6. Why did people start respecting Angulimala?
Answer – People started respecting Angulimala as he had turned into a monk having let go of his criminal activities.
Speaking
A debate competition is being organised in your school. Take a stand for or against this statement: “Our happiness in life depends entirely on our mental attitude.” Prepare an outline of the main points in the order in which you wish to present them (in about 100 words), giving reasons for your point of view.
• Debate is a contest between two speakers or two groups of speakers to show skill and ability in arguing.
• A proposition, a question or a problem is required for this purpose, which can be spoken for or against.
• To participate in a debate, one must prepare for it. So, one must prepare an outline of the ma argue.
• There are the limitations of time (only 5 to 6 minutes are allowed).
• The speaker addresses the audience. • Every topic/subject has its own vocabulary. These must be learnt.
• The speaker addresses the Chair (Mr President/ Madam), ‘submits’ an argument, ‘appeals’ for sympathetic understanding and support, ‘questions’ the opponent’s views and ‘concludes’ an argument. Write the outline of the main points, then make a presentation in the class.
Writing
• In groups of four, discuss in favour of or against the topic: “New technology is common, New thinking is rare.”
• Each group presents their points and the whole class brainstorms on the topic.
• Jot down all the points discussed.
• Write an argumentative article giving logical and relevant reasons along with your points of view.
Project
You have read about Stephen Hawking in Class VIII. Go through the text once again and gather information about his genius. You can also search web resources. Follow the steps given below and then write what made Hawking a genius.
(i) Who is a genius?
Answer – A genius is someone who has a remarkably unique insight of looking at the world. A genius has the power to look beyond the surface and unearth things that others can’t
(ii) What are the attributes that make a person a genius?
Answer – Extraordinary attributes, resilience, spectacular worldviews are some of the attributes that make a person a genius.
(iii) How is Stephen Hawking a genius?
Answer – Stephen Hawking is a genius as he managed to be a theoretical physicist despite being paralyzed. He endured unimaginable pain having been confined to a wheelchair from the age of 21.
(iv) What is he famous for?
Answer – He is famous for his being a theoretical physicist, cosmologist and an author.
(v) What books has he written?
Answer – He has written books titled “A brief History of Time”, “The Grand Design”, “The Universe in a Nutshell”.
(vi) Refer to the obituaries written by people on him and find out his inspiring qualities.
Answer – Some of the inspiring qualities of Stephen Hawking are resilience, mental fortitude, extraordinariness.