ENGLISH-1ST PAPER- PROSE(XI) CHAPTER-3 & 4

             Lesson -3

                                                   The Ant and The Grasshopper                 - W. S. Maugham

 Short answer types questions:

Q .1) What was the writer made to learn when he was a small boy?

Ans.) When the writer was a small boy he was made to learn by heart, certain of the fables of  La fountain.

Q .2) Why was the writer asked to learn the fable about ‘The Ant and The Grasshopper’?

Ans.) The writer was asked to learn the fable about ‘The Ant and The Grasshopper’ because it was very useful for the young people. It has good moral in itself. It teaches us that ‘Hard Work Is Rewarded And Laziness Is Punished’.

Q .3) What lesson does one learn from the fable ‘The Ant And The Grasshopper’?

Ans.) One can learn from the fable that a hard working man always enjoys pleasure and respect in life but an idle man has to suffer a lot in the world.

Q .4) What announcement did tom make one day? What did he do to fulfill his wishes?

Ans.) One day tom announced that he did not like work and he was not suited for marriage. He wanted to enjoy himself. He left his wife and office to enjoy in the capital of Europe.

Q .5) What did Tom and Cronshaw do at Monte Carlo?

Ans.) Tom and Cronshaw spent a happy month at Monte Carlo.

Q .6) When did George Ramsay stop giving money to Tom and why?

Ans.) When Tom Ramsay did not settle down properly ,George Ramsay stopped giving money to Tom.

Q .7) What method did Tom use to get money from George?

Ans.) Tom managed to get money from George by promising him to make a fresh start.

Q .8) What ways did Tom adopt to blackmail his brother George ?

Ans.) Tom started shaking cock-tail in a bar and became a Taxy driver to blackmail George. He also showed him fear of going to jail.

Long answer types question:

Q .1) What is the lesson one learns from the fables of ‘The Ant And The Grasshopper’? Does the writer agree with it? Whom do you like most George or Tom Ramsay?

Ans.) The moral of the fable ‘The Ant And The Grasshopper ’ is that in this world-“Hard Work Is Rewarded And Idleness Is Punished”. It means that if a man works hard, he will pass a happy life while a lazy man will have to suffer much.

            But the author was not agree with this moral. He tells us that in reality it does not happen so. He gives us an example of two real brother – George Ramsay and Tom Ramsay. George is the elder brother of Tom. He was good, honest and hard working person.

            He worked daily more than eight hours in his office. He was a good father and a good husband. He loved the honour of his family. He  used to help Tom in spite of his bad habits. He works hard like an ant.

On the other hand Tom was a cheat and useless person. He always borrowed money never to pay back. He often blackmailed his brother for money. He left his wife and office. He lost money in gambling. He spent money on pretty girls. He was not true to his words. He never liked a work like an ant. But in the end Tom became a very rich man with a lot of money and property. And good George ended in poverty. So the author did not see natural justice. In the world and fable he saw that the lazy person were not punished by the society and hard working man suffer much in life.

                After seeing the life of these two real brothers, I like and honour the character of George very much. As his life is the centre of good merits.

I have got a good moral lesson from his life. His life gives me moral power that is the secret of peaceful and successful life.

                     Explanation

1. I do not ascribe…………………………………………………………………………….to the lesson.

Reference : These lines have been taken from the lesson ‘The Ant and The Grasshopper’ written by W. S. Maugham.

Context : Here the writer tells a story about an ant and the grasshopper and he learnt from this story that ‘Hard work is rewarded and laziness is punished’. Like an ant and the grasshopper work he is telling a story of George and Tom Ram says. Both are the real brother but different from their work.

Explanation : In this passage the writer says that in his childhood he could not agree with this moral. Its reason was that he thought that due to proper thinking and common sense. Immaturity was another reason. He always had the sympathy with the grasshopper which did nothing and only sing and danced. No doubt in actual life also generally the same thing is noticed. Hard work George suffered much in his life while lazy Tom passed a comfortable luxurious life.

2. I could not help……………………………………………………………………………….out my hand.

Reference- context :previous.

Explanation: one day the writer saw George Ram say taking his lunch all alone in a restaurant. He was so gloomy that the writer had never seen him in such a mood. He was looking in to the space. The writer had full sympathy with George. He guessed that his brother tom would have trouble him again. The writer stood near him and held his hand.

Comprehension

1. suppose every family…………………………………………………………………..money was spent.

Q.1  Who is the black sheep in the paragraph? Why is he called so?

Ans. Tom is the black sheep in the paragraph. He is so called because he is good for nothing.

Q.2 Describe the early life of Tom. OR How did Tom begin his life?

Ans. Tom had a decent early life. He was well to do in his business. He was quite satisfied with his married life.

Q.3 what went wrong with tom one day? OR What did Tom announce one day?

Ans. One day Tom announced all of a sudden that he did not like work and was not fit for marriage.

Q.4 Why were Tom’s relation profoundly shocked?

Ans. When Tom’s relations found that he borrowed money, they were profoundly shocked.

Q.5 what, according to the author, is a common problem in every family?

Ans. The problem in every family is that it has a black sheep.

Q.6 What type of people had the Ramsays been?

Ans. The Ramsays had been perfectly respectable people.

Q.7 How did Tom believe the expectations of Ramsays?

Ans. Tom believe the expectations of Ramsays by announcing that he did not like work and that he was not suited for marriage. He wanted to enjoy himself.

2. Poor George………………………………………………………………………………growing old too.

Q.1 How old did George look?

Ans. George looked sixty years old. His real age was 47.

Q.2 How punctual was George in his duty?

Ans. George was so punctual in his duty that he always reached his office at nine-thirty and remained there till six.

Q.3 What kind of husband and father was George?

Ans. George was a faithful husband and the best father.

Q.4 What was George’s plan after retirement?

Ans. George’s plan after retirement was to cultivate his garden and play golf.      

Fill in the blanks

1. In modern times every family has a Black Sheep.

2. When the writer was a very small boy, he was made to learn a fable of  la fountain.

3. In olden time kite flying was a famous  sport for people.

4. When George stopped helping tom, started working in a bar.

5. William C. Douglas came to know that Indians have a strong passion for freedom. 

                                                                      Lesson -4

                                                           The Kite Maker                                - Ruskin Bond

Short answer types questions:

Q .1) How did Ali lose his kite?

Ans.) Ali’s kite was caught in the branches of old Banyan tree.

Q .2) What did the old man say when he heard that Ali had lost his kite?

Ans.) When the old man heard that Ali had lost his kite , he asked if the twine break as the twine was not, what it used to be.

Q .3) Why did the old man continue to make kites even when his shop was no longer there?

Ans.) The old man’s shop was no longer there, even then he continued to make kites for his own amusement and as play thing for his grand  son Ali.

Q .4) Why did many people not buy kites?

Ans.) The kite flying was no more in fashion. The grown up people disliked to fly kites. The children spent their money at the films. They did not buy kites.

Q .5) What had given Mahmood popularity through out the city? OR

Why was Mahmood well known through out the city?

Ans.) Mahmood’s arts of making good and special kites had given him popularity through out the city.

Q .6) Describe the special features of the kites. Mahmood had once made at the request of Nawab.

Ans.) It was a very special kite. It had a series of light paper, discs of small size. The face made on a discs had eyes of small mirrors. It was made in the shape of moving snake.

Q .7) What happened finally to the dragon kite?

Ans.) Finally the twine broke and the dragon kite go away towards the sun. It was lost to view, it was never found again.

Q .8) Why did no one visit Mahmood when he was old and his wife was coming to an end?

Ans.) No one visited Mahmood in his old age because everyone was hurried and worried in the heat of hope. The people had lost fellow feelings and the whole face of society was changed. So no one liked the old people like Mahmood.

Long answer types question:

Q .1)What differences does the writer describe between the days when mahmood was young and now when he was old?

Ans.) ‘The kite maker , is a famous essay of rush kind bond. In it the writer has told us a story of one old kite maker –Mahmood.

                            When he was young , The people had time for kites and daydreams. As a young man Mahmood made good and special kites. He was also an expert in flaying kites. But in his old age none liked to fly kite. So his business ended, his shop was sold and he became very poor.

             People once used together in a big crowd on the vast maidan for flaying kite. Mahmood would also fly some special kites before public and the nawab.

              Life became very busy in the old age of the kite maker. The adults were struggling for money. They had no time for flying kites. The children were more interested in cinema than in kites.

                          When Mahmood was young ,people used to care for their neighbors. When he was old, they stopped to see anyone. None cared about the old people. The big maidon was also no more.The family members of nawab had also become very poor . People did not sit under banyan tree to discuss their problems and plans. In the old age of Mahmood everyone was hurried and worried in the heat of hope.

              These are the changes that took place in the pattern of life when Mahmood was young and it was when he became old.

Explanation

1. There is a great……………………………………………………………………………..their last leaves.

Reference- These lines have been taken from the lesson ‘The kite maker’ written by Ruskin Bond.

Context-Here the writer says that there is a great similarity between trees and men and in this lesson the writer is a kite maker. He described kites and his features too.

Explanation- In these lines the writer compares trees with men. He says that there is a great similarity between them. Both of them grow slowly if they are not hurt in way and are supplied with food. When they are young, they look very bright. But as they advance in their age, they bend and become weak. In old age the limbs of men and the branches of trees become hard and can it be broken. Ultimately they die.

2. Mahmood was like the ………………………………………………………………characteristic of youth.

Reference-context- previous.

Explanation- Mahmood has become very old and Ali is very young. So the writer makes a comparison between Mahmood and banyan tree and Ali and Mimosa. He says that the twisted hands of Mahmood are like the roots or banyan tree. Ali is like a young Mimosa plant and he will get strength and confidence as he grows. These are the characteristics of youth.

                                                                              comprehension

 1.Yes, those were……………………………………………………………………………..time of partition.

Q.1 How many of his sons were with him in later years?

Ans. In later years, Mahmood had one son with him.

Q.2 Why did people call on Mahmood when he was sick?

Ans. When Mahmood was sick, people came to ask after his health.

Q3. How do you know that Mahmood was very popular when he was younger?

Ans. When he was younger, many people visited him to enquire about his health. He was very popular as a kite maker.

Q.4 why did people like Mahmood?

Ans. People like Mahmood because he made wonderful kite.

2.There is a great………………………………………………………………………characteristics of youth. 

Q.1 In what way does the writer compare man with trees?

Ans. The writer compares the men with trees because their growth is the same. In youth both are full of vigour and Charm and in their last days both lose strength.

Q2. What have Mahmood and Ali been compared to?

Ans. Mahmood and Ali have compared to the banyan and mimosa respectively.

Q3.Do you think if they have rightly been compared to give reason?

Ans. Yes, they have been rightly compared to because the body of Mahmood .

Q4.What would  both  Ali and the tree acquire when they grew young?

Ans. Ali and plant would acquire strength and confidence when they grey.

Q5. How do trees behave in the sun.

Ans.Trees stretch their brittle in the sun.

Q6.what do you understand by the words,’resplendent creatures?

Ans. Resplendent creatures’means the bright, colorful and impress trees.

Fill in the blanks

1. When Mahmood was young, The days were leisurely and comfortable.

2. There is a great affinity between trees and men.

3. Everyone had heard of the Dragon kite.

4. The old man remembered a time when grownups flew kites from maidan.

5. There was an old banyan tree in the street Ram nath.