QUESTION NO IV 34
Reading Comprehension (A)
What Is Comprehension
Comprehension is the
noun form of Comprehend. To comprehend means to grasp mentally in order to have
full understanding of a thing. Comprehension is a person’s power of
understanding a given unseen passage. It is a very light exercise. The students
should first grasp the sense of the passage, fully understand the nature of the
questions and then answer the questions in their own words. The answers should
be brief and to the point. Thus comprehension plays a very significant part in
the mental development of the students in the art of learning English.
Things to Be Remember For
Comprehension
Given below are a few
topics for reading comprehensions may be pick from this topic
Current Events: Mostly, the passage is picked from a
recent development across the world, which may be hype and is in the news.
Economy Related: Passage related to economic growth or the
development of a country may also be put up in the comprehension part.
Social Sciences: This is another sector from which the
passage may be put forth in the Verbal Ability section.
Philosophy &
Psychology: The comprehension
may deal with philosophy and psychology topics, making the topic moderately
complicated for the candidate.
Imaginary Events: It is also possible that the passage may
be based on fictitious information which may not be realistic and just be
imaginary.
1. Hospitals – then and now
All of us have seen the inside of a Hospital sometime or the
other. Hospitals have a special smell of their own and seem very busy all the
time. But how did the idea of setting up a special place ever come about?
The ancient Greeks used the temples of their Gods of healing, as
resting places for the sick. So too, did the Egyptians, the Babylonians and the
ancient Indians. The Romans especially, began to realize the need for
hospitals. They were always at war, and their soldiers needed care and
treatment.
The idea of hospitals caught on, slowly, and then passed into
the church. By the 4th century, Church Hospitals had begun.
Centuries passed. By the 17th century, public hospitals were
founded in Britain by rich citizens who wished to serve the public.
The Hospital, as we see today, began to evolve only around 19th
century. People began to live .in better conditions. They felt the need for
more cleanliness and better, expert care. In the past, nuns and other members
of the church had done the nursing.
It was Florence Nightingale who began to feel the need for
trained nurses to care for the sick. She began the St.Thomas’s Hospital in
England. This was the first training college for nurses ever.
Hospitals soon began to have public wards and private rooms.
Today, any Hospital is a vast, complex organization. There are
doctors (physicians and surgeons] and nurses. There are other staffs like
receptionists, records staff, hospital managers, etc. They even have pharmacy.
Big Hospitals could have porters, orderlies, electricians,
carpenters, plumbers, security…. whew! Doesn’t that sound like a small town in
itself?
Question 1.
What did the ancient Greeks use as a resting place for the sick?
Question 2.
Why did the Romans realize the need for hospitals?
Question 3.
When did the church hospitals begin?
Question 4.
Ri h citizens in Britain founded Hospitals, because they
(a) wished to serve the public.
(b) wanted to make money.
(c) wanted business.
Question 5.
Name the first training college for nurses.
Question 6.
Fill in the blanks with appropriate words/ phrases
|
ERA |
PLACE FOR THE SICK |
|
Ancient |
Temples
of Gods of healing |
|
4th century |
Church Hospitals |
|
17th century |
Public Hospitals |
|
19th century |
Public wards and private rooms. |
Question 7.
Find synonyms from the passage for the following word.s.
(a) understand [paral]
(b) established [para4]
(c) dispensary [para8]
Question 8.
Find antonyms from the passage for the following words
(a) layman – (para5)
(b) personal – (para7)
2. The Moth and the Star
A young and impressionable moth once set his heart on a star. He
told his mother about this and-she counseled him to set his heart on a bridge
lamp instead, “Stars aren’t the things to hang around”, she said, “Lamps are
things to hang around”. “You get somewhere that way”, said the moth’s father.
“You don’t get anywhere chasing stars”. But the moth would not heed the words
of either parent. Every evening at dusk when the star came out he would start
flying towards it and every morning at dawn he would crawl back home worn out
with his vain endeavor.
One day his father said to him, “You haven’t burned a wing in
months, boy, and it looks to me as if you are never going to. All your brothers
have been badly burned flying around street lamps and your sisters have been
terribly burnt flying around house lamps. Come on, now get out of here and get
yourself scorched! A big strapping moth like you- without a mark on him!”
The moth left his father’s house, but he would not fly around
street lamps and he would not fly around house lamps. He went right on trying
to reach the star, which was four and one third light years, or twenty five
trillion miles away. The moth thought it was just caught in the top branches of
an elm. He never did reach the star, but he went right on trying, night after
night, and when he was a very, very old moth he began to think that he really
had reached the star and he went around saying so. This gave him a deep and
lasting pleasure, and he lived to a great old age. His parents and brothers and
sisters had all been burned to death when they were quite young.
Answer the following questions in a phrase or a sentence.
Question 1.
A young and impressionable moth once set his heart on a
(a) bridge
(b) star
(c) tree
Question 2.
What advice did the mother give to the moth?
Question 3.
What did the moth do every evening?
Question 4.
How did the moth return home every morning?
Question 5.
How far was the star from the earth?
Question 6.
What did the moth do after leaving his father’s house?
Question 7.
What feeling gave the moth a deep and lasting pleasure?
Question 8.
The idiom “To set one’s heart” means
(a) desire a thing without joy
(b) desire a thing with joy
(c) desire a thing unknowingly
Question 9.
Find the antonym to ‘Dawn’ in the passage.
Question 10.
Give the noun form of’deep’.
3. Mankind is one Family
Half the world does not have enough to eat. Each year, as a
result, many millions die young. The bodies and minds of many more are
permanently damaged by hunger.
We say to you this suffering can be and must be stopped. When
all of us, in the rich and poor countries, make up our minds to stop it, we can
stop it.
The earth is ruled mainly by people out of touch with the young
world. They know that men starve and die in millions, but they think it more
important to make guns and bombs, to send us to fight one another, than to
provide food and water, schools and hospitals, so that we might feed and serve
one another
If you live in a poor country, demand enough food for your
countrymen. Do not turn your backs on the people who provide food: instead,
work with them for rural development.
If you are educated in special knowledge and skills, remember
that science and technology that can send men into space, need only to be
released into poor countries to work even greater miracles.
If you are a parent, resolve to end the sufferings of children.
Know, too, how to plan the size of your family, so that the progress of all is
not endangered.
Let us make it plain to the rulers that the division of the
world into rich and poor must end. The many billions spent on armaments must be
spent to develop the world. Let them know, too, that if political or financial
systems prevent a just distribution of food and wealth, these systems must be
replaced.
Above all we must show our willingness to work for world
development.
Mankind is one family in which each of us has a duty to help
others.
Answer the following in a word or a sentence each.
Question 1.
Why do many millions of people die young?
Question 2.
What kind of people rule the earth?
Question 3.
What do the rulers think is more important?
Question 4.
What are the basic things the rulers are supposed to provide to the people?
Question 5.
A parent should know how to end the sufferings of his children by
(a) planning the size of his family
(b) earning plenty of money
(c) employing them in some occupations.
Question 6.
What should you make plain to the rulers?
Question 7.
According to the speaker, the many billions spent on armaments must be spent to
a. make guns
b. fight with each other
c. develop the world
Question 8.
Add a prefix to the word ‘willing’ to make its antonym.
Question 9.
The rulers wish to (possess/possession) bombs and guns.
Question 10.
How should mankind be?
The following pages can be used for further reading practice.
Students may be
encouraged to frame questions on them.
1. Catch the rain where it falls
Catch the rain where it falls was the rationale behind the
construction of several thousand tanks in Karnataka by our fore fathers. They
have been the life-line of the people and were protected as their main source
of water supply for drinking and irrigation.
Apart from meeting water supply and recharging underground
water, these water bodies have served as excellent habitats for plants, fishes,
frogs, etc. Some of them also support thousands of birds in certain seasons of
the year including migratory ones from distant lands.
Things have changed over the years. Bad planning and
mismanagement have turned these water bodies into reservoirs of wastes. Tanks
have been used for dumping garbage, Waste construction materials, discharge of
municipal sewage and industrial effluents. They are also drained to convert the
land into housing sites, commercial complexes, bus stands and stadiums.
A recent study conducted by the Indian Institute of Science
shows that Bangalore has lost about 40% of its y vater bodies over a period of
25 years. Of the remaining, 40% water bodies are polluted due to the inlet of
sewage. The famous Dharmabudhi tank of Bangalore has been drained to make
Majestic Bus Stand while the Sampangi tank has given way to the Kanteerava
Stadium.
The same has been the case with several of the twenty thousand
or more tanks in the other parts of the state. It is time we reverse this trend
and make efforts to conserve this life saving resource.
2. Alternative fuel
At a time when the use of fossil fuels to power vehicles is
making environmentalists angry, an alternative fuel -the bio-diesel has emerged
as a useful solution. Additionally, its use solves a disposal problem.
The fuel is nothing but used vegetable oil which has been tested
satisfactorily. It has made a vehicle called the Veggie Van (a motor home) run
more than 16,000 km across the United States. Also it has visited 20 major
cities causing absolutely no harm to the environment. Vegetable oil from
various restaurants in America was all that was used along the entire journey.
The novel experiment was started as college project by two students Joshna and
Kaia. It eventually ended in a massive public awareness programme.
The idea of using vegetable oil as fuel for a diesel engine
first occurred to them when , they visited a traditional farm in the
picturesque southern Germany where vehicles fuelled by vegetable oil were in
use. While studying agriculture and living on these farms, they noticed that
farmers were always filling tanks with a yellow liquid. “This fuel comes from
the canola plants which grow on our farms and nearby areas. We add it in the
diesel and it smells good,” farmers said.
The process of converting vegetable oil into bio-diesel fuel is
cheap and easy to find. Any vegetable oil, such as used cooking oil, methanol or
clear alcohol can be used as fuel.
The diesel engine which is being used, however, can run on
altered vegetable oil or biodiesel without any modification. Not only does bio-
diesel require zero modifications to the engine, this fuel works either by itself
or blended with petroleum diesel.
Bio-diesel has since been recognised as an official alternative
fuel in the U.S. Its use by the bus and truck fleet has soared by more than
1000 percent.
3. Remembering Gandhi’s Simplicity
Gandhi’s secretary Pyarelal in 1947 notes that Gandhi had said
‘Earth provides enough . for everyman’s need but not for everyman’s greed’.
According to Gandhi, greed was the cause of poverty; he also saw
greed as the root of all. Evil among hum
Answer: Rejection of greed is possible in all of us. Gandhi
suggests that if we examine our own accumulative instincts, we will ourselves
realize the ‘fewness of things’ we require.
This opposition between need and greed becomes the central
problem of today’s society and is very well exemplified by the comment in the
movie ‘Wall Street’ that ‘Greed is good’. Modern consumerist society builds
itself on the necessity of greed. Without sometimes explicitly calling it by.
This word, it is, nevertheless, the case that greed continues to. Play a major
role in contemporary culture through the use of other terms like competition,
merit, profit, margins and so on.
Our obsession with variety and difference in our personal lives
has led to a situation where we do not like to eat the same food items every
day. The most damaging illustration of this attitude is seen in what they have
done to the most innocent of all items: idli. Today, restaurants do not sell
just idlis. These have become passe and boring. Instead, you have ’fried
idlis’,’idli Manchurian’ ’idli masala’ and so on. The menu card has become the
modern face of India where our daily desire for variety is reflected.
One way to understand the difference between need and greed is
through the notion of simplicity. Gandhi embodied simplicity in many ways: his
dress, his commitment to a few principles such as truth and non- violence, his
controlled food habits, his spartan living quarters, his ashrams.
QUESTION NO V 35
Poems for Comprehension
1. OZYMANDIAS– Percy Bysshe Shelley
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said : two vast and trunk less legs of stone
Stand in the. desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
which yet survive, stamped on those lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal these words appear:
“My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Lock-on my works, ye Mighty, and despair I”
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.
Answer the following questions in a word, phrase or a sentence.
Question 1.
Who did the speaker meet?
Question 2.
Where did the traveler come from?
Question 3.
The one who reads the passions well is the
(a) speaker.
(b) traveler.
(c) sculptor.
2. PRAYER OF A BLACK BOY– GuyTirolien
Lord, I am so tired.
Tired I entered this world.
Far have I wandered since the cock crew,
And the road to school is steep.
Lord, I do not want to go into their school,
Please help me that I need not go again.
I want to follow father into the cool gorges.
When the night is hovering over magic forests
Where spirits play before the dawn. Barefoot,
I want to tread the red-hot paths,
That boil in midday sun,
And then lie down to sleep beneath a Mango tree.
And I want to wake up only
When down there the white man’s siren starts to howl,
And the factory.
A ship on the sugar fields.
Lands and spits its crew,
Of black workers into the landscape.
Lord, I do not want to go into their school,
Please help me that I need not go again.
Answer the following questions in a word, phrase or a sentence
each.
Question 1.
The speaker prays to
(a) the school teacher.
(b) the God.
(c) the white man.
Question 2.
The road to school is _______?
Question 3.
What is it that the speaker does not want to do?
QUESTION NO VI 36
Fill in the blanks with an appropriate form of verbs in the
paragraphs given in bracket.
Question 1.
The train was on fire.
Several people _______ (kill). The injured _______ (shift) to hospital. The
reason for the fire was unclear. A committee _______ (appoint) to investigate
the cause for the fire.
Question 2.
A function _______ (organize) to honour the eminent scientist professor CNR
Rao. He _______ (confer) the Bharat Ratna. Several dignitaries _______ (invite)
for the function. Many of his former students and acquaintances _______
(expect) to attend. Elaborate arrangements, _______ (make) for the function
Question 3.
Saving water is very important. Rain water, being the purest form
available, efforts _______ (should, make) to harvest it, The basic purpose of
water harvesting is to conserve water. This _______ (can, do) by collection in
a ground reservoir. The rooftop harvesting process is quite simple and doesn’t
cost much. First the roof top _______ (be, clean), an underground pipe _______
(be, insert) and linked to the rooftop as well as the underground reservoirs.
Then the water _______ (be, filter) before it reaches the underground reservoir.
Question 4.
The bull _______ (tie) to the tree outside Gafur’s house. It _______ (see)
by the priest Tarkaratna, who was coming from the zamindar’s house. Gafur
_______ (blame) by the priest for starving the bull. Tarkaratna _______ (send)
by the zamindar to talk to-Gafur. The rent for the hut _______ (not pay) by
Gafur. The priest told him that if ne did not pay it within three days, he
_______ (ask) to leave the hut.
QUESTION NO VI 37
Answers Reported Speech
Dialogues can be expressed in three ways
Dhruva : I have won the election. (Script form)
Dhruva said, “I have won the election.” (Quote form)
Look at the following:
(2) Rekha said that she had eaten her breakfast. (Indirect/Reported)
The first sentence (Direct Speech) has two
parts, while in the second sentence (Indirect Speech), the two parts Of the
sentence are combined into one.
Direct speech is the actual words of the speakers,
while indirect speech is reporting of the actual words.
Look at the following
sentences:
Alok said, “We must save
water.”
The General said to the soldiers, “Bomb the enemy camp.”
Aniketh said, “Can I go out
to play?”
The mother said to her son “Where have you left the keys?”
Gagan said to the guest, “Welcome! What a pleasant surprise!”
Notice
that the reporting verbs like emphasized, ordered, asked, said and exclaimed,
reflect the nature and tone of the different types of sentences.
1. Look at the dialogue between an American
and Swamy Ram Tirtha. Using this information complete the paragraph by writing suitable words or
phrases in the space provided.
American : Gentleman, where is your luggage?
Swamy Ram Tirtha : My whole luggage is on my body.
American : Where is your purse?
Swami Ram Tirtha : I don’t possess any money with me.
American : Do you have any friend in America?
Swami Ram Tirtha : Yes, I have one; you are that friend of mine.
When Swami Ram Tirtha visited America, he came
across an American who asked him ________ He replied to him that ________ whole
luggage ________ ‘Then-the – American asked him ________ Swami Ram Tirtha
replied that ________. The American asked ________ Swami Ram Tirtha replied
that ________.
Observe the changes:
1. No inverted commas are used in indirect
speech.
2. When the reporting verb is in past tense, the tense
of the verb in reported speech is changed from present to the corresponding
past.
Study the following list.
- Direct Speech – Indirect Speech
- do/does – did
- is/am/are – was/were
- has/have – had
- did – had done
- had done – had done
- was doing – had been doing
- shall – should/would
- will – would
- may – might
- can – could
- must – had to
- this – that
- these – those
- now – then
- ago – before
- today – that day
- yesterday – the previous day
- tomorrow – the next day/the following day
- here – there
Commonly used reporting verbs: said to, told, asked, complimented,
requested, informed, offered, apologized, ordered, wished, greeted, welcomed,
agreed, disagreed, pleaded, demanded, grumbled, believed, considered, opined,
remarked, repeated, exclaimed, suggested, decided etc.
Study the following sentences:
Keats said, ‘Truth is
beauty’. (D.S)
Vibha: I study for two
hours every day.
Sagar said, “The earth revolves around the sun.”
Rubina says,” I am doing my homework.”
Praveen will complain, “The rules are not followed.”
If the reported speech expresses a universal truth,
habitual action, historical, geographical or scientific fact, the tense of the
verb in indirect speech remains the same. Also when the reporting verb is
either in present or in the future, there is no change in the tense of the verb
in indirect speech.
Solved example:
Amit : What are you doing this weekend, Ullas?
Ullas : I don’t have any special plans.
Amit : How do you like the idea of a visit to Sakre Bailu?
Ullas : How lovely it sounds! But I have to ask my parents.
Amit : I will come to your house and request your parents.
EXERCISE
Question 1.
Read the following
dialogue and fill in the blanks with the appropriate indirect forms.
Yesterday Roshan attended an interview with the Manager of ICICI bank.
Roshan : May I come in, Sir?
Manager : Sit down, what is your name?
Roshan : My name is Roshan.
Manager : Can you drive a car?
Roshan : Yes, I can. I always drive the family around.
Roshan respectfully asked the Manager ________. The Manager
asked him to come in and ________. The Manager then asked him ________. Roshan
told him that he could drive and added that ________.
Question 2.
Read the following
dialogues and report the same in indirect speech.
Customer : I must be at that meeting at once.
I can’t spare another minute.
Barber : I know all about the meeting.
Customer : Then you’ll let me go there?
Barber : I am afraid, I won’t, sir.
Question 3.
“Who is that lady?”
the children asked their mother.
“She is a close friend, very dear to me,” said the mother.
“How come you never told us about her?”
“When the time comes, you will know everything.”
Question 4.
Reporter :
Congratulations Sachin! You have now another world record to your credit.
Sachin : God is great, I only enjoy my cricket.
Reporter : After 200 not out in an ODI, what next? Can we hope for 400 plus
innings in a test match?
Sachin : The love of my countrymen is my greatest strength.
Question 5.
Dona Laura : Do you
use a handkerchief as a shoe brush?
Don Gonzalo : Why not?
Dona Laura : Do you use a shoe brush as a handkerchief?
Don Gonzalo : What right have you to criticise my action?
Don Laura : A neighbour’s right.
Question 6.
Read the following conversation and complete the passage given below.
Policeman : What is her full name?
Woman : She is Veena Sharma.
Policeman : Can you describe her?
Woman : She is thin and fair in complexion.
The policeman asked the woman (a) ________.
The woman replied (b) ________Veena Sharma. The policeman further asked her (c)
________ The womãn said (d) ________ and fair in complexion.
(a) (i) that was her full name (ii) what her
full name is
(iii) what her full name was (iv) that what her full name was
(b) (i) if she was (ii) that she was
(iii) she was (iv) she is
(c) (i) whether she could describe her
(ii) whether she can describe her
(iii) if could she describe her
(iv) if she can describe her
(d) (i) that she was thin (ii) that she is thin
(iii) if she was thin (iv) is she is thin
QUESTION NO
VI 38
Answers Dialogue Writing
You are aware that language is used to perform different
functions in oral and written forms like asking for information, apologizing,
greeting and so on. Note, that to construct a dialogue, you must first try to
find out the relationship between the speakers. You must also be aware of the
context of the dialogue. The purpose of the dialogue is important to generate
an appropriate dialogue. Find out if the dialogue should include formal or
informal expressions. A dialogue begins with a greeting and ends with leave
taking.
Look at the following sample of a dialogue.
(Prof. Omkar wants to buy a new computer for his personal use.
He consults Mr. Raju, a Computer Engineer).
Omkar : Good evening, Mr. Raju. (Greeting)
Raju : Hello, Professor ! I’m seeing you after a long time. How are you?
(Introduction)
Omkar : Fine, thank you. I’m writing a book. But my computer is giving me a lot
of trouble. Now, I want to buy a new PC. Could you help me? (Sharing
information) (Problem / Complaint)
Raju : Certainly. Which PC do you have now?
Omkar : I have an old Pentium II processor. Now that I am quite familiar with
the computer, I can use a faster system.
Raju : Quite right. I think you should go in for a Pentium III.
Omkar : What technical specifications should I look for : (Seeking information)
Raju : Well, a 20 GB Hard Disc Drive and 128 MB RAM, I
suppose. That should be more than enough for your work. (Giving information)
Omkar : Thank you. See you tomorrow. (Leave taking)
Complete the following dialogues :
Exercise 1 :
Teacher : You are late
to class, Pradeep. (Complaining)
Padeep : Madam, _________ I _________ the bus the next bus (Apologizing)
leacher : In that case you should (Suggesting)
Pradeep : _________ (Agreeing, Leave taking)
Exercise 2 :
(Ra.hui and his wife
Latha plan to have a holiday. They discuss the options.)
Rahul : Latha, today r :j boss told me that I could take I vacition.
Latha : _________ (congratulating)
Rahul : _________ (suggesting)
Latha : _________ (disagreeing)
Rahu.l : _________ (giving an option)
Latha : How about Shimla ? It ill be lovely there.
Rahul : But you know i’m not much of a mountaineer.
latha : You love the sea, don’t you?
Rahul : ________________________.
Latha : Why don’t you call a travel agency, right away?
Rahul : ________________________.
Exercise 3 :
You and your friend
are at the cinema. You have got two seats on either side of a gentleman, who
offers to change his seat so that you and your friend can sit together.
Complete the dialogue given below.
You : Excuse me, sir. Could you please _________?
Gentleman : Oh yes, definitely. Where are your seats?
You : They are on either side of your seat.
Gentleman : __________________________
You : Thank you, sir. We’ve been waiting to see this movie together.
Gentleman : [understand. By the way ____________?
You : I am Aniket. ________________ ?
Gentleman : Fine thank you.
(Language functions expected – calling attention, requesting for a favour,
introducing, agreeing)
Exercise 4 :
(Ms. Shanta wants to buy a new TV set. She visits the showroom and talks to the
sales person there.)
Sales person : Good morning madam. Can I help you?
Ms. Shanta : ____________________
Sales person : Do you have any particular brand in mind?
Ms. Shanta : _____________________
‘ Sales person : Both are very good madam. We have the latest models.
Ms. Shanta : ______________________
Sales person : Certainly
Ms. Shanta : ___________________
(anguage functions expected-greeting, seeking information, making requests,
expressing gratitute)
Exercise 5 :
Neetu is interested in
doing a course in journalism. She calls up the Department of Journalism to find
out the details of the course. The Public Relations Officer answers the phone.
P.R.Q. : Good morning. Department of Journalism.
Neetu : __________ (Introducing and enquiring about the courses)
P.R.O. : We offer two courses. Bachelor of Communication and Journalism (BCJ)
and Master of Communication and Journalism(MCJ).
Neetu : ________ (request to know about the duration of the course).
P.R.O. : BD is a two year course and MCi isa one year course. Any graduate can
apply for BCJ and those who have passed BCJ can apply for MCi.
Neetu : _______ (ma king enquiry about selection)
P.R.O. : There will be a written test and interview.
Neetu : _________ (expressing gratitude)
Exercise 6 :
At a friend’s house,
while studying together for the examination :
Akshay : Today we have to complete three units of Thermodynamics. What do you
suggest?
Gagan : ________ (Agreeing)
Aravind : Shall we take a small break?
Akshay : _________ (disagreeing)
Gagan : It is already 10 pm. I must finish studying what we had decided on.
Akshay : __________ (asking about preferences)
Arvind : _________ (leave taking)
Exercise 7 :
Anu knocks on the door
of the doctor’s consulting room..
Doctor : Please come in.
Anu : (greeting and introducing)
Doctor : Please sit down. Now tell me about your problem.
Anu : ________ (giving information) .
Doctor : How long did it last? And when did your giddiness start?
Anu : _________ (giving more informalion)
Doctor : Let me examine you.
Anu : __________________
QUESTION NO
VI 40
Linkers
Linkers
are words that relate one idea or sentence of the text with another.
Linkers help us
establish our ideas explicitly (in a clear and detailed manner). They make it
easy for us to compare, contrast, illustrate, define and summarize our thoughts
and develop a coherent paragraph.
My
mother was an extraordinary
person and I should speak, above all, of her kindness
towards me. But I’ll tell you a secret of mine because I feel somewhat guilty for not having been a happy man in order to have given her a deserved happiness. Therefore I feel I should have been more understanding of her.
Can
you identify the function of the underlined words and mention them in the space
given below?
|
Connector |
Function |
|
and |
connecting, Addition |
|
but |
transition, Contrast |
|
because |
reason |
|
in order to |
purpose |
|
therefore |
summarise |
If these words are
missing, you can see that the paragraph does not convey the right meaning. These
words are called linkers.
Linkers
are words that relate one idea or sentence of the text with another.
Look At The Following Table:
Study the list of linkers and their functions.
|
Function |
Link Words |
|
Addition |
and, also, besides, moreover similarly, and then, what is
more, such as, then, in addition (to), too, next. |
|
Time |
when, while, as soon as, before, after, till, until,
eventually, as long as, since |
|
Place |
after, where, wherever |
|
Reason/cause |
because, as, that, since. |
|
Purpose |
in order that, so that, lest, |
|
Result |
so, such, consequently, in conclusion, as a result, in
all, thus, finally |
|
Concession |
though, although, even if, however, |
|
Manner |
as, as if, as though |
|
Comparison |
as- as, then, not so-as |
|
Condition |
if, unless, supposing |
Find
more such linking expressions.
A) Fill in the blanks with
the appropriate linkers, given in the brackets.
Question
1.
Aesop is a figure, clouded in so much mystery and legend ____ it is
difficult to know ____can be said about him. It is also strange to
believe ____ this
world-famous man was born a slave in the sixth century B.C. ____slaves
were bought and sold frequently. Aesop’s Greek master gave him liberty ____he
was impressed by his learning and wit. [because, that, what; when]
Question 2.
Alok was happy ____ he was selected to take part in ____the
car race. He gladly went the race was to take place. He was given a car
kit ____ he could build the body of the car using small pieces of wood.
Alok asked Abhi ____ he would help him. Abhi refused. ____ Alok did
not give up; he set out to make the car. [where, when, so that, however, if]
Question 3.
The rains had failed ____ all the wells and tanks had run
dry. ________overcome the problem, the municipal authorities sunk a number
of bore wells. ____they could supply water to the citizens. ____ the
situation was brought under control. [thus, so, therefore, in order to,]
Question
4.
In the summer, the rumor of a famine swept through the province ____ was a
baseless one ____ the crops were actually growing well ____ the
weather was perfect for a bumper harvest. ____ on the strength of that
rumor, thousands of small farmers abandoned their farms and fled to the
cities. ____ of this, crops failed, thousands starved ____the
rumor about the famine proved true. [and, which, because, as a result, moreover, but]
5. There was a king who
had one eye and one leg. _____ that he asked all the painters to draw
a beautiful portrait of him. ____ none of them could. How could they
paint him beautifully with the defects in one eye and one leg? ____ one
of them agreed and drew a classic picture of the King, ____ it was a
fantastic picture that surprised everyone. He painted the king aiming for a
hunt, targeting with one eye closed and one leg bent. [and, but, eventually, in
spite of]
Question 6.
There was a King who had one eye and one leg. ____ he asked all the
painters to draw a beautiful portrait of him. ____ none of them
could. How could they paint him beautifully with the defects in one eye and one
leg? ____ one of them agreed and drew a classic picture of the
King, ____ it was a fantastic picture and surprised everyone. He
painted the King aiming for a hunt, targeting with one eye closed and one leg
bent. [and, but, eventually,
however]
QUESTION NO
VII 41
Answers Note Making
Note making is a useful study skill. This involves two stages:
1. Reading and comprehending.
2. Identifying the main /sub points keeping the
purpose of the reading in mind.
We shall look at two formats for making notes.
Exercise:
Read the following passage
and the notes below it:
Soil is your garden’s
natural medium, so it is vital for the health and successful growth of your
plants and crops that you keep it well maintained. Soil is basically rock
that’s been ground down by the effects of the weather over a long period of
time and made fertile by decayed organic matter (derived from dead insects and
leaves). There are hundreds of different soil types, but they can broadly be
classified as sandy, loamy or clay, referring to their basic texture. It is
texture that affects the drainage, aeration and nutrient content of the soil
and you may have to take steps to improve on this in certain types of soil.
Take a handful of soil and run a small amount between your
forefinger and thumb. Although all soils contain varying proportions of sand,
silt and clay, you’ll readily be able to tell the difference between the main
types.
Sandy – soil feels gritty when dry and even its wet particles
will stick together. Loamy, on the other hand, can be moulded in the hand when
moist, but the particles aren’t at all sticky and gritty and are fairly loose
when dry. Clay soil is sticky and smooth when wet, but becomes polished when
rubbed and baked hard when dry.
1. Soil – garden’s natural growth medicine
a) Formed by ground rock
b) Made fertile by decayed organic matter.
2. Texture:
a) Classification
- sandy
- loamy
- clay
b) effect on :
- drainage
- aeration
- nutrient content
3. Distinction between soil types :
(a) when dry
- sandy – feels gritty
- loamy – fairly loose
- clay – polished when rubbed and baked hard
Note Making Passage- 1
The defense mechanism of the human body is a gift of nature
provided to human beings. The power of our body to fight against
disease-producing agents is known as a defensive mechanism and it depends upon
various factors which can be categorized mainly into two types: common factors
and special factors.
Amongst the common factors, the most important is the health of
human beings. We all know that if we have good health, our body automatically
remains protected against diseases. For keeping good health, one should have
nutritious balanced diets. A balanced diet is that which contains
carbohydrates, fat, proteins, vitamins in a proportionate amount.
The skin of our body through cuts and abrasions can cause
diseases. Therefore, a cut or an abrasion should never be left open. In case
there is no bandage, or medicine available; it may be covered with a clean
cloth.
The above passage – 1 can be diagrammatically expressed in
several ways depending on the needs of the user.
Look at the following two notes of the above passage and
complete them by filling in the blank boxes. Try to express the passage
diagrammatically in your own way.
I. A. Defensive mechanism of the human body
I. B. Human body defense mechanism
Read the following passages and
make notes by filling in the boxes.
Note Making Passage- A
Washoe, a female chimpanzee who.was the first non – human to
learn human sign language, passed away on October 30th 2007 at the ripe old age
of 42.
Washoe was born in Africa in September 1965. She was caught in
the wild and at 10 months was taken by biologists Allen and Beatrice Gardener.
As part of a research experiment to teach human language to animals, they
launched a new project with Washoe as the candidate.
Chimpanzees were chosen for this study because they are
intelligent and social animals. However, a major disadvantage with a chimp is
that it does not possess vocal apparatus that would allow the production of
human speech. But as chimps use their hands a lot in their natural habitat,
scientists decided to use this innate trait in their training. So the project
was to teach Washoe to use the American Sign Language. ASL is the widely used
sign language of the, deaf community in North America.
The Gardeners treated Washoe like a hearing-impaired human
infant. Helpers communicated with Washoe by using ASL, rather than with the
spoken voice. The first ‘word’ that Washoe ‘said’ by using ASL, rather than
with a sign was ‘tooth brush’. And in the first six years she learned
approximately 150 signs. At the time of her death it was reported that Washoe
could reliably use 350 signs. In addition to individual signs, Washoe displayed
the ability to combine signs in novel and meaningful ways. For example, she
referred to her toilet as ‘Dirty Good’ and the refrigerator as ‘Open Food
Drink.
Roger Fouts, the caretaker of Washoe was interested in finding
out if chimpanzees were capable of ‘transmitting’ sign languages to their
offspring. Because Washoe did not have an offspring, Fouts arranged for Washoe
to adopt a male infant named Loulis . After a short adjustment period the
experimenters observed Washoe signing “Come baby” to Loulis who jumped in her
arms. On. his eighth day with Washoe, Loulis made his first sign. In time he
learnt to use more signs and thus became the first animal to acquire a human
language from a non – human. To convince skeptics, Fouts released a videotape
of the chimpanzee – to – chimpanzee communication through signs.
Note Making Passage- B
The coffee plant, an evergreen shrub or a small tree of African
origin, begins to produce fruit 3 or 4 years after being planted. The fruit is
hand-gathered when it is fully ripe and reddish-purple in colour. The ripened
fruits of the coffee shrubs are processed to separate the coffee seeds from
their covering and form the pulp. Two different techniques are in use – a wet
process and a dry process.
The wet process: First, the fresh fruit is pulped by a pulping
machine. However, some pulp still clings to the coffee, and this residue is
removed, by fermentation in tanks. The few remaining traces of pulp are then
removed by washing. The coffee seeds are then dried to a moisture content of
about 12 percent, either by exposure to the sun or by hot air driers. If dried
in the sun, they must.be turned by hand several times a day for even drying.
The dry process: In the dry process the fruits are immediately
placed to dry either in the sun or in hot air driers. Considerably more time
and equipment is needed for drying than in the wet process. Then the seeds are
mechanically freed from their coverings.
Note Making Passage- C
Aborigines are brown-skinned people who live in parts of
Australia. Not closely related to any known race, they number only about fifty thousand.
With wiry hair and deep-set eyes, these primitive people live in small tribal
groups in the drier lands of north and north east Australia.
An aborigine needs little more tharl food which he gets through
hunting and food gathering in his own wide territory. He eats roots, grubs,
seeds and even caterpillars ground into flour; he may also eat kangaroos,
crocodiles, porpoises and dugongs. For hunting, he carries clubs, stone axes,
and the famous weapon – the boomerang, which is used to knock down birds. He
also fishes for food.
The house that the aborigines live in is called a wurley. It
usually consists of two forked sticks and a crossbar, with strips of bark laid
against it. They build such dwelling – places only when necessary and leave
them when their tribe moves to the next place. Inside or Outside the
wurley they make fire by twirling a pointed stick into a piece
of dry wood and they cook their food by it on hot ashes.
The aborigines may be a backward people but they are known for
two things – their extraordinary sight and their ability to find water either
by studying animal or bird movements, or by seeking water-bearing roots.
Experts at reading the ground, they have also been known to help the police in
tracking down animals and finding lost children.
Note pad
(a) Physical features
(b) Food habits
(c) Place of dwelling
QUESTION NO VII 42
Job Applications
Answers Job Applications
A job application can be written in two ways:
1. A letter of application giving all the details.
2. A letter of application in 2 parts:
a. Covering letter
b. Curriculum vitae (Resume/Biodata)
e.g. The following advertisement appeared in The New Indian Express on 3rd Feb.
2014. Write a letter of application in response to it.
Global Finance and Investment Ltd.
REQUIRES
Junior Assistant
Qualification: II PUC with Computer Knowledge Knowledge of
Kannada and English Essential Experience Preferred
Apply within a week to:
The Manager
Global Finance and Investment Ltd.
K. C. Road
Gadag – 582101
(Write XXX for your name and YYY for your address.)
Exercise:
Look at the following advertisements and write suitable letters
of application for each of them.
1).
|
Mallya Hospital, ISO 9001 – 2008 NABH –
H2011 – 0092 |
2)
|
Positions Open For 2014 – 15 |
RCIS Group of Institutions is looking for qualified, experienced
and creative educators with excellent communication skills for the following
positions.
- Academic Co–ordinators for Primary / Middle School/High
School: Postgraduates with teaching experience and supervisory abilities
to enhance the academic environment of the school.
- Teachers – Higher Secondary / High School/ Middle
School/ Primary: Master’s degree with B.Ed./ Bachelors Degree and relevant
experience for all subjects, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics,
Computer Science, History, Geography, English, Kannada, Hindi, French,
Sanskrit.
- Kindergarten Teachers – Bachelor’s degree with
Qualification in Early childhood Education / Montessori training / NTT
with good experience.
Send your application to The Secretary, Royale Concorde
International.! School, 6 th ‘B’ Main, 2nd Block, HRBR Layout, Kalyan Nagar,
Bangalore – 560043
From,
XXXX.
YYYY,
YYYY.
12 July 2014
To,
The Secretary,
Royale Concorde International school,
6th ‘B’ main,
2nd Block, HRBR Layout.
Kalyan Nagar
Banglore – 560043
Sub: Application for the post of High School English Teacher
Dear Sir/Madam
I saw your advertisement in The Times of India dated 10 July 2014 for the post
of High School Teacher: I would iike to apply for the post of English Teacher.
I completed my M.A. in English from Bangalore University in 2010. I did my B.Ed
in Tumkur University in 2012.1 have 2 years of experience as teacher of English
in Atmashree High School. I have got excellent communication skills. Therefore
I request you to consider any application and give mean opportnity to serve in
your reputed institution. My employment with you will be highly beneficial to
your institution and it will add value to my career. My resume is enclosed for
your consideration.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you
Yours faithfully
sd/ –
Encl: Resume.
QUESTION NO VII 43 A
Answers Speech Writing
Speech is another crucial form of oral communication. It is
important that the views and ideas of the speaker are authentic. Care should be
taken to ensure that the language is intelligible to the audience.
Elements of speech writing:
1. Use first person (I) – to communicate ideas as
speaker of the topic
2. addressing the audience
3. introducing the topic
4. purpose of the speech, keeping the audience in
mind
5. concluding the speech
Though making a speech is a spoken activity, for the purpose of
testing, it is presented in the written form. Students may be given hints which
can be expanded for speech writing.
Exercise:
Write a speech in about 150 – 200 words based on the hints given below.
One has already been done for you.
Question 1.
In order to promote reading habits in students, your college has organized a
Library Week. You are the Secretary of the College Students Union. You have to
speak to the students about the week-long programme. You have noted the
following points.
– days and dates
– new arrivals displayed
– exhibition of books by some publishers
– famous authors/poets to visit and interact with students
– more facilities in the library
– new magazines
Here is an example worked out for you.
Question 2.
It is a Road Safety
Week at a school. One of the students is requested to give a short speech on
road safety. Write a speech stressing the importance of road safety and making
some practical suggestions for students.
Write your speech in not more than 120 words.
Question 3.
You are the student
Secretary of the College Association. Your College has invited Dr. S.R Rao,
eminent Scientist of RR. Institute, Bangalore to address the students. You have
to introduce the guest and welcome him.
You can use the following hints:
(a) Name of the guest: Dr.S.R Rao
(b) Educational qualification: M.Sc.(Physics); Ph.D.(Nuclear Physics)
(c) Work profile: a Started career as a lecturer in a local College
– Completed Ph.D. in 2001
– Joined R.R. Institute as Senior Scientist
– Became the Director of R.R. Institute in 2010
(d) Interests – Photography and painting.
QUESTION NO VII 43 B
Reading and Interpreting Graphs
Graphs and charts communicate information visually. Therefore
graphs are often used in newspapers, magazines and business reports around the
world.
Some of the graphs commonly used are as follows.
Line Graphs:
- Line graphs are diagrams that present data using dots
and lines. One variable is indicated on the vertical line, and the other
is indicated on the horizontal.
Bar Graphs:
- Bar graphs can be either vertical or horizontal. It is important
to read the labels carefully on each bar.
Pie Charts:
- A pie chart shows the relationships between parts to a
whole. The whole is contained in the circle (pie) and divided into
appropriately sized proportions, or slices.
Interpretation of Graphs
Interpretation of a graph involves reading, understanding and expressing the
data represented in a verbal medium. In other words, after consulting the
graph, you must be able to transfer the data into a report in the form of a
paragraph of about 120 – 150 words.
Tips for writing a report based on a graph
While writing a report, take into account the following.
Title : The kind of information found on the graph
Key : Additional information included in the graph
Scale : Tells how many or how much
Axis lines : Vertical axis runs along the side of the graph. The horizontal
axis runs across the bottom of the graph.
Bar labels : Describe individual parts of the graph
Look at the following bar graph followed by a report.
Literacy rate in India after Independence
A report based on the graph can be like this:
The above bar graph
represents the literacy rate in India after independence. Spread over a
duration of 60 years (from 1951 to 2011), the rate of literacy has attained a
steady growth from just 16.7 percent in 1951 to a considerable 74.04 in 2011.
As can be ascertained from the graph, in the initial years of independence,
i.e, during the first 30 years , the growth rate has been below ten percent.
There is a big leap in the 1980s as there is an all time increase
of 14 percent. The next decade has also witnessed a growth of about 13 percent.
The rate has witnessed a fall in the next decade as it is less than 10 percent.
The policies of the Governments and their implementation might be the reason
for the unsteady trend in the growth of literacy rate. However, the overall
growth is promising since it is about to cross 75 percent in 2011.
Exercises:
Question 1.
Here is a bar chart
showing the results of a survey on the working patterns of both rural and urban
women. The chart provides information about how these women spend the hours of
their day for some chosen activities on average. Based on this information,
write a report in about 150 words.
Question 2.
The pie chart given below represents the results of a survey conducted by a non
– profit NGO to understand how a rural family spends its income on various
items. Based on the information, write a report in about 200 words.
Question 3.
The line graph given
below shows population growth during pre-independence and postindependence
period in India. Use the information to write a report on the trends of
population growth.
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