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NEW HORIZON COLLEGE MARATHALLI, BANGALORE
(Affiliated to Bangalore University) A Recipient of Prestigious Rajyotsava State Award 2012 conferred by the Government of Karnataka
II SEM BBM/BCOM STUDY MATERIAL
GENERAL ENGLISH
Prepared By
Meenakshi T
Ring Road, Bellandur Post, Near Marathalli, Bangalore - 560 103 Tel : +91-80-6629 7777 Fax : +91-80-2844 0770
E-mail : [email protected] Web : www.newhorizonindia.edu
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INDEX
Title of the Chapter Page No.
1. To A Student 2
2. Survivors 3
3. The Ensign 4
4. On Ahimsa 5
5. Stanley Finds Livingstone 7
6. I Visited Shiva‘s Paradise 9
7. Pele‘s Thousandth Goal 11
8. The Prize Poem 13
9. The Way It Was and Is
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Previous Years‘ Question Papers 18-39
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4
TO A STUDENT
- Kamala Wijeratne
‗To A Student‘ is a poem written by a Sri Lankan poetess, Kamala Wijeratne. It is a
request to restore peace and harmony in the world. The poem is set in Sri Lanka which is torn
in a civil war between the Tamils and Singhalese. The poem portrays a sad scenario.
However, the poetess tries to end the poem with a positive note. She motivates the young
generation to stop following the negative examples of history and inspires them to find a new
solution to the old problems created by violence.
The most horrifying part of the war is the way children are being brainwashed. They
are taught how to handle guns and bombs. They are chosen as they are quick learners and the
very fact that are innocent and vulnerable make them easy targets to be sent on dangerous
missions.
The poetess being a teacher addresses and appeals to the youngsters to listen to her.
She tells them not be afraid and look straight in her eyes. However, the students do not make
an eye-contact, as they are distracted by the violence and blood-shed. These youngsters have
lost faith in any kind of goodness but she tries to rebuild it. She pleads that war is not a
solution to problems and that it can be solved in peaceful manner.
She seems to know the reason why they do not meet her gaze and why they do not
heed to her voice: ‗I know why your eyes leap away/Why they quickly stray.‘ In fact, gun
shots and blasts of grenades have made them immune to the voices of friends and advisors.
The youngsters are worried about the safety of their dear ones but the teacher is worried
about the entire mankind. The teacher cajoles the students to pay a deaf ear to the sounds of
violence. She prays for a new life to be started anew without any brand names. She turns
back to nature to find a herb that will cure this mass lunacy. The student is advised to leave
behind Illions and Carthages to antique dealers. Students should not follow these examples of
past as they are the places famous for their violence. She requests that a fresh methodology
should be adopted to solve the issues. The new method should make this world a better and
peaceful place to live and grow for the young generation.
Questions:
2 Marks:
1. Who do you think is the narrator of the poem?
2. What is lurking in the minds of -- a. the listener, b. the narrator?
5 Marks:
1. The speaker in the poem is searching for what kind of herb and why?
2. Why does the speaker refer to ‗Ilion‘, ‗Carthage‘ and ‗Hiroshima‘?
3. What is the new methodology to stop violence according to the speaker?
10 Marks:
1. War has segregated humans from time immemorial. How is it true in the context of
this poem?
_______________
5
SURVIVORS
-Siegfried Sassoon
In the poem ‗Survivors‘, Siegfried Sassoon gives a satirical portrayal of life
in the war. He calls the soldiers, who have survived the horrors of World War I, as
'Survivors'. Though short in length, the poem is effective in using irony to expose the
psychological trauma of the soldiers. The sarcastic tone used by the poet as the narrator
of the poem makes the poem even more hard-hitting. The narrator addresses the
selfish politicians and unconcerned civilians as they are not able to understand the
miserable situation of the soldiers. The opening line spoken by a politician gives the
reader a sense of misleading hope. It is not possible to forget the experiences of war. The
soldiers are shell-shocked. They are so disturbed and distressed that they cannot talk
properly. They stammer and their sentences are disconnected.
Again the disassociated, unfeeling voice of a politician make its presence felt.
The flippant remark, suggests that all soldiers will forget everything and would be
willing to return to the war front again, makes the reader imagine that the soldiers are
craving to go out to fight again. The condition of the soldiers negates the statement made
by the politician. The poet-narrator tells the readers that the boyish faces of the soldiers
look old and scared because they are unable to forget the horrors of war. They are so
disturbed that their nights are haunted with memories of their friends who have died in
front their eyes in the war. Their dreams are full of the scenes of bloodshed and
murders as they themselves have killed many soldiers of the enemy. Though the
politician and the civilians think that the war has brought the soldiers glory and fame
but the truth is that the war has broken them emotionally and physically. They feel
like murderers. In the last line the poet sums up the matter in a very straight-forward
way by telling the politicians and the civilians ('you' is used for politician and civilians)
that, in fact, the soldiers hate them for their indifference and apathy. The reality is that the
soldiers have gone to the war as strong young men full of courage and zeal but they
return after the war as scared, insecure and weak. The war has robbed them of their
manhood. The underlying tone of sarcasm runs throughout the entire poem.
Questions:
2 Marks:
1. Who do you think is the narrator of the poem?
2. Do you think the soldiers want to go to the battlefield again? Why?
3. Why are the nights of the soldiers haunted?
5 Marks:
1. What has the glorious war done to the soldiers? Discuss in detail.
2. Who is ―you‖ in the last line of the poem? Why do the soldiers hate ―you‖?
10 Marks:
1. Who are the survivors in the poems? Discuss the mental and physical state of these
survivors.
-------------------------------
6
THE ENSIGN
- Alphonse Daudet
‗The Ensign‘ is a moving short story set against the backdrop of the Franco-Prussian war.
It portrays the patriotism of a French soldier named Sergeant Hornus who chose to die rather
than giving up his beloved flag. His regiment was placed on the banks of a railway. Opposite
in the woods was the Prussian army. Hornus‘s regiment was an easy target to the Prussian
army. There was steady firing going on between the enemies; the members of the regiment
refused to lie down even after the officers ordered them to do so. They stood there with their
colours (flag) held high in the air. Each time an officer was shot and the flag was in want of
support, a new flag bearer would take his place. By sunset the flag was reduced merely to a
rag on the hands of Sergeant Hornus, the 23rd
ensign for the day.
Sergeant Hornus was a ‗crusty old war dog‘. He could neither write nor speak fluently.
He walked with his head bent and eyes fixed on the ground. But when he was entrusted with
the flag by the colonel, he became a transformed man. He guarded his flag with his head held
up high. He was determined that the Prussians would not be able to take it from him.
Once the battle for the day was over, the Colonel took the flags to his house. This upset
Hornus as he was not able to see it every day. He felt like a mother whose child had been
taken by a nurse. At times, when he failed to control himself; he would go to the Colonel‘s
house to have a look at the flag though the window and come back. But the day Marshall
Bazaine ordered for surrender without struggle, Hornus Was like a mad man. He was
shattered to give away the flag along with the arsenal to the enemy. He ran to the Colonel‘s
house to save his flag. When he reached the Colonel‘s house he was denied entrance. He was
directed to go to the arsenal where he was supposed to surrender the flag of his regiment to
the enemy-army. In return he would get an acknowledgement. He ran to the arsenal where he
saw the flags of the various regiments on the muddy pavement. When his turn came and he
looked at his flag, he recalled how twenty two of his comrades had died trying to keep the
flag flying high. He felt a sudden surge of patriotism and he decided once again that his flag
would not go into the hands of the Prussian army at least till he was alive. He rushed forward
resolved to keep it flying high. He sprang upon the Prussian officers and tried to raise it but
he was shot by the officers. The staff fell from his hands and he choked to death. Thus he
proved to be a true patriot till he breathed his last.
Questions:
2 Marks:
1. Where was the regiment positioned in the beginning of the story? The French were
fighting with whom?
2. What was Sergeant only ambition in life?
3. Why were the soldiers angry with Marshal Bazaine?
5 Marks:
1. How did Hornus reacted to the news of the Surrender what did he do?
2. Write a character sketch of Sergeant Hornus.
10 Marks:
1. Narrate the series of events from the day Hornus became a Sergeant till the day he
died.
7
ON AHIMSA
-M.K. Gandhi
The chapter is based on ahimsa/non-violence and it gives us a detailed view of the
opinion of Gandhi on ahimsa. There is no historical proof that in the course of time we have
failed to include ahimsa in our virtues. For the past 1500 years we have shown immense
proof of physical courage, but we have been brought down by internal problems and have
been dominated by self-love rather than love for the country. Gandhi says that being a
vaishnavite he was taught ahimsa from childhood. He has also studied most of the faiths of
the world and claims to have gained most of his knowledge from Raja Chand Kavi, a Jain
philosopher. Gandhi says that though he has gained this knowledge through different faiths
he doesn‘t depend on the authority of these religious works.
The shastras firmly believe that a man who practises ahimsa in its fullness has the
world at his feet and he affects the surroundings in a way that even poisonous animals would
do him no harm. Similar is the experience of St. Francis of Assisi. Gandhi says that ahimsa in
its negative form means not inflicting an injury upon any living being by body or mind. He
should not be a cause to anybody‘s suffering. But this is not valid if the person goes through
suffering by a natural act of his which is not intentional. Hence he says that this does not stop
him from taking a child from the wrong-doer. It is his duty to save the child. The passive
resisters of South Africa have shown an example of this form of ahimsa. It was appropriate
for them to go against the government as they did not have any ill will against the
government but they did not want to be the victims of government‘s plans. They were ready
to sacrifice their lives rather than sell their honour. In fact, ahimsa requires deliberate self-
suffering, but not a deliberate injuring of the supposed wrong-doer.
Gandhi says that ahimsa in its positive form means the greatest love or charity. He
says that as a follower of ahimsa a person must love his enemy. He should treat the wrong-
doer or enemy in the same way in which he treats his own son/father. This form of ahimsa
requires truth and fearlessness. A man can disarm any kind of hostility when he is ready to
sacrifice ‗life‘-- the greatest gift of all. Therefore a person cannot be a follower of ahimsa if
he is a coward. Only the very brave ones can follow the path of Nonviolence. Gandhi gives
the example of General Gordon. General Gordon has been represented in a famous statue as
holding a stick in his hand. Gandhi says that even holding a stick in his hand makes a person
depend on the stick for protection which makes him less a soldier to that extent. A real soldier
is one who stands his ground even though he is being fired upon. The moors showed a great
deal of courage when they ran into the firing of the enemy shouting ‗Allah‘. Their readiness
to die made the enemy stop firing and they greeted the moors as comrades. This is ahimsa in
its most active form which never barters honour.
Gandhi says that a helpless girl always finds better & surer protection in the hands of
a follower of ahimsa.A person who believes in violence can protect her till he runs out of his
weapons but a follower of ahimsa matches his soul against that of the enemy and hence there
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is a chance that the soul of the enemy will be awakened and the girl will be protected;
whereas the person with weapons can fight only till he runs of ammunition and then the
enemy can reach the girl.
Gandhi says if we are unmanly today it is not because we do not know how to fight
back but it is because we are afraid to die. A person is not a follower ofMahavira, or Buddha
or of the Vedas; if he avoids any danger because of fear. Lalaji says that a person is not a
follower of ahimsa if he kills a man by cheating him in trade or if he kills a butcher while
trying to protect his few cows, or if he kills few officials for the good of his country. All these
reasons are developed by hatred, cowardice and fear.
Gandhi says that ahimsa is a universal remedy for all evils. Ahimsa does not replace
our other virtues but instead necessitates the practise of them. He says that Lalaji, Mahavira,
Buddha & Tolstoy were soldiers as only they saw the way to living a true, happy, honourable
and godly life. Hence Gandhi asks us to be joint sharers with these teachers and follow
ahimsa so that our country will once again be the abode of gods.
Questions:
2 Marks:
1. What does the example of St. Francis of Assissi illustrate?
2. What are the ―virtues‘ included in active ahimsa?
3. How can a follower of ahimsa protect a helpless girl?
5 Marks:
1. Explain the distinction between positive and negative ahimsa as suggested by Gandhi
ji?
2. Explain briefly what each of these examples illustrate:
a) General Gordon
b) Ambarish
c) The Moors
10 Marks:
1. The practise of ahimsa calls forth the greatest courage. How does Gandhiji illustrate
this?
________________________
9
STANLEY FINDS LIVINGSTONE
- Lawrence Wilson
In October 1869 the son of the owner of the New York Herald, James Gordon Bennett Jr.,
had a meeting with Stanley. On Stanley‘s arrival Bennett went directly to the topic and
questioned Stanley if he knew where Livingstone was and whether he was alive. Livingstone,
a famous medical missionary and explorer, was in Africa and it was his third time in the Dark
Continent. He had gone to Africa in 1865 and for the past four years no English/white man
had seen him, hence the rumors were that he had been murdered. The rumours were
disproved as Livingstone wrote a few letters from Africa. Now no word was heard from him
for the last one year. Bennett took this chance of Livingstone‘s absence to make a good story
hence he employed Stanley. The aim was to find Livingstone no matter what the cost came
up to.
Stanley called himself an American citizen but he was born in Denbigh, north Wales in
1841, the illegitimate son of Elizabeth Parry and John Rowlant. His parents did not want him
and from the age of six Stanley worked in a workhouse run by an ex-miner. After years of ill
treatment he turned against the miner and ran away and did odd jobs until the age of 17 when
he set sail to New Orleans from Liverpool.
In America he was adopted by Henry Morton Stanley and hence got his name. When
Henry died Stanley fought in the army & navy and was employed as a special correspondent
for the New York Herald. He took the task of finding Livingstone as it could make him a
hero.
Stanley set off on his journey and his first difficulties started in Zanzibar. His aim was to
reach Ujiji, the place where Livingstone had last been seen. The journey was 750 miles. He
borrowed money from the American consul and continued his journey. Stanley carried all
supplies he needed which could last for two years. He also carried with him all kinds of
native currencies viz. beads, cloth, wire etc. He employed 200 porters and bought a few
donkeys to carry their supplies. They started their journey in high spirits, singing as they
went. Stanley made a wrong decision to go west thereby choosing the hardest route to Unifi.
The country was just open savannah and the temperatures reached about 128 degrees. The
men were attacked by insects causing fever. Stanley had bigger problems than this because
his workers just wanted money and most of them ran away robbing Stanley. For eight months
it was up to Stanley to organize the group. He faced lot of problems like men running away,
theft, workers falling sick and dying along the way, native chiefs demanding huge payments
and savage tribes robbing them of their belongings.
Ten miles from the starting point they joined Arab traders and moved from village to
village. Two of Stanley‘s horses died and though his men were sick but he gave them
medicine and forced them to proceed by whipping them. They halted next at the village
Simbamwenni where Stanley caught malaria. For two months he was sick and when he was
physically fit he took over the expedition again. They crossed the Usagara Mountains and
joined an Arab convoy for safety. Stanley again fell sick but he continued to proceed. At a
10
village named tabora, Stanley received bad news about a war happening in the area he had to
cross. Stanley and his men joined the war. He was saved by the tribe leader Mirambo. After
three months in Tabora, Stanley resumed the journey with new recruits and he took a longer
route to avoid the war. His men tried running away but he caught them and chained them
together.
He was now closer to Ujiji and kept Stanley kept on marching through all adversities.
After several weeks they were 60 miles short of Unifi when Stanley got news from a caravan
of Africans that a man with grey beard was in Ujiji. Stanley wrote ‗Hurray‘ in his diary,
because he was quite certain that this man was Livingstone. He continued his journey faster
till he reached the Waha tribe where the king demanded a high amount of bribe to let the
group pass. Stanley paid and went on to the next village where he again had to pay a huge
sum of money to the king‘s brother. Stanley had to pass through five for villages and he since
wasn‘t able to pay the bribe; they ran away in the night. They reached Lake Tanganyika.
Stanley was overwhelmed, he told his servant to keep everything ready so he could make a
presentable appearance when he met Livingstone. The group was near Ujiji and the villagers
rushed to welcome them. Suddenly Stanley heard a voice say: ―Good Morning Sir‖. Turning
around he saw a man whose name was Susi, the servant of Dr.Livingstone.
Susi ran back and told his master of Stanley‘s arrival. Stanley felt uncomfortable as the
doctor was from the British Isles where Stanley suffered a lot. He felt nervous as he thought
how he should address the learned doctor.
He walked up to Livingstone and took off his hat and said: ―Dr.Livingstone I presume?‖
Though Stanley was a bit rude but doctor greeted him kindly. After staying with the doctor
Stanley found the true meaning of veneration or honour. He felt extremely happy about the
experience of his exploration of the African continent which he would never forget.
Questions:
2 Marks:
1. Who is Bennett? What is the task he gives Stanley?
2. Identify any two details which show that Stanley treated the natives in a harsh
manner?
3. What was the ‗devastating news‘ that Stanley received when he reached Tabora?
5 Marks:
1. Describe briefly Stanley‘s experience which helped him later in his career as a
journalist?
2. What were the difficulties faced by Stanley during the expedition regarding the
following:
a) weather
b) diseases
c) terrain
d) demands made by the tribal chiefs
10 Marks:
1. Describe the adventurous journey of Stanley in your own words.
11
I VISITED SHIVA’S PARADISE
- KashyapShinkre
‗I Visited Shiva‘s Paradise‘ is a travelogue written by KashyapShinkre. A travelogue
is the account of one‘s experience while travelling to a certain destination. The present one is
about a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and ManasSarovar. Shinkre refers to various myths of
Hindu religion while narrating his experience. The writer starts the present travelogue in
simple narrative style but then he switches to diary style and again to his previous style. He
starts telling his experience from the very beginning that is from Dharchula. Dharchula is the
base camp near Nepal‘s western border. In the beginning only he starts feeling tired and
exhausted because the journey is arduous and dangerous. Mount Kailash is situated in the
Tibetan Himalayas. According to him it is the ultimate pilgrim destination for a Hindu
because of the following reasons: first it is consider as the abode of Lord Shiva, second the
Tibetan Buddhists identify it with Mount Meru that is a sacred mountain in Hindu mythology
also and third the Jains believe that their first Thirthankarahas attained Nirvana at the foot of
the mountain. Mounts Kailash region is geographically important because it is the source of
four of Asia‘s greatest rivers namely Brahmaputra, Indus, Karnali and Sutlej. ManasSarovar
is so called because it is believed in Hindu mythology that the sarovar has been conceived in
the mind of Lord Brahma.
The normal trail to ManasaSarovar has been closed after the Indo-China war of 1962.
The access to the region from India is via a high pass in north Uttarakhand. Shinkre tells that
he is not a saint or a big sinner; and he himself does not know the real reason behind
undertaking this difficult journey. The Hindu scriptures claim that the people who pray and
bathe in ManasaSarovar they become free of the cycle of death and rebirth. He tells that in his
group they are total 44 members of different age and temperament. UttamchandBardiya, 65
years old, is the oldest and Jai Patel, 23 years old, is the youngest one in the group. He also
discusses the tragedy of 1998 when because of landslide 200 people were killed in Malpa.
When he passesthe same place he comments that mountains move, give birth and have a
mind of their own. He means to say that mountains move in the form of landslides, give birth
to new landscapes and tragedies, and they are beyond the control of human beings.
He spills the beans that he actually joined a gym for two months before appearing for
the Medical Fitness test. His objective has been to put off a few extra kilos he has so that he
should clear the mandatory medical fitness test. The Ministry of External Affairs has made
the test very strict off late because some passengers die in every batch because of medical
complications because of high altitude and tough journey. He gives all the details of the
journey. He explains the difficult and dangerous path, the beautiful Chiyalekh valley, the high
altitude acclimatization in Gunji, three days walking to the Tibetan town Takalakot during
which they experience the following: the myth about Veda Vyasa cave, the amazing beauty
of Om Parbat, the highest Indian point of Lipulekh and Rakshas Tal. Om Parbat is so called
because the snow-laden mountain looks like a natural Om in the light of the Sun. Rakshas Tal
is the place where Ravana is believed to have meditated to seek Lord Shiva‘s blessings.
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Shinkrehas his first glimpse of Mt. Kailash on August 15 in 2007 in Dherphuk. He is
mesmerized by the splendid beauty and enormous glory. The writer confesses that he has felt
something akin to spiritual awakening. He describes that the atmosphere is reverberating with
the mantra ‗Om NamahShivaya‘ and they all feel that they are not tired at all after that
spiritual experience. The satisfaction of accomplishing such a difficult task and the spiritual
power of their religious belief remove all their pain and tiredness.
Next day they go to circumambulate Mt. Kailash. They come across a place called
Shiv Sathal where it is believed that Yama, the God of Death in Hindu theology, judges
people for their actions after their death. People leave their clothes there to delay the visit of
Yama as visit of Yama means – death. The writer finds this ambivalent that on one hand
people think that to die during this journey is a blessing but on the other hand they leave their
clothes on Shiv Shal to delay death. Next they visited the GauriKund where Parvati used to
take bath. The 88 kilometersparikrama of ManasSarovar is done by bus and they take a dip in
the icy cold water of it. The writer is spellbound by the natural beauty of the lake. He
compares the ever-changing shades of the lake with stream of consciousness of Lord Brahma.
Shinkre ends his travelogue by expressing that the entire scene is so serene and ecstatic that
one feels really detached with the materialistic world.
Questions:
2 Marks:
1. Where is Mount Kailash located?
2. Why is Mount Kailash considered the ultimate pilgrim destination for Hindus?
3. Why had the trail to ManasaSarovar been closed?
4. Why is Om Parbat so called?
5 Marks:
1. What preparation the writer did to be able to go on K-M yatra? Why?
2. What are the various myths mentioned in the travelogue?
10 Marks:
1. When Shinkrebegins the pilgrimage his ‗every bone is aching‘. After the
Kailashdarshan, ‗his body feels no pain. How do you account for this change?
________________
13
PELE'S THOUSANDTH GOAL
Pele is one of the greatest legends of football. This chapter is an extract from his
autobiography ‗My Life and the Beautiful Game‘.Pele is from Brazil and he is the one who
has reached the thousand goal mark first. During October 1969 the Brazilian press started
noticing the number of goals made by Pele, and Pele had approximately 990 goals in about
900 games. It was considered as a rare record to reach the thousandth goal. Pele was not
much concerned about the jinxed thousandth goal at the beginning. And so it did not affect
his game and he could easily score four goals in the match against Portuguesa Desportes. But
after a while Pele and his team started feeling the pressure. In his next game he scored two
more goals and now the total goals he scored were 995. He was in limelight. The press and
the cameras zoomed at him. But still he did manage to score another goal against Flamengo.
But that was it; in his next game he couldn't score any goals. His score was stuck at 996. His
nervousness totally overpowered him. Media people across the country and the world were
worried because they were not getting a story for the money they were spending on the
coverage. These people had limited budgets and they must be thinking if it was worth enough
to continue covering each and every move of Pele. On the other hand, the entire Santos team
was waiting for the magic goal to be reached so that they should play the game without
bothering about the camera lenses.
Pele somehow wanted to make the thousandth goal because he knew that once it was
over there would not be any sort of pressure on him and his team. Then on twelfth November,
in a game against Santa Cruz he scored two goals, and after two days the next goal was also
scored. The radios and the newspapers were full of him news about him only. In Bahia
it was the time for his thousandth goal. But this time Pele felt that the thousandth
goal was preventing him from playing his game. He was totally lost in thoughts and
couldn't concentrate on his game. He felt that all the camera-lenses were watching him only.
He tried to play without any sort of tension or fear. But he always surrendered to the
fear of his thousandth goal. His team mate JairBala made a goal for his team and the match
was a tie.
The next game was against Vasco Da Gama and as usual, Pele was drained out of
confidence and he thought no one would ever be able to score the thousandth goal. That day
it rained heavily. Seeing the heavy rain Pele thought that even God did not want that the
Thousandth Goal should be achieved. Full with negative thoughts, Pele could hardly touch
the ball for the first thirty minute. Then at last he got a chance and he kicked the ball with all
his strength. He was positive as he watched the ball rising, but the worst happened and the
goal keeper of Vasco managed to divert the ball. Pele was so disappointed but then this time
he realized that the thousandth goal was just an ordinary goal; the number would not make
any difference. And why would God mind anybody making the thousandth goal. He got his
confidence back. He was given the ball once again and then he had a good shot, the ball
went high but it hit the cross bar. Pele was prepared to head the ball but his opponent, Rene,
accidentally headed it and Pele's team scored.
14
There was still plenty of time in the game. Once again the ball was with Pele and he
was heading to make a goal but at that time one of his opponent dived at him, sliding to trip
him. That was it, Pele got a penalty kick. Pele had never thought of making his thousandth
goal this way. But at that time he took it because some how he just wanted to get over with
the jinxed goal. Pele was trying hard to clear his mind. He was trying to regain his calmness.
He told himself that the goal was just an ordinary one and not a big deal. Pele kicked the
ball and then he saw to his excitement that it was a goal.
The photographers and reporters surrounded him at once. There was lots of
noise. Spectators raced across the wet grass to greet him. His jersey was taken off and
a new jersey was on his with the number 1000 printed on it. He was overjoyed that
finally he was the man who reached the Thousandth Goal. He blissfully greeted all the
spectators, his team and their supporters. He went to the dressing room and a substitute of him
was sent to the ground. Pele had tears of joy in his eyes. He took off the jersey with the
number 1000 written on it. He kept it carefully with him as the jersey was to be
treasured entire of his life. Next morning the newspapers were full of the news about
Pele's thousandth goal as well as about the second landing on moon by the American
astronauts.
Questions:
2 Marks:
1. Who discovered that Pele was nearing his thousandth goal?
2. What looked like ‗Martian monsters‘ to Pele? Why?
3. What was the foolish mistake committed by Pele‘s opponent Rene in the match?
5 Marks:
1. Describe the two failed attempts made by Pele to reach the magic number of 1000
goals.
2. How did Pele overcome his nervousness regarding the 1000th
goal?
3. Media creates unnecessary pressure on sports persons. Discuss the relevance of this
statement with reference to the essay.
10 Marks:
1. Narrate Pele‘s journey to attain his thousandth goal in detail.
__________________
15
THE PRIZE POEM
-P.G.Wodehouse
The prize poem is a short story written by P.G Wodehouse. It is a humorous story
about how the three boys named Smith, Montogomery and Morrison are forced to
participate in a poetry competition with a prize sponsored by a rich eccentric man.
T h e s t o r y b e g i n s w i t h a r i c h a n d misanthropic man who wanted
people to remember him after his death. He came up with a brilliant idea. The idea was to set
aside a portion of his income to be spent on an annual prize for the best poem submitted
by a member of the Sixth Form of St .Aust in 's Col lege . The topic would be
selected by the Headmaster and the idea included that every member must c o m p e t e !
H e d i e d b u t w h a t e v e r w a s w r i t t e n i n t h e w i l l w a s t o b e continued.
Every year students were unwillingly forced to participate. A Few of the students
enjoyed but most of them couldn't write poetry. This tradition stopped after 27 years.
Reynolds was a student of a senior class and he was in the Infirmary recovering from
German measles. He was visited by his friend Smith who was a student of the Sixth Form.
After casual talks, Smith mentioned about the 'prize poem‘. Reynolds was excited
as he was interested in poetry and hoped his poems would be published someday. He
used to send his poems to various magazines and newspapers but till that time he was unable
to get his poems published in any of them as he always got the manuscript back in the form
of big and embarrassing envelopes which he used get during the lunch time
That year‘s topic for the prize poem was 'The College‘. Smith and
Reynolds came up with an idea. Reynolds offered to wri te the poem for
Smith. The condition was if the poem won the prize then Smith would tell the
Headmaster about their trick. He wrote a few lines:
"Imposing pile, reared up 'midst pleasant grounds, The scene of many a battle, lost or won, At cricket or at football; whose red walls
Full many a sun has kissed 'ere day is done."
Smith liked the poem. Left alone in the room, Reynolds began to write the poem again.
He copied the same four l ines on 3 sheets of paper. Just then, Mrs.Lee, the
nurse entered the room with tea and the papers flew out of the window and settled on the
grass outside. Reynolds did not bother later to collect the papers.
In the afternoon, Montogomery a student of the Sixth Form passed by the
infirmary and found the poem. He too could not manage to write poetry and decided
to submit the same poem by adding a few more lines to it.
Two n ights la ter Morr i son , another s tudent of the S ix th F o r m , g o t
t h e p o e m t h r o u g h E v a n s , h i s j u n i o r a n d follower.Evans had got the poem
lying down in the grass outside the Infirmary. Morrison liked the poem too and presented
Evans with some apples. Evans told him the truth that he found the sheet of paper outside the
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Infirmary. Smith visited Reynolds in the Infirmary again to collect the poem but
Reynolds had not completed it as he got busy with reading an interesting book. However,
Smith decided to submit the incomplete poem only.
The Headmaster, Rev.Arthur James Perceval, M.A, received a letter from Mr.Wells,
his friend and judge for the poetry competition.Mr. Wells wrote in a flippant style that noneof
t he poems were good except Roger's poem. He was amazed that three students hads u b m i t t ed
p o e m s b e g i n n i n g w i t h t h e e x a c t s a m e f i r s t f o u r lines. Mr. Wells wondered if
the students were playing a prank on the Headmaster. That is why Mr. Wellshad called
these three boys- Smith,Montogomery and Morrison - as comedians.
Disturbed, Mr. Perceval summoned the three boys in his office. He tried to make them
nervous by saying that all the three probably know the reasons why they had been called to
his office. He always had tried the same method with the students so that they should spill
the beans themselves about their wrongdoings. He questionedthem how all the three poems
begin with the same four lines.
On asking, Smith said that he had written the poem but Mr. Perceval did notbelieve
him.When Mr. Perceval asked him a bit more sternly, he agreed that he had not written the
poem. Montogomeryalso confessed that he also was not the writer of those four lines. Mr.
Perceval assumed that Morrison was the real writer. But Morrison confessed that he found the
sheet of paper outside the Infirmary.Montogomery also told that he also had got the paper
outside the Infirmary. Finally Smith spokethe truth that he had asked Reynolds, his friend in the
Infirmary, to help him with the poem.He explained that Reynolds liked to write poetry but he
could not so he had to go that way as it was compulsory for all the students to submit a poem
for the competition. Smith thought that the Headmaster would scold him badly but Mr.
Perceval realized the truth that it was wrong to expect that all students could write poetry. He
put forth the revelation in the next Board Meeting and it was decided that the students who
really had inclination towards poetry would only participate. The competition would not be
compulsory for all the students.
Questions:
2Marks:
1. What was the bright idea that the ‗rich and misanthropic‘ man had?
2. Why was Reynolds there in the infirmary and who visited him there?
3. Finally what was decided in the meeting regarding the participation in the poetry
competition?
4. Who were the tree comedians identified by Mr. Wells and why were they called so?
5 Marks:
1. The humour in the story is found both in the use of language and the comic situations.
Discuss.
2. How had Reynolds been trying to get recognition as a versifier? Dis he succeed?
3. Narrate the string of events in the story leading to the Headmaster questioning the
three boys.
10 Marks:
1. ―There are few crueller things than to make a prosaic person write poetry‖. Justify this
statement in the light of the events in the story.
__________________________
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THE WAY IT WAS AND IS
-Bill Cosby
Through this essay Bill Cosby presents the common issue of generation gap. He
explains the problem in a humorous way.
As a boy Cosby always tried to sneak past the living room without being noticed by
his father. The author and his father had completely different tastes in music. While the
author's father preferred music on low volume and listened to people named Duke
Ellington and Jimmie Lunceford, he wanted to listen to his favorites of John Coltrane and
Bud Powell at the top volume. Neither of them appreciated the other's taste for music. The
author's father thought what he listened to was nothing but noise and in turn author
considered what his father listened to, would only cause damage to the brain. The author
when forced to listen to his father's favorites would pretend that he was enjoying the piece
and try to escape as soon as possible once the ordeal was over.
To escape the possibility of being forced to listen to the radio the author thought of
using a ladder against his window. But then again there was possibility of a burglar misusing
it. Nevertheless in the author's opinion any burglar who would try to break in could listen to
nice music right through his mask because Cosby always played it at top volume. Another
advantage of loud volume was that he would not be able to listen to grown-up's commands to
reduce it. From time to time the author's father would barge into his room and shout—"Turn
that noise down'.
Now a grown up man and a father himself Cosby talks about the music of
today.The author's opinion is that music has changed a lot over a period of time. With the
passage of time guitar has become the main appliance. The music is of such a kind that the
listener will not be aware of the start of world war III. He will misinterpret it to be a
publicity campaign for some new English band troop.
Now himself a father, the author realizes that a father cannot sound hip to his children
no matter what he does. When a person starts paying the rent he stops being hip and
happening. Cosby's First Law of Intergenerational Perversity says that anything that a father
likes will not be liked by kids. He says that it can be the end of rock music if parents
suddenly start liking it.
The great American trap refers to the situation where the parents try to make
their child happy by buying something for him/her. The author becomes its victim by
buying a complex stereo system for his daughter. Initially he feels happy as he has got
more than the system for the huge amount of money, i.e., the smile of his daughter
expressing that he is the greatest father in the world. He also assumes that he can use it
for recording when his daughter is not around. He is surprised to see the instruction
book as it as thick as Pride and Prejudice'. The book includes instructions in almost all
the languages of the world.
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After spending two hours in assembling the equipment, Cosby instructs his daughter
that there is no need to keep the volume very high. His daughter plays a record that
sounds like a train derailment to him, but he pretends to like it. After some time his
daughter's friends come to the house and Cosby thinks that one of them describes
Cosby as the greatest father since Abraham.
However, when the author sits down to have lunch with his wife, the things that
normally do not move start vibrating and moving. He takes it to be an earthquake while
his wife figures out that it is because the stereo is too loud. He immediately runs to his
daughter's room to give her the ancient message: "Turn that noise down".
The author shows us that the members of every generation have their own taste.
The problem of generation gap will always be there, but it becomes worse when neither
of two tries to adjust or communicate to bridge the gap.
Questions:
2 Marks:
1. Why would Cosby as a boy always try to sneak past the living room without attracting
his father‘s attention?
2. If at all a burglar had broken into Cosby‘s room, what would have been his
experience?
3. The phrase ‗decibel hungry darlings‘ is used for whom in the chapter?
4. What is the first law of intergenerational perversity?
5 Marks:
1. What does the phrase ‗the great American trap‘ refer to? Does the writer become a
victim of it? Discuss.
2. What is Cosby‘s opinion about the following:
a) The music his father used to enjoy
b) The music his daughter likes
10 Marks:
1. The chapter deals with the problem of generation gap. Discuss the writer‘s views
about it. How does he try to reduce the gap between him and his daughter?
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