Warming up!
Chit-Chat
1. Form groups and discuss the following turn by turn.
(a) What do you often, complain to your parents/elders about?
Ans: I often complain to my parents that no one takes me seriously and treats me like a child.
(b) Name some of the things, you have in your possession, which your younger brother/sister does not have.
Ans: Some of the things I have which my younger brother or sister does not have are:
• Mobile Phone
• Cricket Shoes
• Cycle
(c) Name one thing that, at present, you are craving to possess, most of all?
Ans: I wish I had a nice laptop.
(d) Read the translated Arabic proverb given below and discuss what it means to convey –
‘I complained that I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet’.
Ans: The meaning of the above Arabic proverb is to show how we as human are always complaining about things we do not have rather than focus on our true blessings. We have become extremely materialistic and we constantly want things. Even if we have something, we want the latest version of it with more features.
We should understand that we are truly blessed and there are those who do not possess even the basic necessities of life. In this example, we can complain about having no shoes or wanting new shoes but what about those who do not have feet itself due to an accident or birth defect?
Hence we must always be grateful for our blessings as there are those in the world who do not have anything.
2. Read the poem below and fill in the gaps choosing the appropriate words, to make it meaningful. Also suggest a title of your own:-
(hours / fall / flowers / at all / birthday / years / tears / shadows)
Count your garden by the flowers.
Never by the leaves that fall.
Count your days by golden hours.
Don’t remember clouds at all.
Count your nights by stars, not shadows.
Count your life with smiles, not tears.
And with joy, on every birthday.
Count your age by friends not years.
3. Fill in the table on your own.
What makes me extremely happy?
• Spending time with my family.
• Playing with my friends.
• Eating good food.
• Walking amongst nature.
What makes me extremely sad?
• When I fight with friends.
• When my parents are away.
• When I get scolded.
• When I see garbage thrown everywhere.
3. Make the world a happy place by changing negative things into positive ones.
Sad World – Happy World
- Hatred – Love
- Injustice – Justice
- Poverty – Abundance or Wealth
- Intolerance – Tolerance
- Selfishness – Generosity
- Fear – Courage
- Jealousy – Admiration
- Enmity – Friendship
- Differences – Similarities
- Unrest – Peace
- Dirt – Clean
- Sorrow – Joy
From the Chapter Pages
Describe the young girl in the bus.
Ans: The young girl in the bus had lovely silken hair. She seemed happy and fair. However, she had only one leg and wore a crutch. Yet, she was smiling.
What did the speaker in the poem not realize while chatting with the young lad?
Ans: The speaker did not realize the young lad was blind when he chatted with him.
Why did the blue – eyed boy not join the others in their game?
Ans: The blue-eyed boy did not join the others in their game because he could not hear due to being deaf.
What does the speaker thank God for?
Ans: The speaker thanked God for giving him two legs to take him where he wanted to go, giving him eyes to see the sunset’s glow, giving him ears to hear what he wanted to know. More importantly he thanked God for making him blessed and giving him everything to ensure he could live properly in this world.
English Workshop
1. Complete the following, after reading the poem.
(a) The poet saw a lovely girl hobble down the aisle.
(b) The poet wanted to buy from the lad some sweets.
(c) The poet told the boy to join others to play but he couldn’t hear.
(d) The poet requests God to forgive him.
2. Match the following.
Direct answers given below:
(a) The beautiful girl – (iv) had a handicap in her legs.
(b) The lad who was selling sweets – (iii) was very thankful to the speaker in the poem.
(c) The child, watching others play – (ii) was hearing impaired.
(d) The poet says ‘The World is Mine’ because – (i) he can experience the beauty and gifts of his life.
3. What does the poet mean when she says ‘The World is Mine?’ Explain the importance of the title with reference to the poem.
Ans: When the poet says ‘The World is Mine’, she means she has the ability to experience the beauty and gifts of her life. She recognizes that God has given her everything that she needs to live her life well and she is truly blessed.
In the poem, the poet narrates her experience meeting different boys and girls who have some physical disability. She meets a girl in the bus who is handicapped in her legs. She meets a lad who is blind and also a boy who is hearing impaired.
After interacting with these boys and girls, the poet realized the gifts she has been given by God. She thanks God for giving her legs to go wherever required, for giving her eyes to see the beauty of this world and also ears to hear all the sounds around her. This is why she says ‘The World is Mine’ as there is nothing stopping her from exploring the world and living her best life.
4. Answer in your own words.
(a) What is the theme of the poem?
Ans: The theme of the poem is to be able to recognize our gifts and be grateful for the ability to live our life well. Too often we complain and focus on what we do not possess instead of focusing on what we do have and how they are all such a huge blessing. There are people in this world that do not have what we possess and are still able to lead a happy life.
(b) Do you think people with some handicap should beg for money? Justify your response.
Ans: People with some handicap should not beg for money. The reason for this is that begging will not help them elevate their condition. Instead they should focus on learning skills or working in an environment where their disability will not be a problem. That way they can earn for themselves and become self-sufficient. They will themselves feel better as they will lead a life of dignity.
(c) What is better?
(i) To completely take over the work and responsibility of a disabled person in order to help (OR)
(ii) Encourage such a person to do it himself/herself in a different way. Justify your choice.
Ans: I believe it is better to ‘Encourage such a person to do it himself/herself in a different way’.
There is a saying that ‘give a person a fish and you will feed him/her for a day. Teach the person to fish and you will feed him/her for life’.
This is the reason why we should always encourage a person with some disability to learn skills where their handicap shall not come in the way of making a living. With new skills, the person will be able to earn and do things for themselves. They will become self-sufficient and also be able to lead a life of dignity.
5. Make a list of pairs of rhyming words from the poem.
(a) For example, Whine – mine
Ans: hair – fair, aisle – smile, charm – harm, kind – blind, dear – hear
(b) The Rhyme scheme of the first two stanzas is
Ans:
Stanza 1: aabcc
Stanza 2: abbccdd
Note: In some text books the first two paras have six lines each. In that case, please adjust the rhyme scheme accordingly.
6. Pick from the poem lines which contain the Figures of speech.
(a) Inversion
Ans: Later walking down the street, I saw a child with eyes of blue.
(b) Interrogation
Ans: I stopped a moment, then I said, why don’t you join the others dear
(c) Onomatopoeia
Ans: O God forgive me when I whine
(e) Apostrophe
Ans: O God forgive me when I whine
7. Pick out 4 lines that contain Imagery.
a) I saw a lovely girl with silken hair
b) I envied her, she seemed so gay, and I wished I was so fair
c) Later walking down the street, I saw a child with eyes of blue
d) With eyes to see the sunset’s glow
8. Among your classmates, one is unable to walk properly, the second one can’t hear properly and the third one can’t see this beautiful world. All of them are facing lots of difficulties in life. Compose a dialogue among them, about the problems and difficulties faced by them. You can take help of the following dialogue to expand your ideas.
Student 1: Do you know, how many problems I have to face when I decide to go anywhere?
Student 2: I can’t hear anything.
Student 3: So, sad ! You both can’t walk or hear but my problem is more serious than yours. You know, I can’t see this beautiful world.
(Now continue in your notebook.)
Student 1: Yes, we all have serious physical difficulties. However, I just wish I could go anywhere I desired without having to think about it. You both have freedom to travel.
Student 2: But what use is that freedom to travel if you cannot hear anything or see anything where you go?
Student 3: Exactly, I agree. You may not be able to walk anywhere but at least you can see things. You can experience your surrounding properly.
Student 1: Actually guys I think we all are right about our disabilities. I am wondering whether we should help each other to face all the difficulties in life.
Student 2: That is a great thought. We need to help each other and ensure we are able to go ahead without having our disabilities hamper our lives.
Student 3: Yes, if we do not help each other, then who will? With teamwork, we can be each other’s support and not face the usual issues daily.
Student 1: Great. I am happy we decided to have this conversation. Without being able to walk, I feel so helpless sometimes.
Student 2: I understand your feeling. Imagine not being able to hear. I too have feeling of helplessness sometimes.
Student 3: I too understand both of you. I so wish I could see as sometimes, it gets difficult to do even the basic tasks in a day.
Student 1: So it is decided. We will not depend on others for taking care of us. We shall help each other and be one other’s support.
Student 2: Yes, we can even help each other to learn skills that would make us independent.
Student 3: Learning skills will help us go ahead in life and not see ourselves as burden on others. Thank you my friends. Together, I feel our future will be bright.
9. Develop/Complete a story in your own words and suggest a title.
A polio victim and a strong, but visually challenged man, were friends. They wished to go to pay homage at a place of worship, three kilometres away. Now, continue the story and try to end it with a related moral/proverb.
Title: Teamwork can make anything work
Once upon a time there were two close friends living in a small town in Maharashtra. They both had one physical defect in their body. Harish, had been a victim of polio when he was a young child. Since then he could not walk properly due to muscle loss. He always needed help from someone to visit places. Suresh, the other friend, was visually challenged and could not see.
Although they were physically challenged, Harish and Suresh made it a point to spend good time with each other and help the other in time of need. They were each other’s main support. In fact, they loved spending time with each other and enjoyed various activities in the house.
One day, both Harish and Suresh learnt about an important place of worship not too far away from the town where they lived. They both were fascinated by the stories of the temple and its surroundings. The two friends really wanted to visit this place and offer their homage to the local deity. Unfortunately though, they had no one to help them. Harish sighed that he could not walk for such a long distance while Suresh was sad that he could not see, hence would not be able to guide them to the place of worship.
Thankfully, since both of them had the habit of helping each other, they thought why don’t they help the other in this case as well. Harish could act as a guide and take them to the temple while Suresh, who could not see but was strong, could support Harish in the journey. Suresh could even carry Harish on his back some of the way.
The two friends decided that helping each other was the best option. So they planned and set out for the place of worship early on a Sunday morning. Harish kept guiding Suresh on where to go and where he could walk safely while Suresh, ensured Harish had support and carried him all the way.
This way the two friends were able to visit the great place of worship and pay their homage as they had planned. They were very happy that together they could accomplish anything and were not dependent on others.
Moral of the story: If we work together, then no goal is unachievable no matter how big the challenge.
10. Recite/Read your favourite or any English poem before the class. Take help of the following points while reciting the poem.
(a) Confidence and fluency
(b) Appropriate pronunciation and intonation
(c) Take proper pauses/stresses
(d) Proper voice and tone
(e) Pay attention to the music and rhythm of words and lines.
Answer: Students can read out any poem they like, even other poems from My English Coursebook such as Basketful of Moonlight, Twins etc.
11. Translate into your medium of instruction.
Note: I have translated in Hindi below. Please write in Hindi or Marathi as per your medium of instruction. You may use Google Translate to check the translation.
(a) A disabled person should be respected in society.
Ans: Samaaj mein ek vikalaang vyakti ka sammaan kiya jaana chaahie.
(b) A true friend ignores your weaknesses, corrects you and encourages you to make full use of your strengths.
Ans: Ek sachcha dost aapakee kamajoriyon ko najarandaaj karata hai, aapako sahee karata hai aur aapako apanee taakat ka poora istemaal karane ke lie protsaahit karata hai.
(c) One cannot change everything that one faces; but nothing can be changed unless one faces it.
Ans: Koee bhee sab kuchh nahin badal sakata hai jo ek saamana karata hai; lekin kuchh bhee nahin badala ja sakata jab tak ki koee isaka saamana na kare.
12. Write a letter to your father requesting him to attend the social and cultural gathering of your school. Take help of the points given below.
(a) Social and cultural gathering a mega event.
(b) Varieties of activities conducted in the gathering.
(c) Your participation in two or three activities.
(d) Need to boost your confidence.
Answer
9th February 2021
34 Shiv Chawl,
SV Road,
Santacruz West,
Mumbai – 400054
Dear father,
I hope you are doing well. How is mother doing? Are you both taking care of your health?
I was actually writing to you today for an important reason. I am really excited that my school, Ram Vidyalay, is going to organize a huge social and cultural event and it would be great if you could attend the same. Such type of event has never taken place in our school’s history. In fact, it is going to be the biggest of its kind anywhere in the town.
There are going to be a variety of activities in the gathering. There is a dance performance that will showcase folkdance from various states in India. There will also be poem recitals, skits, dramas and even a number of games. I am also excited that a number of important dignitaries will also attend the social event at our school.
Of course I am most excited about the fact that I myself will be participating in a few activities. I have been chosen for the poem recital and I have an important role in the drama as well. My role is significant as I will be explaining about various cultural facts about our state.
Honestly, I am both nervous and excited. I know it is a mega event and participating in this will be amazing. However, I am also scared at the same time. Sometimes, I feel I lack confidence to go up in front of such a huge crowd and perform to my best abilities.
Therefore my dear father, it would mean the world to me if you were able to attend this cultural event at our school. The event will take place on 20th February. Seeing you at the event will definitely boost my confidence. You have always supported me in all of my endeavours and I hope you will attend the event and support me once again.
I would be overjoyed to see you at the event and hence I request you with all my heart to visit my school on the given date and see the great event for yourself.
I hope you will accept my request and I will see you soon. I hope to make you proud at the event and spend quality time with you afterwards.
Yours lovingly,
Gopal Shinde
13. Project :
Divide the class into groups and conduct a poster – making competition for an Eye / Blood Donation Camp. Fix up the details of the above camp, like time, place etc.
Answer:
Students need to create the poster on their own. You can use the following information:
Camp Title: Blood Donation Camp for Rural Maharashtra
Date: 20th February 2021
Time: 10 am to 5 pm
Camp Location: Ram Vidyalay High School, Santacruz West, Mumbai – 400054
Description: Please support our endeavour for collecting blood for hospitals in rural Maharashtra. Your one time blood donation will contribute to the reserves of hospitals catering to underprivileged people from all across the state. This is your chance to make a genuine impact and help those that have been victims of unfortunate accidents or have serious health conditions and need blood to survive.
More Information: Blood will be collected by doctors who have volunteered from Shree Mataji Hospital, Santacruz.
Good