CBSE Class 11 English Text Books Notes

SECOND : D (TEXT BOOKS)

1. The Portrait of a Lady - Khushwant Singh Gist of the lesson -
Khushwant Singh is one of the prominent Indian writers and columnists. He has written on various themes and issues. In this lesson he gives a detailed account of his grandmother who had a long association with him. The old, stout, short and a little bent grand mother is clad in white clothes and keeps on telling beads of her rosary. During their long stay in village, the grand mother used to wake up the narrator in the morning and accompanied him to school. She took care of all small things and continued her regular prayers and reading of scriptures. On the way back home she fed stray dogs with stale chapatis. Shifting to city home was a turning point as it increased distances in their relationship. Now, the author was going to a city school and studying all modern day subjects. The grand mother was not able to help the author in his studies and she felt disturbed as there was no teaching of God and scriptures. The grand mother devoted her time in praying, spinning and feeding sparrows. She did not get disturbed when the author was leaving for abroad and saw him off maintaining her peace and calm. Seeing her old age, the narrator thought that that could be his last meeting with his affectionate grandmother. But, contrary to his thinking after a span of five years the grandmother was there to receive him. She celebrated her grandson’s home coming in an ususual way by beating a drum and singing. She had a peaceful end and every one including sparrows got aggrieved at the demise of a bold, religious, practical, responsible and loving person.

2. We are not afraid to die ....
If we can all be together.
It is description of a sea adventure experienced by the narrator and his family. The narrator, his wife mary, son Jonathan and daughter Suzanne were accompanied by two experienced sailors - American Lerry vigil and Swiss Herb Seigler. In July 1976 they set sail from plymouth, England in Wave Walker, a specially built boat. The first part of the journey was pleasant and everything went on smoothly up to Cape Town. Unfriendly weather and gigantic waves of Southern Indian Ocean compelled the sailors to slow their speed, drop storm jib and take other

precautions. The danger was so implicit that the sailors completed liferaft drill and attached life lines and life jackets. On 2 January 1977 a giant wave hit wavewalker and caused much damage to it. The sailors got injured and the narrator was thrown overboard but he managed to get hold of wave walker’s guard rails. Inspite of his multiple injuries, he took hold of the wheel. In an atmosphere of fear and panic mary took charge of the wheel whereas larry and Herb started pumping out water. The narrator managed to stretch and cover convas across the gaps to prevent water from entering the ship. Their hand pumps stopped working and electric pumps short-circuited. They were distressed and busy in pumping, steering, repairing and radio signalling. They studied charts and calculatively decided to reach a nearby island. They all were  too busy in rescue work and did not take any meal for two days. Children were injured too but they did not draw attention of their parents and just allowed them to save Wavewalker. The children said that they were not afraid to die if they could all be together. The narrator became more determined and strong seeing children’s courage. Finally they reached. Ile Amsterdem, a volcanic island where they were welcomed by 28 inhabitants. Thus, the collective strength and never failing optimism of the sailors made it possible to come out of the jaws of death. Though, Jonathan and Suzanne did not do anything to save Wavewalker but their courage, forebearance, faith and optimism gave extra strength and persistence to the narrator and his team.

3. Discovering Tut : The Saga Continues 
A powerful dynasty ruled Egypt. Tut the last king of this dynasty died When he was just a teenager but the cause of his death was not known. That tomb was discovered in 1922 and investigation was done on 5 January, 2005. Some people opposed the investigation and thought that it would disturb pharaoh’s peace. That was buried with gold arte facts and every day things like board games, bronze razor, lines garments, cases of food and wine. Howard carter faced tough time in removing Tut’s mummy from the solid gold coffin. The ritual resins could not be removed with Sun heat and carter had to chisel it away to raise the kings remains. In 1968 an anatomy professor revealed that Tut’s breast bone and front ribs were missing. Amenhotep IV promoted the ‘Aten’, the sun disk and moved his capital from Thebes to Akhenaten. He smashed the images of Amun and closed its temples. During his short reign of 9 years. Tut’s restored the old God and traditional ways. After scanning and Xraying Tut’s mummy, it was placed back in his tomb. Zahi Hawaas, the secretary general of Egypt’s council of Antiquities was relieved to know that nothing wrong had gone with their popular child king.

4. Land scape of the Soul -
Nathalie Trouveroy
Wu Doazi was a famous painter of Eighth Century. He made famous painting for the palace of Tang emperor Xuanzong. After showing the painting to the King. Doazi along with painting got vanished. Quinten Metsys painted a fly on a master’s masterpiece painting with such delicacy and precision that the master agreed to his daughters marriage with Q. Metsys. Paintings of Europe present an illusionistic view where as Asian or Chinese painting create essence, inner life and spirit. The western painting reproduces an actual view and we can view the landscape as the painter views it. On the other land a chinese painter does not have a single viewpoint. His landscape is not a real one and we need to enter it from mind. Chinese landscape is spiritual and conceptual. Shanshui is mountain water. ‘Yang’ is mountain which is vertical stable, warm and dry.‘Yin’ is water which is horizontal and resting on the earth in form of fluid, moist and cool. The interaction of ‘Yin’ (feminine) and ‘yang’ (Masculine) is the fundamental aspect of chinese painting. This interaction takes place in the ‘Middle’ void - empty space between Yin and Yang. White, unpainted space in chinese painting represents the middle void. ‘Artbrut’ is the art of those who were talented but did not have any formal training. Their works are stimulating and thought provoking. Nek Chand, untutored genius created famous Rock Garden using discarded (thrown away) things, stones and recycled material. For this show of talent and creativity, Nek Chand became a renowned figure all over the world.

5. The Ailing Planet : The Green Movement’s Role -
Nani Palkhivala
This article written by Nani Palkhivala appeared in ‘The Indian Express’ on 24 November 1994. It focuses On the deteriorating condition of the earth because of man’s growing lust to exploit all the natural resources. The earth has been turned in to a barren land. The Green movement is the only answer to solve many problems. The entire human race is involved in the Green Movement which was started in 1972. There has been an irrevocable shift from the mechanistic view to a holistic and ecological view of the world. There is a growing world wide conciousness that the earth itself is living organism - an enormous being of which we are parts. But its vital signs reveal a patient in declining health. The efforts of the environmentalists have gone futile. The immediate need is to promote the concept of sustainble development’ as mooted by the world commission on Environment and Development in 1987. The author feels that it is a matter of relief that the people have now started thinking of saving the planet by thinking of development as a means to control population, the mother of all problems.

6. The Browning Version -
Terence Rattigan
The present extract is from The play “The Browning Version” written by Terence Rattigan which is focussed on a good but impopular school teacher Mr. Crocker - Harris. It vividly brings about the agony of a dedicated teacher who has a strict attitude towards his students. It starts with the conversation between a school boy Taplow and another teacher Frank. Teachers like Frank encourage student like Taplow to make comments on their fellow teachers. Frank asks Taplow not to wait for Cracker-Harris and leave. But Taplow waits for him. In between Millie, the wife of Crocker Harris arrives there and sends him to chemist’s shop with a presecription. The play exhibits that the boy Taplow is much afraid of his teacher and has to stay till his arrival. In this extract the author brings out the character of Crocker Harris through Taplow in a direct contrast to Frank.

7. The Advanture -
Jayant Narlikar
This fictional narrative by Jayant Narlikar belongs to the genre of Science fiction and deals with the much intriguing aspect of time. Time travel has been a much used theme with never ending possibilities. The protagonists of this story, Professor Gaitonde, a historian is preparing for his thousandth presidential address in which he would speak on the topic “What course history would have taken if the result of the Battle of Panipat had gone the other way?” While on an evening stroll he is hit by a truck. In his state of unconsciousress his mind travels back into time where he experiences a different perspective of history from the prevalent one. After he gains consciousness he is able to recall all these probabilities and possibilities very clearly. Rajendra Deshpande his scientist friend offers a scientific explaination of his strange experience. He says that professor Gaitonde was living in the present but was experiencing different worlds. This shift from present world to another was based on catastrophe theory. According to this theory small changes in circumstances lead to a sudden shift in behaviour.

8. Silk Road. -
Nick Middleton
The lesson ‘Silk Road” is a small part of the author’s travelogue. Here the author describes only a small part of his journey from Ravu, a small mountain village to Darchen which is at the foot of Mt. Kailesh. The journey describes the scenic beauty of the mountains, the nomads in splendid isolation and, the Tibetan mostiffs which were popular in China as hunting dogs. The author’s experience at Lake Mansarover was in stark contrast to the experience of other travellers. For him the place was disappointing, depressing and uninspiring. The sanctity and spirtuality of Lake Mansarovar fails to make an impact on the author. The authors stay in Darchen is marked by his nocturnal fear of death, his visit to Darchen Medical College and undergoing a five-day course of Tibetan Medicine. The second thoughts author had been developing about the Kora were dispelled after his meeting with Norbu, a Tibetan, working in Beijing at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, neither was he a practising Buddhist nor was he well-equipped for the pilgrimage.

HORNBILL (POETRY)

1. A Photograph

- by Shirley Toulson

The poet discribes the photograph that captures interesting moments of her mother’s childhood when she went for a sea holiday with her two cousins. Poet draws a contrast between the sea in which the girls are standing and their transient feet to suggest shortness of human life and slow changing sea. Poet also recollects how her mother would have laughed at the photograph and felt disappointed at the loss of herchildhood joys. Now poet’s mother has been dead for twelve years. In this situation she feels very sad and lonely. This loss has left her speechless. But she has learned to reconcile with this loss with great difficulty.

2. The Laburnum Top

- Ted Hughes

The poet has drawn a beautiful picture of an autumn afternoon. The laburnum tree is silent and still. Its leaves have turned yellow and some seeds have fallen. The whole tree comes to life with the arrival of goldfinch. Poet has compared the alert, abrupt and sleek movement of goldfinch with a lizard (simile). After feeding her young ones goldfinch flies away towards the infinite sky and the laburnum tree once again becoems quiet and silent. The poet has compared the laburnum tree with a machine (metaphor) which was started by its engine (metaphor) goldfinch.

3. The Voice of the Rain

By Walt Whitman

The poet gives imaginative description of the answer given by a soft falling shower. When poet asks it “Who are You”? It says that it is the poem of the earth and it is everlasting. The poet compares the rain to a song. Just as a song rises from the heart of a poet and gives pleasure and joy to the poet similarly Rain originates from the earth and the bottomless sea, takes a vague shape of clouds and comes down to make its birthplace (earth) clean, pure and beautiful.

4. Childhood

By - Markus Natten

In this small and beautiful poem the poet recalls his childhood and wonders where it has gone. He narrates various stages where he lost his childhood.
The poet is in a fix as he is unable to understand about his childhood.
He is trying to reason out its timings. He wondered whether it was at the age of eleven, when he started reaching logical conclusions based on his reasoning power.
The second possibility is when he reached his adulthood where people do not act what they preach.
The third possibility seemed to be when he could produce his own thoughts and practise independently.
In the final stanza the poet is trying to locate the place where his childhood has disappeared.
He realizes that the adolescence follows childhood in the same way as childhood had replaced infancy.
Thus he concludes that his childhood went to some forgotten place that was hidden in an infants face.

5. Father to Son

by Elizabeth Jennings

The poem discribes a father’s agony over a sense of estrangement from his son. They have lived in the same house for years. Yet they behave as strangers.

The father gave his son all love and care when he was a little child. He wanted him to grow up into a man of his choice. He had his own likes and dislikes. However there was hardly any communication or conversation between them which made the father not to understand why in his grief he becomes angry with his son. As both of them intensely love each other, they are always in search of some excuse to forgive themselves. Thus its a clash between two generations and their ego, though both of them have love and feeling for each other.

QUESTION NO. 10

Read the following extract and write the options that you consider the most appropriate in your answer sheet.
1. A Photograph
1. Now she’s been dead nearly as many years As that girl lived. And of this circumstance There is nothing to say at all. Its silence silences.

a) Who is referred to here ?
i) poet’s mother
ii) poet’s elder sister
iii) poet’s younger sister
iv) poet

b) “This Circumstance” stands for the moment .........
a) made by the poet.
b) entertained by the photographer
c) captured by the camera.
d) escaped from the sea waves.

c) Its silence silences means that now it is silence only ....
i) which is all pervading
ii) which is not pervading
iii) which bothers everyone
iv) which is not good for human beings.

d) Circumstances means ...
i) problems
ii) the external conditions that affect an action.
iii) opportunities
iv) none of these

2. A sweet face.

My mother’s that was before I was born. And the sea, which appears to
have changed less, Washed their terribly transient feet.

a) The time referred to here is the time before the birth of the ........
i) poet’s mother
ii) poet’s father
iii) poet
iv) photographer

b) Which / who has not changed much ?
i) Sweet face of mother
ii) photograph
iii) sea
iv) beaches and hotels.

c) The last line shows a contrast between the sea and ...........
i) the animals
ii) the human beings
iii) the forest
iv) the rivers

d) Trace a word from the extract which mean “Momentary”.
i) Terribly
ii) Appears
iii) Transient
iv) change

2. The Laburnum Top

1. The Laburnum top is silent, quite still. In the afternoon yellow
September sunlight, A few leaves yellowing, all its seeds fallen.

a) The laburnum top is silent because _______
i) all the leaves have become yellow.
ii) there is no beautiful flower on its branches
iii) no bird is found on its branches.
iv) no wild animals are found there.

b) Trace the word from the extract which means ‘not moving’?
i) silent
ii) quiet
iii) still
iv) fallen

c) In the month of September, all the leaves and seeds have / have been___.
i) fallen
ii) grown
iii) collected
iv) scattered

d) The title of the poem “The Laburnum Top” belongs to ____.
i) a short tree with hanging branches.
ii) a tree like on oak
iii) a plant with thorns
iv) a vine with beautiful flowers.

2. Till the goldfines comes, with a twitching chirrup. A suddenness, a
startlement, at a branch end. Then sleek as a lizard, and alert, and abrupt,
She enters the thickness, and a machine starts up of chittering, and a tremor of wings, and trillings -

a) The goldfinch comes to the Labournum top ____
i) in a sad mood
ii) chirruping way
iii) for showing her covered face
iv) none of these

b) The movement of the goldfinch is compared to a ________.
i) Snake
ii) lizard
iii) Crocodile
iv) monkey

c) The musical notes are produced by the ________.
i) Laburnum
ii) goldfinch
iii) machine
iv) lizard

d) Write the poetic device mentioned in the extract.
i) Simile
ii) Metaphor
iii) Hyperbole
iv) None of these

3. The Voice of the Rain.

1. And who art thou? said I to the soft-falling shower, Which, strange to
tell, gave me an answer, as here translated. I am the poem of Earth,
said the Voice of the rain, Eternal I rise impalable out of the land and the bottomless sea,

a) ‘Thou’ refers to ______.
i) the earth
ii) the rain
iii) the moon
iv) the sea

b) It is strange that the rain is going _______.
i) to answer the question of poet.
ii) to wash the droughts.
iii) to make the environment fresh
iv) none of these

c) The rain is the poem of _____.
i) Land
ii) Nature
iii) Earth
iv) Sky

d) Trace a word from the extract which means “Something that can not be touched”.
i) Eternal
ii) Bottomless
iii) Impalable
iv) translate

2. And forever, by day and night, I give back life to my own origin, And
make pure and beautify it;
(for song, issuing from its birth place, after fulfilment, wandering
Reck’d or unreck’d, duly with love returns)

a) What does the rain do day & night?
i) becomes the cause of flood.
ii) gives life to the earth.
iii) makes the environment clean
iv) washes the drought.

b) What is meant by song here?
i) Poet’s own song.
ii) Group Song
iii) Patriotic song
iv) classical song

c) Heart is the birth place of ___________
i) play
ii) drama
iii) song
iv) None of these

d) Trace a word from the extract that mean “source”
i) origin
ii) wander
iii) fulfilment
iv) Reck’d

4. Childhood

1. When did my childhood go?
was it the time I realised that adults were not
all they seemed to be,
They talked of love and preached of love,
But did not act so lovingly,
was that the day!

a) What did poet realise about adults?
i) They are rational
ii) They are selfish
iii) They love others
iv) They are hypocritical

b) Poet is feeling sorry for the loss of his ____.
i) Youth
ii) Adulthood
iii) Childhood
iv) loved ones

c) Trace the word from the extract which means to behave?
i) Seemed
ii) preached
iii) realised
iv) Act.

d) Who wrote these lines?
i) Ted Hughes
ii) Walt Whitman
iii) Markus Natten
iv) Shirley Toulson

2. Where did my childhood go?
It went to some forgotton place,
That’s hidden in an infant’s face,
That’s all I know.

a) What does poet want to know?
i) When did his chilhood go?
ii) Where did his childhood go?
iii) What is hidden in an infant’s face?
iv) Where is the forgotton place?

b) The poet’s childhood went to
i) an unknown place
ii) a work place
iii) a common place
iv) a familiar place.

c) The childhood is hidden in the innocent face of ___
i) a child
ii) an adult
iii) an infant
iv) an old man

d) The synonym of hidden is ____.
i) seen
ii) latent
iii) apparent
iv) visible

5. Father to Son

1. We speak like strangers, there’s no sign
of understanding in the air
This child is built to my design
Yet what he loves I cannot share.

a) Who does he ‘refer’ to here?
i) poet
ii) father
iii) stranger
iv) son

b) They speak like strangers because
i) They don’t know each other.
ii) They belong to different religions
iii) Their ways of life are different
iv) They are meeting for the first time.

c) What does the word ‘design’ signify here?
i) Father’s wish
ii) Father’s physical appearance.
iii) Father’s liking
iv) Father’s disliking.

d) Poet Laments that
i) his son resembles him.
ii) they speak like strangers.
iii) his son does not obey him.
iv) he cannot share what his son likes.

2. I would have him prodigal, returning to
his father’s house, the home he knew,
Rather than see him make and move. His world.
I would forgive him too, shaping from sorrow a new love.

a) What does the father want his son to do?
i) to forgive him
ii) to move to his new house.
iii) to reduce his expenses
iv) to come back to his father’s house.

b) How can the poet’s behaviour be described here?
i) Angry
ii) Cooperative
iii) compromising
iv) thoughtful.

c) Shaping from sorrow a new love means
i) to forget the mistakes of the past.
ii) to break relationship with his son.
iii) to establish a strong bond of love with his son
iv) to live happily in his son’s house.

d) Which one of the following is not a synonym of ‘forgive’?
i) Apologise
ii) Excuse
iii) Pardon
iv) Antagonise.

QUESTION NO. 11

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS :

Answer these questions in 30-40 words

1. THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY

1. Why was it hard for the author to believe that his grandmother had nce been young and pretty?

2. The author and his grandmother were good friends. Support your answer with suitable examples?

3. Why was grandmother distressed with city school’s education?

4. What change came over the grandmother when the author returned home from abroad?

5. How do the sparrows react at the death of the author’s grandmother?

6. How do you know that author’s grandmother was a religious lady?

7. How did the grand mother pass her time in her city home?

8. Why does the narrator call his grandmother a ‘winter landscape’?

2. WE’RE NOT AFRAID TO DIE ....

1. What preparation were made by the narrator before their round the world voyage?

2. Describe the efforts made by the captain to protect the ship from sinking?

3. How did Sue and Jonathan behave during the crisis hours?

4. What destruction was caused to the ‘Wave Walker’ when hit by the storm?

5. How did Larry and Herbie help during all those crucial hours?

6. Why was the narrator getting a hug from his children?

3. DISCOVERING TUT : THE SAGA CONTINUES

1. Who was Tut? Why was his demise a big event?

2. Who was Howard Carter? What was his discovery?

3. Why was King Tut’s mummy subjected to a CT scan?

4. What were the everyday things buried along with Tut’s mummy?

5. Carter had to Chisel away the Tut’s mummy. How did he justify it?

6. Why was Carter’s investigation resented?

7. Why did Ray Johnson describe Akhenaten as “Whacky”?

8. Why did Egyptians store daily use items along with the mummies of their popular kings and queens?

4. LANDSCAPE OF THE SOUL

1. What is the significance of the story of a chinese painter Wu Daozi?

2. Who was Quinten Metsys? How was he able to marry painter’s daughter?

3. Describe chinese view of art with example?

4. What is ‘outsider art’ or ‘raw art’ ? Describe Nekchand’s contribution to it?

5. What is the role of a man according to Shanshui concept of chinese painting?

6. What is the difference between chinese art and European art?

5. THE AILING PLANET : THE GREEN MOVEMENT’S ROLE

1. What does the earth’s vital sign reveal? What is our duty?

2. What does the notice in the zoo at Lusaka read? What does it signify?

3. ‘Forest precede mankind; deserts follow’. Explain this statement?

4. What are the four principal biological systems of the earth. How are they useful for us?

5. Development is the best contraceptive. Eleborate?

6. What role Industry has to play in this era of responsibility?

6. THE BROWING VERSION

1. Why did Taplow go to school on the last day?

2. Why did crocker Harris not disclose Taplow’s result?

3. What do you learn about Mr. Frank as a teacher from this lesson?

4. Why did Taplow laugh at Crocker Harris’s joke?

5. Crocker Harris was a man of principles. Discuss?

6. Who is Millie? Why does she send Taplow to the chemist?

7. Why did Taplow keep on waiting, even after knowing that Crocker Harris was ten minutes late?

7. THE ADVENTURE

1. Why was professor Gaitonde going to Bombay?

2. What was the plan of action in professor Gaitonde’s mind as his train approached Bombay?

3. What important discovery was made by Gangadharpant on reading history books?

4. Professor Gaitonde could not complete his thousandth addres at Azad Maidan. why?

5. What explanation was given by Rajendra Deshpande for professor Gaitonde’s transition from one world to another?

6. What is reality according to Rajendra Deshpande?

8. SILK ROAD

1. Why were Tibetan mastiffs popular in china’s imperial courts?

2. Why had Hor been described as a miserable place by the narrator?

3. Who was Norbu? How did Narrator feel on meeting him?

4. How did cold and altitude effect the narrator?

5. Why was the narrator’s experience at Darchen disappointing?

6. Justify the the title of the Lesson “Silk Road”?

QUESTION NO. : 11

POETRY

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

1. A PHOTOGRAPH (BY SHIRLEY TOULSON)

1. What does the word ‘Cardboard’ denote in the poem ‘A Photograph’?

2. What does the picture taken by the Uncle Show?

3. What does the phrase “transient feet” suggest?

4. What are the feelings of the poetess when she sees her mother’s photograph?

2. THE LABURNUM TOP - By Ted Huges

1. Which is the dominant colour in the poem ‘The Laburnum Top”? What does it signify?

2. What comparison has been drawn by the poet between goldfinch and a lizard?

3. How does the Laburnum tree transform after goldfinch’s arrival?

4. Explain the phrase ‘the machine starts up’?

3. THE VOICE OF THE RAIN - By Walt Whitman

1. Why does rain call itself ‘the poem of Earth’?

2. Why does the rain descend ‘on the Earth’?

3. How does rain give back life to its origin?

4. Why is the rain described as eternal?

4. CHILDHOOD - By Markus Natten

1. What are the poet’s feeling at the loss of his childhood?

2. What does the poet observe about the behaviour of adults?

3. What does the poet feel about his own mind in the poem “Childhood”?

4. What changes are involved in the process of growing from childhood to adulthood?

5. FATHER TO SON - By Elizabeth Jennings

1. What kind of relationship exists between father and his son?

2. How is the father’s helplessness brought out in the poem?

3. Explain the phrase ‘silence surrounds us’?

4. How is father trying to build a bridge between his son and himself?

QUESTION NO. 12

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS :

Answer these question in 100-125 words.

1. The portrait of a Lady

1. Grandmother has been portrayed as a strong lady and an affectionate grandmother. Write a brief character sketch of the grandmother in the light of above statement?

2. How was grandmother’s life in the city different from her life in the village? 

3. Describe the three phases of the author’s relationship with his grandmother before he went abroad for further studies?

2. “We’re Not afraid to Die ...

1. “We’re note afraid to die .....” is a story of team work, optimism and courage. Support this statement with suitable examples from the story?

2. Describe the destruction caused by the storm to the ‘Wave Walker’? What measures were taken by the narrator and his crew to prevent its sinking?

3. Why do you think people undertake such adventurous expeditions inspite of the risks involved?

3. Discovering Tut : The saga continues

1. Who discovered Tut’s mummy”? What were the funerary treasures and everyday things buried along with it?

2. How did Carter manage to separate Tut’s mummy from its coffin? Why was it subjected to repeated scrutiny?

3. Why was Howard Carter’s investigaton not approved by the experts? What argument did he give in his defence?

4. Landscape of the Soul

1. Illustrate with example the difference between Chinese style of painting and Europeon style of painting?

2. What is Daoist view of the Universe? Describe all the three elements of Daoism?

3. Who is Nekchand? What is his achievement? Why does media call him “an untutored genius’?

5. The Ailing Planet : The Green Movement’ Role

1. What are the four principal biological systems of the earth according to Mr. Lester Brown? How do they sustain humanity? What would happen to them if overexploited by man?

2. How has the growth of World population become the strongest factor distorting the future of humans? What does the author suggest?

3. What has made the earth sick? What remedial measures you would like to suggest to improve its health?

6. The Browning Version

1. Compare and contrast Mr. Crocker Harris and Mr. Frank as a teacher and as a person?

2. What opinion do you form about Taplow as a student from the play ‘The Browning Version’?

3. Frank was encouraging Taplow to mimic his teacher Crocker Harris. Support your answer with suitable instances from the play?

7. The Adventure

1. How did Gangadhar pant behave at Azad Maidan? What was the reaction of the audience?

2. Why did professor Gaitoride consult history books? What did he discover in the ‘Bhausahebanchi Bakhar’? Why was he shocked?

3. How did Rajendra Deshpande try to rationalise Gangadhar Pant’s experience at Azad Maindan scientifically?

8. Silk Road.

1. What was the purpose of author’s journey to Mount Kailash? How did Tsetan help him during the journey?

2. Compare the narrator’s experience at Hor to the earlier accounts of the place given by travellers?

3. Describe the difficulties faced by the narrator during his journey to Mount Kailash?

QUESTION : 13

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Answer these questions in about 100 words.

1. The Summer of the Beautiful white horse.

1. Aram and Mourad belong the Gargholanian tribe. What are the hallmarks of their tribe?

2. Did the boys return the horse because they were conscience - Stricken or because they were afraid? Support your answer with suitable arguments.

3. Do you agree with Aram’s remark that Mourad was considered the natural descendant of Uncle Khosrove? Explain.

2. The Address

1. In what respect was the narrator’s second visit different from her first visit to Mrs. Dorling?

2. ‘The Address’ is a story of human predicament that follows war. Comment.

3. Justify the title of the story ‘The Address’?

3. Ranga’s Marriage.

1. Describe the role played by the narrator in arranging Ranga’s marriage?

2. What kind of a person do you think the narrator is?3. Do you think astrologers manipulate things in arranging marriages in modern times? Discuss.

4. Albert Einstein at School

1. The school system often curbs individual talents. Discuss this statement with reference to the lesson ‘Albert Einstein at School’.?

2. What do you learn about Einstein’s nature from his conversation with his history teacher, mathematics teacher and Yuri?

3. What was Einstein’s plan to get away from the school? How did Yuri help him?

4. What changes have been incorporated in the present education system? Describe in short.

5. Mother’s Day

1. ‘Mother’s Day’ is a humorous and satirical depiction of the status of the mother in the family? What are the important issues it raises? How does the play resolve the issues?

2. What difference do you find in the attitude and personalities of Mrs. Pearson and Mrs. Fitzgerald?

3. What change do you observe in the behaviour of Doris, Cyril and Mr. George?

4. What problems are being faced by mothers these days? Have they become stronger and more independent than earlier?

6. The Ghat of the Only World

1. What different aspects of Shahid’s character do you gather from the Lesson “The Ghat of the only World’?

2. What is meant by ‘diaspora’? What do you learn about Indian diaspora from the lesson ‘The Ghat of the only world”?

3. Justify the title of the Lesson ‘The Ghat of the only World’?

7. Birth

1. Give an account of efforts made by Dr. Andrew Manson to revive the still born child?

2. There lies a great difference between textbook medicine and the world of a practising physician? Discuss this statement with reference to the story ‘Birth’?

8. The Tale of Melon City.

1. Suggest few instance in the poem “The Tale of a Melon City’ which highlight humour and irony.

2. How has the poet made fun of governance system by using the phrase ‘Just and placid’.

3. How was the blame for the arch passed on? Who was utimately punished?

QUESTION NO. 14

SNAPSHOTS

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Answer these questions in 30-40 words.

1. The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse.

1. When and why did Mourad come to Aram’s house?

2. How does Aram justify Mourad’s act of stealing the horse?

3. Where did the boys hide the horse everyday?

4. What do you learn about uncle Khosrove’s temperament after reading this story?

5. Who is John Byro? Why did he not accuse the boys of stealing his White Horse?

6. What happened when Aram rode the horse alone?

7. Why was Mourad considered the natural descendant of uncle khosrove?

2. The Address

1. Who is Mrs. Dorling? What opinion do you form about Mrs. Dorling on the basis of the Lesson “The Address”.

2. How was the narrator received by Mrs. Dorling when she visited her for the first time?

3. What arguments were given by Mrs. Dorling for taking away things from narrator’s house?

4. The narrator visited Mrs. Dorling many years after the War. Why did she wait so long?

5. Describe the narrator’s feelings when she found herself in the midst of her mother’s belongings?

6. Why did the narrator resolve to forget ‘the address’?

3. Ranga’s Marriage

1. Why did people rush to Ranga’s house?

2. What were Ranga’s views about marriage?

3. Who is Ratna? Why does the author consider her the most suitable bride for Ranga?

4. What did the writer tutor Shastri to do?

5. How has the author made fun of English Language in the story ‘Ranga’s marriage’?

6. Why did Ranga name his son as ‘Shyama’?

4. Albert Einstein at School

1. Why did Einstein refuse to learn dates and facts?

2. Why did Albert feel miserable. When he left school after having an argument with the history teacher?

3. Why was Einstein not happy in his lodgings?

4. What did Mathematics teacher think of Einstein?

5. Who is Elsa? What advice does she give to Eintein to pass the examination?

6. What were the reasons given by the head teacher for expelling Einstein?

7. What was Einstein’s future plan for further education after leaving school at Munich?

5. Mother’s Day

1. Give any two instances from the Lesson to show that Mrs. Pearson was treated like a servant by her family?

2. How does Mrs. Fitzgerald help Mrs. pearson to get back her lost respect in her family?

3. What shocks Cyril when he comes back home?

4. Who is Charlie Spencer? How does Mrs. Pearson show her dislike for him?

5. What advice does Mrs. Fitzgerald give to Mrs. Pearson after they change back their personalities?

6. At the end of the play how does Mrs. Pearson plan to spend evening with her family?

6. The Ghat of the Only World

1. When did Shahid talk about his approaching death for the first time? What had happened to him?

2. How did Shahid want to be remembered after his death?

3. What promise did the writer make with Shahid ? How did he fulfill it?

4. What was common between Shahid and the author?

5. Why did Shahid have a special passion for Kashmiri food in Pandit style?

6. Give two instances from the text to show that Shahid was gregarious by nature?

7. How did Shahid’s upbringing help him in developing a secular outlook?

8. How did author feel after Shahid’s death?

7. Birth

1. Who was Andrew Manson? Why was Joe Morgan waiting for him?

2. What was the conflict in Andrew’s mind regarding marriage?

3. How did the child appear when it was born?

4. What last effort was made by Andrew to revive the child?

5. “I have done something ; Oh, Good! I’ve done something real at last.” Why does Andrew think so?

8. The Tale of Melon City

1. Where and why did the King order the construction of an arch?

2. What happened when the king went down the thoroughfare?

3. Who was the wisest man? What was his verdict?

4. Why did the King order to hang someone immediately?

5. What was the criteria for choosing a person to be hanged? Who was found fit finally?

6. What do you learn about the ministers from their behaviour?

7. How was a melon crowned to be the new King of the country?

Please refer to attached file for CBSE Class 11 English Text Books