VIII Eng.

Text 1

STD VIII 2ND SEM ENGLISH COURSE

GOVERNMENT BOOK
Lesson 5[ Poem Comprehension] SIX BLIND MEN OF INDOSTAN [LBH]
GULMOHAR READER
1. Where the Mind is Without Fear [NO OBJECTIVES] [LBH]
2. Can Animals Reason [NO OBJECTIES]
3. A night to Forget [NO OBJECTIVES]
4. Darjeeling
5. Bodyline
6. All the Worlds a Stage
GUL MOHAR [paper style] WRITING SKILLS
1. Give meanings [4] Letter writing [4]
2. Choose the correct option [6] Story writing [3]
3. State whether following statements are true or false [4] Poem Comprehension [3]
4. Answer in a sentence [5] Diary entry [4]
5. Answer in brief [GULMOHAR LESSONS] [6]
6. Textual comprehension [lessons: Darjeeling, Bodyline] [2]
7. Poem comprehension [lesson 5 Govt Book] [2]
8. Quote from memory [4]

GOVERNMENT BOOK
QUESTIONS Read the passage and answer the following questions.
LESSON 5 WHATS THE EVIDENCE
Q-1 Read the passage and answer the question.
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And look down one as far as i could
To where it bent in the undergrowth

Then took the other just as fair

And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
Questions:
1) What did the poet feel sorry for?
A.1. The poet was standing at the fork of two roads in a yellow wood. He being one traveler, could
not travel both at the same time. So, he was sorry.
2) What did the poet observe standing at one place? Where was the poet standing?
A.2. The poet was standing at the fork of two roads. From there, he could see two roads diverging in
a yellow wood. He looked down one road as far as he could see and found the one bending in the
undergrowth.
3) What reasons did the poet give for choosing the other road?
A.3. The poet chose the other road because it was equally fair as the first one and it was grassy and
almost untrodden. Hence, according to the poet, perhaps it was having the better claim.

2) And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh I kept the first for another day
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence
Two roads diverged in a wood and I
 VIII Eng. Text 2

I took the one less travelled by,

And that has made all the difference
Questions:
1 What does the poet mean by the words oh I kept the first for another day?
A.1. Since the poet could not travel both the roads at the same time, he took up one and postponed
travelling the other thinking that he could come back and travel it another day.
2 What doubt has risen in the poets mind?
A.2. The doubt that had risen in the poets mind was that whether he would be able to come back to
travel along the other road which he had kept for some other day.
3 What, after a long time, will the poet tell with a sigh? Why?
A.3. Far off in future, the poet will tell with a sigh how his decision was final and life-changing. It
made a lot of difference to him.
GULMOHAR READER
Q.1.A.CHOOSE THE CORRECT OPTION AND UNDERLINE THEM
LESSON 10
1. The author used a taxi.
A. Train B. Taxi C.Plane
2. The author took three hours to reach Darjeeling.
A. Two B. three C. four
3. The authors decision was to take the train all the way to Darjeeling from Bombay.
A. Delhi B. Calcutta C. Bombay
4. The whole mountainside was covered with dark green fir trees.
A. Dark green pine trees B. dark green fir trees
5. It began to drizzle when the author reached the Government Tourist Lodge.
A. Government Tourist Lodge B. Private Tourist Lodge
6. Kanchenjunga appeared in dazzling majesty against the blue sky like a cut-out.
A. Kanchanjunga B. Nanda Devi C. K2
7. Tiger Hill has become a world famous hill.
A. Hill B. mountain C. hill station
8. Darjeeling, an extract from The Distorted Mirror: stories, travelogues and sketches is
written by R.K.Laxman.
A] R.K.Laxman B] R.K. Narayan C. Vikram Seth
LESSON 11
1. The England-Australia cricket players played a match at the London Cricket Ground
called Oval where England had lost a match in the year ______________
A. 1881-82 B. 1882-83 C. 1880-81
2. The idea of English cricket being dead and burnt to ashes appeared in a newspaper after
the test series that took place in the year _______________________
A. 1881-82 B. 1880-81 C. 1882-83
3. England and Australia started playing a series of five test matches every two years
A.1861 B. 1862 C. 1860
4. Cricket matches acquired the definite shape in test matches in the year __________
A. 1877 B. 1878 C. 1879
5. Bodyline bowling became a big issue in the year __________
A. 1933 B. 1934 C. 1935
6. The Board in Australia proposed that a bodyline ball should be declared a no-ball by the
umpire and punished if further repeated.
A. England B. Australia C. India
7. Don Bradman, however, went to play spectacularly in __1934_____ helping his team to win
the series 4-1.
A. 1934 B. 1935 C. 1933

LESSON 11 MCQ
1. All the men and women are merely _____________
A. Actors B. Players C. soldiers
2. All the Worlds a Stage is written by _______________
 VIII Eng. Text 3

A. William Shakespeare B. R.N. Tagore C. William Wordsworth

3. The sixth age shifts into ____________
A. the lean and slippered pantaloon B. second childishness C. the lover sighing with a furnace
4. The third stage shifts into ________________
A. the lean and slippered pantaloon B. second childishness C. the lover sighing with a furnace
5. In which stage does a person has severe eyes and beard of formal cut and is full of wise saws
and modern instances __________
A. Third B. Fourth C. Fifth
6) The poet compares the world to
A. story book B. a film C. a stage D. a playground
7) The poet compares "exit" to
A. birth B. life C. Doors D. death
8) In the second stage of life man
A. mews and pukes B. goes to school unwillingly
C. cries in his nurses lap D. sings and plays
9) As a young lover, according to the poet, man
1. learns to dance
2. composes ballads for his beloved
3. goes hunting in the forest
4. does exercises to build his muscles

10) The seventh stage of man is also described as

A. Infancy B. childhood C. Second childhood D. adult hood

11) The seven roles that man plays corresponds to his

1. Chronological age in life 2. Desires 3. Mental age in life. 4. Idea of perfect life.

12) All have their exits and entrances. Exits and entrances refer to
1. Beginning and end of play. 2. Coming and going of actors.
3. Birth and death. 4. The end of the Shakespearean era.

TRUE OR FALSE
1. In Darjeeling, wherever one went, the ultimate destination would be the Mall. TRUE
2. It was a fine drive through plains from Darjeeling to Sikkim. FALSE
3. Going to tiger hill is not a must when you are in Darjeeling. FALSE
4. This essay Darjeeling reads like a Monologue. FALSE
5. On his return to Darjeeling, the writer became a familiar figure in Darjeeling. TRUE
6. A collie knew the correct information- the train to Darjeeling was not running anymore
because of a landslide. TRUE
7. The author was not glad to see Tenzing. He doesnt call him a deserving hero. FALSE
8. Beautiful views of Kanchanjunga and the Himalayas cannot be seen from Darjeeling. FALSE
LESSON 11
1 The Australian Cricket Board won an argument against the MCC. FALSE
2 Jardines team won the Ashes in the year bodyline bowling was first used.TRUE
3 Jardine listed his popularity and future opportunities to play in the Ashes series. TRUE
4 Bodyline is a word in cricket. TRUE
5 Bradman won increasing popularity and went on a higher achievement as a batsman. TRUE
6 Douglas Jardine returned to England triumphantly with the ashes and he had become
popular among cricket lovers. FALSE
7 The Board in Australia proposed that a bodyline ball should be declared a no-ball by the
umpire and punished if repeated. FALSE
8 Two years later, it was the English newspapers which referred to the England teams voyage
to Australia as a quest to regain the Ashes. TRUE
9 W.A.Oldfield, the Australian captain, was hit by a bodyline ball nastily on the left side of the
chest. FALSE
 VIII Eng. Text 4

MEANINGS LESSON 10
1. Spindle-legged: with long, thin legs
2. Driftwood: branches of trees thrown up by the sea on the shore; they are usually thin and
twisted
3. Had ripped the tracks away: had torn away the rails
4. Careering: going fast in an uncontrolled way
5. Abruptly: suddenly and without any warning
6. Perched: positioned at a height and on an edge
7. Suppressed delight: tried to control his happiness and excitement
8. Lounging: sitting around idly
9. Prima donna: leading beauty in a show business
10. A wisp of white patch: a little cloud of mist
11. Local citizenry: the people who lived in that area
12. Unspeakably bad: very bad-so bad that it could hardly be described
13. Sheaves of glossy brochures: handfuls of publicity material
BODYLINE LESSON 11
14. Jubilation- feeling of great joy at success or victory.
15. Satirical- witty and mocking.
16. Consistency- ability to do something again and again.
17. Strategy- a set of plans to achieve or counter something.
18. Distract- disturb (the batmans) concentration.
19. Intimidatory- threatening.
20. Likelihood- possibility.
21. Taken aback- taken by surprise; shock
22. Menacing- arousing fear and making the batsman nervous.
23. Beckling- shouting rude and angry remarks.
24. Utter contempt- total lack of respect.
25. Deplore- condemn as wrong or immoral.
26. Deprecate- criticise and hence refuse to accept.
27. Infringe- break.
28. Jeopardise- put something in danger; risk harming or destroying.
29. Strained- weakened the trust and friendship enjoyed by the two countries.
ALL THE WORLDS A STAGE
30. Acts - roles played in a play
31. Mewling and puking crying in a thin voice and dropping saliva from the mouth
32. Satchel - school bag
33. Pard poetical short form of a leopard
34. In the cannons mouth facing great danger to live
35. Belly with god capon lined - having eaten good [chicken] meat
36. Lean and slippered pantaloon - thin legs in loose trousers, with slippered feet
37. a world too wide - far too loose
38. childish treble - high-pitched voice
39. second childishness - a return to the helpless, ignorant state of a child
40. oblivion - complete loss of knowledge and consciousness

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING IN A SENTENCE LESSON 6

1. Which animal shows the most remarkable memory? How?

The salmon shows a remarkable memory by going back to the same river where it was born, even
though it lives in the sea.
2. Which animal gives evidence of logic? What is the evidence?
The Egyptian Vulture shows the ability of logic, while choosing a stone to crack the egg.
3. Of the three abilities, which is the most advanced?
Of the three abilities, the ability to judge is the most advanced.
4. Why does the text say that the chimpanzees abilities are not that surprising?
 VIII Eng. Text 5

The chimpanzees abilities are not that surprising considering that they are our closest living
relatives in the evolutionary scale.
5. What other animals are similar to Chimpanzees in this respect.
Gorillas and Orangutans are similar to chimpanzee in this respect.
6. Which bird eats other birds eggs and how?
The Egyptian Vulture eats other birds eggs. It picks up a stone in its beak and drops it on the
ostrich egg to crack its thick shell.
LESSON 7
7. What is like a clear stream?
Reason is like a clear stream.
8. What is like a dreary desert?
Dead habits are like dreary desert sand.
9. What happens to a clear stream when it turns into a desert?
When a clear stream turns into a desert it loses its way.
10. What tends to weaken and destroy our reasoning ability?
Following beliefs and ideas mindlessly and superstitiously without thinking destroys our
reasoning ability.
11.. Is the heaven of freedom a place to rest from effort or is it a place of continuous [tireless]
effort? Effort to achieve what?
The heaven of freedom is a place of tireless effort to achieve perfection.
12. Does the mind also move in that heaven, continuously in some direction?
The mind continuously moves towards ever-widening thought and action.
13. For whom is the prayer for? What is the speakers idea of the heaven of freedom?
The prayer is for all humanity. The speaker idea is that it is imperative to every country
to wake up to the heaven of freedom and to realize that the world need not be broken
up into fragments.
LESSON 9
14. Mrs. Bostock says that the prompter, Shirley, hasnt had a thing to do far/ What does this
indicate?
Mrs. Bostock said that the prompter, Shirley, hasnt had a thing to do far as the actors had said
their lines perfectly and no one had forgotten anything.
15. How did Albert react to the knock on the door?
When Albert heard the knock on the door, he felt panic gripping in him. He was worried if he
had missed his entrance. He worried if he had ruined the performance for everybody by cringing
with fear like a frightened child.
16. He realised to his own surprise that he was. [para 11] That he was what? Why did that surprise
him?
He realised that he was all right and was no longer feeling afraid. Up until that moment he was
panicking and he had not been aware of the moment when the stage fright had passed.
17. How much of the story of the play can we make out from this text? State briefly what can be
made out?
The play involves two brothers who do not get along. The older brother is disgusted with his
younger brother who has knocked a man down.
18. Did Albert go on the stage that night? How can you tell?
No, Albert did not go on the stage that night because by mistake the two actors on the stage
skipped three pages ahead which meant that they skipped the policemans part completely.So he
could not go on stage at all.
LESSON 10 DARJEELING
19. How did the Department of Tourism and the travel agent respond to the authors decision to go
to Darjeeling by train? Can you guess why?
The Department of Tourism and the travel agent applauded the authors decision. It seems that
there were very few tourists willing to go to Darjeeling during the rains.
20. The author says his fellow passengers on the train to Jalpaiguri seemed to be frequent travelers
on that train What may have given him that impression?
 VIII Eng. Text 6

The travelers argued about the time the author would be left with to change from one train to
another. Since they seemed confident about the timings the author thought that they must be
frequent travelers on that line.
21. .What was a mystery to the author?
It was a mystery to the author as to why the vital information that a disastrous landslide had
eaten away the tracks was withheld from him by everyone concerned with his travel plans.
22. Who actually knew the truth about the mountain train? What was the truth?
A collie knew the correct information- the train to Darjeeling was not running anymore
because of a landslide.
23. What was like a blessed vision? What made it look like that?
On the way, a sudden view of Darjeeling appeared amidst the misty veil. It was like a blessed
vision as it appeared and disappeared so suddenly.
24. Do you think the author was happy to see Tenzing? What makes you say so?
The author was glad to see Tenzing. He calls him a deserving hero.
25. . Describe Tenzings house.
Tenzings house was perched at a height, on the mountain; its lawns and flower-beds sloping
down to the road. The author lived in wonderful surroundings for a deserving hero of the
mountain was the authors opinion.
26. . What is a good reason for visiting Tiger Hill? What looks like a good reason against it?
Tiger Hill is a word-famous for its view of beautiful mountains that are lit pink at dawn. But to
see this one must take a dangerous drive at three in the morning, in the freezing cold.
27. What is the attraction of going to Darjeeling? What is the risk?
Beautiful views of Kanchanjunga and the Himalayas can be seen from Darjeeling. However, mist
and clouds could ruin it and one may not get to see anything at all.
LESSON 11
28. Whose defeat in a match led to talk about how the series came to be called the death of
English cricket, cremation and Ashes? What was the satirical note put up by the British
newspaper?
Englands defeat in one of a series of matches played in England 1881-81 led to talk about the
death of English cricket and ashes. The remark put up by the British newspaper was that
English cricket is dead.. The body will be cremated and the ashes will be taken to Australia .
29. Who referred to it again two years later and in what form?
Two years later, it was the English newspapers which referred to the England teams voyage to
Australia as a quest to regain the Ashes.
30 . What is bodyline? Who coined it?
Bodyline is a word in cricket. It was coined nearly a century ago to refer to a particular type
of bowling. This happened during a controversial series of matches between England and
Australia.
31.Who won the series ?How did Bradman perform?
Australia presumably won the series and Bradman performed brilliantly, with two centuries
and half-centuries apiece.
32. Who won the next series two years later? How is Bradmans performance in it described in the text?
Australia won the series two years later. Bradmans talent was impressive.
33. Was such bowling within the rules of cricket? In what way was its present use different?
It was intimidatory and unethical, but not against the laws of the cricket. Until then, such
tactics had been in occasional use to surprise a batsman and disturb his concentration.
34. Was such bowling used in the years that followed? Is it used/ accepted today?
Over the next few years no new rule was made about bodyline bowling. Today, a ball rising
along the body of the batsman on his leg stump is described as a well-directed bouncer.
35. Who created the first Ashes trophy and who received it? How was it made?
It is unknown who created the Ashes trophy, but it was presented to the England team when
they won that series in Australia. The trophy was made of baked clay in the shape of an urn
and was believed to contain the ashes of a bail.
LESSON 11 ALL THE WORLDS A STAGE .
36. Why does the schoolboy whine and creep like a snail? What shows, nevertheless, that he is a healthy
little chap?
 VIII Eng. Text 7

The schoolboy whines and creeps like a snail because he does not want to go to school. His
face, nevertheless, shines, showing he is healthy.
37. Do you think the speaker praises the young lover, or does he gently make fun of him? Which words
make you think that?
The speaker gently mocks the lover for his longing and intensely emotional songs for
something as trivial as his mistress eyebrow. The mocking is evident in the words, sighing
like a furnace.
38. Do you think the soldier is described seriously,or in a somewhat mocking tone? What supports your
answer?
The soldier, the speaker says, is full of strange oaths and quick to quarrel. The speaker
seems to be puzzled and amused by this, as it seems quite pointless.
39. What kind of man is judge? Prosperous or poor?Dignified or easy-going?A serious thinker or a slow
talker? What leads you to that view?
The judges round belly indicates that he is prosperous. His formal appearance shows he is
dignified. The stern eyes and wise sayings tell us that he isa man of few words, serious and
thoughtful.
40. The speaker seems to be quietly laughing when he talks of the lover, the soldier and the judge. Does
he do the same in talking about old age and the approach to the oblivion? If not, what attitude does he
now show? Sympathy?Sadness?Contempt? What feeling do you see especially in the last two lines?
When the speaker talks about old age, he shows sympathy for mans lost faculties of hearing,
seeing and speaking and the loss of his dignity through his return to a childlike state. The last
two lines show deep sympathy and compassion.
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING BRIEFLY LESSON 6

1 Which animal goes beyond logic to show judgement? What does it judge?
The chimpanzee displays judgment while choosing a granite stone to crack open the hard
shells of the nuts it likes to eat. It decides to choose a heavy stone if it needs to be carried a
shorter distance. But over long distances, they choose the lighter stones so that they dont tire
themselves out.
2.The narrator says, From a very young age, these animals learn much faster than human
babies. Why, then, are those animals not better thinkers than human beings?
From a very young age, these animals learn much faster than human babies. Chimpanzees
eat with a spoon, use a screw driver and ride a bicycle. But Chimpanzees, especially the
males, tend to become more aggressive as they become older.
3.Who gets whatever he wants? What does he get? How does he communicate?
Kanzy the pygmy chimpanzee gets whatever he wants. He gets orange juice, bananas and
coffee with milk. He communicates with his human companions by pointing to symbols on a
console, where each symbol stands for a word.
LESSON 7
4. Whatare the different qualities of the heaven of freedom which the speaker prays for.
A.4. Different qualities of the heaven of freedom which the speaker prays for are:
1. The mind is fearless.
2. People have confidence and a sense of pride in them.
3. Knowledge is available to all, not just to some.
4. There is no division, discrimination or enmity groups and sections of society of nations.
5. There are no lies.
6. Logic and reason motivates action and not blind habit or superstition.
7. People work hard and strive for perfection
8. People think and act while being conscious of God.
LESSON 9 A NIGHT TO FORGET.
5. When Albert looked at himself in the mirror, what thoughts arose in his mind? When the second
act began how did Albert get prepared?
As the second Act began, Albert found himself alone in the dressing room. He looked at himself in
the mirror and squared a helmet on his head. He thought that he certainly looked the part of a
policeman. He thought it would be amusing to scare someone on the street as a policeman and
 VIII Eng. Text 8

arrest him. He narrowed his eyes, looked fiercely at himself, and spoke his opening line in a
guttural undertone.
6. Did the early parts of the play go well? What did the players and audience enjoy? What supports
your answer?
Yes, the early part of the play went well. The players reveled reveling in a hobby they loved and
gave entertainment to all those people. The audience was thrilled and they enjoyed every twist
and climax of the plot and laughed at every witty phrases and humorous exchange. One could
hear the audience laughing along with the play. The audience was responsive and appreciative.
7. He could not do it.[para 3] Who could not do what? Why?
Albert felt that he could not go on the stage and play his part. He was suddenly seized by an
appalling attack of stage fright. His stomach was empty, a hollow void of fear. He put his head in
his hands. He felt that he could not do it. He could not face all those people. His mouth was dry
and when he tried to bring his lines to memory, he found nothing but a blank. He was overcome
by the stage fright.
DARJEELING
8.Why did the author comment on the drivers vision?
A.8. The author could see nothing because of the mist, but the driver seemed to depend upon
some sense other than vision to keep the car from flying off the cliff off the cliff or colliding
with vehicles careering madly down the road. The road, which seemed to have been built for
only one car, somehow would miraculously expand a wee bit to let another coming from the
opposite side pass. This driving skill made the author comment on his vision.
Q.9. What surprise was discovered by the morning by the tourists?
A. 9. The surprise that was discovered next morning was that there was no trace of rain or
mist. Kanchanjunga appeared in dazzling majesty against the blue sky like a cut-out. The
tourists started a battery of cameras aim at the snow peaks as they were afraid the mist would
again cover it.
BODYLINE
10.What happened in the Oval? What was special about that defeat?
In the series played in England in 1881-81, England was defeated in a match played at the
London cricket ground called The Oval. The special about the defeat was that it was for the first
time that England lost a match in England.
11. Where was the next series played? What happened during the series?
The next series was played in Australia. England used bodyline tactics to get batsmen out.
H.M.Woodfull, the Australian captain, was hit by a bodyline ball nastily on the left side of the
chest. Jardine brought the leg side field still closer and the captain was soon bowled while
attempting to defend himself. Then W.A.Oldfield was hit on the right side of his head and had to
retire hurt. These events made the crowd and the Australian Board of Control for Cricket mad
with anger
12.. Who decided to use fast, rising balls pitched on the leg stump, repeatedly, with close-in fielders
around the leg stump? What prompted such a decision? What strategy did he plan?
It was the England captain, Douglas R Jardine, and the decision was born out of the need to
counter Australias batting strength, especially due to Donald Bradmans prowess.
The strategy that he planned was to bowl repeated fast bouncers on the batsmans leg stump, with
several close-in fielders on the leg side. If the ball hit the batsmans body, it would upset and
distract the batsman, and cause a batting error. The close-in fielders would worry and distract the
batsman.
LESSON 11 ALL THE WORLDS A STAGE .
13. The title of the poem is a comparison. How is that comparison explained in the first five lines?
The title compares the world and the life of man to a play enacted on the stage. The people of
the world are like actors who play roles; their births and deaths are compared to the
entrances and exits of the characters on and off the stage. Every age that a man passes
through is compared to an act in the play.
LBH POEMS [BOTH POEMS ARE COMPULSORY]
Six blind men of Indostan
Where the mind is without fear