Sunday, November 29, 2009

UNSEEN COMPREHENSION

Comprehension 1

Following is an extract from the autobiography of Gandhiji ‘My Experiments with Truth’. In Tolstoy Farm, South Africa, he trained young minds in manners and morals and appreciating dignity of labour. Read this passage and answer the questions that follow.

My Experiments with Truth

But I had always given the first preference to the culture of the heart or the building of the character, and as I felt confident the moral training could be given to all alike, no matter how different their ages and their upbringing, I decided to live amongst them all the twenty-four hours of the day as their father. I regarded character building as the proper foundation for their education and, if the foundation was firmly laid, I was sure that the children could learn all the other things themselves or with the assistance of friends.
But as I fully appreciated the necessity of a literary training in addition, I started some classes with the help of Mr. Kallenbach and Pragji Desai. Nor did I underrate the building up of the body. This they got in the course of their daily routine. For there were no servants on the Farm, and all the work, from cooking down to scavenging, was done by the inmates. There were many fruit trees to be looked after, and enough gardening to be done as well. Mr. Kallenbach was fond of gardening and had gained some experience of this work in one of the Governmental model gardens. It was obligatory on all, young and old, who were not engaged in the kitchen, to give some time to gardening. The children had the lion’s share of this work, which included digging pits, felling timber and lifting loads. This gave them ample exercise. They took delight in the work, and so they did not generally need any other exercise or games. Of course some of them and sometimes all of them shirked. Sometimes I connived at their pranks, but often I was strict with them. All the same we got along, and at any rate they built up fine physiques, There was scarcely any illness on the Farm, though it must be said that good air and water and regular hours of food were not a little responsible for this.
A word, about vocational training. It was my intention to teach every one of the youngsters some useful manual vocation. For this purpose Mr. Kallenbach went to a Trappist monastery and returned having learnt shoe-making. I learnt it from him and taught the art to such as were ready to take it up. Mr. Kallenbach had some experience of carpentry, and there were another inmate who knew it; so we had a small class in carpentry. Cooking almost all the youngsters knew.
All this was new to them. They had never even dreamt they would have to learn these things some day. For generally the only training that Indian children received in South Africa was in the three R’s, reading, writing and arithmetic.
On Tolstoy Farm we made it a rule that the youngsters should not be asked to do what the teachers did not do and therefore, when they were asked to do any work, there was always a teacher co-operating and actually working with them. Hence, whatever the youngsters learnt, they learnt cheerfully.

1. What did Gandhiji think is the foundation of education?
2. How were the daily chores taken care of at the Farm?
3. How was vocational training taken care of at the Farm?
4. How did Gandhiji ensure a cheerful atmosphere within the
Farm?
5. Find words from the passage which mean the same as following:
a. to help (para1 )
b. to undervalue (para2 )
c. enough (para2 )
d. to allow something wrong to happen (para2 )

CLASS VII - REPORTED SPEECH

REPORTED SPEECH

I. Change the following into reported speech:
1. Amrita said, “It is awesome to visit Jaipur during the winters.”
2. Nikhil said, “Why don’t we take the evening train instead of the morning one.”
3. Nithya’s mother said, “I am planning to go to the temple in the evening.”
4. “Let’s not forget to pick up milk on our way back.” said Sudha
5. Rita said, “It is a cold day, better to wear warm clothes.”
6. Rajiv said to Sachin, “Why don’t you buy a new mobile before this old one completely stops working?”
7. The accountant said, “ I will show you how to open a bank account.”
8. The officer told the soldiers, “Camp here for the night.”
9. “Let’s go and have a look at the new swimming pool,” Mihir suggested.
10. Balbir smiled and asked, “Are you Mrs Robinson’s granddaughter?”
11. “I hope you don’t mind,” she said. (There is no need to write She said she hoped. She hoped will do)
12. “Where have you been?” the man asked her.
13. Prakash asked the boy, “If you never try a new thing, how can you know what it’s like?”
14. “Father, have you any idea at all of what’s going on?” Jasbir asked in a hushed voice.
15. “I don’t know what’s happening, Jasbir, but we are trying to find out,” replied his father.

II. A. Read this dialogue. Then write it in reported speech
Teacher : We are going to hold an exhibition next week. Student 1 : What’s the exhibition on, Madam? Teacher : It’s a science exhibition. I want all of you to help me. Students : We will, madam. Tell us what we have to do. B. “I am a doctor,” explained the young lady on her arrival at the house, “and I have come here in answer to a call I received this morning. Is this the right house?”

III Given below is a passage. Write it in direct speech.
Smita told her mother that she would be going to the market the next day as she needs to pick up lot of things. Smita told her that she could also come with her if she had some shopping to do as well. Smita’s mother replied that she would leave by 3p.m so she should be ready by then. Smita remarked that she planned to return from college by then so that was o.k. with her.

IV. Turn the following sentences into direct speech
1. The scientist commented that an aeroplane with a speed of 10,000 miles an hour had been built.
2. The people asked what the minister has to say about this.
3. The minister’s son asked why he should join any party.
4. The loudspeakers blared forth that people must be disciplined.
5. The doctors gave their unanimous verdict that the minister was out of danger.

CLASS VI AND VII - NOTICE WRITING

Notice Writing

A. Your school is planning to hold a ‘Tree Planting’ day where the Municipal Commissioner of your area will be the Chief Guest. As part of the ‘Environment Club’ you have been asked to put up a notice informing students about the event. Write the notice in about 50 words.

B. Imagine you are a student of St. Theresa School Pune. Your school is planning a ‘Charity Show’ for the benefit of the students of Blind School located in your area. Famous Cine actors will perform at the function. As the Cultural Secretary of your school write a notice asking students to volunteer for Prefect duties on the day of the show. The notice should be in not more than 50 words.

C. Your school is planning to organize a ‘School Sprucing Up’ day where all students would be taking up jobs related to cleaning up the school premises. This is being organized to create a feeling of belongingness as well as appreciating dignity of labour. Write a notice informing students about this activity. You are Rashmi/Rohit the Secretary of the Social Work committee in your school. Write the notice in about 50 words.

D. An NGO by the name SEWA plans to hold classes for children living in hutments outside the city. They need student volunteers for this project. Your Principal has asked you to put up a notice inviting students to join the initiative. Write the notice in not more than 50 words.

E. Your school is organizing a trek to the famous Valley of Flowers in the Himalayas. As the Secretary of the Outstation trip committee you have been asked to put up a notice informing students of classes 7-9 about the trek details in not more than 40 words.

Class X - Literature

Q.1 Choose one of the following extracts given below and answer the question.
Write the answer in your answer sheet in one or two lines only. Remember to number the answer correctly.
My mother only said
Thank God the Scorpion picked on me
And spared my children
(a) Name the poem and poet 1
(b) What do you mean by ‘picked on me’ 1
(c) Give two words that would best describe the mother 1
(d) Why did the mother thank God even after suffering such a great pain for
long twenty hours. 1
OR
The wedding-guest sat on a stone
He cannot choose but hear
And thus spake on that ancient man
The bright-eyed Mariner
(a) What does the wedding ‘guest’s sitting on a stone’ 1
(b) Explain ‘He cannot choose but hear’ 1
(c) What does ‘bright eyed’ mean? 1
Q.2 Read the extract below and answer the following questions. Write the
answer in your answer sheet in one or two lines only. Remember to number
the answers correctly.
‘That’s not much to boast about’
Said the heartless frog ‘Without
proper training such as I
-And few others-can supply
You’ll remain a mere beginner
But with me you’ll be a winner’
(a) What do the word ‘beginner’ and ‘winner’ suggest here? 1
(b) What should the nightingale not be boasting about? 1
(c) What tall claim did the boastful frog make? 1
Q.3 West Wind as presented by the poem ‘Ode to the West Wind’ by P.B. Shelley is the epitome of power, strength and vitality. Give evidence from the poem to show the omnipresence of the West Wind over the land, sky and water bodies. (Word limit 50-75 words)
OR
How has the mirror described itself in the poem, ‘The Mirror’. Bring out the
physical features and qualities.
Q.4 (a) Pen down scrooge’s attitude towards Christmas as portrayed in the initial part of the play ‘The Christmas Carol’.
(b) Why did Marley’s ghost visit Scrooge?

Q.5 Brutus was indeed motivated by a passionate urge of patriotism when he joined in the conspiracy to kill Julius Caesar. Attempt a charater sketch of Brutus as you can comprehend from his speech to the people of Rome
‘Romans, countrymen and lovers! hear me for my cause’ (50 words)
OR
Antony was indeed an excellent orator who would ignite the spirit of revenge in the minds of the Roman people. Describe how would he mould the mind of the Roman people and turn them against the conspirators. (50-75)
Q.6 ‘I shivered with the cold and my own ingratitude’ says Babuli who was immensely touched to see the process of division of the family property and the past flashed in front of his eyes. In what recollections of the past did he get engrossed? (50-75 words)
OR
How did Cutie Pie happer to be present in the planet Qutapi (50-75 words)
Q.7 In the story The Letter, Laksmi Das is touched when Ali gave five golden guineas to him to ensure that his daughter’s letter reaches his grave. He writes a letter to his wife describing Ali’s regular visit to the post office, the humiliation he had to encounter, also relating Ali’s handing over the five gold guineas to him. (150-175 words)
OR
Imagine yourself to be the narrator of The Ultimate Safari. You felt greatly
moved when grandmother spoke to the white woman. ‘There is nothing. No
home’ Write down your feelings in your diary, how are you spending your life in the refugee camp and what are your hopes and aspirations. (150-175)

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Film Festival - Class IX

A Dark Hall
Rows and Rows of seats
Thousands of people
One Screen which enthralls them all – The Cinema

This is the magic of cinema, which was brought to India by Mr. Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, affectionately called, Dadasaheb Phalke.
This is the story of how he made the first film of India, which started the Indian Film Industry, which today employs over lakhs of people, generates crores of revenue, gives birth to stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Kajol, Madhuri Dixit, earns recognition for the country and most importantly reaches out to thousands and thousands of human beings all over the globe to fascinate them with the Magic of Cinema…..
Today, this feature film which tells the Story of How the First Feature Film of India was made, is India’s official entry to the Oscars this year.

Harishchandrachi Factory (Harishchandra Factory)
Director : Paresh Mokashi Year : 2009 Duration : 96 min
Country : India Language : Marathi Subtitles : Yes
• Synopsis
Year 1911. British rule in India. Leader of the Indian Freedom struggle Lokmanya Tilak was in Mandalay prison. Gandhi, Nehru and Ambedkar were yet to arrive in the Indian Political scenario. Things were at a nascent stage.
A simple man, deeply passionate about art and a student of the J.J. School of Art, was working with the Archeological Survey of India.
In 1905-1906, he like many other illustrious Indians gave up his government job, in protest of the Bengal Partition. Unemployed, he started a Printing Business, which he abandoned after a quarrel with his partner. He did not ask for any compensation; on the contrary, he gave his word to the worried partner that he would never enter into printing again and would never compete with him! As a result, Phalke was unemployed and struggling to survive. One day he accidentally came across a tent theatre that was screening silent motion pictures, an absolutely new concept, which no one knew existed. The idea struck him. He decided to make films himself.
With a hardworking wife and two enthusiastic kids by his side, he ventured into a field unknown to contemporary India. The making of India's first feature film, 'Raja Harishchandra', was an amazing adventure. Funny, crazy and grave situations- Phalke family overcame everything. With the help of their cast and crew, not only did they deliver the first Indian film, but also made sure that it became the first super hit film!
• Note on The Director :
Paresh Mokashi has been associated with theatre for the last twenty years. He started as an actor in the well known theatre organization, Theatre Academy, Pune. He was part of main stream Marathi drama as well as Grips theatre, (Berlin) & Theatre Academy coproductions
for children. Then he shifted to writing-directing and received good reviews from critics and tasted wide commercial success. Sangeet Debuchya Muli, Mukkam Post Bombilwadi and Lagnakallol are a few of his plays which are known for experimentations in vivid yet atypical humour. Apart from show business he is involved in objective research on ancient scriptures like
the Vedas, Ramayan and Mahabharat. 'Harishchandrachi Factory' is his debut film.
• Statement from Osian’s-Cinefan
Sometimes history appears right in front of you and you simply cannot ignore it. Harishchandrachi Factory is one such instance. A film, in fact the first film to narrate the story of how the first film of India, Raja Harishchandra, was made in 1913. Raja Harishchandra was
to be the beginning of the world’s largest film industry, churning out over 800 films a year.
So historical was the film – Harishchandrachi Factory – that it had to be the centerpiece of an Outreach Programme which seeks to involve children with cinema. What makes the film delightful is that it portrays the birth of cinema in the most simple, humourous and
enjoyable manner – so that the millions whom cinema has enchanted over the years are fascinated by the story of its birth too.
Harishchandrachi Factory is a tribute to the first feature Film maker of India – Dadasaheb Phalke. An interesting anecdote to mention here is that in the year 1914, after he had made three films, Dadasaheb Phalke had a special screening of his films in London. Following
this he received offers to make films and stay in London. But he refused all of them saying, “I must keep making films in India so that it gets established as an industry at home”. And the rest, as they say, is history…
FILM BRIEFING SESSION
The Wonder of Imagination
Imagine…
Dreams…
Think…
These are the emotions that propel man to go beyond himself. Every discovery, every invention, was a product of imagination & necessity. Without imagination man’s life would have been lifeless. The mind constantly imagines, is constantly lost in thought…
This imagination made man love stories – of Gods, Goddesses and Demons and People, of Places far and wide, of love, belief horror and magic. Stories which made man happy and sad; which inspired and empathized. Through stories man entered a world where his mind was engaged with thoughts – which inspired him to explore life further. This fascination for stories led to dance, drama, music, writing, poetry and ultimately to CINEMA
Today, all of us can make films – technology has made this possible. But what is cinema?
Cinema is the science of making still pictures move so that they appear to be in movement. How does this happen? This happens, because as the Roman poet Lucretius explained in 65 B.C., the human eye retains the image of every objects it sees for 1/25th of a second after it moves away also. That means, if you see a pen and if is moved away, you will still see it in front of you for 1/25th of a second. This helps create an illusion of motion in our vision while seeing things, which is the scientific principle of cinema.
So, is Cinema all Science?
No while the principle of cinema is scientific, the concept of cinema, which is storytelling is artistic. Thus cinema is a brilliant symbiosis of science and art where science has been utilized to its optimum to express artistic creativity.
Think of how cinema has mesmerized audiences all over the world. But, do we know that story? Harishchandrachi Factory is the very story of how the first film of India was made. Very simple, without jargon, it is at one level, the story of the struggle of a human mind to explore imagination and use it to bring joy and awe to thousands. At one level, that is what cinema is all about
The film, among other issues, also touches upon the subject of patriotism and duty to the nation. Often this is credited only to industrialists, national leaders and the defense forces. But Phalke demonstrated his own patriotism, much like what a common man can do. In 1906 he gave up his lucrative government job in protest of the Bengal partition of 1905. Later in 1914, after he made his first three films, he turned down an offer to stay and make films in England because as he said, “I must keep making films in India so that it gets established as an industry at home”.
So the next time you go to watch a film, do think of the man whose vision brought cinema to India – Dadasaheb Phalke.

Film Festival - Class VIII

Lights, Camera and ACTION!
Thus begins the action of films - full of energy, enthusiasm and unending passion, cinema is much
more than shooting scenes to narrate a story. While films narrate stories, do you know of
innumerable stories of films itself – of hope, passion, desire and persistence? One such story on the films is Supermen of Malegaon.
A vivid and endearing account of filmmaker Sheikh Nasir’s attempt to make Malegaon’s own version of the Hollywood blockbuster Superman, Supermen of Malegaon pays a tribute to all those passionate men and women in Malegaon who in spite of all difficulties have given creativity and art a chance in their lives!

Supermen of Malegaon (Supermen of Malegaon)
Director : Faiza Ahmad Khan Year : 2008 Duration : 79 min
Country : India Language : Hindi & Urdu Subtitles : Yes
• Synopsis
Over a hundred miles outside of Mumbai in the textile factory town of Malegaon, director Nasir has thrilled the local public with his homemade spoof films. In their most ambitious project to date, Nasir and his hard working group of actors, writers, and crew set out to shoot "Superman of Malegaon", a story about a hero sent down the river to save the town.
Documentary filmmaker Faiza Ahmad Khan chronicles Nasir's hilarious attempts to overcome a myriad of unseen challenges from dropping his camera in the water to his lead actor getting married. Through it all, Nasir and his team use their creativity to forge ahead. SUPERMEN OF MALEGAON will remind even the most cynical moviegoers of the sheer joy and excitement inherent in films and filmmaking.
• Note on The Director
Faiza Ahmad Khan completed a postgraduate diploma in Social Communications media from Sophia Polytechnic in May 2003, after which she worked as a production executive in an advertising company. In 2004 she began her freelance career as an assistant on short films and documentaries. She has worked with Manish Jha as chief assistant director for the feature film Anwar. This is her first full length documentary.
• Statement from Osian’s-Cinefan
This year, the focus of the School Outreach programme (Story of Cinema) was decided by two remarkable films which were submitted to the Festival – Harishchandra Factory & Superman of Malegaon. Both the films are on filmmaking, set in completely different times, yet not very different in its chronicling of filmmaking. Supermem of Malegaon was an inevitable choice – it simplifies the art of filmmaking to this nature that it can inspire everyone to embark on that path: of giving one’s own creativity a chance.
Creativity is inherent to all – it sees no barriers of age, caste, social standing, education or the like. But many of us in the grind of life and in our own nonchalance often ignore this God Gifted quality and allow it to decay. Supermen of Malegaon is above all a Tribute to Creativity and the passion to pursue it.
FILM BRIEFING SESSION
A superman within each of you!
Listen to this story…
In a corner of the country, in a small town, there are over one lakh power-looms. This city produces 1 crore meters of cloth daily with lakhs of people working in them. These people repeat the same mechanical action for over 14 hours everyday in hot, humid and difficult conditions. Very poor, this is their only source of livelihood. This is how life is for majority of the population in this town.
Every Friday is eagerly awaited, though. For it is the weekly off, when the power loom workers give vent to the tiredness of the week and relax. Though they have little money they engage in small pleasures which give them respite from the drudgery of the week. One such engagement is cinema. Films run house full in this town. Every other person is a film buff. Salons are specialized in giving Shah Rukh Cuts & Amitabh Hair makeover. Video parlours flourish. In this town there is a growing group of people who have take forward their passion for films – they have begun to make films. Innovative creative films, based on the Bollywood Blockbusters, have been the hits in this town. Everyone participates – the loom worker, tea shop owner, and grocer, tailor – become camerapersons, technicians, light men and production assistants – and go on to make films that are simply loved by the local audience. They face a lot of problems, though – financial constraints, outdated equipment, lack of knowledge – but still they move on in the belief that the film has to be made and their creativity has to be nurtured. They work on Fridays and many a times at low or no pay – for the satisfaction that the film gives them. Such is the story of creativity.
Listening to this story how many of you feel inspired to explore your own creative urges? We do not have such constraints, yet how many of us are willing to walk the extra mile to fulfill our hobbies? The story narrated above is that of Malegaon, a town which has seen over the years unemployment, communal tension, worker unrest, economic downturn, degradation of quality of life and more recently, as you would know, the horror of terror. Yet they stand up against all odds to make something that will make them happy and see life, even if for brief moments in a lighter shade.
This story is one which inspires each of us to give the Superman inside us a chance to express and explore – who knows where this journey may take us!

FILM FESTIVAL - CLASS VII

The whole of life is but a moment of time.
It is our duty, therefore to use it, not to misuse it.
Greek Scholar Plutarch

The essence of life is to keep trying to better what you are, better what you have, so that when you come to the end of it you have made the best of life. This is what every human being tries to achieve in this journey called life. Since childhood one is taught to work hard, avail every opportunity, make best of every available resource so that you climb a step above where you were when you were born.
The aspirations from this struggle are different –
A child in a well to do family in a metropolitan city aspires to establish a business when he grows;
For an old woman in the rugged landscape of Afghanistan, this never went beyond being able to buy a blanket to protect her from the cold winds at night; For a landless labourer in the deep interior villages of India, it is to have a small piece of land he can call his own And
In Belitong Island, Indonesia: for two dedicated teachers and a group of ten motley students it was all about having an opportunity to make education a part of their lives…
And they build the story of the Rainbow Troops!
Rainbow Troops (Laskar Pelangi)
Director : Riri Riza
Year : 2008
Duration : 124 min
Country : Indonesia
Language : Bahasa Indonesia
Subtitles : Yes
• Synopsis
The island of Belitong, Indonesia. Two teachers, Muslimah and Harfan, eagerly await the beginning of the new school year and the arrival of their new pupils. At least ten pupils need to attend their Muhamaddiya Islamic primary school, otherwise the educational authority will close them down. No wonder they are both nervous. Fortunately, ten students end up registering for school - most of them being children from families of poor day laborers at the tin factory. Muslimah decides to call the group of first graders the "rainbow troops." Following the children over a period of five years, we observe as these children struggle for the right to make their
dreams a reality.

• Note on The Director :
Born in 1970, Riri Riza graduated from the Jakarta Arts Institute in 1993, where he majored in film directing. His final film project, Sonata Kampung Bata, won third place in the 1994 Oberhausen short film festival. He has worked on several documentaries, music videos and TV films. Riza directed his first feature film, Kuldesak, in 1998, collaboratng with Mira Lesmana, Nan Triveni Achnas and Rizal Mantovani. His solo debut project was Sherina's Adventure. Together with Mira Lesmana, he has also become a film producer. Riza studied screenwriting in
England, and then wrote his first screenplay Eliana, Eliana. His other films include Gie, Untuk Rena and Three Days to Forever.

• Statement from Osian’s-Cinefan
The true nature of life is to exceed oneself in all of our efforts. Rainbow Troops, is chronicles the endless efforts of the children and teachers at the Muhammadiyah elementary school to make the best out of life and to live it to the fullest. Their ups and downs, achievements and
failures are reminiscent of the struggle that each of us undertake to fulfill our dreams in life. And this commonality establishes a universal understanding of one man for another and an empathy for each other’s dreams, aspirations and struggles. This film has been chosen not for the educational component which is the crux of the story but for the larger emotions and journeys it portrays – which in due course of time become the true lessons of life.

FILM BRIEFING SESSION
Reach for the Rainbow
Many of you would have asked yourself or been asked this question: What do you want to be in life? Doctor, who can help everyone get better; or Teacher who would impart knowledge to others; Engineer, and build great buildings and superb machines; or probably a Filmmaker, and make films that mesmerize audiences. Some will not have an answer just as yet – nothing specific they would say, but something good…
We all need a purpose in life – a purpose that motivates us, inspires us to work hard to attain it. Do you remember how hard you worked to come first in the exams, or your endless practice sessions for the dance competition; or how many books you read for the Quiz Competition or the endless practice sessions and workouts for the cricket tournament. Through all this you would have encountered numerous obstacles, which you would have tried your best to solve and move ahead. Think of all these things when you see the children in Belitong work hard to fulfill their dreams… Do you find any similarity in their and your struggles?
Do you remember that friend who while taking a brilliant catch injured his hand and could never play in the school team again? Or the young boy who works in your neighbour’s house as a servant so that he can earn money for his family in a remote village in the country? Have you seen laborers tolling in the heat of the day to build flyovers whose children can never go to school since their parents are perennially being displaced? Do you think that they have failed in life?
What is the true meaning of success? Is it being able to attain your dreams? Or is success something which can only be understood in relative terms, and never judged? Ask your parents if they have ever left a dream they had? Why did they do it, what were the reasons?
Many things are taken for granted in our life – a happy home, loving parents, good education, tasty food, birthday gifts, enjoyable outings and much more. But there are many children in many parts of the world who do not have these things for granted. In fact these very things are a luxury for them. Do you wonder what life for them must be like?
Look around, think about how different life appears for you, the boy form the nearby slum who begs at the traffic signal, the old aunty who sells tea at her small shop in the corner of the road and your parents who have been able to give you the life you live today.
Doesn’t life seem very different to you now? Yet what is similar in all these lives? That one keeps trying keeps working so that when we come to the end of life we feel that it is a time well spent.
This is the premise of Rainbow Troops!

Friday, September 25, 2009

Formal Letters

Here is a sample of a letter written to the editor of a newspaper

P-64, Saket
Delhi – 17

March 14, 2009

The Editor
Times of India
C R Park
Delhi

Sir / Madam,

Subject: Tigers under threat

Project Tiger, a wildlife conservation project initiated in India in 1972 to protect the Bengal Tigers had become one of the most successful wildlife conservation ventures. The project aimed at tiger conservation in specially constituted tiger reserves throughout India. It strived to maintain a viable tiger population in their natural environment.

In 2007, there were more than 40 Project Tiger wildlife reserves. Project Tiger helped increase the population of tigers from 1200 in the 1970s to 3500 in 1990s. But shockingly as per 2008 official census, the count has dropped to 1411.

The Indian authorities are really concerned at the sharp fall in the population of tigers. It is heart-breaking to know that even a place like Sariska, which was considered a sanctuary for tigers does not have a single tiger left. Other areas too, like the Sunderbans, have shown a sharp decline in their numbers.

The reason for this dwindling number is that tigers are being killed at rampant by poachers for their skin which is exported to foreign countries. The area earmarked for forests is also getting diminished because of the expansion of cities and small towns. Constructions eat away the borders of these tiger reserves. Although many organizations claim that they are taking care of these sanctuaries, this problem still persists.

It is a huge shame that we are unable to protect the big cats and I hope that publishing this letter in your newspaper will draw more people to this cause.

Yours truly,
Pavan Kumar

Now write letters on the following topics:

1. The road leading to your house has been badly damaged. There are too many potholes and driving on the road is major problem. Your repeated requests to the municipal authorities have failed to yield any positive results. You decide to write a letter to the editor of a newspaper highlighting the problems that the residents are facing.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER

Three young men are walking together to a wedding, when one of them is detained by a grizzled old sailor. The young Wedding-Guest angrily demands that the Mariner let go of him, and the Mariner obeys. But the young man is transfixed by the ancient Mariner’s “glittering eye” and can do nothing but sit on a stone and listen to his strange tale. The Mariner says that he sailed on a ship out of his native harbor—”below the kirk, below the hill, / Below the lighthouse top”—and into a sunny and cheerful sea. Hearing bassoon music drifting from the direction of the wedding, the Wedding-Guest imagines that the bride has entered the hall, but he is still helpless to tear himself from the Mariner’s story. The Mariner recalls that the voyage quickly darkened, as a giant storm rose up in the sea and chased the ship southward. Quickly, the ship came to a frigid land “of mist and snow,” where “ice, mast-high, came floating by”; the ship was hemmed inside this maze of ice. But then the sailors encountered an Albatross, a great sea bird. As it flew around the ship, the ice cracked and split, and a wind from the south propelled the ship out of the frigid regions, into a foggy stretch of water. The Albatross followed behind it, a symbol of good luck to the sailors. A pained look crosses the Mariner’s face, and the Wedding-Guest asks him, “Why look’st thou so?” The Mariner confesses that he shot and killed the Albatross with his crossbow.

At first, the other sailors were furious with the Mariner for having killed the bird that made the breezes blow. But when the fog lifted soon afterward, the sailors decided that the bird had actually brought not the breezes but the fog; they now congratulated the Mariner on his deed. The wind pushed the ship into a silent sea where the sailors were quickly stranded; the winds died down, and the ship was “As idle as a painted ship / Upon a painted ocean.” The ocean thickened, and the men had no water to drink; as if the sea were rotting, slimy creatures crawled out of it and walked across the surface. At night, the water burned green, blue, and white with death fire. Some of the sailors dreamed that a spirit, nine fathoms deep, followed them beneath the ship from the land of mist and snow. The sailors blamed the Mariner for their plight and hung the corpse of the Albatross around his neck like a cross.

While it's not clear exactly why the Mariner shoots the albatross in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, the answer has something to do with pride. He obviously didn't intend to bring about drought and death to the crew, but he thought they could do without this bird whose arrival happened to coincide with a lot of good luck.


Character List

Ancient Mariner

The poem's protagonist. He is unnaturally old, with skinny, deeply-tanned limbs and a "glittering eye." He sets sail from his native country with two hundred other men who are all saved from a strange, icy patch of ocean when they are kind to an Albatross that lives there. Impulsively and inexplicably, he shoots the Albatross with his crossbow and is punished for his crime by a spirit who loved the Albatross. He is cursed to be haunted indefinitely by his dead shipmates, and to be compelled to tell the tale of his downfall at random times. Each time he is compelled to share his story with someone, he feels a physical agony that is abated only temporarily once he finishes telling the tale.

Wedding Guest

One of three people on their way to a wedding reception; he is next of kin to the bridegroom. The Ancient Mariner stops him, and despite his protests compels him to sit and listen to the entirety of his story. He is afraid of the Ancient Mariner and yearns to join the merriment of the wedding celebration, but after he hears the Ancient Mariner's story, he becomes both "sadder and...wiser."

The Sailors

Two hundred seamen who set sail with the Ancient Mariner one clear, sunny day and find themselves in the icy world of the "rime" after a storm, from which the Albatross frees them. They feed and play with the Albatross until the Ancient Mariner inexplicably kills it. They begin to suffer from debilitating heat and thirst. They hang the Albatross's corpse around the Ancient Mariner's neck to punish him. When Life-in-Death wins the Ancient Mariner's soul, the sailors' souls are left to Death and they curse the Ancient Mariner with their eyes before dying suddenly.

Albatross
A great, white sea bird that presumably saves the sailors from the icy world of the "rime" by allowing them to steer through the ice and sending them a good, strong wind. The Albatross, however, also makes a strange mist follow the ship. It flies alongside the ship, plays with the sailors, and eats their food, until the Ancient Mariner shoots it with his crossbow. Its corpse is hung around the Ancient Mariner's neck as a reminder of his crime and falls off only when he is able to appreciate the beauty of nature and pray once more.


Themes
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Theme 1 Man is a sinful creature, but redemption awaits him if he repents his wrongdoing and does penance. This theme manifests itself as follows: First, the ancient mariner kills the albatross, committing a sin. Then, during his terrifying experience, he has a change of heart and is sorry for his sin. Finally, after confessing to the Hermit, he carries out a penance, which is to travel the world and tell his tale to strangers.
Theme 2 Man should respect all of God’s creation, of which the albatross is a part. In doing so, he respects the Creator Himself.
Theme 3 Guilt and justice hound sinners until they repent their wrongdoing. In The Rime of the Ancient Mariner guilt and justice appear in the form of strange natural phenomena, as well as spirits.

Imagery . The poem is rich in figures of speech. Here are several examples:

Alliteration
The Wedding-Guest here beat his breast, For he heard the loud bassoon.
Simile With Alliteration
The bride hath paced into the hall,.................[hath, hall: alliteration] Red as a rose is she....................................[Red as a rose: simile with alliteration]

Personification/Metaphor
The Sun came up upon the left,.....................[Sun referred to as "he": personification; all personifications are also metaphors] Out of the sea came he ! And he shone bright, and on the right Went down into the sea.

Paradox and Irony With Alliteration
Water, water, every where,............................[water, water, where: alliteration] And all the boards did shrink ; Water, water, every where, Nor any drop to drink....................................[It is ironic and paradoxical that water is everywhere but none of it can be drunk]

Imagery - Weather: The Good, The Bad, The Icy, The Dry
In pretty much any poem or novel about life at sea, you can expect quite a lot of attention to be devoted to the weather. But who could have expected a huge fog near Antarctica, a massive drought that turns the ocean into a swamp, or a lightning show that gets dead people moving again? Here's the general trajectory: the Mariner's ship gets driven down south by a bad storm, then the albatross guides them through fog and ice, then they suffer a truly horrifying, windless drought, the Mariner sees a massive and supernatural night-time storm, and he finally gets carried by invisible forces back to the bay.
Part I.Stanzas 11-12: The storm that drives the ship south is compared metaphorically to some kind of winged predator on the hunt. The ship is like the animal at ground level that runs in the "shadow" of the predator to escape it.
I.15: The ice near Antarctica makes loud cracking noises that sound "like noises in a swound," that is, like the sounds a fainting person might hear. The word "like" makes clear that this is a simile.
II.25: This stanza, describing the good weather (which lasts all of one stanza) enjoyed by the crew, features the alliterative repetition of the "f" sound, as in "furrow follow free."
II.28: When the wind dies and the ship can't move, the scene is compared using simile to a motionless painting.
II.29: The ship's shrunken wood boards become central image of the terrible dryness that the killing of the albatross produces.
II.33: The crew becomes so thirsty that it's as if their mouths were full of dry "soot," or ashes, which is a simile.

Moon, Sun, and Stars
What is this, an astrology lesson? With the attention he pays to the moon, sun, and stars, you'd think the Mariner had a Tarot card collection. Well, that's actually not too far, considering that these phenomena are invested with supernatural powers, particularly after the Mariner shoots the albatross. Above all, the moon is calling the shots, both in terms of the Mariner's punishment and his eventual penance. Watch out for any images of the moon and its white light.
Part I.Stanza 19: The first image of the moon is of the white light shining through the fog down in the Arctic. Sounds beautiful, right? Wait until those sailors see what the moon has in store for them.
II.27: When things start to go bad for the crew, the sun's color is compared to blood, and, more ominously, its size is the same as the moon's.

The Albatross
We've got really mixed feelings about the albatross. If it hadn't come along, then sure, the whole crew probably would have died in that ice field. But, to be frank, the consequences of shooting the albatross seem almost worse than death. Maybe that's because shooting it is a completely senseless act. As a persecuted figure of salvation, the albatross resembles Christ in many ways, especially when you consider that a bird often symbolizes Christ.
Part I.Stanza 16: The albatross is treated like a person, a "Christian soul," by the lonely sailors. In Christian symbolism, Jesus Christ is sometimes compared metaphorically to a bird, so the albatross could be a symbol for Christ.
II.23-24: Coleridge uses parallelism to show how the sailors quickly change their mind about whether killing the albatross is bad or good. The structure of the last four lines of these stanzas is the same, starting with "Then all averred" (agreed) and continuing with "bird to slay."
II.24: The albatross becomes the defining symbol of the Mariner's big mistake. As a symbol of the burden of sin, it is compared explicitly to the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified.

Colors
The importance of colors in this poem goes along with the interest in the supernatural (see below) and specific patterns of images like the moon and sun (see above). However, there's so much "Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds"-type craziness going on with sea snakes and angels and ice that we just wanted to point it out to y'all.
Part I.Stanza 13: The icebergs in the Arctic Ocean are compared to the green color of an emerald (simile). The color green is the ocean's "normal" color in this poem.
II.31: The water begins to turn strange colors at night after the albatross has been killed. These supernatural green, blue, and white lights are compared in a simile to "witch's oils," which are used for spells and enchantments

The Religious and the Supernatural
It's hard to separate the religious, spiritual, and supernatural in this poem: welcome to Romanticism. By the end of the poem, the message of the Mariner's bizarre and violent story has become, "Go to church and say your prayers, lad." Huh? This message doesn't seem to fit well with the poem's religious and supernatural imagery, which doesn't adhere to traditional Christian themes. Rather, the poem seems more like a radical re-working of Christian symbols. Keep an eye out for the Mariner's attempts to pray in the second half of the poem.
Part II.Stanza 32: The sailors begin to dream of a malevolent spirit following them from nine fathoms under the ocean.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

CLASS VII

Informal Letters -

Study the following letter to a friend comgratulating him on his success in the Board Exam -

5 Lakshmi Colony
Madurai – 10
March 14 2009
Dear Anu,
Congratulations! I am overjoyed to hear of your spectacular achievement in the Board Exam. It is no easy feat to secure 100% in Maths and Science. Besides, you have scored 90% and above in all the other subjects. I am genuinely happy that all your hard work has borne fruit.
My parents join me in congratulating you. I have decided to adopt all your strategies in preparing for my exams. You have become a source of inspiration to me.
My parents and I are visiting my aunt in Chennai next week. I will definitely meet you then.
Please convey my regards to your parents.
Yours affectionately,
Ramesh

Now write the following letters -
  1. The exams are approaching and you are under lot of stress as your parents want you to do well. You decide to write a letter to your cousin sharing your feelings with him/her about your fears and apprehensions.
  2. As Nithya/Nikhil write a letter to your ailing grandfather. You stay away from your family in a hostel and your parents have told you that your grandfather is very sick and in bed. You have lot of childhood memories associated with your grandparents. Write the letter.

Friday, September 11, 2009

CLASS X - The Ultimate Safari

Characters
The Bandits
So called by the government, the bandits raided the narrator's village repeatedly, forced her and her family into hiding, and ultimately forced them into the long trek that takes up most of the story. The identity of the bandits is never revealed specifically, although they are presumed to be one of the Mozambique rebel factions supported by the South African government, trying to overtake the government by wreaking havoc in the rural areas.
The Daughter
A young girl of nine or ten when the story opens, the daughter, who is also the story's narrator, reveals very little about herself, but it is through her eyes that the story of her and her family's arduous trek away from their village to the refugee camp is told. She understands very little about the war, or the reasons behind it, except to comment about the fear the bandits have instilled into her people and to describe the effects their raids have had on her life. An astute observer, she conveys much of the tone of the story through her descriptions of the trek: her grandfather rocking to and fro making little noises; flies buzzing on her grandmother's face; her older brother becoming silent like their grandfather. Although we ultimately learn very little about the narrator herself, it is through her descriptions that the story unfolds.
The Father
Although he never appears in the story, the father's absence, and presumed death in the war, is significant as it helps to set the tone of the story, and without him, the narrator's family must survive on their own.
The Grandfather
Once the owner of three sheep, a cow, and a vegetable garden—all of which have been taken away by the bandits by the time the story takes place—the grandfather does little more than rock side to side and make little noises in this story. He is clearly suffering from some form of dementia or the effects of a mental breakdown, and in the course of the trek through Kruger Park, he wanders off through the high grasses, becomes lost, and must be left behind by the family.
The Grandmother
As the matriarch of her extended family that includes her husband and her grandchildren—the narrator, and the narrator's younger and older brothers—the grandmother is the strongest adult character in the story. It is through her vision and leadership that the family is able to escape the danger wrought by the rebels and travel through Kruger Park to a refugee camp across the border. Once her family settles into the refugee camp, she finds work hauling bricks, and she oversees her grandchildren's education.
The Little Brother
Less than a year old when the family is forced to leave their village, the little brother is three when the story ends. In that time he suffers greatly from malnutrition, and as he grows older, his older sister notices that he barely speaks, a result, she believes, of having too little food during their journey.
The Mother
Similar to the father, we know nothing about the mother except that she left one day for the store and never returned, forcing the narrator's grandparents to take over responsibilities for the children during the war.


Themes
Apartheid
Between 1948 and 1992, the Republic of South Africa had an institutionalized system of racial segregation known as "apartheid"—the Afrikaner word meaning "separateness." Effectively stripping all South African blacks, coloreds, and Indians of their citizenship rights, apartheid was instrumental in helping whites to maintain power in the predominantly black country. As countries across Africa regained their independence from Europeans, the South African government, fearing the liberating influence of its recently liberated black neighbors on its own black population, financially and militarily supported the efforts of rebel groups to destabilize neighboring governments. This desperate measure to protect the apartheid system and the white control of the South African economic and political structures resulted in the long-term displacement and deaths of millions of southern Africans over the years. Nearly all of Gordimer's work addresses, in some way, the effects apartheid has had on whites and blacks alike.
Family
Prior to the events of the story, the narrator had lost both her father and her mother to the war. Her grandmother and grandfather took over parenting responsibilities, and when the grandfather lost his only means of livelihood to the bandits, he suffered from a mental breakdown of some sort, and the grandmother took over sole responsibility of raising the family. It was through the commitment of the grandmother to keeping her family together that the narrator and her siblings were able to trek hundreds of miles across the wilds of Kruger Park to the relative safety of the refugee camp.
Role of Women
In a society ruled by war, the women of the villages were forced to take over all parenting responsibilities, becoming both the homemaker and wage earner. In "The Ultimate Safari," the burden of this dual responsibility falls onto the shoulders of the grandmother, who must not only lead her grandchildren to safety, but who must also take over the care of her own husband whose dementia has rendered him useless. To a lesser degree, the narrator must also take over parenting responsibilities by carrying and caring for her infant brother who begins to grow weak from malnutrition during their trek.
Dialogue
Although the narrator summarizes conversations she overhears or is a part of, there is no dialogue to speak of in the story until the final scene when a filmmaker interviews the grandmother. This technique offers perhaps a truer representation of how a girl of the narrator's age would recall conversations, and it also has the effect of giving the story more of a dream-like or mythic atmosphere. By not engaging us directly in the conversations as they happened, the narrator effectively keeps the entire story in her head, presenting it to us entirely from memory. And even with the small amount of dialogue at the story's conclusion, Gordimer chooses not to use quotation marks to set the dialogue off, giving the story the continued dream-like effect.
POINT OF VIEW - Since the story is not told from a third-person omniscient point of view, the experience of being a refugee fleeing war is personalized, and the reader is able to experience not only the facts of the journey, but also, in a limited way, the emotions and personal experiences of the girl herself.

Imagery
Gordimer uses stark, often-violent imagery to help set the tone of the story and to help us understand the grim circumstances the girl and her family are facing. The narrator, for instance, begins her description of entering Kruger Park by telling of a man in her village who lost his legs to crocodiles, reminding the reader of the dangers lurking before them and adding to the story's menacing tone. Once in the park, she describes the animals surrounding them as being continually on the prowl for food while she and her family have nothing to eat. "We had passed [the vultures] often where they were feeding on the bones of dead animals, nothing was ever left there for us to eat," she tells readers.