Activity Sheet July 2023 Prose Section.

Activity Sheet July 2023.

Prose Section.

 Q 1 Raed the following extract and complete the Activities given below it.

Soapy had confidence in himself from the lowest button of his vest upward. He was shaven, and his coat was trim and his neat, black bow had been presented to him by a lady missionary on Thanksgiving Day. If only he could reach a table in the restaurant unsuspected, success would be his. The portion of him that would show above the table would raise no doubt in the waiter's mind. A roasted mallard duck, thought Soapy, would be about the thing with a bottle of wine and then some cheese, a cup of coffee and a cigar. One dollar for the cigar would be enough. The total would not be so high as to call forth any extreme of revenge from the cafe management; and yet the meat would leave him filled and happy for the journey to his winter island.

But as Soapy set foot inside the restaurant door, the head-waiter's eye fell upon his tattered trousers and decadent shoes. Strong and ready hands turned him about and conveyed him in silence and haste to the side-walk and averted the ignoble fate of the menaced mallard.

Soapy turned off Broadway. It seemed that his route to the coveted island was not to be an easy one. Some other way of entering the limbo must be devised.

At a corner of this Sixth Avenue, electric lights and cunningly displayed wares behind plate glass made a shop window attractive. Soapy took a stone and dashed it through the glass. People came running round the corner, a policeman in the lead. Soapy stood still with his hands in his pockets, and smiled at the sight of brass buttons.

"Where's the man that done that?" inquired the officer agitatedly.

"Don't you think that I might have had something to do with it?" said Soapy, with a friendly voice, as one greets good fortune.

A1. Read and rewrite the following sentences and state whether they are True or False:(2)

(a) A lady missionary has presented Soapy a black bow on Thanksgiving Day.

(b) The head-waiter's eye did not fall upon his tattered trousers and decadent shoes.

(c) A policeman was in the lead when people came running round the corner.

(d) The officer did not inquire about the man who broke the glass.

✒️Answer:-

(a) A lady missionary has presented Soapy a black bow on Thanksgiving Day. True

(b) The head-waiter's eye did not fall upon his tattered trousers and decadent shoes. False

(c) A policeman was in the lead when people came running round the corner.True

(d) The officer did not inquire about the man who broke the glass. corner.False

A2. Match the incidents given in column 'A' with the consequences given in column 'B':

A	B
(1) Soapy tried to enter a cafe. (2) Soapy broke a glass window. (3) Two waiters pitched Soapy on the callous man. pavement. (4) Soapy stood silent with his hands in his pockets.	He stood up slowly beating the dust from his clothes. He wanted to get arrested by the police.  The cop ran after another Strong and ready hands of the head-waiter turned him round.

✒️Answer:-

A	B
(1) Soapy tried to enter a cafe. (2) Soapy broke a glass window. (3) Two waiters pitched Soapy on the callous man. pavement. (4) Soapy stood silent with his hands in his pockets.	Strong and ready hands of the head-waiter turned him round. He wanted to get arrested by the police.  He stood up slowly beating the dust from his clothes. The cop ran after another

A3. Complete the following sentences:(2)

'His route to the coveted island was not to be an easy one.

(i) Here 'Island' means 

(ii) The island is 'Coveted' because 

✒️Answer:-

(i) Here 'Island' means The place where he wished to spend his winter that is Jail/Prison.

(ii) The island is 'Coveted' because he didn't have his own house and he has strong desire to spend his winter there in the prison.

A4. 'Students should stay away from crime'. Write your opinion on the above sentence.

✒️Answer:- 

Crime spoils the life of youngsters specially students, the age of the students is to build their own career and help to build the nation, but if they get involved in crime it will not only harmful for them but also for the nation too, hence the students should stay away from crime as it will distract their life.

AS. Do as directed:(2)

(1) Soapy turned off Broadway.

(Identify the correct tense form from the following options and rewrite)

(a) The simple present tense

(b) The simple past tense

(c) The present perfect tense

(d) The past perfect tense

✒️Answer:-

(b) The simple past tense

(ii) 'Soapy took a stone and dashed it through the glass.

(Choose the correct alternative to make it a simple sentence)

(a) Taking a stone Soapy dashed it through the glass.

(b) Soapy took a stone to dashed it through the glass.

(c) Soapy has taken a stone to dash it through the glass. 

(d) Soapy takes a stone to dash it through the glass.

✒️Answer:- 

(a) Taking a stone Soapy dashed it through the glass.

A6. Find the synonyms of the following from the extract:(2)

(i) jail

(ii) old and worn out shoes

(iii) dishonourable

(iv) nervous manner.

✒️Answer:-

(i) jail = Coveted Island.

(ii) old and worn out shoes. =decadent shoes. 

(iii) dishonourable. ignoble

(iv) nervous manner. = Agitatedly.

B1. Language study (4)

Do as directed:

(1) There were no boats to take the people across. 

(Identify and rewrite the correct transformation of the above sentence beginning with 'If.....)

(a) If there were no boats, they wouldn't have taken people across.

(b) If there were no boats, they would have taken people across.

(c) If there were boats, they would have taken people across.

(d) If there were boats, they wouldn't have taken people across. 

✒️Answer:-

(c) If there were boats, they would have taken people across.

(2) He simply abandoned his sack by the stream. (Identify and rewrite the correct transformation of the above sentence beginning with 'His sack...)

(a) His sack is abandoned by the stream by him.

(b) His sack has been abandoned by him by the stream. 

(c) His sack was abandoned by him by the stream.

(d) His sack had been abandoned by the stream by him. 

✒️Answer:- 

(c) His sack was abandoned by him by the stream.

(3) She said, "I have worked hard from childhood." (Identify the correct indirect narration of the above sentence from the given options and rewrite) 

(a) She said that she had worked hard from childhood.

(b) She said that she has worked hard from childhood.

(c) She said that she worked hard from childhood. 

(d) She said that she has been working hard from childhood

✒️Answer:- 

(d) She said that she has been working hard from childhood

B2. Spot the error:

India pays tribute to Gandhiji for his birth anniversary.

✒️Answer:- 

India pays tribute to Gandhiji on his birth anniversary.

Q 1 Raed the following extract and complete the Activities given below it.

This is my birthday, sir,' explained Gopal timidly.

'Wish you many happy returns,' said the director promptly and added, "What if it is your birthday?"

'Rather a peculiar birthday,' explained Gopal. 'This is my forty-ninth birthday. Astrologers have often told me that I might not see this birthday, and if I lived to see this day I should have nothing more to worry about... I have lived in secret terror of this day all my life. Whenever I saw my wife and children I used to be racked with the thought that I should probably be leaving them orphans. I came late today because we held some propitiatory rites at home for the planets, and we celebrated my survival this day with a feast. My astrologer has suggested that I do nothing unpleasant today, sir. I wish to treat it as a very auspicious day, sir.'

The director was impressed. He turned to his assistant, who always shadowed him, carrying a portfolio under his arm and commanded, 'fetch the story-writer'. Presently he arrived, his lips red with the chewing of betel leaves. He was a successful story-writer who made a lot of money by dashing off plots for film people. He laughed aloud on hearing of the problem created by the actor. He was not the angry type to feel upset at contrary suggestions. He declared, 'Impossible to change the story. How can he refuse to die? I am busy.'

He turned on his heel and started out. At the door he stopped to add. Anyway, send for our boss and tell him about it. The boss came running into the scene. He asked anxiously, "What is all this trouble about? What is it all about?

Gopal sat in his chair unmoving: he was not allowed to shift his position even slightly; continuity would be spoilt otherwise. He felt stuffy. The big lamp scorched his face. They all stood around and looked at him as if he were a freak. Their faces were blurred beyond the shadows. 'All of them are my Yamas,' Gopal thought. 'They are bent upon seeing me dead."

A1. Arrange the following statements in a proper sequence as per their occurrence in the extract and rewrite:(2)

(i) The director was impressed.

(ii) Their faces were blurred beyond the shadows.

(iii) Gopal explained timidly that it was his birthday.

 (iv) His lips were red with the chewing of betel leaves.

✒️Answer:-

(iii) Gopal explained timidly that it was his birthday.

(i) The director was impressed.

(iv) His lips were red with the chewing of betel leaves.

(ii) Their faces were blurred beyond the shadows.

A2. Give reasons:(2)

(i) Gopal's forty-ninth birthday was a peculiar one because 

(ii) He felt stuffy because

✒️Answer:-

(i) Gopal's forty-ninth birthday was a peculiar one because he was told by an astrologer that he may not serviwe till his forty ninth birthday, he has been living worried about it through out of his life.

(ii) He felt stuffy because, he was seated on the chair without any movement, he was told not to move slightly it makes him feel stuffy.

A3. All of them are my Yamas'. Explain the statement.(2)

✒️Answer:-

Gopal was referring to the people around him as his Yamas because he felt they were trying to control him or restrain him in some way or the other. That's why he said that "All of them are my Yamas 

A4. 'Superstition poison our minds.' Explain in your own words.

✒️Answer:- 

Superstition creates doubts in our mind and we loose rational thinking, it forec us to think and act irrationally which is harmful for the mankind, hence superstition poison our mind and enable us to act illogically. 

(Since it's an open ended question multiple answers are acceptable.)

A5. Do as directed:

(1) He laughed aloud on hearing of the problem.

(Choose the correct change in the given options,(1)

if "would' is used in the above sentence). 

(a) He would laughed on hearing of the problem.

(b) He would have laughed on hearing of the problem.

(c) He would laugh on hearing of the problem.

(d) He would be laughed on hearing of the problem.

✒️Answer:-

(a) He would laughed on hearing of the problem.

(i) They all stood around and looked at him. (Choose the correct alternative to write it with 'not only... but also.")(1)

(a) They all not only stood around but also looked at him. 

(b) They all stood not only around but also looked at him.

(c) Not only they all stood around but also looked at him. 

(d) They all stood not around only but also looked at him.

✒️Answer:- 

(a) They all not only stood around but also looked at him. 

A6. Find out the antonyms for the following from the extract:

(i) bravely 

(i) pleasant 

(iii) accept

(iv) moving

✒️Answer:- 

(i) bravely =timidly

(i) pleasant =unpleasant

(iii) accept =refuse

(iv) moving =unmoving.

Q2 B Summary Writing 

Astrologer's Prediction 

Gopal explains to the director that it is his 49th birthday, which he has been afraid of all his life due to astrologers’ predictions. He has celebrated his survival with a feast and wishes to treat the day as auspicious. The director is impressed and calls for the story-writer, who refuses to change the story and suggests calling their boss. Gopal sits unmoving, feeling stuffy and scorched by the big lamp, while everyone looks at him as if he were a freak. He thinks of them as his Yamas, bent upon seeing him dead.

Marking Scheme 

Sr	Points	Marks
1)	Covering All points.	1
2)	Language/Vocabulary	1
3)	Grammar.	1
4)	Total	3

Q2 C Mind Mapping 

Marking Scheme 

Sr	Points	Marks
1)	Logical Flow of ideas/Thoughts/Concept	2
2)	Presentation	1
3)	Total	3

(Since both of the questions are an open ended question multiple answers are acceptable.)