CHAPTER 2 - Questions & Answers

Change each of the following sentences into INDIRECT SPEECH.

1. I promised him: "I will never do it again."
I promised him that I would never do it again.

2. The newspapers say: "The President died yesterday."
The newspapers say that the President died yesterday.

3. He announced: "The show will go on."
He announced that the show would go on.

4. The television predicted: "It may rain tomorrow."
The television predicted that it might rain the following day.

5. The manager told us: "If you work overtime, you will get the bonus."
The manager told us that if we worked overtime, we would get the bonus.

1. The students asked: "Can't we go with him?"
The students asked if they could not go with him.

2. The gardener asked me: "When shall I prune the roses?"
The gardener asked me when he should prune the roses.

3. The police officer asked the students: "What would you have done, if I had not arrived in time?"
The police officer asked the students what they would have done if he had not arrived in time.

4. John wondered: "Have they seen the document yet?"
John wondered if they had seen the document yet.

5. He said to us, "Are you going to school today?"
He asked us if we were going to school that day.

1. The psychologist advised them: "Keep the child in a peaceful environment!"
The psychologist advised them to keep the child in a peaceful environment.

2. They warned us: "Do not go near the flooded river!"
They warned us not to go near the flooded river.

3. The police said: "Everyone must stay indoors."
The police ordered that everyone must stay indoors.

4. The singer requested: "Everyone in the audience, sing along with me!"
The singer requested everyone in the audience to sing along with him.

5. The speaker said: "Listen carefully to my lecture!"
The speaker urged them to listen carefully to his lecture.

1. The politician advised the citizens: "Vote only for my party!"
The politician urged the citizens to vote only for his party.

2. Father said to the son, "Harsh listen to what I say!"
Father strictly told his son Harsh to listen to what he said.

3. My uncle said, "Alas! He should have followed my advice."
My uncle exclaimed with sorrow that he should have followed his advice.

4. Father said, "Thank God! The doctor has finally come to see you."
Father thanked God that the doctor had finally come to see him.

5. She said to me, "Thank you for the computer!"
She thanked me for the computer.

Write an opening and a closing sentence for each of the following composition topics:

(i) Spare the rod and spoil the child.
Opening: Discipline is the bedrock upon which a strong character is built, making guided correction essential during a child's formative years.
Closing: Ultimately, a balanced approach to discipline ensures that a child blossoms into a responsible and well-adjusted adult.

(ii) A fatal train accident.
Opening: The piercing screech of metal against metal shattered the quiet evening, marking the horrifying beginning of a tragedy that the town would never forget.
Closing: As the debris was finally cleared away, the somber silence left behind served as a grim reminder of the absolute necessity of railway vigilance.

(iii) Prevention is better than cure.
Opening: It is a universal truth of human existence that taking proactive measures to avoid a crisis is always wiser than scrambling to fix one after it has occurred.
Closing: By embracing foresight and caution, we can save ourselves from untold hardships, proving that guarding our well-being is our greatest responsibility.

(iv) Influence of the internet on school students.
Opening: In today's hyper-connected era, the internet has become an invisible, yet overwhelmingly powerful force shaping the minds and habits of school students.
Closing: When used as a tool rather than a crutch, the internet can illuminate the path to knowledge instead of casting shadows of distraction.

(v) Popularity of fast food restaurants.
Opening: The intoxicating aroma of salted fries and sizzling burgers has turned fast food restaurants into modern-day magnets for people seeking quick satisfaction.
Closing: While the convenience of these eateries is undeniable, society must eventually weigh the cost of this instant gratification against long-term health.

1. Write a letter to your friend in a boarding school describing how you celebrated Children's Day in your school.

2. Write a letter to your father, telling him why you wish to accompany a friend to the countryside during your summer vacation, and asking him for his permission to do so.

3. You have just begun living in a hostel. Write a letter to your family, comprising your parents and brother, describing life in your hostel: what you like and what you dislike.

4. Write a letter to your grandparents congratulating them on the golden jubilee of their marriage anniversary.

5. You have shifted to a new school in another city. Write a letter to your friend and classmate from your old school telling him/her how you are coping with the new environment.

Write a composition (300 - 350 words) on any one of the following:
(i) Write a story in which a boy, a farmer and an electrician play an important role.
(ii) A sudden fire broke out in the high-rise building located across the road from your home. Narrate the scene.
(iii) 'Machines have become an indispensable part of our daily lives.' Express your views either for or against this statement.
(iv) Suppose you are chosen to travel to space as a tourist. Describe your feelings about the opportunity, the rigorous preparations ahead and the difficulties you foresee during your space adventure.
(v) Study the picture given below. Write a story or a description or an account of what it suggests to you. Your composition may be about the subject of the picture or you may take suggestions from it; however, there must be a clear connection between the picture and your composition.

Select any one of the following:
(i) During the course of a project you realised that the waste paper generated by your class was high. Extrapolating this information, you have concluded that a paper recycling unit in your school would be a sustainable solution. Write a letter to the Principal suggesting the introduction of a paper recycling unit in your school.
(ii) Your friend was part of the team chosen to represent your school at a science exhibition. He/She could not accompany you due to his/her father's illness. Write a letter to him/her describing how the exhibition went, the challenges your team faced in his/her absence and your feelings when your exhibit was awarded the first prize.

(i) You are the Secretary of the Literary Club of your school. Write a notice for the school notice board, inviting students of Classes VIII to X to participate in an inter-house Readers' Theatre Competition. In this competition, students will present dramatic readings of narrative material without costumes, props, scenery or lighting. The focus of the competition is on the use of dialogue, expression and voice modulation.
(ii) Write an email to a famous theatre artist requesting him/her to judge the competition as well as guide the students on how to improve their performance.

(i) For each word given below choose the correct meaning (as used in the passage) from the options provided:
1. slacken (line 4)
(a) tighten      (b) intensify      (c) squeeze      (d) slow down
(d) slow down

2. blotted (line 7)
(a) wiped      (b) cleaned      (c) unsoiled      (d) unmarked
(a) wiped

(ii) Which word in the passage means the opposite of the word 'concealed'?
(a) fetters      (b) conspicuous      (c) stricken      (d) familiarity
(b) conspicuous

(iii) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words.
(a) Why does Doctor Volney warn Bellford that he needs to 'slacken up'?
Doctor Volney warns Bellford because Bellford has been overworking tirelessly on a law case for years. The doctor fears that if he doesn't rest, his nerves or brain will eventually break down under the immense strain.

(b) What example does Doctor Volney provide to illustrate the harmful effects of overwork and excessive worry?
The doctor uses the example of reading news stories about men who suffer from aphasia—wandering aimlessly without names or pasts, their identities completely erased due to a blood clot in the brain caused by overwork and stress.

(c) What does the narrator realise when he wakes up in the day coach the next morning?
When the narrator wakes up, he realizes that he cannot remember his name or identity, and upon searching his pockets, he finds absolutely no letters, cards, or documents to help identify himself.

(d) Why does the narrator refer to his days in New York as 'glorious'?
He calls those days 'glorious' because he felt a sense of unlimited freedom and fresh possibilities. Unburdened by his past responsibilities and rules of space or time, he felt as if he were newly born into the world.

(e) Why does the narrator tell his doctor, "Everything is in confidence now - professional confidence"?
The narrator says this to ensure the doctor keeps his secret safe. He wants to pretend his memory has not fully returned yet so he can continue enjoying his carefree existence a little longer before facing his wife and his old life.

(iv) Do you believe that the narrator genuinely suffered from a loss of identity or was he merely pretending to experience it? Answer in not more than fifty words.
The narrator genuinely suffered amnesia initially, evidenced by his authentic confusion upon waking up on the coach and adopting a name from an advertisement. However, upon meeting his doctor and discovering his true identity, he chose to pretend the amnesia persisted to prolong his newfound freedom.

(i) Fill in each of the numbered blanks with the correct form of the word given in brackets. Do not copy the passage but write in correct serial order the word or phrase appropriate to the blank space.
Example: (0) is named
The Hornbill Festival ....0....(name) after the hornbill bird, which is the state bird of Nagaland. The festival is celebrated in December and it lasts for a week ....1....(bring) together all the Naga tribes to ....2....(celebrate) their culture. During this Festival, every tribe ....3....(take) part and puts on the best show they can. There is lots of merrymaking and ....4....(amaze) local food like ....5....(smoke) meat, momos and ....6....(ferment) bamboo shoots. All through the week, there ....7....(be) shops where people ....8....(buy) traditional Naga artefacts, taste local Naga food and experience some local customs and ceremonies.

(ii) Fill in the blanks with appropriate words.
(a) Do not run ............................ money in life.
(a) Do not run after money in life.

(b) The Inspector went ............................ these papers.
(b) The Inspector went through these papers.

(c) The army will hunt ............................ the militants.
(c) The army will hunt down the militants.

(d) We hope that the patient will pull ............................ .
(d) We hope that the patient will pull through .

(e) He has set ............................ a new factory.
(e) He has set up a new factory.

(f) He was so patient that he won ............................ his critics.
(f) He was so patient that he won over his critics.

(g) Who can put ............................ with this insult?
(g) Who can put up with this insult?

(h) The players cut ............................ the field to reach the hall.
(h) The players cut across the field to reach the hall.

(iii) Join the following sentences to make one complete sentence without using and, but or so. Choose the correct option.
1. You must apply to the college at once. Otherwise, you will be late for the session.
(a) You must apply to the college at once if else you will be late for the session.
(b) You must apply to the college at once for being late for the session.
(c) Until you apply to the college at once, you will be late for the session.
(d) Unless you apply to the college at once, you will be late for the session.
(d) Unless you apply to the college at once, you will be late for the session.

2. He walked very fast. I could not keep up with him.
(a) He walked too fast for me to keep up with him.
(b) He walked too fast to keep me up with him.
(c) He walked so fast that I did not keep up with him.
(d) He walked too fast for keeping up with him.
(a) He walked too fast for me to keep up with him.

3. You may need money to shop. Take this cash with you.
(a) If you may need money to shop, take this cash with you.
(b) In case you need money to shop, take this cash with you.
(c) Take this cash with you, otherwise you may need money to shop.
(d) Unless you need money to shop, take this cash with you.
(b) In case you need money to shop, take this cash with you.

4. He may come by bus. He may come by car.
(a) He either may come by bus or by car.
(b) He may come either by bus or by car.
(c) He may come by either bus or by car.
(d) Either may he come by bus or car.
(b) He may come either by bus or by car.

(iv) Choose the correct option to rewrite the following according to the instructions given after each sentence.
1. Sumit is driving the motorcycle; and he is my brother. (Use: ...who...)
(a) Sumit is my brother who is driving the motorcycle.
(b) Sumit, is my brother, who drives the motorcycle.
(c) Sumit, who is driving the motorcycle, is my brother.
(d) Sumit, who has been driving the motorcycle is my brother.
(c) Sumit, who is driving the motorcycle, is my brother.

2. Failing to make prompt payment, the goods must be returned. (Use: either...or)
(a) Either make prompt payment or return the goods.
(b) Either make prompt payment or the goods must be returned.
(c) Either fail to make prompt payment or return the goods.
(d) Either the goods must be returned or to make prompt payment.
(a) Either make prompt payment or return the goods.

3. We have not visited our village for ages. (Begin: It has been ages...)
(a) It has been ages for we visited our village.
(b) It has been ages since we visited our village.
(c) It has been ages since we had visited our village.
(d) It has been ages since we have not visited our village.
(b) It has been ages since we visited our village.

4. As soon as we reached the station, the train arrived. (Begin: No sooner...)
(a) No sooner we reached the station, the train arrived.
(b) No sooner did we reach the station when the train arrived.
(c) No sooner did we reach the station than the train arrived.
(d) No sooner had we reached the station, than the train arrived.
(c) No sooner did we reach the station than the train arrived.

5. Why can you not discuss this problem with Ravi? (Begin: I suggest...)
(a) I suggest you that discuss this problem with Ravi.
(b) I suggest that you discuss this problem with Ravi.
(c) I suggest to you that you discuss this problem with Ravi.
(d) I suggest that why don't you discuss this problem with Ravi?
(b) I suggest that you discuss this problem with Ravi.

6. The teacher said, "The earth goes round the sun." (Begin: The teacher said that...)
(a) The teacher said that the earth had gone round the sun.
(b) The teacher said that the earth is going round the sun.
(c) The teacher said that the earth goes round the sun.
(d) The teacher said that the earth went round the sun.
(c) The teacher said that the earth goes round the sun.

7. Kartik is the best student in the class. (Use: ...better...)
(a) Kartik is better than any other student in the class.
(b) Kartik is as better than any other student in the class.
(c) Kartik is as better as any other student in the class.
(d) Kartik is the better student in the class.
(a) Kartik is better than any other student in the class.

8. She handled the situation carefully. (End: ...with care.)
(a) She handles the situation with care.
(b) She handled the situation with care.
(c) She will handle the situation with care.
(d) She has been handling the situation with care.
(b) She handled the situation with care.