Seagull’s Fearful Flight.
ENGLISH ACTIVITY SET 1
SECTION II: Textual Passages – 20 marks
Q.2. (A) Read the following passage and complete the activities. (10 Marks)
A1. : State whether the following statements are true or false. (2)
(i) Parents of young seagull guided his brothers and sisters in the art of flying
(ii)The whole family kept taunting young seagull for his cowardice.
(iii) The young seagull mustered up courage to take that plunge.
(iv)The young seagull was with his mother on his ledge.
The young seagull was alone on his ledge. His two brothers and his sister had already flown away the day before. He had been afraid to fly with them. Somehow when he had taken a little run forward to the brink of the ledge and attempted to flap his wings he became afraid. The great expanse of sea stretched down beneath, and it was such a long way down – miles down. He felt certain that his wings would never support him; so
he bent his head and ran away back to the little hole under the ledge where he slept at
night. Even when each of his brothers and his little sister, whose wings were far shorter
than his own, ran to the brink, flapped their wings, and flew away, he failed to muster up
courage to take that plunge which appeared to hi so desperate. His father and mother had come around calling to him shrilly, upbraiding him, threatening to let him starve on his ledge unless he flew away. But for the life of him he could not move.
That was twenty-four hours ago. Since then nobody had come near him. The day
before, all day long, he had watched his parents flying about with his brothers and sister, perfecting them in the art of flight, teaching them how to skim the waves and how to dive for fish. He had, in fact, seen his older brother catch his first herring and devour it, standing on a rock, while his parents circled around raising a proud cackle. And all the morning the whole family had walked about on the big plateau midway down the opposite cliff taunting.
A2. Describe the attempts made by the seagull to fly.
A3. Match the Pairs.
A B
i) Upbraiding a) a high steep face of a rock
ii) Devour b) utter a shrill cry
iii) cliff c) scolding
iv) cackle d) eat
A4. Do as directed.
Choose the correct options for the following:
(i) He could not rise. (Rewrite the sentence using ‘unable to’)
(a) He could unable to rise.
(b) He is unable to rise.
(c) He unable to rise.
(d) He was unable to rise.
(ii) ) He was tired and weak. (Make it exclamatory)
(a) How tired and weak he was!
(b) How tired and weak he was.
(c) What tired and weak he was!
(d) How tired and weak was he!
A5. Personal Response
What is your favourite bird? Why?
Answers
A1.
(i) Parents of young seagull guided his brothers and sisters in the art of flying . False
(ii)The whole family kept taunting young seagull for his cowardice.False
(iii) The young seagull mustered up courage to take that plunge. True
(iv)The young seagull was with his mother on his ledge.True
A2. The young seagull attempted to fly by taking a little run forward to the brink of the ledge and flapping his wings, but became afraid of the great expanse of sea below. He then ran away back to his sleeping hole. Despite his parents and siblings urging him to fly and upbraiding him for his cowardice, he failed to muster up the courage to take the plunge and fly.
A3.
i)Upbraiding c) scolding
ii) Devour – d) eat
iii) cliff – a) a high steep face of a rock
iv) cackle – b) utter a shrill cry
A4.
(i) (d) He was unable to rise.
(ii) (a) How tired and weak he was!
A5. Any One
Bald Eagle: The bald eagle is the national bird and symbol of the United States. These birds are known for their distinctive white heads, brown bodies, and hooked beaks. They are powerful predators, with sharp talons and excellent eyesight. Bald eagles can be found throughout North America, near bodies of water where they can hunt for fish.
Peacock: The peacock is a large, colorful bird with an impressive fan of feathers on its tail. Male peacocks use their colorful feathers to attract mates during breeding season. Peacocks are native to India and are often kept in zoos and parks around the world for their beauty and showmanship.
Penguin: Penguins are flightless birds that live in cold climates, primarily in Antarctica. They are known for their black and white feathers, waddling gait, and their ability to swim and dive in the water. Penguins are social birds that often form large colonies for breeding and hunting.
Hummingbird: Hummingbirds are tiny birds known for their ability to hover in mid-air and their rapid wing beats. They are found only in the Americas, and many species migrate long distances each year. Hummingbirds are important pollinators and are often attracted to gardens and feeders filled with nectar.
ENGLISH ACTIVITY SET 2
SECTION II: Textual Passages – 20 marks
Q. 2 (A) Read the following passage and do the activities. (10 Marks)
A1) Write whether you ‘Agree’ or ‘Disagree’ with the statements: (2)
i) To accomplish goals, experts recommend a ten step approach.
ii) The champions have to have the skill and the will.
iii) For anyone, setting goal is not easy but challenging.
iv) If we do not take actions to achieve goals, we shall not achieve them.
Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have
deep inside them – a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill and the will.
But the will must be stronger than the skill. Successful professionals thrive in the same
manner. We all have natural talents. If we use that talent to set our goal in life, we can
easily get success in life. We shall not achieve our goals if we
do not take action to achieve them.
Setting goals has two valuable assets – a sense of originality and a stepping stone to
illuminate the path. Goals put one at the helm of life; pursuing them acknowledges a
better future situation. They help to steer a course of life rather than simply drifting along
and letting things happen.
Setting goals may appear easy, but, for some, it is quite challenging. Fear of failure may
be avoided in the absence of any goals. After all, one has to decide what one wants to
achieve in the end. To accomplish goals, experts recommend a five step
approach.
A2) Complete the following web: 02
A3) Write the adjectives of the following:
02
i) success -_____________ 2) nature -_____________
A4)1) They have to have the skill and the will. ( Use ‘not only—but also’)
2) We shall not achieve our goals. ( Choose correct ‘Q-tag)
a) shall we ? b) shan’t we ? c) do we ?
A5) Write your any one goal and what do you do to achieve it ?
i) Disagree
ii) Agree
iii) Agree
iv) Agree
A2)
Goal Setting
Valuable assets
Sense of originality
Stepping stone
Illuminate the path
Acknowledge a better future
Steer a course of life
Avoid fear of failure
A3)
i) Success – Successful
ii) Nature – Natural
A4)
Champions not only have the skill but also the will.
We shall not achieve our goals, shall we?
A5)
I have a goal to improve my fitness level. To achieve it, I exercise regularly, follow a balanced diet, and maintain a healthy lifestyle. I also set small achievable targets and track my progress regularly to stay motivated.
Q.2 (B) Read the following passage and do the activities. (10 Marks)
B1. Answer the following in 1-2 words : 02
(i) The person who changed the writer’s life –
(ii) The age of beggar’s granddaughter –
(iii) The writer’s role model –
(iv) The things that the writer used to give to beggar everyday –
Then what’s the secret of your energy?’ I asked, like Tendulkar does in the advertisement. She smiled, ‘A beggar changed my life.’ I was absolutely dumbfounded and she could see it.
‘Yes, a beggar,’ she repeated, as if to reassure me. ‘He was old and used to stay in front of my house with his five-year-old granddaughter. As you know, I was a chronic pessimist. I used to give my leftovers to this beggar every day. I never spoke to him. Nor did he speak to me. One monsoon day, I looked out of my bedroom window and started cursing the rain. I don’t know
why I did that because I wasn’t even getting wet. That day I couldn’t give the beggar and his granddaughter their daily quota of leftovers. They went hungry, I am sure.
‘However, what I saw from my window surprised me. The beggar and the young girl were playing on the road because there was no traffic. They were laughing, clapping and screaming joyously, as if they were in paradise. Hunger and rain did not matter.
They were totally drenched and totally happy. I envied their zest for life.’
‘That scene forced me to look at my own life. I realized I had so many comforts, none of which they had. But they had the most important of all assets, one which I lacked. They knew how to be happy with life as it was. I felt ashamed of myself. I even started to make a list of what I had and what I did not have. I found I had more to be grateful for than most people could imagine.
That day, I decided to change my attitude towards life, using the beggar as my role model.’
B2. Describe how the beggar and his granddaughter enjoyed the rain. 02
B3. Write antonyms of the following 02
i) optimist X-____________ ii) unhappy X____________
B4. Do as directed : 02
(i) She could see it. (Use ‘able to’.)
(ii) I used to give my leftovers to this beggar every day.. (Use ‘would’.)
B5. Who is your role model? Why?
B1.
(i) The person who changed the writer’s life – Beggar
(ii) The age of the beggar’s granddaughter – Five
(iii) The writer’s role model – The beggar
(iv) The things that the writer used to give to the beggar every day – Leftovers
B2. The beggar and his granddaughter enjoyed the rain by playing on the road, laughing, clapping and screaming joyously as if they were in paradise. Hunger and rain did not matter to them.
B3.
i) Optimist – Pessimist
ii) Unhappy – Happy
B4.
(i) She was able to see it.
(ii) I would give my leftovers to this beggar every day.