It would be an exotic moment without rush, without engines, we wo…

When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie
Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by.
The tigers in the panel that she made
Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid.

i. The tigers are symbolic of ......
a. The hidden talent of the Aunt
b. The ferocious nature of the Uncle
c. The inner feeling of the aunt to face the world boldly
d. The calm and complacent Aunt

ii. Find a word which means ‘situation/experience which is difficult and unpleasant’ __________________

iii. When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by- These lines suggest that-
a. The Aunt does have any fear after the death as he has become an expert
b. The Aunt feels the heat of the sad state of her married life even after death even she tried her best to manage
c. The Aunt gets relieved from the pain and torture of marriage
d. The Aunt’s spirit is very strong and bold now

iv. How are the tigers in the panel?

v. ‘Prance’ means ______________________________.

vi. Choose the statement that is wrong
a. The tigers are the embroidery made by the Aunt
b. The tigers seem to be real, very active and lively
c. The tigers are very meek and don’t attack anybody
d. The tigers represent the spirit of the Aunt

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Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
‘Those who prepare green wars,
Wars with gas, wars with fire,
Would put on clean clothes
And walk about with their brothers
In the shade, doing nothing.’

1. What do ‘green wars’ mean______________?

2. What activity should the war-mongers do?

3. Name the different kinds of wars mentioned in the above lines.
a) Wars with gas
b) Wars with fire.
c) Green wars
d) All of the above

4. What kind of victory is this?
a) Meaningless.
b) bloodshed
c)None to celebrate
d) All of the above

5. What statement does Neruda make about wars?
a) Wars are of varied kinds – internal, green wars, wars with gas, with fire etc.
b) Wars cause irrecoverable loss and damage to property and life.
c) Wars never yield any winners, and the loss is far greater than what can bemeasured.
d) Wars are unavoidable in the enduring struggle for human dignity and power.
6. Who are the “brothers” referred to in the above lines?

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Fishermen in the cold sea
would not harm whales
and the man gathering salt
would look at his hurt hands.
Answer the following.

(a) Which activity does the poet not want the fisherman to do?

(i) not go out into the sea

(ii) not harm the whales

(iii) not going sailing during storms

(iv) kill the other sea-creatures

(b) What are some of the other men doing?

(c) Men would look at their hurt hands. What do the ‘hurt hands’ refer to?

(i) the harm that the salt is doing to his hands

(ii) wounded hands

(iii) both (i) and (ii)

(iv) hands that hurt others

(d) The poet advocates the balance of nature

(i) To be maintained

(ii) To get destroyed

(iii) To remain inactive

(iv) all of the above

(e) Fishermen hunt ____________ in cold seas.

(f) ____________ are affected by salt gatherers.

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With the green world they live in; and clear rills

That for themselves a cooling covert make

‘Gainst the hot season; the mid forest brake

Rich with a sprinkling of fair musk-rose blooms;
Answer the following.

(a) The figure of speech used in ‘cooling covert’ is___________.

(b) How has the mid forest brake become rich?

(i) because of its forests

(ii) because of cleaner air

(iii) because of sprinkling of fair coloured musk-rose blooms

(iv) because of the variety of fauna

(c) Daffodils of the green world are the___________.

(d) What provides a shady boon for sheep?

(i) the hutments

(ii) the hills

(iii) the clear rills

(iv) trees

(e) At what time of the year are the rills cool?

(f) In what kind of place do the daffodils bloom?

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It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines,
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness.

Answer the following.

(1) What does ‘it’ signify in the first line?

(i) the surroundings

(ii) total stillness

(iii) being in the nature’s lap

(iv) all of the above

(2) If there is no rush, no sound of engines—what does the poet expect will happen?

(i) less noise

(ii) less crowd on roads

(iii) more happy and silent moments

(iv) all the above

(3) The poet envisages an exotic moment of stillness which would be without ____________ .

(4) There would descend a sudden ____________ when we all get together.

(5) When there will be no engines or rush, what kind of moment would that make?

(6) How will everyone feel at the exotic moment?

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Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance across a screen
Bright topaz denizens of a world of green
They do not fear the men beneath the tree
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty

i. Why do the Jennifer’s tigers prance across a screen? Choose the correct option-
a. Because the tigers feel it difficult to roam
b.Because the tigers are not real and they are presented in a lively manner by the Aunt
c. Because the tigers want to find food
d. Because the tigers are very meek and do not want to trouble people

ii. The phrase ‘Denizens of a world of green’ means...
a. inhabitants of the forest
b. citizens sent to forest as a punishment
c. the citizens who struggle with wild animals
d. the wild animals troubled by human beings

iii. ‘Topaz’ is a/an____________.
a. Tall tree in a jungle full of tigers
b. Tree guard installed in forest to catch animals
c. Efficient artist in embroidery
d. Precious stone usually yellowish brown in colour

iv. Find a word which means ‘smooth and shiny’ from the given extract_____________________.

v. Read the following statement and choose the correct option.
1.They do not fear the men beneath the tree
2.They are not real tigers to have fear
a. (1) is true but (2) does not the give the reason
b. (1) is false (2) is true
c. Both are wrong
d. (1) is true and (2) gives the reason

vi. Explain ‘They pace in chivalric certainty’ in a sentence.

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...I looked again at her, wan,
pale
as a late winter's moon and felt that
old
familiar ache, my childhood's fear, but all I said was, see you soon,
Amma, all I did was smile and smile and
smile......

i). What is the speaker's emotional state when looking at her mother? (1)
A. Confused and disoriented
B. Nostalgic and longing
C. Empathetic and understanding
D. Fearful and apprehensive

ii). What does the use of the word "but" at the beginning of the line, 'but all I said..", suggest? (1)

iii). Select the word that WILL NOT complete the sentence appropriately. (1)
The description of the mother as "wan, pale / as a late winter's moon" creates a vivid image of
A. vulnerability
B. sensitivity
C. frailty
D. mortality

iv). State whether the given statement is TRUE or FALSE. (1)
The poetic device used in the line, 'pale as a winter's moon' is the same as the one used in the line, 'the winter wind wistfully wailed at night'.

v). What message do these lines highlight, in the context of familial relationships, and the speaker's sense of anxiety and fear at the prospect of losing her mother?(1)

vi). Complete the sentence appropriately.(1)
The repetition of the word, 'smile' suggests that_______________.

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In the shade, doing nothing.
What I want should not be
confused
with total inactivity.
Life is what it is about;
I want no truck with death.
If we were not so single-minded
about keeping our lives moving,
and for once could do nothing,
perhaps a huge silence
might interrupt this sadness
Of never understanding ourselves
and of threatening ourselves with
death.

Answer the following.

(1) What should not be confused with total inactivity? By this, does the poet mean that

(i) one should just be like a statue.

(ii) stillness and silence should be observed once in a while.

(iii) one can be lazy at times.

(iv) people should stop talking to each other.

(2) What are we so single-minded about

(i) making more and more money

(ii) spoiling the environment

(iii) earning our livelihood

(iv) creating wars and losing lives and property.

(3) The expression ‘have no truck with death’ means

(i) truck carrying arms

(ii) trucks can cause accidents and deaths

(iii) everyone has to die one day

(iv) have no association with death

(4) What follows due to not understanding one another?

(5) If we did nothing, a huge silence would ____________ the sadness of our current world.

(6) By our constant activity what destruction are human beings bringing upon themselves?

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Now we will count to twelve
and we will all keep still.
For once on the face of the Earth
let’s not speak in any language,
let’s stop for one second,
and not move our arms so much.
Answer the following.

(1) What is the significance of the number ‘twelve’ in the poem?

(i) emphasizing the importance of time

(ii) a reminder of the clock

(iii) giving time frame in seconds to make us realize the importance of being silent

(iv) no significance, just a number

(2) Why is the poet asking people not to speak?

(3) “Not move our arms” refers to

(i) keep your arms folded

(ii) remain inactive

(iii) stand silently

(iv) sitting still and not using any weapons too

(4) The poet wants us not to ____________ in any language.