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

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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Those who prepare green wars,
wars with gas, wars with fire,
victory with no survivors,
would put on clean clothes
and walk about with their
brothers…

Answer the following.
(1) Who would wear clean clothes in case there was a silence on the war front?

(2) With whom would these ex-warriors walk?

(3) ‘Green wars’ stand for___________.

(4) The poet is deliberating upon which type of wars?

(i) nuclear warfare

(ii) surgical strikes

(iii) hand to hand combat

(iv) green wars, wars with gas, wars with fire

(5) Pick the correct rhyme scheme used in the poem.

(6) They would be walking around with their brothers. Where would they be walking?

(i) along side a river

(ii) in a park

(iii) in the shade

(iv) in the market area

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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.

(5) We should not move our ____________ for one second.

(6) Neftali Recardo Reyes Basoalto is the poet of the poem “Keeping Quiet”. He wrote under the pen name

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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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Driving from my parent’s
home to Cochin last Friday
morning, I saw my mother,
beside me,
doze, open mouthed, her face
ashen like that
of a corpse and realised with pain

Answer the following.

(1) The poet was driving from her parents’ home to Cochin. (True/False)

(2) The poet was dozing beside her mother, open-mouthed. (True/False)

(3) On which day did the incident of the poem take place?

(4) What colour, according to the poet, describes the colour of a corpse?

(5) The poet’s mother was sitting beside her and ____________ .

(6) Seeing her mother beside her, brought home to the poet a painful ____________ .

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Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing
A flowery band to bind us to the earth,
Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth
Of noble natures, of the gloomy days,
Of all the unhealthy and darkened ways
Made for our searching:

Answer the following.

(1) In spite of despondence, a flowery ____________ binds us to the earth.

(2) There is a ____________ of noble natures on Earth.

(3) What are we doing every morning?

(4) Which word from the given options doesn’t mean despondence?

(5) On account of what do the humans suffer?

(i) due to their inhuman acts

(ii) sickness and diseases

(iii) lack of morals

(iv) both (i) and (iii)

(6) The meaning of gloomy is the same as

...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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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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A thing of beauty is a joy forever
Its loveliness increases, it will never
Pass into nothingness; but will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.
Answer the following.

(1) Complete the famous line: A thing of beauty ____________ .

(i) is not worth imagining

(ii) brings peace

(iii) is a joy forever

(iv) must be appreciated

(2) The poem ‘A Thing of Beauty’ is based on what?

(3) Beautiful things will never pass into nothingness. Does this expression mean that

(i) they will never be appreciated

(ii) their beauty will only increase

(iii) their loveliness will decrease

(iv) none of the above

(4) The poet says that we all need a sound sleep, sweet dreams and quiet breathing. Why do we all need these?