My English Coursebook Read passage and do the activities: [10M][TEXTUAL]

A1. Simple Factual Activities:
State whether you Agree or Disagree with the following statements: 
Statements
(1) The narrator was fifty-five years old when this incident occurred.
(2) Even today, the narrator cannot forget that look in the mother langur's eyes.

    For a few seconds, the mother langur looked straight into my eyes. Even today, I cannot forget that look in her eyes, showering silent gratitude on me for saving her child. I was overwhelmed by the emotion, the sentiment and the way she said thanks to me. There sat a universal mother holding a stricken child in her lap.
    Then, in a flash, she jumped with her baby clinging to her belly and reached our kitchen roof. She surveyed the area for the vicious male langur and then leapt away in the direction opposite to the place of the violent encounter.
    The brief meeting with the mother and the baby langur convinced me that interspecies communication and mutual trust is indeed a reality and should anyone strike the right chord, the relationship hums into action. The mother langur showed me that food was not the only means of communication between man and animal but that there were other means of establishing a bond through trust, compassion and mutual understanding.
     Fifty-five years have passed since that day. I am now seventy years old. But I still fondly remember that ‘encounter of a special kind’.

A2. Complex Factual Activities:
Complete the web:

 
A3. Activities based on Vocabulary:
Find the words from the passage for the following meanings:
(1) held closely
(2) moved downwards
(3) think very deeply
(4) comfort and peace
A4. Activities based on Contextual Grammar:
Do as directed:
(1) I cannot forget that look in her eyes. (Add a question tag.)
(2) I was overwhelmed by the emotion.
(Write the sentence in Active voice. Begin with The emotion....)
A5. Personal Response:
(1) What opinion do you form about the writer from the story?

A1. Simple Factual Activities:
State whether you Agree or Disagree with the following statements: 
Statements
(1) The narrator made a mistake by saving the baby langur.
(2) Animals cannot convey emotions.

    For a few seconds, the mother langur looked straight into my eyes. Even today, I cannot forget that look in her eyes, showering silent gratitude on me for saving her child. I was overwhelmed by the emotion, the sentiment and the way she said thanks to me. There sat a universal mother holding a stricken child in her lap.
    Then, in a flash, she jumped with her baby clinging to her belly and reached our kitchen roof. She surveyed the area for the vicious male langur and then leapt away in the direction opposite to the place of the violent encounter.
    The brief meeting with the mother and the baby langur convinced me that interspecies communication and mutual trust is indeed a reality and should anyone strike the right chord, the relationship hums into action. The mother langur showed me that food was not the only means of communication between man and animal but that there were other means of establishing a bond through trust, compassion and mutual understanding.
     Fifty-five years have passed since that day. I am now seventy years old. But I still fondly remember that ‘encounter of a special kind’.

A2. Complex Factual Activities:
Complete the web:

 
A3. Activities based on Vocabulary:
Match the words in column 'A' with their meanings in column 'B':

Column 'A'	Column 'B'
(1) to be overwhelmed by	(a) to do something that makes people feel to have  sympathy with.
(2) in a flash	(b) very quickly
(3) strike the right chord	(c) belief felt equally by both people involved.
(4) mutual trust	(d) to be affected emotionally in a powerful way.

A4. Activities based on Contextual Grammar:
Rewrite the sentences as per the tenses mentioned in the brackets:
(1) The mother langur looked straight into my eyes. (Simple Present Tense.)
(2) She surveyed the area for the vicious male langur. (Simple Future Tense.)
A5. Personal Response:
(1) What did the mother langur seem to convey to the narrator?

A1. Simple Factual Activities:
Say whether the following statements are True or False:
(1) The baby langur sensed the presence of his mother.
(2) The mother langur was sitting on the floor of the coop.
(3) The writer cuddled the baby langur tightly in his bosom.
(4) The writer's attention was fixed on the revival of the baby langur.

    My attention was fixed on the revival of the baby langur. Suddenly, I had an uncanny feeling of being watched. I turned away from the coop and looked up. There sat the mother langur on our kitchen roof, watching every move I made. She simply sat there quietly, as if convinced that no harm was being done to her child.
   Meanwhile, the baby sensed the presence of his mother and started to sob and cry a little louder. I retreated from the door of the coop to allow the mother access to her baby.
    Immediately, the mother descended on the floor of the coop and picked up the baby in her arms. She gave the baby a thorough body inspection to check his injuries and then cuddled him tightly in her bosom. The baby found great solace in her caring arms. The mother sat still with the baby in her lap for a few minutes. It was almost as if she was pondering over her options and trying to figure out how she could keep the baby safe from further assault.

A2. Complex Factual Activities:
Complete the following:
(1) Mother langur simply sat quietly because _______________.
(2) The baby langur started to sob and cry because _______________.
 
A3. Activities based on Vocabulary:
Match the words in column 'A' with their meanings in column 'B':

Column 'A'	Column 'B'
(1) to figure out	(a) to find comfort and peace.
(2) to ponder over	(b) the act of checking with complete attention and care.
(3) to find solace	(c) to be able to think until you solve the problem.
(4) thorough inspection	(d) think over something deeply.

A4. Activities based on Contextual Grammar:
Do as directed:
(1) I turned away from the coop and looked up.
(Begin the sentence with - Turning ... and rewrite it.) 
(2) She gave the baby a thorough body inspection.
(Change the sentence into passive voice. Begin with The baby...)
A5. Personal Response:
(1) What is your mother's state of mind during your illness?

A1. Simple Factual Activities:
Complete the following sentences using the information given in the passage:
(1) The langur baby was listless and _______________.
(2) The writer's parents and sisters had come out on the veranda and _______________.

    The changed circumstances and the sudden unexpected attack from unknown quarters forced the langur to drop the baby from the sloping roof over the veranda. The baby was listless and appeared to be dead. As its body started to slide down, the excitement of the pack of dogs grew manifold at the prospect of a good kill and meal. Keeping the dogs at bay with the stick, I managed to catch hold of the baby langur’s tail just as it tipped over the edge of the tiled roof. The baby appeared inert and lifeless. It was indeed a male baby.
   By this time, my parents and sisters had come out on to the veranda and were witnessing my rescue operation. Some of our neighbours had also gathered in the distance.
    I took the baby langur to our backyard and gently laid him on the floor inside the poultry coop. His body was full of deep bite marks and scratches. Blood was oozing from some of the wounds. The baby remained motionless. My father provided first aid to clean the wounds and stop the bleeding. I was relieved to find out that the baby was breathing, even though his breaths were shallow.
   Splashes of cold water made the baby stir and after a few shaky attempts, he sat up. He was in state of shock and started trembling like a leaf in the wind. His two little twinkling eyes welled up with tears and he started to sob with a muffled cry - just like a human child would after experiencing trauma. I offered him a peeled banana which he
accepted with his unsteady hand and began taking hesitant bites.

A2. Complex Factual Activities:
Complete the following web and describe the condition of wounded baby langur:
 
A3. Activities based on Vocabulary:
Match the words in column 'A' with their meanings in column 'B':

Column 'A'	Column 'B'
(1) shaky	(a) rose to the surface
(2) welled up	(b) made the sound quieter
(3) prospect	(c) unsteady
(4) muffled	(d) future benefit

A4. Activities based on Contextual Grammar:
(1) He was in a state of shock. (Past Perfect Tense.)
(2) I took the baby langur to our backyard. (Past Perfect Tense.)
A5. Personal Response:
(1) Complete the following :"

A1. Simple Factual Activities:
Complete the following sentences using the information given in the passage:
(1) The langur baby was listless and _______________.
(2) The writer's parents and sisters had come out on the veranda and _______________.

    The changed circumstances and the sudden unexpected attack from unknown quarters forced the langur to drop the baby from the sloping roof over the veranda. The baby was listless and appeared to be dead. As its body started to slide down, the excitement of the pack of dogs grew manifold at the prospect of a good kill and meal. Keeping the dogs at bay with the stick, I managed to catch hold of the baby langur’s tail just as it tipped over the edge of the tiled roof. The baby appeared inert and lifeless. It was indeed a male baby.
   By this time, my parents and sisters had come out on to the veranda and were witnessing my rescue operation. Some of our neighbours had also gathered in the distance.
    I took the baby langur to our backyard and gently laid him on the floor inside the poultry coop. His body was full of deep bite marks and scratches. Blood was oozing from some of the wounds. The baby remained motionless. My father provided first aid to clean the wounds and stop the bleeding. I was relieved to find out that the baby was breathing, even though his breaths were shallow.
   Splashes of cold water made the baby stir and after a few shaky attempts, he sat up. He was in state of shock and started trembling like a leaf in the wind. His two little twinkling eyes welled up with tears and he started to sob with a muffled cry - just like a human child would after experiencing trauma. I offered him a peeled banana which he
accepted with his unsteady hand and began taking hesitant bites.

A2. Complex Factual Activities:
Complete the following web and describe the condition of wounded baby langur:
 
A3. Activities based on Vocabulary:
Find from the passage present participles and past participles used as adjectives:
(1) Present Participles: __________ roof, __________ eyes.
(2) Past Participles: __________ attack, __________ quarter, __________ cry, __________ banana.
A4. Activities based on Contextual Grammar:
(1) They were witnessing my rescue operation. (Simple Past Tense.)
(2) He was in a state of shock. (Past Perfect Tense.)
A5. Personal Response:
(1) Have you ever saved a puppy/dog or any other animal from naughty children who were throwing stones at him? Write about your experience.

A1. Simple Factual Activities:
Say whether the following statements are True or False:
(1) A big male langur did not intend to kill the baby langur.
(2) The narrator ignored the commotion at first.
(3) The narrator rushed to the veranda to see where his family was.
(4) According to the custom of animal clan, a dominant male protects another male baby or adult.

   Suddenly, I heard a group of street dogs barking furiously in the distance. I chose to ignore the commotion thinking that the pack of dogs might have cornered a hapless pig. But soon, the barking became louder and more aggressive and the alarmed cawing of a flock of crows added to the cacophony. I also heard the disturbance approaching closer.       
    Curiosity got the better of me. Leaving the book aside, I rushed to the veranda to see what was going on.
    I glanced towards the roof of the club house and saw something horrible. A big male langur, apparently the leader of its group, was holding a baby langur in his hands and mercilessly biting it all over with a definite intent to kill. The helpless mother of the baby and other lesser members of the langur group were scattered on the roofs of the buildings nearby watching the baby being killed. I recalled the terrible custom in the animal clan according to which a dominant male usually does not allow another male baby or adult to survive within its group.
    Without losing any time, I gathered a stout stick in one hand and hurled a piece of stone at the marauding langur. The langur was so infuriated that it hardly took any notice of my assault. But then I started throwing more stones. The dogs on their part raised their pitch of cry.

A2. Complex Factual Activities:
(1) What wicked custom is practised by animals who live in groups?
A3. Activities based on Vocabulary:
Match the phrases given in Column 'A' with their meanings in Column 'B':

Column 'A'	Column 'B'
(1) to take notice of	(a) overpowered someone
(2) got the better of	(b) was happening
(3) pitch of cry	(c) to observe and give attention
(4) was going on	(d) high sound of cry

A4. Activities based on Contextual Grammar:
(1) Rewrite the sentence as per the tense mentioned in the brackets:
The big male langur was holding a baby langur in his hands. (Past Perfect Continuous Tense.)
(2) Do as directed:
I started throwing more stones.(Begin with 'More stones were ....')
A5. Personal Response:
(1) Do you think that the custom of baby killing by dominant male in animal clan is good? Explain.

A1. Simple Factual Activity:
Complete the following sentences:
(1) The writer's house was in  _______________.
(2) The officer's club was _______________.

     My father was a medical professional working for a private company in Raniganj in West Bengal. The officers of the company were housed in individual bungalows inside a large campus. Our house was in a corner of the campus. The officer’s club was adjacent to the boundary wall of our garden. The compound was luxurious with green grass, colourful flowers and a host of tall and majestic trees. The seasonal vegetables in the kitchen gardens of the households and the magnificent trees constantly attracted squirrels and many species of birds; a group of langurs had even made their den in an aswatha tree nearby. They had all become a part and parcel of our existence and daily life.
     A small incident on a Saturday afternoon left a profound effect on me and unfolded before my eyes a whole new dimension to the wonders of God’s creation. It was a few days into the Puja vacation. Just like for any other child, the holidays provided an opportunity for me to become engrossed in various magazines and storybooks published specially for children in the festive season.
     After a hearty lunch, my parents and my younger sisters lay down for an afternoon nap and I settled down with a storybook. The quiet afternoon presented the perfect backdrop for reading an adventure story. The silence was occasionally broken by the sound of my family snoring, the intermittent chirping of house sparrows, the harsh cawing of a crow the shrill call of a kite flying high above the ground. Minutes ticked by. I became deeply absorbed in the book.

A2. Complex Factual Activities:
Complete the web describing the campus where writer's family lived:

A3. Activities based on Vocabulary:
Match the synonyms:

Column 'A'	Column 'B'
(1) a part and parcel of	(a) get into a comfortable position
(2) to be engrossed in	(b) penned up a new aspect
(3) settle down with	(c) to be essential or integral part of something
(4) chanceunfolded a new dimension	(d) was completely occupied in

A4. Activities based on Contextual Grammar: 
(1) The compound was luxurious with green grass. (Choose the correct question tag.) 
(a) doesn't it?  (b) does it? (c) wasn't it? (d) was it?
(2) The writer's house was in a corner of the ampus.
(Make 'Wh-question' to get underlined part as an answer.) 
A5. Personal Response :
(1) Describe the surroundings where you live.

A1. Simple Factual Activity:
Write whether the following statements are 'true' or 'false":
(1) Writer's father was a medical professional.
(2) After a hearty lunch the narrator settled down with a story book.

     My father was a medical professional working for a private company in Raniganj in West Bengal. The officers of the company were housed in individual bungalows inside a large campus. Our house was in a corner of the campus. The officer’s club was adjacent to the boundary wall of our garden. The compound was luxurious with green grass, colourful flowers and a host of tall and majestic trees. The seasonal vegetables in the kitchen gardens of the households and the magnificent trees constantly attracted squirrels and many species of birds; a group of langurs had even made their den in an aswatha tree nearby. They had all become a part and parcel of our existence and daily life.
     A small incident on a Saturday afternoon left a profound effect on me and unfolded before my eyes a whole new dimension to the wonders of God’s creation. It was a few days into the Puja vacation. Just like for any other child, the holidays provided an opportunity for me to become engrossed in various magazines and storybooks published specially for children in the festive season.
     After a hearty lunch, my parents and my younger sisters lay down for an afternoon nap and I settled down with a storybook. The quiet afternoon presented the perfect backdrop for reading an adventure story. The silence was occasionally broken by the sound of my family snoring, the intermittent chirping of house sparrows, the harsh cawing of a crow the shrill call of a kite flying high above the ground. Minutes ticked by. I became deeply absorbed in the book.

A2. Complex Factual Activities:
Complete the web describing the campus where writer's family lived:

A3. Activities based on Vocabulary:
Match the synonyms:

Column 'A'	Column 'B'
(1) revealed	(a) opportunity
(2) new factor	(b) engrossed in
(3) occupied in	(c) new dimension
(4) chance	(d) unfolded

A4. Activities based on Contextual Grammar: 
(1) The writer's house was in a corner of the ampus.
(Make 'Wh-question' to get underlined part as an answer.) 
(2) I became deeply absorbed in the book.
(Rewrite it in Simple Present Tense)
A5. Personal Response :
(1) Do you like to live in a bungalow? Why?