INDEX
TITLE PAGE NO
1 . Acknowledgement
2. Certificate
3. Objective
4. Introduction
5. Action Plan for Project
6. Project report on
'Keeping Quiet'
7. Conclusion
8. Reflections
9. Bibliography
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L
ACKNOW
ED€EMENT
I wish to express my deep gratitude
and my heartfelt thanks to my
English teacher Mr. Deepak Kumar
for her excellent guidance, support
and encouragement without which
the unsuccessful completion of this
project couldn't have been possible.
t also gives me great pleasure in
expressing my gratitude for the
facilities that were provided by
the school.
I also thank my parents for their
Constant support and their
ainstaking efforts and my fellow
mates for their useful opinion and
inputs.
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OBJECTIVES
Take time out of their busy lives for
retrospection and introspection.
To identify the poetic devices.
To appreciate the poetic beauty.
To feel the strength of humanity.
To study about and know the power of
silence.
To take a break in busy life and look around.
To know end results of war.
To study about importance of peace.
A A
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cc
The poem "Keeping Quiet"
written by Pablo Neruda
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discusses the need of maintaining
peace and silence. He stresses
upon being
B quiet and harmless to the human
beings, animals and
environment. He suggests that
in order to maintain peace and
harmony, it is
required to stop and introspect
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A ourselves.
1 .Write a diary entry expressing your feelings about South African people's struggle for
freedom and how it is akin to India's struggle for freedom. (CBSE Question Bank
(Modified))
Monday, 24 August 20xx
8:00 pm
Dear Diary
I've just finished reading "Nelson Mandela - Long Walk to Freedom", a lesson in my text
book 'First Flight'. It has left me stunned, to say the least. What a mammoth struggle the
people of colour in South Africa had to wage against the 'White Regime', who denied them
even the basic human dignity just because the colour of their skin was not white; just
because they were ordinary aborigines!
It took leaders like Nelson Mandela their lifetime to win freedom for their people. The hard
earned freedom came about in 1994 after decades of subjugation and unspeakable
atrocities.
Mandela's account of his country's struggle for freedom has an uncanny resemblance with
India's struggle for freedom, which was even longer than that of its South African counterpart,
more full of bloodshed and exploitation by a foreign power. Just like South Africa won
freedom thanks to the efforts and sacrifices of leaders like Nelson Mandela, the credit for
India's freedom goes to countless soldiers who laid down their lives for the sake of their
motherland's freedom as well as owing to the efforts of leaders like Mahatma Gandhi. There is
a great affinity between the freedom struggles of two great nations.
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Q2. Read the extracts given below and comment on the difference in the nature of help both
the characters, of these two stories, received.
(a) Suddenly 1 came out of the clouds and saw two straight lines of lights in front of me. It
was a runway! An airport! I was safel I turned to look for my friend in the black aeroplane but
the sky was empty. (The Black Aeroplane)
(b) All through the night Lencho thought only of his one hope: the help of God... The
following Sunday, at daybreak he began to write a letter...lt was nothing less than a letter to
God... The following Sunday Lencho came a bit earlier than usual to ask if there was a letter
for him.... Lencho showed not the slightest surprise on seeing the money, such was his
confidence. [A Letter to God)
The nature of help received by both the pilot and Lencho was celestial. However, it was
different in the sense that the pilot received help without asking while Lencho requested God
to send him money. The pilot did not have any idea that his help was cosmic till he landed
safely. He assumed that he had been helped by another pilot in a black plane. Lencho, in turn,
reposed faith in Godly assistance and asked for help with the firm belief that He would
respond. The pilot considered his help to be some miracle while Lencho was sure that God
helps His children when in need. Rather, God was his only hope and he did not seek help
elsewhere.
Q3. As the pilot of the old Dakota DS 088, write a diary entry recording your experience with
the mysterious Black Aeroplane. In particular, write how the aeroplane was instrumental in
your safe navigation through the storm and your safe landing. Monday, 23 August 1968
9:30 pm
Dear Diary
I'm lucky enough to be alive and to have had the best breakfast of my life so far. Who knows
I might have never lived to enjoy it and to write about it! Did you know that last night my
Dakota was caught in a fierce storm somewhere between Paris and England? I had a tough
time controlling the plane that was being tossed up and down by the storm. My fuel was
getting low and my instruments began to fail one after the other. Then suddenly I saw a
mysterious black aeroplane. Its pilot was beckoning me to follow him. I instantly decided to
follow him and in half an hour, he guided me safely to my destination. But to my great shock
and bewilderment, he disappeared as suddenly and mysteriously as he had appeared. Renne
has not only given me the world's best breakfast but also quite a piece of her mind for my
recklessness. Phew! What an adventure!
(Name)
Q.4 Suppose you are Anne. You are stressed and anxious since your annual results are going to
be announced soon. You decide to meet the school counsellor to share your anxiety and
apprehensions. Write the dialogue between you and your school counsellor. (CBSE Question
Bank)
SCHOOL COUNSELLOR: Hello, Anne. What's the matter? You look down and disturbed. Do
sit down, please.
ANNE: Thank you. Yes, I'm disturbed. So is everyone else.
SCHOOL COUNSELLOR: Why?
ANNE: Well, it's because of our results that are due soon.
SCHOOL COUNSELLOR: And pray why it should bother you? You're a genius.
ANNE: It's two boys I call C and Jacques. They sit behind me and are constantly debating who
of the two would pass.
SCHOOL COUNSELLOR What? Is that all that bothers you?
ANNE: Yes, Miss.
SCHOOL COUNSELLOR: Well in that case I'd advise you to stay calm and not think about
those boys or even failure. You know you've worked hard and nothing can come in the way
of your success.
ANNE: I guess you're right.
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SCHOOL COUNSELLOR : Now, return to your class. The recess is already over.
ANNE: Thank you, Miss.
Q.4 Your teacher has organised a debate and you have been asked to speak on:
'Consequences and Positive ReinforcementsHave a Great Impact on Student Behaviour'.
Write the debate script with three or four points in support of your stand - either as a
proposition speaker or as an opposition one.
Greetings of the day!
Today I wish to present my views as a proposition speaker on the topic: 'Consequences and
Positive
Reinforcements Have a Great Impact on Student Behaviour'.
It is a well-known fact that acknowledgement of efforts has a morale boosting impact on
everyone, especially students. Positive reinforcements assure students that they are proceeding
in the right direction. It builds confidence and increases self-belief. This further heightens their
ability to work because the fear of rejection, punishment or criticism does not negate the
energy. Students are in a process of learning and are bound to err. It becomes the responsibility
of their teachers and guardians to guide them with compassion and by admiring their strengths.
This would certainly lead to better consequences of their inputs and ultimately increase their
potential.
Thank you.
Q.5 Imagine you are Gavin Maxwell, the narrator of "Mijbil the Otter." A friend of yours has
asked for your advice on adopting an otter as a pet. Write a letter to the friend describing the
advantages and disadvantages of keeping an otter as a pet.
45 Camusfearna Sandaig Bay, UK
17 December '59
Dear Sam
Good to hear from you after so long.
Mijbil, my pet otter, is such a delight that I would certainly advise you to keep one as a pet.
Otters are fun-loving, childlike and playful animals. Like dogs, they are very intelligent and
get trained easily. They can keep themselves engaged by devising their own games from the
little things around them. They are low maintenance pets and can live comfortably even in
small flats. Of course, you will have to take care to exercise them regularly but you will love
the response of onlookers whenever you will take them out.
Do not deliberate much on this issue and get yourself an otter soon. Remember to invite Mijbil
over when you get your own otter. It would be interesting to watch the two together.
Yours affectionately
Gavin
Q.5 Q. Mijbil, the otter and the Tiger (in the poem 'A Tiger in the Zoo) were looked after by
humans. Assume they both meet each other in the zoo and have a conversation about their
lifestyle and feelings. (Sample Paper 2022-23)
Write this conversation as per your understanding of Mijbil the Otter and A Tiger in the Zoo.
You may begin like this:
Tiger: Thanks for your kind visit, though I don't usually like visitors.
Mijbil: Oh? I would love visitors, I think.
TIGER: What makes you so happy to like visitors?
MIJBIL: Well, I am a well looked after pet. I don't even have to search for food. My human
plays with me and takes me out for walks.
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TIGER: Hmnnn. My experience with humans is rather unpleasant. They have confined me to
this cramped, stifling cage. I long to be free in the wild that is my real home. I cannot bear to
be tamed.
MIJBIL: I can't even think of a day without my owner. I am too scared to go to the wild. How
will I survive? I am happy to be with my owner.
TIGER: I don't think humans understand the value of peaceful coexistence. His activities
disturb me. O how much I long to go back!
Q.6 Valli in "Madam Rides the Bus" and Kisa Gotami in "The Sermon at Benares" learn an
invaluable lesson about the life of mortals. Discuss. CBSE Question Bank (Modified)) Ans -
Valli is an eight-year-old who ventures alone on a bus ride to experience the six mile journey
from her village to the nearest town and back. During her onward journey she is amused when
she sees a cow running right in the middle of the road ahead of her bus, with its tail high up.
This sight amuses Valli and she laughs heartily to see the scared animal. However, during the
return journey she happens to see the same cow lying dead in a pool of blood on the roadside.
The little girl feels miserable to see that a creature that was alive and kicking some time ago is
now gone. She learns an invaluable lesson that death comes suddenly and life is not
permanent.
Kisa Gotami is a young mother who loses her only son to death. She is acutely grieved by her
loss and loses her sense of reasoning. She moves from door to door seeking medicine that
could cure her son. However, when the Buddha asks her to bring a handful of mustard-seed
from such a house where no dear one had been lost to death, she understands that death is
common to all. Sinking oneself in personal grief only makes one pale and sick. So, one should
be wise and should accept death as a natural end of life that cannot be avoided.
Therefore, both Valli and Kisa Gotami learn the lesson that all mortals have to meet their end
one day. This lesson is invaluable and makes one appreciate that life should be lived
appropriately since death can bring it to a sudden and abrupt end.
Q.7 HAPPINESS COMES FROM SPIRITUAL WEALTH NOT MATERIAL
WEALTH.
Can you relate this to the Buddha's life before and after he attained enlightenment? Provide
examples from the text to support your answer.
(CBSE Question Bank (Modified))
Ans— Buddha was a prince and had all the comforts of life available to him. He was shielded
from the sufferings of human life till the age of twenty-five. He had studied Hindu sacred
scriptures and had lived a royal life for ten years with his wife and son. Still, the sight of
human suffering gave him sorrow. His wealth and fame could not bring him relief. He had to
give up all the comforts and material possessions to gain enlightenment which eventually
brought him peace. Buddha's life before enlightenment provided physical comforts but he was
still troubled. After gaining wisdom about the real cause of suffering, Buddha was composed
and empowered to share his knowledge with everyone who sought peace of mind.
Q.8 Do you find some relation between "Fire and Ice" and racism as depicted in Nelson
Mandela's "Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom?" Why/Why not? Or
What similarity do you find between Robert Frost's poem and racism as practised by the white
regime in South Africa?
Ans- Robert Frost's "Fire and Ice" and Nelson Mandela's "Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to
Freedom" have a similar subject - the need to foster human feelings of equality, justice,
empathy, love and kindness among human beings. Robert Frost, through the symbols of "Fire"
and "Ice" shows that the inhuman feelings of violence, rage, intolerance, domination, jealousy,
greed, injustice, inequality, insensitivity etc. can prove to be utterly destructive. These feelings
are leading the world towards its doom and need to be checked.
Nelson Mandela in his autobiographical account shows how racism - the tendency among the
whites to treat the black people as inferior and meting out cruelty to them - has tormented the
black people. He shows that black people have been denied dignity due to all human beings.
The oppressors, he believes, are themselves slaves to hatred. He emphasises that there is a
need for freedom for all human beings.
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Q.9 Suppose you are Amanda and you have been asked to write an article for an e-
magazine "For Children." Write the article based on your experiences as described in
the poem.
LESSONS LEARNT IN THE SCHOOL OF LIFE
(by Amanda Wilson)
Ans- Life is the biggest school as experiences of life make a person learn a number of lessons
which nobody else can teach. These lessons start with childhood itself as the impressions
gathered during this tender age are indelible and affect the behaviour of a person as a grown up
one. The secret I learnt from my childhood experience is that one should know where to find
refuge and solace when tormented with continuous instructions, orders and rebukes. The
suppressive, authoritative commands of some elders in our lives are terribly choking and can
lead to frustration and depression if one does not know how to find an escape. However,
escape does not imply fleeing the world. One can escape into the world of imagination and
breathe in open, free air. Indifference to the suffocating domination may relieve the mind and
one may live imaginatively and find in the world of fancy what is actually denied to him/her.
Q. 10 Suppose Anne Frank happens to meet Amanda.
Write a short conversation that they have on their respective views on speech and silence.
ANNE : Amanda, I have heard that you escape to another world and turn a
AMANDA: deaf ear to what your elders say. (Nods) Well, I find a haven in the world of my
imagination.
ANNE : But what do you need a haven for?
AMANDA:To escape reality. I find real world very cruel where you have to suffer on account
of the whims and fancies of
ANNE : your elders. But you may raise a voice against what you don't like.
AMANDA: Do you think these elders will listen to my voice? They are bent upon suffocating
me with their constant nagging.
ANNE: They will not listen to in the beginning but if you keep up your efforts, they will have
to listen to your logical appeals.
AMANDA: But I find it easier to keep quiet and wander around in the unrestricted world of
imagination. I find the imaginative faculty to be a great gift of God.
ANNE: I see. Your silence is a way of resistance. I must say that your silence is louder
than the speech of many people.
AMANDA: Thanks, Annie, for your encouraging words.
Q. 1 1 Imagine the 'hemlock tree' of Robert Frost's "Dust of Snow" and the 'oak tree' of
Adrienne Rich's "The Trees" meet at a Trees' Conclave and start a conversation about their
respective poets and their personae. Write a short piece of their conversation.
OAK: My poet remained indoors on the fateful night of our liberation. It was a full moon
night.
HEMLOCK: Really? That's surprising. And what do you think my poet did? Our incident took
place at noon on a snowy day.
OAK: What was he doing outside on a snowy
day?
HEMLOCK: I don't know. What do you think Adrienne might have been thinking?
OAK: Well... I feel that she was too busy writing long letters. You know that she has a passion
for writing and exchanges her ideas with her friends through long letters.
HEMLOCK: Yes, I know.
OAK : Why do you think Robert might have been out on a snowy day?
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HEMLOCK: You know Robert's love for nature. For him, nature has a healing effect.
Whenever he is in a gloomy mood, he comes out to have a direct contact with nature. He has
always found snow covered landscapes to be beautiful.
OAK : Adrienne too loves nature but she had certain other obligations that day. Perhaps it
was urgent to write letters. Moreover, the trees were still in the house and the forest was
without foliage.
HEMLOCK: Yes. She must have gone out the next night with trees in their free environment.
OAK: Yes. she was there
Q12. How do you think the Buddha would have sermonized to the boy in the poem "The Ball
Poem" had he presented himself before the Enlightened One just like Kisa Gotami had done?
Write Buddha's address for people of your age.
(CBSE Question Bank (Modified))
Dear Brothers and Sisters
Today I want to discuss one of the ways to keep up mental equilibrium in life which is full of
pleasant and unpleasant circumstances and evils. I firmly believe that the best way is to accept
loss as a part of life and encounter it unflinchingly. It will be possible if we do not attach
ourselves too much to worldly possessions. Our desires to attain more and more material
things and to cling on to them are the chief causes of our suffering in life. If we live our lives
with a feeling of detachment, no loss will be able to shake the balance of our minds. Those
who have learnt that gain and loss are the warp and woof of the fabric of life, never lose the
balance of their body and mind. Therefore, let us pledge that we will take life as it comes
without giving way to emotional disturbance.
Q. 1 3 Sometimes seemingly insignificant events have a deep and far-reaching significance."
Discuss in relation to the poem "Dust of Snow" and "The Ball Poem".
Or
What common philosophical idea do you find in "Dust of Snow" and "The Ball Poem"? The
poems "Dust of Snow" by Robert Frost and "The Ball Poem" by John Berryman bring forth a
common philosophical idea that sometimes the events that seem to be trivial and insignificant
leave deep impressions on our minds and teach us significant lessons of life. In "Dust of
Snow," the poet, who is in a depressed and dejected state of mind, happens to pass from near
a snow-covered hemlock tree on which a crow is perched. But as he walks past the hemlock
tree, a sudden fall of the dust of snow on him brings about a profound and positive change in
his mental state. It dispels away all his gloom and dejection, and sets in delight and
satisfaction. The incident seems to be petty and insignificant but conveys an important
message that nature always imparts pleasure, and pacifies the frustrated, downcast and
dejected minds of people.
Similarly, in "The Ball Poem", the poet seems to be narrating a commonplace incident. A
young boy, while playing with a ball on the banks of a harbour, loses his ball as it rolls away
to fall irretrievably into the deep waters of the harbour. This incident seems to be trivial, as
the ball is not very expensive, and the boy could be consoled with some other ball, yet the
loss of the ball contains in itself a significant lesson for the boy - how to cope up with losses
in life and muster strength to move forward. This encounter with the first loss in life has
prepared the young boy to face the harsh fact that losses are an inevitable part of life. Thus,
both the poems carry the message that sometimes seemingly insignificant incidents have very
significant lessons of life.
Q.14 Suppose Anne Frank happens to meet Amanda. Write a short conversation that they have
on their respective views on speech and silence.
ANNE. Amanda, I have heard that you escape to another world and turn a deaf ear to
what your elders say.
AMANDA : (Nods) Well, I find a haven in the world of my imagination.
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ANNE : But what do you need a haven for?
AMANDA: To escape reality. I find the real world very cruel where you have to suffer on
account of the whims and fancies of your elders.
ANNE : But you may raise a voice against what you don't like.
AMANDA: Do you think these elders will listen to my voice? They are bent upon suffocating
me with their constant nagging.
ANNE : They will not listen to you in the beginning but if you keep up your efforts, they will
have to listen to your logical appeals.
AMANDA : But I find it easier to keep quiet and wander around in the unrestricted world of
imagination. I find the imaginative faculty to be a great gift of God.
ANNE : I see. Your silence is a way of resistance. I must say that your silence is louder
than the speech of many people.
AMANDA: Thanks, Annie, for your encouraging words.
Q. 15 Suppose you are one of the trees just liberated after a hard struggle. You happen to visit a
zoo and talk to the tiger in the cage. Write the conversation between the tiger and you.
YOU : Oh, Dear Tiger, how it pains me to see you in this cramped space.
TIGER: Thanks, Buddy. My condition is really pathetic. I miss the forests and my fellow wild
animals there.
YOU : I can understand that. I too was enslaved in a house and suffered so much being away
from my natural habitat.
TIGER: Then how did you get rid of the barriers?
YOU : I called upon all my parts and inspired them to rebel against the slavery. They put up a
concerted struggle and liberated themselves.
TIGER: Do you think I can do this too and return to the jungle, my real home?
YOU : Yes, of course. All you need is confidence in your own might. Do not go on silently
tolerating your confinement. Put up a fight and you will come out victorious.
TIGER: But I have no fellow tigers to make the rebellion strong.
YOU : You yourself are so powerful. The cramped space of the cage has made you forget
how ferocious you are. Stand up now... this very moment... break open the cage and set
yourself free.
TIGER: Sure. Here I go.... Grrrrr!
Q. 16 Just as love for outer appearances is not true love, love for the sake of money is not true
love either. Pen down a dialogue between Anne Gregory and any character from "The
Proposal," where Anne tries to explain how loving others simply for who they are is the most
important virtue that everyone must possess. Or (CBSE Question Bank!
Write a short dialogue between Anne Gregory and Lomov in which they express their own
ideas of love.
ANNE : Hi. Lomov!
LOMOV: Hi, you're looking so gorgeous. I like your golden hair!
ANNE : Thanks, Lomov for the compliment. So, you've found your true love?
LOMOV: True love? What's that?
ANNE : I mean Natalya, your wife. You've got a beautiful wife, haven't you?
LOMOV: Far from it. Honestly, I married Natalya not because she's beautiful but because I
had no one else to consider.
ANNE : O, that's so sweet!
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LOMOV: Sweet? She's a crazy girl. I don't know what she wants.
ANNE : Why did you marry her then?
LOMOV I am thirty-five and I was desperate. She was desperate, too.
ANNE : And?
LOMOV She's rich, and has land.
ANNE : So, you married her only for her possessions.
LOMOV I admit, I did.
ANNE : Did you not marry her for who she is? Oh, you greedy scoundrel!
Q.17 Draft a short conversation between Ausable and a new agent who has joined his office.
This new entrant has heard a lot about Ausable and has come to him for advice regarding the
traits of a good secret agent. (CBSE Question Bank (Modified)}
NEW AGENT: Good morning Mr. Ausable, I am so delighted to meet you.
AUSABLE: Good morning young man and welcome to our secret service.
NEW AGENT: Sir, you are my role model. In fact I decided to join the secret service after
reading about you. I really admire you and look up to you for guidance.
AUSABLE: Thank you! It is flattering to know that you have heard about me. Ideally a secret
agent should remain a secret. Hal Ha! Jokes apart, the most important quality of a secret agent
is his quick brain. He should be vigilant about his surroundings and should be able to predict
trouble. He should also remain calm and cool even in the most difficult situations. The gun
shot might not save you every time but a smart plan always will.
NEW AGENT: Thank You! Sir, I shall always remember your advice.
Q. 18 Emotional well-being is threatened most by anger. An angry person loses control over
himself as well as over situations. Write an article for a teenage magazine on the topic
"Anger, the Biggest Enemy of Health" in the light of the story "Footprints Without Feet".
{CBSE Question Bank (Modified))
ANGER, THE BIGGEST ENEMY OF HEALTH (By Jay Reddy, Class X)
Griffin was a brilliant scientist but an angry man who did not have control over his temper. He
was not liked by his landlord who wanted to eject him. An angry Griffin set fire to the house in
revenge and shed his clothes to become invisible in order to escape arrest. It was a day of bad
mid-winter in London and the air was bitterly cold. If Griffin had not slipped into the London
store, he would have died of pneumonia.
Anger certainly destroys health because it clogs the mind and prevents us from thinking
sensibly. An angry person always makes rash decisions which not only ruin physical health but
also damage emotional well-being. One must learn to manage anger and save oneself from its
detrimental effects. Teenagers, in particular, should engage themselves in productive activities
to deal with anger. Else they will always be faced by the danger of meeting a fate similar to
that of Griffin.
Q. 19 Draft three arguments each for and against the motion: "Frugality is Key to Happiness."
{CBSE Question Bank (Modified)}
FOR THE MOTION : Splurging is an absolute wastage of resources that can be put to
better use. Happiness comes from contentment.
AGAINST THE MOTION: What's the point in possessing wealth if one can't experience the
joy of spending it.
FOR THE MOTION: Surplus wealth should be used to bridge the economic divide
experienced specially by those who make our lives comfortable - our housemaids, drivers
etc. That will make you really happy.
AGAINST THE MOTION: If splurging is bad then why should we work hard to earn more.
Surely frugality leads to misery, not happiness.
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FOR THE MOTION : Spending excessively and unnecessarily is a recipe for misery,
not happiness. Frugality does not mean to become a miser. It means to spend
responsibly and sensibly because wealth is not merely a personal asset.
Q.20 As a news reporter, draft a report citing the factors that were responsible for the failure of
the Martian invasion.
MARTIAN INVASION: A DISASTER
(by Mangal Mann)
The ambitious project undertaken by the Martians to invade earth has ended in a disaster. Their
commander in chief, the great and mighty Think-Tank, launched the invasion by sending three
Martians to earth. These were Captain Omega, Lieutenant Iota, and Sergeant OOP. This
mission was launched under the notion that Earthlings were primitive and ugly beings who
would surrender easily to the might of Martians. This invasion in the year 2040 failed
miserably because the supposedly intelligent Martians with their mighty balloon brains are
actually stupid. They transcribed simple nursery rhymes as a serious war plan against Mars.
They assumed the EarthlingS achievement of excellence in technology by inferring that they
could grow pretty maids in gardens and make cows to jump over the moon. This scared the
aliens and their ambitious invasion has fallen flat miserably.
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