Chapter- 10, Reading for Understanding, English Practice Book, DAV Class VIII, The Best Solutions.

READING FOR UNDERSTANDING

1. Read the poem given below and answer the questions that follow.

At seven, when dusk slips over the mountains,

The trees start whispering among themselves.

They have been standing still all day,

But now they stretch their limbs in the dark,

Shifting a little, flexing their fingers,

Remembering the time when

They too walked the earth with men.

They know me well, these trees:

Oak and walnut, spruce and pine,

They know my face in window,

They know me for a dreamer of dreams,

A world-loser, one of them.

They watch me while I watch them grow.

I listen to their whispering,

Their own mysterious diction;

And bow my head before their arms

And ask for benediction.

A.1 On the basis of your reading of the poem, complete the following passage by filling the blanks with one word only.

As the day changes into dusk, the trees whisper among themselves. Throughout the day the trees stand still, but as soon as it is dark, they stretch their branches, shift a little and flex their boughs and recall the era when they, like men, could move on the earth. Standing at his window, the speaker often observes these trees and so, they, too, know them well. The speaker, just like these trees, is a dreamer, a world-loser. They listen to their mysterious voice and language and bow before them to seek benediction.

A.2 On the basis of your understanding of the poem, answer the following questions.

1. Which trees are referred to in the poem?

Oak, walnut, spruce, and pine.

2. What does ‘stretch their limbs, flex their fingers’ refer to?

It refers to the trees moving slightly or swaying in the evening breeze, as if they are awakening and remembering their past.

3. Why does the poet bow his head before their arms’?

The poet bows in reverence, as if seeking a blessing or benediction from the trees he deeply respects and identifies with.

1. Read the poem given below.

LULLABY

1. Little one, don’t be afraid of this big river.

Be safe in these warm arms for ever.

Grow tall, my son, be wise and strong,

But do not take from any man his song.

2. Little one, don’t be afraid of this dark night.

Walk boldly as you see the truth and light.

Love well, my son, laugh all day long,

But do not take from any man his song.

B.1 On the basis of your understanding of the poem, answer the following questions.

1. Whom does ‘these warm arms’ refer to in line 2?

The mother’s arms.

2. What does the speaker mean by ‘But do not take from any man his song’?

It means not to rob anyone of their joy, individuality, or happiness.

B.2 On the basis of your understanding of the poem, complete the table given below.

1. Read the poem given below.

SYMPATHY

1. If I were only a little

puppy, not your baby,

mother dear, would you say ‘No’ to me

if I tried to eat from your dish?

Would you drive me off, saying to me, ‘Get away,

you naughty little puppy?

Then go, mother, go! I will never come to you

When you call me, and never let you feed me anymore.

2. If I were only a little green parrot, and not your baby,

mother dear, would you keep me chained

lest I should fly away?

Would you shake your finger at me and say, ‘what

an ungrateful wretch of a bird! It is gnawing

at its chain, day and night?’

Then go, mother, go! I will run away into the woods;

I will never let you take me in your arms again.

-Tagore

C.1 On the basis of your understanding of the poem, complete the passage by filling the blanks with one word only.

The child asks his mother, if he were a small puppy and not her baby, whether she would drive him off if he tried to eat from her dish. If so, the child says he would never let his mother feed him again. He further asks his mother if she would keep him in chains so that he does not fly away, if he were a parrot. He wants to know if she would scold him for gnawing at his chain night and day. If yes, the child would never come into the arms of his mother and run away into the woods.

C.2 Answer the following.

Is the title of the poem appropriate? Explain with reasons.

Yes, the title “Sympathy” is appropriate. The poem reflects the child’s desire for empathy and understanding from the mother. The child imagines being treated unfairly if he were not her baby, and expresses how he wants to be treated with love and kindness, not like a pet or captive. It highlights the importance of emotional sensitivity.

1. Read the passage given below.

PEP (PER) UP YOUR LIFE

1. We all have grown up listening to tales of India, trading her valuable spices and silk for gold and silver in the days of yore. So valuable was this trove of spices that travellers from far and wide came in search of it. Though the spice chest consisted of cardamom, cinnamon, clove… what was worth a king’s ransom was black pepper. This pungent-smelling, sharp-tasting tiny dried berry, which we so nonchalantly use in our everyday life, is invaluable, to say the least. A prized possession, its history is splattered with interesting anecdotes and romantic tales of its acquisition.
2. The cultivation of pepper is probably as old as civilisation itself. Ancient Sanskrit literature mentions it as does the Bible. There are no confirmed records of its origin but wild forms of the present pepper can be traced to places in South India and Myanmar. Though, today it is cultivated in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Vietnam, China and Brazil, its stronghold is still India. Evidence suggests that early Roman Empire procured plenty of pepper from India as did the countries of Egypt.
3. Alexander is said to have introduced pepper to European countries, following his conquest of India. Pepper was so precious that it was literally called ‘black gold’ worth more than its weight in gold.
4. One of the most widely known virtues of pepper is its preservative ability. A few whole peppers in rice, grains or meat can prevent them from getting spoiled. The mummies of Pharaohs in Egyptian pyramids are said to have been preserved using black pepper and salt.
5. On the medicinal front, pepper is extensively used in Ayurvedic, Unani and Siddha systems of medicine. Using black pepper for fighting cold is a grandma-handed-down remedy. Besides, it is also said to have anti-ageing properties. Ageing occurs because the rate of replacement of old dead cells by new ones starts diminishing. Consumption of pepper is said to reduce the rate of this degeneration. It also has the power to remove poison and is used to treat poisonous insect-bites. It also keeps away dental cavities, foul breath, toothaches and pain in gums.
6. Pepper is amongst the countless Indian treasures which we must cherish. So next time, when you are served a dish with whole black pepper, don’t consider it a garnishing and remove it while eating. Go ahead and bite into it, it is a miniscule power-packed winning formula!

D.1 On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer the following questions.

1. What does the author mean by the phrase ‘worth a king’s ransom’ in para 1?

Extremely valuable or priceless.

2. List three characteristics (appearance, taste) which the author associates with black pepper.

(i) Pungent-smelling
(ii) Sharp-tasting
(iii) Tiny dried berry

3. Give two points to prove that the cultivation of pepper dates back to times immemorial.

(i) Mentioned in ancient Sanskrit literature and the Bible
(ii) Used by early Romans and Egyptians

4. List two uses of pepper.

(i) Preserving food (e.g., rice, grains)
(ii) Used in traditional medicine (Ayurveda, Unani)

5. Write three medicinal qualities of pepper.

(i) Anti-ageing properties
(ii) Cures cold
(iii) Treats poisonous insect bites

6. What is the synonym given to pepper according to its value/worth?

Black gold

7. Find words from the passage which mean the same as the following.

(i) Scattered/full of (para 1): splattered
(ii) Obtained (para 2): procured

1. Read the passage given below.

STRESS BUSTERS

1. The adage All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’ was perhaps said precisely for the twenty-first century. In a world of cut-throat competition where the sky’s the limit, we are fast on the superhighway to exhaustion. Stress from work is one of the leading malaises that are affecting more and more people everyday.
2. Stress is the way our bodies and minds react to something which upsets our normal balance in life. There are different kinds of stress but work-related stress is fast catching the attention of doctors, as an increasing number of students and young professionals are becoming victims of this disease. Stress causes physical and emotional problems that may damage both our health and our performance at work. Acute stress can lead to heart attacks, certain types of cancer and depression. Headaches, sleeplessness, nausea, lack of concentration, memory loss are all symptoms of stress. A principal indication of stress is an escalation in our pulse rate. If we are suffering from constant aches and pains, chronic fatigue, palpitations, anxiety or overeating, it’s time to meet our doctor.
3. According to psychologists, the fast pace of life has changed the psyche of the people. There is a constant need to perform, whereby people need to work much harder, take up tough challenges and burn mid-night oil.
4. There are numerous ways of beating stress. While some involve changes in our lifestyle, others are simple tasks. The first thing is to change our thinking mode into positive and relaxing thoughts. We ought to reassure ourselves and dispel all negative feelings. When going gets tough, we should open that secret door to our inner self, pursue that hobby we have cast aside in favour of our ambitions. We should slow down. Relax. Adopt a leisurely manner and try doing things at a slower pace. We should believe that ‘laughter is the best medicine. It has been medically proven that when we laugh, it gives us a sense of well-being, thus, helping to reduce the level of stress.
5. We should be amiable and socialise with others. If we are under stress, we mustn’t stay at home alone. We should go out with family, indulge in sports, yoga or meditation and just relax!

E.1 On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer the questions that follow.

1. List two diseases that are triggered by stress.

(i) Heart attacks
(ii) Certain types of cancer

2. Mention two symptoms of stress.

(i) Sleeplessness
(ii) Headaches

3. Give two reasons why stress-related problems have increased in recent times.

(i) Constant pressure to perform
(ii) Fast-paced lifestyle and competition

4. List two ways to beat stress.

(i) Pursuing a hobby
(ii) Socializing or relaxing with others

E.2. Find words from the passage which mean the same as the following.

1. proverb, saying (para 1)

Proverb, saying (para 1): adage

2. friendly (para 5)

Friendly (para 5): amiable

1. Read the passage given below.

THE UMBRELLA STORY

1. The umbrella season is here. Whether it is the scorching heat of the sun’s rays you want to shield yourself from or, in a few days from now, the pouring rain you want to get away from, the umbrella is going to be your handy companion. Did you ever ponder as to when the simple yet extremely useful umbrella came into being?
2. The word umbrella comes from the Latin word ‘umbra’ meaning ‘shade’ or ‘shadow’. The basic umbrella was invented four thousand years ago. The earliest umbrellas, also called ‘parasol’, were made to shade the user from the sun and were in use in ancient Assyria, China, Egypt and Greece.
3. In eighteenth century, umbrella ribs were made of baleen, whale bone, which tended to lose its elasticity when thoroughly soaked, and cracked and broke if not properly dried. Soon, these ribs and stretches came to be fashioned out of brass or iron.
4. Umbrella covers were usually made of cotton, canvas, gingham or silk. Oil or wax was applied to repel rain, but warm sunlight quickly spoilt the benefit. Besides, oiled or waxed umbrellas carried under the arm or over the shoulder in accepted fashion, soon ruined the owner’s clothings. Sometimes, leather was also used as a covering but its weight multiplied considerably when wet. Then came cloth woven of alpaca wool, imported from South America, which was naturally water repellent and light weight, but very expensive.
5. The Chinese were probably the first to use waterproof umbrella in the rain; they used wax and lacquer (a type of paint) to repel the rain. The umbrellas were also made from oiled paper because oil repels water. The frames of the umbrellas were made from mulberry bark or bamboo. There was even a distinct segregation in the manner the umbrellas were used. Red and yellow umbrellas were used by royalty, and blue umbrellas were used by the common people.
6. Samuel Fax, an English inventor and manufacturer, invented the steel-ribbed umbrella in 1852. After that, compact collapsible umbrellas were the next major technical innovation in umbrella manufacture, over a century later.

F.1 On the basis of your reading of the passage, complete the following statements.

1. Parasol, ________, was invented for __________.

Parasol, an early form of umbrella, was invented for protection from the sun.

2. Umbrella ribs made of whale bones were not long-lasting because

Umbrella ribs made of whale bones were not long-lasting because they lost elasticity when soaked and cracked when not dried properly.

3. An oiled or waxed umbrella could prove to be useful because

An oiled or waxed umbrella could prove useful because:
(i) It repelled water during rain.
(ii) It provided protection, though it could damage clothing when carried.

F.2 Complete the following table with relevant information from the passage you have just read.

Umbrella covers used

1. Cotton
2. Canvas / Gingham / Silk
3. Leather / Alpaca wool

Umbrella frames (ribs) used

4. Baleen (whale bone)
5. Brass / Iron / Bamboo / Mulberry bark / Steel

Red Chinese umbrella was used by

6. Royalty

Blue Chinese umbrella was used by

7. Common people

F.3 Find words from the passage which mean the same as the following.

1. burning (para 1) scorching
2. to think (para 1) ponder
3. destroy/spoil (para 4) ruin
4. division (para 5) segregation

Read the passage given below.

HABITS

1. We are all creatures of habits. Our habits reflect who we are. We first make our habits, and then our habits make – or break us. Our habits become either the best of servants… or the worst of masters.
2. A habit is defined as a pattern of behaviour or practice acquired by frequent repetition. Not all habits are wrong or undesirable. In fact, most habits are good. We dress in the morning, tie shoes and write our names, not out of focused concentration, but by sheer habit. Some habits are however, annoying and undesirable, ranging from nervousness to overeating, anxiety, constant throat clearing, knuckle-cracking, fingernail-biting and even negative thinking.
3. Every year, millions of rupees are spent needlessly by people on buying books, tapes and going to counsellors for breaking these undesirable habits. However, a well thought-out plan and a little resistance can break these habits just as surely as you formed them. To overcome a bad habit, you need to become aware of it. In a small notebook, jot down the habits you want to change and analyse them. Then, pick one bad habit and work on it. Exercise is another way to get rid of annoying habits. As you become healthier, you are less likely to fall back into old habits. Yet another way is to pursue a creative hobby. Finding new ways of helping others can also help. Lastly, start working on improving your habits today. Delay will make your problem even tougher.

G.1 On the basis of your reading of the above passage, complete the following.

1. ‘First we make habits, and then habits make or break us.

By ‘make or break us’ the author means __________________

Make or break us’ means:

• Habits can either lead us to success or failure.
• They shape our future and define our behaviour.

2. Mention any four undesirable habits listed in the above passage.

(i) Overeating
(ii) Anxiety
(iii) Knuckle-cracking
(iv) Nail-biting

3. Which four ways have been suggested for getting rid of undesirable habits?

(i) Awareness and analysis
(ii) Regular exercise
(iii) Pursuing hobbies
(iv) Helping others

G.2 Find words from the passage which mean the same as the following.

1. obtain (para 2) : acquire
2. irritating (para 2) : annoying
3. opposition (para 3) : resistance