2

24-2-2014

10th

ENGLISH
30) Regretfully = sorrowfully 31) At one's elbow = close 32) Favour = help 33) Down hearted = dejected, disappointed

English

Medium Material

Lesson -1

The night at the hotel

Summary

Important Questions & Answers

1) The night receptionist regretfully shrugged his shoulders what did he regret? What did the shrugging of his shoulders show? Was he being helpful or unhelpful why do you think so? A: The night receptionist regretted his inability to provide a single room to schwamm because there were no rooms available at that time. The shrugging of shoulders shows his helplessness in providing a single room. He was being helpful. I think so because he offered schwamm a free bed in a double room and advised that he would loise that bed also if he wanted to try other hotels. 2) Do you think Schwamm did a good thing in deciding to share a room with some one? Why do you think so? A: Yes, schwamm did a good thing in sharing a room with some stranger because he came to town in odd time and he might not get any single room, in other hotels. If Schwamm had tried for a single room in other hotels. He would have lost that free bed in the double bed room. 3) Why was Schwamm hesitant when he introduced himself to stranger? A: Schwamm didn't know anything about his partner. The stranger was still awake when Schwamm entered the room. Schwamm felt uneasy to describe his reason for coming to town to the stranger so, he introduced himself to the stranger hesitatingly. 4) I probably have the strangest reason imaginable for coming into town? Schwamm said. What was the reason? Can you state it briefly? Do you think it was a strange reason? A: Schwamm had a little son who was extremely sensitive. Everyday while going to school, he used to stop at the railway gate and wave at the passengers travelling by the early morning train. He expected them to wave back. But none of the passengers waved back at him. He took it to heart and simply made himself sick. Schwamm decided to go by the early morning train and wave back at his son and make him cheerful. This was Schwamm's reason for coming into town. Yes I think it is a strange reason. 5) Schwamm explained the reason for coming into town in a tone of apprehensive cheerfulness. Why do you think Schwamm was apprehensive and cheerful at the same time. What was he apprehensive and cheerful about? A: Schwamm was apprehensive while explaining his reason for coming to town because he thought that the stranger might feel that the reason was ridiculous. At the same time Schwamm was cheerful because he was going to make his son happy by taking the early train next morning and waving back at him. 6. What did Schwamm's son do in the morning? How did he behave in the evening? What was the reason for his behaviour? A: Schwamm's son, while going to school used to stop at the railway gate and wave his hand at the passengers travelling by the early morning train. When he returns from school he acts bewildered and in a daze. He can't do his homework and he doesn't want to play or talk to anyone. The boy noted that although he waved eagerly none of the passengers ever waved back. He took it to heart and made himself sick. 7. I hate them and avoid them why did the stranger hate children? Did he really hate children? A: The stranger's wife died giving birth to their first born. He thought that the child was responsible for the death of his wife. So, he hated children for sometime. But infact he didn't have any hatred towards children. We know this by his help to Schwamm in solving his problem. He was really kind towards children. 8. Why was Schwamm unable to catch the train? was he able to do what he came in to town for? Was his trip to town a success? How? A: When Schwamm awoke the next morning he was shocked

S chwamm had a small son who was very sensitive and reacted to the slightest irritation. Every morning, the boy on his way to
school used to wait at the railway crossing for the early morning train to go by. He stood there waving at the passengers in the train furiously, eagerly and desperately. But none of the passengers ever waved back at him. The boy took it to heart and being extremely sensitive, behaved in a peculiar fashion when he returned home in the evenings. He could not do his home work, he did not want to play or talk to any one. Sometimes he even broke down into tears. This went on for months. Schwamm and his wife were highly worried about their son. Schwamm wanted to travel by the early train and make his son happy by waving back at him. So, he came to the town. He tried for a single room in a hotel. But he failed to get a single room at that late hour. He finally could get a free bad in a double room. Schwamm entered the room and tried for the light switch as every thing was dark in the room. Suddenly schwamm became motionless when he was asked by the stranger who had already occupied the room not to turn on the light. The stranger directed schwamm to his bad so that he might not fall over the crutches or run into his suitcase. Schwamm introduced himself to the stranger. The stranger asked him whether he had come to the town to attend a meeting. Schwamm told every thing about his son and further told that he had come to the town to take the early train and wave back at his son in order to make him happy. The stranger told Schwamm that his wife died after giving birth to a child. He thought that the child was responsible for the death of his wife and thus hated and avoided children. However, the stranger was moved by pitiable state of Schwamm's son. When Schwamm woke up the next morning, he could not find the stranger in the room. There was no sufficient time for Schwamm to get ready and go to the railway station to catch the early train. He didnot want to stay and try again to catch the train the next day. So he returned home disappointed. But he was surprised to see his son who clung to him with happiness. He learnt from his son that a man waved at his son tying a handkerchief to the cane and holding it out of the window until the boy could not see it any longer. Schwamm immediately understood that it was none other then the stranger with whom he shared the room.

to see that the early morning train would leave in five minutes, leaving him no chance to catch it. So Schwamm was unable to catch the train. He himself was unable to do what he came into town for. But his trip was successful with the help of the stranger. 9. How did Schwamm feel when he returned home in the afternoon? How do you O. Sreenivasa Reddy, think he felt when he met his English faculty, Anantapur. son? [email protected] A: Schwamm returned home down hearted and disappointed as he thought that his purpose was not achieved. But when he reached home he found his son very happy. He knew from the boy that a person with crutches had waved back at him. He was very happy to see his son's happiness 10. What do you think had happened in the hotel room? What did the stranger do? A: Schwamm awoke late in the morning and found that he was alone. He looked at his watch and was shocked to see that the morning train would leave in five minutes, leaving him no chance to catch it. The stranger woke up carly and took the early morning train and waved back at Schwamm's son and made him happy.

Lesson -2

In celebration of being Alive

Summary

D r. Christiaan Barnard, at the end of his career as a heart surgeon, seriously thought over the suffering prevalent in the world
today. He and his wife met with an accident while crossing a road. This accident made him think about the suffering more seriously as he had experienced fear and agony because of the accident. He always found the suffering of children particularly heart breaking. He disagreed with his father's view that god tests human beings and suffering ennobles them. He came to know about suffering for the first time in his life when he was a child. His father showed him a half- eaten biscuit of Barnard's brother who died earlier because of abnormal heart. His father felt that if his brother had been born that day. The boy could have been saved by some one with sophisticated heart surgery. Once Dr. Barnard visited the cape town's red cross children's Hospital. It opened his eyes to the fact that he was missing something in all his thinking about suffering. A trolley was left unattended in the children's ward. Two children who were very brave took charge of the trolley. One was blind and the other was cripple. The blind boy acted as a mechanic and the cripple played the role of a driver. The choice of roles was easy. They put on quite a show that day. The rest of the children enjoyed the race and encouraged the two. All the plates on the trolley were scattered. In the meanwhile the nurse and ward sister caught up with them. Scolded them and put them back to bed. The boys were met by Dr.Barnard after the race. The boys were so happy as they felt that the race was a grand success. He was taught a profound lesson in getting on with the business of living. He had been looking at suffering from the wrong end. He realised that the business of living is the celebration of being alive and not just something for pleasure, amusement and recreation. One can enjoy happiness only when one experiences suffering. Dr. Barnard supported this statement by giving the following two examples:We can't appreciate light unless we have known darkness and we can appreciate warmth if we have suffered cold.

Meanings
1) Probably = likely, may be, perhaps 2) Mount = climb, go on, ascend 3) Peep = look thragh, secret look, glance 4) Volunteer = willing to do, without any force, offer willingly 5) Switch to = change. 6) Sake = reason 7) Irritation = pain, anger, annoyance 8) Furiously = severely, angrily, savagely 9) Desperate = hopeless, violent, despairing, wretched, grave 10) Afford = be able to do 11) Crutch = cane, walking stick 12) Grope = feel about, search, search blindly 13) Shrug = raise shoulders slightly to show helplessness 14) Instinctively = without any previous planning, suddenly 15) Freeze = become motionless 16) Startled = suddenly alarmed, surprised, puzzled 17) Congress = meeting 18) Apprehensive = uneasy, worried, anxious, nervous, afraid 19) Scamp = rascal, worthless person, rogue 20) Mimosa = a sensitive plant 21) Bewildered = confused, puzzled, dazed 22) Assuage = soothe, comfort, make painless, calm 23) Daze = confuse, unable to think properly 24) Elated = proud, joyful 25) Pummel = beat repeatedly with fists 26) Single = unmarried 27) Tremble = shake, quiver 28) Beam = glow, shine, smile radiantly, emit 29) Switched to = changed

Meanings
1) Career=professional life 2) Consider=accept, think about, think over, examine, discuss