Buddha walked on fearlessly. Angulimala ran as fast as he could but he could not catch up with him. He swore and shouted at Buddha, but Buddha smile kindly at him and continued to walk through the forest. This went on for several hours and Angulimala was, at last, tired and sat down. Buddha stood in front of him. His face was shining with kindness for the robber.
"Who are you, man?" asked Angulimala. "Why do you travel through this forest alone? Aren't you afraid of Angulimala? Why couldn't I catch you? What magic do you possess?
Buddha replied gently, "I'm a friend of yours and I've come to the forest to help you. I've come to save you from further sin. I'm not afraid of you because I love you as I love all other men. My magic is the magic of kindness for all living creatures."
These noble words touched the cruel heart of Angulimala and he fell at the feet of Buddha.” O Lord save me!" he said sobbing. "I am the Buddha am the greatest sinner on earth". He cried bitterly and tears flowed from his eyes in two unending streams.
Answer the following questions:
(i) Why was Angulimala tired?
(ii) In what manner did Buddha stand before the robber?
(iii) Which contrast does the author present in this passage?
(iv) What was Buddha's reply when Angulimala asked who he was?
(v) What was the magic with Buddha, according to Buddha himself?
(vi) Why did Angulimala, the robber fall at the feet of Buddha?
(vii) What did the robber say sobbingly? Before the robber?
(viii) Who are the two talkers in this passage?
In many countries only one language-mostly the mother-tongue—is enough to satisfy the need for expression of their inhabitants. In India, however, the position is more complicated. Here an educated man is called upon to master more than one language. There is, first of all the language that he learns on his mother's lap, and through which he expresses his first need and feelings. Naturally, it is in this that he gains the most proficiency, But, since India is a very large country, we really need an extra language as a means of communicating with states other than our own.
It is for this reason that many people want a lingua franca for India but even this is not enough. On top of this, an educated Indian requires the mastery of an international language, one that is widely understood and is used in the dealings of one country with another. Ideally speaking then, the educated Indian should be able to read and write in three languages and, moreover, should be able to express himself in all the three with ease and fluency. As our contact with the English language has been long and it is the most widely used language in the world, it is in our own interest to be proficient in this language.
Answer the following Questions.
(i) What is the position in India?
(ii) What is a lingua franca?
(iii) How many languages does an educated Indian master?
(iv) Which is the international language?
(v) Which language is mother-tongue?
(vi) Why do many people want a lingua franca for India?
(vii) How is it in our own interest to be proficient in English?
(viii) Find words from the passage which mean:
a system of words and their use
The camel is the oldest of domestic animals. It has been used for thousands of years by the desert people of Africa and Asia to supply many of their needs. On the fertile edges of the desert, camels pull ploughs turn wheels to irrigate the fields and carry goods to market, in the desert itself, they are still almost the only means of transport.
They supply food, milk and clothing in the form of wool and leather. This useful animal is well adapted to life in harsh, arid lands. The Arabian camel has one hump, the Bactrian camel has two. The hump is, in fact, a store of fat which is used as a source of energy when food and water are scarce. When it does drink, the camel can take up to 100 litters of water in ten minutes.
The camel has broad, soft feet for a steady grip in the sand. A thick skin protects it from the fierce daytime sun and bitterly cold nights. The camel's eyes have three eyelids to help keep out sand; its ears and nose are also adapted to keep out sand storms.
Camels stand about two meters high at the shoulder and weigh 500-800 kilos Often called 'The ships of the desert', they can carry loads of 200 kilos and more, travelling up to 160 kilometre a day.
Camels eat grass, dates and grain when available. Deep in the desert they survive on dry leaves, seeds and bones.
Answer the following Questions.
(i) How do camels adapt to the harsh conditions of the desert?
(ii) What has been told about its food?
(iii) What is its load carrying and travelling capacity?
(iv) What information is given about its height and weight?
(v) How are its eyes, ears and nose useful?
(vi) What is informed about its feet and skin?
(vii) What is the use of the hump?
(viii) What do they supply?
(ix) How is it useful on the fertile edges of the desert?
(x) For what has the camel been used?
(a) of home or household
(b) a baron uninhabited sandy area.
All the housewives who went to the Kalpatharu Supermarket in Bangalore had one great ambition to be the lucky customer who did not have to pay for her shopping. For this was what the notice just inside the entrance promised. It said Remember, once a week, one of our customers gets free goods. This may be your lucky day!
For several weeks Mrs. Batliwala hoped, like many of her friends, to be the lucky customer. Unlike her friends, she never gave up hope. Her kitchen was full of things which she did not need. Her husband failed to dissuade her. She dreamed of the day, when the manager of the Supermarket would approach her and say: "Madam, this is your lucky day. Everything in your basket is free.
One Saturday morning, Mrs. Batliwala finished her shopping and left the Supermarket. But soon she discovered that she had forgotten to buy tea. She rushed back, got the tea and went towards the Cash-desk. As she did so, she saw the manager of the Supermarket come up to her. Madam', he said, holding out his hand, '1 want to congratulate you! You are our lucky customer and everything you have in your basket is free!"
Answer the following Questions.
(ii) What was the main ambition of the housewives visiting Kalpatharu Supermarket?
(ii) What did the notice promise?
(iii) How did Mrs. Batliwala differ from her friends regarding her hope of winning?
(iv) What did Mrs. Batliwala get as a lucky customer?
(v) Why did the manager congratulate Mrs. Batliwala?
(vi) Why did Mrs. Batliwala go to the Supermarket again on the last day of the week?
(vii) Why did Mrs. Batliwala buy things which she did not need?
(viii) What was the reaction of Mrs. Batliwala’s husband towards her hope of winning free goods?
Convicts! Contented, that didn't make sense, and I expressed my surprise.
'Yes, they were contented. Govindaraju insisted. 'If you had come in those days you wouldn't have known who was a convict and who was not. They wore ordinary clothes, and were paid a monthly wage of twelve rupees which was not bad at that time. All that marked them as prisoners were their number discs. In their free time they could play games, or go out for walks or go to the pictures. There was always a cinema house in Port Blair. A prisoner who showed good conduct for five years could bring out his family at government expense. For that he received an extra allowance of five rupees for the wife and two rupees for each child. Naturally they were contented. Prisoners couldn't hope for such things on the mainland. ‘But surely they had to do hard labour.’
‘It was manual labour mostly, but you must understand that most of the prisoners belonged to the labouring classes, and this type of work was no hardship for them. Middle-class prisoners were given easier jobs, working in offices and such things. If the man was a peasant he was given a piece of land, a pair of bullocks and a homestead.
Answer the following Questions.
(i) What was the monthly wage of the convicts?
(ii) In their free time what could the convicts do?
(iii) What was the facility to the prisoner with good conduct?
(iv) What did they surely have to do?
(v) To which class did most of the prisoners belong to?
(vi) What jobs were given to middle class prisoners?
(vii) What was given to a man if he was a peasant?
(viii) Find the words from the passage which means:
(a) Persons proved guilty and put into prison.
(b) Persons descended from another.
You can access the solutions to this worksheet here.
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