Class 11 A Photograph - Shirley Toulson

1) What does the word ‘cardboard’ denote in the poem? Why has this word beenused?


Ans: The cardboard means a very stiff and thick paper, here the cardboard is a part of the frame that keeps the photograph intact. It's use in poem is ironical  It keeps the photograph of that 12 year old girl safe who herself was terribly transient  The player's mother had died some years ago.

2) What has the camera captured?
Ans: The camera had captured all the three girls alive in it. It has captured the pretty face of the poet's mother who as a girl of twelve at that time. It has also captured the smiling faces of the two girl cousins Betty and Dolly. They are holding the hands of the poet's mother.

3) What has not changed over the years? Does this suggest something to you?
Ans: The sea has not changed over the years. It rings out the transient nature and its object. Time spares none. The pretty faces and the feet of the three girls are terribly transient or moral when compared to the ageless and unchangeable sea. 

4) The poet’s mother laughed at the snapshot. What did this laugh indicate?
Ans: The poet's mother laughs at the snapshot which was taken years ago. In the photograph, she as well as her two little cousins stood at the each. She laughed at the ay all of them were dressed up for the beach. Perhaps they looked funny. Their laughter indicated the youthful spirit.

5) What is the meaning of the line “Both wry with the laboured ease or loss”
Ans: Both the mother and the poet suffered a great sense of loss. The mother has lost her childhood innocence and joyful spirit that the photograph has captured some years ago. For the poet, the smile of her mother has become thing of the past. She has silently resigned to her faith. Ironically both labour to bear their loss with ease. 


6) What does "this circumstance" refer to?
Ans: The circumstance refers to the death of the poet's mother. The photograph of her dead mother brings sad nostalgic feelings in the past. But the poet has nothing to say at all about the circumstance. The silence of the poet makes the silence prevailing their still deeper.

7) The three stanzas depict three different phases. What are they?
Ans: In the first stanza, the poet's mother is shown as a twelve yearold girl with pretty smiling face. Then she is paddling with her two girl cousins. This face is before the poet's birth. The second face describes the middle aged mother laughing at her own snapshot. The third face describes the chilling pale of silence that the death of her mother has left of the past.

Class 12 Lesson-The Tiger King (Vistas)

Short Answer Type Questions
Q. 1. Who is the Tiger King?
The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram is the Tiger King of the story. He was known 
in his kingdom by different names as His Highness Jamedar, General Khiledar-
Major, Sata-Vyaghrasamhari, MaharajadhirajaVisvaBhuvanasamrat, Sir Jilani 
Jung Jung
Bahadur, M.A.D., A.C.T.C., or C.R.C.K. 
Q2. Why does the Tiger King get this name? 

Ans. Tigers dominate the life and even death of the king. So he is named the 
tiger king. The chief astrologer foretells that he is born in the hour of the Bull. 
The Bull and the Tiger are enemies. Therefore, his death will come from the 
Tiger. Ironically, the king who killed 99 tigers, his death was caused by a 
wooden toy tiger.
Q3. What was the miracle that took place in the royal palace?
Ans. When the Maharaja was a 10 day old baby, he spoke and asked intelligent 
questions about his death. After knowing that he would be killed by a tiger, he 
uttered saying ―Let tigers beware.‖
Q4. How did the chief astrologer react to the tiger king‟s question about the 
manner of his death? How did the tiger king take it?
Ans. When the baby barely ten days old, opens its lips in speech. The chief 
astrologer was wonderstruck. He thought it to be incredible that the baby raised 
an intelligent question –to know about the manner of his death. The astrologer 
told that the prince was born in the hour of the bull. The bull and tiger are 
enemies. Therefore, death to him shall come from the Tiger. The tiger king 
growled, ―Let tigers beware!‖
Q5. How was the Tiger King brought up?
Ans. As a child the Tiger King was brought up by an English nanny and tutored 
by an Englishman. He was given the milk of an English cow. He watched only 
English movies.
Q6. Why was it celebration time for all the tigers inhabiting 
Pratibandapuram?
Ans. There was a celebration time for all the tigers inhabiting Pratibandapuram 
because the state banned tiger hunting by anyone except the Maharaja and a 
proclamation was issued to the effect that if any one dared to fling a stone at a 
tiger, all his wealth and property would be seized. 
Q7. What did the State astrologer say he would do „if the hundredth tiger 
were also killed‟?
Ans. The State astrologer was so sure of his prediction that he announced that 
he would cut off his ceremonial tuft, crop his hair short and become an 
insurance agent in case the king was able to kill the 100th tiger, too. He was 
sure that the Maharaja‘s death would be caused by the 100th tiger.
Q8. What did the high-ranking British officer wish to do? Was his wish 
fulfilled?
Ans. The high-ranking British officer wanted to kill a tiger. When he was 
denied the permission for hunting, he sent a word to the king that he would be 
happy if he was allowed to get photographed with the dead body of a tiger 
killed by the king. However, his wish remained unfulfilled.
Q9. How did the Maharaja manage to save his throne?
Ans. The Maharaja had annoyed the visiting senior British officer over the issue 
of tiger-hunting and ‗stood in danger of losing his kingdom itself‘. So, the 
Maharaja and the Dewan decided to please the officer through bribe by sending gifts of expensive diamond rings to the duraisani, the wife of the British 
officer. Thus he managed to save his throne.
Q10. What did the Maharaja do when he stood in danger of losing his 
kingdom? 
Ans. The Maharaja obtained some fifty expensive diamond rings of different 
designs from a British Jewellery Company in Calcutta and sent them to the 
British officer‘s good lady expecting her to choose one or two rings and send 
the rest back. But she kept all the rings and thanked the Maharaja for the gift. 
This cost the Maharaja three lakh rupees but his kingdom was saved.

Bepin choudhury's lapse of memory class 8

1.   Why did the man stare at Bepin Babu in disbelief?

Ans.      The man, Parimal Ghose was perplexed to the utmost because Bepin Babu did not recognize him. To convince him Parimal Ghose presented a lot supportive information. But still Bepin Babu denied him to be known to him. It is very common for the people to forget somebody and behaving like a stranger. At the denial of recognition even after providing enough personal detail the man, Parimal Ghose stared at him in disbelief.

2.   Where did Bepin Babu say he went in october 58?

Ans.      Questioned by the stranger, Bepin Babu refuted the statement that he had been to Rachi in 58 puja. He was sure that he had been to Kanpur during the Durga Puja in October 58.

3. Mention any three (or more) things that Parimal Ghose knew about Bepin Babu.

Answer: Parimal Ghose knew a great deal of things about Bepin Babu. He presented the following to support his brag-

ü   Bepin Babu had an accident near Hudroo falls and got a cut on his right leg.

ü  Bepin Babu, preferred food by bawarchi.

ü   Bepin Babu’s wife died 10 years before his Ranchi trip in, 58.

ü   Bepin Babu’s brother died insane and that is why Bepin Babu did not want to visit the mental asylum in Ranchi.

      

4.   Why did Bepin Babu worry about what Parimal Ghose had said?

Ans.      Bepin Bapu was in utter state of dilemma whether he had really lost his mind or Parimal Ghose was wrong. Parimal Ghose really knew a great deal about his habits, personal life, wife’s death, brother’s insanity and so on. Only a close and intimate person could know these. But at the same time Bepin Babu could not rationalize the fact that he had only forgotten the trip to Ranchi and every other thing is same.

5. How did he try to decide who was right – his memory as Parimal Ghose?

Ans.      Bepin Babu tried to check the people who were supposed to have link with the Ranchi trip. First he thought to write to Haridas Bagchi. But as Haridas Bagchi was in Japan, he asked Dinesh Mukherjee about the trips. Dinesh Mukherjee increased his duality as he made a positive statement for Ranchi Trip. To affirm the matter, he asked Chunilal who even hinted about Bepin Babu’s memory loss. At last Bepin Babu decided to have a trip to Ranchi to ascertain his dual mind.

6.   Why did Bepin Babu hesitate to visit Mr. Mukherjee? Why did he finally decide to phone him?

Ans.      Bepin Babu was well aware about the bitter censures of Dinesh Mukherjee. If he really had lost his memory, Dinesh Mukherjee would pinch him with nasty sarcasm which would make him embarrassed. Bepin Babu tried to avoid the talks of Parimal Ghosh. But he really did circumvent in the head of Bepin Babu. To clear his confusion at last Bepin Babu decided to phone Dinesh Mukherjee.

7.   What did Mr. Mukherjee say? Did it comfort Bepin Babu or add to his worries?

Ans.      Dinesh Mukherjee, a part of Chunilal’s psychological game play, confirmed Bepin Babu that apart from going to Krishnanagar, he had been to Ranchi and as a companion of Bepin Babu himself.

     Bepin Babu was atmost traumatized, when Dinesh Mukherjee said so. He was in a state of total mental imbalance. He got so much worried that he could eat his lunch and everything seemed to him irritating. 

8.   Who was Chunilal? What did he want from Bepin Babu?

Ans.      Chunilal was a friend of Bepin Babu since their schooling.

     Chunilal was having bad patch in his life. His economical situation was at the bad end and did not allow him to have good go in the life. He expected Bepin Babu, a friend him to arrange a job for him.

9.   Why was Dr. Chanda Puzzled? What was unusual about Bepin Babu’s loss of memory?

Ans.      Dr. Chanda was bewildered firstly for the unique case of Bepin Babu. Secondly to Dr. Chanda, this case of beyond his area of expertization.

     The most unusual part of Bepin Babu’s lapse of memory is he remembers every part of his life precisely, but he has only forgotten the part of going to Ranchi.

10. Had Bepin Babu really lost his memory and forgotten all about a trip to Ranchi?

Ans.      Bepin Babu had never been to Ranchi. So there is no question of forgetting about it. He was the victim of psychological game playing by his friend Chunilal who to revenge the unfeeling behavior of Bepin Babu created the storoy of his going to Ranchi. Of course, Parimal Ghose, and Dinesh Mukherjee were the part of the planning. When he went to Ranchi, he was sure that he had never been to Ranchi.

11. Why do you think Chunilal did what he did? Chunilal says he has no money; what is it that he does have?

Ans.Chunilal expected a friend to help a friend in need. He expected Bepin Babu to manage a job in his tough time. According to him it was possible for Bepin Babu. But Bepin Babu behaved rudely with him and forced chunilal to go for a revenge.

     Chunilal did not have money, but he had rich power of imagination. He applied his imaginative power to plot a psychological game playing against Bepin Babu to punish him for the same.

Speech on National Integration

3 Minute National Integration Speech

Good morning everyone! Today, I would like to give a speech on National Integration.

The word ‘Integration’ is that it is an amalgamation of diverse or different things in a single hole. So, what does ‘National Integration’ mean? It is simple: it is the integration or feeling of togetherness among followers of diverse religions regions and ethnic backgrounds.
Thus, national Integration is the meeting-point of diverse cultures and traditions, etc. of a nation. It is a positive aspect that rides over the differences as well as inequalities among people or citizens of the country. The term National integration is a sentiment which particularly binds people together into one common bond of a nation despite differences in terms of religions, castes, social and economic backgrounds or languages.

National integration or unity of a country can be defined as the process which brings together the people culturally and socially and also diverse groups into a single territorial entity and leads to the establishment of a national identity. To prosper and develop the nation it is important to be integrated and united from within. It is necessary to preserve its national integration. The feeling of oneness and togetherness among the citizens of a nation is very important for its overall stability and growth. We should understand that collective as precisely more efficient than separate efforts. People should feel and live with unity within a nation and make the national identity a unifying power.

The Independent nation should be capable of dealing with all the hurdles that come in the way of togetherness. These hindrances are very common; we have seen so many casteists, religious and linguistic clashes from time to time. These issues make the country look weak, and thus may prompt anti-India forces to weaken our national integration, which we should never allow to happen in our nation.

The Indian citizens should be synthesized into a unified whole, they should live with harmony and must ensure to be recognized as one entity. These traits help us to build a positive consciousness and identity of the country. And yes each one of us has an important role to play in this task.

In unity there is a strength, we observe this nature. We see herds of elephants, for instance, moving about in jungles, protecting their young ones, trumpeting in the event of danger and feeding together. Similarly, we see gregarious birds like the mynas, sparrows and babblers that fly above, feed and roost together. Through unity and togetherness come strength, power and the resistance to destruction Unity and integrity form the very quintessence of a nation’s existence, prosperity and power.

National integration for India gains significance due to the immense3 diversity that characterizes it. While, we take joy in the fact that diverse faiths, traditions and customs define our population, we all are equally proud that we are united as a country with strong nationalistic fervour. Every Indian is proud of the national spirit shared by the people of the nation. That indeed is the integrating foundation.

THE ADVENTURES OF TOTO BY RUSKIN BOND

1. How does Toto come to grandfather’s private zoo?

Answer

Toto was in the captivity of a tonga owner. The grandfather gets sympathetic with the monkey and thinks that his private zoo would be a better place for Toto. So he purchased Toto from the tongawallah for five rupees. 

2. “Toto was a pretty monkey.” In what sense is Toto pretty?

Answer

Toto was a pretty monkey. His bright eyes sparkled with mischief beneath the deep-set eyebrows, and his teeth, which were a pearly white, were very often displayed in a smile that frightened the life out of elderly Anglo-Indian ladies. But his hands looked dried-up as though they had been pickled in the sun for many years. Yet his fingers were quick and wicked and his tail, while adding to his good looks served as a third hand. He could use it to hang from a branch and it was capable of scooping up any delicacy that might be out of reach of his hands. 

3. Why does grandfather take Toto to Saharanpur and how? Why does the ticket collector insist on calling Toto a dog? 

Answer

Toto was a real menace for every living soul in the household. Other animals in grandfather’s zoo were at Toto’s mercy even during night. So, grandfather decided to provide some relief to other animals in the zoo and thought of taking Toto to Shaharanpur. 

The ticket collector was following his rulebooks. As there seems to be no rule for fixing a monkey’s fare so he equated Toto with dog. Ticket collector’s ingenuity tried to categorize all pets of a certain size as dogs.  

4. How does Toto take a bath? Where has he learnt to do this? How does Toto almost boil himself alive?

Answer  

Toto takes bath in a tub of warm water. It puts its legs in the water one by one and applies soap as well. As monkeys are good at aping others, so Toto has learnt proper steps of bathing while watching the narrator doing same. 

Toto is fond of bathing with warm water. So once having tested the warmth of water in the kettle Toto sits in the kettle. Probably he is not intelligent enough to understand the risk boiling water so he pops his head up and down in the kettle. 

5. Why does the author say, “Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long”?

Answer 

Though Toto was pretty and clever, he was very mischievous. He brought a lot of damage to the house by breaking dishes, tearing clothes and curtains. He also scared the visiotrs by tearing holes in their dresses. Furthermore, he didn’t get along well with other animals in the house too. One day Toto crossed the limits by picking up a dish of pullao and running on a branch to eat it. When scolded he threw off the plate and broke it. That’s when grandfather decided he had had enough of Toto because he couldn’t bear the losses that he incurred because of Toto’s mischief.