english ALL Flashcards
The three phases of the author’s relationship with his grandmother before lie left else country to study abroad
- childhood – when he went to the village school and the grandmother helped him to get ready and went to school with him.
- boyhood – when he went to the city school in a bus. He shared a room with grandmother but she could no longer help him in his studies.
- early youth – when he went to the university and was given a room of him own. The common link of friendship was snapped
Three reasons why the author’s grandmother was disturbed when m started going to the city school
- She hated western Science and learning.
- She was pained to know that there was no teaching of God and the scriptures there.
- She was allergic to music. She thought it was the monopoly of prostitutes and beggars.
Three ways in which the author’s grandmother spent her days after he grew up.
1.She lived alone in her room as she had accepted her loneliness quietly.
2. She sat at her spinning wheel reciting prayers.
3. In the afternoon, she would feed the sparrows for half an hour.
the odd ways in which the author’s grandmother behaved just before she died.
1- the author’s grandmother refused to talk to them.
2-she was singing songs of homecoming and beating the drum
3-She lay peacefully in bed praying and telling beads.
4- She ignored their protests
The way in which the sparrows expressed their sorrow when the author’s grandmother died.
Thousands of sparrows sat silently surrounding the dead body of the author’s grandmother. There was no chirruping, he author’s mother threw some crumbs of bread to them, As soon as the grandmother’s corpse was carried off, they flew away quietly (the sparrows expressed their sorrow.)
The author’s grandmother was a religious person. What are the different ways in which we come to know this?
1- She visited the temple every morning and read scriptures
2- At home she always mumbled inaudible prayer and kept telling the beads of rosary.
3- She would repeat prayers in a sing-song manner while getting the writer ready for school.
4-She didn’t like English school as there was no teaching of God
5- while spinning at her spinning-wheel she would recite prayers
6-She continued praying and telling beads of her rosary till her last breath.
Describe the changing relationship between the author and his grandmother. Did their feelings for each other change?
During his boyhood, the author was completely dependent on his grandmother. She was a part of his life. The turning point in their friendship came when they went to city. She could no longer accompany him to school as he went there by bus. They shared the same room but she could not help him in his studies. She would ask him what the teachers had taught. She did not believe in the things that were taught at school. She was distressed that there was no teaching about God and the scriptures. She felt offended that music was also being taught. She expressed her disapproval silently. After this she rarely talked to him. When he went to university, he was given a room of his own. The common link of friendship was snapped.
However their feelings for each other did not change. They still loved each other deeply. She went to see the author off at the railway station when he was going abroad for higher studies. She showed no emotion but kissed his forehead silently. The author valued this as perhaps the last sign of physical contact between them. When the author returned after five years, she received him at the station. She clasped him in her arms. In the evening she celebrated his homecoming by singing songs and beating an old drum.
Would you agree that the author’s grandmother was a person strong in character? If yes, give instances that show this
Yes, I agree that the author’s grandmother was a person strong in character. She was a strong woman with strong beliefs. Although she was not formally educated, she was serious about the author’s education. She could not adjust herself to the western way of life, Science and English education. She hated music and disapproved of its teaching in school.She was a deeply religious lady. Her lips were always moving in a silent prayer. She was always telling the beads of her rosary. She went to temple daily and read the scriptures. She was distressed to know that there was no teaching about God and holy books at Khushwant’s new English school.
She was a kind lady She used to feed dogs in the village. In the city she took to feeding sparrows. Although old in years and weak in body she had strength of mind. Just before her death, she refused to talk to the members of the family as she did not want to waste her time. She wanted to make up for the time last evening when she had not prayed to God. She lay peacefully in bed saying prayers and telling the beads of her rosary till she breathed her last
write the word meaning : the thought was almost revolting:
It was disgusting to think so
an expanse of pure white serenity:
silence with white hair and white clothes spread in the house
an expanse of pure white serenity:
silence with white hair and white clothes spread in the house
a turning point:
a radical point of change
accepted her seclusion with resignation
made no protest
a veritable bedlam of chirrupings
real confusing noise
frivolous rebukes
light hearted scolding
the sagging skins of the dilapidated drum
the loss skin of an old drum
hobbled
walked lamely
inaudible
which could not be heard
List the steps taken by the captain
to protect the ship when rough weather began
In order to protect the ship from rough weather, the captain decided to slow it down. So he dropped the storm jib and lashed heavy mooring rope in a loop across the stem. Then they double fastened everything and went through
their life-raft drill
List the steps taken by the captain
to check the flooding of the water in the ship
Larry and Herb started pumping out water. The captain stretched canvas and secured water proof hatch covers across the gaping holes. When the two hand pumps blocked and electric pump short circuited, he found another electric pump, connected it to an out pipe and started it.
Describe the mental condition of the voyages on 4th and 5th January.
On January 4, the voyagers felt relieved after 36 hours of continuous pumping out
water. They had their first meal in almost two days. Their respite was short-lived. They faced dangerous situation on January 5. Fear of death loomed large. They were under great mental stress
Describe the shifts in the narration of the events as indicated in the three sections of the text. Give a subtitle to each section.
The first section explains a peaceful journey from Plymouth in England to 3500 km east of Cape Town in Africa. The narrator is fully confident and relaxed. Then they faced huge waves as the weather deteriorated. To save themselves, they took precautionary measures and struggled with the disaster. The narration becomes grim, but exudes confidence and illustrates their fighting spirit and strong will power. The Wave-walker rode out of the storm by 6th January morning, and by evening, they sighted the Ile Amsterdam Island. Now the narrator is relaxed. Relief, joy and confidence are apparent
