HS 2020 ENGLISH SUGGESTION 

            "On Killing a Tree" By Gieve Patel

1) Justify the title of the poem " On Killing a Tree ".

Ans- The word " killing" means complete destruction of an object's existence from the earth. In this poem, the poet describes how man encourages deforestation, defying the eternal bond between the earth and the tree . When someone hacks and chops a tree, it does not die but bleed. This indicates that they are the living beings. But man ignores their usefulness and to fulfill their needs involve themselves in cutting down the trees, which according to the poet is, akin to murder. Thus the poet keeps his protest before us against this disgusting crime through a unique ironical criticism, wherein the murderers are more harsh and vigorous in their act of killing a tree. The title appropriately indicates the very essence of the poem and thus the title is appropriate. 

2) " It takes much time to kill a tree"-- Why does it take much time to kill a tree? According to the poet how is the tree finally killed? 

                                     OR 

How does a tree offer resistance to its destruction? How does its resistance fail? 

Ans- To kill a tree, killer needs to follow some discreet process. No amount of "hacking and chopping" will be enough as a tree will heal its wound soon. Small twigs will sprout again and will grow slowly to regain its former structure thereby offering resistance to the destruction of a tree. 
         To stop this, the tree should be uprooted entirely. As the earth has been acting as its anchor for ages, it should be separated from the earth. A strong rope must be tied around it, and with its help it should be snapped out from the ground. Thus the strength of the tree— the root will be exposed, and then it must be left to die slowly in the scorching sun where it will gradually turn brown, hard, twisted and withered. This is how a tree's resistance will be failed and the entire killing process will be completed. 
3) "And then it is done"—What does 'it' refer to? How it is done? 
Ans- Here 'it' refers to the act of killing a tree.
         A tree has life and man out of greed and selfishness wants to destroy it completely. Since the tree has grown for years slowly consuming the earth, therefore it can't be killed with a simple jab of the knife. The tree will overcome 'hacking and chopping' by growing small stems which will give the tree life again. So by creating a deep hole in earth man pulls out the root which is the strength of the tree. Then they scorch and choke the tree in the sun and air, then make it undergo the process of browning and hardening. At last, they triumphantly say that "it is done".
4) The poem ' On Killing a Tree' describes man's cruelty and violence to nature. — Discuss. 
Ans- A tree is man's greatest friend as it helps the latter to sustain, by providing food and oxygen. But man treats it like a foe to fulfill their needs. Man doesn't think how much harm they cause to themselves. Act of killing the trees destroys the ecological balance. The poet builds up the irony by presenting the act of cutting down a tree in the form of an explicit account of killing the same. The mindless act of deforestation is no less than a heinous crime, committed by the greedy man. That is why the poet in this poem has made the tree itself receive punishment in the hands of its murderers. This is the irony behind the meticulous act of killing a tree as depicted in the poem.

              HS 2020 ENGLISH SUGGESTION

       Descriptive Type Questions and Answers              From Strong Roots By APJ Abdul Kalam

1) Describe the locality where APJ Abdul Kalam lived in his childhood. 

Ans- Kalam had spent his childhood in their ancestral house in Rameswaram with his parents and siblings. The famous Shiva Temple of Rameswaram was located in their locality. The locality was predominantly Muslim, yet quite a lot of Hindu families lived in peace with their Muslim neighbours. Kalam, along with his father visited a very old mosque in their locality for evening prayers. The People of all religions gathered outside the mosque after their evening prayers to receive Kalam's father's blessings to get cureness the invalids because they believed that he possessed the healing power. Many people would cure and went back to thank him. The high priest of the Shiva temple of Rameswaram Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, had high regard for Kalam's father and discussed spiritual matters with him. This spirit of brotherhood was prevalent in the town. 

2) What did Kalam's father tell him about the relevance of prayers. 

Ans- In APJ Abdul Kalam's prose piece 'Strong Roots', we

see that when Kalam was a child, he was convinced that their prayers reached God. When he grew older, he asked his father about the relevance of prayers. Kalam's father gave a meaningful answer. He said that prayers help us to transcend our body and become a part of the cosmos

which knows no division of wealth, age, caste or   creed.

So prayers help us to overcome the narrowness of mind

, separatist tendencies and control negative emotions like anger and hatred. Kalam's father also conveyed complex spiritual concepts in lucid Tamil. He pointed out that every human being is a specific element within the whole of the manifest divine being. Hence one should not be afraid of sufferings and problems, rather try to analyse its relevance and reasons. Adversities should be treated as opportunities for introspection. Thus, he enriched  young Kalam with spiritual wisdom.
3) " I normally ate with my mother. " -- Who ate with his mother? Name his mother. Where did he eat with his mother? What did he eat with his mother? 
Ans- The great Indian scientist and 11th   president       of India , Dr APJ Abdul Kalam ate with his mother. 
           His mother's name is Ashiamma. 
           Abdul Kalam usually ate with his mother, sitting on the floor of the kitchen of their ancestral house. 
           Kalam and his mother ate South Indian food . His  mother would place a banana leaf before him, on which she then ladled rice and aromatic sambar, a variety of sharp, home-made pickle and a dollop of fresh coconut chutney. 
4) "Why don't you say this to the people who come to you..... " -Who says this and to whom? What is referred to by the word 'this'? Why do the people come to the person spoken to? 
Ans- Abdul Kalam says this to his father, Jainulabdeen . 
Jainulabdeen has explained to his son that every human being is an integral part of the entire spiritual cosmos. He has said that one should not be afraid of difficulties, sufferings and problems, in human life as adversity provides people with opportunity for introspection. This philosophical teaching of Jainulabdeen is referred to as 
'this'. 
          The distressed people come to Jainulabdeen for they consider him to be medium in their effort to please the demonic forces with prayers & offerings. 
5) What do you mean by "fear-ridden vision of destiny"? What is the other vision? Which is to be preferred and why? 
Ans- In APJ Abdul Kalam's " Strong Roots", Jainulabdeen speaks of two dissimilar visions of destiny. "fear-ridden vision of destiny" refers to fate which is created out of fear of the divine being, i,e, God. 
          The other vision of destiny is the vision that makes us able to search for the enemy of fulfillment existing within ourselves. People must understand that all their sufferings and problems are a result of their drawbacks. 
           The second vision of destiny is to be preferred. In the opinion of Kalam's father none should fear troubles and failures. On the contrary they should consider adversity as an opportunity for introspection. Once an individual is able to spot his/her drawbacks, he or she will will be able to search out the enemy of fulfillment within oneself. Thereby, writing one's own destiny all by oneself. 

       "All about a Dog"By A.G.             Gardiner

    MCQ Type questions & answers

                      Class---IX

1) The narrator was travelling  by- bus.                                                         2) The night was- very cold. 

3) The wind was blowing from the-east. 

4) The younger woman carried a little- Pekinese dog. 

5) The younger woman was suffering from- cough. 

6) The bell was pulled by the-conductor. 

7) The conductor had a general grievance against- the passengers. 

8) The conductor shivered-at the door. 

9) The conductor stepped on to the-pavement. 

10) Passengers of the bus were on the side of-the lady and her dog. 

11) The dog sat- blinking. 

12) The passengers wanted to get back their-fares. 

13) The number of constables joining the policeman was- two. 

14) The conductor's behaviour was like that of- a victorious captain. 

15) The number of policeman to whom the woman expressed her anger was- three. 

16) The problem the bus faced was with the- engine. 

17) The last passenger of the bus was- the narrator. 

18) The conductor said ' Good Night' to the author quite- amiably. 

19) Law should be followed- in true spirit. 

20) To the policemen, the woman passenger expressed her --anger. 

"Leela's Friend" By RK NARAYAN    ( Short Answer Type Questions)                              Class-XI

1. What was Mr Sivasanker brooding over standing in the veranda of his house? 

Ans- Standing in the front veranda of his house, Mr Sivasanker was brooding over the servant problem. 

2. What was Mr Sivasanker's first impression of Sidda? 

Ans- The impression Mr Sivasanker had about Sidda, was that, Sidda didn't seem to be a bad sort and looked tidy. 

3. Why did Sidda leave the old master's house? 

Ans- Sidda left the old master's house because he left the house. 

4. What kind of job did Sidda do in the Sivasanker household? 

Ans- In the Sivasanker's household, Sidda had to wash clothes, tend the garden, run errands, chop wood and look after Leela.

5. Who asked Sidda to throw the ball into the sky? 

Ans- Leela asked Sidda to throw the ball into the sky. 

6. How, according to Sidda, could Leela touch the sky? 

Ans- According to Sidda, if Leela stands on a coconut tree, she could touch the sky. 

7. What was Leela's box filled with? 

Ans- Leela's box was filled with catalogue 

, illustrated books and stumps of pencils. 

8. What did Leela ask Sidda to draw? 

Ans- Leela asked Sidda to draw a cat and crow. 

9. " I told you to take it off and put it in the box " ---What does 'it' refer to here

? 

Ans- Here, 'it' refers to Leela's gold chain. 

10. Where did Leela's mother find the chain?

Ans- Leela's mother found the chain inside a tamarind pot. 

       "LEELA'S FRIEND" BY RK             NARAYAN ( CLASS--XI) 

MCQ Type Questions and Answers

1. ' Leela's Friend' is written by--- RK Narayan. 

2. The source of the story'Leela's Friend' is-- Malgudi Days. 

3.Where does Mr Sivasanker first meet Sidda?---Mr Sivasanker first meets Sidda at the gate in front of his house. 

4. What is Mr Sivasanker's first impression of Sidda---Mr Sivasanker's first impression of Sidda is that he doesn't seem a bad sort. 

5. Leela was---5 years old. 

6. Sidda was hired because---Leela decided he had to stay. 

7. Leela keenly examined the ball for traces of---the moon. 

8. Sidda knows---the moon. 

9. Leela's box was full of---Catalogues, illustrated books and stumps of pencils. 

10.Leela knew---2 or 3 letters. 

11.Leela lost her--- gold chain. 

12. Leela's mother found the gold chain in the---tamarind pot. 

Tales of Bhola Grandpa by Manoj Das(MCQ type Q & A ) Unit-1

1. The hut of Bhola Grandpa was overshadowed with- Bokal tree. 

2. In the bokal tree there lived- monkeys. 

3. On the way back from the festival, Bhola Grandpa tightly held on to the two fingers of his- grandson. 

4. A gang of pirates were burying a- large box. 

5. While returning from the festival, the road was- long and foggy. 

6. The narrator was riding on the shoulders of - the village chowkidar. 

7. The number of men who accompanied Bhola Grandpa to the festival to look for his grandson were- two. 

8. The grandson had taken shelter under- a cow's belly. 

9. The gang of pirates were burying a large box under- sand-dunes. 

10. Bhola Grandpa confessed that there was no real treasure because- it was a dream. 

Tales of Bhola Grandpa by Manoj Das Class--IX ( Short Answer Type Questions) Unit-- 1

1) Where did Bhola Grandpa and his wife live? 

Ans- Bhola Grandpa and his wife lived at the western end of the narrator's village. 

2) What overshadowed their hut? 

Ans- A large bokal tree overshadowed their hut. 

3) Who lived in the bokal tree? 

Ans- A small troop of monkeys lived in the bokal tree. 

4) When did Bhola Grandpa let out a loud wail? 

Ans- Bhola Grandpa Grandpa let out a loud wail when he realized that he has lost his grandson at the festival. 

5) Where had the grandson found a cosy shelter? 

Ans- The grandson had found a cosy shelter under a cow's belly. 

6)What were the gang of pirates doing? 

Ans- The gang of pirates were burying a large box under one of the sand dunes on the seashore by the narrator's village. 

7) Why was everybody surprised while returning from the festival? 

Ans- When Bhola Grandpa realised that he had lost his grandson at the festival , he let out a loud wail. This surprised everybody. 

8) Why was no real treasure found under the sand dunes? 

Ans- No real treasure was found under the sand dunes because Bhola Grandpa realised and confessed that his account of the pirates was a dream which he had seen during his midday nap. 

9) How many men did the narrator's father choose to go back with Bhola Grandpa to the festival? 

Ans- The narrator's father chose two sharp-eyed men from the party to go back with Bhola Grandpa to the festival. 

10) On whose shoulders was the narrator riding on while returning from the festival? 

Ans- The narrator was riding on the village chowkidar's shoulders while returning from the festival. 

Short Answer Type Questions from "The Snail" by William Cowper ( Madhyamik Examination) 

1) What does the snail usually stick itself to? 

Ans- The snail usually sticks itself to the grass, leaf, fruit or wall. 

2) What makes the snail well-satisfied? 

Ans- The self-sufficient nature of the snail with no want of others, makes him well-satisfied. 

3) How does the snail stick to his place? 

Ans- The snail sticks to his place very closely without the fear of falling down. 

4) What is the house of the snail? 

Ans- The house of the snail is his shell . 

5) Where does the snail find safety? 

Ans- The snail finds safety within his shell. 

6) What does the snail do when danger comes? 

Ans- When danger comes, the snail immediately shrinks into his house with much displeasure. 

7) What kind of a life does the snail live? 

Ans- The snail lives a self-sufficient life. 

8) How does the snail live? 

Ans- The snail lives a lonely life. He neither has belongings of his own, nor any desire. He lives well-satisfied with himself. 

9) What is the meaning of "chattel"? 

Ans- " Chattel" means personal belongings. 

10) What is the treasure for the snail? 

Ans- The treasure of the snail is himself. 

Short Answer Type Questions from "The Cat" By Andrew Barton Paterson. ( Madhyamik 2020) 

1) What do most people think about cats? 

Ans- Most people think that the cat is a stupid animal, fond of ease and cares little for anything but mice and milk. 

2) What does the cat do throughout the day? 

Ans- Throughout the day, the cat loafs about the house, takes things easy and allows himself to be pestered by the attentions of the people in the house. 

3) When should we watch the cat? 

Ans- We should watch a cat as the shades of the evening fall. 

4) What does the cat care for the most? 

Ans- The cat cares the most for mice and milk. 

5) What does a cat do to pass time? 

Ans- To pass time, a cat watches a mouse-hole for an hour or two. 

6) When is a cat particularly civil and why? 

Ans- If there is a guest at the table, the cat is particularly civil to him because the guest is likely to have the best of what is cooked. 

7) Why does the cat scratch the guest in the leg? 

Ans- To get some food from the guest, the cat keeps waiting but instead of giving him food, the guest strokes him. The cat is bored from this and finally it scratches the guest in the leg. 

8) What does the cat expect from the guest? 

Ans- The cat expects a portion of the meal served to the guest. 

9) How does the guest behave with the cat? 

Ans- Instead of giving the cat some food, the guest stoops down and strokes the cat. 

10) How does the family react when the cat rakes the guest's leg? 

Ans- The family feels delighted at the smartness of the cat. 

11) What does the cat do after getting the food from the guest? 

Ans- The cat purrs and retires to a safe distance from the guest's boot before eating his food. 

12) Who is the cat particularly civil to? 

Ans- The cat is particularly civil to the guest on the table. 

13) How is the cat's movement in the evening? 

Ans- The cat's movement becomes lithe and pantherlike. 

14) What does the cat do on top of the shed? 

Ans- On the top of the shed, the cat arches his back and rakes his claws once or twice through the soft bark of the old roof. 

15) Why are the cats compared to King Arthur's knights? 

Ans- King Arthur's knights were a chosen few noble fighters of England who were brave and performed every difficult task with ease and perfection. Here, the cats show their skills of hunting as grim fighters in the backyard. So, they are compared to King Arthur's knights. 

16) Who are the enemies of the cat? 

Ans-The enemies of the cat are dogs and small boys with stones. 

17) What does the cat do in his own backyard? 

Ans- The cat saunters down his own backyard. 

18) How does the cat cross the fence? 

Ans- The cat springs to the top of the fence and drops lightly down to the other side. 

19) Why does the cat stretch himself? 

Ans- The cat stretches himself a few times to see if every muscle is in full working order. 

20) Where and why do the cats go as they grow older? 

Ans- Cats go in for sports to the suburban backyards which are their hunting ground. 

       Madhyamik English Suggestion 2020

           The Cat- By Andrew Barton Paterson 

                MCQ type questions & answers

1) Most people think that the cat is an --- unintelligent animal. 

2) Most people think that the cat is fond of--- ease. 

3) The backyards are used by the cat as---hunting places

4) The cat is particularly civil/polite to the--- guest.

5) While the cats gather they become--- grim. 

6) The cat hurts the guest's --- leg. 

7) A cat gets a great deal of more satisfaction out of--life
8) A cat is an athlete, acrobat and a--- grim fighter. 
9) After finishing tea, the family gathers around the---fire.
10) All day long the cat hangs about the--- house. 
11) All day long the cat allows to be pestered by the--- members of the house. 
12) The cat is cautious about the boys, as the boys carry--- stones.