exam preparation yt
English foundation syllabus 2025
|
|
UNIT-I
1. Poem:
LIFE --Charlotte Bronte
2. Prose:
A Wrong Man in Worker's Paradise --Rabindranath
Tagore
3. Poem:
Punishment In Kindergarten --Kamala
Das
4. Prose:
Toasted English --R.K. Narayan.
UNIT-II
1.
Business Reports
2. Media
Reports
3. Notice
Writing
4. Blog
Writing
UNIT-III
1. Unseen
Passage
2.
Vocabulary
UNIT-IV
1.
Discursive Essay
2.
Argumentative Essay
UNIT-V
1.
Ordering of words
2.
Voice
3.
Conditional sentences
4. Use of
some, any, enough, too, otherwise, few, many, such, very
5.
Prepositions
6.
Question tags
7.
Transformation of sentences (like- Simple to Compound to Complex, Exclamatory
to Assertive)
8.
Transformation of sentences with positive, Comparative and superlative
degrees
9.
Grammatical items given in the textbook 'English in Use'
UNIT 1
1. POEM: LIFE
----Charlotte
Bronte
Comprehension-I
1. Question no.1:- The poet says that sages describes
life as dark and gloomy. Does she agree with them?
Ans. The poet asks the readers not to get
disheartened and lose hope. The poet says that the sages of olden days had a
pessimistic view about life. They thought that life is a dream. They followed
the concept that life is given by God and that is full of care and sufferings.
However, according to the poet, life is not a dream she cannot ac-cept the
conventional idea of the sages of ancient days. According to the poet, life is
not so dark and gloomy as the sages say. She agrees that life does have both
happy days and gloomy days the gloomy days last for a short period. One should
face both happiness and sadness in life with determination and courage.
2.
Question no.2:-
"O why lament its fall?" Whose fall is the poet referring to ? Why does she ask us not to lament its fall?
Ans. Bronte compares life to the roses that get dried up and fall down. Prior to their fall these roses looked beautiful and the on-lookers enjoyed their beauty. The morning rain refreshed them before their fall. The poet asks the readers not to cry over their fall because, again a new rose will blossom, sometimes the very next day she says that similar is the case of despair and hope. According to Charlotte Bronte it is natural for a flower to live for a few days and give happiness to the viewers and fall. Since a new blossom appears again in the rose plant, the viewers enjoy watching it. This applies to life as well. Happy days may last for a few days and disappear. Again, after sometime the same happy days will return. So one need not cry or lament. It rain makes the roses blossom. Summer makes it wither and fall.
3.
Question no.3:-
What do life's "Sunny
hours" refer to and according to the poet, how should we respond to them?
Ans. The "Sunny hours" referred to by
the poet are the happy days of one's life. Accor-ding to Charlotte the Sunny
hours flit by, that is happiness in life stays for a few days and then passes
away life is a combination or mixture of both happiness and sorrow. During
happy days one is overjoyed. However, this joy lasts for sometime and
disappears. One should not feel sad because after sometime the happy days will
again return just like the blossoms that appear in the rainy season.
The poet
says that one should be thankful to God and enjoy the happy days God provides
for us. One should feel that there are happier days is store for us.
4.
Question no.4:-
According to the poet why should we not lose hope ?
Ans. The poet has an optimistic view of life
and does not believe in the conventional belief of the sages of ancient days.
Bronte says that one should not feel dejected and lose hope. According to her,
hope has golden using that can carry us. Besides, hope can spring back just
like elastic spring. Therefore, the poet tells the readers not to get
disheartened. A bright future may be waiting for us. No doubt, there may be
setback in our life. If there is summer there is also a spring. If there is
happiness, there will also be sadness, but both are part of the cycle of
life. The poet assures us that after every difficult phase, better days are
sure to come, and we must hold on to hope, as it can lead us toward brighter
and happier times.
2. PROSE: A WRONG MAN IN WORKER'S
PARADISE
---Rabindranath Tagorens
Comprehension-I
1.
Question no.1:-
What sort of thing did the man do on
earth ?
Ans. "A wrong man in worker's
paradise" is a story of a man who was brought into worker's paradise
wrongly by the angel. While on earth, the man did not do any useful work he
made little pieces of sculptures of men, women and castles. He also made earthen
thing dotted over with sea shells. He also wasted his time with paint-ing.
These are the thing the man did while he was on the earth.
2.
Question no.2:-
What was the mistake of the aerial
messenger?
Ans. In this story a wrong man in worker's
paradise a man who was found useless and did nothing remarkable while he was
living on the earth was mistakenly brought to worker's paradise by the aerial
messenger after his death. While all the people, young and old brought to this
paradise were busy doing one thing or the other, this wrong man could not
adjust himself to this place.
3.
Question no.3:-
How do people in worker's paradise spend their
time?
Ans. The people in "worker's
paradise" brought by the aerial messenger after their death they are a
busy group of people. They always go in hurry, here and there to com-plete
their work. For example, we see a character in the form of a girl who hurries.
past the wrong man with a pitcher to fetch water from the torrent nearby. She
walks very fast and looks at the "wrong man" as a lazy man. None of
them had a moment to spare. The people in the worker's paradise made use of
every single minute. They felt that the time is flying. However they found
pleasure in doing some work or the other.
4.
Question no.4:-
Why did the man not fit in with the
others in worker's paradise?
Ans. In worker's paradise all the people were
very busy. They had no time to waste. They believed that time is precious. This
man was not at all fit to be among the worker's of paradise as he used to stand
on the streets of the worker's paradise doing nothing, wasting his time while
everyone else worked tirelessly. His lack of productivity and disregard for the
value of time made him an outsider in a society that thrived on constant labor
and purpose.
3. POEM: PUNISHMENT IN KINDERGARTEN
-Kamala
Comprehension-I
1.
Question no.1:-
The speaker of the poem says, "Today the
world is a little more my ow What does she mean?
Ans. "Punishment in kindergarten" is
a poem based on her experience during a picni Victoria Gardens in Calcutta.
When she was studying in a kindergarten. She wa reserved girl and she sat away
from the other children on that picnic day. For bei alone, the poets teacher
chided her.
By the
time the poet was writing this poem. She has become matured enough. She now an
adult. However, this incident which she describes happened long ago, wh she was
a child.
Though
she starts with the line, "no need to remember the pain", she in fact
remet bers how her teacher scolded her for being alone that day.
2.
Question no.2:-
Who was the "blue frocked
woman" and what did she do?
Ans. The poem "punishment in
kindergarten" is taken from the autobiographical writi "My story'. As
a child studying in kindergarten. Kamala Das went on a picnic Victoria Gardens
in Calcutta along with her classmates.
On that
picnic day, the poet was sitting alone away from her classmates behind th
hedges. Seeing this, the blue-frocked woman. i.e., her teacher scolded the gi
saying that she was an introvert and a peculiar girl. The harsh words used by
th teacher pained the poet. Besides, when the teacher scolded her, the other
childre, laughed at her. That is why the poet says that she could not forget
that incident thi happened on that picnic day.
3.
Question no.3:-
The poet uses several expression such as
"blue-frocked" and "honey-coloured Find out what such hyphenated
words are called and how they are used.
Ans. This poem: "Punishment in
kindergarten" describes an incident that took plac while the was studying
in Kindergarten in Calcutta. It is all about a picnic that th poet went with
her teacher and her classmates. The picnic was to the Victoria Gardeni She used
certain hyphenated words like "blue frocked" "honey
coloured" etc. in th poem words used with a hypen are called compound
words. Compound word ar combination of two or more words used as a single unit.
For example we say daugh ter in law, Step mother, walking slick etc.
4.
Question no.4:-
Why was the speaker called a peculiar girl?
what was peculiar about het behavior? How was she expected to behave?
Ans. The poem punishment in kindergarten is a
short poem written about an incident that took place in Kamala's childhood
days. In the poem, the poet describes a picnic to Victoria Gardens with her
classmates and her teacher. Kamala being an introvert was sitting alone behind
the hedges. She did not mingle with other students. Seeing this, her teacher
scolded her saying that she was a peculiar girl. In fact a picnic is an event
in which she should mingle with her classmates and enjoy. Instead this girl
(the poet) was sitting all alone. So her teacher scolded her. Here,
"peculiar" means strange.
5.
Question no.5:-
The speaker says the children laugh in mirth
at other's tears. Do you agree with the statement? justify your response.
Ans. Punishment in kindergarten is a poem in
which Kamala Das brings back to her mind niscences of her childhood as a
kindergarten girl who went to school and experienced the fear and discomfort of punishment.
She reflects on the emotional impact of being scolded and punished by her
teachers, which left a lasting impression on her innocent mind. The poem
captures the vulnerability and confusion of a child who doesn't fully
understand why she was punished and emphasizes the harshness of the
disciplinary methods in early education.
4. PROSE: TOASTED ENGLISH
- R. K. Nan
Comprehension-I
1.
Question no.1:-
"Americans too went through a phase
........". Why does the author use' Which other country is he referring to
and what did the country do?
Ans. Toasted glish is taken from Narayan's
collection of essays called "Reluctant (5. which was published in 1974.
The essay tells how Americans have adopted t use of English. Americans have
adopted the British English to suit their needs concludes the essay by saying
that a new form of English will be formed verys This form may be called the
"Indian English". So, here the English muffins compared to British
English. R. K. says that English language was there in the and still continued
to be there. Here the word "too" is used to stress the point
Americans too retained the English language even though they left Britain.
2.
Question no.2:-
".......much of the formalism has been
abandoned". According to author in which country does formalism surround
the use of English? Ant which country has it been given up?
Ans. "Toasted English" is taken from
Narayan's collection of essays titled "Reluct Guru". While working as
a visiting professor at an American University. Nara noticed how Americans
adopted the English language to suit their needs. It is interesting description
about the English language spoken in Britain and in Ameri In Britain, English
is spoken with formalism. They strictly follow all the rules grammar when they
speak or write English. The passive form is more used in elaborate form in
Britain. In America, it is used in a different way. Here the la guage is
toasted for the easy use of the people. So, the Americans have abandon
formalism. Some words are used in America for multipurpose uses. Words li
'check in' 'check out' 'fabulous' etc. are used for different purposes. Both
India at America fought for freedom. So, the British English also got freedom.
5.
-Langston Hughes
comprehension-1
1.
Question no.1:-
What did the poet have a "Long
time go" and what happened to it?
Ans. The poet had a dream a long time ago. He
could not achieve his goals and realize his dream because a wall of
obstructions rose before him. Hughes alerts us to the obstacles and challenges
that lie in the path of realising one's dreams.
2.
Question no.2:-
What does the poet compare his dream to? Why
do you think he chose to make the comparison?
Ans. The poet compares his dream to the bright
sun. He made this comparison because his dreams, like all dreams, had both a
bright and a dark side. The sun shines brightly during the day. However,
darkness falls during the night because the sun's rays are no longer visible.
As a result, the poet's comparison of his dream to the sun is appropriate.
3.
Question no.3:-
The poct says that he has
"Almost forgotten" his dream. What made him for-get it ?
Ans. The poet says that he has "Almost
forgotten" his dream. He forgot his dream as he had it a long time ago.
And with the passage of time, he realized the legal discrimi-nation for the
blacks he has almost forgotten it. However, he can recall it and didn't forget
it completely because he says "But it was there then".
4.
Question no.4:-
"And then the wall rose". Is it
really a wall that the poet is referring to ? If not, what do you think the
"Wall" refers to ?
Ans. The poet doesn't mean a real wall. As an
evocative symbol, he uses the word "Wall, which refers to the challenges
and barriers to the realization of his dreams. But when he grew older, he
realised that his path was blocked simply because of his colour, his
opportunities and his rights were denied being black.
5.
Question no.5:-
How does the poet hope to recover his dream?
Ans.
The poet hopes to recover his dreams if he has a strong will and a determined
effort of transfer dreams into reality. The poet wants to break, smash and
shatter anything in the way of his dreams such as the wall and its shadow. The
poet hopes to recap-ture his dream by shattering the wall in between into a
thousand lights of the sun.
6.
Question no.6:-
The poet uses various words to
suggest "light" and "darkness'. List the words.
Ans.
The words used by the poet to suggest "light" 'and'
"darkness" are:
(i) Bright like sun (ii)
Shadow
(iii) Black (iv)
Dark
(v) Night (vi)
Lights of sun.
6.
Question no.7:-
Describe how the poet brings together the
colour of his skin and the state of his mind.
Ans. The poet's remarks "I am black",
"My dark hands" and other phrases refer to his skin colour. At the
same time, his ambition to break and smash the darkness caused by the wall
reveals his mental state. He wants to shatter the darkness in front of him
& in order to achieve his goals or realise him dream.
7.
Question no.8:-
Look at the title of the poem. Explain its
relevance to the theme.
Ans. The title "As I Grew Older"
rightly depicts the theme of the poem. As he grew older, the poet became
matured. His pessimistic outlook shifted to optimism. The optimistic outlook
gave him the strength to face hardships and other problems like discrimination
as an African-American etc. His beautiful poetry speaks not only to the black
nation but to all people who have dreams and who fight to achieve them.
0 टिप्पणियाँ