Chapter assignment in-english-comm-9

Reading 11
Section-A Reading
Objectives
• To test the student’s ability in reading only, marks are
awarded if the answer is clearly understood.
• To read comprehension and enrich vocabulary.
Tips for swift and complete comprehension
• Read the passage once taking into account the main
topic and a general idea of the passage.
• Read the passage again, identifying/locating answers
to the given questions.
• For vocabulary items—read the indicated paragraphs
and puzzle out the meaning in the context, to
understand the correct meaning of the word asked in
the question, and one should choose the answer strictly
in the particular context of the passage.
• Avoid direct lifting of answers from the passage.
Attempt to write answers in your own words as far
as it is possible.
• In MCQ options are set in such a way that all options
appear to be correct. But while choosing one from them
one should be careful and only the most appropriate
option should be chosen for answer.
Use of a Dictionary
• The use of a dictionary helps to enrich word power/
vocabulary.
• A dictionary doesn’t just say what a word means. It
also provides information on pronunciation, grammar
and usage.
Guessing the Meaning of Unknown Words
• Turning to the dictionary is not always necessary. One
can guess the meaning of a particular word by reading the
words before and after the word which give the context
and from the context try to puzzle out the meaning. This
helps to maintain the continuity while reading, without
losing the concentration and enthusiasm.
• Dictionary may be consulted at a later stage to confirm
the meanings of unknown words.
• Knowing about suffixes, prefixes, word families and
word combinations also helps us guess the meaning
of unknown words.
• So don’t worry if you do not know the absolutely correct
meaningofaword.Theimportantthingistoreadasmuch
as possible. The more often you see a word in different
contexts, the better you will understand its meaning.
Reading Comprehension is the ability to read text,
process it and understand its meaning. An individual’s
ability to comprehend text is influenced by their traits
and skills, one of which is the ability to make inferences.
If word recognition is difficult, students use too much of
their processing capacity to read individual words, which
interferes with their ability to comprehend what is read.
There are a number of approaches to improve reading
comprehension, including improving one’s vocabulary
and reading strategies.
Reading comprehension is defined as the level of
understanding of a text/message. This understanding comes
from the interaction between the words that are written
and how they trigger knowledge outside the text/message.
Comprehension is a “creative, multifaceted process”
dependent upon four language skills: phonology, syntax,
semantics, and pragmatics. Proficient reading depends on
the ability to recognize words quickly and effortlessly. It is
also determined by an individual’s cognitive development,
which is “the construction of thought processes.”
Reading comprehension involves two levels of processing,
shallow (low-level) processing and deep (high-level)
processing. Deep processing involves semantic processing,
which happens when we encode the meaning of a word
and relate it to similar words. Shallow processing involves
structural and phonemic recognition, the processing of
sentence and word structure and their associated sounds.
Vocabulary
Reading comprehension and vocabulary are inextricably
linked.The ability to decode or identify and pronounce words
is self-evidently important, but knowing what the words
mean has a major and direct effect on knowing what any
specific passage means. Students with a weaker vocabulary
than other students comprehend less of what they read and it
has been suggested that the most impactful way to improve
comprehension is to improve vocabulary.
Most words are learned gradually through a wide variety
of environments: television, books, and conversations.
Some words are more complex and difficult to learn,
such as homonyms, words that have multiple meanings
and those with figurative meanings, like idioms, similes,
and metaphors.
Reading Comprehension
In this section the comprehending power of students is evaluated through two unseen passages – Factual and
Discursive. The factual passage contains 300-350 words with eight very short answer type questions carrying 8
marks. The discursive passage is of 350-400 words with four short answer type questions carrying 8 marks and four
multiple choice questions carrying 4 marks. These questions reasonably test how the students evaluate and analyse
the given pieces of tests. This book will better prepare the students to tackle questions of this section.

Assignments in English Plus Communicative – 912
Type – I : Factual Passages
(Carrying 8 Marks)
Solved Examples
Passage 1
Read the following passage carefully: (8 Marks)
Yoga Can Help Control Non-Communicable Diseases: Health Minister JP Nadda
With non-communicable diseases (NCDs) claiming nearly five million lives in India every year, the Centre today said
yoga can help control these diseases and that the ancient Indian practice is being encouraged as an integral part of
their prevention and management.
Launching a campaign on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) to generate awareness among the people and an
M-Diabetes initiative where people can get information on prevention and management through a missed call, Health
Minister JP Nadda said prevention of diseases, whether non-communicable or communicable, will remain at the
forefront of his government.
“Yoga and knowledge inAYUSH system of medicine can be of great help in not only preventing but also controlling
non-communicable disease. Traditional system of medicines can complement modern medicine.”
“Yoga is not only physical activity but also a complete science of living. Yoga as an intervention is being encouraged
as an integral part of NCD prevention and management,” Mr. Nadda said at a national conference on ‘Prevention and
Control of Major NCD in India.’
Mr. Nadda also launched the second round of GlobalAdult Tobacco Survey (GATS-2) for systematically monitoring
adult tobacco use and tracking key tobacco control indication.
“Prevention of diseases will always remain in the forefront, whether for communicable or NCD and awareness
regarding a balanced lifestyle and healthy living is a crucial pillar in combating NCDs,” Mr Nadda said.
Mr. Nadda said as most of major NCDs, generally labeled as ‘lifestyle disease’, are acquired, there is an urgent need
for paying attention to their preventive aspective and social behavior change plays a major role in preventing NCDs.
Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Yesso Naik said there is a need for a holistic approach for maintaining good
health and to integrate traditional medicinal practice and healthy lifestyle for leading a healthy life.
According to the World Health Organisation, every year, roughly 5-8 million Indians die from heart and lung
diseases, structure, cancer and diabetes.
Now answer the following questions: (1 × 8 = 8 Marks)
1. Which type of diseases can be controlled by Yoga?
2. How can an M-Diabeles initiative help people?
3. What is yoga? Why is it being encouraged?
4. What was the objective of the second round of Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS-2)?
5. What is a crucial pillar in combating non-communicable diseases (NCDs)?
6. What according to the Health Minister, will remain at the forefront of his government?
7. What is needed for the prevention of NCDs?
8. What did the Minister of state for Ayush say?
Answers:
1. Non-communicable diseases can be controlled by yoga.
2. An M-Diabeles initiative can help people with information on prevention and management of diabetes through a
missed call.
3. Yoga is a physical activity as well as a complete science of living. It is being encouraged because it plays an
important role in the prevention and management of NCDs.
4. Its objective was systematic monitoring of adult tobacco use and tracking of key tobacco control indicators.
5. Awareness regarding a balanced lifestyle and healthy living is a crucial pillar in combating NCDs.
6. Prevention of diseases, whether communicable or non-communicable, will remain at the forefront of his government.

Reading — I : Factual Passages 13
7. Attention should be paid to the preventing aspects of diseases. Social behaviour change is also important.
8. He said that there is a need for a holistic approach for maintaining good health. He also said that traditional
medicinal practices and health lifestyle should be adopted.
Passage 2
Low Women Workforce a Setback to Development
Gender equality/disparity has become one of the most important indicators of a developed society. Women work
participation is a ‘gender lens’ to look at this problem (phenomenon).
According to International Labour Organization statistics, societies still having feudal ethos in the 21st century
have the least women labour participation rates, and hence the highest gender disparity ratios.
Afghanistan,Algeria, Iran, Iraq and Jordan have the least female participation rates (around 16 per cent), but globally
the rate is 50 per cent. India and Pakistan record only 27 per cent, but Bangladesh has crossed the global average and
achieved 57 per cent. Relatively small nations like Indonesia and Malaysia also have touched the global average, but
Vietnam, Zambia, Tanzania and Uganda have the maximum rates around 75 per cent.
This shows that the correlation between women’s work participation rate and gender equality is complex. No doubt,
the least women participation in work is a clear indication of sharp disparity. But mere increase in work participation
is not enough for gender equality since in some of the least developed countries with high rates of work participation,
women are forced to get involved in back-breaking agriculture labour and deprived of good education and health care.
Their families will be starved if they are not in the fields, often with very low wages.
India has to think about its low women workforce participation if it wants to get into the real development orbit.
Skilling the working population, especially the women, must be the top priority. China could break the barriers of
low women work participation, and it is one of the reasons for their excellence in manufacturing, especially in the
small and medium enterprises. Non-farm women’s work participation can only push their status up. The Vietnamese
experience provides more insights. Even with very high women participation, the gender pay gap has widened while
it declined in many countries. ‘Equal pay for equal work’ has to be ensured if we are serious about gender inequality.
1. What is one of the most important indicators of a developed society?
2. What is International Labour Organisation statistics?
3. Which countries have the least women work participation rates?
4. Which country has crossed the global average? Name two countries which has achieved the maximum rates in
women’s work participation.
5. Why is mere increase in work participation not enough for gender equality?
6. What does India need for real development of the country?
7. What is needed to push women’s states up?
8. Why is ‘equal pay for equal work’ important?
Answers:
1. Gender equality is one of the most important indicators of a development society.
2. Today’s societies still have feudal ethos and therefore they have the least women labour participation rates which
show the highest gender disparity ratios.
3. Afghanistan, Algeria, Iran, Iraq and Jordan are the countries where we find the least women work participation
rates which is around 16%. The global rate is 50%.
4. Bangladesh has crossed the global average and achieved 57%. Vietnam and Zambia have achieved the maximum
rates in women’s work participation.
5. It is because in some of the least developed countries with high rates of work participation, women are forced to
get involved in very tough agriculture labour and deprived of education and health care.
6. For real development of the country, India needs to increase women workforce participation.
7. Non-farm women’s work participation is needed to push their status up.
8. ‘Equal pay for equal work’ will bridge the gap between men and women and thus bring down gender equality.

Type – II : Discursive Passages
(Carrying 12 Marks)
Solved Examples
Passage 1
1. Dr. Vikram Sarabhai was not only an imaginative and creative scientist but also a pioneering industrialist and
an astute planner. He made significant contribution in the field of cosmic ray physics and in the development of
nuclear power and space programmes. When Dr. Bhabha died suddenly in 1966 in a plane crash, it seemed almost
impossible to fill the vacuum but fortunately a worthy successor could be found in Dr. Sarabhai. He took up the
nuclear programmes with a challenge and also added fresh dimensions to the space research programmes.
2. Dr. Sarabhai was born on August 12, 1919 at Ahmedabad in a rich industrialist family. His early education was in
a private school in Gujarat College at Ahmedabad. He then went to Cambridge, England, and obtained his tripos
in 1939 from St. John’s College. He then came back to India and started research work in the field of cosmic rays
with Sir C.V. Raman at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. In 1945 he went back to Cambridge to carry
our further research on cosmic rays. There in 1947 he obtained a Ph.D. degree in the same field.
3. It was as early as 1942, when Dr. Sarabhai and his newly-married wife, Sreemati Mrinalini, were staying for some
time in Poona. There he conceived the idea of starting the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad. Soon after
his return from Cambridge in 1947, Sarabhai started looking for a place for this project. He got a few rooms at the
M.G. Science Institute to start the laboratory and Prof. K.K. Ramanathan was made its first director in 1948. The
foundation stone of the new laboratory building was laid in February, 1952 by Sir C.V. Raman and the laboratory
was formally opened in April 1954. Dr Sarabhai made the Physical Research laboratory virtually the cradle of
the Indian Space Programme just like Tata Institute of Fundamental Research was one such centre for the Indian
Atomic Energy Programme.
4. Dr Sarabhai not only encouraged science but also devoted a good deal of time to industry. For over 15 years he
nurtured a pharmaceutical industry and he was also a pioneer of the pharmaceutical industry in India.
5. The first institution that Sarabhai helped to build was the Ahmedabad Textile industry’s Research Association
(ATIRA). In building ATIRA he helped to introduce the scientific method in a traditional industry. He was only 28
when he was asked to organise and build ATIRA. From 1949-1965 he remained the Honorary Director of ATIRA.
In 1962 he helped to found the Indian Institute of Management at Ahmedabad. From 1962-1965 he remained the
Honorary Director of this institute. Dr. Sarabhai was mainly responsible for setting up of the Thumba rocket launching
station. In 1966, after the death of Dr. Bhabha, he became the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission.
6. Today, the success of space programmes in India is largely owing to the groundwork prepared by him in this regard.
Dr. Homi Bhabha put India on the nuclear map of the world and Dr. Sarabhai did it in the field of space. Due to
his efforts India could launch its first satellite, Aryabhatta, just three-and-half years after his death.
7. As a result of his achievements Dr. Sarabhai became a world renowned figure in the field of space research. He
was given the Bhatnagar Memorial Award for Physics in 1962; Padma Bhushan in 1966 and was awarded Padma
Vibhushan posthumously. He was elected the Vice-President and Chairman of the U.N. conference on peaceful use
of outer space in 1968. He president over the fourteenth General Conference of the International Atomic Energy
Agency. Dr. Sarabhai died on December 30, 1971 at the age of 52 when he was at the peak of his achievements.
It was a great loss to India and the Indian science in particular.
I. Now answer the following questions in brief: (2 × 4 = 8 Marks)
1. In which field did Vikram Sarabhai make significant contribution? How did he prove himself a worthy successor
of Dr. Bhabha?
2. Where did Dr. Sarabhai conceive the idea of starting the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad? What
did he do then?
3. What was his contribution in building the Ahmedabad Textile Industry’s Research Association or ATIRA?
4. Mention some of Dr. Sarabhai’s achievements that made him a world renowned figure in the field of space
research?

Reading — II : Discursive Passages 15
II. Vocabulary: (1 × 4 = 4 Marks)
1. The word ‘cosmic’ (Para 2) means ............................. .
2. The word ‘pioneer’ (Para 4) means ............................. .
3. The verb form of the word ‘director’ is ............................. .
4. The antonym for the word ‘traditional’ is ............................. .
Answers:
I. 1. Dr. Vikram Sarabhai made significant contribution in the field of cosmic ray physics and in the development
of nuclear power and space programmes. He proved himself a worthy successor of Dr. Bhabha by taking up
the nuclear programmes with a challenge after the latter’s sudden death in a plane crash. He also added new
dimensions to the space research programmes.
2. Dr. Sharabhai conceived the idea of starting the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad while he was
staying in Pune. He then got a few rooms at the MG Science Institute to start the laboratory. The foundation
stone of the new laboratory building was land in 1952 and the laboratory was finally opened in 1954.
3. Dr. Vikram Sarabhai helped to build the Ahmedabad Textile Industry’s Research Association or ATIRA. In
building ATIRA he helped to introduce the scientific method in a traditional industry. From 1949-1965 he
remained the Honorary Director of ATIRA.
4. Dr. Sarabhai Started the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad and made it virtually the cradle of the
Indian space Programme. It was due to his efforts that India could launch its first satellite, Aryabhatta. He
because the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission after the death of Dr. Bhabha.
II. 1. of the universe 2. discoverer
3. direct 4. modern
Passage 2
1. The world’s smallest dog, the Chihuahua or the Pocket Dog is barrel I kg to 2 kg as an adult! The Chihuahua is
named after a Mexican State, but its roots can be traced back to China. Today this breed is popular choice ~mO:1g
the dog lovers world over and their popularity seems to be eve increasing.
2. The main advantage of this breed is that they need no particular exercise. They are quite satisfied with their walks
within their house. Being small, however, does not mean that they are dull, on the contrary they are sharp, alert
animals, very strong in character. They are good guard dogs due to their strong cords. They have an inherent
curiosity that makes them want to know what goes on within the house.
3. For show purposes the maximum permissible weight is O.9kg to 1.8 kg. Chihuahuas are of two types, the long
coated and the smooth coated. The long coated ones have flat or slightly wavy coats. The smooth coated ones are
soft textured and glossy in appearance.
4. They can be of any colour. Their heads are apple dome-shaped and in some animals, the frontal areas of the skull
do not fuse! The nose is short and the ears are at an angle of 45 degrees to the head. The dogs are slightly longer
than the tail and the tail is carried like a sickle that just touches the back. The body on the whole is compact and
has a graceful appearance. Occasionally a tailless dog is born but tail cropping is not an accepted practice.
5. Compared to other pups, they require little care, and only the long-haired variety needs grooming. They tend to
exercise themselves within the confines of the house. This makes them prone to have overgrown nails that need
regular clipping. As far as their diet is concerned, they could be fussy and choosy eaters, but then almost all toy
breeds are so! They are intelligent and learn easily.
6. They are very active within the house and literally are burglar alarms. They are good with children and are loyal
and devoted to the family. On the whole, the Chihuahua is quite a pet! At just six inches, it is bundle of energy.
Most people are surprised seeing these animals and the general awareness of this breed is still low. However, just
one hurdle remains. Because this is a pocket dog, it may pinch a few pockets.
I. Now answer the following questions in brief: (2 × 4 = 8 Marks)
1. Which is the most popular variety of dogs today?
2. How much does the dog weigh?

3. Besides the strength of character, what do these dogs possess?
4. What makes them function as burglar alarms?
II. Vocabulary: (1 × 4 = 4 Marks)
1. What does the word ‘popular’ (Para 1) mean?
2. What does the word ‘inherent’ (Para 2) mean?
3. What does the word ‘compact’ (Para 4) mean?
4. What does the word ‘grooming’ (Para 5) mean?
Answers:
I. 1. The chihuahua is the most popular variety of dogs today.
2. The weight of an adult dog comes between 1 Kilogram and 2 Kilograms
3. In fact these dogs are known for the strength of character. They also possess sharpness and vocal alertness.
4. They have strong vocal cords. They help them function as burglar alarms.
II. 1. liked or admired by many people 2. intrinsic
3. small and strong 4. brushing

Reading 17
Name Marks
Class Section Grade
Roll No. Date Teacher’s Sign
Section-A Reading Type – I: Factual Passages
Assignment – 1
Most bats are active only at night. They come out at night to find food. For centuries men who studied bats wondered
how they found their way in the dark. How could at bat with no light to see by find a flying insect and catch it in flight.
Many people used to think that bats had unusually keen eyesight and could see by light too faint for human eyes
to detect. Scientists now know that a bat’s ability to navigate depends not on its eyes, but on its ears and vocal organs.
Way back in the 1780’s an Italian zoologist named Spallanzani did an experiment. He blundered some bats and
released them into a room crisscrossed with silk threads. The bats flew through the maze without touching the threads.
When he plugged their ears, they became entangled in the threads. Spallanzani felt that bats used their ears rather than
their eyes to find their way in the dark.
In 1920 a scientist suggested that bats sent out signals that were beyond the range of human hearing. Such sounds
are called ultrasonic. In 1941, two other scientists decided to use a new electronic instrument that detected ultrasonic
sounds in an experiment with bats.
The machine showed that the bats were uttering high-pitched cries, and that they were constantly squeaking as
they flew through a maze of wires that had been set up in the dark. When they taped the bats’ mouths shut, the animals
blundered badly.
A bat sends out signals—high-pitched squeaks that bounce off anything in its path. A sound back, or reflected. It
is an echo. The bat used echoes to locate things in the dark.
Scientists call this echolocation, and it is like our systems of radar.
Source: More Tell Me Why by Arkady Leokum
1. Why do bats come out at night?
2. What did many people use to think about how bats found their ways in the dark?
3. What have scientists now discovered?
4. What did Spallanzani find after releasing some blinded bats into a room crisscrossed with silk threads? What did
he find after plugging their ears?
5. What did a scientist suggest in 1920?
6. What did the new electronic instrument show?
7. What did the scientists find when they taped the bats’ mouth?
8. Why do bats use echoes?
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Reading 19
The origin of water on Earth is linked to the formation of Earth. According to some currently accepted theories Earth
began as a waterless mass of rock surrounded by cloud of gas. Radioactive materials in the rock and increasing pressure
in the Earth‘s interior gradually produced enough heat to melt the interior of the Earth. The heavy materials, such as
iron ores, then sank. The light silicates (rocks made up of silicon and oxygen) rose to the Earth‘s surface and formed
the earliest crust.
Many silicate rocks have water molecules integrated into their atomic arrangement – water can be driven out of
such rocks by the action of heat. Thus the heating of the Earth‘s interior caused release of water contained in such rocks
to the surface. Over millions of years, water thus released collected slowly in low places of the crust and formed the
oceans. Whatsoever might have been the origin of water, earth‘s original supply of water is still in use and very little,
if any, has been added during the past billion years or so. The same water has been pumped time and again from the
oceans into the air, dropped down upon the lands and transferred back to sea. A single drop of water spends 8 to 10
days passing through air, 2 to 3 weeks in a river, as long as 100 years in a Himalayan Glacier or from 100 to 40,000
year underground.
As chemical, water is unique and rather odd. All its oddities can be traced to its molecular structure. It is a rather
sturdy molecule. Until some 180 years ago water was believed to be an invisible element rather than a chemical
compound. Today students of science know that each of its molecules is made up of two atoms of Hydrogen and one
atom of oxygen, the bond between the oxygen and the hydrogen atom is polar, that is, it has positive and negative
charged ends because of an unequal distribution of electrons. The oxygen atom has a denser distribution of electrons
around it and hence a net negative charge. The hydrogen atoms in a water molecule, on the other hand, are positively
charged. This leads to a lopsided (molecule with electrical charges concentrated on opposite sides). Water molecules,
are therefore, attracted to each other as well as to other molecules having a similar charge distribution. And many of
the characteristic features of water can be traced to the so-called hydrogen bond between its molecules.
When a substance dissolves in another substance, the resulting distribution of the molecules of the two substances
has lesser number of molecules of either substance surrounded by its own kind. This necessitates disrupting prevailing
intermolecular forces in each of them. The molecules of most organic compounds (e.g., oily substances are non-
polar) as a consequence the intermolecular forces between organic molecules are much weaker than in water. If such
a substance is to mix with water – the resulting distribution of molecules must lead to lowering of energy content.
If more energy is required to separate water molecules from each other (by breaking hydrogen bonds) than is gained
when water molecules get closer to organic molecules, the two substances will not mix together. It is for this reason
that water and oil do not mix and many organic compounds do not dissolve in water.
1. How can you say that water is a chemical?
2. Why is the supply of water on earth limited?
3. What do you know about the formation of the earliest crust of earth?
4. What is a polar bond made of ?
5. How are oceans formed?
6. Why do water molecules attract each other?
7. Is it possible to mix oil and water?
8. Why is intermolecular force in oily substances much weaker?
Name Marks
Class Section Grade
Assignment – 2

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Reading 21
Getting a good night’s sleep can help you cope with stress more effectively. But not getting enough sleep can cause
more stress. Insomniacs have higher concentrations of stress hormones than others.
Women are prone to sleep disturbances. Their sleep problems frequently interfere with their daily activities.
Experts believe that sleep, especially deep sleep, enables our nervous system to function well. Without it, we lose
our ability to concentrate, remember or analyse. Some experts speculate that during deep sleep, cells manufacture
more proteins, which are essential for cell growth and repair of damage from things like stress and ultraviolet rays.
Scientists believe that activity in the area of the brain that controls emotions and social interactions lessens during
sleep and that deep sleep may help people be emotionally and socially adept when awake.
Sleep may also help our brain to store a newly learned activity in its memory bank. In a study in Canada, students
deprived of sleep after learning a complex logic game showed a 30% learning deficit when tested a week later compared
with students not deprived of sleep.
The effects of sleep deprivation on other bodily functions are just as alarming. In studies from five medical centres
across the country, researchers established that individuals with insomnia were also more likely to have poor health,
including chest pain, arthritis and depression, and to have difficulty accomplishing daily tasks. Another breakthrough
study revealed that even temporary loss of sleep can affect the body’s ability to break down carbohydrates, interfere
with the function of various hormones and worsen the severity of ailments such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
So whatever works to help you sleep well, whether its regular exercise earlier in the day, weekly massages, yoga,
meditation or a lavender-scented bath, make time for it today.
1. How can a good night’s sleep help one? What happens when one does not get enough sleep?
2. What, according to experts, enables our nervous system to function well?
3. How do proteins help us in stress management?
4. What, according to scientists, happens during deep sleep?
5. What did a study in Canada reveal?
6. Name the common ailments that can be found in insomniacs.
7. How can even temporary loss of sleep affect our body?
8. What message does the author convey to the reader?
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Class Section Grade
Assignment – 3

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Reading 23
The tiger is a fighter to its last bone. For almost 80 years, the Indian tiger has held off prophecies of its demise. Way
back in the 1930s, iconic hunter-conservationist Jim Corbett predicted that the striped predator would disappear from
Indian forests by the 1950s. The tiger survived, but so did the doomsday projection. In the early 1990s, Time magazine
gave the tiger an expiry date of 2000. The latest of the grim forecasts came last year when the World Wildlife Fund
(WWF) said the animal could vanish from the wild, worldwide, by 2022.
When the new tiger census report is released on March 28, these fears are likely to be echoed all over again. Not
that these projections are baseless. Many a time in the past six decades, the tiger’s tale appeared to be careening towards
a tragic end. Even today, with just around 1,400 left in the wild – compared to a guesstimated 45,000 in 1900 – there’s
no mistaking the constant peril the Indian tigers face.
Yet, of late, several statistics indicate that the rumours about its death are a little exaggerated.
Today, when there are five forest swathes in the country where the tiger population is more or less stable, these
apocalyptic warnings may have outlived their utility. Such positions often skew the conservation debate.
“The tiger isn’t going to extinct in India any time soon. In fact, there’s plenty of room for it to make a comeback
in many areas provided, steps are taken in the right direction,” says K Ullas Karanth, one of India’s leading tiger
biologists and a senior conservation scientist at the Indian Chapter of the Wildlife Conservation Society in Bangalore.
The forests of Karnataka, where Karanth and his team have worked for decades in tandem with the forest
department, are a good example of the tiger’s relative success. The 2006 census showed the tiger population in the
state had grown in about 290. The Bandipur and Nagarhole reserves were reportedly close to holding capacity. Tigers
had doubled in recent times at the Mudumalai reserve across the border in Tamil Nadu. The predator had also returned
to Sathyamangalam, erstwhile Veerappan country.
Source: The Times of India
1. Who was Jim Corbett? What predictions did he make in 1930s?
2. What is the latest forecast made by the WWF about the tigers?
3. What was the total number of tigers in 1990? What is it today?
4. What do several statistics indicate? What is the reality?
5. What positive aspect does K. Ullas Karanth raise regarding tigers’ conservation?
6. Pick out a word from the above paragraph which means ‘the day of the Last Judgement’.
7. Karanth and his team together with the forest department of Karnataka have made sincere efforts to save tigers.
How can you say that they are successful in their mission?
8. Where is the Mudumalai reserve located? What positive result had it shown in recent times?
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Space for Notes
Name Marks
Class Section Grade
Assignment – 4

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Reading 25
We all know that rapid industrialisation and modernisation of technology from field to factories, from laboratory
experiments to space exploration are closely linked with energy generation. But during the last century man’s activities,
particularly concerning energy development, have caused fossil burning wantonly.
This has raised the atmospheric concentration of Greenhouse gases leading to an increase in the average global
temperature which is called “Global Warming”.
What actually is the “Greenhouse Effect”? Our earth reflects a lot of energy back into the atmosphere. But presence
of heavy carbondioxide in the atmosphere prevents some of this heat escaping just as a glass or plastic sheet stops
escaping heat from the so called “Greenhouse’used to protect growing plants. The main Greenhouse gas is carbondioxide
(CO2). The source of this gas is from fossil-fuel combustion like coal, petroleum and natural gases. Methane (CH2),
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and Nitrous oxide (N2O) are among the other Greenhouse gases. The sources of such
gases range from bio-mass burning, fumes emitted from refrigerators and airconditioning plants (freon gas), industrial
fumes and enteric fermentation of cattle, insects and different crops.
Scientists believe that earth’s temperature will rise markedly in next 50 years. Between the present time in 2025
AD, it may rise by 1°C and further by 3°C during 2025-2100 AD. This would alter significantly the earth’s ecological
balance, its normal cyclic seasons, melting of polar ice caps and the ultimate rise in sea level submerging many land
areas. Widespread flooding in coastal regions all over the world will occur and large part of world’s civilisation may
disappear beneath the sea.
Scientists are engaged in search of ways and means to combat this impending danger under the guidance of the
Paris based International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU).
1. Mention any two activities of man which are associated with energy generation.
2. What is global warming?
3. Which is the main greenhouse gas? What is the source of this gas?
4. Mention the name of other greenhouse gases.
5. What are the sources of these gases?
6. What will be the result of the ever rising temperature of the earth?
7. How is the melting of polar ice caps dangerous for mankind?
8. What are scientists doing to combat this impending danger?
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Space for Notes
Name Marks
Class Section Grade
Assignment – 5

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Reading 27
The Indian subcontinent’s first trace of a major civilisation—in the Indus Valley—dates back to 2500 BC. Many Hindu
beliefs and customs are derived from this Indus culture. The Indus civilisation was probably ousted by an invasion
of Aryan people from the Iranian plateau after about a thousand years. They built towns and cities along the Ganges
plains, spreading their culture and their Sanskrit language far and wide. Their concepts of social classes, or castes,
were fundamental to the development of the later Indian societies.
Two new religious movements arose in the 6th century BC: Jainism, which still claims many adherents among
India’s merchant community, and Buddhism, which later spread across much of southern and eastern Asia. During the
following century the great Kingdom of Magadha, south of the lower Ganges, were established. King Chandragupta
Maurya (reigned c. 321-297 BC) expanded its boundaries west of the Indus and south into the Deccan plateau. Under
his grandson Ashoka (reigned c. 273-232 BC) the Mauryan empire grew till it dominated the subcontinent.
In the 4th century AD the Gupta dynasty, based at Magadha, ushered in a “Golden Age” of Hindu civilisation but
Hunnish invasions in the 5th century caused its collapse. In 712 AD the north-west was occupied by Arab Muslim
invaders and in 1001 a Turkish Sultan, Mahmud (917-1030) took Islam eastward into the Punjab and beyond. After
the 12
th
century the Ghurids (from Afghanistan) captured what remained of Mahmud’s Indian empire, and built their
powerful Sultanate of Delhi until a Mongol invasion from the north-west in 1398 greatly reduced its powers. The 14th
century also saw the foundation of the Sikh religion.
From 1519 AD Babur, “the lion” (1483-1530) a Muslim of Mongol extraction, crushed what was left of the Delhi
Sultanate, and in 1526 he founded the Mughal empire. His grandson Akbar (1542-1605 AD) extended it throughout
most of northern India and part of the Deccan.
Source: The Encyclopedia of World Geography
1. How was the Indus civilisation ousted?
2. What changes did Aryan people bring in the Indian subcontinent?
3. Where did Buddhism become popular?
4. Name the two great kings of the Magadha Kingdom. Mention their achievements.
5. What led to the downfall of the Gupta dynasty?
6. Who established the powerful Sultanate of Delhi? What caused its downfall?
7. When did the Sikh religion come into existence?
8. Mention the achievements associated with the Mughal rulers like Babur and Akbar.
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Space for Notes
Name Marks
Class Section Grade
Assignment – 6

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Reading 29
The world in which we live is changing more rapidly than at any time in human history. Politically, the collapse of
communism in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe has ended the Cold War and altered the way that many
countries are governed. Borders have been redrawn, new nations have emerged and old countries have been reborn.
Notably there are now 15 republics in place of the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia has fragmented, Czechoslovakia has
split into two and Germany has reunited. Although most of these changes have been comparatively peaceful, political
realignments and economic reorganisations have created new tensions. In some instances, particularly in the Balkans
and some of the former states of the Soviet Union, age-old hostilities between ethnic groups have reemerged in the
form of outright civil war. Environmentally, too, the world is at a crossroads; the speed and degree of our exploitation
of global resources have increased dramatically in recent decades, and threaten the very future of the planet. In some
cases these abuses have already caused irreversible damage, the ultimate consequences of which can only be surmised.
At the same time, the world is growing smaller; modern communication means that images of an event—whether an
earthquake or a revolution—in one country are instantly flashed onto television screens on the other side of the world.
The same communications network has inextricably linked the world’s financial markets and created a truly global
economy where no one currency or stock exchange is truly independent.
Despite the wealth of superficial information we are bombarded with on a daily basis, educators have become
increasingly aware of the fact that most of us really know very little about the world beyond our immediate geographical
boundaries. While better forms of communication allow us to see other cultures more easily, they do little to help us
gain insight into and understanding of the different customs, religions, languages and wealths and lifestyles of the
many nations of the world.
Source: The Encyclopedia of World Geography
1. Mention two changes that came to be seen in the world after the collapse of communism in the former Soviet
Union and Eastern Europe?
2. How many republics are there now in place of the Soviet Union? What happened to Czechoslovakia and Germany?
3. What disturbances arose in the Balkans and some of the former states of the Soviet Union?
4. Environmentally, the world is at a crossroads. How?
5. Mention two positive impacts of modern communication.
6. What type of information do we gather on a daily basis?
7. What do we lack despite having better forms of communication?
8. Give a suitable title to the above passage.

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Class Section Grade
Assignment – 7

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Reading 31
What is a Stock?
Stocks and bonds are certificates that business companies sell to the public to raise money. To start a new company,
or to buy new equipment for an existing company, usually requires a very large amount of money. To raise the money,
the company sells thousands, sometimes millions, of shares of stock.
When a person buys stock in a company, he becomes one of the company’s owners. As an owner, a shareholder
hopes to receive a dividend, or a share in the company’s profits. The amount of the dividend may change from year
to year, depending on the kind of business the company has done during the year.
There are two types of stock: common stock and preferred stock. The owner of the common stock has the right
to attend the yearly stockholders’ meeting and vote for the directors of the company.
Preferred stock is so named because its owners have certain rights that owners of common stock do not have.
When dividends are paid, first preference goes to the holders of preferred stocks. The dividends paid on preferred
stocks have a set rate, while dividends on common stock depend on how well the company is doing. If the company
goes out of business, holders of preferred stock are paid off before the holders of common stock.
When a person buys stocks or bonds, he buys from another investor. When he sells, he sells to another investor.
The marketplace for this selling and buying of stocks is called the Stock Exchange.
Stocks are bought and sold through a broker. His business is to buy and sell stocks for investors. The price of
stocks may go up or down for a variety of reasons relating to the company concerned, business conditions in general,
and so on.
Source: Tell Me Why
1. What are stocks and bonds?
2. Why do companies sell shares of stock?
3. How does a person become one of the company’s owners?
4. Name the two types of stock. What right does the owner of the common stock avail?
5. What preferences are given to the holders of the second type of stock?
6. Mention one difference between the common stock and the preferred stock.
7. What is meant by the Stock Exchange?
8. What role does a broker play in the Stock Exchange?
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Space for Notes
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Class Section Grade
Assignment – 8

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