There are a few errors in the passage which are given in bold letters. Edit the
following passage
.
As a medium the cinema goes far beyond mere entertainment to becoming (a)
a record of time and space, on (b) everything that moved (c) or stands still
before the camera. Its history is also the history of our culture: of us (d) speech
and body language; of our dress-code; of our way (e) of living and make (f).
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Editing 1
The errors in the passage below are given in bold letters. Edit it.
Mr Moorthi said that he was very sorry that he cannot (a) attend the sales
conference on Monday. He was leaving for Shimla that evening and would be
not back (b) till Wednesday. He wished Mr. Salim attending (c) the conference
instead. Mr. Moorthi will (d) be happy if he was informed about it by that
evening, so that Mr. Salim could make him (e) travel arrangements. He
apologised for the inconvenience causes (f).
Mr Moorthi said that he was very sorry that he cannot (a) attend the sales
conference on Monday. He was leaving for Shimla that evening and would be
not back (b) till Wednesday. He wished Mr. Salim attending (c) the conference
instead. Mr. Moorthi will (d) be happy if he was informed about it by that
evening, so that Mr. Salim could make him (e) travel arrangements. He
apologised for the inconvenience causes (f).
Analysing Unfamiliar Passages 8
Memories of the past have something to do with tragedies: pain, insult,
loss, grief...
When I was a child, I was a good marksman. I was adept at aiming at any
mango or cashew fruit and bringing it down with stones. Once, while I
was going to school, I saw an owl on a tree. I don't know what came over
me. I aimed and threw a stone at it. And it dropped to the ground dead.
This painful memory has stayed with me since then and still haunts me.
There are many things in life that you can't repair later. Our house was in
the middle of a large garden with a variety of trees-mango, cashew,
coconut, arecanut, jackfruit, tamarind. There was hardly any tree I had
not climbed. Once on top of the tree I would forget about the laws of
gravitation. And naturally it was normal routine for me to fall off them.
As it became a regular affair, my mother kept a dish of herbal oil handy
so that she could take it with her every time she rushed to the spot where
I hit the ground with a big thud.
1. Why does the narrator call himself a good marksman?
2. What is the haunting memory that still pains the narrator?
3. What happened when the narrator forgot the laws of gravitation?
4. What made the narrator's mother keep a dish of herbal oil?
5. ‘Memories of the past have something to do with tragedies.’ How does the
narrator prove this?
loss, grief...
When I was a child, I was a good marksman. I was adept at aiming at any
mango or cashew fruit and bringing it down with stones. Once, while I
was going to school, I saw an owl on a tree. I don't know what came over
me. I aimed and threw a stone at it. And it dropped to the ground dead.
This painful memory has stayed with me since then and still haunts me.
There are many things in life that you can't repair later. Our house was in
the middle of a large garden with a variety of trees-mango, cashew,
coconut, arecanut, jackfruit, tamarind. There was hardly any tree I had
not climbed. Once on top of the tree I would forget about the laws of
gravitation. And naturally it was normal routine for me to fall off them.
As it became a regular affair, my mother kept a dish of herbal oil handy
so that she could take it with her every time she rushed to the spot where
I hit the ground with a big thud.
1. Why does the narrator call himself a good marksman?
2. What is the haunting memory that still pains the narrator?
3. What happened when the narrator forgot the laws of gravitation?
4. What made the narrator's mother keep a dish of herbal oil?
5. ‘Memories of the past have something to do with tragedies.’ How does the
narrator prove this?
Analysing Unfamiliar Passages 7
Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:
I arrived at the address and honked the horn. 'Just a minute', answered a
frail, elderly voice. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman
in her eighties stood before me. She was wearing a faded silk sari and a
frill blouse, with a colourful shawl wrapped around her neck, like
somebody straight out of a 1970's family movie. By her side was a small
plastic suitcase. The house looked as if no one had lived in it for years.
'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said.
I took the suitcase to the cab. She took my arm and we walked slowly
toward the cab. She kept thanking me for my kindness.
'It's nothing', I told her. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would
want my mother treated.'
'Oh, you're such a good guy,' she said.
When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, 'Could
you drive me through the city? It's not the shortest way.'
'Oh, I don't mind,' I said.
'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to an old age home,' she said.
I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening.
'My kids are far away, I don't have anyone here to take care of me,' she
continued in a soft voice. 'The doctor says I don't have very long.'
I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. 'What route would you like
me to take?' I asked.
For the next few hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the
building where she had once worked as a bank clerk. We drove through
the neighbourhood where she had lived before she got wed. She showed
me the park, where she walked hand in hand with the man she loved.
She had me pull up in front of a mall that had once been a wedding hall
where her kids had been married off. At the first hint of the sun dipping
below the horizon, she said, 'I'm tired. Let's go now'.
We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low block of
buildings. I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door.
'How much do I owe you?' she asked, reaching into her purse.
'Nothing,' I said 'You have to make a living,' she answered.
'There are other passengers,' I responded.
Almost without thinking, I held her hands and gave them a squeeze. She
held onto mine tightly. 'You gave an old woman a little moment of
unforgettable joy,' she said.
'Thank you.' I squeezed her hand, and then walked away into the fading
light. Behind me, a door shut.
1. Why does the narrator feel that the woman was 'somebody straight out of a
1970's family movie'?
2. What made the driver shut off the meter?
3. Pick out any two sentences/ expressions from the story that indicate the
loneliness of the woman.
4. What was the unforgettable joy that the narrator gave to the woman?
5. Give a suitable title to the story.
I arrived at the address and honked the horn. 'Just a minute', answered a
frail, elderly voice. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman
in her eighties stood before me. She was wearing a faded silk sari and a
frill blouse, with a colourful shawl wrapped around her neck, like
somebody straight out of a 1970's family movie. By her side was a small
plastic suitcase. The house looked as if no one had lived in it for years.
'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said.
I took the suitcase to the cab. She took my arm and we walked slowly
toward the cab. She kept thanking me for my kindness.
'It's nothing', I told her. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would
want my mother treated.'
'Oh, you're such a good guy,' she said.
When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, 'Could
you drive me through the city? It's not the shortest way.'
'Oh, I don't mind,' I said.
'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to an old age home,' she said.
I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening.
'My kids are far away, I don't have anyone here to take care of me,' she
continued in a soft voice. 'The doctor says I don't have very long.'
I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. 'What route would you like
me to take?' I asked.
For the next few hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the
building where she had once worked as a bank clerk. We drove through
the neighbourhood where she had lived before she got wed. She showed
me the park, where she walked hand in hand with the man she loved.
She had me pull up in front of a mall that had once been a wedding hall
where her kids had been married off. At the first hint of the sun dipping
below the horizon, she said, 'I'm tired. Let's go now'.
We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low block of
buildings. I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door.
'How much do I owe you?' she asked, reaching into her purse.
'Nothing,' I said 'You have to make a living,' she answered.
'There are other passengers,' I responded.
Almost without thinking, I held her hands and gave them a squeeze. She
held onto mine tightly. 'You gave an old woman a little moment of
unforgettable joy,' she said.
'Thank you.' I squeezed her hand, and then walked away into the fading
light. Behind me, a door shut.
1. Why does the narrator feel that the woman was 'somebody straight out of a
1970's family movie'?
2. What made the driver shut off the meter?
3. Pick out any two sentences/ expressions from the story that indicate the
loneliness of the woman.
4. What was the unforgettable joy that the narrator gave to the woman?
5. Give a suitable title to the story.
Analysing Unfamiliar Passages 6
The clock is a very old invention. Sundials were used in ancient times.
Sundials work by measuring shadows that are cast by the sun. Candle
clocks were used a very long time ago. Candle clocks work by measuring
the time it takes for the wax to melt. Hourglasses are similar to candle
clocks because they also measure the time it takes for something to happen.
Hourglasses work by measuring the time it takes for sand to pour through
a small opening into a glass. Mechanical clocks appeared in the 13th
century in Europe. They work with a system of moving gears. The gears
always move at the same speed. Pendulum clocks work with a swinging
weight. The swinging weight is called pendulum. The pendulum makes
the clock parts move. Now people typically use mechanical clocks or
digital clocks. Digital clocks show numbers on a screen. The numbers
represent the time. Some people use auditory clocks. Auditory clocks use
language to tell the time aloud. Computers also use clocks. Computers
use internal clocks in order to work properly. In today's world, clocks are
everywhere - in homes, schools, offices, and public places. Many people
live their lives according to the clock. People go to work and return home
according to the clock. School days start and end according to the clock.
Airplanes take off and land according to the clock. It is fun to imagine a
world without clocks!
1. What were the different types of clocks used in ancient times?
2. How is time measured using a candle clock?
3. What is the advantage of a mechanical clock?
4. What kind of a clock would you suggest for a blind person?
5. Why does the author say that it is fun to imagine a world without clocks?
Sundials work by measuring shadows that are cast by the sun. Candle
clocks were used a very long time ago. Candle clocks work by measuring
the time it takes for the wax to melt. Hourglasses are similar to candle
clocks because they also measure the time it takes for something to happen.
Hourglasses work by measuring the time it takes for sand to pour through
a small opening into a glass. Mechanical clocks appeared in the 13th
century in Europe. They work with a system of moving gears. The gears
always move at the same speed. Pendulum clocks work with a swinging
weight. The swinging weight is called pendulum. The pendulum makes
the clock parts move. Now people typically use mechanical clocks or
digital clocks. Digital clocks show numbers on a screen. The numbers
represent the time. Some people use auditory clocks. Auditory clocks use
language to tell the time aloud. Computers also use clocks. Computers
use internal clocks in order to work properly. In today's world, clocks are
everywhere - in homes, schools, offices, and public places. Many people
live their lives according to the clock. People go to work and return home
according to the clock. School days start and end according to the clock.
Airplanes take off and land according to the clock. It is fun to imagine a
world without clocks!
1. What were the different types of clocks used in ancient times?
2. How is time measured using a candle clock?
3. What is the advantage of a mechanical clock?
4. What kind of a clock would you suggest for a blind person?
5. Why does the author say that it is fun to imagine a world without clocks?
Analysing Unfamiliar Passages 5
Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:
One evening as the Guru was meditating a thief with a sharp sword entered,
demanding either his money or his life, the Guru told him: 'Do not disturb
me. You can find the money in that drawer.' Then he resumed his meditation.
A little while afterwards he stopped and called: 'Don't take it all. I need
some to pay taxes tomorrow.' The intruder gathered up most of the money
and started to leave. 'Thank a person when you receive a gift,' the Guru
added. The man thanked him and went off. A few days afterwards the fellow
was caught and confessed, among others, the offence against the Guru. When
the Guru was called as a witness he said: 'This man is no thief, at least as far
as I am concerned. I gave him the money and he thanked me for it.' After he
had finished his prison term, the men went to the Guru and became his
disciple.
1. What did the thief want from the Guru?
2. How did the Guru react against the threat from the thief?
3. Why did the Guru ask the thief not to take all the money?
4. Give a suitable title to the story.
5. What, in your opinion, made the thief become the disciple of the Guru?
One evening as the Guru was meditating a thief with a sharp sword entered,
demanding either his money or his life, the Guru told him: 'Do not disturb
me. You can find the money in that drawer.' Then he resumed his meditation.
A little while afterwards he stopped and called: 'Don't take it all. I need
some to pay taxes tomorrow.' The intruder gathered up most of the money
and started to leave. 'Thank a person when you receive a gift,' the Guru
added. The man thanked him and went off. A few days afterwards the fellow
was caught and confessed, among others, the offence against the Guru. When
the Guru was called as a witness he said: 'This man is no thief, at least as far
as I am concerned. I gave him the money and he thanked me for it.' After he
had finished his prison term, the men went to the Guru and became his
disciple.
1. What did the thief want from the Guru?
2. How did the Guru react against the threat from the thief?
3. Why did the Guru ask the thief not to take all the money?
4. Give a suitable title to the story.
5. What, in your opinion, made the thief become the disciple of the Guru?
Analysing Unfamiliar Passages 4
Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:
TIME WITH GRANDPA
Ben jumped from bed as soon as the first bit of sun peeped through his
window. He grabbed his bag from his shelf and opened it on the floor.
Ben put in some of his favourite things to take with him on his trip to visit
Grandpa. He put in a book on building forts, a book on making go-carts
and a new book he had taken from the library about a kid detective who
creates his own spy gear. He also put in a model car kit and his stuffed
bear. He was ready to go! Going to visit his grandfather for a week was
always Ben's favourite part of summer vacation. Grandpa would take
him fishing and to baseball games. Grandpa also taught Ben how to fix
things around the house. Last year, when he was eight-years-old, Ben
had learned how to replace a broken doorknob and how to fix a leaky tap.
Grandpa was patient and did not mind taking many hours to show Ben
how to use his tools. Ben's mom came to his bedroom door. 'Grandpa's
here,' she said with a smile. Ben grabbed his backpack and ran into the
kitchen where Grandpa was waiting. 'Ready, big guy?' asked Grandpa.
'Or do you want to eat breakfast before we leave?' 'Ready,' said Ben. As
he kissed his mother good-bye, he felt his stomach rumble. 'We can eat
later!'
1. What is the most likely reason for Ben to jump out of bed?
2. Judging by the things Ben put in his bag, what will one think Ben is going to
do most during the vacation?
3. Why does visiting Grandpa become a favourite part of Ben's vacation?
4. What two things did Ben learn from his Grandpa last year?
5. What impressions do you form about Ben’s Grandpa?
TIME WITH GRANDPA
Ben jumped from bed as soon as the first bit of sun peeped through his
window. He grabbed his bag from his shelf and opened it on the floor.
Ben put in some of his favourite things to take with him on his trip to visit
Grandpa. He put in a book on building forts, a book on making go-carts
and a new book he had taken from the library about a kid detective who
creates his own spy gear. He also put in a model car kit and his stuffed
bear. He was ready to go! Going to visit his grandfather for a week was
always Ben's favourite part of summer vacation. Grandpa would take
him fishing and to baseball games. Grandpa also taught Ben how to fix
things around the house. Last year, when he was eight-years-old, Ben
had learned how to replace a broken doorknob and how to fix a leaky tap.
Grandpa was patient and did not mind taking many hours to show Ben
how to use his tools. Ben's mom came to his bedroom door. 'Grandpa's
here,' she said with a smile. Ben grabbed his backpack and ran into the
kitchen where Grandpa was waiting. 'Ready, big guy?' asked Grandpa.
'Or do you want to eat breakfast before we leave?' 'Ready,' said Ben. As
he kissed his mother good-bye, he felt his stomach rumble. 'We can eat
later!'
1. What is the most likely reason for Ben to jump out of bed?
2. Judging by the things Ben put in his bag, what will one think Ben is going to
do most during the vacation?
3. Why does visiting Grandpa become a favourite part of Ben's vacation?
4. What two things did Ben learn from his Grandpa last year?
5. What impressions do you form about Ben’s Grandpa?
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