NEW HORIZON COLLEGE

MARATHALLI, BANGALORE
(Affiliated to Bangalore University)
A Recipient of Prestigious Rajyotsava State Award 2012 conferred by the Government of Karnataka

IV SEM BBM & BCOM STUDY MATERIAL

ADDITIONAL ENGLISH

Prepared By

Dr Sonia V Oberoi

Ring Road, Bellandur Post, Near Marathalli, Bangalore - 560 103

Tel : +91-80-6629 7777 Fax : +91-80-2844 0770
E-mail : principalnhc.edu@gmail.com
Web : www.newhorizonindia.edu
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 Table of Contents

Sr. No. Title of the Chapter Page No.

1 The Boor 4-6

2 The Doctor in the 21st Century 6-9

3 How To Be A Doctor 11-11

4 The Paradox of Our Times 12-13

5 An Executive‟s Dilemma 14-15

6 Water: The Elixir of Life 15-18

7 Previous Years‟ Question Papers 19-22

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 PART I RELATIONSHIPS
1. THE BOOR

Anton Chekhov

„The Boor‟ is a play written by the world renowned Russian playwright and short story writer
Anton Chekhov. The play basically deals with the confrontation of a widow Helena Popova
and a middle aged landowner Grigory Stepanovich Smirnov.

When the play begins one finds Helena Popova (addressed mostly as Popova in the play)
mourning the death of her husband Nikolai Mihailovich. She had lost her husband exactly
seven months ago and is in deep mourning. She had isolated herself from the outside world
and had stopped socialising. This the old manservant Looka at her home does not like. Looka
does not want to see his mistress mourning for days together and wasting her youth and
beauty. Looka insists her to go out and socialise. He suggests that she can go and find
friendsoutside at places like Ryblovo where young and handsome army men can be found.
Because once her youth is gone then there will be nothing left to regret. It would never come
back and one should know to enjoy one‟s life. Looka finds the mourning of the mistress
absolutely worthless. However, Popova does not like Looka advising her in such a way and
asks him not to speak on that subject again. Popova tells Looka how she had taken a vow to
remain honest to her husband. She tells him that with the death of her husband Nikolai, she
had also lost her life although it may seem to him that she is alive. Such was the attachment
that Popova had for her late husband. But Looka could never be convinced and he insists
herto go out and socialise.

Popova‟s husband Nikolai had great affection for his horses Toby and Giant. He would never
want his horses to be hungry. Time and again he would check if they had been given oats.
Popova becomes sad whenever she would remember this and would take much care of Toby
and Giant as Nikolai himself had taken when he was alive.

But there was something very weird which happened in the life of Popova which brought in a
twist in her life. Popova changed and later came out of her mourning state of mind at the end.
Although Popova was stern on not socialising or meeting any visitor in her place she had to
give up. There appeared all on a suddenSmirnov—a money lender to her husband
Nikolaiwho wanted to meet her urgently. Looka failed to persuade Smirnov that Popova was
not seeing anyone after the death of her husband. But Smirnov was very stubborn and
uncouth and forced Looka to call his mistress.Finally, Popova had to come out and speak to
him.

Smirnov decently introduced himself and also stated that he had come to take the sum of
twelve hundred roubles which Popova‟s husband had borrowed from him when he was
alive.Popova was surprised to know that her husband had borrowed such big sum of money
and asked the reason to Smirnov. Apparently it seemed that Nikolai had borrowed the money

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for buying oats for his two horses. PopovatoldSmirnov that she did not have twelve hundred
roubles to pay him back and asked him to wait till her bailiff returned. Smirnov became
furious. He thought that Popova would not give him back his money and thus he would be
ruined.

He insisted Popova to give him back his money somehow or else his entire estate would be
under auction. But Popova was helpless since she did not have any knowledge of the finance
and her bailiff was also out of town. Moreover, she was not in a “state of mind” when she
would like to deal with monetary matters. Smirnov got all the more angry and violent and
decided not to leave the place and to stay back till he got back his money. Throughout his
stay Smirnov behaved in an adamant way and also mimicked Popova. Smirnov displayed a
very uncultured and uncouth behaviour and seeing all that Popova called him a “boor”.
Popova gotangry with him.

However, Smirnov‟s uncouth behaviour did not end there but he gave a long speech to
Popova on the character of women and their deceptive nature especially when they are
lovers.He spoke to her about women in the most indecent way. Not only that, he also went to
the extent of calling Popova a hypocrite. Popova could no longer tolerate his ruthless
behaviour and his insulting comments on her and declared that she would never pay him back
any farthing( a quarter of half a penny).

The intensity of the anger rose so high that they became intolerable to each other. Smirnov
instigated Popova to fight a duel and out of anger and losing the control over her mind
completely Popova accepted to have a duel with Smirnov. Popova went up to bring her
husband‟s pistol and without any fear asked Smirnov to teach her how to use it since she did
not know how to use it. But seeing the courage of Popova and her unchanging mind Smirnov
suddenly changed. He could not believe that a woman like Popova could exist and he at once
fell in love with her. In the process of instructing her how to use the pistol he expressed that
he had started to like her and could even the relieve her of her late husband‟s debt. But
Popova did not accept such a change so readily and could not come out of the mourning that
she had been wearing for seven months. However, the loneliness which she had been going
through could not be suppressed anymore and she gave up.

Thus, the mourning of Popova was over and the horses need not be fed anymore of oats.
Nikolai was forgotten and now she had come out of her oath of mourning forever.

This play is a depiction of how relationships change under certain circumstances in life.
Popova‟s consistent love for the kind of a husband who was a cheat and who never loved her
honestly; the way she mourned for him and was even ready to forsake all her happiness for
him all these changed at the end. Smirnov‟s feeling for Popova changed seeing her courage as
well as her conviction towards her dead husband.

Through Popova, the playwright shows how relationships change. At the end we see a
relationship of hatred grows to a relationship of love.

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Questions:

2Marks:

1) What is Looka‟s attitude to death and mourning?

2) What is role of Smirnov‟s monologues in the play?
3) Why does Smirnov describe Mrs. Popova as a „real woman‟?

6 Marks:

1) Discuss the character of Smirnov in detail.

2) Write a character sketch of Popova.
3) Discuss the importance of the role of Looka In the play.

10 Marks:

1) Do you think that Popova is a hypocrite? Substantiate your answer with examples.
2) Comment on the ending of the play.

PART II Man and Medicine

1. THE DOCTOR IN THE 21ST CENTURY

P.K Sethi

This essay highlights the changes which can be observed in the medical profession. In the
past, people involved in the medical profession were highly respected and given an
equivalent status with God. But now this has changed a lot. People are afraid of doctors
because they are unnecessarily tormented by the doctors when they go for treatment. This is
an outcome of nothing but corruption in the profession of medicine. The writer, who was a
doctor himself,observes it very closely and also expresses his dissatisfaction towards this
change in the profession of medicine.

He goes back to the days when he was himself a student of medicine. At that point of time
India was a colony of the British. And Western medicine had just entered the country. With
that so many incurable diseases like pneumonia or tuberculosis which were life takinggot
treated successfully. And many people like the doctor himself had great hopes of seeing an
India that would be soon free of such life taking diseases.He was full of positive hopes.

But the time when he was writing the essay, he was greatly disheartened. He could see that
once upon a time whatever positive hope people had on the effectiveness of Western
medicine was not there then anymore. Far from treating people having diseases and
understanding their problems, doctors have become more commercial and distanced
themselves from the patients.

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He recalls back his days in the medical college when he entered the profession with great
enthusiasm. That time the studentsdid not have the goal of only making money. Money was
secondary for them but they wanted the affection and respect of the patients.Even the
teachers in the college were also good. No doubt there were some bad teachers. But the good
ones were very good. They knew the students personally and lived a life of simple living and
high thinking. This kind of a lifestyle also indicated that they did not want to feel inferior in
any way from their British counterparts (the British doctors as well as the British colonisers).
They were well read and also wrote original research papers. They were experts in delivering
their knowledge. Even though they did not have sophisticated audio-visual aids yet the
expressions they used were so powerful that the students understood everything. Students
admired them from the heart. There were teachers and clinicians who were full of wisdom,
scholarly, had humility(humbleness) and great concern.

It was during this time when medicine was more an art than science. The doctors did not have
any specific medicines to offer the patients which would cure the life taking diseases(these
are other than those mentioned above). But they had some “non-technological” tools. These
non-technological tools were nothing but the ways in which the doctors provided comfort,
confidence and reassurance (encouragement) to the family of the diseased person. This non-
technological tool could be used because the doctors knew their society well and were also
wise.

More than these doctors the traditional healers were better in this art. The traditional healers
were rooted in the Indian tradition and culture. This gave them the capability to know the
way in which the patients thought. But now we find traditional healers only in the margins.
They are pushed out of the urban areas. Now they live in the rural areas. This all happened
after the coming of the British who brought with them the influence of the Western
medicine.The writersuggests that one should make the Bengali novel Arogya Niketanby
Shankar Bandhopadhyaya a compulsory reading for the medical students. The novel offers a
scope to know how wisdom is opposed to smartness in medicine. The other two books he
mentions are Imperialism and Medicine in Bengal by Poonam Bala and Imperial Medicine
and Indigenous Societies edited by David Arnold.

Western medicine adopted the scientific means whereas traditional methods of treatment did
not. The writer is scornful towards the way we have given so much of respect to science. He
accepts that science had given us the knowledge of our body and how certain things can lead
to ill health. But still there are too many diseases about which we have no clue. It is because
of our ignorance we look up to science for knowledge. No doubt the discovery of hormones,
understanding of electrolyte balance in the body,and some of the antibacterial medicines have
effectively treated many diseases which were life taking. Diseases like diabetes, tuberculosis,
typhoid, pneumonia and some bacterial infections no longer pose the life taking threat they
once posed. But still there is a list of twenty diseases including cancer, rheumatoid arthritis,
stroke and hypertension for which we do not have any treatment. Therefore, the writer
suggests it would be too much if we give importance to Western medicine more than is
required.

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Before the use of scientific methods, people used to cure or treat diseases on the basis of the
observations derived from experiments. But after the coming of science and the adaptation of
scientific methods the importance of quantity grew high because in science nothing comes
out as a result unless we measure things. Earlier the reactions of the patients, their fears, pain
and apprehensions (nervousness) were taken into consideration. But now these are all
considered as distractions (interruptions). Moreover, nobody is worried about the emotions of
patients because practically that is not giving any quantitative data for analysis.Doctors have
become scientists who are devoid of any feelings of compassion for the patients. They have
distanced themselves from the patients.

The main drawback of this kind of a response on behalf of the doctors had left a big gap. So
much of details about the patient which could have otherwise been collected by just being
friendly with him are now no more. The writer mentions the writings of Oliver Sacks which
highlight the significance of such personalised approaches. The writer was very much
impressed by the way Sacks wrote about migraine. It was very much personalised and the
writer himself got the confidence to cope with his own migraine. The book A Leg to Stand
Onby Oliver Sacks gives a very good insight on neurophysiology (physiology of the nervous
system) of recovery and rehabilitation (the restoration of someone to a useful place in
society).

The writer wants to bring back that human approach which was there once upon a time in the
treatment of patients. He found such an approach in the writings of Oliver Sacks. And he
looks forward to people who would write such close experiences or research on diseases with
a personal approach rather than a from a commercial point of view. This he feels is more
productive than creating meaningless tables and doubtful experiments leading to wrong
results. Unfortunately,medical journals restrict such writers who write with a personalised
touch.

There is a wide gap that has come because of such disco-ordination. The drug industry takes
the most advantageous position for itself in such a scenario. And to help them they utilise the
media to capture the market. They use powerful advertisements to market the drugs they
produce. The advertisements are so powerful that they will make us feel we are really in
danger and can be affected by any germ at any moment of time. We can be protectively
shielded against such infection and also death if we use those drugs. They instruct us to spray
disinfectant, apply potent antibiotics to even small scratches. All these make us feel we are
captured by the world of harmful microbes all the time.

But what Louis Pasteur has said once upon a time is now proved false. Pasteur said that
“Bacteria are nothing but terrain is everything,” meaning germs are nothing if one has a
strong and resistant body. It is good to maintain hygiene but too much of a fuss for
maintaining hygiene is paranoia.We have so many bacteria which infact dwell in our bodies.
Bacteria like Staphylococi which live on our skin, Streptococi had been living for years in our
throat have never affected us unless our bodies are resistant. Indeed, we live in a kind of
symbiotic relationship.

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Therefore, the writer concludes that we are paying very less attention and giving very less
importance to the inbuilt resistance of the body. The writer urges the concerned people to
devise a curriculum for general education in order to celebrate the marvel of good health.

The writer regrets that doctors are also hand in hand with such perpetuation of falsehood that
the drug industry has initiated. They have joined hands with the drug industry by taking
bribes from them.

The other technological advancements which have impacted the treatment of patients are the
electronics, digital display systems, microchips and computers. Patients are mesmerised by
these and also desire to be treated with the help of these. And every time the 9ioelectronics
industrycomes up with new inventions. For just common day to day complains like low
backache, women in the place of the writer would be asked to travel to Mumbai and get an
MRI or CAT scan done. The doctors would just wait for the image to come to their hands.
This makes us feel that doctors treat images more than treating patients.

All these can be used effectively and in a way that gives required and proper information
rather that just using them for the sake of using. Fuchs has rightly said that it become a
„technological imperative‟ to treat patients in this way with the help of technology. The worst
part of it is that there is no proper evidence of what is happening actually with the patient
even after all these efforts. Then why spend so much when other approaches are less costly
and effective as well?

Questions:

2 Marks:

1. What were the reasons for Western medicine surging ahead of traditional systems of
medicines?
2. What were the author‟s expectations on entering the medical school?
3. What is the writer‟s reaction to Oliver Sach‟s book?

6 Marks:

1. How has the commercialization of medicine affected us?

2. „Bacteria are nothing; terrain is everything.‟ Discuss how we have forgotten these
words of Louis Pasteur and how this has affected us?

10 Marks:

1. Summarise Dr. Sethi‟s ideas as expressed in the chapter.

*****************

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 2. HOW TO BE A DOCTOR

Stephen Leacock

Stephen Leacock seems to elevate science to a very high pedestal at the beginning of the
essay. He asserts that undoubtedly science had done wonderful things and he has to agree to
it. He states that whenever he finds someone who knows less about the scientific
advancements or scientific improvements, he feels he is responsible for it. Scientific aids are
so easily used by him and so frequently that he never feels that they are not his creation. This
means he feels as if he is the one who devised it all. And therefore, he does not even feel a bit
that he has not invented himself the linotype, the aeroplane and the vacuum house-cleaner.
The writer compares himself to the generous people in this case who feels the same in such
situations. However, he states this is not something which he wants to talk about. He wants to
talk about the progress of medicine.Thereis something very wonderful to talk about it. Any
lover of mankind will take immense pride in the achievements of medicine so far. This he
expresses in a very humorous way. He uses the anatomical words like“pericardiac”
stimulus(surrounding the heart/ of or related to the heart).
He goes back to hundred years when people did not know about certain things like bacilli,
ptomaine poisoning (food poisoning caused by bacteria), diphtheria(Corynebacterium
diphtheria, upper respiratory tract illness) and appendicitis. Even people did not know much
about rabies. And the knowledge of this has come to us because of medical science. Terms
like psoriasis(a common skin condition that causes skin redness and irritation.), parotitis (Salivary
gland infections are viral or bacterial infections of the saliva-producing glands) and
trypanosomiasis(protozoa) which are known to people nowadaysin every household were
earlier known to only a few. This has all been possible for medical science.
Next he talks about the steady improvements in the ways of treatment. This is the practical
side of medicinal science. He gives three instances, one is of fever and the other is of
rheumatism and the last one is of epilepsy. He cites the instance of treatment of fever over
the hundred years. About hundred years ago people tried to cure fever by letting off the
blood; about seventy years ago, treatment was done by giving the patient some sedative
medicines: thirty years ago doctors felt that they can cure fever by suggesting low diet and
application of ice to the patient. But these methods of treating fever were useless. In case of
rheumatism, initially people used to carry round potatoes in their pockets as a means of cure.
But now doctors know that it cannot cure rheumatism. The writer humorously adds that now
a patient suffering from rheumatism can carry anything he or she likes in his pocket—even a
water melon. In case of epilepsy, the doctors believed that the collar of the patient should be
made loose so that the patient can breathe freely when the sudden attacks occurred but
nowadays, the doctors tighten the collar and do not even bother if the patient is choking.
Undoubtedly, methods of treatment have advanced to a great extent. But the number of years
it takes to produce qualified doctors has increased. Earlier doctors were out in two years of
their entry to the medical school/ college. They would just be there for two winters and toil
hard all through their summers. Some completed even earlier than that. But now it is very
different. It needs five to eight years for a medical student to get qualified as a doctor. The
writer sarcastically comments if the younger generation lacks intelligence and have become
lazy for which they take so much of time. This fact will be definitely agreed by someone who
is fifty years or above. It is strange for the writer to accept the fact that whatever one could
study and finish in eight months now requires eight years.

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Why a modern doctor should study for eight years when his work is extremely simple? This
is what the writer is surprised at. He illustrates it in a very humorous way. He gives the
instance of a person who visits the doctor with the complaint of a back pain. Instead of
treating the patient, the doctor blows the patient at his back. And then a series of blows
continues till the patient lays almost half-dead. Under that condition the patient cannot
complain anything to the doctor and so there is no chance of giving him any treatment.The
patient then gets scared thinking he has something really dangerous to bear with and the
doctor very cleverly advises him that the best thing to do for him is to keep quiet. The reality
is that the doctor does not even know what problem the patient is undergoing and this kind of
a medical advice would just let him remain quiet or allow him die quietly without any
complains.

And then if the patient asks the doctor about diet, the doctor would respond with respect to
his own state. He will ask him to eat anything, if he is himself hungry and if the doctor is full
then he will ask the patient not to eat anything simply suggesting that if he avoids and
sacrifices eating a little no major harm will be caused to him. And if the patient asks for
drinking, he would surely advise the patient to drink all the drinks like lager, gin, soda,
whisky, Apollinaris (sparkling German water), hot scotch. This is actually the list the doctor
prefers and gets tempted to drink. While giving out the advice, the eyes of the doctors will
glow with so much of enthusiasm and craving for these drinks that patient on the other side
will think the glow is for the passion he has towards his profession.But if the doctor somehow
had a party the previous night then he will immediately ask the patient to not drink anything.
But the patient might not be able to accept this treatment with confidence. So there is
a different way. Nowadays, the parts where the problem lies are snipped and extracted and
sent to various places for analysis and the patient has to wait till the analysis is done and the
result is finally sent back. And the patient with full satisfaction waits for the all the reports to
come back and happily expresses his satisfaction with the doctor till the last moment he
breathes.

The writer concludes with the thought that after seeing and knowing all thiswhy do people
still rush to doctors even for a slight pain.

Questions:

2 Marks:

1. Which is the one area of medicine in which there has been no progress?
2. “And yet, isn‟t it funny?” the author says. What, according to him, is funny?

6 Marks:

1. What are the factors that influence the diet that a doctor prescribes?
2. What is the role played by the analytical laboratory in modern medicines?

10 Marks:

1. Summarise the views of Stephen Leacock as expressed in the chapter.

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 PART III MODERN CHALLENGES

1.THE PARADOX OF OUR TIMES

His Holiness the Dalai Lama

(Tenzyn Gaytso)
The poet questions the modern man and the contradictions he finds in the modern man— in
his way of living. The poem is divided into six stanzas. And in each sentence, he places two
opposite things for comparison and contrast.

Stanza 1 The poet first asks if we have tall buildings but short tempers. Man is trapped in his
desire to achieve great heights in everything he does. The tall buildings he has erected
symbolise this desire. He is no doubt successful in erecting very tall buildings. But this is an
achievement outside, visible from outside. On the other hand, as a human being he is
becoming less patient and his tolerance level has reduced. He has become irritated and so
short tempered. His temper is out of his control. Likewise, we see that there are big and broad
ways of travelling, he has constructed so that people can travel freely. But this is opposed to
the kind of viewpoint he has. He has become narrow minded and more negative. Man tries to
spend more than he has. What he earns is less than what he spends.

[These facts are contradicting to listen or read but these are true. This is a paradox.]

Stanza 2 In this stanza, the poet says that men have built big houses, but people living inside
the houses are very few. This reminds us of the breakdown of joint families into nuclear
families. The closeness and warmth of being together is found no more. Earlier people lived
in small houses but all lived together with great affection and love. Now families have broken
down. Children have got educated and go far and wide leaving behind their ancestral places
and settle in other places with their families. Likewise, we have every little comfort and we
live with convenience. But unfortunately even after having all things of comfort today we do
not have time for one another. We have educated ourselves and we boast of our degrees but
simple sense is what is lacking inus. We have knowledge, we are intelligent but we are not
sensible enough to differentiate the good from the bad. Today there are experts in every field
but there is equal number of problems to be dealt with as well. We are blessed to have such
medicinal improvements for treatment of diseases but even then we are less healthy.(Here we
can think of the problems in the field of medicine, education, professional lives as well.)

Stanza 3The poet says that wealth wise we have multiplied are property and our material
assets but then we have forgotten our ethical values and morality. We talk a lot, but love
people around us very less. In fact we hate people more than we love them. Through our
education, training and inspirations we have learnt to make our living, but we have not learnt
how live. (Our lives are empty of feelings, care and concern for one another and so we are
often unhappy) through our progress, we have added years to our lives. In other words, we
are growing in years. But that growth is lifeless according to the poet.We have travelled so
far that we landed on moon but how ironical it is to see that we find it difficult to cross the
road and visit the neighbour. That feeling of brotherhood is missing.

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Stanza 4Such steps of going to moon or exploring the universe show we have conquered the
outer space but we have failed to have a control on our mind. There are measures we take to
clean air and to make it pollution free but this is strange to note that we have made our souls
dirty with so much hatred, frustration and insecurity. We attempted even to enter the most
minute particle in matter i.e., the atom and have broken that down even but we have failed to
break our prejudice (narrow-mindedness). We earn a lot, our incomes are very high but our
moral values are degrading. We give more emphasis on the number (number of things we
have, we can have, we had) but we rarely give importance to quality( how we should be, what
we need to be like).

Stanza 5 The poet says that our time is the time of the “tall men”—men with money and
wealth. But our time is a time of short character. Men possess wealth and fame but not
character. He is corrupt inside. He is in profit but his relationships are very shallow. He does
not care and have least concern of the relationships he has. People spread the message of
peace around the world (for example, the various organisations, politicians, leaders and
others) but there is violence and quarrel inside the house. People have leisure (vacation,
holidays, leisure trips etc.), more varieties of food but very less nutrition. Food habits are less
healthy than they used to be.

Stanza 6 The poet finally talks about the family where both husband and wife work and earn
but then since they don‟t have time for one another, they often go through the relationship.
And there are examples of a number of divorces. They fancy to have beautiful and attractive
houses but inside there is no harmony between the husband and the wife. Outside people
pretend to show they are happy but inside thingsare hollow and empty.Our lives have become
so technical that we can simply choose to make a difference or “delete” things which we do
not like.

Questions:

2 Marks:

1. What is the connection between knowledge and judgement?

2. What does the poet mean by „we spend more, but we have less‟?
3. What is the distinction that the poet makes between a „living‟ and a „life‟?

6 Marks:

1. What are „inner spaces‟? How can one conquer them?

2. What does „domestic warfare‟ refer to? Why is the contrast to „world peace‟ ironic?

10 Marks:

2. Summarise the views expressed in the poem.

**************

13
 2.AN EXECUTIVE’S DILEMMA
Robert S Herman
The poem basically focuses on the way an executive is looked at by others. Normally it
seems he is the one who is the centre of all focus in an office. Robert S. Herman highlights
the dilemma faced by the modern day executive under such a situation. In whatever way he
does his work, his actions are never interpreted as genuine.

The poem begins with the beginning of the day of an executive in his office. What happens
when he is late for work? People interpret it in a different way. They feel that the executive is
the boss in his office so there is no one to whom he will be accountable. Therefore, he takes
the advantage of his position in the office. What happens when he is early? Then people
interpret that he is a workaholic. He is eager to work hard. The poet uses the word “beaver”
in this case. The word means usually a rat that lives partly in water and partly in land. This is
used as slang. This indicates the internal enthusiasm of the executive to be at work always
and less at home like the “beaver”.

He has to also face criticism for the organisation he does in his office. The poet gives an
example of this. Supposing he is organising regular staff meetings, he will be thought as
someone who has lack of ideas and who is anxious for ideas. And on the contrary, if he does
not organise meetings in the office in this way, he will be considered as someone who does
not give any value to team work. This means he is one who does not regard his team as
important.

Now again, if he spends too much time with his boss then he is considered as a “back-
slapper.” He tries to be friendlier with his boss then is required. This indicates that he is
someone who would be trying to please his boss and even flatter too. But supposing he does
not go and talk with the boss then he would be considered as arrogant.

In case he demands for more employees in the office then he would be considered as an
empire-builder. But if he restricts the number of his staff to what it was initially then he is a
cruel one who demands his staff to work hard and get all the work done. Then he is called a
“slave driver.” He would use his employees in such a way as if they are his slaves.

Then if you somehow catch him being friendly with his staff, he would be tagged as a
“politician”. But on the contrary, if he does not become friendly with his staff then he is a
snob. He takes pride of his high position in the office and looks down upon others.

And if some decision needs to be taken very quickly and he does so he would be taken as
someone “arbitrary”. His swiftness in decision making makes others think of him as illogical
or whimsical. But if he does not take decisions quickly, he is someone who cannot make up
his mind to take any decision efficiently.

14
If he works only to complete his task for the day, the he will be considered as someone who
has no insight. He is someone who cannot look to the distant future and accordingly on time.
But if he plans out everything well in advance then he is “dreamer”. His plans would hardly
be turned into action that is what others feel about him.

If he tries to make his own rules and do not follow the red tape he is someone who has
disrespected the system. Red tape often leads to delay in the outcome of the work. If he cuts a
way and tries completing the work, he is someone whom nobody considers respectable.

And finally, the poet says that if the executive depends on “channels” i.e., depend on other
renowned sources for getting his work done he will tagged as a bureaucrat who would prefer
to get his work done only through officials.
Questions:

2 Marks:

1. Why is the executive referred to as an „eager beaver‟?

2. What is „red tape‟?

6 Marks:

1. What are the different ways in which an executive could take advantage of his
position?
2. Why is the executive accused of being a „black-slapper‟? What, according to his
colleagues, would be his fate if he wasn‟t a „black-slapper‟?

10 Marks:

1) Summarise the views expressed in the poem.

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PART IV OUR ENVIRONMENT

1. WATER: THE ELIXIR OF LIFE

Sir C.V. Raman
The basic idea of the essay is to emphasise the importance of water in our lives. It is water
which makes life exist. It is divine and Sir C.V Raman rightly states what Indians have
always stated that water is the Amrita—a draught that makes life immortal. But most of the
times it is seen that we misuse and waste water. There is a necessity to conserve water in
today‟s world.

WATER & NILE VALLEY

The writer starts by telling that human beings search for something very divine to have and
make themselves immortal. But this search is meaningless. Since the most divine thing which
would make anyone immortal is nothing but water. Water has the most powerful potential of

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giving life and sustaining life. Once, the writer was amazed to see a site in Egypt. The writer
was standing in between the Libyan Desert and the Valley

Figure 1 Map of Nile River and Ancient Egypt

of Nile one day.And he was surprised to see that on one side of the river there was sand for
miles and miles and on the other side was the most fertile valley, which was densely
populated, full of life and vegetation. The writer was surprised and wondered what made such
a striking difference. It was nothing but the presence of water.

It is remarkable to note what the geologists have said. It is the Nile River which has given
birth to the Nile Valley civilisation. Such is the power of water. It can change and make
history of mankind.

RAIN-FED TANKS OF SOUTH INDIA

Water also adds beauty to the planet earth. Wherever we see it we see the beauty attached in
and around it. Be it the streams that trickle out of rocks or the little pond by the roadside
where we find the cattle satisfying their thirst; or the rain-fed tanks which are found most
commonly in South India. These tanks appear shallow but they play a very important role in
the agriculture of South India. Much of the rice produced in Mysore is done with the help of
the water reserved in this manner. Such water tanks are sometimes very large and the scene
of sunrise over them is very attractive.

SILT SUSPENSION IN WATER

The ability to hold back silt (deposits from the earth-can be stone or mud as well) is one of
the remarkable features of water. The water in the rain-fed tanks has this characteristic
feature. They hold silt or they have silt in suspension. The colour of the water varies with the
colour of the silt it suspends from the catchment area. Immediately after the rainfall when
water starts flowing with great speed one can notice the most colourful shade of water
because then it carries large and heavy particles. The finest particles keep moving with the

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water to great distances. When the water having silt gets mixed with sea water, the silt
precipitates. Such a precipitation or the way the water gets free of these silts can be visible by
one who travels down by a steamer from a deep river to the deep sea. The colour of water
changes from muddy red or brown to yellow and green and then to blue when it gets mixed
with the sea water.

EFFECTS OF SILT SUSPENSION ON LAND

When the water full of silts flows across the land, there are changes on the features of the
land as well.Water keeps flowing and simultaneously carrying and depositing silt on the land.
Thus the land through which the water flows becomes more and more fertile.

DESTRUCTIVE EFFECT OF FLOWING WATER

The water that flows with silt has a negative impact as well. This is the impact of soil erosion.
The dangerous part of this is that the earliest part of soil erosion often remains unnoticed. It
occurs in steps. In the final stages the impact becomes visible. Some examples of soil erosion
are the creation of gullies (Fig 2) and ravines (Fig 3). These gullies and ravines bring a break
to the continuity of the agricultural land and thus make a negative impact on the agriculture.
Sudden coming of heavy rainfall leads to substantial soil erosion.

Figure 2 Gully Figure 3 Ravine

FEW CAUSES OF SOIL EROSION

The slope of the land, removal of the natural coat of vegetation, the existence of ruts (a long
deep track made by the repeated passage of the wheels of vehicles where water gets a free
passage to flow rapidly) are some of the other causes of soil erosion.

MEASURES FOR CONTROLLING SOIL EROSION

There are various measures which can be taken for soil erosion. For example, terrace
farming, construction of bunds, contour cultivation, and planting of appropriate type of plants
which would hold the soil to the ground.

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Figure 4 Terrace Farming

WATER CONTENT IN EVERYTHING ON EARTH

Water is contained in every living thing on earth. The main sources of water apart
from the artesian water are rain and snow. Indian agriculture depends on seasonal rainfall for
the growth of crops. The problem of soil erosion and the irregularity of rainfall are inter-
related. Therefore, a proper method for reducing soil erosion should be taken.
For example, rain water can be collected and utilised. Else a large quantity of water just gets
flown into the river and then to the sea. By harvesting such water vast areas of land can be
cultivated. Well planned action is required for such a kind of utilisation of rain water.
Systematic planting of plants will also stop soil erosion.

CONCLUSION
Water is the most “commonest” of all the liquids but it is also uncommon because of the
amazing properties it has. It has the power of sustaining life. Therefore, the investigation of
the properties of water had always been the interest of scientific research.
Questions:

2 Marks:

1. What are the reasons for the changing colour of water?

2. Suggest any two ways using which soil-erosion can be prevented?
6 Marks:

1. Discuss the writer‟s views of the rain-fed tanks found in South India?
2. Why does the writer believe that the planting of trees is „one of the most urgent needs
of India‟?
10 Marks:

3. Do you agree that water is the elixir of life? Substantiate your views with appropriate
examples.
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