I.B.Com/B.B.
A (1st Sem) English Perceptions – I
SUBJECT: ENGLISHCHAPTER – 1
TOPIC: - THE LAST LEAF
BY – O. Henry
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- the girls like his daughters. Sue told ofJohnsy’s fancy to
The theme of the story of the last leaf
In The Last Leaf by O. Henry, we have the theme of
commitment, sacrifice, friendship, compassion, hope,
and dedication.
Entitled the Last Leaf
When the leaf refused to fall, she decided to fight just as
hard to survive as it did, as she tells Susie: "Something
has made that last leaf stay there to show me how wicked
I was. It is a sin to want to die..." The situation is
dramatically ironic since the leaf was no leaf at all but a
masterful painting of one.
Leaf mean spiritually
Leaf. While GREEN leaves depict hope, renewal, and
revival, dead leaves represent decay and sadness. In
general, leaves are symbolic of fertility and growth, and
in Chinese tradition, the leaves of the Cosmic
Tree represent all of the beings in the universe.
The last leaf symbolize
Mr. Behrman climbed up on a ladder and painted
the leaf in the cold and rain and caught pneumonia
himself and died. The leaf is a symbol of despair that
turns into a symbol of hope. Johnsy thinks the
ivy leaf stands for her life, slowly falling away. When
the leaf remains, however, it becomes a symbol of hope
for her.
The character of the last leaf
The main living characters of this story were, Sue,
Johnsy and Mr. Behrman and Doctor and a
nonliving character Mr. Pneumonia. Sue is a loving and
caring friend who always takes care of Johnsy. Sue by
herself is a young artist and being one of her best friends
Johnsy, always takes care of her.
Introduction of the lesson- THE LAST LEAF
‘The Last Leaf’ is a famous story of O. Henry. It is a
sentimental story. Sue and Johnsy were two young
artistic friends. They lived together. Once Johnsy fell ill.
There was an ivy creeper outside the window. Its leaves
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were falling. Johnsy had a fancy that she would die when
the last leaf on the ivy fell. She was worried. An old
painter named Behrman lived downstairs. He considered
Bohrman. He promised to help her. That night it was
snowing. The last leaf also fell. But Behanan worked all
night and painted a leaf on the wall. The next morning
Johnsy was surprised to see that there was still a leaf on
the ivy. Her will to live returned. Soon she recovered. But
old Behrman caught pneumonia and died. Thus he
sacrificed his own life in order to save Johnsy.
Art is a valuable asset and offers hope even in the most
trying situations. It has the power to heal the human spirit.
“The Last Leaf” depicts the value of art as it saves a
precious young life. Although the artist sacrifices his own
life in the process, his masterpiece immortalizes him.
Theme / Central Idea of the Lesson. Analysis of THE
LAST LEAF
The story is based on the theme that life is precious and
faith and hope should never be lost. We come across many
hindrances in life and they should be overcome by fighting
back in high spirits. Depression can lead to disaster even
when the situation is not bad. Another theme that runs
through the story is that devoted friendship can be succor
during times of crisis. A minor theme of the story is the
importance of art in human lives. The old painter
knowingly sacrifices his life in his urge to create a
masterpiece.
Very often, we find people having a negative attitude
toward life. They lose interest in life and this causes
suffering to people surrounding them. They are even ready
to lose their life as life has lost all meaning for them. The
story tells the need to have a positive attitude towards life
so that we can make it as fruitful as possible. Sacrificing
our life for the sake of others is also a theme in this story.
Painter Behrman scarifies his life for Johnsy.
Value Points
1. ‘The Last Leaf is a story of supreme sacrifice by an old
artist Behrman.
2. Sue and Johnsy are two young artists. They share a
small flat.
3. Johnsy suffers from pneumonia. She links her illness
with the leaves of ivy creepers.
4. She has made up her mind that with the fall of the last
leaf of the ivy creeper, she would also die.
5. Her illness is made worse by these negative thoughts.
Medicines have no effect on her illness.
I.B.Com/B.B.A (1st Sem) English Perceptions – I
6. Sue, her best friend suggests to her that she should
stop thinking negatively.
7. One night, it rains heavily and there was a storm also.
Johnsy thinks that the last leaf would fall anytime and
she would also die with the fall of that leaf.
8. Johnsy peeps through the window to make herself
sure that whether the last leaf fell or not. To her surprise,
she finds that the last leaf was still on the creeper when
she woke up in the morning.
9. Sue tells Johnsy that the last leaf is quite green and
healthy. It has not fallen.
10. Now Johnsy smiles and starts recovering her health
soon.
11. Finally, sue discloses the truth of the last leaf. The
last leaf on the ivy creeper is Behrman’s Masterpiece.
He painted it last night when the last leaf fell from the
ivy. He died of pneumonia the next morning.
Summary:
‘The Last Leaf is a touching story. It describes the
sacrifice made by an old painter named Rebuttal). He
sacrificed his life to save a young girl artist's life.
Sue and Johnsy, two young friends and artists shared a
small flat that was on the third story of an old house.
It was the month of November when Johnsy fell
seriously ill. She was afflicted by pneumonia. She
simply lay in her bed and looked out of the window. This
left her friend Sue worried, so she called a doctor. The
doctor visited every day but Johnsy’s condition did not
show any improvement. One day the doctor told Sue that
perhaps Johnsy was depressed and in the absence of her
will to live, no medicine could cure her.
Johnsy was Sue’s dear friend. So, she made sincere
efforts to revive Johnsy’s interest in life by talking about
clothes and fashion. Sadly, nothing worked. Then Sue
brought her drawing board to Johnsy’s room and started
painting. She whistled while working so that Johnsy’s
mind could be taken off her illness.
Suddenly, Sue heard Johnsy whispering. She rushed to
her bed and heard that Johnsy was counting backward
while looking out of the window. An anxious Sue looked
out too and saw an old ivy creeper climbing halfway up
the brick wall opposite their window. The strong autumn
wind was blowing outside and the creeper was shedding
its leaves.
Sue asked Johnsy what she was counting. Johnsy replied
that she was counting the leaves on the creeper which
were almost a hundred till three days ago but now only
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five were left. Sue said the falling of leaves was normal
since it was autumn. However, Johnsy revealed her
shocking fear that when the last leaf fell, she too would
die. Sue rubbished this idea and said that old ivy leaves
had nothing to do with Johnsy’s illness. But, Johnsy
insisted that she wanted to see the last leaf fall before it
got dark and then sleep forever.
Sue comforted Johnsy and begged her not to look out of
the window while she used the incoming light to finish a
painting that would get the money. Johnsy agreed on the
condition that Sue would finish her painting soon and not
make her wait further to see the fall of the last leaf. Sue
then told Johnsy that she had to paint an old miner and
was going down to call Behrman, their neighbour, to be
her model. Behrman lived on the ground floor in the same
building. He was a sixty-year-old painter who had a
lifelong dream to paint a masterpiece. Sue shared her
worry with Behrman and told how Johnsy was convinced
about her death with the fall of the last leaf.
Behrman accompanied Sue to her apartment and the two
of them walked silently into Johnsy’s room. She was
sleeping at that time, so the two of them went to the next
room and peeped out through the window. The creeper
had only one leaf on it. It was raining heavily and the icy-
cold wind was blowing. Behrman returned without saying
anything.
The next morning, Johnsy woke up and asked Sue in a
feeble voice to draw the curtains. A nervous Sue
reluctantly drew back the curtains but exclaimed when she
looked at the creeper. She pointed out to Johnsy that there
was still one leaf left and it looked quite green and
healthy. Johnsy said that she had heard the wind last night
and was sure that the leaf must have fallen. If it hadn’t so
far, then it would surely fall soon and she too would die.
Sue tried to cheer her up and asserted that she won’t die
and she must live for the sake of her friends.
Johnsy smiled- weakly and closed her eyes. She looked
out of the window after every hour and every time found
the leaf still there. Another storm struck in the evening but
the leaf did not fall. Johnsy looked at the leaf for a long
time and then called Sue.
She admitted that she had not been good to her. Sue had
looked after her so lovingly and she, in turn, had not
cooperated. The last leaf had shown her that she had been
wicked. She had realized that it was a sin to wish to die.
Sue hugged Johnsy and then gave her lots of hot soup and
a mirror. Johnsy combed her hair and smiled brightly.
I.B.Com/B.B.A (1st Sem) English
The doctor came in the afternoon and after examining
Johnsy told Sue that since Johnsy now had the will to
live, he was confident of her early recovery. Then he
took leave to go downstairs and examine Behrman who
too was suffering from acute pneumonia.
Perceptions – I
7. Sue and Johnsy were artists. True /False
Ans: - True
8. What was Johnsy counting?
Ans: - Johnsy was counting ivy wine leaves

The next morning Sue came and sat on Johnsy’s bed and
informed her that Mr. Behrman was no more. He had
died of pneumonia that morning after a brief illness of
only two days. He was found in his bed with wet clothes
and shoes by the janitor. A ladder and a still lighted
lantern were found near his bed. There were also some
brushes and green and yellow paint near the ladder. Sue
told Johnsy to look out of the window at the ivy leaf.
She asked if she wondered why it didn’t flutter when the
wind blew.
The green and healthy leaf was Behrman’s masterpiece
that he had painted the previous night braving the icy
winds and rain.
9. What is special about the houses in Greenwich
Village?
Ans: - The houses in the village of Greenwich have Dutch
attics and eighteenth-century gables. These provided an
ideal setting for budding painters. Other than that, the rent
there is affordable for painters who are still struggling in
their careers.
10. What did Sue hear while she was painting?
Ans: - Sue repeated the low noise of the Johnsy counting
numbers several times.
11. What was Behrman's dream?
Ans: - Behrman's dream is to paint a masterpiece.

Short Answer Questions:
1. What does "places" refer to?
Ans: - ‘Place’ refers to Washington Square, where the
streets run wild and divide themselves into smaller strips
called “places”.
2. Whom did Mr. Pneumonia infect?
Ans: - Mr. Pneumonia infected of the colony that had
touched one here and there with his icy fingers.
3. Mention the similar tastes of Sue and Johnsy.
Ans: - Similar tastes in art, chicory salad, and bishop
sleeves are very suitable for Sue and Johnsy, as a result
of the joint studio.
4. Why did Sue ask the doctor to come home?
Ans: - He was diagnosed with pneumonia in Greenwich
Village. Johnsy became ill. Her weak body could not
withstand the severity of the attack. She was miserable,
frustrated, and insane in her bed. Her condition quickly
deteriorated. Panicked at his friend's plight, Sue came to
the doctor and asked him to examine Johnsy.
12. Johnsy and Sue were surprised to find that in spite
of the storm and gusty wind................
a) The single ivy leaf had withered
b) The single ivy leaf had fallen
c) The single ivy leaf still clung to the vine
d) The single ivy leaf was destroyed
Ans: - c) The single ivy leaf still clung to the vine
Paragraph Answer Questions:
1. Describe Greenwich in your words.
Ans: - Previously, the village of Greenwich was known as
the birthplace of the American bohemian movement in the
early and mid-twentieth centuries. It was known as the
artist's neighborhood with eclectic and avant-garde
residents. Because of its residents, small art galleries,
alternative plays, and controversial publications have
flourished. It was the focus of many political and social
movements of the time. Art people are moving soon to
relieve the old Greenwich Village. Northern windows and
eighteenth-century gables and hunting for Dutch, Arctic,
and low rent. From Sixth Avenue, they imported some
pure mugs like a "colony", a chafing dish or two.

5. The "Little lady" mentioned by the doctor refers to
…………
Ans: - Johnsy
6. According to the doctor, the chances of Johnsy's
recovery from pneumonia are little. Why?
Ans: - Johnsy's mental submission to infection reduces
her body’s ability to fight back.
2. What was bothering Johnsy as she lay on her
sickbed?
Ans: - Pneumonia shocked Johnsy's body and mind.
Intense anguish robbed her of all desire to wait patiently
for the crisis. She convinced herself that it was time to
leave. She was inspired by an old vine that sheds its leaves
one by one for seasonal reasons. In the most irrational

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I.B.Com/B.B.A (1st Sem) English Perceptions – I
way, rotten vines are present throughout her life. She
concluded that the fall of the last leaf signified the
arrival of her death. So, she waited very badly until the
last leaf fell.

3. How is pneumonia personified in the story?

Ans: - In November, doctors angered a cold, invisible
stranger called pneumonia, who touched him here and
there with yellow fingers. On the east side, the
destruction advanced boldly, defeating the victims by
scores, but slowly stepping on his narrow, algae-growing
“places”.

4. Write a note on the doctor's diagnosis.

Ans: - The doctor examined Johnsy. He didn’t care about
her ability to fight severe pneumonia; it really pulled her
to the edge. He told this to Sue, but Johnsy assured her
that there was still a 10% chance of survival. He
promised to give her the best prescription medicine, but
the patient regretted that mental submission to the
infection would reduce his body’s fighting ability. He
advised Sue to do as much as he could to instill some
confidence and determination in the lonely Johnsy. If this
happens, he promises, the effectiveness of the drug will
double. He advises Sue to examine Johnsy to see if there
is an unfulfilled desire to regain lost mental strength.

5. How did Behrman save Johnsy's life?

Ans: - When Sue informed Behrman. As a neighbor
upstairs, he was very upset and saw that Johnsy's
comments were meaningless. He decided to do his
biggest work to draw the last leaf. The weak leaf clings to
life, and if she can recover from all the hardships, she can
while Johnsy's life is saved.

6. What was Behrman's masterpiece according to

Sue? Why?
Ans: - Behrman's final painting becomes a real
masterpiece because of its originality. It was very real in
life; it deceived everyone, but especially Johnsy, because
he created that painting. If the last leaf painting on the
withered ivy string had not been so skillfully drawn,
Johnsy would have been disappointed and not sure if she
would have killed herself. Also, the painting was
important because it later became clear that the weak old
man had gone to face the harshest weather to paint the
leaves. What makes his description unique is that he can
draw perfectly even in such a storm.

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 I.B.Com/B.B.A (1st Sem) English
SUBJECT: ENGLISH
CHAPTER – 2
TOPIC: - ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL
BY – Ruskin Bond
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I. SUMMARY
The narrator of the story is a young boy who lives in his
grandfather's home in Northern India. The grandfather
loves animals and continuously brings home a wide
variety of animals, much to the amusement or annoyance
of the various extended family members that live in the
home. The animal that causes the most turmoil in the
home is a four-foot-long young python. The grandfather
buys it from a snake charmer at a bazaar for six rupees,
"impressing the bazaar crowd by slinging it across his
shoulders and walking home with it." The boy's
grandmother, who is usually tolerant of all of the
grandfather's pets, does not like reptiles and tells the
grandfather to get rid of the snake.
Perceptions – I
simply a reflection of his own image, he was driven into
suicidal despair.
II. SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS:
1. Whom did the grandfather get the Python from?
Ans: - Grandfather got the python from a snake charmer.
2. How did he impress the crowds with the Python?
Ans: - Grandfather put the python on his shoulders and
walked home with it, cheering the crowd.
3. Grandmother was tolerant of…………….but drew
the line at ................ pets.
Ans: - Most birds and animals, reptiles as
4. Who was Mabel and why did the grandfather dislike
her?
Ans: - Mabel was grandfather's cousin. He didn't like her
because she was fussy.

The old couple had a large menagerie of animals and the 5. Why did the grandfather feel crestfallen?
narrator, like his grandfather, was fond of them all. The Ans: - Grandfather could not find the snake charmer and
old man was an amateur conservationist. He felt that the so he returned home.
world was becoming a more and more hostile place for
animals as its human population expanded, and he 6. Where was the Python kept how did it escape?
seemed to be doing his best to turn his house and garden Ans: - Python was placed in the bathroom on a steep-sided
into something like Noah's ark, to save as many as he tin tub. It then escaped through the window.
could.
7. How did Aunt Mabel react to the Python's first
The boy's grandmother was more ambivalent in her appearance?
attitude to the animals. She could see the benefit of Ans: - Aunt Mabel responded as she saw the ghost for the
keeping some of them, such as the monkey which caught first time in Python.
mice, but would much rather have been without some of
the others, such as the python. The menagerie also had a 8. When did Aunt Mabel decide to pack her bags and
negative impact on her social life, since their presence leave?
made it difficult for her to entertain visitors. Ans: - When Aunt Mabel saw that Python was admiring
her under the cushion, she decided to pack her bags and
The boy's Aunt Mabel is extremely frightened of the leave.
python and faints when she first encounters it. "The
python had fallen in love with his own reflection" is 9. The Python's weakness as perceived by the
an allusion to the Greek mythological figure of Narcissus. grandfather was:
Narcissus was the son of the river god and by all accounts a) Umbrella b) Reflection c) Juicy chicken
was an incredibly handsome young man. However, he Ans: - b) Reflection
only treated those who loved him with contempt.
II. PARAGRAPH ANSWER QUESTIONS:
One day, the nymph Echo spotted Narcissus and
immediately fell in love with him. However, when she 1. Explain the chaos created by the arrival of the
revealed herself and attempted to embrace Narcissus, the python in the grandfather's house.
latter pushed her away and told her not to bother him. As Ans: - Grandfather loved unusual pets. One day a snake
punishment, Nemesis, the goddess of revenge, led him to bought a python from a magician for six rupees. He threw
a pool where he fell deeply in love with his own it on his shoulder and walked home. Grandmother Moore
reflection. Upon realizing that the object of his love was went to see the Python curling in her throat. She asked her

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I.B.Com/B.B.A (1st Sem) English Perceptions – I
husband to find the man and give Python back to him. So, Grandfather and the gardener put the cages in a pony net,
Grandfather put it in the straight tin tub in the bathroom went to the other side of the river bed, left the cages in the
and went to bring the beauty of the snake. The person woods, and opened the trap door.
could not be found, and he returned the sign. Grandfather
went to the bathroom to take Python into the woods, but
it crashed through the bathroom window.

A few days later the reptiles appeared. Aunt Mabel

grabbed a pear and ate it, noticing that this twenty-foot-
tall python was staring at her in amazement. It soon
began to appear in unexpected places. The next morning
it was on the dressing table looking at his reflection in the
mirror. Then it reached out to Aunt Mabel under the
pillow. Tried to find it in different places all over the
house. Finally, a cage with a mirror at one end was
placed; the juicy chicken was put in a cage along with
other dishes. Python is eventually trapped and released
into the wild, reflecting itself in the surrounding mirror.
So the confusion caused by Python coming to his
grandfather's house.

2. Describe Aunt Mabel's reaction to the presence of

the Python.
Ans: - Aunt Mabel was a fussy woman who had been
home to grandfather for three weeks. She didn't like any
kind of pet, let alone Python. A few days after her arrival,
the inescapable Python gave her a look. When she
reached the pearl she saw a python on the pear tree. She
jumped up the stairs, looking at the ghost. She thought
the python, about twenty feet long, would eat her. It had a
weird look in its scary eyes. The next time she spotted
Python admiring the cushion, it caused her to throw
herself into frenzy. She immediately packed her bags and
left Grandfather's house.

3. How did the grandfather finally succeed in caging

the Python?
Ans: - Grandfather had bought a python from a snake
chamber. Grandmother threatened to take Python out of
the house. It was locked in a steep side tin tub in the
bathroom and then he saw it slip through the window. It
was nowhere to be seen for a few days. Soon, it appeared
in the guava tree and frightened Aunt Mabel; One day it
admires her from under a mattress. Soon it was curled up
on the dressing table, seeing his own reflection.
Grandfather finally found a way to catch Python. He
began to prepare a large cage with glass at one end. He
left a juicy chicken and several delicious dishes and fitted
the opening with a trap door. Nothing happened for a few
days. But one morning, Rusty (the narrator) saw Python
curled up in a cage. He ate everything he had left for
himself and was resting in front of the mirror with a smile
on his face. The dropper was slowly lowered.

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 I.B.Com/B.B.A (1st Sem) English
SUBJECT: ENGLISH
CHAPTER – 3
TOPIC: - HEART OF THE TREE
BY – Henry Bunner
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- poet himself answers by stating that the man plants a
I. ANALYSIS
Heart of the Tree
The heart of a tree. Did you know that a tree has a heart?
Not a beating heart that we have but a heart of deadwood
that runs through the center of the tree. This actually
helps the tree, because this dead wood, known as
Duramen, is more resistant to decay, so means the tree is
less likely to rot.
Functions of a tree in the poem
It produces 'seed and bud', which further produce fruit.
The poet uses the word 'harvest' to suggest an abundance
of fruit. The poet skillfully connects the idea of planting
a tree to positive things like regeneration, food, and
shelter and inspires the reader to look beyond the simple
act of growing a sapling.
The central idea of the poem
It provokes one to plant more trees. The central idea of
the poem is to let the readers know the benefits of
the tree and contribute to saving them. It tells us that
the heart of the tree is magnanimous. It blesses those who
don't care for it and even those who care for it.
The main theme of the poem
Spread the love
The poem The Heart of the Tree might actually have a
number of themes, though the primary focus is on
why trees are essential for human existence. The
usefulness of trees: This is the prominent theme
in the poem as the poet describes how a tree helps in
keeping this earth habitable.
II. LINE BY LINE EXPLANATION
First Stanza
What does he plant who plants a tree?
He plants a friend of sun and sky;
Explanation:-
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Perceptions – I
The poem opens with the refrain which asks “What does
he plant who plants a tree?” and that sets the tone for the
entire poem. We instantly realize that the poet is going to
explain the usefulness of planting a tree. However, the
friend of sun and sky by planting a tree.
A plant grows upwards and aims to reach the sun and the
sky. So it is as if the sun and the sky get a new friend in a
tree. Secondly, the tree needs sunlight and air to survive.
And finally, the trees seem to absorb the heat and save the
earth from the scorching sun, giving an implication that
the sun becomes friendly in the presence of the trees.
He plants the flag of breezes free;
The shaft of beauty towering high;
Explanation:-
The speaker now adds that the man plants a flag that flies
freely in the mild breeze. The poet here compares the leafy
branches of the tree to a flag and the stem to the beautiful
shaft (pole) of the flag that stands tall.
He plants a home to heaven anigh;
For song and mother-croon of bird
Explanation:-
By planting a tree the man plants home for the sweet
singing birds high in the sky, near heaven. So, he keeps
the earth habitable for birds and helps in maintaining the
ecosystem.
In hushed and happy twilight heard —
The treble of heaven’s harmony —
These things he plants who plants a tree.
Explanation:-
In quiet and happy twilight we can hear those birds
chirping which is harmonious to heaven’s own tunes.
In the entire first stanza of The Heart of the Tree, the poet
accentuates the importance of trees in maintaining the
holistic beauty of nature. Moreover, the use of words like
‘heaven anigh’, ‘heaven’s harmony’ and ‘towering high’ is
aimed at giving an impression that the work of planting a
tree is indeed a heavenly and glorious deed.
The finishing line of the stanza forms a logical whole with
the opening line, one asking a question and the other
completing the answer.
I.B.Com/B.B.A (1st Sem) English Perceptions – I
Second Stanza And far-cast thought of civic good—
His blessings on the neighbourhood,
What does he plant who plants a tree?
He plants cool shade and tender rain, Explanation:-

Explanation:- By planting a tree the man shows his love and loyalty for
this earth (his home), his sense of civic duty, and his
So, the poet repeats the question to begin a new stanza blessings on the neighbourhood. All these are reflected in
and attempts to answer again in the subsequent lines. The the ‘sap and leaf and wood’, in every cell of the tree.
tree he plants provides us with cool shade and helps in
bringing rain. Who in the hollow of His hand
Holds all the growth of all our land—
And seed and bud of days to be, A nation’s growth from sea to sea
And years that fade and flush again; Stirs in his heart who plants a tree.

Explanation:- Explanation:-

A tree will produce seeds and buds in the future. Years By planting a tree the man directly or indirectly
will pass silently but the tree will remain there through its contributes to the nation’s growth. When a tree is planted,
seeds producing new trees. it sets in motion the progress of a nation from sea to sea.
And all these start from the progressive thought in the
He plants the glory of the plain; man’s heart who plants a tree.
He plants the forest’s heritage;
The capitalization in ‘His’ indicates that the man who
Explanation:- plants a tree is all-powerful and the destiny-maker of a
nation.
Trees are the main elements that make a plain area green
and beautiful. So the poet describes trees as ‘the glory of This last line is very important as it talks about the man’s
the plain’. Moreover, today’s single tree may turn into a heart, feelings, dreams, and wishes behind planting the
forest someday. So by planting a tree now the man plants tree. This also leads to the poem’s title ‘The Heart of the
a ‘forest’s heritage’. Tree’.

The harvest of a coming age;
The joy that unborn eyes shall see —
These things he plants who plants a tree.
Explanation:-
The speaker mentions that planting a tree today would
give fruits in the coming days. Our next generations
would be delighted to see so much vegetation and reap its
benefits. So all the credit goes to the man who plants a
tree.
In this stanza of the poem The Heart of the Tree the poet
stresses the importance of planting a tree for making this
earth a better living place for future generations.
Third Stanza
What does he plant who plants a tree?
He plants in sap and leaf and wood,
In love of home and loyalty
Thus the poet Henry Cuyler Bunner ends up composing an
uncommon piece of poetry in ‘The Heart of the Tree’ out
of a common and cliché topic – the usefulness of planting
a tree.
III. SUMMARY
The poem ‘The Heart of the Tree’ is a poem about the
beauty of planting a tree or the satisfaction derived from
this practice. In this poem, the poet beautifully describes
the actual essence of what a person plants when he plants
a tree. The poet aptly says that when somebody plants a
tree, he plants not only what we call a tree, but something
that serves as a friend of sun, sky, and breeze. Here, the
poet wants to say that the sky’s brightness, sun’s warmth,
and the touch of the breeze make them a friend of a plant.
He further observes that the stems are like beauty shafts
that keep growing.
The dense branches of the plant act as a true shelter or
home to different types of birds, with their colourful

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I.B.Com/B.B.A (1st Sem) English Perceptions – I
presence as messengers of Nature’s beauty, diversity, and The mature plant sets the movement of progress from sea
bounteousness. They tweet, chirp and croon in their to sea. All these things are possible when a man begins to
fascinating voices thus making the surroundings pleasant. think that way. His is in big letters, which indicates that he
In a way, as the poet feels, the person who plants a tree is all-powerful and the maker of his nation's destiny.
also plants a future. This is because the tree will bring
rain and coolness to the environment, and will thus 3. How does the tree convey the loyalty of the man who
become an identity of the habitat. This will play a major plants it?
role in producing food for the future generation. Ans: - As man plants a tree he does a moral act and in
return expresses his loyalty by providing the tree shade.
Furthermore, the person who plants trees also acts as a The tree is capable of preventing burning sun rays from
good citizen of his country because, by planting a tree, he coming to the earth. On the other hand, the tree has seeds
brings joy and blessings to the neighbourhood. As a result and it spreads far and wide and gives rise to various trees
of all he does, the land becomes fertile, and thus a boon and plants which affect the tree plants and nature. Due to
to humankind. which the ecological balance is maintained. The tree
produces fruit for human consumption and flood health.
IV. SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS The tree that provides shade to all creatures is the greatest
expression of loyalty.
1. Whom is the speaker addressing in the poem?
Ans: - The man who plants the tree. V. ESSAY ANSWER QUESTIONS

2. List any two things that man will do by planting a 1. Explain the title of the poem?
tree. 2. How is the theme of environmental awareness
Ans: - 1. Man is a friend of the sun and sky brought out in the poem?
2. Plants a house for heaven Ans: - Refer Analysis & Summary

3. How is the tree a friend of the Sun and Sky?
Ans: - When the tree grows, the poet tries to reach the
sun and the sky. A new friendship is developed.
4. “The flag of breezes” means
a. Flag in the wind
b. The tree is like a flag
c. Air
Ans: - b. The tree is like a flag
3. Explain the refrain in the poem
Ans: - The biggest refrain of poetry is the human attitude.
Not all humans think like a poet. The nobility of thought is
so special that the poet gives different meanings to tree
planting. But all these conditions apply only when a man
thinks of planting a tree, or else everything is wasted. If all
citizens of all countries develop this attitude, perhaps
deforestation will end and nature will regain its lost
balance.

V. PARAGRAPH ANSWER QUESTIONS The man must know that he is trying to perpetuate his
offspring by planting a tree. He is providing a home for
1. What are the functions of a tree? the birds that nest there. When the plants are plentiful,
Ans: - A tree is capable of maintaining ecological nature has its rainfall schedule, and life goes on without
balance, providing shade and life on earth. Attempts to any hassle. The man goes out to plant the heritage of the
reach the sky or the sun are believed to be growing and forest by planting a tree. Therefore man should consider it
trees. The tree gives shade and the leaves of the plant act a sacred duty and plant a tree to maintain the ecological
as a flag and they create a good atmosphere. Trees have balance.
seeds and they spread further and give birth to trees and
plants. The tree protects humans by providing cool shade.
The tree protects the earth from sun-seeking heat, making
the sun appear favorable in the presence of trees and
plants.

2. How does anation grow by planting trees?

Ans: - By planting trees, humans show their concern for
the nation. Many people see this as their moral duty. In
return, he seeks only good blessings for prosperity.

3
 I.B.Com/B.B.A (1st Sem) English Perceptions – I
SUBJECT: ENGLISH Saheb remembered Surest. 'About his wife's death when
CHAPTER – 4 he mentioned his daughter as Buddhapikalathi, a walk-
TOPIC: - DAUGHTER stick in old age. Sahab also desired a daughter in his life.
BY – Lata Jagtiani Sahib and Suresh drank a glass of beer.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I. SUMMARY Cash, property, offices, cars, jewelry, farmhouses,
paintings - all are divided equally between the four sons.
'Daughter' is written by Mumbai-based author Lata More than six crores. But only 7 lakhs for Deepa.
Jagtiani. In this story, he brings out the patriarchal system
in which females are less important in the family. It Sohrab did not sleep well that night. But what to do? He
portrays inequality, gender bias, despite the laws. first angrily dialed Deepa's cell number and then stopped.
It was a breach of trust to tell her father's will.
As the technocrat died at the age of 78 after a prolonged
illness, immediate family members reached the office of He recalled his conversation with Suresh. Sahib thought of
Sohrabasaheb at the Oval to learn about the will. convincing Suresh about himself and giving Deepa a
According to the will, Deepa of the technocrat, 26 years share. In those days he was in the media campaign with
old, will be a form of Reserve Bank of India. The rest of Aurora, which occupied him from sunrise to sunset. He
the estate will be divided equally among his sons. The won the case and became a media celebrity all night.
will was signed by Suresh Shyamdas Chhabria. Rakesh, Suresh's membership in the Turf Club suited him all.
Suresh's firstborn, and the other three sons walked Suresh had introduced him to the affected people, the right
towards the door and Deepa was still looking at the circles. There was no time to worry about Suresh's act.
beautiful Oval Maidan.
And now it was too late. Thirty-year-old Deepa faced the
The sky was cloudy and the pouring rain was imminent. window silently. There was a strange, unusual thing about
However, Maidan was bustling. A one-day cricket match Suresh, overjoyed at the birth of his daughter and
was played, which was watched by Deepa. She heard a distributing sweets to each of his employees on three
loud cry for six floors, 'Out!! Out! 'As the umpire turned floors of his company. But it seems that that cute baby
around to find the face for the deconstruction, the whole died in his room. It was as if someone else was watching a
team jumped for joy. The overweight man in a white coat straight cricket match. He could hear the jubilant crying
and broad sun hat gently raised his right hand between and the umpire again pointed the finger, Deepa questioned
the loud shouts of joy and cheering. The crestfallen the umpire's decision. Sahab agreed but gave importance
batsman began to walk away from the crease and into the to the umpire's decision. For the first time, he met his eyes.
field, his head hanging down. Another enthusiastic He could see no tears, no tension, no anxiety nor any grief.
batsman took the spot in the crease. He prepared himself There was only an empty and airless place where light and
to face the bowler, but the bowler began to fall back, bliss once lived. He reminded her of a dry lake she once
rubbing the hailstorm heavily on his lap, ready for attack. saw sedentary and empty. Deepa wanted to leave and
Saheb told her that her driver would leave her but she
Rakesh asks Deepa to accompany him but he refuses preferred to take a walk. She knew she would take the bus.
because he had to go to a travel agency. She was He occasionally saw her at a bus stop outside the NCPA.
anxiously watching the match. All four of them, the
companions, will go back to their comfortable cabin. As Deepa spots Suresh with his granddaughter and
promises to take her out for a horse ride and eat ice cream.
She now remembers her past with her father, where He made an excuse to his secretary and left office.
Deepa had expressed her desire to join the office but her
qualifications did not qualify her. He had a post-graduate They sat in a quiet, air-conditioned car. The congestion
degree and a diploma in marketing management. All the was creepy. Five minutes later they reached Nariman
brothers left the office and knew about Sohryasaheb Point. The signal turned red. Next is a pile. He looked out
Deepa's reflective mood. of his window and saw the rain coming down on the
sheets. He saw a familiar man standing in a long line at the
Once Suresh expressed his wish to Saheb to fulfill his NCPA bus stop. She was looking hard at a book in her
wish and thought that Deepa was working in the travel hand. She had no triple or raincoat, and she forgot the rain.
agency with a salary of ten thousand rupees a month. She kept looking at the book cover. The empty bus
arrived, paused, and when it left she was the only one left,

1
I.B.Com/B.B.A (1st Sem) English Perceptions – I
still looking at her book. He saw that she was not crying
from that distance. They were clouds of rain, not tears.
II. SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
1. The family members had gathered at the Sohrab
Saheb’s office at the Oval for
1. Deciding the distribution of property
2. Hearing the distribution
3. Challenging the distribution
Ans: - 2. Hearing the distribution
2. What did Deepa and her brother get from their
father’s property according to the will?
Ans: - According to will. Deepa will get seven lakhs and
the rest of the property will be divided into four sons.
3. Only Deepa was alarmed at reading the will,
because………
Ans: - Deepa was not expecting any part of her father’s
property.
4. What was the reaction of the lawyer when he first
heard S. Chabria’s distribution of his property?
Ans: - The Lawyer was thinking about Deepa
5. How did Suresh defend himself when Sohrab asked
him about the unfair distribution of property?
Ans: - Suresh's face tightened sharply, reflected by his
strapping muscles.
6. How did Sohrab react to phone calls in the office
that day? Why?
Ans: - Sohrab screamed angrily and cut off the call. He
could sense the frustration of Deepa
7. Sohrab took the day off because …………..
(Complete the sentence)
Ans: - After seeing Deepa’s reaction to the unfair
distribution of property. Sohrab was not in the mood to
work that day. He decided to spend the day with his
granddaughter.
8. What did the lawyer notice at the NCPA bus stop?
Ans: - Deepa was standing in a long queue at the NCPA
bus stop.
III. PARAGRAPH ANSWER QUESTIONS
1. The cricket match gives solace to the pain and
humiliation Deepa receives at the office. Justify.
2
Ans: - After Deepa's father's death, the lawyer reads a will
in front of Deepa and Suresh's four sons. As per the will,
Deepa will be given an amount of seven lakhs which is
already designated for her as a Reserve Bank of India
bond.
The rest of the property should be divided equally between
my four sons. Improper distribution of assets disappointed
Deepa. The four sons were neither surprised nor worried.
A one-day cricket match was being played which Deepa
was watching carefully. He heard loud cries all the way to
six floors. 'out! out!'
The entire team jumped into the Jubilee to find the
umpire's face for confirmation. The overweight man in
white coat and wide sun-hat slowly raised his right
forearm loudly and wept with joy and happiness. The
batsman landing at the crease started to move away from
the crease and exited the playground, his head was
lowered. An ardent spirited batsman took his place at the
crease.
He readied himself to face the bowler. While the bowler
started running at a brisk pace, the hail was vigorously
rubbed on his thigh and prepared to attack. In this manner,
the cricket match (resolves the pain and humiliation
received in the office.
2. Why were the brothers neither surprised nor
alarmed after hearing the will?
Ans: - Suresh's will was read by his lawyer Shorab after
his death. The four sons and Deepa at the Oval were called
at Shorab’s office. According to the will, Deepa will be
given an amount of seven lakhs. Which is already
designated for him as an RBI bond, the rest of the property
should be divided equally among my four sons.
Since it was a patriarchal family, where the girl child is
not given an equal share in the father's property. However,
there is a law where property must be divided equally
between sons and daughters. Suresh's son had already
assumed that his father would leave the bulk of the
property in favor of the four sons. Therefore, the brothers
were neither surprised nor worried after hearing the will.
3. Deepa’s brothers were only an extension of their
father’s mindset. Explain.
Ans: - Suresh's will was read after his death by a lawyer,
Shorab. Four sons and Deepa were summoned to the
broth's office at the Oval. As per the will, Deepa will be
given an amount of seven lakhs which is already
designated for her as a Reserve Bank of India bond.
I.B.Com/B.B.A (1st Sem) English
The rest of the property should be divided equally
between my four sons. After hearing the will of the
brothers, there was neither any surprise nor alarm.
Rakesh. Suresh's first birth moved his legs forward.
Alarmed, Lazy gathered his briefcase and straightened his
shirt. The other three quickly hacked their chairs, stood
up, and headed towards the door.
Perceptions – I
arrived: Suresh introduced him to the right circles, to
people of consequence. There was no time to worry about
Suresh's act. And then it was too late an equal share in her
wealth. An emptiness and airless spot could be seen in
Deepa's eyes. He reminded her of a dry lake she had once
seen, motionless and empty. The lawyer commented, "It's
a life".

When they reached the door, Rakesh stood up. Whenever 7. The lawyer intends to take his granddaughter out
Deepa expressed her desire to attend her father's office, for ice cream. How does it reflect his sense of guilt?
he always ignored her question. His brothers never Ans: - After Deepa's father's death, the lawyer reads a will
supported him. Although Deepa was eligible and scored in front of Deepa and Suresh's four sons. As per the will,
more than her brothers. Deepa will be given an amount of seven lakhs which is
already designated for her as a Reserve Bank of India
4. How did the brothers respond to the will? What bond.
does it say about their attitude?
Ans: - Refer Question No – 3 The rest of the property should be divided equally between
my four sons. Improper distribution of assets disappointed
5. How is the umpire’s decision a metaphor for Deepa. The four sons were neither surprised nor worried.
Deepa’s condition? Thirty-year-old Deepa faced the window silently. There
Ans: - Thirty-year-old Deepa faced the window silently. was a strange, unusual peace about him. She seemed to
There was a strange, unusual peace about him. She have died in the lawyer's room. It was as if someone was
seemed to have died in the lawyer's room. It was as if watching a cricket match because of disagreeing with the
someone else was watching a straight cricket match. umpire's decision.
Deepa disagreed with the umpire's decision as he
declared 'out'. Shorab also agrees with Deepa and The brothers also agree with Deepa and comment that the
comments that the poor batsman should go with the poor batsman should go with the umpire's decision, even if
umpire's decision, even if it is unfair. Here, the umpire's it is unfair when Deepa was exiting the broth's office.
decision is similar to Deepa's father's decision. Deepa's Sohrab asks him to leave his car and he will arrange for
father never appreciated Deepa's work and did not share the driver. But he refused and decided to go by bus. The
an equal share in her wealth. An emptiness and airless brothers felt guilty. He must have tied the will to amend.
spot could be seen in Deepa's eyes. He reminded her of a He canceled his day job and promised to feed his
dry lake she had once seen, motionless and empty. The granddaughter an ice cream.
lawyer commented, "It's a life".

6. The will had been prepared four years ago but S.

Chabria didn’t modify it. Why?
Ans: - Shorab tried several times to convince Suresh to
modify the will. Whenever he spoke about it, Suresh's
face tightened rapidly, he could see with Cheek muscles.

It was not good to argue with him. Before a day of desire,

Sohrab did not sleep well that night. But he was helpless.
He first angrily dialed Deepa's cell number and then
stopped. It was a breach of trust to tell her father's will.
Apart from Suresh and he went far behind. Now for the
second time, he felt ashamed of himself.
He should have tried to convince Suresh, he should have
given it another shot. He was in media headlines with
Arora in those days and it captured him from sunrise to
sunset. The time was inconvenient. He had won the case
and became an overnight media celebrity. Everyone seeks
him out; Suresh's membership in the Turf Club had

3
 I.B.Com/B.B.A (1st Sem) English
SUBJECT: ENGLISH
CHAPTER – 5
TOPIC: - THE PLOUGHMAN
BY – Khalil Gibran
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Though human try will always be continually relentless in
I. SUMMARY& ANALYSIS
About the Poet
Kahlil Gibran was a Lebanese poet and philosopher. This
book speaks everything about life: love, children, giving,
marriage, work, death, religion, joy, and sorrow. Okay, it
speaks all things life – if that makes sense He was on
the hill overlooking the sea and he saw his ship coming,
and he was happy.
The theme of the Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
Khalil Gibran believed that both the amazing and ugly
aspects of life on Earth are to be embraced in order to
gain knowledge, truth, and harmony with the self and
others.
Analysis of the Poem
A ploughman asks about Work, and AlMustafa replies
that work helps one keep pace with the soul of the earth,
while the idle are strangers to the seasons and too proud
to submit to the infinite. Work is not, as many say, a
curse, and misfortune; it is the fulfillment of part of
earth's dreams and shows one's love of life. Some say
birth is an affliction and the flesh a curse, but Mustafa
counters that only the sweat of one's brow washes away
what is written. Some criticize the darkness and
weariness of life, but AlMustafa objects that darkness
creates a blind urge for knowledge, attained only by
work. Working with love binds people to themselves and
to God. Weavers should think of the beloved who will
wear the cloth, builders of the beloved who will live in.
II. The Ploughman: Line by line Explanation
“You work that you may keep pace with the earth and
the soul of the earth.
For to be idle is to become a stranger unto the seasons,
and to step out of life’s procession, that marches in
majesty and proud submission towards the infinite.”
“When you work you are a flute through whose heart
the whispering of the hours turns to music.
Which of you would be a reed, dumb and silent, when
all else sings together in unison?”
Explanation:-
1
Perceptions – I
Gibran mentions “the earth and the soul of the earth”
which relates to the self-sustaining world that we live in.
And that pace of the earth is to exist, to live and survive.
our society’s search for never-ending progress and
development [“proud submission towards the infinite”],
every human being must learn to live in harmony with this
rhythm. The poem speaks about unity and accord, that
every aspect of human labor is collective in nature. One
can never achieve a goal without having the help of his
peers or his co-workers. Humans are social beings
attributed to their immense population and relative
responsibility of sustaining the needs of their race. In order
to survive, every human being must work in unanimity. In
the aspect of labor, productivity depends on the harmony
of social structures within a system.
“Always you have been told that work is a curse and
labour a misfortune.
But I say to you that when you work you fulfill a part of
earth’s furthest dream, assigned to you when that dream
was born,
And in keeping yourself with labour you are in truth
loving life,
And to love life through labour is to be intimate with
life’s inmost secret.
“But if you in your pain call birth an affliction and the
support of the flesh a curse written upon your brow, then
I answer that naught but the sweat of your brow shall
wash away that which is written.”
Explanation:-
A common misconception of work and labour is that it is
always associated with hardship and physical stress. But to
the author, that misconception greatly depends on the
perspective of the worker. In a spiritual sense, the author
mentions a “dream” which can be translated as “one’s
purpose of existence”. He said that “if one is keeping
himself with labour, then he is in truth loving life” which
will therefore fulfill the “purpose of his existence”
[“fulfilling a part of earth’s furthest dream”].
Work, therefore, is an amount of effort applied to produce
a deliverable or to accomplish a task, not a state of burden
or misfortune. And when one bears the fruit of his own
labour then one shall acquire his own alleviation. [“The
sweat of your brow shall wash away that which is
written”]
I.B.Com/B.B.A (1st Sem) English Perceptions – I
And I say that life is indeed darkness save when there
is urge,
And all urge is blind save when there is knowledge,
And all knowledge is vain save when there is work,
And all work is empty save when there is love;
And when you work with love you bind yourself to
yourself, and to one another, and to God.”
“And what is it to work with love?
It is to weave the cloth with threads drawn from your
heart, even as if your beloved were to wear that cloth.
It is to build a house with affection, even as if your
beloved were to dwell in that house.
It is to sow seeds with tenderness and reap the harvest
with joy, even as if your beloved were to eat the fruit.
It is to charge all things you fashion with a breath of
your own spirit,
And to know that all the blessed dead are standing
about you and watching.”
Explanation:-
Gibran conceivably implicated the most benign
interactions of expression in this stanza where he
contemplated the importance of urge, knowledge, and
love in one’s work. When one works with love one
attaches himself to himself, and others, and to God. We
all live in a spiritual, quasi-philosophical world that we
always tend to struggle for justification for our actions.
We need a source of strength for our entire physical and
spiritual skirmish with life, and Gibran explains; we can
achieve this if we bind our existence to ourselves, to
others, and to God.
The verse further explains symbolical relationships on
the nature of one’s purpose of labor. That one must put
all his commitment and dedication on his work as if the
outcome of his physical labor; the cloth that he weaved,
the house he built, the seeds he had sown and harvest,
will all be for his beloved.
“Often have I heard you say, as if speaking in sleep,
“He who works in marble, and finds the shape of his
own soul in the stone, is nobler than he who ploughs
the soil.
And he who seizes the rainbow to lay it on a cloth in
the likeness of man, is more than he who makes the
sandals for our feet.”
But I say, not in sleep but in the over wakefulness of
noontide, that the wind speaks not more sweetly to the
giant oaks than to the least of all the blades of grass;
And he alone is great who turns the voice of the wind
into a song made sweeter by his own loving.”
2
Explanation:-
Gibran attempts to define the state of equivalence of men
in all labour. “He who works in marble, and finds the
shape of his own soul in the stone, is nobler than he who
ploughs the soil.” He further explained that this realization
only exists “in sleep” or in a whimsical state of human
thoughts, and actual misconception. He then turns to
define greatness as when “one who can turn the voice of
the wind into a song made sweeter by his own loving.”
When a writer creates a masterpiece by committing
himself to his work to help others to understand earns as
much success as when an inventor produces the machine
that alleviates the welfare of people. Work will be defined
by the greatness of its worker, not by its own greatness.
“Work is love made visible.
And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste,
it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the
gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with
joy.
For if you bake bread with indifference, you bake a bitter
bread that feeds but half man’s hunger.
And if you grudge the crushing of the grapes, your
grudge distils a poison in the wine.
And if you sing though as angels, and love not the
singing, you muffle man’s ears to the voices of the day
and the voices of the night.”
Explanation:-
The prophet Almustafa, ends the poetic discussion on
work that was started by a ploughman, by saying “Work is
love made visible…” The only way to conceive and
produce a good result of work or labor is when one puts
his heart into it. Loving one’s work is one of the greatest
contentment a human being could ever feel. No one else
could define this feeling not unless he commits himself to
it. By showing dedication, enthusiasm, devotion, and
loyalty, one’s physical work would bring peace and
contentment to himself, to his family, and to the people
around him.
These are words to live by. Gibran’s words are
refreshingly non-sectarian yet feel nonetheless profound,
timeless, universal, and relevant to all cultures, peoples,
and times. The profoundness of his truth is not gleaned
until the words are read many times. Gibran teaches us to
celebrate life no matter what the circumstance is. We need
to work in order to live. And as he said, “Work is love
made visible…” just intricately suggest that to work is to
love.
I.B.Com/B.B.A (1st Sem) English
III. About ploughman's love with his work:
1. Khalil Gibran has described the love of a worker for
his work.
2. The ploughman said that to work with love is like
weaving cloth with your heart.
3. If you are building a house, build with heart and
passion as if you are doing it for your beloved
4. He who works and fined his soul in the work is nobler
than the one who ploughs
IV. Short Answer Questions:
1. Why must one work?
Ans: - To keep pace with the earth and the soul of the
earth.
2. What will happen if one is idle according to the
speaker?
Ans: - To be idle is to become a stranger up to the
seasons.
3. What has one always been told about work?
Ans: - Always been told that work is a curse and labour
a misfortune.
4. How can one change one’s destiny?
Ans: - By engaging in work.
5. List the words associated with music.
Ans: - Flute, Whisper, and music.
6. ‘Whispering hours’ means
a. Passage of time
b. Chatting with each other
c. Telling Secrets
Ans: - a. Passage of time
7. The fruits of work can make the worker as well as
……………….. happy.
Ans: - Family
8. When is work considered empty?
Ans: - When one is not involved in it.
V. Paragraph Answer Questions:
1. What are the Misconceptions about work?
Explain.
3
Perceptions – I
Ans: - Humans always work hard and it pays off for them.
But there is a huge misconception (myth) about work and
work. It has always been believed that work and exertion
are associated with hardship and physical stress. It
depends entirely on how the worker sees it. If it is taken in
a philosophical way, it can be confirmed that the work will
give results if the man has patience.
2. How are the misconceptions about work dispelled?
Ans: - Misconceptions can be disproving using another
method. When one works hard, he is found to like his
work, which gives meaning to his existence. Work is the
effort used to create work, not a burden or misfortune.
When a person enjoys the fruit of his effort he will
experience true happiness.
3. Work teaches selflessness. Explain.
Ans: - When man acts without expecting fruits, he acts
unselfishly. The nature of work teaches selflessness. When
a man invoices in the workplace he fully develops. Woven
fabrics, homemade, seeds for the benefit of others. Man
became one with nature. The dignity of labor is lost when
a man works.
4. What happens if one works with love?
Ans: - If a person works with love, he is connected with
work and thus with God. It seeks to act as if we are
working for the good of our own people. If a person
weaves cloth, he feels that he is doing this for his own
people. It is like lovingly building a house where our
people live.
VI. Essay Answer Questions:
1. Describe the speaker's concept of work.
Ans: - Refer Summary and Analysis
2. What would be the effect if one dislikes the work he
does? Explain.
Ans: - If a man is determined to act and act, no force can
stop him from his power. If the man on the other hand
does not like his work. Then he should increase the
volatility, in such cases, he should quit his job. One can sit
at the entrance of the temple and beg.
If a man is engaged in work, he bakes bitter bread that will
never feed a hungry man. When you break down the
grapes you have, that feeling turns into a wine person. If
you sing or speak like angels but not with affection, it is
not always good advice. So it should be satisfying
whenever we work.
 I.B.Com/B.B.A (1st Sem) English Perceptions – I
SUBJECT: ENGLISH education of her teacher, Anne Sullivan, who was
CHAPTER – 6 trained to work with blind children, Keller blossoms.
TOPIC: - MY TEACHER
BY – Helen Keller Summary
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I. ANALYSIS & SUMMARY Helen Keller was born in Tuscumbia, Alabaman on 27th
June 1880. Her father, Arthur H. Keller, was the editor
About Helen Keller for the North Alabamian, and had fought in the
Confederate Army during the American Civil War. At 19
Helen Adams Keller (June 27, 1880 – June 1, 1968) was months she suffered "an acute congestion of the stomach
an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She and brain (probably scarlet fever)which left her deaf and
was the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts blind. Helen was a very bright child. She became very
degree. A prolific author, Keller was well-traveled and frustrated because shouldn’t talk. She became very angry
outspoken in her convictions. She Became the and began to throw temper tantrums. The family knew
Most Famous Disabled Person in the World. Although they had to do something to help her. The most important
deaf and blind, Helen Keller graduated from college. She day she remembers in all her life is the one on which her
wrote about her life and became an activist for the teacher, Anne Mansfield Sullivan, came to her. She was
disabled. Sullivan also taught Keller how to read braille filled with wonder when she considers the immeasurable
and raised type, and to print block letters. By age contrasts between the two lives which it connects.
9, Keller began to learn to speak and read lips, skills she
continued to develop throughout her lifetime. On the afternoon of that eventful day, she stood on the
porch, wondering, expectant and she guessed that
About Anne Mansfield Sullivan something unusual was about to happen, so she went to
the door and waited on the steps. She did not know what
Anne Sullivan was born on April 14, 1866, in Feeding future held of marvel or surprise for her. She was like the
Hills, Massachusetts. A gifted teacher, Anne Sullivan is ship at sea in a dense fog, when it seemed as if darkness
best known for her work with Helen Keller, a blind and shut you in, and you waited with beating heart for
deaf child she taught to communicate. Her parents something to happen. ”Light! Give me light!” was the
immigrated to the United States from Ireland during the wordless cry of her soul, and the light of love shone. She
Great Famine of the 1840s. She was the first person to felt approaching footsteps. The morning after her teacher
teach a child that was both deaf and blind. She faced came, she leads her into her room and gave her a doll.
many trials in her lifetime, going from blind in an Miss Sullivan slowly spelled into her hand the word “d-o-
orphanage to a successful teacher that helped change the l-l.” She was at once interested in this fingerplay and tried
world of teaching for the blind. Born on April 14, 1866, to imitate it. In the days that followed, she learned to spell
in Feeding Hills, MA, Anne Sullivan was born into in this uncomprehending way a great many words. But
a world of poverty. her teacher had been with her several weeks before she
understood that everything has a name.
About My Teacher: Helen Keller
Earlier in the day, they had a tussle over the words “m-u-
The story of my life by Helen Keller is an autobiography g” and “w-a-t-e-r.” Miss Sullivan had tried to impress
that recounts Helen's experience's as she adjusts upon her that “m-u-g” is a mug and that “w-a-t-e-r” is
to the world as a blind and deaf person. water, but she persisted in confounding the two. She
Helen devotes the rest of the book to describing her became impatient at her repeated attempts. In the still,
experience learning to read, write, and speak dark world in which she lived there was no strong
under the tutelage of her teacher, Anne Sullivan. sentiment or tenderness. She felt her teacher sweep the
fragments to one side of the heart, and she had a sense of
The main theme of the Lesson satisfaction that the cause of her discomfort was removed.

As Keller writes, "It was my teacher's genius, her quick They walked down the path to the well-house, attracted
sympathy, her loving tact which made the first years by the honeysuckle with which it was covered. Someone
of my education so beautiful." Through the power of was drawing water and her teacher placed her hand under
perseverance and through the thoughtful and enlightened the spout. As the cool stream gushed over one hand she

1
I.B.Com/B.B.A (1st Sem) English Perceptions – I
spelled into the otherworld water, first slowly, then 8. When Helen heard footsteps, she stretched out her
rapidly. Suddenly Helen felt a misty consciousness as of hand thinking it was her
something forgotten-a thrill of returning thought, and i) Father ii) Teacher iii) Mother
somehow the mystery of language was revealed to her. Ans: - iii) Mother
She knew that “w-a-t-e-r” meant the wonderful cool
something that was flowing over her hand. 9. What was the purpose of the arrival of the person
who held Helen in her arms?
The living world awakens her soul, gave it light, hope, Ans: - To reveal everything and love her.
the joy set it free! She left the well-house eager to learn.
Everything had a name, and each name gave birth to a 10. What did the teacher give her the day after she
new thought. As they returned to the house every object came? Who had sent it?
which she touched seemed to quiver with life. Ans: - The next day the teacher gave her a toy. It was
sent by the little blind kids at the Perkins Institution.
She learned a great many words that day. I do not
remember what they all were; but I do know that mother, 11.had dressed the doll.
father, sister, teacher was among the words that were to Ans: - Laura Bridgman
make the world blossom to me.
12. Why was Helen flushed with childish pleasure and
Everything has its wonders, even darkness, and silence, pride? How does she express it?
and she learns, whatever state she may be in, therein to be Ans: - Helen achieved childish joy and pride when she
content. was finally able to get the "D-O-L-L" letters right. She
grabbed it from her mother and revealed it.
II. SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS:
13. What was the uncomprehending way in which
1. Which according to Helen Keller was the most Helen learnt to spell?
important day of her life? Ans: - Helen makes her fingers move in a monkey-like
Ans: - 3rd March 1887, Helen's teacher Miss Sullivan imitation.
came to live with her on that day.
14. The spelling d-o-l-l applied to both. What did the
2. When did Helen Keller meet her teacher for the teacher mean by "both"?
first time? Ans: - Both the new doll and the big rag doll are
Ans: - Helen Keller first met her teacher on 3rd March pronounced the same way.
1887, when she was 7 years old.
15. Why did Helen dash the doll upon the floor? How
3. How old was Helen Keller when she met her teacher did she feel about her action?
for the first time? Ans: - Helen repeatedly seemed impatient with her
Ans: - She was seven years old. repeated attempts. She looked happy when she saw the
broken toy pieces.
4.was the name of Helen Keller's teacher.
Ans: - Miss Sullivan 16. What was the well-house covered with?
Ans: - Fragrance of honey-suckle
5. What made Helen Keller feel that something
unusual was going to happen? How did she react? 17. When did the narrator feel repentance and
Ans: - Helen’s fingers were almost unknowingly familiar sorrow?
leaves and flowers. Anger and bitterness haunted her for Ans: - When she remembered that the toy was broken,
weeks, and deep intoxication prevailed in this emotional she felt sad and upset.
fight.
18. What were some of the first few words that Helen
6. What does Helen compare her life with? learnt on the eventful day?
Ans: - Helen compares her life to a sea in dense fog. Ans: - Mother, Father, Sister, Teacher

7.was the wordless cry of Helen's soul. II. PARAGRAPH ANSWER QUESTIONS:
Ans: - "Light! Give me light!"

2
I.B.Com/B.B.A (1st Sem) English Perceptions – I
1. Why does Helen refer to the day as an eventful one? Ans: - In 1887 the summer was very special. Helen's
Ans: - The day Helen’s teacher Anne Mansfield Sullivan teacher, Miss Sullivan, trains her with the names of
came to see her was an important day she will remember articles around her, and Helen tells her moves. Although
for the rest of her life. She was amazed when She she did not fully understand, she learned many words in
considered the boundless contradictions between the two one process. Her teacher removed her from the mess, and
lives that connect it. fluid flowed into her hands. I felt that every word gave
birth to a new idea. He regretted the work he had done
2. How did the introduction of the word "water" and tried to put the game pieces together. Then, for the
awaken Helen Keller's soul? first time in her life, she began to look forward to a new
Ans: - As Helen and her teacher go home to the well, day.
they are fascinated by the honeycomb that covers it.
Someone was drawing water and her teacher put her hand 6. During the first few months after her teacher's
under the spout. As the cold stream came up, on one arrival, how did Helen get to know about many things
hand, she said another word in the water, first slowly, around her and how did she communicate with the
then fast. Suddenly Helen felt a fog-consciousness as if others?
she had forgotten something — the thrill of the thought Ans: - As Miss Sullivan's initiative, Helen was initially
coming back; and somehow the secret of the language amazed at her ability to pronounce words like "D-O-L-
was revealed to her. She knew that "W-a-t-e-r" was a L", but these words meant nothing to her because it was
wonderful cool thing flowing in her hand. The world of an interesting "finger play". It quickly annoyed Helen,
life awakens her soul, gives light, hope, joy frees it! She uttering the words, and she became angry; Miss Sullivan
left the well-house eager to learn. Everything has a name, broke the toy she had brought for herself. She was
and each name gave birth to a new idea. When they satisfied that the source of her irritation had been
returned home every object she touched seemed to be removed. Like most things, Helen went to the next thing
shaking with life. when she went to the garden. Then Helen was able to
combine words like water, cup. It gave meaning to her
3. What transformation took place in the narrator existence. He remembered his mother, father, teacher,
after her visit to the well-house? What did she do on and sister learning words from others, and could not wait
entering the house? for the new day to begin so he could continue to learn the
Ans: - When the living world awakened her soul, it gave “word of life”.
her light, hope, and joy. She left home eager to learn.
Each has a name, and each name gave birth to a new idea.
She shuddered at life when she returned home to touch
everything. She saw everything in a strange and new way.

4. What incident led the narrator to dash her new doll

to the floor that resulted in its breaking into pieces?
What were her feelings then?
Ans: - When Helen crash with the words "M-U-G" and
"W-A-D-E-R". Miss Sullivan tried to impress with the
"M-U-G" trophy and the "W-A-T-E-R" water, but Helen
made a persistent attempt to confuse the two. In
desperation she left the matter, only to recover it at the
first opportunity. She got impatient with the repeated
attempts and grabbed a new toy and she dropped it on the
floor. She was overjoyed when she felt the broken toy
pieces on her leg. Neither sadness nor grief followed her
passionate anger. She did not love the toy. There was no
strong feeling or tenderness in the dark world in which
she lived. She felt sad and upset.

5. How was the summer of 1887 special for Helen?

How did Helen learn the joy of nature?

3
 I.B.Com/B.B.A (1st Sem) English Perceptions – I
SUBJECT: ENGLISH bad one', listing 'first edition snobs', 'oriental students
CHAPTER – 7 haggling', and 'vague-minded women' as some of the less
TOPIC: - BOOKSHOP MEMORIES discerning customers. Well, I haven't seen many first
BY – George Orwell edition snobs come into our shop - presumably, they have
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ turned to the internet or more specialist shops to find their
I. About George Orwell collectibles. We do get a fair few foreign students, of all
nationalities, but this is mostly because there is a language
school nearby, and so the students come to us for their
George Orwell (Arthur Blair), Born in 1903 in India, textbooks. They also never try and haggle - despite the
Studied at St. Cyprian College and Eaton in Britain, sometimes fairly steep prices. As for 'vague-minded
joined the Indian Imperial Police, Come back to London, women' - well there are plenty of these, but vague-minded
then to Paris, Married Eileen in 1936 in London, Became men also.
a POUM soldier and was shot in the neck in 1937,
Became a Home Guard during the World War II, began One curious thing about bookshops is that the staff are
to work as a journalist for several newspapers, magazines often expected by the public to have a perfect database-
and for the BBC, Got the phthisis in 1947, Published like memory of the thousands of books in print. Orwell's
“1984” in 1949, Passed away in London in 1950 complaint of a 'dear old lady who read such a nice book in
1897, doesn't remember the title or author but does
Work remember that it had a red cover' is certainly a
recognizable query. What is perhaps more remarkable is
Animal Farm, Coming Up For Air, Burmese Days, Etc. that it is often possible, with a bit of effort and some new
technology, to work out what the customer is after.
Point of View
A further observation Orwell gives is the importance of
Totalitarianism makes people to think as the Government Christmas: “we spend a feverish ten days struggling with
and do not allow them to think individually, The best way Christmas cards and calendars, which are tiresome things
to control people mind is the social and psychological to sell but are good business while the season lasts”. Ten
way, People is controlled by media, Doublethink, The days? The Christmas selling period is more like two
language is going down, becoming vague, to hide bad months now. Orwell is right that it is important though, the
truth. entire financial year is built around Christmas, during the
run-up to which sales can quadruple, and more. It's a sad
Orwell currently and in the past truth that more books are sold as gifts now than as
personal purchases - even outside of Christmas many
Greece, Burma, Hitler, Fascism, Stalin, China, Church in books are sold as birthday, wedding and even christening
the past. presents - you can tell as much from when a single book is
sold in combination with a sheet of wrapping paper and a
Summary card. Many customers will even ask to borrow a serotype
so that they can wrap it up on the spot! You have to
"Bookshop Memories" is an essay about his experience wonder how many of these books - often glossy, coffee-
working in a second-hand bookshop in London. The table items, are actually read. So big is the gift market that
writer is at his sarcastic best in this one. He writes about the book trade has its own national currency, book tokens,
snobs who are more interested in buying "first editions" for those that cannot choose an appropriate title.
rather than literary works. He also writes about people Further comments by Orwell that I can identify with are
who order books but never come to pick them up, oriental that “lunatics tend to gravitate towards bookshops”, that
students who haggle over the price of cheap textbooks, “modern books for children are rather horrible things”
and women who were shopping for birthday gifts for their (though this isn't completely true), and that classics like
nephews. He laments over the rarity of really bookish Dickens are often bought but seldom read.
people. If book readers were rare in 1936 when the essay
was written, then now it must be like searching for an Orwell describes the irritating behaviour of bookshop
oasis in the Sahara or the Kalahari Desert. customers - first edition snobs, oriental students, vague-
minded women, and "the kind of people who would be a
Orwell starts off rather disdainfully by stating that barely nuisance anywhere but have special opportunities in a
'ten percent of our customers knew a good book from a bookshop". The shop had various sidelines including

1
I.B.Com/B.B.A (1st Sem) English
typewriters, stamps for collectors, horoscopes, and
Christmas novelties (Orwell was particularly amused by
an invoice for these that included the phrase "2 doz.
Infant Jesus with rabbits"). However, the main sideline
was the lending library, which to Orwell shed new light
on readers: "In a lending library you see people's real
tastes, not their pretended ones."
For Orwell, the book trade was a temporary job, but he
considers what it is like as a career. The claim that, given
a small investment, “any educated person ought to be
able to make a small secure living out of a bookshop”
seems a little off the mark - I wonder what my boss
would say to that! Sadly, Orwell's claim that “the
combines [chains] can never squeeze the small
independent bookseller out of existence” is also sadly no
longer true. I work in an independent shop, but it has
done very well to prosper in a difficult market, where
chains can demand bigger and bigger discounts
(margins).
Perceptions – I
4. What do the paranoiacs do?
Ans: - A paranoiac rushes into bookstores. These people speak
a little louder. Such buyers will slip silently without buying
them.
5. Why do certifiable lunatics in London gravitate towards
bookshops?
Ans: - This is because the bookshop is one of the few places
where they can spend long walks without spending money and
then get to know these people at a glance.
6. What happens during Christmas time at the bookshop?
Ans: - Touts from Christmas card companies will arrive at the
bookstore with their catalogs by June during Christmas.
7. A lending library' is also called………………….
Ans: - A simple 'two penny no-deposit' library of five or six
hundred volumes, all fiction.
8. What type of books do women usually read?
Ans: - Dell's novels are usually read by women.

Reflected in it is a snobbery from Orwell (people read
trash) and the customers who buy a certain type of book
to fill a bookshelf, but never intended to read. He is
appalled by what is well-read (Detective Novels and Fem
Porn – what has changed) and what is not (Shakespeare
and Dickens). In this, he saw a new side of Orwell and
his disdain for the low-brow literary public. He confessed
if he kept his employment that he would have lost his
love of books to “paranoiac customers and dead
bluebottles”.
In conclusion, Orwell says that he would not wish to be a
bookseller full-time, mainly because it is a job that tends
to give one a distaste for books.
II. SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS:
1. What was the first thing that struck the narrator when
he worked in a second-hand book shop?
Ans: - There is a rarity of really bookish people when the
narrator works in a second-hand bookstore.
2. Who were the common customers at the second-hand
bookshop?
Ans: - First Edition Snobs are regular customers of Second
Hand Bookshop.
3. According to the narrator, who unusually comes to sell
worthless books in his bookshop?
Ans: - According to the narrator, the man usually smelled of
old bread crusts that came to sell useless books in his
bookshop.
9. The narrator likes to take up the profession of a
bookseller. True or False?
Ans: - False
10. How did the narrator feel when he saw five to ten
thousand books at a time?
a. The sweet smell of decaying paper attracted him
b. He felt bored and sick
c. He felt joyful in their company
Ans: - b) He felt bored and sick.
II. PARAGRAPH ANSWER QUESTIONS:
1 Write about the types of people who visit the narrator's
bookshop?
Ans: - According to the narrator, there are two types of people
who visit the narrator's bookshop. One of them is a man who
smells of old bread crust and tries to sell cheap books every
day, sometimes several times a day. The other is the person who
has no small intention of giving money to someone who orders
a large number of books.
2. Explain the various 'sidelines' found in the narrator's
bookshop.
Ans: - Like most second-hand bookstores, the narrator has
different sides. They refer to the sale of second-hand
typewriters, used stamps, and sixpenny horoscopes collected by
someone claiming to have forecast the Japanese earthquake.
Much business can be observed in children’s books, most
notably ‘the rest’. Modern books for children are collectively
terrifying.
3. Comment on the lending library and the authors who
were easily 'taken' by the customers.

2
I.B.Com/B.B.A (1st Sem) English Perceptions – I
Ans: - There was a loan library near the owner of Orwell's ago. Some government newspapers, like the old volumes of
shop. It had 500 to 600 novels. No investment was taken from women's magazines.
its patrons. Book thieves and swindlers haunted these places.
They borrow books from another library, tear up the front page In the middle of the sea of books in the bookstore, Orwell lost
with the shop name embossed on it, and come to the library to his passion for old books because the charm of feeling and
sell the stolen book for a price. smelling an old volume had disappeared. Orwell still buys new
books, but he really wants to read them only if they are not
4. How do people react to the mentions of 'classic? available in a library. He has no love for new books working in
Ans: - Orwell can assess readers' tastes from the books they the bookstore. Instead, working as a shop assistant left behind
read. He was saddened that readers did not ask for classical an unpleasant memory of strange customers and the smell of
English novelists. Books by authors such as Dickens, dead blue bottles.
Thackeray, Jane Austen, and Trolop were not popular among
readers. Orwell rejoiced that the same people who turned away
from serious authors in the library or shop did not hesitate to
buy books written by Charles Dickens or Shakespeare.
Dickens' books have always been an indispensable reading
material behind the minds of serious readers. Dickens enjoyed
the lingering attraction among its readers. But most readers
hated American novels.

5. Why are short stories not so popular as novels?

Ans: - The short stories, for some unexplained reason, did
not seem in favor of the heroes Orwell knew there. When
readers are asked about their aversion to short stories, they say
that there are different characters with different names in the
stories. ‘It was a little confusing for the readers,’ they said. At
times, the story unfolds in easily conceivable ways. Readers,
it seemed very boring. Only stories and novels written by
D.H. Lawrence have an avid readership.

6. Explain the reasons given by the narrator for not

willing to be a professional bookseller.
Ans: - Orwell asks if he wants to take himself into the
business of book sales. He responds negatively. Although he
enjoyed his time at the store, his boss was kind to him. Orwell
believes that with the right opportunity and capital, anyone
can achieve moderate success in book sales. Selling rare
books can be a bit risky. If a person has a reasonable idea
about the contents of a book, he will find it easier to sell. Most
booksellers have no knowledge of the contents of a book and
would be misled into trusting the book’s sales brokers
provided by the publisher. Bookselling is a classic business
and involves no fraud or deception. There should be a large
open front for bookstores to improve visibility. Winter can be
very cold inside a bookstore. On cold days the book also starts
to stink. Insects like bluebottles lie dead in books. Cleaning
books on shelves is not a pleasant job.

The real reason Orwell was reluctant to go into the book

industry as a career, however, was none of these factors.
When he worked in a bookstore, he lost his love for books. To
impress the customer, he has to constantly dust off to see the
books fresh and new. Proves that books are hard to remove
from the shell. In the early days, Orwell wanted to keep books
in his 50s. He can buy whole piles of them at auction for a
very nominal price. Books obtained like this are a mixed bag.
Some are the works of poets who lived more than a century

3
 I.B.Com/B.B.A (1st Sem) English
SUBJECT: ENGLISH
CHAPTER – 8
TOPIC: - A CONVERSATION WITH A READER
BY – Hilaire Belloc
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I. About Hilaire Belloc
Joseph Hilaire Pierre René Belloc (27 July 1870 – 16
July 1953) was an Anglo-French writer and historian and
one of the most prolific writers in England during the
early twentieth century. Belloc became a naturalized
British subject in 1902 while retaining his French
citizenship.
Work
One of his best-known works relating to Sussex is The
Four Men: a Farrago (1911), in which the four
characters, each aspect of Belloc's personality, travel on
a pilgrimage across the county from Roberts bridge in
the far east to Harting in the far west, Cruise of the Nona
and The Servile.
II. Summary
All the popular authors must have had an experience of
talking with the public who read their works. The author
once had an experience many years ago while traveling
from Birmingham to London on the Great Western
Railway. He was in a third-class smoking carriage with a
person, who looked like a commercial traveler. It was in
the early autumn and sunny weather. They will tell their
friends. More copies will be sold. The world has
changed its complexion and my sun has risen at last. As
these pleasing thoughts succeeded each other the man
opposite put down the volume with a sigh.
He said he was just looking over the bookstall and thinks
he must have taken it up by mistake for another book. He
picked up the book and pronounced the name wrong by
looking at the cover. He said painful words that were
mentioned in the newspaper articles and became
enthusiastic. It was only him who got done from the train
at Oxford. The author felt he was right. He accepted with
affectation and a lack of interest in all. The beauty of
South England healed the author.
The People whose books sell largely must have had an
experience of talking familiarly with the public who was
reading one of my works. It was many years ago, the
author was traveling down from Birmingham to London
on the Great Western Railway. He was in a third-class
smoking carriage with a person, who looked
1
Perceptions – I
like a commercial traveler. It was in the early autumn and
sunny weather. It was one of his too numerous books of
essays. They will read these books until their covers are
worn out, and then they will buy another copy. They will
tell their friends. More copies will be sold. The world has
changed its complexion and my sun has risen at last.
As these pleasing thoughts succeeded each other the man
opposite put down the volume with a sigh. He said he was
just looking over the bookstall and thinks he must have
taken it up by mistake for another book. But he made a
languid gesture, picked up the book again, looked at the
back, pronounced the name wrongly, and then threw the
book down again. This time there was a note of bitterness
in his complaint. It was having spent a shilling on it that
rankled. He picked up the book again and looked at the
title. All these words of his were painful ones. They were
indeed newspaper articles. He mentioned several, to repeat
whose names would, I suppose. He suddenly became
enthusiastic. This time it was all about a dear little child.
The train was slowing up for Oxford he got up, snapped
his bag, and was evidently going to get out. No one else
got in at Oxford. The train did not stop before Paddington.
The man was quite right. What with affectation in one
place and false rhetoric in another and slipshod
construction in a third and a ghastly lack of interest in all.
Soon the beauty of South England healed this wound.
II. SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS:
1. The author's fellow traveller appeared as either
………….or ………………….
Ans: - Publican or Hangman.
2. Why did the narrator feel dizzy with happiness?
Ans: - The narrator is dizzy with joy as the companion
grabs the title of the book.
3. What was the reader's first remark on the book?
Ans: - Readers' first comment on the book was "silly
stuff".
4. Name the two poems the reader mentions and
praises.
Ans: - "Has made us what we are", "Sambo's prayer".
5. Why did the man like the verses more than the
book?
Ans: - Man prefers poetry more than the book because it
gives pleasure.
I.B.Com/B.B.A (1st Sem) English
II. PARAGRAPH ANSWER QUESTIONS:
1. Write a note on the conversation between the
narrator and the reader in the train.
Ans: - Early in the fall and on a sunny morning, the
speaker had an experience when he was traveling from
Birmingham to London on a large western railway,
traveling in a 3rd class smoking carriage. Traveler,
public, or hangman. The reader purchased a number of
essay books, which made the narrator happy.
The narrator was not much interested in reading the book
and said it was a silly thing and that it could be articles in
newspapers. The narrator was sad and asked the reader
about the name of the author who had read the book
before. The reader has mentioned many names and one
of them is the poet and the reader is "what we have
done" and "Sambo is the payer". The narrator asked the
reader whether he had met the great poet or not, and
replied with a tone of astonishment that he had not met
the poet, and that it was not for the mortal man, that he
sang the dangers of the song.
2. Bring out the differences in the reader's opinions on
the narrator's book and his favourite рoems.
Ans: - The narrator and reader were traveling in a Class 3
smoking train from Birmingham to London on the Great
Western Railway in the early morning and early morning.
The reader carried a book of several articles by the
narrator. The reader said that it was a trivial matter to see
the book and that he wasted a shilling to buy this book.
The narrator asked how he came to read it, to which the
reader replied that he did not know, and that he was
looking at the bookstall, and that the man recommended
that he buy this book for a shilling. The reader reads
some books while traveling thinking that this book will
take some time on the journey.
Perceptions – I
narrator's heart was already high, and he was mentally
confused because the friend was holding the title of the
book, one of the speaker's many essay books. The narrator
thought to himself that his name was known to the people
of England through his essay books. They will read and re-
read these books until the covers run out, and then they
will buy another copy. They will tell all their friends. He
felt like he was selling more and more copies. The world
changed its color and his sun finally rose.
4. Why wasn't the narrator satisfied with his own
book?
Ans: - After hearing the reader’s bad opinion of the
narrator’s book, he decided to buy the book from the
reader. The reader gave the book to the narrator and left
with a shilling. The narrator opened his book with no
energy and opened the pages, his heart sinking. After
reading his pathetic articles for a long time he realized that
the comrade was quiet because he knew the story.
By reading a sentence and a phrase the story was
disgusting, with vulnerability in one place and
misrepresentation in another and careless construction in
the third place in his mind and thoughts. The narrator
wanted from the depths of his soul that he never felt
responsible for himself. The narrator expresses his feelings
that all life is a choice of two evils and that even a bad
look at one’s name is less of an insult than the norm in
paying.

When the reader saw the title of the book, he said that it
was a great piece of stuff, that it was stupid, that it could
be a newspaper article and that it contained no story, and
that the reader began to sing his favorite poems, eager to
repeat the poem. That's "Has made us what makes us",
"Sambo's prayer."

3. What were the author's thoughts/reflections when

he saw his book in the hands of the fellow traveller?
Ans: - On his way down from Birmingham to London
on the Great Western Railway, the speaker had an
experience in the early summer, and in the sun, he was
traveling with another in a third-class smoker, he would
be a public traveler, a hangman or a hangman. He had a
good solid face, strong hands, and perfect style. The

2
 I.B.Com/B.B.A (1st Sem) English Grammar & Composition
SUBJECT: ENGLISH Liberty was a gift from the people of France to mark
TOPIC: - PASSAGE the one hundred year anniversary of American
Independence. In 1869, sculptor Frederic Auguste
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. The culture of nuclear families is in fashion. Parents Bartholdi began to plan his concept for the
are often heard complaining about the difficulties in monument.
bringing up children these days. Too much freedom in
demand, too much independence; overnight parties; Bartholdi chose the look of classic Greek and Roman
excessive extravagance, splurging pocket money; no figures. He envisioned Liberty as a strong and proud
time for studies and family all this is a common cry of figure, one who personified not only the majestic
such families. Aren’t parents, themselves, responsible Greek goddesses of the past but also the working men
for this pitiful state? The basic need of a growing and women of the present. Finally, in 1884, the work
youth in the family, love, attention and bonding along was finished, and Liberty was packed into 214 crates
with moral values. One should not forget that ‘charity and sent to New York City. Only one problem stood in
begins at home’. the way. While the French had raised a lot of funds to
build the statue, New York had not secured the funds
Independence and individuality both need to be to build its foundation. It was not until a New York
respected, in order to maintain the sanctity of family. newspaper implored people for donations that money
Children, today are to be handled with tact in order to became available. Finally, on 28th October 1886,
bridge the ever-widening generation gap. Only the Americans celebrated the unveiling of the Statue of
reasonable demands need to be fulfilled, as there are Liberty.
too many expenses to be met and top many social
obligations to be taken care of by the parents. Our 1. Why was the Statue of Liberty given as a gift to
forefathers lived happily in joint families. Children America by France?
loved to live with their cousins, learnt to adjust within 2. What is the name of the sculptor of the monument
means. There was perfect harmony between the ‘the Statue of Liberty’?
generations. There never existed the concept of old- 3. What did the sculptor imagine the Statue of Liberty
age homes. There was a deep respect for the family to be?
elders and love, care and concern for the youngsters. 4. How many years did it take to unveil the statue of
Even the minor family differences were solved liberty?
amicably. 5. Trace the word from the passage which means the
same as “imagined”.
1. Mention any two major common concerns of a
Ans:-
nuclear family.
2. Who, according to the passage, is responsible for 1. The Statue of Liberty was given as a gift to America by
them? France to mark the one hundred year anniversary of American
3. Explain the expression ‘charity begins at home’. Independence.
4. Describe the atmosphere in joint families. 2. Frederic Auguste Bartholdi.
5. Which word in the passage means ‘Holiness of life’? 3. The sculptor imagined the Statue of Liberty as the majestic
Greek Goddess of the past and also as the working men and
Ans:- women of the present.
1. Too much independence and no time for studies and 4. It took about 2 years to unveil the Statue of Liberty.
family. 5. Envisioned
2. Parents themselves.
3. The parent should not forget that it is in giving that one 3. An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his
receives. employer of his plans to leave the house-building business
and live a more leisurely life with his family. He would miss
4. In joint families, children get a friendly atmosphere the paycheque, but he needed to retire. The employer was
and they also learn to adjust within means. sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build
5. Sanctity just one more house as a personal favour. The carpenter
said ‘yes’, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was
2. When we enter New York harbour, the first thing not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and
we see is the Statue of Liberty. What impresses us the used inferior material. It was an unfortunate way to end
most is its size and magnificence? Have you ever his career.
wondered how it came to be there? The Statue of
1
I.B.Com/B.B.A (1st Sem) English Grammar & Composition
When the carpenter finished his work, his employer
handed over the key of the house to the carpenter— “This
is your house, my gift to you.”
What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was
building his own house, he would have done it all so
differently! Now he had to live in a poorly built house. So it
is with us. We build our lives, a day
Tea can be black, green and red and is derived from a
warm-weather evergreen tree known as Camelia
Sinensis. The more processing, tea leaves undergo, the
darker they become. Green tea is the least processed
tea. It is simply steamed quickly and offers the
maximum healing powers because it isn’t fermented.
It also helps prevent tooth decay and aids weight loss.

at a time, often putting less than our best into the building. 1. The most commonly consumed beverage in the
Then, with a shock, we realize we have to live in the house world is…………………………..
we have built. If we could do it over, we would do it much 2. Benefits of tea were first discovered
differently. But, you cannot go back. You are the by……………………………………..
carpenter, and every day you hammer a nail, place a 3. Tea turns out to be a healthy drink due to the
board, or erect a wall. Someone once said, your attitude, presence of…………………………….
and the choices you make today, help build the “house” 4. Green tea leaves offer maximum healing powers
you will live in tomorrow. Therefore, build wisely! because it is………………………..
5. The word to the last para which means the same as
1. What did the carpenter tell his employer?
2. What favour did his employer ask from the carpenter? helps is………………………….
3. What surprises did the employer have for the carpenter?
4. Why was the surprise a’shame’for the carpenter? Ans:-
5. Which word in the first paragraph means the same as
‘art of skill of a workman’? 1. tea
2. the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung
Ans:- 3. catechins
4. not fermented
1. The carpenter told his employer of his plans to retire 5. aids.
from his house-building business and live a leisurely life
with his family. 5. Power foods are foods that provide rich levels of
2. The employer asked if he could build just one more nutrients like fibre, potassium and minerals. With
house as a favour. people becoming increasingly health-conscious today,
3. The employer handed over the keys to the new house a lot of fitness trainers encourage their clients to
to the carpenter. include these foods in their daily diet to increase
4. As the carpenter resorted to shoddy workmanship and muscle development. There are various ways of
used inferior material. incorporating power foods into your daily diet. Of
5. Workmanship. course, the key to enjoying power foods is proper
preparation of these foods, the use of season-fresh
4. Next to water, tea is the most commonly consumed foods, and identifying your choice of flavour among
beverage in the world. This is good news because tea power foods.
offers important health benefits. Its benefits were first
discovered by the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung who Some of the recommended power food combinations
declared that it gave one vigour of body, contentment
are those that are prepared in our kitchens on a
of mind and determination of purpose. Today there is
regular basis. Take, for instance, the combination of
ample proof that tea in its many forms possesses a chickpeas and onions. This combination is a powerful
number of health benefits from supporting the source of iron which is required by the body to
immune, system to reducing the risk of cancer, to help
transport oxygen to its various parts. Iron deficiency
prevent tooth decay. can lead to anaemia, fatigue, brain fog and tiredness.
A study by the Journal of Agricultural and Food
What makes tea such a healthy drink? The star Chemistry says that sulphur compounds in onion and
compounds are called catechins. Those are garlic help in the absorption of iron and zinc from
antioxidants, that help prevent cell damage by chickpeas. The combination is a hit with teenagers
harmful molecules called free radicals. who need to be diligent about getting iron in their
diet. A quick way to prepare this power food is to

2
 I.B.Com/B.B.A (1st Sem) English
make a chickpea salad with chopped onions, chaat
masala and cilantro.
Another favourite combination with power food
takers is yoghurt and bananas. This makes for a
perfect snack after a rough game of football.
Exercising bums glucose and thus lowers blood sugar.
Yoghurt is packed with proteins that help preserve
muscle mass, and bananas are packed with
carbohydrates that help in refuelling energy and
preventing muscle soreness. A quick and easy recipe
with bananas is a banana smoothie topped with cool 9. He told me the ................ (tail / tale) of a fox.
yoghurt. 10. The travellers had a terrible journey through the
Among beverages, green tea is the best source of
catechins that are effective in halting oxidative
damage to cells. According to researchers at Purdue
University, adding a dash of lemon juice to green tea
makes the catechins even more easily absorbable by
the body. So, the next time you have instead of our
friends serve them rounds of iced green tea with mint
and lemon juice.
1. What are power foods?
2. What are the rules regarding the partaking of
power foods?
3. What is the advantage of including onions and
garlic in our diet?
4. Suggest a quick recipe with chickpea and onions.
5. Why is yoghurt and bananas, and enriching power
food?
Grammar & Composition
1. Get up my ......................... (sun / son).
2. You.................. (ought / aught) to have said it long ago.
3.(Buoys / Boys) float on the sea to warn ships
of danger.
4. He skidded because he did not apply the
…………..(brake / break).
5. We must try our best to……….. (caste / cast) away all
prejudices.
6. I did not have the .................(hart / heart).
7. The ................ (hair / hare) has a short tail.
8. The flesh of Kangaroo sells very ………(deer / dear) .
…………… (torturous / tortuous) road.
11. The children have been playing for …………… (two /
too).
12. What is the .............. (prize / price) of it.
13. Please ................ (pray / prey) for me.
14. We .............. (peel / peal) the orange with a knife.
15. Please .............. (pass / pause) for a while.
16. The time is half ............... (passed / past) ten.
17. Her face became................. (pale / pall) because of fear.
18.(Ore / Oar) is used to row the boat.
19.(Led / Lead) is a heavy metal.
20. Every airport has a .............. (hanger / hangar) .
21. There is a ............. (whole / hole) in the bucket.
22. The strength for Achilles was on his …………..(heal /
heel) .
23. If you want to reach God you have to .................. (forgo /
forego) worldly pleasures.
24.(Fowl / Foul) bird does not fly in the air.
25. She nattated series of ………….(descrete / descreet)
events.

Ans:- Ans:-

1. Power foods are foods that provide rich levels of 1. son 2. ought 3. Buoys
nutrients like fibre, potassium and minerals. 4. break 5. cast 6. heart
2. Power foods should be prepared properly using season- 7. hare 8. dear 9. tale
fresh foods and identifying one’s choice of flavour 10. tortuous 11. too 12. price
among power foods. 13. pray 14. peel 15. pause
3. Onion and garlic help in the absorption of iron and zinc 16. past 17. pale 18. Oar
from the chickpeas. 19. Lead 20. hangar 21. hole
4. A quick way to prepare chickpea and onions is to make 22. heel 23. forgo 24. Fowl
a chickpea salad with chopped onions, chaat masala and 25. descrete
cilantro.
5. Yoghurt is full of proteins that help preserve muscle SUBJECT: ENGLISH
mass and bananas are packed with carbohydrates that TOPIC: - SYNONYM
help in refuelling energy and preventing muscle soreness.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Public policy in regard to food in main economies around
SUBJECT: ENGLISH the world has not provided adequate incentive, the response
TOPIC: - HOMOPHONE to emergencies like accidents is equally sad.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Acceleration 2. Surplus 3. Baiting 4. Encouragement

3
 I.B.Com/B.B.A (1st Sem) English Grammar & Composition
2. The National Disaster Management Agency, set up a 3. What enquiries would you make in the following
short time ago being a central government agency, has situation?
limitations relating to infringing the jurisdiction of the You want to know the departure time of Shatabadi express
states. to Mysore.

1. Breaking 2. Violating 3. Provoking 4. Hampering
3. Camerata revived the style of musical history that had
been used in Greek tragedy taking most of the plots for
their operas from Greek and Roman history and
mythology, writing librettos or dramas for music.
1. Location 2. Instrument 3. Stories 4. Inspiration
Ans:-
Ans: - May I know when would the Shatabadi Express depart to
Mysore?
………………………………………...........................................
1. How to you introduce yourself to the prospective
employer?
Ans: - Hello, My name is ……………………
2. How to you introduce your father to your teacher?
Ans: - Happy Morning, Madam. He is my Father.

1. Encouragement 2. Violating 3. Stories 3. How to you introduce your friend to your sister?
Ans: - Hi, meet my friend, ………………..
SUBJECT: ENGLISH ………………………………………...........................................
TOPIC: - FORMS OF VERBS
SUBJECT: ENGLISH
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TOPIC: - ARTICLE / PREPOSITION

1. Your friends… ......... for you for over an hour.(wait) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. It is not worth……so much money for this concert (pay). 1. Fill in the blanks with appropriate article / Preposition
3. When I reached the station, the train ........... (leave). and verb.
4. I ................. the Taj Mahal last month. (visit).
5. The criminal……the victim with a blunt object. (attack). 1. There is ……………. Urgent need …………… law and
6. His company is greatly ............... after.(seek) order in society. Otherwise, society is going to be
7. His courage ..................... him (forsake). ……………… (doom) soon.
8. The terrified people ................. to the mountains. (flee).
9. The police ……………no stone unturned to trace the Ans: - an, of, doomed
culprits. (leave).
10. The robber ............ him a blow on the head. (strike). 2. The girl …………….. (walks/ walked) away as she saw
…………. Rich lady smiling .................... her
Ans:-
Ans: - walked, a, at
1. waited 2. paying 3. left.
4. Visited 5. attacked 6. sought 3. ……………. Andamans are .................... group of islands
7. forsook 8. Fled 9. left …………… the Bay of Bengal.
10. struck
Ans: - The, a, in
SUBJECT: ENGLISH
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOPIC: - DO AS DIRECTED
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate tense form of verb
given in the brackets.
1. What enquiries would you make in following situation?
You want to know the re-opening date of college. 1. Srijith (go) ................... to Delhi last week.
2. Goods have been ............. (steal) in our shop.
Ans: - May I know when would the college reopen? 3. Rajiv ……………. (write) a novel even before he
completed his degree course.
2. What enquiries would you make in following situation? 4. Many animals were ................. to death by cold. (freeze)
You want to know when the first semester resukts will be 5. She............... for eight hours last night. (sleep)
announced. 6. He has .................... this fact all long. (know)

Ans: - May I know when would the first-semester result be Ans: - went, stolen, wrote, frozen, slept, known.
announced?