ENGLISH ACTIVITY SET 2 Section – II (Textual Passages) (Reading Skills, Vocabulary and Grammar)

Q.2. A. Read the following passage and do the activities. [10 Marks]

Al. Complete the following statements with the help of the passage: (2)

i. The heaviness of being successful was replaced
ii. The technology we developed at Next

My second story is about love and loss. I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz (Steve Wozniak) and I started Apple when I was 20. In 10 years, Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company. And then I got fired. It was devastating.

But something slowly began to dawn on me – I still loved what I had done. And so, I decided to start over.

The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

During the next five years, I started a company Next, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar is now the world’s most successful animation studio. Apple went on to buy Next. I returned to Apple and the technology we developed at Next is at the heart of Apple’s current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.

Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.

Al.
Ans.
i. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again.
ii. The technology we developed at Next is at the heart of Apple’s current renaissance.

A2. The writer Steve Jobs gives the readers some advice for life, list at least two of the important advices given by him in the passage:     (2)

i.    ……………………………………………………………

ii.   ……………………………………………………………

Ans.
i. When life hits you in the head with
a brick, don’t lose faith,

ii. The only way to do great work is to love what you do. Keep looking for what you love and don’t settle.

A3. Fill in the blanks with appropriate words given below: (2)
(devastating, renaissance, current, creative)

i. The invention of the internet has brought about a __________ in communication.
ii. We should read the newspaper to keep ourselves updated on the _________ affairs.
iii. The earthquake had a ____________ effect on the life of the people.
iv. The Art teacher is very ___________,she always comes up with new ideas.

Ans.
i. The invention of the internet has brought about a renaissance in communication.
ii. We should read the newspaper to keep ourselves updated on the current affairs.
iii. The earthquake had a devastating effect on the life of the people.
iv. The Art teacher is very creative, she always comes up with new ideas.

A4. Do as directed : (2)

i. Pixar is the world’s most successful animation studio. (Rewrite the sentence in Positive degree)
Ans. No other animation studio in the world is as successful as Pixar.

ii. Don’t lose faith. (Rewrite as an Assertive sentence)
Ans. You should not lose faith.

A5. What does the second story of Jobs convey to you? (2)
Ans. The second story of Steve Jobs conveys to me that we should do what we love, if we want to achieve something great. We should follow our passion. It also tells us that loss and failures are a part of life. We should never lose hope and should have the courage to begin again. Failure is an opportunity to begin again.

B. Read the following passage carefully and complete the activities: [10 Marks]
Bl. State True or False: (2)

i. On the eighty-fifth day the old man succeeds in hooking a salmon with his bait.
ii. Mandolin was his apprentice.
iii. The old man hardly had any experience in fishing.
iv. During the First World War, the old man had worked with the Red Cross.

An old and experienced Cuban fisherman has a run of terrible bad luck and is unable to catch any fish for eighty-four days. His young and devoted apprentice, Manolin, has been forced by his parents to start working with another fisherman. The old man resolves to sail out farther than all the other fishermen and attempt to catch the really big fish. On the eighty-fifth day he succeeds in hooking a marlin with his bait but the marlin is too strong for him and starts pulling the boat. ‘The Old Man and the Sea’ is the story of the old man’s struggle with the marlin and his later battle against sharks.

Social/ Historical context:
Hemingway’s novel is based on real events and it also draws heavily on his own life. He had experience of fishing in the Cuban waters and like the old man he was also a fan of baseball. He worked for the Red Cross during the First World War and was injured by shrapnel when he was in Italy. Hemingway always talks about the need to struggle against defeat or death and how determination and endurance can help one to win in this struggle The old man is at the end of the novel very near death, but we know that the story of his suffering and loss will live on in the memories of the people of his village. Ultimately his story becomes one of triumph because the tales of his life will go on even after his death.

Bl.
Ans.
i. False.
ii. False.
iii. False.
iv. False.

B2. Complete the following bubbles with the help of the passage: (02)

 

Ans.


B3. Make meaningful sentences of your own using the below given words or phrases:

i. devoted                   ii. to be forced by.    (2)

Ans.
i. We should be devoted towards our
work.
ii. The enemy was forced by the army to retreat.

B4. Do as directed: (2)

i. He is unable to catch any fish for eighty-four days. (Pick the infinitive in the sentence)
Ans. Infinitive – to catch

ii. Hemingway always talks about the need to struggle against defeat or death.
(Rewrite the sentence as a Negative sentence, without changing its meaning)
Ans. Hemingway never fails to talk about the need to struggle against defeat or death.

B5. Would you prefer to read a book or see a film based on the book? Give reasons for your answer: (2)
Ans. I would always prefer to read a book over watching a movie based on the book. We use our own imagination while reading a book. A book is much more detailed than a movie. A movie is bound by time. Also, most movies based on books cut out many important parts and descriptions from the book. I think a book’s true essence is not completely captured in its movie.

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