Read the passage given be1ow and answer the questions that follow :

1. Generosity is one of the most admired attributes any person can exhibit. Whether a child donates his hard-earned allowance to a disaster-relief effort or a business-man donates millions of dollars to charity, we feel appreciation and admiration for those who are generous. But admiration and appreciation aren’t the only benefits of generosity. In addition to the heartfelt joy experienced whenever you help meet the needs of others, Solomon promises that those who are generous will never lack anything, and your prosperity will always increase. He tells us that those who give generously to others will gain back even more than they give. Sounds impossible ? Psychologists tell us that the two greatest motivating forces in a person’s life are his desire for gain and his fear of loss. Solomon assures us that generosity directly impacts both. If you could wave a magic wand that would guarantee that you would never lack your materials needs, and that you would experience an ever-increasing prosperity, how much would that wand be worth ? Solomon puts that wand in your hand; all you have to do is to become truly generous.

2. What does Solomon mean, when he talks about generosity ? Collectively, the words he chooses imply that a generous person is one who freely gives a significant portion of what he has to meet the needs of others, and that he does so with no expectation of receiving anything in return. Although he’s speaking primarily of being generous financially and materially, generosity isn’t limited to that. Being generous means being focused on meeting the genuine needs of other people, whether with money, deeds, or emotional support or assistance.

3. A lot of people think that you have to be rich to be generous. Nothing could be further from the truth. One of the most generous people I have known was a janitor I worked with in college. He scrubbed toilets five nights a week and took care of his bedridden wife during the day. He was generous with everything he had : his time, his kind words, his thoughtfulness and his considerate acts. I once asked him if there was anything he needed.

“Heavens, no !” he replied. “Everything I have ever needed has always been abundantly provided.” To this day, I have never met a happier man. As Solomon promised, he never lacked anything; and just as he refreshed others, he was himself refreshed.

4. And those who are not generous ? Solomon says they will fall into poverty. Not necessarily financial or material poverty, but poverty of the soul. They are never satisfied with whatever they have and constantly need more. They become emotionally bankrupt. Generosity starts in the heart. It always takes action, and it is never passive.

1.1 On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer the following questions very briefly:

(a) How do we feel towards people who are generous ?

(b) What according to Solomon are the rewards of generosity ?

(c) Who is a truly generous person ?

(d) Why does Solomon disapprove of lack of generosity ?

(e) How did the janitor mentioned in Para 3 practice generosity ?

(f) What is the author’s attitude to the janitor ?

1.2. Choose the meanings of the words given below from the given options :

(a) Attributes (Para 1)

(b) Prosperity (Para 1)

(i) power (ii) reputation (iii) wealth (iv) fame

(c) Genuine (Para 2)

(i) legal (ii) urgent (iii) main (iv) real

(d) Scrubbed (Para 3)

(i) shined (ii) cleaned (iii) dusted (iv) closed

Answer the questions given below in 80 - 100 words each:

(i) What was Margayya’s response to the Cooperative Bank Secretary’s summons?

(ii) What advice did the priest give to Margayya on the power of puja?

Answer any one of the questions given below in 150 -200words

(i) What did Margayya’s second meeting with Dr. Pal lead to?

(ii) Write a character sketch of Meenakshi, Margayya’swife.

Read the passage given be1ow and answer the questions that follow :

The Internet is so far one of the greatest inventions of all time. The Internet has made it possible for us to do lots of things. People can shop in online stores, communicate with family and friends via Skype or Facebook, watch the latest videos on YouTube, blog and make money from it, and so much more.

The Internet has proven to be very useful and has come with lots of advantages. The Internet has made it easy for people to communicate with others because it is cheap and convenient. The only costs incurred are those paid to the Internet service provider. If you want to talk to someone who is in another part of the globe, you can just fire up Skype or any other communication app and hold a video chat.

Services such as Skype have helped people from geographically segmented countries to interact and share ideas. As such, people are able to share their thoughts and views on matters affecting the globe. The Internet acts as a common global platform where people explore ideologies and cultures without limitation.

The Internet is swamped with information about anything and everything. There are multiple search engines that have made it easier for the Internet users to find information. For example, it is now common for people to look for free advice from the Internet on all sorts of issues. The premise here is that whatever problem you are experiencing, someone somewhere has experienced it and probably solved it.

You can also get the latest news, breakthroughs in all fields including medicine and even research publications at the click of a button. The Internet is basically a globally accessible repository of knowledge, and the best part is everyone gets to chip in.

Today it is possible to carry out financial transactions online. You can transfer funds, pay taxes and utility bills or book movie tickets over the Internet in the comfort of your office or home.

The growth of e-commerce has made it possible for people to shop for most things online. This has seen the emergence of retail giants. They sell consumer goods globally. Such a feat was virtually impossible before the Internet.

The Internet has undoubtedly tremendous advantages for everyone but it is not an unmixed blessing. It has its own downside.

Unwanted and useless emails are a nuisance. These emails obstruct the recipient endlessly. They are illegal and can cause frustration because they make it hard for people to access their emails accounts. Besides malicious programs like Trojan, Virus and other malwares attack a computer with the sole intent of causing harm.

The fact that the Internet has become a market place has also seen a rise in fraud cases. Credit/debit card details are particularly vulnerable. This calls for extreme caution when transacting online. Make sure to use a reliable payment processor instead of sending your details directly to an individual or business.

Just like everything else, people also get addicted to the Internet. This may sound bizarre, but some people spend more than their fair amount of time on the Internet. This affects their social interactions a great deal. The Internet addiction has been known to be a major cause of obesity and has, in some cases, led to some diseases like carpal tunnel syndrome.

2.1 On the basis of your reading of the above passage, make notes on it using recognizable abbreviations, wherever necessary. Use a format you consider suitable. Supply a suitable title.

2.2 Write a summary of the above passage in about 80 words.

Draft an advertisement in 50-60 words to be published in the classified columns

of a local daily for the sale of your flat as you are shifting to another city. Give all the relevant details like location, size, floor, price etc. You are Madan/ Mohini. Your contact number is 981xxxxxxx.

OR

You are Principal of A.N. Public School. You have decided to organize a three- day tour to Mysore. Draft a notice in 50-60 words inviting the interested students to submit their names along with consent letters from their parents. Give all the relevant details.