Q9 of 23 Page 1

Answer any four of the following in 30-40 words each. 8

(a) Why did Metellus Cimber kneel before Caesar?


(b) Why was John not worried when Jenkins asked him for a ghost story?


(c) How does D.H. Lawrence describe the snake as it drank from the water-trough?


(d) Describe the circumstances under which the mariner reached the South Pole?


(e) Bring out the irony in the poem ‘Ozymandias’.

(a) Metellus approaches Caesar to request that his brother, Publius Cimber, who has been banished from Rome, be granted permission to return. Caesar answers that since Publius was banished by lawful decree, there is not just cause for absolving his guilt. Brutus and Cassius kneel at Caesar’s feet and repeat Metellus’s plea; Caesar answers that he will not change his mind now, declaring himself as “constant as the Northern Star”.


(b) When Jenkins asked John for a ghost story the latter was not worried because he had begun to get a bit overconfident about his ability to come up with an inspiring ghost story whenever it had been required of him. The idea for a plot actually seemed to come to him out of nowhere.


(c) The snake sipped water with his straight mouth, softly drinking through his straight gums, into his slack body. At times he lifted his head while drinking, as cattle do and looked at the poet. Then flickering his tongue from his lips, he stopped for a moment, before stopping to drink a little more.


(d) The ship was caught in the fury of a fierce and violent sea storm that completely overtook the ship and forcibly drove it towards the South Pole, the area of mist and snow. It was a lifeless and terrible region where the vessel lay motionless, surrounded by the huge icebergs.


(e) ) The irony in the poem is the fact that the ruler carved as a sculpture is depicted to be very powerful and tyrannous. He is shown to be boastful of the fact that he is the greatest ruler of all times. However, he hasn't been able to win over time. Time is shown here to be more powerful and destructive than the ruler. This ironical situation projects the truth that man doesn't have control over the laws of nature and time does not take into consideration the mount of power one possesses


More from this chapter

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5

Complete the passage given below by choosing the correct alternatives. 3

The argument is that computers are (a) ……….us into lazy writers, ruining our spelling and grammar and reducing our attention (b)……………..It is also said that we are losing our social skills and (c) ……………. a communication crisis. Yet one thing is undeniable. Social


networking sites, blogs, and e-mail (d)…………….. improving our ability to reach (e)………………… to our fellow men. In fact, technology is (f)…………. killing our ability to write.


(a) (i) making (ii) turn (iii) turning (iv) taking


(b) (i) drive (ii) speed (iii) now (iv) span


(c) (i) having (ii) facing (iii) seeing (iv) suffering


(d) (i) have (ii) are (iii) was (iv) is


(e) (i) away (ii) in (iii) out (iv) on


(f) (i) only (ii) surely (iii) now (iv) not

 9

Answer any four of the following in 30-40 words each.

(a) Under what condition does Brutus allow Mark Antony to make the funeral speech?


(b) How does Jyoti explain the crucial shot to PatolBabu?


(c) Why did Michael and his father go to the computer fair? What did they buy?


(d) Why couldn’t the wedding guest attend the wedding?


(e) Bring out the irony in the poem ‘Ozymandias’.

 3

Very often parents interfere in the choice of career of their children. Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper in about 100-120 words justifying that students should be given the opportunity to choose their own career. You are Peeyusty Preeti living at 19, Krishna Colony, Delhi. 5

 5

Complete the passage given below by choosing the correct alternatives from those given. 3

Looking over the books I bought last year, it is difficult (a)………… pick out books that are ‘the best’. I generally (b) ………….. four or five books going (c) a time, with several shelves of unread ones and I might drop (d) …………… all to pick up an old favourite which suits my mood. I still buy children’s books (e)…………… myself. Beyond Enid Blyton and J.K. Rowling that seem to dominate children’s reading lists, (f) ………………


(a) (i) at (ii) to (iii) in (iv) for


(b) (i) are (ii) had (iii) have (iv) am


(c) (i) for (ii) from. (iii) at (iv) in


(d) (i) these (ii) them (iii) it (iv) some


(e) (i) to (ii) for (iii) by (iv) from


(f) (i) these (ii) where (iii) there (iv) here