Page 18,19
Question 1.Where did the ceremonies take place ? Can you name any public buildings in India that are made of sandstones?
Answer:The ceremonies
took place in the campus of the Union Building of Pretoria, which were attended
by dignitaries and leaders of many nations. In India; Rashtrapati Bhavan and
Red Fort are buildings made of red sandstone.
Question 2.Can you say how 10th May is an ‘autumn day’ in
South Africa?
Answer:As South Africa
is in the Southern Hemisphere, may falls in the autumn season. Thus 10th May is
an ‘autumn day’.
Question 3.At the beginning of his speech, Mandela mentions
“an extraordinary human disaster”. What does he mean by this? What is the
“glorious human achievement” he speaks of at the end?
Answer:By ‘an
extraordinary human disaster’ Mandela means to state the practice of apartheid
in South Africa. During this there was a racial segregation based on colour and
the blacks suffered a lot. They were not allowed to demand freedom or any
right. Mandela himself did spend many years on infamous ‘Robben Island’ as a
prisoner where he was beaten mercilessly. He considered it as great glorious
human achievement that a black person became the President of a country where
the blacks were not even considered human beings and were treated badly.
Question 4.What does Mandela thank the international
leaders for ?
Answer:Mandela felt
very privileged to welcome the international leaders at the swearing – in
ceremony because not too long ago, the South Africans were considered outlaws.
He thus thanks all of them for having come to witness the historical ceremony.
This was a gesture of international recognition to a newly born free democratic
nation and it could be considered as a common victory for justice, peace and
human dignity.
Question 5.What ideals does Nelson Mandela set for the
future of South Africa?
Answer:Nelson Mandela
set the ideals of liberating people from bondage of poverty, deprivation and
suffering. He also set the ideal for a society where there would be no
discrimination based on gender or racial origins.
Page. 20.21
Question 1.What did the military generals do ? How did
their attitude change and why?
Answer:The highest
military generals of South African defence force saluted Mandela and pledged
their loyalty which was of great significance as during apartheid era they
would have arrested him. The change in their attitude was because of struggle
and sacrifices put in by many heroes of South Africa. This struggle not only
ensured the freedom of a nation struggling with apartheid, bur brought a change
in mindsets of many. He believed that love can also be taught and human being
is naturally inclined towards love rather than hate.
Question 2.Why were two national anthems sung?
Answer:One the
auspicious occasion of the inauguration two national anthems: one by the Whites
and the other by the Blacks symbolising the equality of the Blacks and the
Whites were sung.
Question 3.How does Mandela describe the systems of government in his country
(i) in the first decade, and
(ii) in the final decade, of the twentieth century?
Answer:(i) In the first decade of the century, the whites erected a system of
racial domination against the blacks, thus creating the basis of one of the
harshest and most inhumane societies the world had ever known.
(ii) In the final
decade of the 20th century, the . previous system had been overturned and
replaced by one which recognised rights and freedom of all people regardless of
color of their skin.
Question 4.What does courage mean to Mandela?
Answer:For Mandela
courage does not mean the absence of fear but a victory over fear. According to
him brave men need not be fearless but should be able to conquer fear.
Question 5.Which does Mandela think is natural, to love or to hate?
Answer:For Mandela,
love comes more naturally to the human heart than hate.
Question 1.What “twin obligations” does Mandela mention?
Answer:Mandela
mentions that every man has twin obligations. The first is to his family,
parents, wife and children; the second obligation is to his people, his
community and his country.
Question 2.What did being free mean to Mandela as a boy, and as a student ? How does he contrast these “transitory freedoms” with “the basic and honourable freedoms”?
Answer:Like any other
kid, for Mandela freedom meant to make merry and enjoy the blissful life. Once
one becomes an adult, antics of childhood looks like transitory because most of
the childish activities are wasteful from an adult’s perspective. Once you are
adult, you have to earn a livelihood to bring the bacon home. Its only then when
you get an honourable existence in the family and in the society.
Question 3.Does Mandela think the oppressor is free? Why/why not?
Answer:Mandela does
not think that the oppressor is free because according to him an oppressor is a
victim of hatred who is behind the bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness. He
realises that both the oppressor and the oppressed are robbed of their humanity
and peace.
Questions1. There are nouns in the text (formation, government) which are formed from the corresponding verbs (form, govern) by suffixing – (at)ion or ment. There may be change in the spelling of some verb – noun pairs ; such as rebel, rebellion; constitute, constitution.
2. Make a list of such pairs of nouns
and verbs in the text
1.
Noun Verb
2.
Rebellion Rebel
3.
Constitution Constitute
4.
Formation Form
5.
Government Govern
6.
Obligation Oblige
7.
Transformation Transform
8.
Discrimination Discriminate
9.
Deprivation Deprive
10. Demonstration Demonstrate
11. Oppression Oppress
12. Imagination Imagine
3. Match the italicized
phrases in column A with the phrase
nearest meaning column B.
A B
1.
I was not unmindful of
the fact (i)had not forgotten;was aware of
the fact not endure the
2.
When my comrades and I
were pushed to our limits (iii)felt that we could not endure
the suffering any longer
3.
To reassure me and
keep me going (ii)help me continue to live in
hope in this live in hope in this very difficult situation
4.
The basic and
honourable freedoms of… earning my keep…(i)earning enough money to live on
I. Answer these questions in a few words or a couple of
sentences each.
Answer:Evelyn was
not even seventeen when she went to the Royal Academy of Music.
Question 2.When was her deafness first noticed? When was it confirmed?
Answer:Her deafness
was noticed when she was eight-year-old. It was confirmed by the time she was
eleven.
II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph
(30-40 words).
Answer:Ron Forbes
helped her to continue with music. He spotted her potential and said, “Don’t
listen through your ears, try to sense it some other way.” He began by tuning
two large drums to different notes.
Answer:Evelyn
performed free concerts in prisons and hospitals. She made music her life and
performed many regular concerts.
(Bismillah Khan, A barber, Ali Bux) transformed
the pungi into a shehnai.
Bismillah Khan’s
paternal ancestors were (barbers, professional
musi-cians).
Bismillah Khan
leamt to play the shehnai from (Ali
Bux, Paigambar Bux, Ustad Faiyaaz Khan).
Bismillah Khan’s
first trip abroad was to (Afghanistan,
U.S.A., Canada).
Answer:Aurangzeb
banned the playing of the pungi because it had a shrill and unpleasant sound.
Answer:A shehnai is
a pipe with a natural hollow that is longer and broader than a pungi. It has
seven holes on the body of the pipe.
Answer:The shehnai
was played traditionally in the temple at the royal courts and on the occasion
of weddings. The credit must go to Bismillah Khan to take this instrument onto
the classical stage.
Answer:Bismillah
Khan got his big break with the opening of the All India Radio in Lucknow in
1938.
Answer:Bismillah
Khan played the shehnai on 15 August 1947 at the Red Fort. He was the first
Indian to greet the nation with his musical instrument. This event was historic
because We got independence on that day. He poured his heart out in the
presence of a large number of people including Pt. Jawahar Lai Nehru.
Answer:He refused
to start a shehnai school in the USA because he never wanted to leave India. He
loved India so much and he did not want to settle anywhere except India. That
is why whenever he was in a foreign country, he kept yearning to see Hindustan.
Answer:Bismillah
Khan loves India and Banaras The sound of Music 197 from the bottom of his
heart. He says that he misses the holy Ganga and India when he goes abroad.
While in Mumbai, he thinks of only Benaras and the holy river. And when he is
in Benaras, he remembers the unique mattha of Dumraon.
