ICSE ENGLISH

A Horse and Two Goats Treasure Trove (Short Stories) Extracts 11 to 14 Extract XI. 1. Same as the answer of Extract IX (iii) 2. Kaliyuga is the last of the four stages the world goes through as part of the cycle of the ages. At the end of the Kaliyuga, this world and all other words will be destroyed and a saviour will appear in the shape of a horse named Kalki, and save all the good people, while all the evil people will die. 3. The language barrier provides humour in the story. Muni and the foreigner could not understand each other. When Muni asked the foreigner how many children he had, the foreigner, assuming that Muni had asked the price he was ready to pay, replied hundred. Later, the foreigner handed Muni a hundred rupee note, which Muni thought was in exchange for his goats. 4. The living room of the foreigner has a large bookcase filled with volumes of books. There are books piled up to the roof. 5. Muni told the story behind the horse statue. He said that the horse would com...

A Horse and Two Goats Treasure Trove (Short Stories) Extracts 6 to 10 Extract VI. 1. The statue referred to in the extract is a life-sized statue of a horse, situated beside the highway outside Kritam. The statue was made of brightly coloured burnt clay. It stood with its head high and its forelegs in the air. 2. The statue of the warrior was a life sized statue of a man. The warrior is depicted as a man of strength through his appearance as a warrior with scythe like mustachios, bulging eyes and aquiline nose. 3. The villagers or the vandals didn't notice the splendour of the horse statue because they didn't notice its existence. 4. Muni didn't go back home early because he wanted to give his wife time to cool off her temper. He knew his wife would arrange food for him if he didn't make her angry. 5. The American was a wealthy man. He was rich enough to travel around a foreign country. He smoked expensive cigarettes, lived and worked in air-conditioned buildings. On th...

A Horse and Two Goats Treasure Trove (Short Stories) Extracts 1 to 5 Extract I. 1. Microscopic dot means something very small. In the extract it is said that Kritam was probably the smallest among the seven hundred thousand villages in India. 2. A map gives the location of the village and the routes towards it. It serves as a guide to travellers, boundary of village for the administrators. 3. According to the author, Kritam probably was the tiniest of seven hundred thousand villages in India. It was a village that consisted of less than thirty houses, only one of them built with brick and cement. 4. 'Kritam' in Tamil meant 'coronet' or 'crown' . Muni lived in the last house in the fourth street in the village, beyond which stretched the fields. 5. The Big House, was built with brick and cement. It was painted yellow and blue all over with carvings of gods. The other houses were of bamboo thatch, straw, mud and other materials. Extract II. 1. Muni would take hi...

Chief Seattle's Speech Treasure Trove (Short Stories) Extract III . George Washington is referred to as “our father in Washington”. He has become “Our father and your father”, since King George has moved his boundaries further north The ‘good father’ promised to protect the natives only if they do as he desires. “Bristling wall of strength” refers to the soldiers that would be sent to protect the natives by the President. The Haidas are the indigenous people of North America. The Tsimshians are North American Indians of the North-west coast of America. The Haidas and Tsimshians will cease to frighten the natives when the President sends his soldiers and his ships to protect the natives. The God of the Whites protects only the White people and ignores the Red Indians. God is partial to the white people and doesn’t help the natives at all. Chief Seattle says the given phrase to show the revengeful actions performed by young men because they think it is helpful. They even sacrifice th...

Class VIII  English Grammar Chapter 19 Exercise 1. Exercise 2.

Extract I. Q1. Where does this scene take place? Whom does 'she' refer to in the first line of the extract? What is said about her in the extract? Ans. The scene takes place in a street in Venice. In the first line 'she' refers to the rumour or report which is personified as an old woman. When Salarino talks about Antonio's ship, Salanio wishes that rumour may prove to be a big liar in this case as any old woman who ever gossiped with our neighbours over her gingerbread cakes and made her neighbours believe that she mourned sincerely for the death of her third husband. Q2. What was said earlier about the place where a ship of Antonio was wrecked? Where did the news about the ship-wreckage spread? Ans. Earlier, it was told that Antonio's ship was wrecked in the sea, at a spot known as Goodwin. The news about the ship's wreckage spread at the Rialto, the place where the merchants met for transactions. Q3. Give the meaning of: "without any slips of prolix...

Act 2 - Scene 9 Extract 1. Q 1. What proper honour is given to Arragon to indicate that he is a prince? Ans. To honour Arragon as a prince, trumpets were sounded as he entered the room and Portia addressed him as 'noble prince.' Q 2. Enumerate the conditions in the oath which Arragon was supposed to take. Ans. Arragon is bound by oath to observe three conditions. First he must never reveal to any person which of the caskets has chosen. Second, if he does not win Portia, he should not woo any other lady. Third, if he chooses wrongly, he must depart at once without any further words. Q 3. Which conditions in the oath Arragon keeps at the end of the scene? Ans. Arragon kept the last condition, i.e. to leave at once without further saying anything, at the end of the scene. Q 4. How wise is it to arrange marriages through a lottery system where chance plays a significant role? How does Nerissa justify the system in Portia's case? Ans. It is not wise to arrange marriages through ...