WORD MEANING
1. accurate - correct
2. tales - story
3. stirring - disturbing
4. seemed - looked like
5. occasion - situation
6. wrist - hand
7. twisted - diverted
8. groaned - made noise
9. delighted - happy
10. dashing in - running in a great hurry
11. flagging - becoming tired or less
enthusiastic
12. rouse - excite
13. dacoity - violent robbery
14. arson - the crime of deliberately setting
fire to property
15. scrutiny - careful examination
16. torpor - dullness, drowsiness, state of
inaction
17. loaf - spend time in an aimless or idle
way
18. cock-and-bull story - made up story
19. assault - attack; (here) attempt to do
something difficult
20. triumphantly - victoriously, champion
21. habitual - regular, habit
22. restore - put back
23. inauspicious - not favourable
24. expedition - venture, exploring
25. equipment - tools
26. precocious - early in development or
occurrence
27. gloomy - unhappy, sad
28. resignation - leave
29. spectacular - striking, amazing
30. fanfare of trumpets - publicity,
splendour
31. titbits - bites, pieces
32. cwm - valley
33. col - lowest point between two mountain
peaks
34. unassailable - unconquerable
35. enthusiast - admirer, supporter
36. endeavour - attempt
37. inaugurating - beginning
38. horoscope - life and future of a person
according to astrology
39. temperament - nature of a person
40. revolutionise - change greatly
41. rehabilitate - settling of people
42. simultaneously - at the same time
A. Choose the right option to answer
these questions.
1. What was the amazing
news that Thumbi brought that day?
a. that four tigers had
been shot.
b. that the Everest had
been conquered.
c. that it was an
auspicious day.
d. that the neighbour had
brought a new radio.
Ans. b. that the Everest had been conquered.
2. What did Thumbi
normally do when he gave such news to the elders?
a. He would run away after
arousing their curiosity.
b. He would give a great
amount of detail.
c. He would argue with
everybody.
d. He would bring the
neighbour to support his statement.
Ans. a. He would run
away after arousing their curiosity.
3. Why did Thumbi go the
neighbour's house?
a. to play with the
neighbour's son
b. to listen to the radio
c. to avoid doing homework
d. to find out what they
were doing
Ans. b. to listen to the
radio
4. Why did the elders
accept the news about the conquest of the Everest reluctantly?
a. They had expected to
hear it in a spectacular way.
b. They did not believe it.
c. They had heard it
before.
d. Thumbi was never right.
Ans. a. They had expected to
hear it in a spectacular way.
B. Arrange these sentences in the right
sequence.
- The elders took in the news with a
sort of gloomy resignation.
- Thumbi succeeded in rousing his
elders from their torpor.
- One elder felt that human beings
should not conquer everything under the sun.
- Thumbi burst into the house with
exciting news.
- One elder felt that the Everest
would soon become a holiday resort.
- Thumbi announced that his friend's
father had shot five tigers simultaneously.
ANSWERS
1.
Thumbi succeeded in rousing his elders
from their torpor.
2.
The elders took in the news with a sort
of gloomy resignation.
3.
One elder felt that human beings should
not conquer everything under the sun.
4.
One elder felt that the Everest would
soon become a holiday resort.
5.
Thumbi burst into the house with
exciting news.
6.
Thumbi announced that his friend's
father had shot five tigers simultaneously.
C. Bring out the humour in these
statements.
1. It was reaching them
through Thumbi - the habitual bringer of news titbits.
Thumbi is the youngest member of the
family. So when brings such a great news, the elders thought he was joking.
They expected this news from media, newspaper and much more; but it did not
occur. It comes from Thumbi, the small news titbits
2. I challenge anybody
here to plan a trip to Tirupati...
This is presented with reference to
planning. Success depends on accurate planning. The author wonders if it is
really possible that one should plan a trip to Tirupati and would not change or
alter the plan anywhere on the way. Imagine then, how well the mountaineer of
Everest must have planned their expedition.
3. I am going to write to
Colonel Hunt to send the horoscopes of the members of the expedition...
The success of Everest, one thinks
largely depends on getting hold of the horoscope of the person concerned. And
there must be horoscope for these persons too. Hence one of the elders feels
that it is best to get that horoscope from Colonel Hunt, so that based on that they
can avoid rahukalam and other inauspicious moments.
4. It is going to be
difficult to come across a person who had not had a holiday on the Everest.
One elder feels that now that Everest
has been conquered, there will be many more persons visiting the Everest and
finally it will become a holiday place. But in reality, we know people cannot
even make a picnic spot anywhere near about it.
5. It may become
necessary to rehabilitate members of the refrigeration industry.
Since a lot of ice is available on Everest,
one of the elders feels it would be feasible if the whole refrigeration
industry is shifted to Everest. What an imagination the person has! It is
absolutely far from potential achievement.
D. Think and answer.
What were the different
reactions of Thumbi's family to the conquest of the Everest?
On hearing the news of the Everest
conquest from Thumbi there were many different reactions from the elders. They
are very interesting.
First of all, they took the news with a
sort of gloomy resignaiton, because it came from Thumbi. Many were disappointed
because it was conquered. They felt it should have been left as unassailable.
An enthusiast takes it positives and feels it can restore one's faith in human
endeavour. Another gives credit to getting the horoscope which enables one to
avoid rahukalam and other inauspicious moments. He even goes to the extent of
writing a letter to Colonel Hunt to get those horoscopes.
E. Discuss in class.
Has human achievement
always been good for our planet?
No, human achievement has not always
been good for our planet. We have valid example such as the discovery of
plastic has never supported eco-friendliness. Usage of mobile can be another
example, as the radiation which emits from it does harm to birds and others. We
can give many more examples like this. We might say that it has done good to
human beings, to the planet I am not too sure.
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