As the meeting between James and Sir John gets over, James looks up to the star-studded sky and meditates upon the fact that somewhere among these stars would be Comet Dutta, heading for a collision with the Earth.

The present chapter is an extract from Vikram Seth’s ‘Heaven Lake’. Vikram Seth is a famous modern Indian writer who has written many novels, essays and travelogues.

The poem points out the difference between a house and a home. They differ in many ways. A house consists of rooms, a kitchen, a balcony, etc which are made up of bricks, stone, wood and glass.

A new kite looks very bright and beautiful in the clear blue sky. The kite jumps in the air and moves up in the blue sky. It shakes its tail with a noise caused by air. It soars high like a ship in the air with only one sail. It moves upward in the air as a ship rides in the strong wave of the sea.

The fight was about a small issue, so small that the poet could not even remember. They kept arguing over the issue. The fight, which started on a minor note, turned out to be a big clash at the end. Both of them said that each one of them is right. They blamed each other for the issue.

1. Draw up a list of the different festivals celebrate in your locality. Which of these celebrations are shared by members of different regional and religious communities?

The festivals celebrated by members of different regional and religious communities include Holi, Diwali, Dushera, Rakshabandhan, Chrismtas, Id-ul-Zuha, Lohri, etc.

1. What are Prejudices?

Village people are, in everyone’s opinion, supposed to be ignorant and superstitious while city people are supposed to be greedy, lazy and money-minded. These opinions create negative impression in a human’s sub-conscious mind and are called Prejudices.

1. What is Universal Adult Franchise (UAF)?

In a democratic country like India, adult citizens, irrespective of their religion, caste, education, status, gender, race, colour or place, have the right to vote. This is called Universal Adult Franchise.

The shepherd lived in Iran and was very poor. He had never been to a school and was uneducated. But he was very wise. He helped people in their sorrows and troubles. People used to take his advice. He became famous for his wisdom and friendly nature.

1. What is agriculture?

The primary activity that involves cultivation of crops, fruits, vegetables, flowers and rearing of livestock is called agriculture.

1. The world population has grown very rapidly. Why?

Development in medical science has caused decrease in death rate, so the world population has grown very rapidly.

1. What is a public activity?

An activity or service that is meant for all people in the country and is mainly organised by the government. This includes schools, hospitals, telephone services, etc. People can demand these services and also raise questions about their non-functioning.

1. Why do you think we need the government to find solutions to many disputes or conflicts?

We need the government to find solutions to several disputes and conflicts because it is trusted to adopt an impartial role and impart justice which is the prime duty of the government.

The meadow offers several surprises to the one who has an eager eye to look at the meadow. Walking on the soft velvety grass, the sound of the brook, a butterfly sipping nectar from the flowers, all such sights give immense pleasure. These sights are no less than the nature’s surprise gift.

This chapter explores the concept of changes that occur in our surroundings and categorizes them into physical changes and chemical changes.

1. What is the difference between the work that MLAs do in the Assembly and the work done by government departments?

An MLA is responsible for the welfare of his people. He raises issued in the Assembly so that solution too the problem facing the masses can be taken. Government departments make and implements make and implement the solution.

1. Define natural resources.

Resources that are drawn from nature and used without much modification are called natural resources.

1. What is the main objective of village Panchayat?

The main objective of village Panchayat is to improve the conditions of the villagers and to make them self-sufficient.

1. What is "Khasra Record"?

Khasra record consists of a plot wise description of ownership, area, classification, share of ownership and the status there of. It identifies which plot of land is owned by whom.

This is a melodrama written by Douglas James. In a very lucid, interesting and humorous way, he presents two characters of the same built. The playwright, Douglas James, sustains interest, arouses curiosity and maintains the suspense till the end. It is a sensational one-act play with a happy ending.

1. Will this world come to an end? What does the poet say in this regard?

Everything that has a beginning or origin does have an end. It is the eternal law of nature. The existing world will come to an end some day. The poet believes as many people believe that either 'fire' or 'ice' will be the cause of the end of the world.

1. “And no one buys a ball back. Money is external”. What does the poet imply by this expression?

Through this expression the poet implies that a lost ball cannot be bought back even with money. Money can only be used to buy valuable things but not to restore or compensate for a thing that is lost.

1. Do you think that Amanda doesn’t like to be controlled and instructed not to do one thing or the other? Give a reasoned answer.

Amanda loves her freedom. She doesn’t want it to be curtailed. She wants to lead her own kind of life. If she is asked what to do and what not, she feels that her freedom is curtailed. She doesn’t bother to answer her mother when she goes on instructing her what to do and what not.

‘The Road Not Taken’ is one of the finest poems by Robert Frost. This poem has a deep meaning. It deals with the problem of making a right choice. Many times in our life we face alternative choices.

This eight-line poem is about the death of a loved one. The poet is grieved and troubled. But he realises the reality of life after her death. He feels a great peace. He is contented as the passing of time will no longer affect her.

Most of us think that snakes are always poisonous. They are fearsome and symbol of death. The poet does not find all the snakes fearsome and poisonous. He finds beauty in them. In this poem, the poet describes how a snake tries to escape from a stroke. He wishes that the snake does not get hurt and reaches his destination safely.

1. Why are the tree moving out into the forest?

In the poem, the tree are presented as a metaphor for human beings. As humans value freedom, nature can’t be subdued and controlled by man. The trees have been brought to the artificial glasshouses.

1. How does the poet employ the double imagery of the fog and the cat?

The poetic device of metaphor is very effectively used in the poem. The fog is converted into a cat and the cat is morphed back into the fog. The silent arrival of the fog is like a little cat. The fog stays there sitting like a little cat on its haunches.

1. How does the tiger stalk in the cage?

The tiger is not in his natural habitat – the jungle. He is locked in a cage made up of a cement and concrete. He keeps on stalking inside his cage from one side to the other. He is walking quiet rage with his heels which are padded like velvet.

1. How did the poet feel before the ‘change of mood’? Why did he feel so?

The poet was in a very depressive and hopeless mood. The day offered no relief, comfort or happiness for the poet. He felt that the whole day had been wasted for nothing. Perhaps his dull and depressive mood led him to such a conclusion.

1. How would you recognise the Asian Lion?

He is found in the jungles of the eastern regions. He is a large and powerful animal. He is a large and powerful animal. He is yellow - brownish in colour. He roars so loudly that the very roar is enough to terrorise a person to death. If any animal has all these traits, he must be the Asian Lion.

Santosh Yadav is the only woman in the world to have conquered Mount Everest twice. Born in a small village in Haryana, she was the sixth child in a family with five sons. Though her name ‘Santosh’ stood for contentment but she was never satisfied with her place in a traditional way of life.

It is not easy to kill a deep-rooted tree. It takes much time to kill it. A tree is too strong to be killed by a simple attack of a knife. It has grown slowly consuming the earth, feeding upon its crust, absorbing years of sunlight. The strength it has stored through a long period of hard work and patience, cannot be destroyed in one go.

1. What is vernacular?

Vernacular is a term generally used to refer to a local language or dialect as distinct from what is seen as the standard language.

It has been less than a month living in Rajpur when Ranji discovers a pool. The summer was at its extreme and Ranji’s school hadn’t opened yet. He didn’t have any friends either. While wandering all by himself in the weather, he discovered the pool in the forest. On the day when Ranji discovered the pool, it was extremely hot and Ranji’s brown feet turned chalky with dust.

1. Describe the Child Marriage Restraint Act.

According to the Child Marriage Restraint Act passed in 1929, no man below the age of 18 and woman below the age of 16 could marry.

There are many kinds of people in the village. They speak many languages. Some pray in a temple and some in a mosque. The people went mad, burning temples and mosques. They fought with one another.

This chapter introduces numbers, their different types, and their uses in everyday life.

This chapter builds upon the concepts introduced in the previous chapter and delves deeper into the properties and operations of whole numbers.

This chapter introduces various concepts and strategies related to numbers and their properties.

This chapter introduces basic concepts and terms related to geometry.

We have many ways of thinking of other people as different from us. They may belong to different countries or religions, follow a different lifestyle and speak a different language. But the poet reminds us of the many ways in which we are all the same for we are all humans.

There is a shed at the bottom of the poet’s garden and the poet wishes to visit it one day. There is a spider’s web on the door of the shed and its hinges are rusty and creak when the wind blows.

This poem is a legend of an old lady who angered Saint Peter because of her greed. The story goes like this. Long long ago, there lived an old lady in Northland. She was very selfish and greedy.

The poem dreams of escaping the busy streets of London. He remembers Innisfree as a perfect little island that would supply all his needs. This poem explores his longing for the peace and tranquillity of Innisfree where he spent a lot of time as a boy.

At night, there are dark clouds that cover the sky. It rains gently and the poet lies on his cosy bed listening to the patter of soft rain on the roof. He enjoys sound, the melody of nature.

This chapter explores magnets, their properties, and their various applications. Magnets are objects that can attract certain materials, such as iron, nickel, and cobalt.

This chapter explores the properties of air, the composition of the Earth's atmosphere, and the importance of air for living organisms. Air is a mixture of gases that surrounds the Earth and is essential for the survival of all living organisms.

This chapter explores the importance of water, its properties, the water cycle, and various uses of water. Water is essential for survival and plays a crucial role in various natural processes.

The first part deals with the account of Simmons, An American Indian, who fought against the prejudices of the society against American Indians.