UNIT 4
THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY
Comprehension :
C1.) Discuss in pairs and find answers for the following questions.
1.) Read paragraph
2. There are a few sentences which speak about the grandmother’s features. Pick out those sentences and write them.
Answer: The grandmother was short, fat and slightly bent. Her face was a criss-cross of wrinkles running from everywhere to everywhere. Her silver locks were scattered untidily over her pale, puckered face and her lips constantly moved in inaudible prayer.
2.) “… she used to get me ready for school.” How did the grandmother get the author ready for school?
Answer: The grandmother used to wake him up in the morning. She would bathe him and dressed him. After that she would give him wooden slate, a tiny earthen ink-pot and a red pen, tie them all in a bundle and hand it to him. She would give him a thick, stale chapatti with a little butter and sugar spread on it him.
3.) Why did the grandmother accompany the author to the school?
Answer: The grandmother accompanied with the author because his school was attached to the temple and she used to sit in the temple and read scriptures.
4.) “That was a turning point in our friendship.” What was the “turning point”?
Answer: When the author’s parents settled comfortably in the city then they sent for the author and his grandmother and this is how it proved to be the turning point in author’s friendship with his grandmother.
5.) What made the grandmother unhappy? Why?
Answer: In the city, the author went to an English school. His grandmother asked what he had learnt in the school then he would say he learnt English words and little things of western science and learning, the law of gravity, Archimede’s principle, the world being round,etc which was not understood by her and she couldn’t help him with the lessons. These made the grandmother unhappy. She was also upset with the fact the school didn’t teach about God and the scriptures.
C2.) In groups, discuss the answers for the following questions and present them before the class.
1.) “The thought was almost revolting.” What is “the thought” referred to? Why does the author use the word ‘revolting’ to describe the thought?
Answer: The author’s grandmother had once been young and pretty and even had a husband, and she was pretty and young this thought was revolting to the author. The author couldn’t imagine his grandmother being so young and pretty once as he had always seen her old and wrinkled.
2.) How did the grandmother help the author as a boy during his school days?
Answer: The grandmother used to wake him up in the morning and get him ready for school. She would sing her morning prayer while bathing him and dress him up. Then she would fetch his wooden slate which she had already washed and plastered with yellow chalk, a tiny earthen ink-pot and a red pen, tie them all in a bundle and hand it to him. She would accompany him to his school after his breakfast.
3.) Describe the relation between animals/birds (dogs and sparrows) and the grandmother.
Answer: The grandmother used to carry several stale chapattis with her for the village dogs while going to school. Even after moving to the city, she took to feeding sparrows in the courtyard of the city house. In the afternoon she would feed the sparrows. She would she sit in the verandah and break the bread into little bits and hundreds of little birds would gather around. She loved them so much she would never shooed them away.
4.) Describe the three stages of relationship between the author and his grandmother (before he went abroad)
Answer: When the author and his grandmother were in the village they had special bond. She used to look after him very well and did everything for him. They would go to school together and come back together. Their relationship took a turn when they both moved to the city. She felt upset that she couldn’t help him with his studies When the author went to university, there was a big gap between the two of them. He got his own room and this is how things started to change and his grandmother became quiet and spent most of her time with spinning wheel.
5.) Grandmother and prayer were inseparable. Find instances from the lesson to justify this observation.
Answer: When the author and the grandmother lived in the village, she would chant prayers while bathing him and getting him ready for school. When the author got separate room for himself she became quiet and would recite prayers sitting next to spinning wheel. When the grandmother went to see her grandson off to the abroad, even there she didn’t uttered a single word of farewell but she recited prayer. When the author arrived after five years, she clasped him in her arms and even at that time she recited her prayer. These incidents show that how deeply religious the grandmother was and how she always recited her prayers.
6.) ‘‘She thumped the sagging skins of the dilapidated drum.’’ Has the description of the drum anything to do with the grandmother? Explain.
Answer: The author’s grandmother was very old and the drum she played was also old. Due to old age grandmother’s skin had become saggy. The phrase sagging skins focus on both the grandmother and the old drum played by her.
7.) Did the grandmother predict her death? How?
Answer: Yes, the grandmother did predict her death. She told the family members that there was only a few hours left before the last chapter of her life. She didn’t talk to anyone and just lay peacefully in bed praying and telling her beads.
8.) How did the sparrows react to her earlier in her life and later after her death?
Answer: When the grandmother moved to the city, there she used to feed the sparrows. She would sit in the verandah and break the bread into little bits and hundreds of little birds would come to her. They would perch on her legs but she never shooed them away. But when she passed away, thousands of sparrows sat scattered on the floor. They didn’t chirp as they used to when she was alive. The author’s mother fetched some bread for the sparrows, the way his grandmother used to do. But the sparrows didn’t even take notice of it. They just flew away quietly when the corpse was carried away.
9.) What picture of the grandmother do you get from the lesson?
Answer: The physical picture we get from the lesson is that the grandmother is old, fat and slightly bent. She has wrinkles all over her face. She is a pious woman who would chant prayers always. She had unconditional love for animals and birds.
LANGUAGE ACTIVITIES:
Vocabulary
V1.) In the lesson, the word “tell” has been used under different contexts to mean differently. Now match the usage of the word “tell” with its meaning as used in the lesson.
The use of the word “tell”
1.) Her fingers were busy telling the beads of her rosary -Counting while reciting
2.) I would tell her English words – Give information to somebody
3.) She told us that her end was near- Make something known to someone in spoken or written words.
4.) At her age no one could tell – be sure
A.) Fill in the blanks with the past perfect form of the verbs
given in brackets :
I had failed to catch the train on that fateful day. If I had come five minutes earlier, I could have told myself that I would never be late again.
Pick out five more sentences from the lesson having the verbs in past perfect form.
1.) She had been old and wrinkled for the twenty years that I had known her.
2.) She had always been short and fat and slightly bent.
3.) No, we were certain she had always been as we had known her.
4.) Then she would fetch my wooden slate which she had already washed and plastered with yellow chalk
5.) When we had both finished, we would walk back together.
B.) Fill in the blanks using the past perfect form of the verbs given in brackets.
1.) When I reached the station, the train had left (leave) already.
2.) By the time the teacher entered the class, the students had stopped (stop) talking.
3.) I would have failed, if I hadnot worked (work) hard.
4.) If I had walked (walk) faster, I would have won the race.
G2.) Prepositions :
Ex.) 1. Here is a page from Renu’s diary. It talks about what Renu did in a week in August 2011. Read carefully and complete the following:
Eg. Renu went to a movie on Saturday evening.
1.) She telephoned Reema on Thursday.
2.) She isn’t doing anything special on Monday.
3.) She has to press her clothes on Sunday.
4.) She went to the library on Wednesday evening.
5.) She went to the music class on Tuesday at 5.30.
Where are the people in the picture ? Complete the sentence. The first one is done for you.
1.) Farooq is sitting beside Esha.
2.) Esha is sitting between Devi and Farooq.
3.) Devi is sitting next to Esha.
4.) Farooq is sitting in front of Chandru.
5.) Esha is sitting in front of Bhama.
6.) Arun is standing behind Devi.
7.) Bhama is standing between Arun and Chandru.
Ex. 3
Mr. Peter asks you how to go to the park from the church. Now, direct him using the picture clues. Write the sentences in the blanks given.
1.) Go past the church.
2.) Go under the bridge.
3.) Go up the hill.
4.) Go down the steps.
5.) Go along the street.
6.) Go across the hotel.
7.) Go over the flyover.
8.) Go into the park.
Ex. 4 : Read the information and complete the sentences :-
(Sandeep/Tumakuru/2000-2007) Sandeep lived in Tumakuru from 2000 to 2007.
(Sandeep/Tumakuru/2007) Sandeep lived in Tumakuru till 2007.
Sandeep/Bengaluru/2007-) Sandeep has lived in Bengaluru since 2007.
Ex. 5 : Now, fill in the blanks using “until/since/for” :
Eg. My uncle and aunty have been married since 1985.
1) I was tired this morning. I stayed in bed until 10 O clock.
2) We waited for Usha for half an hour, but she did not come.
3) “Have you just arrived”? No, I have been here since half past seven.
4) “How long did you stay in the office yesterday?” Until 8P.M.
5) Don’t open the door of the train until the train stops.
6) This is my house. I have lived here since I was seven years old.
7) Sumana has gone away. She will be away until Wednesday.
8) Next week, I am going to Delhi for three days.
9) I usually finish work at 5-30, but sometimes I work until six.
10) “How long have you known Harshitha ?” Since we were at school together.
11) Shwetha and I are good friends. We have known each other for ten years.
12) “I am tired. I am going to lie down for a few minutes.”
1.) Now, frame questions to get the underlined words as answers.
1.) We have our annual exams during summer.
Answer: When do you have our annual exams?
2.) Mr. Rao and his family went to Andaman during vacation.
Answer: Where did Mr.Rao and his family go during vacation?
3.) Sorry, I am late because of heavy traffic.
Answer: Why are you late?
4.) My friend walks to school.
Answer: How does your friend go to school?
5.) Sheetal had toasted bread for breakfast.
Answer: What did Sheetal have for breakfast?
6.) The Indian Ambassador visited the Western countries.
Answer: Who visited the Western countries?
7.) This is our school’s property.
Answer: What is this?
8.) The doctor talked to the patient yesterday.
Answer: Whom did the doctor talk to yesterday?
9.) Masala dosa is my favourite dish.
Answer: What is your favorite dish?
10.) The red – coloured bag is mine.
Answer: Which is your bag?
4.) Now add question tags to the statements given below :
1.) It is a beautiful day, isn’t it?
2.) You have been to Paris, haven’t you?
3.) The film wasn’t very good, was it?
4.) Anu lives near your house, doesn’t she?
5.) You don’t know French, do you?
6.) The policeman directs the traffic, doesn’t he?
7.) Some species are getting extinct on earth day by day, aren’t they?
8.) He has a Benz car, hasn’t he?
9.) We should not tell lies, should we?
10.) Indians love peace, don’t they?
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