Unit - 4 Life and Death [Class-9]

Death is a Fiction

Summary of the Text

Understanding

A. Find the words from the text that have the following meanings.

a. a thing that is imagined ⇒ fiction

b. a way of looking at something ⇒ dimension

c. to force somebody to leave ⇒ dislodge

d. faced somebody so that you could not avoid ⇒ confronted

e. to make somebody feel better ⇒ solace

B. Fill in the blanks with appropriate words.

a. Death is a fiction created by human being.

b. Ultimately, we are moving straight to the grave

c. According to the speaker, death is guaranteed It is sure to happen.

d. Human beings have corrupted everything, and they have twisted it whichever way they want.

C. Answer the following questions.

a. According to the speaker, there is only life. How?

⇒According to the speaker, there is only life because no one has experienced it nor has a firsthand information from anybody.

b. According to the speaker, what is life?

⇒ According to the speaker, inhalation is life.

c. Why is there nothing wrong with death?

⇒ There is nothing wrong with death because it has to happen?

d. Why do we fear death?

⇒ We fear death because because we have no idea what it is.

e. Why do people have an idea of death?

⇒ People have an idea of death because people have been talking about it without knowing about it.

D. What is your view on death? Write a short paragraph.

Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain death is sometimes used as a legal definition of death. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose shortly after death. Death is an inevitable process that eventually occurs in almost all organisms. Death is generally applied to whole organisms; the similar process seen in individual components of an organism, such as cells or tissues, is necrosis. Something that is not considered an organism, such as a virus, can be physically destroyed but is not said to die. As of the early 21st century, over 150,000 humans die each day, with ageing being by far the most common cause of death.

Grammar I

A. Rewrite the following sentences using the correct form of the verbs given in the brackets.

The winter ….. (follow) the autumn season.

The human body……….(consist) of some 60 trillion individual cells.

Cows …..(feed) on grass.

He…… (earn) a handsome salary every month.

Akila…… (make) delicious cookies.

Arati and her husband……(live) in Singapore.

………. you…..(like) chocolate milk?

He …… (not want) to go to the movies.

My grandfather …….(adore) his pet dog.

Plants ……(need) water and sunlight for photosynthesis.

He……..(have) a big apartment in Venice.

Answer:

The winter follows the autumn season.

The human body consists of some 60 trillion individual cells.

Cows feed on grass.

He earns a handsome salary every month.

Akila makes delicious cookies.

Arati and her husband live in Singapore.

Do you like chocolate milk?

He …… (not want) to go to the movies.

My grandfather adores his pet dog.

Plants need water and sunlight for photosynthesis.

He has a big apartment in Venice.

Make a statement or a question using these prompts. Use the present simple.

I/not/check/my emails when I get to school.

you/watch/the news on TV every day?

she/wear/a red dress.

you/have/a school bus?

what/you/want to drink?

you/not/need more reading practice.

your friend/not/like computer games.

mum/wash/car once a week.

Answer:

I don’t check my emails when I get to school.

Do you watch the news on TV everyday?

she wears a red dress.

Do you have a school bus?

What do you want to drink?

You do not need more reading practice.

Your friend doesn’t like computer games.

Mum washes car once a week.

Change the following sentences into negative and question.

The swimming pool opens everyday at 9: 30 am.

I use my car very often.

John comes from Mexico.

I play the piano very well.

Ann watches television a lot.

I write to my parents every month.

This car breaks down every five hours.

Answer:

The swimming pool doesn’t open everyday at 9: 30 am.

Does the swimming pool open everyday at 9: 30 am?

I rarely use my car.

Do I often use my car?

John doesn’t come from Mexico .

Does John come from Mexico?

I don’t play the piano very well.

Do I play the piano very well?

Ann doesn’t watch television a lot.

Does Ann watch television a lot?

I don’t write to my parents every month.

Do I write to my parents every month?

This car doesn’t break down every five hours.

Does this car break down every five hours?

Reading - II Crossing the Bar

Summary of the Poem

The speaker heralds the setting of the sun and the rise of the evening star and hears that he is being called. He hopes that the ocean will not make the mournful sound of waves beating against a sand bar when he sets out to sea. Rather, he wishes for a tide that is so full that it cannot contain sound or foam and therefore seems asleep when all that has been carried from the boundless depths of the ocean returns back out to the depths.

The speaker announces the close of the day and the evening bell, which will be followed by darkness. He hopes that no one will cry when he departs, because although he may be carried beyond the limits of time and space as we know them, he retains the hope that he will look upon the face of his “Pilot” when he has crossed the sand bar.

Understanding

A. Find the words from the text for the following meanings.

Column A Column B

moaning i. complaining

boundless ii. never-ending; infinite

twilight iii. dusk

embark iv. go on board

tho’ v. though

bourne vi. a boundary; a limit

crost vii. crossed

B. Fill in the gaps with the words/phrases given below to complete the paraphrase of the poem.

I notice the sunset and evening star in the sky and hear a sound calling for me loud and clear. I hope that the sandbar will not be disturbed when I go out to sea. Instead, I want to be carried out on a tide moving so slowly it seems almost asleep, and which is too swollen to make a sound. That's what I want when I return home to the depths of the great unknown. Twilight comes with the evening bell, which will be followed by darkness. There don't need to be any sad goodbyes when I go. Even though I'll be going far from this time and place, floating on the tide of death, I hope to meet God , who has been like my pilot in this journey, when I've made it across the bar.

C. Answer the following questions.

a. Where does the speaker have to go crossing the sandbar?

⇒ The speaker has to go to the sea crossing the sandbar.

b. Why can’t the tide make a huge sound or create a lather?

⇒ The tide can’t make a huge sound or create a lather because he wants to move on a tide slowly.

c. What do the twilight and the evening bell suggest in the poem?

⇒ The twilight and the evening bell suggest the time of farewell in the poem.

d. Where is the speaker going without accepting sad goodbyes?

⇒ The speaker is going unknown home without accepting sad goodbyes.

e. Who is the only agent that helps the speaker to go far in his journey?

⇒ The pilot is the only agent that helps the speaker to go far in his journey.

f. Does the speaker fear death? Why/Why not?

⇒ The speaker doesn’t fear death because he has the hope to meet God.

g. What does the pilot symbolize?

⇒ The pilot symbolizes the God.

Grammar II

A. Complete the following sentences with the correct adverbs from the brackets.

I see one or two movies every week. I .... (often/never) ..... go to the movies.

I let my roommate borrow my car just once. I ………… (sometimes/rarely) ……….. let my roommate borrow my car.

Maria eats cereal for breakfast seven days a week. Maria …… (usually/always) …….. eats cereal for breakfast.

Four out of five visitors to the museum stay for three hours or longer. Museum visitors ……… (usually/seldom) ….. stay for at least three hours.

We occasionally have quizzes in history class. The teacher ……… (always/sometimes) …….. gives quizzes in history class.

Subina always misses the morning assembly. She ...... (rarely/ never) ....... arrives at school on time.

In the desert, it rains only two days between May and September every year. It ……… (rarely/often) …….. rains there in the summer.

Rohit asks me to go to the winter camp, but I don’t accept his invitation. I ……… (seldom/often …….. go to the winter camp.

Lisa and Samrat go fishing at least three times a week. They ……… (usually/seldom) ………. go out to dinner with each other.

Answer

I see one or two movies every week. I .... (often/never) ..... go to the movies.

I let my roommate borrow my car just once. I ………… (sometimes/rarely) ……….. let my roommate borrow my car.

Maria eats cereal for breakfast seven days a week. Maria …… (usually/always) …….. eats cereal for breakfast.

Four out of five visitors to the museum stay for three hours or longer. Museum visitors ……… (usually/seldom) ….. stay for at least three hours.

We occasionally have quizzes in history class. The teacher ……… (always/sometimes) …….. gives quizzes in history class.

Subina always misses the morning assembly. She ...... (rarely/ never) ....... arrives at school on time.

In the desert, it rains only two days between May and September every year. It ……… (rarely/often) …….. rains there in the summer.

Rohit asks me to go to the winter camp, but I don’t accept his invitation. I ……… (seldom/often) …….. go to the winter camp.

Lisa and Samrat go fishing at least three times a week. They ……… (usually/seldom) ………. go out to dinner with each other.

Rewrite the following sentences with the correct alternatives from the brackets.

Your friendship over the years and your support ....... (has/have) ........ meant a great deal to us.

Hamilton Family Center, a shelter for teenage runaways in San Francisco, ......... (offers/offer) .......... a wide variety of services.

One of the major sources of income of Trinidad ....... (is/are) ....... tourism.

The chances of your being promoted .... (is/are) ...... excellent.

There ............... (was/were) ............... a Pokemon card stuck to the refrigerator.

Neither the professor nor his assistants ............... (was/were) ................ able to attend the conference.

Many hours at the driving range ...... (has/have) ....... led us to design golf balls with GPS locators in them.

Discovered in the soil of our city garden ........ (was/were) ...... a button dating from the turn of the century.