WARM UP:

1. Johannes Gutenberg : is famous for having designed and built the first printing
press to incorporate movable type and mechanized inking and for using his
invention to produce the Gutenberg Bible.
2. The Wright brothers – Orville and Wilbur – were two American aviation pioneers
generally credited with inventing, building, and flying the world's first successful
motor-operated airplane
3. Martin Cooper, : American engineer who led the team that in 1972–73 built the
first mobile cell phone and made the first cell phone call. He is widely regarded
as the father of the cellular phone.

Post-reading
1. Choose the sentence that best summarises the main idea in each
paragraph of the text.
A. 1 B. 1 C. 1 D. 2 E. 1

Question and Answers:

1: Why was Raman awarded the Nobel Prize?

A: Chandrasekhar Venkat Raman was a born physics enthusiast. His inquisitive nature
was ever alive. He was always curious to know more and more. And he was very clear
in his propositions and explanations. He was forever ready to instigate, interrogate,
investigate and propagate. Even as a busy administrative officer, he always found time,
patience and, more importantly, interest to conduct original scientific research at the
Indian Association for the cultivation of sciences.

With such inherent scientific temper, Sir C.V. Raman watched the sea and its blue color
as he was voyaging to London in 1921. Sir C.V. Raman was not convinced by the
earlier explanation that the blue color was the reflection of sky. Sir C.V. Raman
speculated that it could be because of the scattering of sunlight by water molecules.
And his consequent experiments proved this speculation. And the inevitable happened.
And C.V. Raman’s earlier bold declaration became true. He won the Nobel Prize for
physics for his original discovery – molecular scattering of light – in 1930.
2: According to Raman, why is the sea blue in color?

A: C.V. Raman was ever keen to learn. Questioning was his strength. Research was
his weapon. And discovery was his passion. And the reward was the Nobel Prize. C.V.
Raman participated in the Universities’ Congress in London in 1921. As he was
travelling by the sea, he was impressed by the ‘blue’ color of the sea. Many people
noticed this blue color earlier. They all thought it was the reflection of sky.

But C.V. Raman was, somehow, not impressed with this belief. He guessed that sunlight
is being scattered by the water molecules. He conducted experiments in this direction.
He proved beyond doubt that water molecules indeed scatter light. So, the white
sunlight, when scattered by the water molecules gives the sea its blue color. This
discovery, known as the Raman Effect, fetched for him the Nobel Prize in 1930.

Task 1
Form opposites of the words given below by adding prefixes. An example
has been done for you.
2. qualify – disqualify
3. possible – impossible
4. climax – anticlimax
5. confirmed – unconfirmed

Task 2
Form adjectives by adding appropriate suffixes to the words listed below. An
example has been done for you.
2. create – creative
3. beauty – beautiful

4. excite – exciting
5. pain – painful/painless

Task 3
Complete the sentences using the most appropriate forms of words given in the
box.
1. The techno giant was penalised heavily for using customers’ personal
information without authorisation.
2. The motto for the new PM should be minimum government but maximum
 governance.
3. The ruling party is facing a strong anti-incumbency wave in the upcoming
assembly polls.
4. A possibility of extraterrestrial life has always attracted people’s attention.

Task 4
Change the grammatical category of the words in Column A, using an
appropriate suffix from the box below.

2. movable 3. 4. magnetic 5. nationalism 6. delivery

crystallise
7.advertiseme 8. spacious 9. frighten 10.
nt assessment

Task 5
Add suitable affixes to form what is indicated within brackets. One has been
done for you.

2. un- + palatable = 3. suffocate + -ion =

unpalatable suffocation
4. attract + -ive = attractive 5. additional + -ly =
additionally
6. activate + -ion = 7. capable + -ity =
activation capability
8. il- + logical = illogical 9. torrent + -ial = torrential

10. corrode + -ive =

corrosive

Task 6
Underline the indefinite articles in these sentences.
1. Ahan Parekh was interested in renewable energy; he completed an
internship with a company dealing in solar energy last year.
2. A great deal of time and effort has been devoted to finding a cure for cancer.
3. The nucleus of an atom holds a positive charge and has a specific number of
protons and neutrons.
Task 7
Underline the definite articles in these sentences.
1. Farmers used the constellations in the night sky for predicting the
seasons.
2. The man who invented the USB technology didn’t make any money out
of it.
3. The primary advantage of Li-Fi technology is that it allows for faster
transmission of data as compared to the existing Wi-Fi technology.
4. The Netherlands is a beautiful country.
5. The integrated circuits used in computers were replaced by
microprocessors in the 1970s.
6. The only way to account for the variations in the readings was to
repeat the procedure a number of times.

Task 8
Fill in the blanks using the correct articles where required. You may
use a/an/the or X (for ‘none’).
1. This instance was one of the first UFO sightings reported by X pilots
anywhere in the world. Whilst flying from one city to another, in the
USA, two pilots encountered a large, cigar- shaped craft, flying close to
them, barely missing them at times. At one point, the object appeared
to stop abruptly before vanishing into thin air. The pilots concurred that
it was a long, thin craft, with two rows of tiny windows that emitted a
bluish-green glow. It was moving really fast and leaving behind it a trail
of orange exhaust.
2. Several witnesses at an American airbase claimed to have seen an
identical object half an hour before what the pilots experienced.
Officials from the US government were able to rule out the possibility of
it being a military or commercial flight as there were no such flights
scheduled at that time.
3. After a prolonged investigation, government officials wrote off the
sightings as an illusion caused by X temperature changes. They later
changed their minds and claimed that it was a meteor. However,
experts later decided that, as the description of the object does not at
all fit that of a meteor, this sighting will be classified as ‘an unexplained
phenomenon’.
Task 9
Correct the errors in the use of articles in this paragraph.
In the year 2005, Arvind Thiagarajan was a 25-year-old inventor with a
couple of patents to his credit. By 2011, he managed to file for about 40
patents. When President Abdul Kalam presented him with the Junior
Scientist Award in 2001, he inspired Arvind to invent and, more
importantly, also patent his inventions. His most interesting invention is
HDFonoDoc, the first device in the world which can analyse and
document heart murmurs in real time. It was a replacement for the
mechanical and digital stethoscopes used by doctors worldwide.

Task 10
Some sentences below have errors in the use of articles. Identify the
error and rewrite the sentences. If there is no error, retain the sentence
as it is.
1. The Himalayas are a sensitive eco zone. (No error)
2. A union minister visited our college last year for the anniversary function.
(No error)
3. Practice makes a person perfect.
4. The peacock is considered our national bird.
5. One of the most prominent rivers of India is the Ganga. (No error)
6. B. Tech is the most sought-after degree in many parts of India.
7. Gold is a good investment option since the interest rates are going down.
8. The Olympian was awarded an honorary doctoral degree last year.
9. All except the Sharmas were invited to the engagement ceremony. (No
error)
10. Every year many Indian students go abroad for higher studies.

Task 11
Read this paragraph and underline the prepositions.
to, of, in (repeated across sentences)
Task 12
Fill in the blanks using the correct prepositions.
1. on, in 2. in, to 3. by 4. by 5. in

Task 13
Fill in the blanks using the correct prepositions.
1. to, for 2. by, with 3. in, for 4. through 5. in, by

Task 14
Some sentences below have errors related to use of prepositions. Identify the
error and rewrite the sentences.
1. The politician divided his property among his three daughters.
2. My brother has a two-wheeler besides two small cars. (No error)
3. The address on the envelope was wrong and therefore it was sent back.
4. When we reached the hotel, the entire staff of the hotel was waiting with
flowers at the reception.

5. During our trip to Shimla, the train went through a tunnel.

6. You can consult a doctor for tips to sleep in hot and humid weather.
7. My teacher was angry with me because I was very late for his class.
8. It is really hard to laugh at Rakshit’s jokes; they are really bad!
9. Reshma’s parents trusted in her and she never failed them.
10. These days one needs to manage stress at work and yoga is a popular
method. (No error)

Task 15

Separate the following into two groups, phrases and clauses.

1. Mesmerising quotes on life from social media – phrase
2. The students are shouting – clause
3. Life-threatening diseases – phrase
4. Gold price has hit all-time high – clause
5. An all-time favourite song – phrase
6. Well-designed but badly executed welfare programme – phrase
 7. I wonder why – clause

Task 16
Classify the following sentences into simple (S), compound (CP) and complex
(CX).
1. I called up my brother and discussed our travel plans.
COMPOUND
2. The teacher read out the names of winners of the cultural competition on
stage. SIMPLE
3. The star player did not disappoint his fans as he scored two goals in
yesterday’s match. COMPLEX
4. Orcas, which are also known as ‘killer whales’, are extremely intelligent
animals. COMPLEX
5. Many tourists are feared trapped in the deadly mudslide near the famous
pilgrimage place. SIMPLE
6. The train was cancelled because of technical issues. COMPLEX
7. Though I didn’t believe in ghosts, the extraordinary events in our house
made me approach the well-known paranormal investigators. COMPLEX
8. The title of my next book is ‘I am not what I am’. SIMPLE

Task 17
Fill the blanks using suitable forms of the words given in brackets.
1. would have been
2. Write
3. read
4. will be
5. Were

Task 18
Spot the errors in these sentences and correct them.
1. If it is sunny, the guests will want some lemonade.
2. If I had more money, I would buy a house.
3. If you slept on time, you would be able to wake up early.
4. If I am stuck in traffic, I will let you know.
 5. If my brother moves to Singapore, I will visit him there.
6. If they want to, they can host the event.

Task 19
Insert commas at the correct places in these sentences.
1. The recipe required flour, sugar, eggs and cream.
2. Once the storm had subsided, the people returned home from the makeshift
shelters.
3. We intended to visit Coorg as well, however, we couldn’t for lack of time.
4. Sanghavi, an avid social media user, decided to spread awareness about the
air pollution in her city.
5. I cannot afford a house in Bandra, so I am moving to Malad.

Task 20
Insert apostrophes at the correct places in these sentences.
1. Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings have become a part of the Indian
imagination of the epics.
2. My friend’s flat is located in one of the most expensive localities in the
city.
3. The senior surgeon’s opinion was to go ahead with the surgery.
4. Who’s taken the library books that were on my table?
5. The children’s section is located on the right-hand side of this bookstore.

Task 21
Insert colons at the correct places in these sentences.
1. You have only one lifeline: use it while you can.
2. On your Facebook profile, you can do the following: upload a profile photo,
indicate your likes and interests, create albums of your favourite moments
and include a cover photo.
3. I can understand one thing from Satwik’s tweets: he is travelling all over the
world.
4. The scientist said: ‘We need to increase our focus on research to encourage
the spirit of innovation among the youth.’
5. Make a note of the items you need to carry to the camp: a torch, sleeping
bag and safety kit.
Task 22
Check if the semicolon has been used properly in these sentences and
correct it where required.
1. I’m allergic to cottage cheese-based curries; milk-based products do
not agree with me. (No error)
2. Kerala is a lovely place; it has beautiful beaches and lovely weather.
3. The social media usage fell sharply in the hostel last week; many
students were preparing for exams.
4. In the meeting today we have: Mr. Sachit Bhagat, CEO, MediaTech; Mr
Piyush Gorakh, Director, Soltex Marketing; Ms Pratima Shah,
Chairperson, Women Entrepreneur’s Association of Hyderabad and Mr
Satish Sehgal, Assistant Manager, Latitude Software Solutions.
5. The librarian placed an order for books, journals, magazines and
newspapers.

Task 23
Tick the correct uses of hyphen, en dash and em dash.

1. We are expecting around 1000 - 2000 people for the wedding. 🗶

2. You may think this solution will work—it won’t.

3. This is a one-way street. ✔

4. Conan Doyle was a famous nineteenth—century novelist. 🗶

5. India–China relations have seen many ups and downs over the years. ✔

Task 24
This paragraph has 10 errors related to vocabulary, grammar and
punctuation. Identify the mistakes and rewrite the paragraph.
March 20 is celebrated as the World Sparrow Day since 2010. The aim is
to generate awareness about sparrows, which were once very common in
our surroundings but are now rare. Till a few years back, sparrows could
be seen nesting in almost every backyard and public places such as bus
 and railway stations. The sparrows lived in large colonies and survived on
food grains and tiny worms, and had a close relation with human beings.
Now it’s hard to believe that this tiny, humble sparrow is in danger of
disappearing completely/entirely. What is causing distress to the humble
sparrow? Experts note that the changing human landscape is the main
culprit. Modification in house designs in both rural and urban areas, rise of
skyscrapers, mobile towers and increased pollution have made it difficult
for sparrows to survive.

Task 25
Delete redundant portions and make these sentences as brief as
possible. An example has been done for you.
2. The government says that petroleum prices cannot be reduced
because the prices are high in the global market.

3. The player was thinking of deciding on his retirement.

4. We will meet tomorrow at 11 am in the Conference room for just 10
minutes.
5. The project leader shall ensure dedication from all the team members
and timely completion of the project.

Task 26
Identify the topic sentence in the following paragraphs.
1. An enormous amount of research on how people respond to extreme
events has been done by an American university. After studying
scores of disasters such as floods, earthquakes and tornadoes
over several decades, one of the most notable findings has been
that people rarely lose control. During earthquakes, when the
ground shakes, dwellings crumble, fires rage, and people are crushed,
they do not run screaming through the streets in a wild attempt to
escape the horror, even though they undoubtedly feel horrified.
Earthquakes and tornadoes wreak havoc on entire communities. Yet
people do not usually turn against their neighbors or suddenly forget
personal ties and moral commitments. Instead the more consistently
observed pattern is that people bind together in the aftermath of
disasters – working together to restore their physical environment and
their culture to their former shape.
 2. An extremely significant factor in climate change awareness is social
justice. It has been observed that those who are the most
vulnerable to climate changes, those who are already suffering
from the impacts of climate change, are the people and
communities who contributed least to the problem. When
governments and policy makers consider global reductions in
emissions it is essential for them to ask exactly which countries are
being asked to reduce emissions and by how much. They must be fair
and bring in policies that require those countries with excessive
emissions to reduce them significantly, but allow countries with very
low emissions to increase them, up to the point where all countries
have the same per capita emissions.

Task 27
Edit the following paragraph to achieve better cohesion and coherence.
Railways, in collaboration with Doodle, has set up free wifi at railway
stations. You can connect to RailFi by following some simple steps. When
you reach a railway station, make sure your phone or computer’s wifi is
on. Scan for available networks. You must be able to see ‘RailFi’. Connect
to it. Activation portal opens in your default browser and asks for your
mobile number. Enter it and request for ‘OTP’ (One Time Password).
Enter the OTP you have received. You will get a message that you are
successfully connected.

Task 28
Here is a sequence of events leading up to India becoming a Republic.
Write a narrative paragraph based on these points. Remember to use
suitable sequencing words.
(This is an open-ended question. A possible response is provided here.
There could be alternative responses as well.)

Initially, when India became independent on 15 August 1947, it did not

have a constitution of its own. Hence, on 28 August 1947, a drafting
committee was appointed to draft a permanent constitution for the country
with Dr B R Ambedkar as the head. Subsequently, on 4 November 1947,
the drafting committee submitted its report. On 24 January 1950, following
discussions and revisions, the report was signed by the Constituent
Assembly. Two days later, the constitution came into effect. India is now a
truly sovereign country with a constitution of its own.
Task 29
Historical records show that the Titanic had the best wireless signalling
system of the times. However, when the disaster struck, help could not
reach the Titanic on time. Use these notes to write a paragraph on why
the radio signalling system might have failed.
(This is an open-ended question. A possible response is provided here.
There could be alternative responses as well.)
The Titanic had the most powerful radio signalling system designed by the
inventor of the radio, Marconi, and managed by The Wireless and
Telegraph Company owned by him. All messages were sent wirelessly via
Morse Code and could be accessed by anybody on that particular
frequency. However, one reason why it failed was that the operators on
the Titanic were busy handling the communication of high-profile
passengers on board and hence, did not receive the warnings about the
icebergs. Another reason was that many ships received the distress call
from the Titanic, but the messages were transmitted and re-transmitted,
leading to confusion.

********************************************************************

Warm Up
Work in pairs and look at the pictures above. Choose the names of the famous
monuments from the box below. Can you think of one fact about each of these
places?
Picture 1: Mahabalipuram

Picture 2: Ellora Caves

Picture 3: Red Fort

Picture 4: Golden Temple

 Question and Answers:

1: ‘The lion capital of the Sarnath Pillar’ – what does ‘capital’ mean here?
A: ‘Capital’ here means the decorated top part of a pillar. ‘Capital’ in other
contexts means a) the administrative centre (a city) of a state/country etc. b)
investment to start some business, c) important, main…..

2: What is a ‘stupa’?
A: A stupa is a dome like structure. Stupas picture scenes from Jataka tales.

3: What is a Jataka story?

A: A Jataka story is a folk tale about the previous births of Gautama Buddha.

4: How did the Gandhara style emerge?

A: Gandhara style emerged from the blending of Greek and Indian art forms.

5: What are the characteristics of the Gandhara style?

A: Gandhara style life-like statues of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas looked like
Greek gods. They used ornaments, costumes and drapery to make them look
beautiful. They used stones terracotta, cement like material to make statues.

6: Name two other indigenous styles of architecture?

A: Mathura school and Amaravathi School are two native styles of architecture.

7: Name some places known for their cave architechture?

A: Ajanta, Ellora, and Udaygiri are some places famous for cave architecture.

8: What are rock-cut temples? Name some famous rock-cut temples.

A: Temples cut from huge rocks are called rock-cut temples. The Kailash temple
at Ellora and the Rath temple of Mahabalipuram are some examples of well
known rock-cut temples.

9: Name some of the major dynasty of South India.

A: The Pallavas, Cholas, Pandyans, Hoysalas and Vijayanagar kings are some
dynasties of South India.

10: What are the differences between the Dravida style and Nagara style?
A: Dravida style mainly consists of ‘Vimana’ or ‘Shikhara’, high walls and the gate
way topped by a ‘gopuram’.
Nagara styles, on the other hand, have the ‘Sikhara’ in the form of a spiral roof,
the ‘garbagriha’ (sanctum) and the ‘mandapa’ (pillared-hall).

Post-reading
1. Choose the correct answer.
a. III b. II c. both I and II d. I e. IV

2. Complete the table by mentioning the architectural

contributions of the various dynasties. Two have been done for
you.

Dynasties Architectural contributions

Satavahanas A great stupa at Amaravati in the Lower
Godavari region
Guptas Free-standing Hindu temples at
Deogarh (Jhansi district) and
Bhitargaon (Kanpur district)
Rashtrakutas The Kailash temple at Ellora
Pallavas The ratha temples of Mahabalipuram
Cholas The Brihadeshwara temple at
Thanjavur; developed a Dravidian style
Eastern Ganga The Sun Temple in Konark
Chandelas The temple complex at Khajuraho in the
Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh
Solankis The Dilwara temples dedicated to Jain
tirthankaras

3. Using your own knowledge of Indian history, discuss why

temples were the most important architectural achievements of
various dynasties that ruled India.
(This is an open-ended question. A possible response is provided
here. There could be alternative responses as well.)
Temples were the most significant architectural achievements of
rulers in different parts of ancient India. The possible reasons for this
are many. Religion and religious rituals were a very important part of
 people’s lives. Every occasion had a religious ritual attached to it that
probably necessitated a visit to a temple. However, it
was not just the commoners who offered prayers in temples for
social occasions. The kings who built the temples themselves offered
prayers before and after wars. It was an age of expansion of empires
and wars were frequent. Therefore, temples were a necessity for
rulers who sought divine blessings before a war. Temples were also
centres of learning and cultural activities such as the practice of art,
dance and music. Indian classical dance forms such as
Bharatnatyam and Odissi have originated from temple dances.
Lastly, temples functioned as royal treasuries in times of crises.
Rulers, under threat are known to have hidden parts of their wealth
in temples in the belief that attackers would not desecrate and
plunder holy places.

Task 1
Fill in the blanks with the suitable synonyms from the second
column in the table above.
a. near b. strong c. careful d. secretive e. tight

Task 2
Identify the synonyms of the words in bold.
1. b 2. a
3. none of the options is an exact synonym; ‘agreed’ is the closest
option
4. a 5. d

Task 3
Fill in the blanks with antonyms of words in brackets.
1. natural 2. identical 3. reject 4. definite 5. Connect
Task 4
Fill the blanks with the correct pronouns.
1. his or her 2. their 3. they 4. his 5. He

Task 5
1. Spot and correct the errors in these sentences.
a. The movie was a good watch, though at times the scenes were a
bit dragging.
b. Coal is so cheap that trying to generate electricity without it would
be economic suicide, especially for developing countries.
c. A dragonfly keeps itself airborne by creating whirlwinds and vortices
in the air.

2. Answer these questions.

a. The tenses of the verbs were incorrect in each instance.
b. I corrected them by noting whether the subjects of the sentences
were in singular or plural. The tenses of the verbs had to be
changed accordingly.

Task 6
Correct the errors related to subject–verb agreement in these
sentences.
1. Emergencies are by their nature unexpected events and require
a prompt and proper response. If you follow the advice and
guidance given in this book you will undoubtedly be able to give
early and effective help when needed.
2. Lungs do not have any muscles, so they cannot move air on their
own. Instead, muscles in the chest make the lungs expand, or
blow up like a balloon as air is sucked in.
3. Certain days of the week and selected times of a day are better
than others for holding meetings.
4. People have been on the move since before historical records
began, whether fleeing from their enemies or looking for new land
 to settle in. In fact, there are numerous historical pieces of
evidence that show this.
5. That bouquet of roses was probably the most meaningful gift that
Della received on such an important day in her life. It was her
birthday and she knew very well that Jim would not be able to buy
an expensive gift.

Task 7
Correct the errors in these sentences.
1. Neither the project manager nor his assistant is attending the
meeting.
2. Logistics is not my area of expertise.
3. These pliers are not strong enough for the job.
4. Our team is going to work overtime to meet the deadline.
5. The committee has decided to pass the budget proposal in this
session.
6. They do not know the reason for the postponement of the event.
7. Printers and scanners need regular maintenance for trouble-free
service.
8. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People has been written by
Stephen Covey.
9. Each of the employees has been rewarded for contributing to the
growth of the business.
10.The Conjuring 2 was one of the scariest films to be released this
year.

Task 8
Read the following title and subtitle of a passage and predict the
content.
(This is an open-ended question. A possible response is provided
here. There could be alternative responses as well.)
 The title indicates that the passage will be an academic report or a
research paper on the subject of social media addiction, with
reference to Facebook.

Task 9
Read this passage and attempt the questions that follow.

Choose the best alternative/s.

1. b 2. c 3. b
4. (This is an open-ended question. A possible response is provided
here. There could be alternative responses as well.)
Apart from Twitter, Buck could have also used Facebook or
WhatsApp to spread the message about his arrest. Social media is
much more dynamic than traditional media and gets word across
multiple platforms very fast. Social media is also a largely democratic
space where posts are not censored by regulatory bodies, or do not
have vested interests. Traditional media, on the other hand, has to
be much more cautious with the content that it publishes or
broadcasts and often has to be careful as to not hurt popular
sentiments. On the flip side, traditional media is much more
accountable than social media where people can post pretty much
anything without proper verification of information.

Task 10
Circle the facts and underline the opinions in the following extract.
We live in an age where we cannot simply wish away the presence
of social media. We are surrounded by these media-sites all the
time. In the beginning, it all sounded very exciting, until a large
number of people got hooked on and things started getting out of
hand. (Opinion) For instance, in a recent study sponsored by a
major media house, it was found that 13-year-olds check their social
media feeds about 100 times a day, around 90 per cent of teens
have used social media and 75 per cent of them have profiles on
social networking sites. More than 50 per cent of them reported
 experiencing anxiety while using social media. (Fact).

Task 11
Tick the points that you would include in the letter.
a, c, e, f, h, i, j

Task 12
Here is a letter based on the situation in Task 11. Read the letter
carefully, identify and label its parts. Choose from the options in
the box.
a. sender’s address b. date c. receiver’s address
d. opening salutation
e. subject line f. signing off

Answer these questions.

1. Yes, the subject line clearly and concisely specifies the applicant’s
purpose in writing the letter.
2. The receiver can contact the sender at the address that the latter
has mentioned in the letter.

****************************************************

VIDEO ON HOW DENIM IS MADE :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gO_T0vT2J94
Question and Answers:
1: What were the steps denim went through before being used
as pants?
A: Denim was first used only to make sails. Later it was used to
make pants for miners. Finally it is now used to make blue jeans.

2: List out the evolution of blue jeans discussed in paragraphs

2 and 3.
A: Levi Strauss first used blue denim to stitch pants for miners.
That was in 1850. Later, rivets were added to jeans by a tailor,
Jacob Devis. Later zipper joined jeans in the place of buttons.
Rivets changed their place on the jeans.

3: What are the steps in manufacturing the Denim fabric?

A: Manufacturing denim cloth involves three stages. In the first
stage, ginned cotton is made into cotton yarn. Secondly, the yarn is
dyed in synthetic indigo several times. Finally, the yarn is woven
into denim fabric.

4: What is carding?
A: Carding is a process. Cotton is put through machines that have
brushes with bent wire teeth. These brushes clean, disentangle,
straighten and gather together the cotton fibers. The brushes are
called cards. Hence the process is called as carding. Carded fibers
are called slivers.

5: Denim is dyed……….(before being woven/After being

woven).
A: Before being woven.

6: How is denim dyed?

A: Cotton yarn is made into large balls. They are called ball warps.
They are dipped in indigo mixture several times.

7: What is slashing? Why is it done?

A: Dyed yarn is coated with one of the many kinds of starchy
 substances. This process is called slashing. Slashing makes the
threads stronger and stiffer.

8: The yarn is woven on………(mechanized looms/ hand

looms)?
A: Mechanized looms.

9: What is sanforising? Why is it done?

A: Woven denim cloth is preshrunk (washed to allow contracting).
This process of shrinking before stitching is called sanforising.
Sanforising ensures that stitched jeans don’t shrink beyond
tolerable levels.

10: How is sewing done?

A: First, desired design is selected. Patterns from the design are
cut from heavy paper. Pieces of denim are cut with high speed
cutting machines. Then, the pieces are stitched in an assembly line
fashion. After that, buttons, rivets and zippers are fixed.

11: What is the difference between prewashing and stone

washing?
A: Prewashing involves washing in industrial detergents for a short
time. This is to soften the denim. But stone washing involves
adding pumice (a kind of stone) to the load. This is done to give the
faded shade to the jeans.

Post-reading
1. Choose the correct answer.
a. ii (only wool) b. iv (mining workers)
c. ii (cotton which has been picked from fields and processed) d. iii
(they are dyed multiple times)

2. Here are the different stages in manufacturing jeans.

Arrange them in the right sequence.
c, e, j, h, g, i, b, d, a, f
 Task 1
Here is a list of words starting with the prefix ‘bio-’, which means
‘life’. Find out what these words mean. Use these words in
sentences of your own.
1. biochemistry – a branch of science that studies the chemistry of
living things
2. biography – the life story of a person written by someone else
3. biodegradable – being able to decay naturally without causing
harm to the environment
4. biotechnology – using biological processes and organisms for
industrial, medicinal and other such purpose.
5. biohazardous – a biological agent such as a pathogen or a
chemical that may harm human beings, animals and the
environment
6. bioinformatics – the science of collecting and processing
complex biological data such as human genetic codes using
computer technology

Task 2
Here is a list of words ending with the suffix ‘-phobia’. Find out
what these words mean. Use these words in sentences of your
own.
Phobia :a very strong fear or hatred that you cannot explain

1. hydrophobia – fear of water

2. claustrophobia – fear of closed spaces
3. agoraphobia – fear of going outside and staying in public spaces
4. xenophobia – fear of foreigners and their culture
5. photophobia – fear of light
6. acrophobia – fear of heights
Task 3
Complete these sentences choosing from the list of words and
phrases above.
1. Copernicus proposed that it was the earth that went around the
sun and not vice versa as the people had thought so far.

2. In a quid pro quo arrangement, in exchange for a donation, the

politician may support a law that favours the gun manufacturing
company.
3. The President has accused the national media of pursuing a
vendetta against him.
4. The restaurant has a lavish buffet with authentic Indian dishes. If
you do not like it, you can go for an equally exciting a la carte
menu of exquisite continental dishes.
5. The teacher made an inappropriate racial remark in the class. The
students walked out en masse in protest. Later the teacher
apologised.

6. The fast food giant committed a serious faux pas when it refused
to serve food to a man clad in shirt and lungi.
7. We all use emojis efficiently on mobile phones, but do you know
how to get them on computers?
8. The actor is known for his impromptu lines in between the
rehearsed dialogues and his fans love him.
9. We bought a marble replica of Taj Mahal as a souvenir during our
trip to Agra.
10.Many people died in the tsunami on the shores of the Indian Ocean
in 2004.

Task 4
Rewrite these sentences placing the modifiers in the right place.
1. The student’s new books were bought online.
 2. I slowly ate the lunch that the office boy had bought.
3. The student’s torn book was lying on the desk.
4. Simran just wanted to say ‘hi’ to the actor.
5. He tried to make nearly all of his teachers happy.
6. The children went to a museum yesterday.

Task 5
Explain the differences in meaning among sentences within each
set.
1. (a) I always focus on dedication to work. – qualifies ‘what I do’
(b) I focus always on dedication to work. – qualifies ‘what I focus on’
(c) I focus on dedication to work always. – qualifies ‘dedication to
work’

2. (a) Fortunately, Dev has worked on similar projects in the

past. – qualifies the entire sentence
(b) Dev has fortunately worked on similar projects in the past. –
qualifies ‘worked’
(c) Dev has worked on similar projects fortunately in the past. –
qualifies ‘in the past’

3. (a) Only John can write a novel like this. – qualifies ‘John’
(b) John can only write a novel like this. – qualifies ‘write’
(c) John can write only a novel like this. – qualifies ‘a novel like this’

Task 6
Identify whether the underlined verbs are in the present, the past or
the future.
1. Present 2. Past 3. Future 4. Past 5. Present
Task 7
Identify the tense forms of the underlined verbs in these sentences.
1. Present perfect 2. Present perfect
continuous 3. Present continuous
4. Present perfect 5. Simple present

Task 8
Fill in the blanks using the correct present tense form of the verbs
given in brackets.
1. drives 2. have read 3. are attending
4. has been studying 5. has submitted

Task 9
Identify the tense of the underlined verbs.
1. Simple Past 2. Past Perfect 3. Past Perfect
4. Past Continuous 5. Past Perfect Continuous

Task 10
Fill in the blanks using verbs in the correct tense.
1. bought 2. learnt/learned/will learn/will be learning 3.
lived
4. had started 5. had been taking

Task 11
Identify the tense of the underlined verbs in these sentences.
1. Simple Future 2. Future Perfect 3. Future Continuous
4. Future Continuous 5. Future Perfect Continuous

Task 12
Fill in the blanks in these sentences using the given verbs in the
correct tense.
 1. will get
2. will be writing
3. will have been studying
4. will give
5. will have finished

Task 13
Identify the errors in tenses in these sentences and correct them.
1. Last year, the football team had performed very poorly.
2. It appears that he is not satisfied with my response.
3. Time and tide wait for no man.
4. They were looking for a new direction when the merger of the
companies took place. / They are looking for a new direction when
the merger of the companies takes place.
5. The university declared the result by the time the students
completed their internship.
6. By this time next year, you will be completing your graduation.
7. He regretted his decision for the last two years.
8. The technician was testing the gadget when there was a short
circuit.
9. Every Christmas Ryan goes home and spends time with his family.
10. The diagram below depicts what happens/happened when the
profit margins drop drastically within a year.

Task 14
Skim the following prospectus of a B-school quickly and answer the
questions that follow.
1. Both (Teaching section does not use pronoun ‘you’ to refer to
students directly)
2. a. Yes b. Yes c. Yes
3. Industry visits and tie-ups with top companies
 4. Yes (in ‘how to reach’ section)
5. True (in ‘our campus’ section)
6. False
7. Yes (in ‘admission criteria’ section)
8. Yes (at the end , details given)
9. No (internships mentioned)
10. True (in ‘how to reach’ section)

Task 15

1. Now, scan the passage above carefully and find words that match
these definitions.
a. plot b. pieces c. ordeal d. infer e. vivid
f. evolved g. strategy h. pugilist

2. Answer these questions.

a. Boxing and wrestling were popular in ancient India, though they
were not general hobbies of respectable men but the preserve of
professional pugilists, who performed for the amusement of the
audience.
b. The bullfight was seen as an ordeal to test the manhood of young
men, as girls who watched the performance would choose their
husbands from amongst the successful competitors.
c. True
d. Polo, hockey, boxing, wrestling, archery and chess are some of
the sports that have survived the test of time and are still enjoyed
in India today.

Task 16
Define the following terms. You may refer to a dictionary for help.
1. Eco-friendly office – an office which has adopted eco-friendly
practices such as solar energy, reduced paper usage, no plastic
 etc.
2. Disability friendly college – a college that has facilities such as
ramps, lifts, special washroom facilities et cetera for people with
disabilities to help them move around independently
3. Social media – an online platform where people share views,
photographs and make friends and interact with them
4. SUV (Sport utility vehicle)– a type of light motor vehicle similar to
a car but built for a high performance in rugged terrains
5. Bar code – an electronic identification system – consisting of
vertical bars of varying width, which can be scanned by a laser –
for goods

Task 17
Describe any one of the following objects.
(This is an open-ended question. A possible response is provided
here. There could be alternative responses as well)
5. Description of mobile phone
I have a Lenovo Vibe P1 mobile phone. The dimensions of this are
71.8 mm × 141 mm × 9.5 mm. It has a 16 GB RAM, a quad core
processor, an LED touchscreen, 1280 × 720 resolution and HD
recording. The primary camera is of 8 megapixels and the secondary
camera is of 5 megapixels. It has Bluetooth support and can be
connected to a Wi-Fi network.
There are many advantages of buying this device. This device has a
huge battery of 5000 mAh which does not require frequent charging.
The power saver button also helps when the battery is low; a charge
of 15 provides a standby of around 7 hours. The device restricts
data usage through background app management. The memory is
extendable up to 120 GB. Besides, one gets 1.3 GB RAM at the first
boot up. Also, lightweight back cover and a screen guard come free
of cost with the device. This saves about Rs 500. The device also
has gravitation, light and proximity sensors.The disadvantages of this
device are that it is a little heavy, has a non-removable battery, and
does not have a Gorilla glass. It is also difficult to place a micro SIM
card in it. Besides, the device has an average-quality camera, a
 single speaker, and takes around three hours to get charged once it
runs out of power. However, in this price range, this mobile phone is
the best choice as there is no need to carry power banks in order to
keep the phone charged and valuable data can be saved through
various advanced features.

Task 18
Read the description of the structure seen in the image. Mark which
of the aspects is described in each line.
This is the Lingaraja Temple of Bhubaneshwar. It is made of
sandstone (the material). The tallest spire is in the shape of an
elongated dome (shape and features). The structure next to this
dome is pyramid shaped and has horizontal layers of sandstone
(shape and features). Sturdy pillars support the triangular,
temple-like roof of this structure (shape and features). The outer
walls of these structures are covered in sculptures of animals and
humans (details of the outer walls).

Task 19
In pairs, think of other details that you can add to the description
by just looking at the image from the previous task.
(This is an open-ended question. A possible response is provided
here. There could be alternative responses as well)
This architectural structure is horizontally-long with multiple adjoining
towers. There are two towers in the front and two turrets adjacent to
the gate. The front part of the building has bastions at the top. It also
comprises four dome-shaped structures. The building has a big
courtyard as well.

Task 20
Look at the image carefully. Describe this structure in about five
lines.
(This is an open-ended question. A possible response is provided
 here. There could be alternative responses as well)
This is the Jama Masjid of Delhi. It is made of red sandstone and
white marble. There are two tall minarets on either side of the main
building. In the centre is the arched gateway. There is an open
courtyard in front of the gateway. The main dome of the mosque is
partially visible behind the arch of the gateway. On either side of the
large central dome, two smaller domes are seen.

Task 21

Choose one of the following and write a descriptive paragraph in

about 250-300 words.
(This is an open-ended question. A possible response is provided
here. There could be alternative responses as well)
5. The place I want to visit at least once in my lifetime.
I want to visit Iceland at least once in my lifetime. Iceland is a small
island country in the Atlantic ocean. Though it is midway between
Europe and North America, it is politically a part of Europe. In fact, it
is Europe’s second largest island, after Great Britain. My interest in
Iceland lies in its volcanoes. The country has several active
volcanoes. In fact, it was created as a result of volcanic activity. As a
result, Iceland has many geysers. The interior of the Icelandic island
consists of cold deserts. They are uninhabitable highlands that are a
combination of sand, mountains and lava.
To me, the other attraction in Iceland is the Northern Lights. Of
course, this is visible from many arctic countries such as Norway,
Sweden and Finland. But in my opinion, it adds to the tourism value
of Iceland. In winters when it is very dark, the sky is lit up by these
multicoloured dancing lights that are a spectacle to behold.
With a host of natural wonders like geysers, glaciers, basalt stacks
and of course the northern lights, Iceland has seen a tourism boom
in recent years. I want to visit this quaint country and experience a
natural landscape that is unique to its geographical and geological
location. The view that Iceland offers would not be available in any
other part of the world.
Task 22
Choose any one of the following and write a description in about
300 words.
(This is an open-ended question. A possible response is provided
here. There could be alternative responses as well)
3. The incident which made me change my views about a teacher.
People wear masks and very often we know the mask and not the
real person behind it. However, once in a while an incident occurs
that gives us a glimpse of the real person and it completely changes
our views about him/her.
I had a similar experience with the Dean of Academics in my college.
Dr B R Yadav was known to be a strict disciplinarian by everyone.
He did not tolerate missed classes, rude behaviour or poor grades.
Our professors took full advantage of his image and routinely packed
us off to his office to explain ourselves when we missed our classes.
That was the experience we dreaded most throughout the three
years of college.
I saw him only once after I had left college. My suitcase had just
been stolen in a long distance bus journey – a suitcase in which I
was carrying all my educational certificates while going for a job
interview. When I reached my destination, I braced myself for some
harsh words and called Dr Yadav fully expecting a telling off for being
careless. Instead, I found that he was the most considerate person
I’d ever known. His kind words and offer of support to get a new copy
of my certificates, made me see him as a person who was genuinely
concerned for his students. Unfortunately, he had to wear a mask to
run the college well and most students went through college without
ever getting an opportunity of knowing the well-wisher behind the
mask. A chance incident, unfortunate though it was, changed my
views about Dr Yadav.

Task 23
Choose one of the following and write a paragraph in about 300
words.
(This is an open-ended question. A possible response is provided
here. There could be alternative responses as well)
3. Components of a desktop computer
A desktop computer has many components. Some of them are
essential, without which the computer cannot run. Some of them are
optional – they are only needed if we want the computer to perform
some extra functions. Let us begin with the essential parts of a
computer.
A desktop computer has four essential parts – the Central
Processing Unit or the CPU, the monitor, the keyboard and the
mouse. The CPU is the brain of the computer. It is where the data is
stored in hard drives. It is also where the processor which helps run
the computer is located. The monitor is a display device. It converts
inputs from the CPU into a visual form that we can see and
understand. The keyboard is an input device. It helps us to type
information. Using the keyboard we can gave various commands to
the computer and have it perform various operations. These may
range from running a complex software to writing an essay. The
mouse is a pointing device. We use it to click and select options
displayed on the monitor.
The optional parts of a desktop computer are usually determined by
users’ choices and preferences. For example, if we want to listen to
music on the computer we can add a set of speakers to it. If we wish
to take VOIP calls, we might need a headset with a microphone. A
UPS is recommended if one lives in a place that experiences
frequent power cuts. In this way a desktop computer with four basic
parts can be customised to do much more depending on the users’
needs and choices.

* * *