SECTION ONE

TITLE/TYPE VOCABULARY/
EXTENSION ACTIVITIES/ VALUES/
NO. OF THE LANGUAGE STUDY/ WRITING SKILLS
PROJECT LIFE SKILLS
TOPIC POETIC DEVICES

1.1 An Astrologer’s Code mixing, Draft a speech Reading short stories as a form Wit and Humour, Astuteness,
Day Word Usage Expansion of an idea Ingenuity
1.2 On Saying Collocations, Register, Drafting a speech Reading essays as a form Etiquette and Manners,
“Please” Articles, Prepositions, Expansion of an idea Career opportunities with the help of Introspective spirit, Humility
Change the voice Soft Skills
1.3 The Cop and Word Power, Affirmative View - Counterview Reading stories as a form Self-realization, Redemption,
the Anthem and Negative Sentences Conduct an interview Career opportunities in social field Morality
1.4 Big Data- Big Idioms and Phrases, Write dialogues for Career/ Job opportunities in Clinical, Information and Communication
Insights Degrees of Comparison Group Discussion Data Management, Data Operations Technology skills, Media literacy,
Use of ‘as well as’, Conduct an interview and Research Technology literacy
‘either ... or’
1.5 The New Synonyms, Character sketch Reading the collection of books, Self-esteem, Search for identity,
Dress Tenses Expansion of an idea Career opportunities in fashion Sociability
designing, dress designing, textile and
garment industry, etc.
1.6 Into the Wild Phrases, Conduct an interview Career opportunities in forest, wild Problem-solving, Love for Nature
Not only... but also, Write a report, life, tours and travels, geology etc. and wild life, Adventure,
Change the voice appeal, Acceptance of challenges
Mind Mapping/design
1.7 Why we Adjectives, Write an email Reading books of great travellers, Adaptability, Broadening of
Travel Phrasal verbs, Career opportunities in travel and outlook, Cultural Integration
Infinitive tourism
1.8 Voyaging Phrases, Register, Write a Flyer Reading books Motivation, Perseverence, Hard
Towards Primary and Modal Work, Self -confidence,
Excellence Auxiliary Verbs, Clauses Determination
 SECT ION ONE

1.1 An Astrologer’s Day

ICE BREAKERS
 Discuss with your partner and complete the activity.
What are your strengths ?
Strengths Why do you feel so? Dream career
painting and drawing can visualise, express commercial artist, cartoonist

 The scene in a local market of a village/town/city is very attractive. People

with different occupations sell their wares. Discuss with your partner the variety
of activities at the local market.
1. selling flowers, selling grocery 2.
3. 4.
5.
 In a village /town /city it is quite a common sight to see an astrologer sitting
by the roadside with his professional equipments.
Discuss with your partner and list the requirements for his trade.
1. parrot, cards etc. 2.
3. 4.
5.
 There are certain unreasonable beliefs among people living in our society.
Certain common events are linked with superstitions. List such events, discuss
the superstitions linked with them and the means of their eradication.
1. A cat crossing your path 2.
3. 4.
5.

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 R. K. Narayan (1906 to 2001) Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer
Narayanaswami is one of the best known novelists among Indian English
writers. He is the author of fourteen novels, five volumes of short
stories, and a number of travelogues, and has a collection of non-
fiction to his credit. He also has written his memoir ‘My Days’ (1975).
Narayan has created the imaginary town of Malgudi, where realistic
characters in a typically Indian setting lived amid unpredictable events.
His stories are grounded in compassionate humanism and celebrate the
humour and energy of ordinary life. His stories are characterized by a
simple style and subtle spirit.
Narayan was introduced to American readers in 1952 by the Michigan State University Press.
These include, ‘Swami and Friends’, ‘The Bachelor of Arts’ (1937), ‘The Dark Room’ (1938),
‘An Astrologer’s Day and Other Stories’(1947), ‘Mr Sampath ‘(1949), ‘The Financial Expert’
(1954), ‘Waiting for the Mahatma’ (1955), ‘The Guide’ (1958), and many other books.
His novel, ‘The Guide’, won him The Sahitya Akademi Award in 1961, the most coveted
literary honour in India. His writing is distinguished by humour and unoffending irony, a unique
Indianness and a simplicity which is utterly charming and authentic. Narayan typically portrays
the peculiarities of human relationships and the paradoxes of Indian daily life. His style is
graceful, marked by genial humour, elegance and simplicity.

An Astrologer’s Day
Punctually at midday he opened his bag and spread
out his professional equipment, which consisted of a
cowrie : a sea animal dozen cowrie shells, a square piece of cloth with obscure
obscure : difficult to mystic charts on it, a notebook, and a bundle of palmyra
understand writing. His forehead was resplendent with sacred ash and
mystic : Something that
vermilion, and his eyes sparkled with a sharp abnormal
relates to supernatural
powers and is not easily gleam which was really an outcome of a continual
understood. searching look for customers, but which his simple clients
palmyra: a kind of palm took to be a prophetic light and felt comforted. The power
resplendent : bright, of his eyes was considerably enhanced by their position-
dazzling and impressive placed as they were between the painted forehead and the
enhanced: increased dark whiskers which streamed down his cheeks : even a
half-wit’s eyes would sparkle in such a setting. To crown
the effect he wound a saffron-coloured turban around
his head. This colour scheme never failed. People were
attracted to him as bees are attracted to cosmos or dahlia
stalks. He sat under the boughs of a spreading tamarind
tree which flanked a path running through the Town Hall
Park. It was a remarkable place in many ways. A surging

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crowd was always moving up and down this narrow
road from morning till night. A variety of trades and
occupations was represented all along its way : medicine
sellers, sellers of stolen hardware and junk, magicians,
and above all, an auctioneer of cheap cloth, who created
enough din all day to attract the whole town. Next to him
in vociferousness came a vendor of fried groundnut, who vociferousness : being loud
gave his ware a fancy name each day, calling it “Bombay and noisy
Ice Cream” one day and on the next “Delhi Almond,” and
on the third “Raja’s Delicacy,” and so on and so forth,
and people flocked to him. A considerable portion of this dallied : wasted time just
crowd dallied before the astrologer too. The astrologer hanging around
transacted his business by the light of a flare which
crackled and smoked up above the groundnut heap nearby. enchantment : magical
effect or charm
Half the enchantment of the place was due to the fact
that it did not have the benefit of municipal lighting. The
place was lit up by shop lights. One or two had hissing bewildering : confusing,
gaslights, some had naked flares stuck on poles, some baffling
were lit up by old cycle lamps, and one or two, like the
astrologer, managed without lights of their own. It was a
bewildering crisscross of light rays and moving shadows.
This suited the astrologer very well, for the simple reason
that he had not in the least intended to be an astrologer
when he began life; and he knew no more of what was
going to happen to others than he knew what was going to
happen to himself next minute. He was as much a stranger
shrewd : good at judging
to the stars as were his innocent customers. Yet he said people, clever
things which pleased and astonished everyone : that was
more a matter of study, practice, and shrewd guesswork. If the astrologer had stayed
All the same, it was as much an honest man’s labour as in the village then he would
any other, and he deserved the wages he carried home at have carried on
the end of a day.
He had left his village without any previous thought
or plan. If he had continued there he would have carried
on the work of his forefathers - namely, tilling the
The astrologer could
land, living, marrying, and ripening in his cornfield and
understand the problem in
ancestral home. But that was not to be. He had to leave five minutes. How?
home without telling anyone, and he could not rest till he
left it behind a couple of hundred miles. To a villager it is
a great deal, as if an ocean flowed between. Guess the meaning :
• pies
He had a working analysis of mankind’s troubles:
marriage, money, and the tangles of human ties. Long
practice had sharpened his perception. Within five minutes
he understood what was wrong. He charged three pies per
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 question, never opened his mouth till the other had spoken
for at least ten minutes, which provided him enough stuff
for a dozen answers and advices. When he told the person
How could the astrologer before him, gazing at his palm, “In many ways you are
tell the person about his not getting the fullest results for your efforts,” nine out of
life ?
ten were disposed to agree with him. Or he questioned “Is
there any woman in your family, maybe even a distant
relative who is not well disposed towards you?” Or he
impetuous : impulsive gave an analysis of character: “Most of your troubles are
endeared : made likeable due to your nature. How can you be otherwise with Saturn
where he is? You have an impetuous nature and a rough
exterior.” This endeared him to their hearts immediately,
for even the mildest of us loves to think that he has a
forbidding exterior.
The nuts vendor blew out his flare and rose to go
home. This was a signal for the astrologer to bundle up
too, since it left him in darkness except for a little shaft of
paraphernalia : a large green light which strayed in from somewhere and touched
number of small articles the ground before him. He picked up his cowrie shells
used in a particular activity and paraphernalia and was putting them back into his
or personal possession bag when the green shaft of light was blotted out. He
looked up and saw a man standing before him. He sensed
a possible client and said: “You look so careworn. It will
do you good to sit down for a while and chat with me.”
The other grumbled some reply vaguely. The astrologer
pressed his invitation; whereupon the other thrust his palm
under his nose, saying: “You call yourself an astrologer?”
The astrologer felt challenged and said, tilting the
other’s palm towards the green shaft of light: “Yours
piqued : irritated, annoyed is a nature...” “Oh, stop that, ” the other said. “Tell me
or resented something worthwhile...” Our friend felt piqued. I charge
only three pies per question, and what you get ought to be
good enough for your money...” At this the other withdrew
Guess the meaning : his arm, took out an anna, and flung it out to him, saying
• tilting “I have some questions to ask. If I prove you are bluffing,
• bluffing you must return that anna to me with interest.”
“If you find my answers satisfactory, will you give me
five rupees?”
“No.”
“Or will you give me eight annas?”
“All right, provided you give me twice as much if you
are wrong,” said the stranger. This pact was accepted
after a little further argument. The astrologer sent up a

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prayer to heaven as the other lit a cheroot. The astrologer cheroot : a cigar
caught a glimpse of his face by the matchlight. There was Guess the meaning of :
a pause as cars hooted on the road, jutka drivers swore • glimpse
at their horses, and the babble of the crowd agitated the
jutka : horse-driven cart
semidarkness of the park. The other sat down, sucking his
cheroot, puffing out, sat there ruthlessly. The astrologer
felt very uncomfortable. “Here, take your anna back. I am
not used to such challenges. It is late for me today”... He
made preparations to bundle up. The other held his wrist
and said “You can’t get out of it now. You dragged me in
while I was passing.” The astrologer shivered in his grip
and his voice shook and became faint. “Leave me today.
I will speak to you tomorrow.” The other thrust his palm
in his face and said: “Challenge is challenge. Go on.” The
astrologer proceeded with his throat drying up: “There is
a woman...”
“Stop,” said the other. “I don’t want all that. Shall I
succeed in my present search or not? Answer this and go. disgorge : yield or
Otherwise I will not let you go till you disgorge all your surrender under pressure
incantations : supposedly
coins.” The astrologer muttered a few incantations and
magical words
replied: “All right. I will speak. But will you give me a
rupee if what I say is convincing? Otherwise I will not haggling : bargaining
open my mouth, and you may do what you like.” After a
good deal of haggling, the other agreed. The astrologer
said: “You were left for dead. Am I right?”
“Ah, tell me more.”
“A knife has passed through you once?” said the
astrologer.
“Good fellow!” He bared his chest to show the scar.
“What else?”

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 “And then you were pushed into a well nearby in the
field. You were left for dead.”
“I should have been dead if some passer-by had not
The man was left chanced to peep into the well,” exclaimed the other, over-
for dead because
whelmed by enthusiasm.
.
“When shall I get at him?” he asked, clenching his fist.
“In the next world,” answered the astrologer. “He
Guess the meaning : died four months ago in a far-off town. You will never see
• passer-by any more of him.” The other groaned on hearing it. The
• peep astrologer proceeded :
• overwhelmed
• groaned “Guru Nayak-”
“You know my name!” the other said, taken aback.
“As I know all other things. Guru Nayak, listen
carefully to what I have to say. Your village is two days’
journey due north of this town. Take the next train and be
gone. I see once again great danger to your life if you go
from home.” He took out a pinch of sacred ash and held
it to him. “Rub it on your forehead and go home. Never
travel southward again, and you will live to be a hundred.”
“Why should I leave home again?” the other said
reflectively. “I was only going away now and then to look
for him and to choke out his life if I met him.” He shook
his head regretfully. “He has escaped my hands. I hope at
least he died as he deserved.” “Yes,” said the astrologer.
gratified : pleased, satisfied “He was crushed under a lorry.”The other looked gratified
to hear it.
The place was deserted by the time the astrologer
picked up his articles and put them into his bag. The green
shaft was also gone, leaving the place in darkness and
silence. The stranger had gone off into the night, after
giving the astrologer a handful of coins.
It was nearly midnight when the astrologer reached
home. His wife was waiting for him at the door and
demanded an explanation. He flung the coins at her and
said “Count them. One man gave all that.”
“Twelve and a half annas,” she said, counting. She
was overjoyed. “I can buy some jaggery and coconut
tomorrow. The child has been asking for sweets for so
many days now. I will prepare some nice stuff for her.”
“The swine has cheated me! He promised me a rupee,”
said the astrologer. She looked up at him. “You look
worried. What is wrong?”
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 “Nothing.”
After dinner, sitting on the pyol, he told her “Do you
pyol : a string cot
know a great load is gone from me today? I thought I had
the blood of a man on my hands all these years. That was
the reason why I ran away from home, settled here, and
married you. He is alive.”
What was the load on the
She gasped. “You tried to kill him!” astrologer’s mind?
“Yes, in our village, when I was a silly youngster. We
drank, gambled, and quarreled badly one day - why think
of it now? Time to sleep,” he said, yawning, and stretched
himself on the pyol.
- R. K. Narayan

BRAINSTORMING

(A1) (i) Given below are some descriptions. Discuss them with your partner and
find out one word for each of them. An example is given for you.
(a) The scientific study of the universe and the objects in it, including stars,
planets, nebulae and galaxies
- Astronomy
(b) The study of the movements of the planets, Sun, Moon, and Stars in the
belief that these movements can have an influence on people’s lives

(c) A prediction of what will happen in the future

(d) Scientific discipline that studies mental states and processes and behaviour
in humans and other animals

(ii) In the story we are told that the Town Hall Park was a remarkable place
in many ways for the astrologer to build his business. Discuss it in a group
and list the exceptional qualities of the place.
A surging crowd


(iii) The astrologer never opened his mouth till the other had spoken for at
least ten minutes. Discuss the reasons behind his act.

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 (a) He is good at reading the people.
(b)
(c)
(d)
(A2) (i) The tactics used by the astrologer to earn his wages are...
analysis of human troubles

The Tactics

(ii) An astrologer’s appearance helps to create an impression on his clients.
Complete the following.
(a) The turban on his head
(b)
(c)
(d)

(iii) Read the following sentences and choose the correct one.
(a) The astrologer says that if Nayak does not leave his village again, he
would -
(1) return the money
(2) not face danger
(3) go back home and stop looking for the man who tried to kill him
(4) not find the killer.
(b) According to the narrator the astrologer’s success in his profession is
primarily due to -
(1) luck
(2) the bargains he drives
(3) his appearance
(4) his understanding of people.
(c) The story suggests that the astrologer’s comments and observations please
people by -
(1) promising them success and good fortune
(2) proving, as time passes, to have been true
(3) flattering them or supporting their own views
(4) helping them to learn to solve their own problems.

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 (d) Guru Nayak consults the astrologer because he wants to -
(1) understand the past
(2) find out who the astrologer is
(3) make some money through a bet
(4) get the answer to a specific question.
(e) Guru Nayak is looking for the man who tried to kill him -
(1) to take revenge
(2) to get an apology
(3) to demand an explanation
(4) to prove that the man was unsuccessful.
(f) The astrologer’s remark makes Guru Nayak feel all of the following
except-
(1) relieved
(2) suspicious
(3) impressed
(4) disappointed.
(g) Reactions of the astrologer’s wife to his news suggest that she -
(1) was unaware of his past
(2) has been worried about his safety
(3) has known him since he was young
(4) is concerned about her future with him.
(iv) Read the following sentences and find out True and False sentences. Correct
the False sentences.
(a) The astrologer gave a correct prediction to the client about his past that
he was stabbed, thrown into a well and left for dead.
(b) When the astrologer came to know that the man whom he killed is alive
he felt that he was relieved of his guilt.
(c) The astrologer tried to back out of the deal and talked about the client’s
past.
(d) The astrologer rescued himself from Guru Nayak’s revenge.
(e) The moral of the story is that we must be responsible about what we
have done and should not run away from our mistakes.
(v) The astrologer has changed his appearance and his persona when he
arrived in the city. Give specific reasons.
(vi) ‘The darkness load that was inside the astrologer has disappeared’.
Through this sentence, explain the significance of the title ‘An Astrologer’s
Day’.

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 (vii) The astrologer feels relieved to know that Guru is not dead as it reduces
a great burden from him. Critically justify the statement and explain it.
(viii) The astrologer wins/gets the sympathy of criticism of the reader in the
end. Express your opinion with the support of the main story.
(ix) If we have to eradicate the superstitions and other ill practices from our
society, what steps would you like to suggest?
(x) In the story, astrologer has a great listening power. Listening helps in
developing good relations with people. Express your opinion.
(A3) (i) In the story, the following characters reveal their qualities through words
and actions. Pick out the words that describe them from the box and write
in the appropriate columns.
shrewd clever suspicious gullible
arrogant demanding antagonistic quarrelsome
overconfident manipulative skeptical mystical
smart caring protective sharp
rational mean intuitive aggressive
worried cunning humanistic impetuous

Astrologer Guru Nayak Astrologer’s wife

(1) shrewd manipulative caring
(2)
(3)
(4)
(ii) Match the suffixes with the words and make nouns. One is done for you.
Word Suffix Noun
auction able auctioneer
enchant ure
know ment
prepare eer
proceed ance
appear ledge
remark tion
(iii) ‘An Astrologer’s Day’ has ironic elements where the astrologer pretends to
have ‘supernatural knowledge’ that coincidently turns out to be the truth.
Irony means a situation or statement characterized by a significant
difference between what is expected and what actually happens, or between
what is understood and what is meant.
Find out the examples of irony from the story and write them down. One
has been done for you.
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 (a) He knew no more of what was going to happen to others than he knew
what was going to happen to himself the next minute.
(b)
(c)
(d)
(iv) In the story, many Indian words are used.
• ‘Cowrie shells’. This is an example of code-mixing.
Find out other such words from the story and write them down.



(v) There are some phrases where the word crown is used with different
shades of meaning. Use the following phrases to complete the sentences
meaningfully. One is done for you.
crowning achievement, To crown the effect, crown of thorns, crowning
glory, to crown it all

To crown the effect, he wound a saffron-coloured turban around his
head.
(a) The works of Shakespeare are the of English drama.
(b) Amitabh has given us awesome movies throughout five decades. But his
is his performance in the movie ‘Black’.
(c) In her pursuit of success, Radha has distanced herself from her family.
Her fame has become a real .
(d) They threw a wonderful party for me with costumes, games and
my favourite kind of ice cream.
(e) Medical science has great inventions, but organ transplantation is definitely
a for human beings.
(A4) (i) Word Usage
Use the words given in the brackets and rewrite the sentences.
(a) The power of his eyes was considerably enhanced. (enhancement)
(b) He had a working analysis of mankind’s troubles. (worked)
(c) He knew what was going to happen to himself next minute.(happening)
(d) If you find my answers satisfactory, will you give me five rupees?
(satisfaction)
(e) He shook his head regretfully. (regret)

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 (f) It was a bewildering crisscross of light rays. (bewildered)
(g) “I should have been dead if some passer-by had not chanced to peep into
the well,” exclaimed the other, overwhelmed by enthusiasm. (enthusiastically)
(h) You tried to kill him. (killing)
(i) I will prepare some nice stuff for her. (preparation)
(j) The other groaned on hearing it. (heard)
(A5) (i) Prepare a speech on Science and Superstitions.
(ii) Read the following proverbs. Share your views and expand the ideas.
(a) Actions speak louder than words.
(b) The face is the index of the mind.
(c) Speech is silver and silence is golden.
(d) Argument is the worst kind of communication.
(e) Attitudes are the real figures of speech.
(f) The wise man has long ears and a short tongue.
(A6) (i) Bill Naughton has written a collection of wonderful stories which you can
read in his book ‘The Goal Keepers Revenge and Other Stories’. Read all
the stories and discuss their theme/s with your partner.
(ii) Read R.K. Narayan’s humorous collections of short stories and novels. Here
are some titles you can read.
(a) ‘Under The Banyan Tree’
(b) ‘The Doctor’s Word’
(c) ‘Lawley Road’
(d) ‘A Horse and Two Goats’
(e) ‘Gateman’s Gift’
(A7) Surf the internet and find out the career opportunities in Astronomy.

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