Unit- 1 Prose

THE BEST ADVICE I EVER HAD

Mrs. Vijayalakshmi Pandit

Comprehension

C1. Based on your reading of the lesson, answer the following questions by choosing the most appropriate option:

1) Mrs. Vijayalakshmi resented her galling position. The "galling position" referred to here is:

Ans: (C) she and her daughters not being entitled to any share of the family property.

2) According to Gandhiji, Mrs. Vijayalakshmi could cleanse the bitterness of her heart by:

Ans: (A) making peace with her relatives.

3) Mrs. Vijayalakshmi said, "I thought of the counsel that had calmed me so many times". The counseling referred to here is :

Ans: (B) no one can harm you but yourself.

C2. Discuss the answers for the following questions with your partner and then write them in your notebook.

1) Why was Mrs. Vijyalakshmi Pandit in anguish?

Ans: Vijyalakshmi Pandit was in anguish due to antiquated law. When she had lost her husband and her in laws were not ready to give her husband's share, as he didn't have son.

2) In paragraph 3, Mrs. Pandit speaks about ‘antiquated law’. What is referred to as antiquated law?

Ans: Vijyalakshmi had lost her husband as per Indian law a widow without son didn't have right on husband's property. This outdated law is referred to as antiquated law.

3) Why was Mrs. Pandit going to America, according to Gandhiji?

Ans: Mrs. Vijyalakshmi Pandit was unhappy with her in laws and her heart was filled with bitterness. This particular situation made her to escape from reality.

4) What did Gandhiji want Mrs. Pandit to do before going abroad? What was Mrs. Pandit’s response to that?

Ans: Gandhiji advised Mrs. Pandit to cleanse her heart before going to America. But Mrs. Pandit was not interested to meet in laws.

5) How did Gandhiji make Mrs. Pandit meet her relatives?

Ans: Gandhiji made Mrs. Pandit to realize her mistake and asked her to lighten her heart for her in laws and convinced her to be clam instead of carrying burden. At-last Mrs. Vijayalakshmi went to meet her relatives.

6) "Must you in inflict injury on yourself?"

(a) What is the injury referred to here?

Ans: Anger with her relatives is the injury referred here.

(b) Why does Gandhiji ask Mrs. Pandit not to hurt herself?

Ans: Mrs. Vijyalakshmi had already lost her husband that had caused a lot of grief in her life and even if she continued to be angry with her relatives then she would never find peace of mind.

7) Why did Mrs. Pandit not meet her relatives in the beginning before she left for America?

Ans: Mrs. Pandit was angry on her relatives due to antiquated law, show was not supposed to show possession on her husband's share.

8) "I lifted the debate back to where it belonged." What was the debate about?

Ans: The was debate about the treatment of people of Indian Origin in South Africa.

9) Mrs. Pandit recollected the advice of Gandhiji often. What was the advice?

Ans: The advice of Gandhiji often recollected by Mrs. Pandit was " No one can harm you except yourself".

10) After visiting her relatives, Mrs. Pandit commented, I felt as if a great burden had been lifted and I was free to be myself. Have you experienced

Ans: Write your views.

11) What do you infer about the relationship between Mrs. Pandit and Gandhiji from reading this lesson?

Ans: They shared a beautiful relationship of father and daughter. Mrs. Pandit was following adivce and suggestions of Gandhiji as a good daughter.

12) Describe the state of mind of the cook referred to in the lesson.

Ans: Mrs. Pandit had invited the Prime Minister of Great Britain and Lady Eden for dinner but her cook had drunk and

C3. Following are some extracts from the lesson. Read them carefully and answer the questions that are given below each of them.

1) "Yet in law we women were still recognized only through our relationship to men."

(a) Why does the speaker say so?

Ans: Indian Society is a male dominated society.

(b) What is mood of the speaker while speaking the above words?

Ans: The speaker was angry while speaking the above words.

2) "No one can harm you except yourself."

(a) Identify the speaker.

Ans: The speaker is M. K. Gandhi

(b) Whom is the speaker addressing?

Ans: To Mrs. Vijaylaxmi Pandit is the speaker addressing.

(c) What does the speaker mean by the above words?

Ans: We are responsible for our happiness and sorrows.

3) "I struck back with the same sharp weapon."

(a) Who is the "I" here, and at whom did the speaker strike back?

Ans: Mrs. Vijaylakshmi Pandit is the "I" here. She struck back at her opponents.

(b) What was the weapon used by the speaker?

Ans: Harsh words were the weapon used by the speaker.

(c) What was the need to strike back?

Ans: Mrs. Pandit stroke back when the opponents made personal attacks harmful to India's prestige and her.

Language Activities:

Vocabulary

V1. Dictionary work:

Complete the words beginning with ‘re………’ which mean the phrases given against each of them.

1. Make a decision: resolve

2. State that one is unwilling to do something: refuse

3. Take revenge or hit back: retaliate

4. Feel bitter about: resent

5. connected with, concerning: regarding

6. A feeling of reassurance and relaxation after stress is over: relief

7. Latest, fresh: recent

8. Keep, preserve: retain

V2. Classify the following qualities into desirable and undesirable. Discuss with your teacher as to why you classify them so.

Desirable quality	Undesirable quality
sincere	galling
advantageous	quarrelsome
decent	difficult
courteous	bitter
happy	harmful
humble	hysterical
significant
prestigious
diplomatic

2. Grammar and Usage:

G1. Formation of Nouns:

A. Work in pairs and change the following verbs into nouns. Then check your answers in the dictionary.

(perform, continue, react, realize, treat, observe, express, involve, agitate, interact, confront, explain, enter, allow, achieve, enroll, admit, free, judge.)

1. Perform – performance (performer)

2. Continue – continuation (continuity, continuance)

3. React – reaction (reactor)

4. Realize – realization

5. Treat – treatment

6. Observe – observation (observer)

7. Express – expression involvement agitation

8. Involve – involvement

9. Agitate – agitation (agitator)

10. Interact – interaction

11. Confront – confrontation (confront-er)

12. Explain – explanation

13. Enter – entrance (entrant)

14. Allow – allowance

15. Achieve – achievement (achiever)

16. Enroll – enrolment (enroller)

17. Admit – admission (admittance)

18. Free – freedom

19. Judge – judgement.

Choose the right word and rewrite the following sentences:

1. Bill is a careful driver.

2. Can you please repeat that slowly?

3. The party was very good. I enjoyed it very much.

4. Tom didn’t do very well in his examination.

5. Come on, George! Why are you always so slow?

6. Our team played badly.

7. John! I need your help quickly.

In a group of four, share each part of speech and complete the following table by filling the empty columns.

Noun	Verb	Adjective	Adverb
1) realization	realize	real	really
2) power	empower	powerful	powerfully
3) beauty	beautify	beautiful	beautifully
4) pleasantness	please	pleasant	pleasantly
5) agreement	agree	agreeable	agreeably
6) enjoyment	enjoy	enjoyable	enjoyably
7) care	care	careful	carefully
8) danger	endanger	dangerous	dangerously
9) expression	express	expressive	expressively
10)courage	encourage	courageous	courageously