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Maharashtra Board Class 10 Solutions for English Reader – Turn off the T.V
Pre-reading Activities
Question 1:
Entertainment
Working in pairs/groups, think of the different means of electronic devices of entertainment and complete the following web. Which one of them are audio or visual or both audio and visual?
Answer:
i. Computer ii. Tablet
iii. VCD/DVD player iv. Ipod
Computer – audio and visual Tablet – audio and visual VCD/DVD player – audio and visual Sound system – audio Ipod -audio
Television – audio and visual
Question 2:
Reactions
When you watch any TV programme, the family members and even the others react to it differently. Think of it and write down their expressions in the following table.
| Family Members | Their Expressions |
| Your mother | |
| Your father | |
| Your sister | |
| Your brother | “Hey, stop watching cartoons, come out, let’s play cricket.” |
| Your granny | |
| Your neighbour | |
| Your friend |
Answer:
|
Family Members |
Their Expressions |
| Your mother | “Stop watching TV. Do something fruitful like reading books or helping me in the kitchen.” |
| Your father | “Give me the remote. I want to watch an interesting debate on the news channel.” |
| Your sister | “It’s time for my favourite cookery show. Let me watch it.” |
| Your brother | “Hey, stop watching cartoons, come out, let’s play cricket.” |
| Your granny |
“My child, will you switch on to D.D. channel?There is an informative programme on Ayurvedic treatment for hypertension.” |
|
Your neighbour |
“I always find you watching TV. When do you study?” |
| Your friend | “Come on, switch off the TV now. Let’s go for a walk.” |
Question 3:
What will you do then?
What would you do in the following situations? Discuss with your partner.
| Situations | Actions |
| Your exams are near and you want to study but your father is watching a movie. | |
| Your favourite TV programme is on and the power went off. | |
| Your exams are going on and you are not allowed to watch TV. | |
| You want to watch cartoon but your father is watching news bulletin. | |
|
You went to visit your aunt for summer vacations but she didn’t have a TV set. |
|
| Suppose you are in 12th and your grandpa didn’t allow you to watch TV for half an hour or so. |
Answer:
| Situations | Actions |
| Your exams are near and you want to study but your father is watching a movie. | 1 would request him to lower the volume or I would shift to another room and study there. |
| Your favourite TV programme is on and the power went off. | I would be very upset and angry. If possible, I would watch the repeat telecast of the show. |
| Your exams are going on and you are not allowed to watch TV. |
I would complete my studies in advance.I would wake up early in the morning and complete my revision. Then I would convince my parents to let me watch TV for a little while, to refresh my mind. |
| You want to watch cartoon but your father is watching news bulletin. | I know that being updated about the events happening around us is very important. So I would watch the repeat telecast of the cartoon show later and join my father in watching news. |
|
You went to visit your aunt for summer vacations but she didn’t have a TV set. |
I would surely miss a TV set. But, I would not sulk over the matter. Instead, I would look for other modes of entertainment like reading, strolling in garden, playing outdoor games, etc. |
|
Suppose you are in 12* and your grandpa didn’t allow you to watch TV for half an hour or,so. |
Since I know the importance of board exams and half an hour is not a great time, I would not mind. |
Extract 1
A1. Factual Reading
Question 1:
State whether the following statements are ‘True’ or ‘False’.
i. The family has a new television set.
OR
*They have a new television set.
*ii. The father is very happy to see that the boy is watching TV.
iii. The mother wants the boy to enjoy the TV programme.
iv. The boy wishes to see his favourite TV show.
Answer:
i. True ii. False
iii. False iv. True
Question 2:
Glance through the extract and tell who said it to whom and on what occasion.
Answer:
i. The narrator’s father said to the narrator when he caught him watching a show on their new television set.
ii. The narrator’s mother said to the narrator when she caught him watching television.
Question 3:
Read the extract carefully. Choose the correct options from those given below.
i. The parents get angry because the narrator
a. keeps playing games
b. doesn’t study
c. keeps watching television
Answer:c. keeps watching television
*ii. He’d rather watch his favourite TV show
a. with mother
b. with best buddy
c. with a sister
Answer:
b. with best buddy .
iii. The narrator sneaks down after
a. dinner b. homework
c. sleeping
Answer:
b. homework
iv. The mother yells
a. ‘No!’ b. ‘Study!’ c. ‘Run!’
Answer:
a. ‘No!’
Read the extract from line (1 to 12) on page (5) of your textbook and answer the following questions.
[My father gets……………………………mother yells out, “No!”]
A2. Understanding the Extract
Question 1:
Why does the narrator’s mother gets upset at him? (Find the reason)
OR
Give reasons, ‘for the mother getting angry with the boy’.
Answer:The narrator’s mother gets upset at him
because she catches him watching TV.
Question 2:
What is the reaction of the narrator’s parents when he turns on the TV? (Find the result)
OR
Describe the parents’ reaction when they see their child watching TV.
Answer:The narrator’s father yells at him to turn off the TV and his mother reminds him that it is time for him to study.
Question 3:
When does the boy switch on the TV set? (Find the time)
Answer:The boy switches on the TV set after completing his homework.
A3. Vocabulary
Question 1:
Look at the words given in column ‘A’. They are from the extract. Find their opposite words and write in column ‘B’.
| Column ‘A’ | Column ‘B’ | ||
| i. | upset | X | |
| ii. | catch | X | |
| iii. | new | X | |
| iv. | best | X | |
| V. | down | X | |
| vi. | low | X |
Answer:
| Column ‘A’ | Column ‘B’ | ||
| i. | upset | X | calm |
| ii. | catch | X | leave |
| iii. | new | X | old |
| iv. | best | X | worst |
| V. | down | X | up |
| vi. | low | X | high |
Question 2:
Find out rhyming words for the following from the extract. Add one more rhyming word of your own.
i. muddy ii. bow
iii. late
Answer:
i. study, buddy, bloody
ii. show, low, no, doe
iii. no exact rhyming word. The word ‘set’ from the poem doesn’t rhyme correctly.
Question 3:
Write down the pairs of rhyming words from the extract.
Answer:i. upset – set ii. study – budd
iii. low – no
Question 4:
Find the correct meaning of the word in the box.
Answer:
(i) buddy – (ii) close friend
Extract 2
Al. Factual Reading
Question 1:
Read the extract carefully. Choose the correct options from those given below.
i. The speaker of the poem is ______ .
a. daddy
b. boy
c. mom
Answer:
b. boy
ii. Who says: ‘I’ll hang it from a tree!’
a. mother
b. father
c. both
Answer:
b. father
iii.Who is munching chips and pretzels?
a. the narrator
b. the father
c. father and narrator both
Answer:
b. the father
Question 2:
State whether the following statements are True or False.
*i. The father threatens the boy that he will throw off the TV set.
ii. The father watches more TV than his son.
*iii. The boy says that his father is not interested in watching TV programmes.
iv. The room looks like a forest.
*v. If the TV is hung from the tree, the father and the boy both will enjoy watching it there.
Answer:
i. False ii. True
iii. False iv. False
v. True
Question 3:
Glance through the extract and tell who said it to whom and on what occasion.
Answer:
The narrator’s father said to him when he saw the narrator watching the TV
Read the extract from line (13 to 24) on page (5) of your textbook and answer the following questions.
[Dad says, “If you……………
……………….watching it with me.]
A2. Understanding the Extract
Question 1:
Why does the narrator doubt his father hanging TV from a tree? (Find the reason)
Answer:
The narrator doubts his father hanging TV from a tree because he watches sports all weekend and on weekday evenings too. If he really does so then he would be spending a lot of time up on the tree, watching TV with the narrator.
Question 2:
Who watches sports all weekend? (Name the person)
Answer:
The narrator’s father watches sports all weekend.
Question 3:
What does the father munch while watching TV? (Find the things)
Answer:
The father munches chips and pretzels while watching TV.
Question 4:
What makes the room look like a zoo? (Find the thing)
Answer:
The narrator’s father munches chips and pretzels while watching TV. So, the room is littered with crumbs of snacks (chips and pretzels) making the room look like a zoo.
Question 1:
Do you think that Dad is really angry with the boy? How do you decide your answer?
Answer:
I don’t think that the father is really angry with the boy. If he did not approve of the boy watching television, he would not spend hours watching it, himself. Besides, the boy says that the father would spend a lot of time watching TV along with him on the tree, if it was hung there. This shows that the father is not really angry with the boy. He just pretends to be angry.
Question 1:
Look at the line.
The room looks like a zoo.
i. What is compared to what?
Answer:
The room is compared to a zoo.
ii. Why are they compared?
Answer:
The zoo is compared to a room because both, the cages in the zoo and the room in the house are littered with leftover food. The cages are littered with leftover food eaten by the caged animals in a zoo and the room is littered with leftover chips and pretzels by the father.
A3. Vocabulary
Question 1:
Look at the words given in column ‘A’. They are from the extract. Find their opposite words and write in column ‘B’.
| Column ‘A’ | Column ‘B’ | ||
| i. | turn off | X | |
| ii. | doubt | X | |
| iii. | more | X | |
| iv.
|
Spend [A9, pg 6] | X |
Answer:
| Column ‘A’ | Column ‘B’ | ||
| i. | turn off | X | turn on |
| ii. | doubt | X | certainty |
| iii. | more | X | less |
| *iv. | spend | X | save |
Question 2:
Find out rhyming words for the following from the extract. Add one more rhyming word of your own.
i. bee ii. moo
Answer:
i. me, tree, see ii. too, zoo, shoe
Question 3:
Find the words from the extract that means
i. To chew food audibly
ii. biscuits baked in the shape of a knot
Answer:
i. munching ii. pretzels
Question 4:
Write the full forms of the following words.
i. don’t ii. I’ll
iii. he’ll iv. ‘cause
V. he’d
Answer:
i. do not ii. I will
iii. he will iv. because
V. he would
Additional Questions for Practice
Question 1:
Now look at the title of the text and make a list of expressions; you’ll easily find them while glancing through the text.
i. Father yells ______.
ii. Mom says ______.
iii. Dad says______.
iv. Mother yells out ______.
Answer:
i. Father yells,”Turn that thing off!”
ii. Mom says, “It’s time to study.”
iii. Dad says, “If you don’t turn it off. I’ll hang it from a tree!”
iv. Mother yells out, “No!”
Question 2:
Observing a Poem
Have a look at the poem carefully and note your observations.
i.Number of stanzas
ii.Number of lines in each stanza
iii.Dialogues in the stanzas
iv.Characters in the poem
v.Punctuation marks used
Answer:
i. Number of stanzas – 6 .
ii. Number of lines in each stanza – 4
iii. Dialogues in the stanza:
a. My father yells, “Turn that thing off!”
b. Mom says, “It’s time to study.”
c. My mother yells out, “No!”
d. Dad says, “If you don’t turn it off, I’ll hang it from a tree!”
iv. Characters in the poem – 4
Narrator, father, mother, narrator’s best buddy
v. Punctuation marks used
semi-colon, hyphens, full-stops, commas, double inverted commas, exclamation marks, apostrophes
Question 3:
Read the poem and answer the following questions after discussing with your partner.
*i. What are the reactions of your parents when you watch TV for a long time?
Answer:
My parents react in the same manner as that of the parents of the narrator. They get annoyed with me because they feel watching TV for long hours is not good for me, both physically and mentally. It causes a lot of distraction from studies. They feel I should play for some time instead, to refresh myself.
*ii. What is it that makes you laugh in the poem? Pick out those lines.
Answer:
The humorous situations described in the poem make me laugh. The situation when dad says that he will hang the television from a tree evokes laughter. The comparison of the room to a zoo and the image of the father spending a lot of time on the tree watching TV with his son also make me laugh.
The lines that make me laugh in the poem are:
a. Dad says, “If you don’t turn it off,I’ll hang it from a tree!”
b. While munching chips and pretzels— the room looks like a zoo.
c. So if he ever got the nerve to hang it from a tree,he’d spend a lot of time up there- watching it with me.
iii. Mention some other things apart from watching TV that you can do to get refreshed.
Answer:
To get refreshed, we can stroll in a garden or play games. It will also help us to socialise and remain physically fit. We can also read books. Reading not only provides knowledge but is also a source of entertainment. Listening to music is another way to refresh our minds.
Question 4:
Phrases
Working in pairs, fill in the blanks with the suitable phrases given below.
(turn on, sneak down, get the nerve, get mad at,turn off, get upset)
i. The child ________ when he saw his broken toy.
ii. My mother ________ me when she saw I was playing mobile games.
iii. The street urchins, dislodged many mangoes and they _______ quietly.
iv. Papa will surely _______ the TV at 9 pm for news bulletin.
v. He had _______ so he could complete his adventure camp successfully.
vi. Charu is frequently warning her sister to _______ the sound system.
Answer:
i. got upset ii. got mad at
iii. sneaked down iv. turn on
v. got the nerve vi. turn off
Question 5:
Phrases
Working in pairs select the appropriate phrases.
i. It’s time for news, please turn on/off the TV.
ii. Put on/off your new shoes, we have to go shopping.
iii. All of them felt comfortable when. she switched on/off the fan.
iv. Turn it on/off, I can’t bear it.
v. You may hide your face, put on/off that mask.
vi. Switch on/off to other informative techniques.
vii. Switch on/off your mobile during a meeting.
Answer:
i. turn on ii. put on
iii. switched on iv. turn it off
V. put on vi. switch on
vii. switch off
Question 6:
Title
Look at the title of the poem.
Turn off the T.V.!
Why do you think the poet has put an exclamatory mark (!) in the title?
If you want, you may read the poem again to get the answer.
Answer:
According to me, the poet wants to express the strong feeling of anger of the characters (narrator, father and mother) in the poem. The narrator does not approve the ‘turning off of the TV set while the parents insist on switching it off. So, the poet has put an exclamatory mark (!) in the title.
Question 7:
Understanding the Poem
Look at the following statements and select the correct one from the alternatives provided.
i. The poem has _______ lines.
a. twenty
b. twenty three
c. twenty four
Answer:
c. twenty four
ii. There are three lines having a dash at the end of them. The dash refers to ________ .
a. continuous thinking
b. disconnected thoughts
c. completion of thoughts
Answer:
b. disconnected thoughts
Question 8:
Comparison
Look at the line.
The room looks like a zoo.
The room looks like a ________.
Add your own points of comparison and give reasons.
Answer:
The room looks like a temple.
The room is compared to a temple because of the photos and idols of various Gods present in it.
The room looks like a library.
The room is compared to a library because there is a big book shelf and each of the family members is quietly reading a book.
Question 9:
Humour
When you read the poem it makes you laugh.
i. Discuss with ydur partner and find out the occasions on which you feel like laughing.
Answer:
The situation when the narrator’s father says if he doesn’t turn it off, he would hang the television from a tree evokes laughter. Also, the father is said to be munching chips and pretzels while watching TV. While doing so, he litters the room which is compared to a zoo. The visual image of the father spending a lot of time on the tree watching the TV along with his son is another instance that evokes laughter.
ii. Read the poem again and find out those lines and words that make you laugh.
Answer:
a. “Dad says, ‘If you don’t turn it off, I’ll hang it from a tree!”
b. The room looks like a zoo.
c. He’d spend a lot of time up there watching it with me.
iii. Read the poem again and again to enjoy the laughter.
[Students are expected to attempt this activity on their own.]
Question 10:
Debate
Your teacher will divide the class into two groups. One group will speak in favour of the statement and the other will express their opinions against it.
Answer: We should ban TV for a week
| For | Against | |
| i. |
Over exposure to TV lowers imagination and creativity. |
Apart from
entertainment, it is a source of knowledge and information. |
| ii. | People get addicted to it and don’t realize how much time they are
wasting in watching TV. |
It is a way of bonding with.family and friends. |
| iii. | Social life and
communication skills of people get affected because of addiction to television. |
Worldwide news is easily available. |
| iv. | People become
potato couch. |
It saves time and money of watching movies in theatres. |
| V. | They become
lethargic, inactive and invite physical problems. |
It is easier to reach the masses and convey important messages to people quickly. |