Question

18 Marks
PASSAGE 5
| Allinone / ENGLISH CORE Class 116
South India is known for its music and for its arts and rich literature. Chennai can be called the cultural capital and
the soul of Mother India. Earlier this city was known as Madras. On 17th July 1996, the city was
Chennai, in line with what was then a nationwide trend to using less Anglicised names. The city is built low in
The majestic spacious Mount Road (now called Anna Salai) looks like a river, wide and deep. A stroll on the Marina
36
officially renamed
pleasant contrast to the ghoulish tall structures of Mumbai and Kolkata. It has vast open spaces and ample greenery.
mind, sharpens the tongue and brightens the intellect.
One can never feel dull in Chennai. The intellectual and cultural life of the city is something of a marvel
. Every street
corner of Chennai has a literary forum, a debating society and music, dance and dramatic club.
The intelligent
arguments, the sparkling wit
and dashing irony enliven both the political and the literary meetings. There is a young
men's association which attracts brilliant speakers and equally brilliant listeners to its meetings
. It is a treat to watch
the speakers use their oratorical weapons.
Chennai speakers are by and large sweet and urbane, though the
cantankerous
, fire-cating variety is quite often witnessed in political campaigning. The more urbane speakers weave
arguments slowly like the unfolding of a leisurely Carnatic raga.
Music concerts and dance performances draw packed houses. There is hardly any cultural family in Chennai that
does not learn and patronise music and dance in its pristine purity. Rukmani Devi Arundale's Kalakshetra' is a
renowned international centre. It has turned out hundreds of celebrated maestros and dancers who have brought
name and glory to our country. Carnatic music has a peculiar charm of its own. It has the moon's soft beauty and
moon's soft pace. Thousands of people flock to the temple maidans to get drunk with the mellifluous melodies of
their favourite singers. They sit out all night in the gruelling heat
, swaying to the rhythm of the nadaswaram and
rollicking with the measured beats of the mridangam. MS Subbulakshmi is considered to be the nightingale of the
South
The gods might descend from heaven to see a South Indian damsel dancing. There are several varieties of South
Indian dance - Bharat Natyam, Mohini Attam, Odissi, Kathakali, etc. Age cannot wither nor custom stale their
beautiful variety. Bharat Natyam is the most graceful and enchanting dance form whereas Kathakali is most
masculine and virile. South Indian dances combine voluptuousness with purity. Here every muscle and fibre of the
body vibrates into life, and as the tempo increases, a divine flame-like passion bodies forth as if making an assault on
heaven.
South Indian dress, particularly of the males, is puritanically simple. There you cannot distinguish a judge from an
ardali by their dress. South Indian ladies too look charming and graceful in their colourful Kanjeevaram and Mysore
silk sarees.
South Indian cuisine, especially dosa, idli and vada are so delicious that now we can enjoy them almost everywhere in
India as well as in some foreign countries. The Madras idli, which was a favourite of Gandhiji, is served with
sambhar and coconut chutney.
QUESTIONS
(a) On the basis of your reading of the above passage make notes on it using headings and sub-heading
Use recognisable abbreviations wherever necessary. Supply an appropriate title to it.
(b) Write a summary of the above passage in 80-100 words.​

Answer 1

Answer:

OMG DO. THE TEST YOURRRR SELFFF!

Answer 2

Answer:

Ya really. It's very lengthy...