Q1(A) Read the following extract and complete the activities given below: ( 12)
Punctually at midday he opened his bag and spread out his professional equipment ,which consisted of
a dozen cowrie shells, a square piece of cloth with obscure mystic charts on it, a notebook, and a bundle
of palmayra writing.His forehead was resplendent with scared ash and vermilion, and his eyes sparkled
with a sharp abnormal gleam which was really an outcome of a continual searching look for customers,
but which his simple clients took to be a prophetic light and felt comforted .The power of his eyes was
considerably enchanced by their position-placed as they were between the painted forehead and the
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 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 gave his ware a fancy name each day, calling it “Bombay IceCream “ 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 crowd dallied before the astrologer too. The astrologer
transacted his business by the light of a flare which crackled and smoke up above the groundnut heap
nearby.
Q A I:Global Understanding 2
. True or False:
State whether the following statements are true or false
1. Astrologer was a knowledgeable person. ________
2. The appearance of the astrologer was apt. ________
3. The astrologer used to sit at the town hall park. _______
4. The road was full of trading activities.____________
Answers
1. Astrologer was a knowledgeable person. False.
The astrologer did not know anything about astrology. He became an astrologer only to earn a living, and not out of passion for the field.
2. The appearance of the astrologer was apt. True.
The astrologer did not have true knowledge of astrology. However, he knew enough about marketing and dressed up accordingly. He wore a saffron turban and smeared 'sacred ash and vermilion' on his forehead. His eyes seemed to have a 'prophetic light'.
3. The astrologer used to sit at the town hall park. True.
The tamarind tree under which the astrologer sat, was in the Town Hall Park.
4. The road was full of trading activities. True.
The path was used by many people. Give the 'surging crowd' there, many vendors set up their business there, which made it a place full of trading activities.
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