Practice Time : The Best Advice

A1. True/ false
Read the extract, read the activity and do all the activities.
1. The best advice the narrator had was from Mahatma Gandhi. T
2. The narrator was in deep sorrow because she lost her job. F correct : she lost her husband.
3. The narrator had participated in the national struggle for India. T
4. The narrator was a widow. T
The best advice I ever had came from one of the greatest souls the world has ever known – Mahatma Gandhi – on a sunny afternoon a decade ago.
Most people pass through a period of anguish when their belief in humanity is at a low ebb. I was in such a period. My husband had recently died. My deep sorrow over his loss was followed by the humiliating realization that in the eyes of Indian law I had no individual existence. Along with other Indian women I had participated for years with men in the national struggle for freedom, working and suffering side by side with them until it had finally been achieved – yet in law we women were still recognized only through our relationship to men.
Now as widow without a son, I was not entitled to any share of the family property, nor were my two daughters. I resented this galling position. I was bitter towards those members of my family who supported this antiquated law.
At this time I went to pay my respects to Gandhiji and say good-bye before leaving for America to take part in a conference. After our talk he asked, “Have you made your peace with your relatives?”
I was amazed that he would take sides against me. “I have not quarreled with anyone,” I replied, “but I refuse to have anything to do with those who take advantage of an outworn law to create a difficult and humiliating situation for me.”
Gandhiji looked out of the window for a moment. Then he turned to me and smile and said, “You will go and say good-bye because courtesy and decency demand this. In India, we still attach importance to these things.”
“No,” I declared, “not even to please you will I go to those who wish to harm me.”
“No one can harm you except yourself,” he said, still smiling, “I see enough bitterness in your heart to cause you injury unless you check it.”
I remained silent, and he continued: “You are going to a new country because you are unhappy and want to escape. Can you escape from yourself? Will you find happiness outside when there is bitterness in you heart? Think it over. Be a little humble. You have lost a loved one – that is sorrow enough. Must you inflict further injury on yourself because you lack courage to cleanse your own heart?”


A2. Arrange in order
1. She was amazed when Gandhiji took side against her.
2. The narrator went to pay my respects to Gandhiji.
3. She went to America to take part in conference.
4. Gandhiji advised her to make peace with her relatives.
Ans: 2,4,1,3

A3. Pick out the instances used in text which suggest that Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit the narrator believed in gender eqality.
Ans : ' Now as a widow without a son, I was not entitled to any share of the family property, nor my two daughters. I resented this galling position. I was bitter those members of my family who supported this antiquated law.' These instances suggest that the narrator believed in gender eqality.
A4. Give the meanings of the following words.
1. anguish
2. existence
3. widow
4. outworn
A5. Write a peice of advice to your friend who is in deep sorrow and bitter about the relatives .
A6. Rewrite ad instructed.
1. I resented this galling position. ( Begin with ______ This galling........)
This galling position was resented by me.
2. No one can harm you except yourself. ( Rewrite as rhetorical question using wh word )
Who can harm you except yourself?




Extra Activities on the complete text.

1. Complete the statement and rewrite the fact that embittered the writer towards some members of her family is.........

2. Choose the correct options:
 When the writer met her in laws she felt........
1) that her visit had brought a feeling of relief
2) that effect of meeting on her was  miraculous
3) that her peace was lost
4) as if a great burden has been lifted
3. Pick out the instances used in the text which suggest that  the narrator believed in gender equality.

4. Complete the following statements with words or phrases from the text
1)The narrator was the leader of......... delegation.
2) The delegation went to......

5. Correct the statement and rewrite.

The issue that was to be addressed was the treatment of people in New York origin in United Nation.

6. Pick up the incorrect statement
1) The writer retaliated to personal attack.
2) The writer refused to retaliate to  score cheap point.