1.8 Vovaging Towards Excellence: Question Bank

 Read the extract and solve the activities.                         (12)

I scored 100% marks in Mathematics in almost all the examinations that I appeared for from my 1st standard until IIT, barring only a few times. I stood 16th in the SSC Board (at that time, this examination was for the whole of Maharashtra, including Nagpur) and I stood 1st in the University in all subjects put together. Those days, you could get an admission into IIT without the entrance test (JEE) if you had secured the 1st rank in the University. Therefore, I did not have to appear for the 

entrance test to get the admission into IIT, but nobody in Solapur told me about it, for I doubt if anybody in Solapur even knew about this rule. Therefore, I appeared for the entrance examination, and I secured a very good rank in the same. I was quite happy getting into IIT, but my joy was short lived. At Solapur I had not seen any building which was more than three storeyed. Mumbai however was full of skyscrapers. At IIT, most of the students and professors used to converse in English whereas my 

English was very poor. I had my entire education in Marathi. My spoken English was quite pathetic. Not only did I have a very weak vocabulary, but, my pronunciation also was terrible and my construction of English sentences very awkward to say the least. Due to all this, I was feeling quite lonely and terrified in Mumbai in general and  IIT in particular. I had developed an inferiority complex and wanted to run away from IIT and even Mumbai.

One day, I was sitting at my mess table in the hostel sipping tea when a senior guy came and sat on the chair adjacent to me. He was a convent educated guy with fairly sophisticated English- at least spoken or colloquial English. He was a bit arrogant and wanted to pull my leg. He tried to engage in some conversation with me and started pointing out errors in just about every sentence or everything that I said. After about 5 minutes he walked away after insulting me.

 I felt extremely humiliated and upset. As it is, I was feeling quite depressed and diffident and this incident was the last straw. I was almost broken. I felt out of place there and literally wanted to run away to Solapur that very moment. However, it was only my self-esteem which stopped me. Suddenly, a feeling of determination and strength came over me and gripped me. Despite hailing from Solapur, if I could be a rank holder in the school, college and IIT with many awards in Mathematics, there must be something right with me. Why should I give up? And that too for a silly and small thing like English? I was not to give up anymore, and I was determined to fight back.

IIT, most of the students and professors used to converse in English whereas my 

English was very poor. I had my entire education in Marathi. My spoken English was 

quite pathetic. Not only did I have a very weak vocabulary, but, my pronunciation 

also was terrible and my construction of English sentences very awkward to say the 

least. Due to all this, I was feeling quite lonely and terrified in Mumbai in general .

A1 Complete the given statements. (2)

i. The writer got admission in IIT as he got good rank in the entrance examination for IIT.

ii. The poor English of the writer was responsible for his sense of feeling quite lonely and terrified in Mumbai.

A2 Describe the state of mind of the writer when he came from Solapur. (2)

Ans: When he came to IIT Mumbai from Solapur, he was very happy. But his happiness and joy was short lived. Seeing the skyscrapers in Mumbai  he developed inferiority complex . He wanted to run away from Mumbai . 

A3 The incident of the insult by a senior was a blessing in disguise for the writer. Explain. (2)

Ans:  After the insult by a senior guy, the writer literally wanted to run away. But his self esteem stopped him doing so. A feeling determination and strength came over him. He decided to fight back . That incident turned to be a blessing in disguise. 

A4 We need a punch to push ourselves forward. Share your experience. (2)

Ans: We need punch to push ourselves forward. I was very weak in mathematics. The teacher and students used to tease me. They called me discovery of zero. It made me very upset. One of my friends offered to teach me. I started working hard and got 100 out of 100 in final exam. 

A5 Do as directed. (2)

i. Not only did I have a very weak vocabulary, but my pronunciation also was terrible.

[Choose correct alternative to rewrite the sentence as a simple sentence]

a. I had a very weak vocabulary with terrible pronunciation.

b. I had a very weak vocabulary and my pronunciation was terrible.

c. I did have a very weak vocabulary along with terrible pronunciation.

d. I had a weak vocabulary as well as terrible pronunciation.

ii. I felt extremely humiliated.

[Choose correct alternative to rewrite the sentence using the noun form of the underlined word.]

a. I felt extremely humiliation.

b. I felt extremely humiliating.

c. I felt extreme humiliation.

d. I felt extreme humiliating.

A6 Prepare a word register for ‘language’

Ans : feelings , communication, thought, spoken , written, literature, messages, letter, sound, alphabets, vowels, consonants 

Click for

Question Bank Solutions 'On Saying Please'

Big Data Big Insight

An Astrologer's Day