Poets and Pancakes by Asokamitran is a witty memoir piece that describes his experiences at Gemini Studios in Chennai, one of India’s most influential film production houses in the 1940s. The chapter humorously portrays the make‑up department nicknamed Pancake, the eccentricities of actors, poets, and technicians, and the odd blend of glamour and struggle behind…

Deep Water is an autobiographical account by William Douglas that describes how the author overcomes his intense fear of water. As a young boy, Douglas nearly drowned at a beach in California. Later, while learning to swim at a YMCA pool, a boy pushed him into the deep end. He sank, struggled to breathe, and…

The chapter “Wealth and the World” explains how economic changes transformed the world from the medieval period to the modern age. It focuses on the growth of trade, industries, capitalism, and global connections that reshaped societies and economies. The chapter describes how wealth was generated through agriculture, trade, colonisation, and later through industrial production. It…

A showman opened Gaiety Land, a funfair with games and lotteries. The narrator bought a lottery ticket and surprisingly won a big road engine. He could not move it, and the showman refused to help. Soon the municipality ordered him to remove it, so he had to pay rent. He became poor and even pawned…

The chapter is an interview with Dr Ajith Parameswaran, an astrophysicist from Kerala. He explains that scientists mainly create new knowledge, not just discover things. As a child, he became curious about the natural world after reading a Malayalam book that explained everyday scientific questions. Ajith says that even today many important questions—like human‑animal conflict,…

Activity 1 – Title Describe how the title ‘The Giving Tree’ is suitable for the story. The title The Giving Tree is suitable because the tree keeps giving something to the boy at every stage of his life. The tree gives her fruits, branches, and even her trunk to make the boy happy. She never…

Flamingo The Last Lesson — Alphonse Daudet The story is set in Alsace after it is taken over by Germany. Franz, a schoolboy, goes to school fearing punishment for not preparing his lesson. He finds the classroom unusually quiet and villagers sitting inside. His teacher, M. Hamel, announces that this is his last French lesson…

Read the story below and choose the correct answers: One hot day, a thirsty crow flew from place to place looking for water. He was very tired and almost gave up. At last, he saw a small pot with a little water at the bottom. The crow tried to drink it, but his beak could…