Achilles

mythology: a body of myths (stories about superhuman beings taken as a true in ancient cultures)

fairy-tale(adj) : extremely happy or fortunate

weired: very strange and unusual

rippling: making a sound of water flowing quietly

floppy: soft and not able to maintain a firm shape or position.

dangle: to hang loosely, or to hold something so that it hangs loosely

cravat: a wide straight piece of material worn loosely tied in the open neck of a shirt.

lilting: gentle and pleasant.

waggle: to (cause to) move quickly up and down or from side to side.

fiesta: a public celebration in Spain or Latin America, especially one on a religious holiday, with entertainments and activities.

pantomime: an amusing musical play based on traditional children‘s stories performed especially at Christmas.

whirl : (to cause something to) spin around.

sprightly: energetic and in good health.

warble: to sing, especially in a high voice.

lumber: to move slowly and awkwardly.

regal : royal, supreme.

respite: pause or rest from something difficult or unpleasant.

satin(n) : a silk material shining on a side.

sprightlier (adj) : energetic and in good health .

warble (v) : to sing.

mumber (v) : chew softly .

drool (v) : dribble/talk foolishly.

drool (v) : a slow or slothful person .

hysterical (adj) : uncontrolled excitement.

surge(v): rise, move forcefully.

bemused (adj) : obscure, clouded, confused.

lumber: to move slowly and awkwardly.

THINKING ABOUT THE TEXT

Q1) How was the Rose-Beetle Man dressed?

Ans: Rose-Beetle Man’ s dress was fantastic. On his head, he had a hat with a wide floppy brim. His shirt was worn. Round his head dangled a cravat of blue stain. His patched trousers drooped over a pair of leather shoes with upturned toes.

OR

Ans. Rose-Beetle Man was dressed in a wide hat on head, shirt and a startling blue satin cravat around his neck. He had worn a coat with bulged pockets, patched trousers and a pair of leather shoes with upturned toes.

Q2) How do we know that the Rose-Beetle Man cared well for his pets?

Ans: The Rose-Beetle  Man had polished the shells of the tortoises & he had decorated their front legs with little red bows. This shows that he cared well for his pets.

OR

Ans. He had kept his pets in a sack. When he undid his sack half a dozen tortoise came out tumbling. He had polished their shells with oil and decorated their front legs with little red bows. This shows that he cared well for his pets.

Q3) What made the narrator select one particular tortoise from among the other animals?

Ans: When the Rose-Beetle Man undid a small sack, half a dozen tortoises tumbled out of it. One among them took the narrator‘s fancy. It was small with a shell size of a teacup. Its eyes were bright & its walk was alert. This made the narrator select it from among the other animals.

OR
Ans. From among the other animals one was energetic than others. Its shell was of the size of a teacup. Its eyes were bright and its walk was alert. This fascinated the narrator and he was convinced to select this particular tortoise as his pet.

Q4) How did Achilles enjoy eating strawberries?

Ans: The fruit that Achilles liked the best was wild strawberries. He would become hysterical at the mere sight of them. The small strawberries he could devour at a gulp. But if he was given a big one he would grab the fruit and take it to a quiet spot among the flowerbed, where he would eat it at leisure.

OR

Ans. Achilles liked the wild strawberries the most. He easily swallows the small-sized strawberries but when he was given the big one, he would grab it to a quiet spot among the flower beds to eat it at the leisure time. He was very fond of wild strawberries.

Q5) How were Roger and Achilles rivals?

Ans: Roger, the pet dog of the narrator became a rival of Achilles for both had to compete for getting more and more grapes.

OR

Ans. Both Roger and Achilles liked grapes. Before the arrival of Achilles, Roger enjoyed full part of grapes. Now the Achilles became his partner, therefore there was a great rivalry between them.

Q6) Why did Achilles find Roger irritating?

Ans. Achilles was very fond of grapes, when he ate grapes, the juice would run his chin, and Roger would lie watching him his mouth dripping saliva. Roger would creep up to Achilles and lick him vigorously to get the grape juice which irritated Achilles.
OR

Ans: Achilles loved grapes as much as Roger did. Achilles would sit mumbling the grapes in his mouth, the juice running down his chin and Roger would lie watching him, his mouth drooling saliva. Then Roger would creep up to Achilles and lick him vigorously to get the grape- juice which irritated Achilles.

Q7) How did Roger feel at Achilles’ funeral?

Ans: Roger felt happy at Achilles‘ funeral. He kept on wagging his tail throughout the burial service.

OR

Ans. Roger felt happy at Achilles’ death that is why he was waging his tail at his funeral.

Q8) The family wandered about the olive-groves, shouting “Achilles … Strawberries, Achilles …” at length, we found him.

a) How had Achilles escaped?

Ans: One day the garden gate was left open and Achilles was nowhere to be found.OR

Ans. Achilles was habitual to walk through the whole garden. One day, the garden gate was left opened and Achilles got an opportunity to escape from the garden.

b) Explain why the family shouted “strawberries” during their search.

Ans: Strawberries were the favorite fruit of Achilles. The family wanted Achilles to hear the call and get tempted & return. OR

Ans. Achilles was very fond of strawberries, so to find him any way they should make him greedy for his favourite fruit so that they could easily find him.

c)Where did the family finally find Achilles? What had happened to him?

Ans. Finally, the family found Achilles in the well, the wall of which had long since disintegrated. He had fallen into the well and was quite dead.

Ans: The family found him dead in a well.

Q9) There are many instances of humor in the story. Pick out any two of them.

Ans. The story has many humorous instances. Eating of grapes by Achilles and running of juice from his mouth is humorous. Searching down the path of sunbathing person and sleeping on a belly is a humorous instance in the story.

OR

Ans: The character and costumes of the Rose-Beetle Man is humorous. The licking of Achilles by Roger is full of humour. Achilles‘ act of mountaineering on a human body is a humorous incident.

LANGUAGE WORK

Make anagrams using the following words with the help of the clues given in the table below:

Word Anagram Meaning

Looped ==Poodle= an intelligent breed of dog.

Schoolmaster = The Classroom ===where lessons are taught.

Listen== Silent = making no sound.

Admirer = fan.

Rabies == Serbia = country in Southeast Europe.

Real fun =Funeral== performed after someone’s death.

Retain == Retina = part of the human eye. Charm March movement of soldiers.

GRAMMAR WORK

(i) Some of the following sentences are incorrect. Correct them.

1) We get a lot of English home works. Ans. We got a lot of homework.

2) I’ve got some sands in my shoe.

Ans. I’ve got some sand in my shoe.
3) Did you hear the news about Sara? Ans. Did you hear news about Sara?

4) We need more chairs in this room. Ans. We need more chairs in this room.

5) Can I have some more pasta?

Ans. Can I have some more pasta?

6) He carried my luggage to the taxi.

Ans. He carried my luggage to the taxi.

(ii) Insert ‘a’ or ‘an’ wherever necessary.

1. Why are you taking an umbrella? It isn’t raining.

2. I had soup and a bread roll for lunch.

3. It was a good idea to have a party.

4. She’s looking for a job in Jammu.

5. I often go to her for advice.

(iii) Fill in the gaps with a noun from the words given using a/an/the wherever necessary.

Chair, Suitcase, Fly, Rice, Furniture, day, weather, accidents, luggage.

1. There’s a fly in my soup.

2. I have to some furniture for my new house.

3. I haven’t got much luggage with me. Just this bag

4. It’s a sunny day today.

5. There weren’t any accidents on the roads yesterday.

(iv) Which of the underlined words in the parts of these sentences is correct?

1. Hurry up? We haven‘t got many / a lot of time.
Ans. a lot of

2. I don‘t eat much/many chocolates. Ans. many

3. I didn‘t take much / many photographs. Ans. many

4. I don‘t listen too much / many classical music.
Ans. much