INTRODUCTION - CLASS XI

Good morning, students!

A hearty welcome to Class XI. Here’s wishing you all the best for an eventful year in the Senior School.

Let us hope we are able to meet each other soon and resume classes like good old times. Until then, we will be interacting via blogs and other useful platforms.

Let’s begin by giving you a general overview of what is in store for this year.

Syllabus includes

NCERT textbook- Hornbill

NCERT textbook- Snapshots

Plethora of writing skills prescribed by CBSE

Grammar (editing/omission/jumbled sentence)

Listening skills

Speaking skills

You will have 4 exams during the year

PA 1 - 40 marks

Term 1 - 80 marks (80 theory+ 20 Listening & Speaking Skills)

PA 2 – 40 marks

Term 2 - 80 marks (80 theory+ 20 Listening & Speaking Skills)

Class Assessment

10 marks (twice for two terms)

Written work

1 register for all Literature notes

1 register for Writing Skills (this is to be carefully maintained for class XII as well)

The Right Attitude towards English (The language and the subject)

You all must realize that

The last two years of school are an excellent opportunity to polish your English language related skills.

As a student from an English medium school, it is expected that you will have reasonable amount of fluency while applying for college admissions and sitting for interviews.

CBSE English paper format is extremely scoring!! Work with us and a 90+ is not difficult to score!!!

Commerce and Humanities Students should know that English is counted in the BEST of FOUR for College Admission. 

How to go forward?

Speak more in English- at home (if possible), in class and with friends (definitely possible)

Not for anyone else but for your betterment!!!

Participate in class assemblies (you get to speak on the mic , overcome the hesitation of speaking in public)

Participate in senior school activities/ take up responsibilities- These will look good for your college applications!!

Senior School at St. Columba’s is the last leg of your education at a brilliant institution. Make the most of your time to become a better version of yourself before you graduate!
God bless you . Any doubts or questions, only through comment section.

Lets now begin with the English class.
Summer of the Beautiful White Horse ( snapshots)
To get your attendance go to the comments section and post the name of the chapter and the author. Please mention your section as I have two sections of class 11
next read the given details.
Read the text book and answer the given MCQs. You don't need to write anything in the notebook today. 

About the author

William Saroyan was an American - Armenian author.

Saroyan was born in Fresno, California to Armenian immigrants from Bitlis, Turkey.

His stories

    1.were set in  Fresno, California (the center of Armenian-American life in California) where he        grew up.

2. were based on his childhood experiences among the Armenian-American fruit growers of the San Joaquin Valley,

3. dealt with the rootlessness of the immigrant.

The short story collection My Name is Aram (1940), an international bestseller, was about a young boy and the colorful characters of his immigrant family. It has been translated into many languages.

Historical Event

The Armenian Genocide (also known as the Armenian Holocaust) was the systematic mass murder and expulsion of 1.5 million ethnic  Armenians carried out in Turkey and adjoining regions by the  Ottoman government between 1914 and 1923.

 Survivors fled and settled in various parts of the world.

The Setting of the Story …

The story is about two cousin brothers from the Armenian tribe settled in California, USA.

The name of the tribe is GAROGHLANIAN (you’ll have to learn to spell it)

The tribe lived in extreme poverty but has been known for its honesty for 11 centuries.

THEY COULD NEVER STEAL!!

Yet, one of the boys gets a beautiful white horse they could never afford.

Read the story and find out what happens…

Meaning of some words and phrases to help you

I stared first at my cousin and then at the horse. There was a pious stillness and humour in each of them which on the one hand delighted me and on the other frightened me.

Pious – virtuous (as if what they did was morally correct)

Stillness-  quiet and peaceful

Humour- state of mood (here- good mood)

trot (verb)

 If a horse or similar animal with four legs trots- it runs at its slowest speed

Descendant (noun)

a person who is related to you and who lives after you, such as your child or grandchild

capricious (adjective)

changing mood or behaviour suddenly or unexpectedly.

vagrant (noun)

wandering from place to place, moving in random ways

rear (verb) 

to rise up or to lift something up

The horse reared up ( suddenly rose onto its back legs) when heard the gun shot.

snort (verb)

to make an explosive sound by forcing air quickly up or down the nose.

Alfalfa (noun) 

a plant grown as food ,especially for farm animals

Surrey (noun)  

a small carriage with four wheels and a roof  pulled by a horse/horses.

  NOW ATTEMPT THE MCQs

1. How does uncle Khosrove deal with all situations?

a. by inviting guests for coffee

b. by screaming and arguing

c. by saying “pay no attention to it.”

d. By telling long stories in his native language.

2. When Aram attempts to ride the horse, what happens?

a. Aram becomes frightened and jumps off the horses back

b. Mourad spooks the horse so it runs away.

c. The two ride gently through the fields in the beautiful morning light

d. The horse bucks Aram off and runs away.

3. What are some themes of the story?

a. oppression an forgiveness

b. love and independence

c. honor and integrity

d. intelligence and resourcefulness.

        

4. What character trait is important to the Garoghlanian family?

a. animosity

b. fortitude

c. integrity

d. honesty

5. How is John Byro certain the boys have his horse?

a. the boys tell him about their adventures.

b. He hears about it in the town.

c. He meets them as they walk the horse back to the barn.

d. The boys tell John they took the horse from his barn.

6. Who is narrating the story?

a. Uncle Khosrove

b. Aram

c. William Saroyan

d. Mourad 

7. Mourad is known to have/be

a. a violent temper

b. kind to little children

c. a way with animals

d. knowledge about plants and animals

God bless you!
we will look at some short answer questions tomorrow.