On saying please 6

Prose Section

On saying please

Activities with Expected answers

Extract No. 06 

Page no. 18/19 

  [ Lines,” I have missed……………to the mind”]

Read the first activity, read the extract and do all the activities that follow:

A1. Summarise :                  ( 02)

Select two most appropriate sentences that summarise the extract.

a) Civility cannot be enforced by law.

b) Polite behaviour can be a better revenge in day to day life.

c) The extract deals with the humorous incidents in public.

d) Post war situations are mentioned in the extract.

I have missed him from my bus route of late; but I hope that only means that he has carried his Sunshine on to another road. It cannot be too widely diffused in a rather drab world. And I make no apologies for writing a panegyric on an unknown bus conductor. If Wordsworth could gather  Lessons of wisdom from the poor leech gatherer ‘on the lonely moor,’ I see no reason why lesser  people should not take lessons in conduct from one who shows how a very modest calling may be dignified by good temper and kindly feeling. 

It is a matter of general agreement that he war has had a chilling effects upon those little every day civilities of behaviour that sweeten the general air We must get those civilities back if we are to make life kindly and tolerable for each other. We cannot get them back by invoking the law. The policeman is a necessary symbol and the law is a  necessary institution for a society that is still somewhat lower than the angels. But the law can only protect us against material attack. Nor will the lift man’s way of meeting moral affront by physical violence help us to restore the civilities. I suggest to him, that he would have had a more subtle and effective revenge if he had treated the gentleman who would not say ‘Please’ with elaborate politeness. He would have had the victory, not only over the boor, but over himself, and that is the victory that counts. The polite man may lose the material advantage, but he always has the spiritual victory. I commend to the lift-man a story of Chesterfield. In his time the London streets were without the pavements of today and the man who ‘took the wall’ had the driest footing. ‘I never give the wall to a scoundrel,’ said a man who met Chesterfield one day in the street. ‘I always do’, said Chesterfield, Stepping  with a bow into the road. I hope the lift man will agree that his revenge was much sweeter than if he  had flung the fellow into the mud.

A2. Give reasons :                     (02)

According to the Narrator the victory over himself is more important in the case of the lift man Because…………………….

A3. Interpret :                     (02)

Interpret the statement,” Restoring the civilities is very effective than imposing law.”

A4. Personal Response :            (02)

“Manners maketh man,” Elaborate the idea in your own words in about fifty words.

A5. Language study :             (02)

i) We must get these civilities back.

(Replace the Modal auxiliary by another showing,” Advice/suggestion”)

We should get these civilities back.

ii) We cannot get them back by invoking the law.

(Rewrite the sentence using,” be able to”)

We are not able to/are unable to get them back by invoking the law.

iii) The polite man may lose the material advantage, but he always has the spiritual Victory.

( Rewrite using ,” Though/Although….”)

Though/ Although The polite man may lose the material advantage he always has the Spiritual  victory.

A6 Vocabulary:.                            (02)

Find out words from the extract which mean the following.

a) To spread =     diffused               

b) Dull or not attractive = drab

c) Very clever = subtle

d) praised or appreciated= commend. 

Activities prepared by

Tushar jaisinha Bagwe

K.J. SOMAIYA COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND COMMERCE VIDYAVIHAR EAST 

MUMBAI 77

E Mail Id tushar@somaiya.edu

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