Book Name | : Blossom |
Subject | : English |
Class | : 7 (Madhyamik) |
Publisher | : Prof. Nabanita Chatterjee |
Chapter Name | : The Story of Proserpine (8th Chapter) |
Table of Contents
ToggleActivity 1
Fill in the blanks with suitable words the passage above:
- Goddess ____ lived in the beautiful island of ____.
- ____ was the king of the land of the ____.
- Everyone said that ____ was the ____.
- Pluto was ____ when he saw ____.
- Pluto struck the ground with his ____ and it ____ instantly.
Answer
- Ceres, Sicily
- Pluto, dead
- Proserpine, spring
- charmed, Proserpine
- sceptre, opened
Activity 2
Identify which of the following statements are True and which are False. Give a supporting statement for each of your answers.
- Ceres had little role to lay in the lives
- Ceres was extremely fond her fair daughter.
- When Pluto first saw Proserpine, he was she was helping her mother in the field.
- Pluto though Proserpine’s beauty would brighten his dark kingdom.
- Proserpine threw away her girdle because she did not require it in Pluto’s kingdom.
Answer
- False; So on her depended the health and happiness of all the people of this world.
- True; Ceres had a fair daughter, Proserpine, whom she loved more than her life.
- False; There he saw Proserpine laughing and playing with her companions who formed a circle around her.
- True; Her bright face will make even my dark kingdom look bright and beautiful
- False; She thought that the girdle might reach Ceres and her mother would be able to trace her lost daughter.
Activity 3
Fill up the following chart with information from the text:
Cause | Effect |
1. | Pluto led a lonely life |
2. Pluto heard voices laughter behind some bushes | |
3. | The companions of Proserpine frightened and ran away |
4. | Pluto drove his chariot very fast |
5. The river was full to the brim |
Answer
Cause | Effect |
---|---|
No goddess wanted to live with Pluto among the dead. | Pluto led a lonely life. |
Pluto heard voices and laughter behind some bushes. | He was curious to see who was there. |
Pluto stepped into their circle and carried Proserpine to the chariot. | The companions of Proserpine got frightened and ran away. |
Pluto was afraid that Ceres would appear in search of her daughter. | Pluto drove his chariot very fast. |
The river was full to the brim. | Pluto could not drive the chariot through the water. |
Activity 4
Some words or phrases are given below. Find words from the text having meanings similar to these:
- a young unmarried girl:
- a horse driven to know:
- eager to know:
- flowers :
- grasped or caught tightly:
- a waistband :
Answer
- maiden
- chariot
- curious
- blossoms
- seized
- gridle
Activity 5
Fill in the blanks with suitable words from the list below. Change the form of the words where necessary. There are some extra words. (one is done for you) :
[Plunged, departed, trace, lovely, bank, drove, curls]
- The rose is said to be the lovelist of all flowers.
- Kolkata is situated on the ____ of the river Hooghly.
- When it rains, ____ a car is not easy.
- please note the time of his ____ from office last Saturday.
Answer
- loveliest
- bank
- trace
- driving
- departure
Activity 6
Complete the following sentences with information from the text:
- From the first of a volcano ____.
- People thought of praying to Jupiter because ____.
- The nymph of the fountain lived ____.
- Jupiter said that Proserpine might return to Earth if ____.
- Ceres would grieve for six months when ____.
Answer
- Ceres lighted a torch
- they were starving Ceres can’t take care of them.
- in the dark depths of the earth.
- she had not tasted any food in Pluto’s kingdom.
- Proserpine rejoined Pluto in his dark kingdom.
Activity 7
Fill up the following information from the text:
WHO | DID WHAT | WHEN |
Searched for Proserpine in all the rooms | ||
People | They were starving | |
Found the girdle of her daughter | ||
Had eaten six pomegranate seeds | ||
The earth | Proserpine would come back to her mother for six mo0nths |
Answer
WHO | DID WHAT | WHEN |
Ceres | Searched for Proserpine in all the rooms | She returned home in the evening and could not see her daughter. |
People | Came to Ceres and begged to bring back plenty and save their lives. | They were starving. |
Ceres | Found the girdle of her daughter | She was passing by a river |
Had eaten six pomegranate seeds | Ceres was passing by a river | |
The earth | Smiled and | Proserpine would come back to her mother for six months |
Activity 8
Answer the following questions:
- Why did Ceres feel very sad in the morning?
- Why was there a severe famine all over the world?
- Briefly narrate what the nymph of the fountain told Ceres.
- Why was Proserpine bound to live for six months in the underground kingdom?
Answer
- Her daughter was lost she could not her find out.
- Ceres neglected her work on the earth. as a result, a severe famine broke out all over the world.
- Nymph said she saw Proserpine weeping in the kingdom of Pluto. She also told her to
- Because she ate six pomegranate seeds.
Activity 9
Rearrange the following sentences and make a paragraph on how Proserpine returned from the underworld to her mother on Earth:
- Suddenly one day Ceres picked up Proserpine’s girdle by the riverside.
- Ceres visited Jupiter and sought his help to get back her daughter.
- Pluto took away the beautiful maiden Proserpine to his underground kingdom.
- Ceres went underground to find that Proserpine had already eaten six pomegranates there.
- Ceres, her mother much surprised not to find her at home in the evening.
- The nymph of the fountain told Ceres about her daughter’s whereabouts.
- Jupiter said that Proserpine might return to earth to earth if she had not eaten any food in the land of the dead.
- The mother searched for her daughter everywhere in vain.
- Proserpine was destined to spend six months every year in Pluto’s underworld and the remaining six months on Earth with her mother.
Answer
(a) – 4
(b) – 6
(c) – 1
(d) – 8
(e) – 2
(f) – 5
(g) – 7
(h) – 3
(i) – 9
Activity 10
Match the words in Column A with their meanings in Column B:
Column A | Column B |
(1) realm | (a) deep sorrow ( ) |
(2) ceaseless | (b) dull or whitish in colour ( ) |
(3) pale | (c) dark or depressing ( ) |
(4) grief | (d) begged ( ) |
(5) imported | (e) Kingdom ( ) |
(6) gloomy | (f) endless ( ) |
Answer
Column A | Column B |
---|---|
(1) realm | (e) Kingdom |
(2) ceaseless | (f) endless |
(3) pale | (b) dull or whitish in colour |
(4) grief | (a) deep sorrow |
(5) imported | (d) begged |
(6) gloomy | (c) dark or depressing |
Activity 11
Make sentences with the following pairs of words to show the difference in their meanings:
a) meet :
meat :
b) wandered :
wondered :
c) whole :
hole :
d) leap :
lip :
e) cease:
seize:
f) throne:
thrown:
g) prey:
pray:
h) tested:
tasted:
Answer
Pair | Sentence |
---|---|
a) meet | Let’s meet at the coffee shop for a chat. |
a) meat | I bought some fresh meat from the grocery store. |
b) wandered | The traveller wandered through the streets of the unfamiliar city. |
b) wondered | I wondered what the answer to the riddle could be. |
c) whole | She ate the whole pizza by herself. |
c) hole | There was a hole in the wall that needed to be repaired. |
d) leap | The athlete made a powerful leap and cleared the hurdle. |
d) lip | She accidentally cut her lip while biting into an apple. |
e) cease | The rain finally ceased after hours of heavy downpours. |
e) seize | The police officer managed to seize the stolen goods from the suspect. |
f) throne | The king sat on his majestic throne, ruling over the kingdom. |
f) thrown | He angrily threw the ball across the room. |
g) prey | The lion stalked its prey in the tall grass. |
g) pray | She knelt down to pray at the church. |
h) tested | The students were tested on their knowledge of mathematics. |
h) tasted | He tasted the soup to see if it needed any more seasoning. |
Activity 13 (a)
Fill in the blanks with appropriate models from the list given below. One modal may be used more than once.
[may, would, will, should, must, can, could]
- I ____ finish my homework before going to school.
- He ____ gives you a solution.
- Rajesh planned that he ____ make a kitchen garden.
- He ____ help me if he wished.
- We ____ save trees for a better future.
- The teachers expect that all the students ____ pass the examination.
- Students ____ treat their teachers with respect.
- It ____ rain today.
Answer
- I must finish my homework before going to school.
- He will give you a solution.
- Rajesh planned that he would make a kitchen garden.
- He can help me if he wishes.
- We should save trees for a better future.
- The teachers expect that all the students must pass the examination.
- Students should treat their teachers with respect.
- It may rain today.
Activity 13 (b)
Fill in the blanks with the negative forms of appropriate models:
- I ____ help you. I am sorry.
- Your bed is ready. ____ you lie down now?
- One ____ go for swimming when the sea is rough.
- The student got poor marks because he ____ solve a few sums.
- They ____ be able to supply the materials on time.
Answer
- I cannot help you. I am sorry.
- Your bed is ready. Can’t you lie down now?
- One must not go swimming when the sea is rough.
- The student got poor marks because he couldn’t solve a few sums.
- They may not be able to supply the materials on time.
Activity 15
In each group, there are three sentences. One of them has some grammatical errors. Identify that sentence and underline it. One is done for you:
Group A:
- Ranit has taken my pen.
- This house is ours.
- They live happily in their village.
Group B:
- I always enjoy reading children’s books.
- Sunita studies in Nivedita Girl’s High School.
- The children is crying.
Group C:
- The bird on the cage has flew away.
- Take out that book from the shelf.
- The man arrived at the station on time.
Group D:
- She left the place quietly.
- The cart-man is driving his cart in a slowly manner.
- Alam is known for his gentle manners.
Group E:
- Would you like to have a cup of coffee?
- If you wanted to perform well, you shall work hard.
- We can reach Delhi by road.
Answer
Group A:
- Ranit has taken my pen.
- This house is ours.
- They live happily in their village.
Group B:
- I always enjoy reading children’s books.
- Sunita studies at Nivedita Girl’s High School.
- The children are crying.
Group C:
- The bird in the cage has flown away.
- Take out that book from the shelf.
- The man arrived at the station on time.
Group D:
- She left the place quietly.
- The cart man is driving his cart in a slow manner.
- Alam is known for his gentle manners.
Group E:
- Would you like to have a cup of coffee?
- If you wanted to perform well, you shall work hard.
- We can reach Delhi by road.
Activity 16
Write a paragraph on a recent Tree Plantation Drive undertaken by your school. Your paragraph should be about 80 words. Give the following details:
- Name and location of your school
- Date, time and place of the Tree Plantation Programme
- Inauguration Ceremony
- The participants
- Guests present, if any
- Cultural programme to mark the day
- Your role
Answer
Recently, Aliah University, located in West Bengal, conducted a Tree Plantation Drive on [date] at [time] on the university premises. The event commenced with a grand inauguration ceremony, graced by the presence of esteemed faculty members and administrative staff. Students, teachers, and other university members actively participated in the drive, displaying their commitment to environmental conservation. Local environmentalists and representatives from forestry organizations were also invited as special guests to share their expertise. To commemorate the occasion, a delightful cultural program was organized, featuring songs, dances, and skits highlighting the importance of trees in our ecosystem. As a student of Aliah University, I enthusiastically took part in organizing and actively participating in the tree plantation drive, realizing the significance of our collective effort in nurturing the environment.