Odisha State Board CHSE Odisha Class 11 Approaches to English Book 1 Solutions Unit 1 Text C: Confessions of a Misspent Youth Textbook Activity Questions and Answers.
CHSE Odisha 11th Class Alternative English Solutions Unit 1 Text C: Confessions of a Misspent Youth
Activity – 8
State The Central Idea From The Text:
Answer:
1. The text deals with the worst system of school he was made to carry on his studies. It was the school which was known by Sand and Sea.
2. The writer was enrolled in a small private school in Greenwich village. In this school, there was a tremendous emphasis on art and educational freedom. The students were free not to learn anything that bored them and there were no tests.
3. They learned history by recreating its least important elements but without gaining ‘any knowledge or insight.
4. Their reading lessons were postponed till the third grade as early reading was considered harmful to creative spontaneity.
5. As a result, the students of Sand and Sea committed suicide out of frustration although the writer was fortunate to continue her education and pass her B.A.
6. They came to discover that their early education had gone waste only when they came to the high school. The writer’s mother came to realize his folly and sent her son to a traditional school.
Activity – 9
Understanding The Sequence Of Presentation:
Rearrange the following sentences to that they reflect the sequence in which Wolynski presents her ideas. You can begin with sentence (d) The writer was enrolled in small private school in Greenwich village – which is the first sentence in the sequence,
(a) The students were free not to learn anything that bored them and there were no tests.
(b) One of the students of Sand and Sea committed suicide out of frustration although the writer was fortunate to continue her education and pass her B.A.
(c) Their reading lessons were postponed till the third grade as early .reading was -considered harmful to creative spontaneity.
(d) The writer was enrolled in a small private school in Greenwich village.
(e) As a result, the students of Sand and Sea came to hate intellectuality.
(f) They learned history by recreating its least important elements but without gaining any knowledge Or insight.
(g) In this school, there was a tremendous emphasis on arts and educational freedom.
(h) The writer’s mother came to realise her folly and sent her son to a traditional school.
(i) They came to discover that their early education had gone waste when they came to the high School.
Answer:
The writer was enrolled in . a small private school in Greenwich village. In this school there was a tremendous emphasis on art and educational freedom. The students were flee and not to learn anything that bored them and there were no tests. They learned history by recreating its least important elements, but without, going any knowledge or insight. Their reading lessons were postponed till the third grade as early reading was considered harmful to creative spontaneity etc: As a result, the students of Sand and Sea came to make intellectuality. One of the students of Sand and Sea committed suicide out of instruction although the writer was fortunate to continue her education and pass her B.A. They came to discover that their early education. had gone waste only when they came to the high school. The writer’s mother came to realise her falling and sent her son to a traditional school.
Activity – 10
Comprehension:
Answer the following questions briefly :
(a) What is Wolyuskl’s major criticism of sand and Sea’s emphasis on creativity?
Answer:
Wolynski’s major criticism of Sand and Sea’s emphasis on creativity is that it. attracted great emphasis to arts and educational freedom. Their reading lessons were postponed, till the third grade as early reading was. considered harmful to creative spontaneity. Students were forbidden to be bored or miserable or made to compete with one another. When someone felt bored with math, he was allowed to write short stories in the library. This process shocked the students overall progress.
(b) Wolynski says that she was an example of “educational freedom- freedom .not to learn”. What does she mean?
Answer:
Wolynski says that she was an example of educational freedom, because she was herself, a student of Sand and Sea in which the students were guaranteed optimum liberty. She. when got bored with math was allowed to write stories in the library. She was a direct experience holder of all kinds of the intellectual educational pattern in the school.
(C) What is the basis of contrast between two kinds of education?
Answer:
The traditional pattern of education and the kind of education at Sand and Sea are greatly contrasted. Liberty, in the traditional pattern greatly rested on rationality Freedom was given out with limitation. But, freedom at this school was let loose and students were not found what they did not like. This brought about partial learning neglecting the main motto of education. Students were thrust into uncertainty and frustration.
(d) Does Wolynski explicitly state the points of contrast between the two types of education? If your answer is ’yes’, indicate the paragraph 5 and quote the words which explicitly state these differences. If your answer is ‘no’, say why the author does not explicitly state her points of contrast.
Answer:
Yes, the contrasts are explicit. The paragraph 3 “It was the school policy that we were forbidden to be bored or miserable”… “There were no tests and no hard times”. Paragraph 5- “We did not learn to read until we were in the third grade because early, reading was thought to discourage creative spontaneity. The one thing they taught us very well was to hate intellectuality…” Paragraph-9 – “They (parents) had sent in bright curious children and gotten back, nine years later, helpless adolescents Paragraph-10- Now 1 see my twelve-year-old brother (who is in a traditional school) doing college level math and I know that he knows more about many other things besides math, than I do and I also see traditional education working in the case of my reformed mother. When he was eight so that he wouldn’t become like me. Now, after seven years of real education he is making impressive film documentation for he Project in Bicentennial explicitly edpress the constructing difference.
(e) In paragraph 9 Wolynski admits that she could be accused of overstanding her case. How effectively does she reflect this change?
Answer:
Wolynski admits the fact that she | could be accused of overstating her case for some might say that those who freaked out of Sand and Sea would have freaked out any f where. But she pleads that such accusation does not hold true because when one sees the same bizarre behaviour pattern in succeeding. graduating classes, one can draw certain, terrifying conclusion.
(f) Briefly comment on the effectiveness of Wolynski’s conclusion. Does it accurately sum up her essay, or should she have written a different conclusion?
Answer:
Wolynski supplies a well-knit conclusion with strong effectiveness. The conclusive words run- “And now I have come to see that the real job of a school is to entice the student, into the web of knowledge and then, if he is not enticed to drag him in. 1 wish I had been. “These lines explicitly express .that a student must not be guaranteed freedom to the excess. There must be limitations to it. force and compulsion need be exerted upon the students for better results.
Extra Activity – 10(A)
Question 1.
What does appeal Wolynski’s mother in 1956?
Answer:
The idea of permissive education appeals Wolynski’s mother in 1956. She was a Bohemian and the writer was four years old at that time. She found a small private school in Greenwich village whose beliefs were her and got her child i.e., the writer admitted in this school.
Question 2.
What does the writer say about Sand and Sea in paragraph-1?
Answer:
Sand and Sea in paragraph-1 gives an impression that it was a’ school without pain. It was the kind of school which believed in back to basics which people are truly afraid of. It guarantees freedom-freedom not to learn.
Question 3.
How was the school managed?
Answer:
The school was managed by sixteen teachers out of which fifteen were lady teachers and one teacher. The teacher was teaching science.’They were decent people both young and old. ‘they devoted themselves to cultivate the internal creativity in man. They gave high stress on arts.
Question 4.
What was the pattern of education?
Answer:
Total freedom was given to the students. Reading is not considered important. But other things are considered important. When the students become bored in a subject they change it immediately. The writer was bored in math. He was told to write short stories in the library. No tests were conducted there. They were allowed to go there own way. For this reason, all-round development of the students was not possible. They taught history in a different way The teaching methods were not suitable for human development.
Question 5.
What was the method of doing history?
Answer:
The students of Sand and Sea public school, were taught history in a different method. They were to learn history by recreating its least important elements without acquiring any knowledge from it. They pounded com, made tepees, ate buffalo meat and learnt Indian words. This was all about teaching American history. They made elaborate contumes, clay pots and papier- mache Gods of Greek culture. They were also made maidens and knights in armour like the Middle Age.
Question 6.
What does the writer say about the creative spontaneity?
Answer:
In the Sand and Sea public school, the students spent a lot of time in being creative. Because they were told by their mentors that to be happy in life was to be creative. They did not go to read until they were in the third grade. It is because, early reading was thought to discourage creative spontaneity. They were made to develop a sense of hatred for intellectuality for nine years.
Question 7.
What was the result of the type of schooling at Sand and Sea?
Answer:
The pattern of education at Sand and Sea made the students fall down the hill. they felt a profound sense of abandonment. The parents were also harassed and perplexed. The students were allowed to change their subject again and over again. Their standards diminished. No all round development was possible. The students became underachievers and culturally disadvantaged. Even a student committed suicide out of frustration.
Question 8.
What did the psychologist suggest the writer’s mother?
Answer:
Due to the rough teaching method, the standards of the students of Sand and Sea public school diminished to a great extent. During the Writer’s high school years, the school psychologist puzzled by her lack of real knowledge. He suggested her mother that the writer had to undergo a better of psychological tests to find out the reason why she was blocking out information although she had no information to block.
Question 9.
What does she say about her former classmates?
Answer:
The standards of students of Sand and Sea school reduced unexpectedly. The parents of her former classmates could not find out the reason of this problem! Their children were bright and curious but after nine years, they got back dull and helpless children. They said that those of them who had .freaked out, would have freaked out anywhere. it was surprising that the same bizarre behavior pattern was earmarked in succeeding graduating classes. It was really a very horrifying conclusion.
Question 10.
What does she say about the educational achievements of her younger brother in the traditional schools?
Answer:
The writer’s brother was twelve years old. He was reading in a traditional school. He was capable of doing the college-level math, and knew much more about many other things besides math. His brother who was summarily ranked from Sand and Sea was making impressive film documentaries for a project On the Bicentennial.
Activity – 11
Understanding The Structure Of The Test.
Now, keeping the above sequence in mind notice the pattern the author has used in presenting her thoughts and give an account of the structure of the text on the model presented under discussion of Text-B.
| Paragraph No.(s) | Ideas in points |
| 1 | |
| 2 | |
| 3 and 4 | |
| 5 through 7 | |
| 8 | |
| 9 and 10 | |
| 11 |
Answer:
Paragraph-1
(i) The writer was enrolled in a small private school in Greenwich village.
(ii) The name of the school was Sand and Sea which was run by fifteen women and one man who attached more importance to inborn and natural creativity!
Paragraph-2:
The Sand and Sea school had total 16 teachers out of which 15 were lady teachers and one was science teacher who gave much importance and stress to inborn and natural creativity.
Paragraphs- 3 and 4:
1. The students were free not to learn anything that bored them and there were no tests.
2. They learned history by recreating its least important elements but without gaining any knowledge or insight.
3. In this school, .there was a great emphasis on arts and educational freedom.
Paragraphs- 5 through 7:
1. Their reading lessons were stopped till the third grade, as early reading was accepted harmful to creative spontaneity.
2. They discovered that their early education was wasted only when they came to high school.
3. One of the students of Sand and Sea committed suicide out of frustration although the writer was fortunate to continue to her education and passed.
Paragraph-8:
The school psychologist who was puzzled by the writer’s deprived of real knowledge, suggested that she should undergo a bitterly of psychological tests to find out the reason why she was lacking out of information.
Paragraph 9 and 10:
1. The writer’s mother came, to realize her folly and sent her to; a traditional school, parents sent their bright, curious children to this school and after nine years got back helpless adolescents.
2. The writer’s twelve years and fifteen years old brothers did wonders in the traditional schools.
Paragraph-11:
This paragraph tells about the writer’s conclusion of the text in which she opines that a school has, to attract, the students into the web of knowledge and if they are not enticed, they have to be dragged in.
Activity-12
Grammar:
Go back to Text-C and notice the following sentence in paragraph 1- “And it was the kind of school that the back to basics people feared most. The underlined parts is called a relative clause. A clause is a sentence within a sentence and it is a part of a long sentence. A relative clause modifies as noun phrase. Hence, in (i), the relative clause begins with that which stands for the noun phrase the kind of school’ “that’ is called the relative pronoun. The relative pronouns that being relative clauses are:
who, whom, which, that and whose.
Examples:
1. The girl who loved dancing _________.
2. The clown whom everyone liked __________.
3. The jewels which belonged to the queen ________.
4. The boy whose father is a teacher _________.
Below you have a few phrases. Put them in their appropriate places in the paragraph after adding who/whom/which/that/ whose in form of the phrase. The first one has been done for you.
- was part of a long holiday.
- was again in very, warm and sunny, was both a bathroom and laundry.
- was in the hills.
- the children poured over themselves.
- mothers were carrying large bundles of clothes.
- they had brought with them.
We decided to spend the weekend. which was part of a long holiday, in a small hotel __________ where it would be cooler. We arrived late on Friday evening and sent straight to bed. On the Sunday, morning _________ we went to a nearby pool. It was surrounded by rocks and seemed to be very private. Soon after we arrived, a lot of children came. They were followed by their mothers. The children __________ quickly jumped into the pool. Then their mother threw them some large bottles. The bottles contained some
soapy water __________. Then the matters un did the bundles of cloths __________ and started to wash them and scrub them on the rocks nearby. For being a place of a quiet swim, the pool became a place ___________ The children were very happy and laughed and shouted as they washed their clothes. We sat quietly at the edge of the pool. We didn’t know what to do.
Answer:
We decided to spend the weekend, which was part of a long holiday, in a small hotel which was in the hills where it would be cooler. We arrived late on Friday evening and sent straight to bed. On the Sunday morning when the weather was again very warm and sunny, we went to a nearby pool. It was surrounded by rocks and seemed to be very private. Soon after we arrived, a lot of children came. They were followed by their mothers.’ The children whose mothers were carrying large bundles of clothes quickly jumped into the pool. Then their mother threw them some large bottles. The bottles contained some soapy water which, the children poured over themselves. Then the mothers undid the bundles of clothes which they had brought with them and started to wash them and scrub them on the rocks nearby. For being a place of a quiet swim, the pool became a place which was both a bathroom and laundry. The children were very happy and laughed and shouted as they washed their clothes. We sat quietly at the edge of the pool. We didn’t know what to do.
Extra Activity- 12(A)
VERB+[-ing (enjoy doing/stop doing etc.)] Look at these sentences.
I enjoy dancing.
Would you mind closing the door?
I can suggest going to the cinema.
(i) After enjoy, mind and suggest we use -ing (not to-).
Here are some more verbs that are following by – ing
stop
delay
fancy
consider
admit
miss involve
finish
postpone
imagine
avoid
deny
risk
practice
- Suddenly everybody stopped talking. There was silence.
- I’ll do the shopping when I have finished clearing, to flat.
- He tried to avoid answering my question.
- I don’t fancy join out this evening.
- Have you ever considered going to live in another country.
Note the negative form of not -ing.
- When I’m on holiday, I enjoy not having to get up early
(ii) We also use -ing after:
Give up (- stop)
put off (= postpone)
carry on/go on (= continue)
keep or keep on(=F’ do-.something, continuously or repeatedly)
- Ram has given up smoking.
- We must do something. We can’t go on living like this.
- Don’t keep interrupting, me. while I’m speaking.
(iii) With some verbs: verb+somebody+ (-ing):
- I can’t imagine George; riding a motorbike.
- You can’t stop me. doing what I want.
- Sorry to keep you -waiting so long.
Note the passive form (being done/ seen etc.)
- I don’t mind being kept waiting.
(iv) When one talks about finished action, one can say having done/ stolen/said etc.
- She admitted having stolen the money
(v) After some of the verbs on this page (especially- admit/deny/suggest) you can use that.
- She denied that she had stolen the money or she denied stealing the money.
- I am suggested that we went to the cinema.
Verb+ (-ing)/to… (1) (remember/regret)
(a) When one verb+(-irtg) or verb+to… Compare the sentences in the table below:
| Verb- (-ing) | verb – to… |
| They denied stealing the money. | The decided to steal the money. |
| I enjoy going out → Often we use –ing action that happen before the first verb or at the same time Stealing ←denied (enjoy going) |
I want to go out. Often we use to… for an action that follows the first verb decided to →steal want → to do |
(b) Some verbs can be followed by -ing or to -% with a difference of meaning:
| Remember
|
I remember doing something. = I did it and now I remember, this you remember doing something after you have done it. |
I remembered to do something. ÷remembered that I had to do something = I remembered that I had to do it and so I did it. You remember to do something before you do it. |
| I remember locking the door = I locked it and now I remember this. |
I remember to lock the door when I left = I remembered that I had to lock the door and so I locked it. |
|
| Regret | I regret doing something = I did it and now I am sorry about it. |
I regret to say/to tell you/to inform you = I am sorry that I have to say etc. |
| I now regret saying what I said. I should not have said it. | We regret to inform you that we are unable to offer you the job. | |
| Go on | Go on doing something continue doing the same thing. The minister went on the talking for two hours. We must change our ways can’t to on the living like this. |
= Go on to do something = do or say something new. After discussing the economy, the minister then went on to talk about foreign policy, |
(c) Begin, start, intend, continue, bother.
These verbs can be followed by – ing or to – with little or no difference in meaning. So you can say :
- It has started on meaning or it has started to rain.
- John intends buying a house or John intends to buy
- Don’t bother locking the door or Don’t bother to lock
(d) But we usually do not use -ing after -ing.
- It’s starting -to fain (not it’s starting raining.)
Confessions of a Misspent Youth Summary in English
Summary (Paragraph 1-2):
The writer’s mother was highly inspired by the idea of permissive education in 1956. At that time, he was only four years old. His mother found a small private school in Greenwich village. The writer called die school “Sand and Sea”. It was a school without pain. Here, there was total educational freedom – the freedom not to learn. There were fifteen lady teachers and one teacher. He was teaching ‘science’. They were giving much stress to cultivate natural creativity in man. They give more stress on arts.
Happiness And Hieroglyphics
Summary (Paragraph 3-4) :
They used to learn various subjects. But they could cancel anyone at any time. It was te policy of the school. It was making the students out of any pressure. They were free from any mental stress. This policy, on the other hand, was creating a competitive mind among themselves. Once the writer was bored with math. So he was permitted to write short stories in the library. One year, the students pounded corn made tepees, ate buffalo meat and learned Indian words. Another year, they made elaborate costumes, clay pots and papier- mache gods. And in still another year they were all maidens and knights in armor like Middle Ages. One year, the writer while building pyramids, did a thirty feet long moral for. which laboriously cupid hieroglyphics on the sheet of brown paper.
Ignorance Is Not Bliss
Summary (Paragraph 5-8) :
The writer and his friends were spending their time to be creative. Their mentos told them that to be happy is to create. They were made not to learn, because early reading could discourage creative spontaneity. Hence, they were forced to be creative for nine years. Much emphasis was provided for forming and reforming interpersonal relationship. When they graduated from Cannot all the happy little children fell down the hill. Both children and their parents felt abandoned. The children though themselves to be under¬achiever and culturally disadvantaged. The school psychologist was puzzled by his lack of actual knowledge. He suggested that the writer should undergo a battery of psychological tests to know the reason why he was lacking of information. The author was often asked by teacher how he had come into the high school. ‘
The Lure Of Learning
Summary (Paragraphs 9-11):
The- parents of the writer’s former classmates were unable to find out the real problems of the system. Parents sending their children who were bright and curious returned back helpless. His twelve years old brother who was reading in a traditional school was far better than him except math.
Outlines of the text-C :
- The writer’s mother was highly inspired by permissive education.
- At that time, he was only four years old.
- His mother admitted him in a small private school.
- It was situated in Greenwich village.
- The writer called the school ‘Sand and Sea”.
- In this school, there was total educational freedom.
- It was the freedom for not to learn.
- There were fifteen lady teachers and one teacher.
- The teacher was teaching them science.
- They were giving much stress to cultivate natural creativity.
- They gave more stress on arts.
- They used to learn various subjects.
- But they could change any subject at any time.
- It was the policy of the school.
- It was making the students free of pressure.
- They were free from any mental stress.
- This policy was creating competitive minds among them.
- Once the writer was bored with math.
- So he was permitted to write short stories in the library.
- They learned different things in different years.
- One year, they pounded corn made tepees, ate buffalo meat and learned Indian words.
- Another year, they made elaborate costumes, clay pots and paper-mache gods.
- Again in one year, they were all maidens and knights in armour.
- Once, the writer while. building pyramids did a thirty feet long mural cupid hieroglyphics on the sheet of brown paper.
- The writer and his friends were spending their time to be creative.
- Their mentos told them that to be happy is to create.
- They were made not to learn.
- Because early reading could discourage creative spontaneity.
- Hence, they were forced to be creative for nine years.
- Much stress was provided for forming and reforming interpersonal relationships.
- All the happy little children fell down to hill.
- Both children and their parents feel abandoned.
- The children thought themselves to be ‘underachievers.
- They became culturally disadvantaged.
- The school psychologist was puzzled by his lack of actual knowledge.
- He suggested the writer to have the psychological tests.
- So that the reason could be found out.
- The teacher often asked how he had come to high school.
- The parents could not find out the real problems.
- The good students returned back helpless.
- His brother was reading in a traditional school. ,
- He was twelve years old.
- His standard was better than the writer
Meanings of difficult words :
example – a person an example; of something.
decent – proper, modest, nice, fairly good.
innate – inborn, a quality from birth, internal.
tremendous – huge, marvelous; astounding, amazing.
stunted – checked the growth or development of.
forbidden – prohibit, not to be done.
least – superlative degree of ’little’ (little-less-least)
pounded – thump, to crush into powder, break to pieces.
tepees – round texts used by Red Indians in America.
elaborate – detail, more illustrated or descriptive.
costumes – dresses, items of dress put on occasion.
armor – a defensive covering worn during fighting.
pegged their horses – pattern with pegs.
a quarrel of blood – blood measuring capacity equal to two points about 1.14 liter.
the Hums – medieval invaders from Central Asia.
mural hieroglyphics – system of writings which uses pictures to represent words.
bliss – blessing, higher happiness, divine happiness.
incurably – that which can’t be cured.
optimistic – hopeful, looking at the brighter side of life.
mentors – person who takes care of the little men.
discourage – make dispirited, unenthusiastic.
creative spontaneity – natural flow of creative work.
continually – again and again, again and over again, continue at a stretch, interpersonal.
relationship – relationship among various kinds of persons.
twist – distort, bend, make deformed.
introverted – being interest in one’s own thoughts and feelings than the things outside oneself,
cowered in the corner – shrank back and crunched in the comer.
sense of abandonment – a feeling of being left completely, alone, a state of loneliness.
flunking out – fail an examination, fail a candidate.
occupational therapy- treatment for helping people to get that their health by giving them special work.
baffle – trouble, bewilder, mentally disturbed.
substantive knowledge – knowledge having an independent existence real or actual
enduring – bearing, tolerating, withstanding putting up with stumbling.
through – speak in a hesitating way with pauses and mistakes.
braked out – became upset and frightened, disturbed.
bizarre – odd, ridiculous, absured, unnatural, yanked (American) taken away suddenly.
bicentennial – celebrating of completion of 200 years after the American declaration of independence.