Introduction → Books as best friends, companions in loneliness

Books expand knowledge and imagination → broaden perspective

Build vocabulary and writing skills → improve communication

Reduce stress → mental relaxation (reading vs screen time)

Appeal to audience → read daily, even 20 minutes

Definition of discipline → self-control, regular habits

In student life → study routine, punctuality, sports

Examples of great personalities → APJ Abdul Kalam, Sachin Tendulkar

Lack of discipline = failure → distraction, procrastination

Concluding thought → discipline = path to success

Title: The Thirsty Crow / Intelligence Wins (any suitable title) = ½ mark

Story: Crow thirsty → found pitcher → water too low → thought of plan → dropped pebbles → water rose → drank → flew away (logical sequence = 4 marks)

Moral: "Where there is a will, there is a way." / Necessity is the mother of invention. = ½ mark

8–10 exchanges required | Student greets, asks for sci-fi books

Librarian responds politely, explains rules (return date, no damage)

Recommends a book (e.g., "The Time Machine") | Student thanks

(i) Corrected sentence: "She goes to school every day." — Simple Present tense with third-person singular (she → goes)

(ii) Determiner: "many" — Type: Quantifier / Indefinite Determiner (shows quantity without exact number)

(i) Iswaran the Expert Cook: Iswaran considered himself a great cook because he could prepare a meal out of nothing in minutes. He would cook unusual items like the cactus plant — he would first remove the thorns, then boil and cook it with spices to make a surprisingly tasty dish. His talent for cooking matched his talent for storytelling.

(ii) Kezia's Father: Kezia was initially terrified of her father because he appeared strict, cold, and distant. He spoke very little to her and she found him intimidating. However, he was actually a loving, hard-working man who was simply tired after long hours at work. When she fell ill, he showed his true warmth and care.

(iii) "The Snake and the Mirror" — Lesson on Vanity: The story teaches that human vanity is foolish and can blind us to real danger. The doctor, admiring himself in the mirror, was so absorbed in his looks that he barely noticed the snake on his shoulder. Fate (or the snake's indifference) saved him — teaching that self-obsession can be deadly.

(iv) Alternative — any other prescribed prose lesson: Accept relevant 2-mark answers based on the school's prescribed text. Award marks for content accuracy and expression.

Deafened at 12 — specialist's discouragement — refused to give up (1)

Developed unique way to feel music through body/vibrations (1)

Became internationally renowned percussion virtuoso (1)

Gives free lessons to deaf children — inspires others (1)

Conclusion — willpower and determination overcome any disability (1)

Father appears cold, strict, frightening to Kezia initially (1)

Kezia tears his speech papers accidentally — punished (1)

Kezia sees other fathers as gentle and friendly (1)

Father comforts her during nightmare — true nature revealed (1)

Kezia's innocent love softens father — their bond grows (1)

Juliette wanted to sell the villa but buyers were hesitant (1)

She cleverly showed the villa's charms while casually mentioning "faults" — making it more desirable (1)

Her psychology — reverse selling — shows her intelligence and understanding of human nature (1)

Gaston appears helpful but is driven by self-interest (1)

His changing attitude throughout reflects typical human desire for profit (1)

The play uses him to satirise greed in everyday dealings (1)

(i) Poem: "I had a dove" | Poet: John Keats

(ii) The dove died. The poet thinks it died of grieving — because its feet were tied with a silken thread, making it a prisoner. Captivity caused its grief and eventually its death. (2 marks)

(iii) "Silken thread of my own weaving" suggests that the poet himself, out of love/possessiveness, had bound the dove — making him responsible for its death. It symbolises how excessive love/control can harm what we love.

(i) Poem: "When You Are Old" | Poet: W.B. Yeats

(ii) The poet asks her to read this book (his poem) when old and grey, to remember the "soft look" of her eyes — and recall that one man loved her truly, not just her outer beauty. (2 marks)

(iii) Tone: Nostalgic, melancholic, longing — a mix of regret and enduring love.

(i) "The Road Not Taken" — Central Idea: The poem is about the choices we make in life. The poet stands at a fork in the road and chooses the less-travelled path, symbolising taking an unconventional or independent choice. In the end, he reflects that his unique choice made "all the difference" to his life.

(ii) "Wind" — Message: The poem uses wind as a symbol of challenges and difficulties in life. The poet says the wind destroys weak things but cannot harm the strong. His message is — build inner strength, be firm and determined, and challenges will become powerless against you.

(iii) "Rain on the Roof" — Sound and Memories: The poet describes the sound of rain as a soft, musical patter on the shingles. This sound brings back sweet memories of his mother — her tender look and loving presence — transporting him to his childhood. The rain becomes a medium for nostalgia.

Two roads = two choices/paths in life (1)

Both roads look similar — both choices seem equally valid (1)

Poet chooses less-travelled road = going against the crowd, being different (1)

He knows he won't come back = choices are often irreversible (1)

Final reflection — "it has made all the difference" = personal choices define our destiny (1)

Literal: Wind destroys weak things — fire, windows, weak structures (1)

Symbolic: Wind = problems, hardships, adversity in life (1)

Poet's advice: Build strong houses, strong bodies, strong hearts (1)

Wind as friend to the strong — challenges strengthen the determined (1)

Overall message: Embrace hardship to build resilience (1)

(i) The Lost Child — Separation: When the child got separated, he forgot everything he had wanted at the fair — the sweets, toys, balloons, even the roundabout. He only cried for his parents, screaming "Mother! Father!" This reveals that material things meant nothing; his parents were his real world. The story beautifully shows parental love as a child's greatest need.

(ii) Iswaran the Storyteller: Iswaran is a devoted, imaginative, and entertaining cook. He can produce a meal from nothing and narrate stories with extraordinary dramatic flair — adding suspense, gestures, and climaxes. He terrifies Mahendra with a ghost story about a woman carrying a foetus, eventually making Mahendra see the ghost himself. Iswaran uses storytelling as both entertainment and power over his employer.

(iii) Albert Einstein — Early Difficulties: Einstein was a late talker and his teachers thought him dull. He was not a conventional student — he questioned authority and disliked rote learning. He was expelled from school. Yet his curiosity never died. He taught himself calculus and physics, gained entry to university after a second attempt, and went on to develop the Theory of Relativity, winning the Nobel Prize in Physics.

(iv) Toto's Character: Toto was a mischievous, clever, and destructive little monkey. He tore wallpaper, smashed a dish, ruined a school blazer, and once nearly boiled himself in a kettle. While his antics were funny, they were also costly. Grandfather's love for exotic animals led to keeping Toto, but eventually had to sell him back as he caused too much trouble — a lesson on practicality vs sentiment.

The kingdom's foolish rule (work at night, sleep by day) creates a chaotic society (1)

A merchant is killed unfairly — chain of blame (wall → builder → bricklayer → dancing girl → goldsmith → merchant) = absurd logic (1)

An innocent man is to be executed — his disciple about to be sacrificed (1)

Guru's cleverness — both guru and disciple compete to die first, intriguing the king (1)

Guru's wisdom saves the disciple; king realises his foolishness — moral: wisdom defeats foolishness (1)

Scientific genius — Theory of Relativity, photoelectric effect, Nobel Prize 1921 (1)

Personal values — humble, non-materialistic, deeply curious (1)

Pacifism — horrified by WWI, wrote with Freud against war (1)

Contribution to world peace — warned against nuclear arms after WWII, signed Russell-Einstein Manifesto (1)

Legacy — proved that genius and humanity can coexist (1)