IN LONDON
Mohandas Karamchnd Gandhi, architect of India’s freedom through a non-violent revolution. He opted against racial discrimination in South Africa. He was actively involved in many Movements, Satyagrahas as a form of Civil Disobedience against Colonial rule. A champion of truth and non-violence, he has been hailed as the ‘Father of Nation’ and as the ‘Mahatma’. ‘In London’ is an extract from Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography “My Experiments with Truth”. It gives an insight into the mind of young Gandhi who by constant introspection gained maturity within a short time as student in London.
Gandhiji decided to cultivate the accomplishments which fitted one for polite society. For the purpose, he wanted to become an English gentleman. He thought that the Bombay clothes were unsuitable for the English society. He bought a chimney-hat and suit and learnt the art of tying to make himself comfortable in polished society. He tried his best physically to look better, but his efforts were not enough to look him English gentleman.
Gandhiji directed his attention towards the other necessary details for the making of an English gentleman. He decided to take lessons in dancing, French and elocution. As it was beyond his ability to achieve comfort in these activities, he had withdrawn from it. He was simply convinced that he would not spend a life time in England. As it could fetch no profit he realized what he could do as a student qualifies himself to join the Inns of Court.
Gandhiji became more vigilant on his part. He kept account of every farthing he spent and his expenses were carefully calculated so that he had succeeded having a surplus balance at the end. That habit has stayed with him ever since, and he was sure to be a gainer in the end. In this process, he identified necessities, comforts and luxuries. He rented a modest room. He cultivated the habit of long walks that kept him healthy throughout his stay in England.
Gandhiji undertook a great deal of labour to get through London Matriculation Examination. He failed in his first attempt as it was quite difficult for him to digest Latin and Modern Languages. He opted simple living and intensive study, which saved him much time and he passed the examination. That kind of living was not a dreary affair to him. It harmonized his inward and outward life. He was very happy that his life was certainly more truthful.
Q. Summarize Gandhi’s experiences as a student in London.
Q. Describe in your own word the efforts made by Gandhi to transform himself into an English gentleman.
Gandhiji decided to cultivate the accomplishments which fitted one for polite society. For the purpose, he wanted to become an English gentleman. He thought that the Bombay clothes were unsuitable for the English society. He bought a chimney-hat and suit and learnt the art of tying to make himself comfortable in polished society. He tried his best physically to look better, but his efforts were not enough to look him English gentleman.
Gandhiji directed his attention towards the other necessary details for the making of an English gentleman. He decided to take lessons in dancing, French and elocution. As it was beyond his ability to achieve comfort in these activities, he had withdrawn from it. He was simply convinced that he would not spend a life time in England. As it could fetch no profit he realized what he could do as a student qualifies himself to join the Inns of Court.
Gandhiji became more vigilant on his part. He kept account of every farthing he spent and his expenses were carefully calculated so that he had succeeded having a surplus balance at the end. That habit has stayed with him ever since, and he was sure to be a gainer in the end. In this process, he identified necessities, comforts and luxuries. He rented a modest room. He cultivated the habit of long walks that kept him healthy throughout his stay in England.
Gandhiji undertook a great deal of labour to get through London Matriculation Examination. He failed in his first attempt as it was quite difficult for him to digest Latin and Modern Languages. He opted simple living and intensive study, which saved him much time and he passed the examination. That kind of living was not a dreary affair to him. It harmonized his inward and outward life. He was very happy that his life was certainly more truthful.
Q. Summarize Gandhi’s experiences as a student in London.
Q. Describe in your own word the efforts made by Gandhi to transform himself into an English gentleman.
KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is a distinguished scientist. He took charge as President of India in july 2002. His name is associated with the development of India's first satellite launch vehicle SLV-3 and the 'Agni' missile. He was bestowed upon with many great honoraries 'Padma Bhushan' (1981), 'Padma Vibhushan' (1990) and 'Bharata Ratna' (1987). The Present Extract from 'Ignited Minds', throws light how India can be made a Knowledge Society. So, it must rediscover itself in this aspect, and then it can achieve the quality of life, strength and sovereignty of a developed nation.
Abdul Kalam says that knowledge has many forms. it is available at many places. It is acquired through education, information, intelligence and experience. It is also available in academic institutions, in craftsmen, vaidyas, and in skilled people like artists as also in our housewives. Besides our heritage and history the rituals, epics and traditions are also vast resources of knowledge. There is an abundance of unorthodox and earthy wisdom in our villages. There are hidden treasures of knowledge in our environment, in the oceans, bio-reserves and deserts, in the plant and animal life. in our country every state has a unique core competence for a knowledge society.
According to Abdul Kalam, knowledge has always been the primary mover of prosperity and power. India used to share its knowledge through the traditions of guru-sishya. During the last century the world has changed from being an agricultural society to an industrial society. In the twenty first century a new society is emerging. In this society, knowledge is the primary production resource instead of capital and labour. A nation becomes a knowledge society when it deals with knowledge creation and knowledge deployment.
The knowledge society has two very important components. They are driven by societal transformation and wealth generation. Information Technology plays a significant role in wealth generation. The Planning Commission of India has taken a lead role in this direction. To become a Knowledge Superpower by the year 2010, is a very important mission for the nation. By evolving a focused approach to intellectual property rights then India is sure to make her dreams fulfilled by 2010.
Thus, Abdul Kalam stresses the need for developing societies through the acquisition of knowledge and utilization of technology. Poverty can be removed only through a balancing of past heritage and present day knowledge.
Thus, Abdul Kalam stresses the need for developing societies through the acquisition of knowledge and utilization of technology. Poverty can be removed only through a balancing of past heritage and present day knowledge.
THE SCIENTIFIC POINT OF VIEW
According to Haldane, science affects the average man and
woman in two ways, the application of science and the opinions of daily life.
But science can do something far bigger than that of the human mind to create
modern civilization. Hence, the scientific point of view must come out of the
laboratory and be applied to the events of daily life. What has already revolutionized industry,
agriculture, war and medicine must be applied to the family, nation or the
human race.
Unfortunately, innumerable false prophets are advertising
their own pet theories in sociology as scientific. But the scientific
standpoint is that it attempts to be truthful and, therefore impartial. Haldane
says that the scientist is superior to God as he is ethically neutral. Such attitude
leads him to a curious mixture of pride and humility. The scientist works out
the consequences of various actions but he does not pass judgment on them. In the eyes of the bacteriologist, polluting
public water supply is as destructive as exploding an atom bomb in the public
street.
The average man dwells on the emotional and ethical side
of a case rather than on facts which interest the scientist. Haldane gives two examples, the problem of
the American Negro and the problem of disease.
The American Negro is accustomed to the hot climate of the cotton
estates in the Southern states. His
population increase there. If he is made
to live in luxury, he loses his stamina and even dies. It was the biological fact
of the American Civil War, during 1910 – 1920, that the number of Negroes was
killed. So the scientist prefers the Negro to live a life of hardship. It is just
as the white man dies on the West Coast of Africa whose environment is not
suitable to him. These results are guided by raw emotion of political dogma
rather than scientific thought. In his words only rational thinking can bring
solution to all these existing problems
Haldane says that modern medicine has come out with
miraculous drugs. Diabetes can be
controlled by injecting insulin and typhoid can be controlled by drinking
boiled water. But many people are
unscientific. Even cancer can be cured
but people do not follow the doctor’s advice.
Haldane quotes St. Paul’s words that the world is ruled
by demons. Haldane modifies this
statement saying that the world is misruled by ignorance and unscientific
thinking. Until humanity adopts the scientific point of view those enemies
(from bacteria to cyclones) will not be conquered.
Leslie Alexandr Hill was an outstanding writer. His essay "Principles of Good Writing" offers valuable tips regarding the secrets of successful writing. He has pointed out the rules and regulations to be observed in sharpening one's writing skills.
To write well, a writer should be able to write clearly and logically. It is possible only if one thinks clearly and logically. A writer should practice clear step-by-step thought to achieve clarity of thought and expression.
A writer should increase his vocabulary and improve his powers of expression. For this he should read widely and carefully. He should use a good dictionary to help him with the exact meaning and use of words. Only practice makes writing possible. A writer learns to write by writing. One should not wait for inspiration. It is rare even with the most famous writers. Writing is 99% hard work and 1% inspiration. So it is better to get into the habit of disciplining oneself to write.
If a writer keeps his eyes and ears open, he finds plenty of things to write about around him. If a writer reads the newspaper carefully, it provides him many examples of human joy and tragedy. They can give him ideas for articles, essays or short stories.
A writer should keep a notebook to note down the new ideas otherwise he often forgets them. He should develop a warm human understanding of people to be a successful writer. He must write interestingly to appeal all kinds of people. However, he must write about present only. His readers should believe him in his sincerity.
Presentation is of very great importance in good writing. The main body of his piece of writing should present the ideas promised in the first paragraph. At the end he must write a neat, satisfying conclusion. A good writer should try to create impression with his own style. Avoiding Jargon and the similar super fluities, one should write clean and plain English which is the fashion today.
Leslie Alexander Hill’s clarity of thought and expression, the logical development of the illustrative examples and the appropriate use of vocabulary make it a model essay.
Bertrand Russell was a prolific writer.He is one of the greatest masters of English Prose. His brilliant intellect and profound knowledge are clearly revealed in his writings. His singularity of thought and clarity of expression are evident in the present selection. In this lesson, "Man's Peril", he warns nations and the general public to set aside their conflicting ideologies and save the beautiful earth from total destruction.
Bertrand Russell appeals to all concerned as a human being, a member of the species man, whose continued existence is in doubt. This is Man's Peril. A war with the hydrogen bombs put an end to the human race.
In his view, it seems that the 'general public' have not realised the real impact of a war with atomic bombs. A hydrogen bomb is 25,000 times as powerful as that which destroyed Hiroshima. So the stark, dreadful and inescapable problem before us is whether we shall put an end to the human race or if we shall give up wars. He explains in great detail the role of ordinary people in the peace process and requests the ‘general public’ to be more aware and assertive so that the fate of the nations need not be decided by despotic leaders alone.
On both sides of the Iron Curtain there are political obstacles to emphasize the bad effects of war. Each side of the Iron Curtain resembles duelists.Though they are afraid of their lives, it is cowardice on their part drawing out any compromise formulae. Here neutral play an important role to prevent the outbreak of a world war.
According to geological time, man has so far existed only for a very short period. But he has been doing well for the last 6,000 years. If we remember humanity and forget everything else, the way lies to us to a new paradise. Otherwise, we have to face universal death. Hence, Russell asserts that the role of the ordinary people in the peace process and the only 'wisdom of the ordinary citizen' can ensure progress and prosperity and pave the way for 'Universal Peace'. So we can save our planet from total destruction.
PRINCIPLES OF GOOD WRITING
Leslie Alexandr Hill was an outstanding writer. His essay "Principles of Good Writing" offers valuable tips regarding the secrets of successful writing. He has pointed out the rules and regulations to be observed in sharpening one's writing skills.
To write well, a writer should be able to write clearly and logically. It is possible only if one thinks clearly and logically. A writer should practice clear step-by-step thought to achieve clarity of thought and expression.
A writer should increase his vocabulary and improve his powers of expression. For this he should read widely and carefully. He should use a good dictionary to help him with the exact meaning and use of words. Only practice makes writing possible. A writer learns to write by writing. One should not wait for inspiration. It is rare even with the most famous writers. Writing is 99% hard work and 1% inspiration. So it is better to get into the habit of disciplining oneself to write.
If a writer keeps his eyes and ears open, he finds plenty of things to write about around him. If a writer reads the newspaper carefully, it provides him many examples of human joy and tragedy. They can give him ideas for articles, essays or short stories.
A writer should keep a notebook to note down the new ideas otherwise he often forgets them. He should develop a warm human understanding of people to be a successful writer. He must write interestingly to appeal all kinds of people. However, he must write about present only. His readers should believe him in his sincerity.
Presentation is of very great importance in good writing. The main body of his piece of writing should present the ideas promised in the first paragraph. At the end he must write a neat, satisfying conclusion. A good writer should try to create impression with his own style. Avoiding Jargon and the similar super fluities, one should write clean and plain English which is the fashion today.
Leslie Alexander Hill’s clarity of thought and expression, the logical development of the illustrative examples and the appropriate use of vocabulary make it a model essay.
MAN'S PERIL
- Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Russell was a prolific writer.He is one of the greatest masters of English Prose. His brilliant intellect and profound knowledge are clearly revealed in his writings. His singularity of thought and clarity of expression are evident in the present selection. In this lesson, "Man's Peril", he warns nations and the general public to set aside their conflicting ideologies and save the beautiful earth from total destruction.
Bertrand Russell appeals to all concerned as a human being, a member of the species man, whose continued existence is in doubt. This is Man's Peril. A war with the hydrogen bombs put an end to the human race.
In his view, it seems that the 'general public' have not realised the real impact of a war with atomic bombs. A hydrogen bomb is 25,000 times as powerful as that which destroyed Hiroshima. So the stark, dreadful and inescapable problem before us is whether we shall put an end to the human race or if we shall give up wars. He explains in great detail the role of ordinary people in the peace process and requests the ‘general public’ to be more aware and assertive so that the fate of the nations need not be decided by despotic leaders alone.
On both sides of the Iron Curtain there are political obstacles to emphasize the bad effects of war. Each side of the Iron Curtain resembles duelists.Though they are afraid of their lives, it is cowardice on their part drawing out any compromise formulae. Here neutral play an important role to prevent the outbreak of a world war.
According to geological time, man has so far existed only for a very short period. But he has been doing well for the last 6,000 years. If we remember humanity and forget everything else, the way lies to us to a new paradise. Otherwise, we have to face universal death. Hence, Russell asserts that the role of the ordinary people in the peace process and the only 'wisdom of the ordinary citizen' can ensure progress and prosperity and pave the way for 'Universal Peace'. So we can save our planet from total destruction.
THE DYING SUN
Jeans, Sir James Hopwood, 1887–1946, English mathematician,
physicist, and astronomer. He was professor of applied mathematics at Princeton
(1905–9), later lectured at Cambridge (1910–12) and Oxford (1922), and was
research associate at Mt. Wilson Observatory (1923–44). He was knighted in
1928. He devoted himself to mathematical physics and contributed to the
dynamical theory of gases and the mathematical theory of electricity and
magnetism. Going on to astrophysics and cosmogony, he solved the problem of the
behavior of rotating masses of compressible fluids.
This
essay is written about the creation of earth and the beginning of life on it.
According to Sir James Jeans this
universe as immensely vast enough that we even cannot imagine. Uncountable
stars are wandering in their orbits in it. Some of the stars are immensely
large that billions of earths can be packed in them. These stars never come out
of their orbits if they come out of their orbit a great disaster will be
happened. According to the author a great accident happened billions of years ago,
a star came near to the sun while wandering. Its gravitational attraction was
as great that a ray of mass on the sun raised to unimaginable extent. As the
star came nearer and nearer to the sun, this ray of mass
became greater and greater, then this star started to go away from the sun, the
ray of mass fragmented into pieces because of its gravitational attraction and
these fragments fall in the space away from the sun but because of the gravity
of sun could not fell far away enough and they started to revolve around the
sun in their orbits. These fragments are called the planets of the sun; our
earth is one of them. At the beginning these planets were very hot but with the
passage of time in the extreme cold of space they kept losing their hotness and
became merely cold. Now these planets get their warmness from the sun. But this
hypothesis seems far way from reality. There are many questions arise but the
writer has no answer.
At
the beginning these planets were very hot but with the passage of time in the
extreme cold of space they kept losing their hotness and became merely cold.
Now these planets get their
warmness from the sun. From these humble beginnings came a stream of life. It
has grown over more and more complex with its feelings and ambitions. In such a
way the human race came to existence.
According
to Jeans, our home in space is a millionth part of a grain of sand out of all
the sea-sand in the world. The universe is frightening because of its immense
distance in which we dwell in extreme loneliness. We cannot find any sign that
life like our own exists anywhere in this universe except on the earth. It can
be possible only in a physical condition where the temperature belt is neither
too hot nor too cold. Finally, in his opinion, many scientists believe that it
was an accident which brought the earth into being.
LUCK
Mark Twain was the pseudonym of Samuel Langhorne Clemens,
one of the major authors of American fiction. Twain is also considered the
greatest humorist in American literature. His varied works include novels,
travel narratives, short stories, sketches, and essays. His writings about the
Mississippi River, such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Life on the
Mississippi and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, have proven especially popular
among modern readers.
Mark
Twain’s novel, Luck, is about a soldier, Lieutenant-General Lord Arthur Scoresby,
who is a hero in the English military. The story takes place during the Crimean
battle. Scoresby was told to fall back but did not listen and kept on going
forward. He walked over a hill and he saw some Russians lounging around
thinking no one was going to attack. Scoresby then tells his regiment to attack
them. He was deemed a hero because he found the enemy. In honor of the
prominent English military Lieutenant General, Lord Arthur Scoresby, all
gathered at a banquet to celebrate his victory. According to the clergyman,
Scoresby is an absolute fool.
One
reason he is an absolute fool is that the clergyman had trained him from the
beginning. Scoresby was not the smartest man in the world. The clergyman was
his teacher at a military academy at Woolwich. He says Scoresby did not know
anything. Scoresby was so sweet and lovable and guileless that he couldn’t see
him fail. He then started to teach Scoresby everything he needed to know about
Caesar and mathematics. When the test time came he passed and beat the smartest
people in the class. Without the clergyman’s help Scoresby would have not
passed the test and would not have moved on.
Another
reason Scoresby is a fool is that during the war he was given orders to fall
back. Instead he moved forward and found the Russian enemy sitting around, not
expecting that someone will attack them. When Scoresby found them he attacked
and all the Russians turned tail in fear. It was merely a blunder of Scoresby mistaking
his right hand for his left. Such as, he was glorified as a marvelous military
genius whose glory will never fade while history books last.
The
most important reason is that he is lucky for being the best. During the war he
was getting an In-Battle glittering promotions and prodigious responsibilities.
He is lucky that the clergyman was nice enough to help him at the academy which
got him a higher rank. Due to that he was able to rank up during the battle
much faster. He is also lucky to find the Russian army not ready for an attack.
"Luck"
reveals a man's public image and his true nature. The theme of the story is
that luck can be a factor in life, so that even if one is incompetent but
lucky, one can still succeed.
Nice information about Mahatma Gandhi, He was great national leader of India as well as world. I appreciate your wring skill and thanks for sharing useful information about Mahatma Gandhi which helpful school student.
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