Contents Preface (v)

8/6/2019 Contents Preface (v)

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Supplementary Reader in English for Class XII(Core Course)


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ii

First Edition

April 2007 Chaitra 1929

Reprinted

November 2007 Kartika 1929

PD 480T SU

National Council ofEducational Research

and Training, 2007

Rs 00.00

Printed on 80 GSM paper with

NCERT watermark

Published at the PublicationDepartment by the Secretary,

National Council of EducationalResearch and Training,

Sri Aurobindo Marg,New Delhi 110 016 and printed

at.....

ISBN 81-7450-723-X

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystemortransmitted,inanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recordingorotherwisewithoutthepriorpermissionofthepublisher.

Thisbookissoldsubjecttotheconditionthatitshallnot,bywayoftrade,belent,re-sold,hiredoutorotherwisedisposedofwithoutthepublishersconsent,inanyformofbindingorcoverotherthanthatinwhichitispublished.

Thecorrectpriceofthispublicationisthepriceprintedonthispage,Anyrevisedpriceindicatedbyarubberstamporbyastickerorbyanyothermeansisincorrectandshouldbeunacceptable.

Publication Team

Head, Publication : Peyyeti RajakumarDepartment

Chief Production : Shiv KumarOfficer

Chief Editor : Shveta Uppal

Chief Business : Gautam GangulyManager

Production Officer :Arun Chitkara

Cover, Layout and Illustrations

Joel Gill

OFFICES OF THE PUBLICATION

DEPARTMENT, NCERT

NCERTCampusSriAurobindoMarg

New Delhi 110 016 Phone : 011-26562708

108,100FeetRoadHosdakereHalliExtensionBanashankariIIIStageBangalore 560 085 Phone : 080-26725740

NavjivanTrustBuildingP.O.NavjivanAhmedabad 380 014 Phone : 079-27541446

CWCCampus

Opp.DhankalBusStopPanihatiKolkata 700 114 Phone : 033-25530454

CWCComplexMaligaon

Guwahati 781 021 Phone : 0361-2674869


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F O R E W O R D

The National Curriculum Framework, 2005,recommends that children's life at school must belinked to their life outside the school. This principlemarks a departure from the legacy of bookish

learning which continues to shape our system andcauses a gap between the school, home andcommunity. The syllabi and textbooks developed

on the basis of NCF signify an attempt to implementthis basic idea. They also attempt to discourage rotelearning and the maintenance of sharp boundaries

between different subject areas. We hope thesemeasures will take us significantly further in thedirection of a child-centred system of educationoutlined in the National Policy on Education (1986).

The success of this effort depends on the stepsthat school principals and teachers will take toencourage children to reflect on their own learning

and to pursue imaginative activities and questions.We must recognise that, given space, time and

freedom, children generate new knowledge byengaging with the information passed on to them byadults. Treating the prescribed textbook as the sole

basis of examination is one of the key reasons why

other resources and sites of learning are ignored.Inculcating creativity and initiative is possible if weperceive and treat children as participants in learning,not as receivers of a fixed body of knowledge.

These aims imply considerable change in school

routines and mode of functioning. Flexibility in thedaily time-table is as necessary as rigour in

implementing the annual calendar so that the

required number of teaching days are actuallydevoted to teaching. The methods used for teachingand evaluation will also determine how effective thistextbook proves for making children's life at school

a happy experience, rather than a source of stressor boredom. Syllabus designers have tried toaddress the problem of curricular burden by


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restructuring and reorienting knowledge at differentstages with greater consideration for childpsychology and the time available for teaching. The

Supplementary Reader attempts to enhance thisendeavour by giving higher priority and space toopportunities for contemplation and wondering,

discussion in small groups, and activities requiringhands-on experience.

The National Council of Educational Researchand Training (NCERT) appreciates the hard work

done by the Textbook Development Committeeresponsible for this book. We wish to thank theChairperson of the Advisory Committee in Languages,

Professor Namwar Singh and the Chief Advisor forthis book, Professor Amritavalli for guiding the workof this committee. Several teachers contributed to the

development of this Supplementary Reader; we aregrateful to their principals for making this possible.

We are indebted to the institutions andorganisations which have generously permitted us

to draw upon their resources, material andpersonnel. We are especially grateful to the members

of the National Monitoring Committee, appointed by the Department of Secondary and HigherEducation, Ministry of Human ResourceDevelopment under the Chairmanship of Professor

Mrinal Miri and Professor G.P. Deshpande, for theirvaluable time and contribution. As an organisationcommitted to systemic reform and continuousimprovement in the quality of its products, NCERT

welcomes comments and suggestions which will

enable us to undertake further revision andrefinement.

DirectorNational Council of

New Delhi Educational Research

20 November 2006 and Training


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ABOUT THE BOOK

Vistas is a supplementary reader in English(Core course) for Class XII, based on the guidelinesof the National Curriculum Framework2005. The

main objective of this book is to make extensivereading an enjoyable experience, lead students toappreciate some of the best examples of writing and

understand the social milieu they live in.

An attempt has been made to attain theseobjectives by presenting varied themes and genresof writing. The themes range from scientific fantasy,

political satire, and adventure, to ethical and moralissues and personal conflicts.

Jack Finneys The Third Level is a scientific

fantasy, while The Tiger King by Kalki is a politicalsatire. Antartica is a travel piece, with a suggestionthat the young reader could take part in the

expedition by logging on to www.studentsonice.com.The three stories that follow are by Pearl S. Buck,

John Updike and Colin Dexter. Bucks story sets

human fellow-feeling against national loyalty; JohnUpdikes story is about a child participating in theconstruction of a story by her father and raisesissues regarding parental prejudices foisted on

children. Dexters story is fun-reading about how acriminal escapes jail through creating circumstances

by insisting on taking an examination in the prison.

The play by Susan Hill is on the themes ofdisabilities while excerpts from Bamas Karukku

and an excerpt from The Land of the Red Apple, astory in Zitkala-Sas, book The School Days of an

Indian Girl.

Each unit has questions. The question on thetexts in the supplementary reader take the learner

beyond factual comprehension to contemplating onthe issues that the texts raise. Activities suggested

take off from the texts.

Whatwillnow

happentotheastrologer?Doyouthinktheprophecywasindisputably

disproved?


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Gandhijis TalismanGandhijis TalismanGandhijis TalismanGandhijis TalismanGandhijis Talisman

I will give you a talisman. Whenever

you are in doubt or when the selfbecomes too much with you, applythe following test:

Recall the face of the poorest andthe weakest man whom you mayhave seen and ask yourself if thestep you contemplate is going to beof any use to him. Will he gainanything by it? Will it restore himto a control over his own life anddestiny? In other words, will it leadto Swaraj for the hungry andspiritually starving millions?

Then you will find your doubtsand your self melting away.


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TEXTBOOK DEVELOPMENT

COMMITTEE

CHAIRPERSON, ADVISORY COMMITTEEFOR TEXTBOOKS

IN LANGUAGESATTHEH IGHER SECONDARYLEVEL

Namwar Singh, ProfessorandformerlyChairman,School of Languages, Jawaharlal NehruUniversity, New Delhi

CHIEF ADVISOR

R. Amritavalli, Professor, Central Institute ofEnglish and Foreign Languages (CIEFL),

Hyderabad

CHIEF COORDINATOR

Ram Janma Sharma, Head, Department ofLanguages, NCERT, New Delhi

MEMBERS

Chaya Nautiyal, Deputy Director, SecondaryEducation, Directorate of Education, Allahabad

Gayatri Khanna, ELT Consultant, New Delhi

Indu Khetarpal, Principal, Salwan Public School,Gurgaon

Kirti Kapur, Lecturer, NCERT, New Delhi

Malathy Krishnan, Professor, CIEFL, Hyderabad

Nasiruddin Khan, Reader, NCERT, New Delhi

Pranjit Dev Savema, PGT, J.N.V, Roing, ArunachalPradesh

Rajendrasinh Jadeja, Director, H.M.Patel Institute

of English Training and Research, VallabhVidyanagar, Gujarat

Saryug Yadav,Reader, RIE, Shillong

S.K. Shyamla, PGT, Demonstration Multi PurposeSchool, RIE, Mysore

MEMBER-COORDINATOR

Meenakshi Khar, Lecturer, Department ofLanguages, NCERT, New Delhi


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A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S

The National Council of Educational Research andTraining is grateful to Professor Harish Trivedi and

Professor Alok Rai from the Department of EnglishDelhi University and Vandana R Singh, Consultant

Editorfor going through the manuscript and makingvaluable suggestions.

For permission to reproduce copyright material

in this book, NCERT would like to thankThe Hindufor Journey to the end of the Earth by Tishani Doshiand for Macmillan India Limited for Bama, Karukku,

Dalit writing and Translation by Bama; MacmillanGeneral Books for Evans Tries an O-Level by Collin

Dexter; Penguin Books India Pvt Ltd for The TigerKing by Kalki; Holt Rinehart for Should Wizard hit

Mommy by John Updike and Blackwell Publishersfor The Cutting of my Long Hair by Zitkala-Sa.

The Council acknowledges the services ofSunanda Khanna and G C Chandrakar, Copy Editors;Surender K Vats, Proof Reader; Mohd. Harun, DTPOperator; and Parash Ram Kaushik, Incharge,Computer Station. The efforts of the publicationDepartment, NCERT are also highly appreciated.

It has not been possible to trace the copyright inall cases. The publishers apologise for any omissionsand would be glad to hear from any such

unacknowledged copyright holders.


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CONTENT

Foreword iii

About the Book v

1. The Third Level Jack Finney 1

2. The T iger King Kalki 8

3. Journey to the end of the Earth Tishani Doshi 18

4. The Enemy Pearl S. Buck 24

5. Should Wizard hit Mommy John Updike 48

6. On the face of It Susan Hill 56

7. Evans Tries an O-level Colin Dexter 70

8. Memories of Childhood 93

The Cutting of My Long Hair Zitkala-Sa

We Too are Human Beings Bama


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xii

First Edition

April 2007 Chaitra 1929

Reprinted

November 2007 Kartika 1929

February 2009 Phalguna 1930

PD 230T SU

National Council of

Educational Research

and Training, 2007

Rs 30.00

Printed on 80 GSM paper withNCERT watermark

Published at the Publication

Department by the Secretary,National Council of Educational

Research and Training,Sri Aurobindo Marg,

New Delhi 110 016 and

printed at Young Printing Press2626 Gali No. 7, Behari

Colony, Shahdra, Delhi

ISBN 81-7450-723-X

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystemortransmitted,inanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recordingorotherwisewithoutthepriorpermissionofthepublisher.

Thisbookissoldsubjecttotheconditionthatitshallnot,bywayoftrade,belent,re-sold,hiredoutorotherwisedisposedofwithoutthepublishersconsent,inanyformofbindingorcoverotherthanthatinwhichitispublished.

Thecorrectpriceofthispublicationisthepriceprintedonthispage,Anyrevisedpriceindicatedbyarubberstamporbyastickerorbyanyothermeansisincorrectandshouldbeunacceptable.

OFFICES OF THE PUBLICATION

DEPARTMENT, NCERT

NCERTCampusSriAurobindoMarg

New Delhi 110 016 Phone : 011-26562708

108,100FeetRoadHosdakereHalliExtensionBanashankariIIIStageBangalore 560 085 Phone : 080-26725740

NavjivanTrustBuildingP.O.NavjivanAhmedabad 380 014 Phone : 079-27541446

CWCCampus

Opp.DhankalBusStopPanihatiKolkata 700 114 Phone : 033-25530454

CWCComplexMaligaon

Guwahati 781 021 Phone : 0361-2674869

Publication Team

Head, Publication : Peyyeti RajakumarDepartment

Chief Production : Shiv KumarOfficer

Chief Editor : Shveta Uppal

Chief Business : Gautam GangulyManager

Production : Rajesh PippalAssistant

Cover, Layout and IllustrationsJoel Gill


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Contents Preface (v)

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Transcript of Contents Preface (v)