Maharashtra Board Class 12 Solutions for English Chapter 1.1 An Astrologer's Day- PDF

Ice Breakers

1. Discuss with your partner and complete the activity.

What are your strengths ?

Ans:

2. The scene in a local market of a village/town/city is very attractive. People with different occupations sell their wares. 

Discuss with your partner the variety of activities at the local market.

1. selling flowers, selling grocery 

2. ………………………………………

3. ………………………………………

4. ………………………………………

5. ………………………………………

Ans:

1. selling flowers, selling grocery 

2. stores that sell savoury snacks

3. Card readers and soothsayers

4. Entertaining games

5. Stalls of conventional medicine

3. In a village /town /city it is quite a common sight to see an astrologer sitting by the roadside with his professional equipment.

Discuss with your partner and list the requirements for his trade.

1. parrot, cards etc. 

2. ………………………………………

3. ………………………………………

4. ………………………………………

5. ………………………………………

Ans:

1. parrot, cards etc. 

2. manuscripts 

3. utensils of religious significance 

4. charts

5. cowrie shells 

4. There are certain unreasonable beliefs among people living in our society. Certain common events are linked with superstitions. List such events, discuss the superstitions linked with them and the means of their eradication.

1. A cat crossing your path

2. ………………………………………

3. ………………………………………

4. ………………………………………

5. ………………………………………

Ans: 

1. A Cat Crossing Your Path

Explanation: It is believed that seeing a cat, particularly a black cat, on your path is an omen that bad things are about to happen to you. Methods of eradication: Inform the believers that it is only a cat and that it is allowed to roam around as any other animal would. Tell individuals that the aforementioned idea is illogical as well.

2. Avoid Sweeping or Doing Your Nails After Sunset.

Explanation: Engaging in these activities after sundown opens the door to unwelcome bad luck. Educate people that doing things like sweeping or trimming nails are independent tasks that have nothing to do with the time of day.

3. Seven Green Chilies and a Lemon Hanging

Explanation: To fend off misfortune and bad luck, lemons and seven green chilies are traditionally hung on doors and vehicles. In order to eradicate it, individuals should be taught the importance of doing good things. Thus, using lemons and chilies as food ingredients is preferable.

4. Avoid Standing or Sitting Beneath the Peepal Tree at Night. 

Explanation: standing or sitting under the peepal tree at night, invites ghosts and evil Means of eradication: educate people that plants maintain a balance in nature. Apart from oxygen, they provide shelter to numerous animals, birds, and protect them. Plants possibly do more good to us than anything evil 

5. A Rash on the Left Palm 

Explanation: An itching left palm portends incoming funds. The greatest way to eradicate it is to teach people that money should only be gained and anticipated via laborious work and wise investments. It is preferable to rely on such tried-and-true sources of revenue than to wait for a hand to start itching.

Brainstorming

(A1) 

(i) Given below are some descriptions. Discuss them with your partner and

find out one word for each of them. An example is given for you.

1. The scientific study of the universe and the objects in it, including stars, planets, nebulae and galaxies.

2. The study of the movements of the planets, Sun, Moon, and Stars in the belief that these movements can have an influence on people's lives.

3. A prediction of what will happen in the future.

4. Scientific discipline that studies mental states and processes and behaviour in humans and other animals.

Ans: 

1. Astronomy

2. Astrology

3. Prophecy

4. Psychology

(ii) In the story we are told that the Town Hall Park was a remarkable place in many ways for an astrologer to build his business. Discuss it in a group and list the exceptional qualities of the place.

Ans: The location had remarkable features:

1. A large crowd.

2. A wide range of professions and trades, including those selling drugs, stolen goods, and garbage.

3. A bustling market area.

4. Sellers of inexpensive clothing and magicians.

5. A loud-mouthed groundnut vendor.

(iii) The astrologer never opened his mouth till the other had spoken for at least ten minutes. Discuss the reasons behind his act.

Ans: 

1. He was good at reading people.

2. From their conversation, he learned a lot about their life. 

3. He was able to assess their personalities and understand their issues.

4. He might rephrase his arguments to suit their preferences.

 (A2) 

 (i) The tactics used by the astrologer to earn his wages are…

Ans:

1. Analysis of human troubles.

2. Attractive appearance.

3. Expressing gratitude to customers.

4. Putting in some work in a busy market.

(ii) An astrologer's appearance helps to create an impression on his clients. Complete the following.

1. The turban on his head

2. _______

3. _______

4. _______

Ans: 

1. The turban on his head.

2. The sacred ash and vermilion on his forehead.

3. Shine in the eyes

4. His face is covered in dark whiskers.

(iii) Read the following sentences and choose the correct one.

(a) The astrologer says that if Nayak does not leave his village again, he would -

1. Return the money

2. Face danger

3. Go back home and stop looking for the man who tried to kill him

4. Not find the killer.

Ans: The correct answer is 2) face danger. The astrologer says that if Nayak does not leave his village again, he would - face danger.

(b) According to the narrator the astrologer's success in his profession is primarily due to -

1. Luck

2. The bargains he drives

3. His appearance

4. His understanding of people.

Ans: The correct answer is (4) His understanding of people. According to the narrator, the astrologer's success in his profession is primarily due to - His understanding of people.

(c) The story suggests that the astrologer's comments and observations please

people by -

1. Promising them success and good fortune.

2. Proving, as time passes, to have been true.

3. Flattering them or supporting their own views.

4. Helping them to learn to solve their own problems.

Ans: The correct answer is (3) Flattering them or supporting their own views. The story suggests that the astrologer's comments and observations please people by - Flattering them or supporting their own views.

(d) Guru Nayak consults the astrologer because he wants to -

1. Understand the past

2. Find out who the astrologer is

3. Make some money through a bet

4. Get the answer to a specific question.

Ans: The correct answer is (4) Get the answer to a specific question. Guru Nayak consults the astrologer because he wants to -  Get the answer to a specific question.

(e) Guru Nayak is looking for the man who tried to kill him -

1. To take revenge

2. To get an apology

3. To demand an explanation

4. To prove that the man was unsuccessful.

Ans: The correct answer is (1) To take revenge. Guru Nayak is looking for the man who tried to kill him - To take revenge.

Except -

1. Relieved

2. Suspicious

3. Impressed

4. Disappointed.

Ans: The correct answer is (2) suspicious. The astrologer's remark makes Guru Nayak feel all of the following Except - suspicious.

(g) Reactions of the astrologer's wife to his news suggest that she -

1. Was unaware of his past

2. Has been worried about his safety

3. Has known him since he was young

4. Is concerned about her future with him.

Ans: The correct answer is (1) Was unaware of his past. Reactions of the astrologer's wife to his news suggest that she - Was unaware of his past.

(iv) Read the following sentences and find out True and False sentences. Correct the False sentences.

1. The astrologer gave a correct prediction to the client about his past that he was stabbed, thrown into a well and left for dead.

2. When the astrologer came to know that the man whom he killed is alive he felt that he was relieved of his guilt.

3. The astrologer tried to back out of the deal and talked about the client's Past.

4. The astrologer rescued himself from Guru Nayak's revenge.

5. The moral of the story is that we must be responsible about what we have done and should not run away from our mistakes.

Ans: 

1. The given sentence is False.

Correct Sentence: The astrologer did not predict the clien’t past, rather stated already known facts.

2. The given sentence is true.

3. The given sentence is true.

4. The given sentence is true.

5. The given sentence is false.

Corrected Sentence: The lesson here is that we shouldn't ever follow superstitions.

(v) The astrologer has changed his appearance and his persona when he arrived in the city. Give specific reasons.

Ans: The astrologer believed that he had murdered a man after a fight. He was terrified of being arrested and imprisoned for this crime. So, when he got to the city, he changed his appearance and persona to avoid being discovered.

(vi) 'The darkness load that was inside the astrologer has disappeared'. Through

this sentence, explain the significance of the title 'An Astrologer's Day'.

Ans: The astrologer believed that he had murdered a man after a fight. Thus, he ran ways from his village, changed his persona and look upon arriving in the city and faked the role of being an astrologer. But, he still felt bad about what he had done. The sadness he was carrying inside him disappeared when he realised the man he had killed was still alive. This made him feel relieved and cheerful. This is the significance of the title, "An Astrologer's Day".

(vii) The astrologer feels relieved that Guru is not dead as it relieves a great burden from him. Critically justify the statement and explain it.

Ans: The astrologer believed that he had murdered a man after a fight. Thus, he ran ways from his village, changed his persona and look upon arriving in the city and faked being an astrologer. But, he still felt bad about what he had done. The sadness he was carrying inside him disappeared when he realised the man he had killed was still alive. This made him feel relieved and cheerful.

(viii) The astrologer wins/gets the sympathy of criticism of the reader in the end. Express your opinion with the support of the main story.

Ans: I believe I can relate to the astrologer. It happened in the heat of the moment; he had no intentions of killing Guru Nayak. He should have admitted his guilt for the crime instead of attempting to flee. But he sincerely regrets what had happened.

"A big weight has lifted off of me today," he declared. This is implied by the phrase, "I believed I had a man's blood on my hands all these years." I thus feel for him and am glad that he may now live in peace.

(ix) If we have to eradicate the superstitions and other ill practices from our society, what steps would you like to suggest?

Ans: The first and most important step in eradicating superstition and other harmful behaviours from our culture is education. Schools and institutions must help their students in having a scientific mindset as well as logical and reasonable thought.

Second, all religious leaders should make it obvious to their followers that superstitions have to be eradicated since Indians have a tendency to listen to their religious leaders. Last but not least, the senior generation has to let go of their stupid superstitious beliefs and adopt their viewpoints.

(x) In the story, astrologer has a great listening power. Listening helps in developing good relations with people. Express your opinion.

Ans: Yes, listening helps in building good and positive relationships with people. By actively listening, we show the speaker that we are interested in learning about his or her issues and joys. We show our willingness to help the person when needed. We share and relate with his or her opinions. We also become aware of how listening to others opinions may help us interact with others’ effectively.

(A3) 

(i) In the story, the following characters reveal their qualities through words and actions. Pick out the words that describe them from the box and write in the appropriate columns.

Shrewd, manipulative, caring, clever, gullible, suspicious, smart , quarrelsome, protective, sharp, arrogant, worried, intuitive, aggressive, humanistic, Mystical, demanding, rational, cunning, antagonist, mean, sceptical, over, impetus, confident

Ans: 

(ii) Match the suffixes with the words and make nouns. One is done for you.

Ans:

(iii) 'An Astrologer's Day' has ironic elements where the astrologer pretends to have 'supernatural knowledge' that coincidently turns out to be the truth. Irony means a situation or statement characterized by a significant difference between what is expected and what actually happens, or between what is understood and what is meant. Find out the examples of irony from the story and write them down. One

has been done for you.

1. He knew no more of what was going to happen to others than he knew what was going to happen to himself the next minute.

Ans: His eyes sparkled with a sharp abnormal gleam which was really an outcome of a continual searching look for customers, but which his simple clients took to be a prophetic light and felt comforted.

1. He knew no more of what was going to happen to others than he knew what was going to happen to himself the next minute.

2. He was as much a stranger to the stars as were his innocent customers.

3. He said things which pleased and astonished everyone: that was more a matter of study, practice, and shrewd guesswork.

(iv) In the story, many Indian words are used.

• 'Cowrie shells'. This is an example of code-mixing. Find out other such words from the story and write them down.

Ans: Annas, Cheroot, Pies, Pyol, Jutka.

(v) There are some phrases where the word crown is used with different shades of meaning. Use the following phrases to complete the sentences meaningfully. One is done for you.

Crowning achievement, To crown the effect, crown of thorns, crowning glory, to crown it all

To crown the effect, he wound a saffron-coloured turban around his head.

1. The works of Shakespeare are the ……………… of English drama.

2. Amitabh has given us awesome movies throughout five decades. But his ……………………. is his performance in the movie 'Black'.

3. In her pursuit of success, Radha has distanced herself from her family. Her fame has become a real ……………………….

4. They threw a wonderful party for me with costumes, games …………………… and my favourite kind of ice cream.

5. Medical science has great inventions, but organ transplantation is definitely a ……………………………… for human beings.

Ans: 

1. Crowning glory

2. Crowning achievement

3. Crown of thorns.

4. To crown it all

5. Crowning achievement.

(A4) 

  Use the words given in the brackets and rewrite the sentences.

1. The power of his eyes was considerably enhanced. (enhancement)

2. He had a working analysis of mankind’s troubles. (worked)

3. He knew what was going to happen to himself next minute.(happening)

4. If you find my answers satisfactory, will you give me five rupees? (satisfaction)

5. He shook his head regretfully. (regret)

6. It was a bewildering crisscross of light rays. (bewildered)

7. “I should have been dead if some passer-by had not chanced to peep into the well,” exclaimed the other, overwhelmed by enthusiasm. (enthusiastically)

8. You tried to kill him. (killing)

9. I will prepare some nice stuff for her. (preparation)

10. The other groaned on hearing it. (heard)

Ans: 

1. There was an enhancement in the power of his eyes. 

2. He had worked out on developing an analysis of mankind’s troubles.

3. He knew what would be happening to him in the next minute.

4. If you find satisfaction in my answers, will you give me five rupees? 

5. He shook his head in regret.

6. He was bewildered by the crisscross of light rays. 

7. I should have been dead if some passer-by had not chanced to peep into the well,” exclaimed the other, enthusiastically.

8. You tried killing him.

9. I will make preparation of some nice stuff for her.

10. When heard, the other groaned.

(A5) 

(i) Prepare a speech on Science and Superstitions.

Ans: Superstitions and Science

Respected teachers, and my beloved friends,

I wish you all a wonderful morning. Our school is celebrating Science Day today, thus, I, Rohan Kamte, would like to offer a few words on Science and Superstitions on this occasion. Superstitions and science represent the two opposing poles of a compass. Superstitions cannot be believed by those who have a scientific mindset and who believe in science. After all, what are superstitions exactly? They are only some stories that humans made up for various reasons. I'll give you an example. They were holding an important ceremony in a home in a village many years ago. There was a lot of cooking going on. In the kitchen, a cat and kitten were playing with each other. The lady of the home instructed the servant to place the cat and its kitten in a basket whenever there was a gathering in the house out of concern that they may befall into one of the open flames. This developed into a "superstition," and in some homes, people would literally bring a cat inside and place it in a basket each time they had a gathering!

This is the main idea of superstitions. There are valid grounds behind the belief that it is bad luck to walk beneath a ladder. A person strolling below a folding ladder has the risk of getting hurt, or something might fall on their head.

So, friends, I kindly ask you to stop believing in stupid superstitions in this age of science. Keep an open mind. Be logical and reasonable. Be analytical. Only trust something if it is supported by science. Thank you. 

(ii) Read the following proverbs. Share your views and expand the ideas.

1. Actions speak louder than words.

Ans: Actions speak louder than words.

The way we speak and how we speak has a lot of importance. But, we must keep in mind that in the end, actions—not words—are what matter. The Father of our Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, did not deliver any grand speeches, it was his actions that gave India its independence. Our warriors act to defend the nation; they do not give long speeches about patriotism. What if they only spoke and did not take any action?

This proverb is especially true when it comes to interactions between parents and children. Children imitate the behaviours of their parents rather than their words. The same happens in the case of animals as well. Politicians speak out loud during elections but do not follow through when it comes to taking proper actions. They lose the public's trust as a result of this. Because of this, it is important that we must act responsibly and always keep in mind that others watch our every move and are not convinced by our words.

2. The face is the index of the mind.

Ans: “The face is the index of the mind” is an English proverb. It means that our facial expressions generally reflect what’s on our minds and it's true. When someone is upset or sad we can see it on their faces. Other emotional states like happiness, excitement, anger, frustration, etc. reflect on our faces. We usually tend to be simple when we are happy or pleased and frown when we are not happy. The majority of astrologers base their predictions on people's facial expressions. Facial expressions can be used to interpret someone's feelings since the mind and mind's activities like thinking, feeling, and will—are all clearly visible on the face. Some people generally hide their feelings by changing their facial expressions, thus one should be very careful about it while reading faces. 

     (c) Speech is silver and silence is golden.

Ans: Speech is silver and silence is golden is an old proverb. This proverb’s truth can never be questioned or undervalued. It simply means that while the worth of our words can be compared to silver, the value of our silence is as precious as that of gold. More often when we speak, we say things that might not be true just to please others or while lying to people in general. Other times, we say more than is necessary and end up getting into problems. We must learn when, why, and how to speak only when it is necessary. While having a conversation on a particular topic, what is not important and irrelevant must not be said. When two individuals are having a disagreement and both want to express their opinions, it could be best for one of them to remain silent for the time being so as to avoid a fight or a quarrel. However, it would be beneficial for both individuals to remain silent for the time being and then clarify later. In the eyes of others, a person who is silent is worth more than "gold."

   (d) Argument is the worst kind of communication.

Ans: Plants, fish, birds, animals, and humans all live on this planet Earth together. Despite the fact that all life on Earth requires oxygen to survive, there is one very important quality that sets humans apart from other forms of life. That quality is the quality of speech. We can speak to one another. Two or more individuals can exchange their thoughts, ideas, sentiments, and emotions more effectively when they communicate. Both speaking and gestures like symbols, writing or behaviour, are forms of communication. Communication is a very important part of our daily life. Life depends on interactions, whether it be a basic chore like grocery shopping or sharing notes with college friends. People frequently use arguments as a means of expressing their disagreement with one another. This causes issues brought on by negative emotions including doubt and misunderstanding. Arguments cause people to become upset, harm individuals, cause confusion, and ruin relationships. Instead, speak quietly and let others speak. Accept that others may think differently. "A man convinced against his will is of the same view still."

  (e) Attitudes are the real figures of speech.

Ans: Although language enables speaking and interaction, it is a person's attitude that drives their behaviour. Beautiful imagery can be created with language, but in the end, the reality is shaped by one's attitude. In communication, attitude and body language are more important than verbal messages. For example, if you say "sorry" in a harsh tone without any expression of regret on your face, the word has no value. When all is said and done, words are simply the means through which the meaning is conveyed but one's attitude is always by one's side. In conclusion, it is true that attitudes define rather than describe.

  (f) The wise man has long ears and a short tongue.

Ans: Long ears usually indicate patience and attentive listening. A small tongue is a metaphor for controlling one’s self in letting another person finish their thought before answering. There aren't many of us who actually pay attention. Most of us just listen. Our ears only pick up sound when we hear, but our brains absorb and understand words when we listen. A wise man listens to reply, not to react, so the proverb, "the wise man has long ears and a short tongue," is appropriate. Even before he understands what is being said, he avoids spending unnecessary energy on speaking. It has greater advantages. Do you not believe that this is the reason why nature gave us two ears and only one mouth?

(A6) 

(i) Bill Naughton has written a collection of wonderful stories which you can

read in his book ‘The Goal Keepers Revenge and Other Stories’. Read all

the stories and discuss their theme/s with your partner.

(ii) Read R.K. Narayan’s humorous collections of short stories and novels. Here

are some titles you can read.

(a) ‘Under The Banyan Tree’

(b) ‘The Doctor’s Word’

(c) ‘Lawley Road’

(d) ‘A Horse and Two Goats’

(e) ‘Gateman’s Gift’

Ans: Do it yourself

(A7) Surf the internet and find out the career opportunities in Astronomy.

Ans: The following are the astronomy-related careers that are open to you.

• Specialist in Space.

• System Programmer for Space.

• Energy Analyst.

• Astrophysicist.

• Medical Consultant in Space.

• Studying scientist.

• Academic Professor.
  

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This interesting chapter of Maharashtra board class 12 English solution chapter 1.1 An Astrologer’s Day tells us about the central character, an astrologer with the most shrewd personality and knowledge of everything. He used to carry divine character attire, having a saffron-colored turban and always sat under the tamarind tree to start his work. The chapter further explains that the Astrologer lacked the knowledge of constellations necessary for his job because he was not a scholarly person. His cunning nature kept his business afloat. His customers found him convincing because of his familiarity with human life and shaky assumptions.

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