Solution

Man's life is measured by the deeds he has done and by the achievements he has made, rather than by the number of days, months, and years that he has lived.

A short life devoted to noble endeavors is far more valuable than a long life of over a hundred years spent in trivial pursuits.

Man should prefer to devote his life to noble endeavors, splendid ideas, and fine sentiments rather than spending it in trivial pursuits.

Noble deeds, splendid ideas, and fine sentiments constitute the real glory of character.

Significance

Noble endeavors mean righteous, selfless, and moral efforts or pursuits devoted to good causes.

'Indeed' is an adverb that means 'truly' or 'in fact', used for emphasis. 'In deed' is a phrase that means 'in action' or 'in practice', as distinguished from words.

Report on 'The Taj Mahal'

By: Student Reporter

Agra: The Taj Mahal, located on the southern bank of the Yamuna River in Agra, stands as one of the most exquisite architectural wonders of the world. Built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, this white marble mausoleum attracts millions of tourists every year.

During an educational visit organized by our school, students explored the grand monument. The structure is famous for its perfect symmetry, intricate marble inlay work, and picturesque gardens. The central dome and four minarets surrounding it reflect supreme craftsmanship of Mughal art. As evening approached, the changing hues of the sunset created a mesmerizing view against the backdrop of the white marble. The historical significance and architectural magnificence of the Taj Mahal make it an unforgettable pride of Indian heritage.

अथवा

Notes:

1. Maharana Pratap's Character:

a) A king with no desire for comfort

b) Always worked for people's welfare

c) Self-respecting and proud of his honour

d) Loved by his subjects

2. Incident of the Poet and Turban:

a) Maharana Pratap gifted his turban to a poet for his verses

b) Poet visited Emperor Akbar's court

c) Removed turban before bowing to Akbar

d) Explained that the turban belonged to Maharana Pratap, a man who never bowed before anyone

Summary:

Maharana Pratap was a noble and self-respecting king who cared deeply for his people and lived a life without comfort. His subjects were always ready to sacrifice everything for him. Once, he gifted his turban to a poet who pleased him with his verses. When the poet visited Akbar's court, he removed the turban before bowing to the Emperor. Upon being asked, the poet respectfully stated that Maharana Pratap's turban could never bow before another ruler.

A National Festival

National festivals are celebrated with great zeal and unity across India, bringing together people of all castes, religions, and backgrounds. One of the most significant national festivals is Independence Day, celebrated on 15th August every year to mark India's freedom from British rule in 1947.

On this day, the Prime Minister hoists the national flag at the historic Red Fort in Delhi, followed by the national anthem and an address to the nation. In schools, colleges, and offices across the country, flag hoisting ceremonies, parade drills, and cultural programs are organized. Students participate enthusiastically in patriotic songs, speeches, and dances. National festivals remind us of the immense sacrifices made by our freedom fighters like Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, and Subhash Chandra Bose. They instil a sense of patriotism, unity, and national pride in every citizen, reaffirming our commitment to the growth and prosperity of the nation.

अथवा

My Aim of Life

Every human life needs a definite goal or direction to achieve success and purpose. My aim in life is to become a dedicated teacher and serve society through education. Education is the most powerful tool that can transform lives and build a bright future for the nation.

As a teacher, my goal will be not only to impart knowledge from textbooks but also to instil ethical values, critical thinking, and confidence in young minds. In our country, many children in rural and underprivileged areas still lack access to quality education. I wish to work in such areas to help children realize their full potential. Teaching is a noble profession that shapes the future citizens and leaders of the country. By guiding students on the right path, I hope to make a positive and meaningful contribution to society.

To,

The Editor,

The Times of India,

Agra.

Date: 15 October 2026

Subject: Complaint regarding frequent power supply breakdown in Vikas Nagar.

Sir/Madam,

Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I wish to draw the attention of the electricity department officials towards the frequent breakdown of power supply in our locality, Vikas Nagar.

For the past few weeks, our area has been facing unannounced power cuts lasting four to six hours daily. This severe power disruption causes great inconvenience to the residents, especially students preparing for their upcoming board examinations. Small businesses and daily household chores are also severely affected. Despite several complaints lodged with the local electricity office, no effective step has been taken so far.

I request the concerned authorities to look into this serious matter immediately and take necessary measures to restore uninterrupted power supply in our locality.

Thanking you.

Yours sincerely,

Rahul Sharma

Resident of Vikas Nagar, Agra.

अथवा

To,

The Principal,

Government Inter College,

Agra.

Date: 15 October 2026

Subject: Complaint regarding shortage of books in the college library.

Respected Sir,

I am a student of Class 11-A of your esteemed college. I am writing this letter on behalf of all the students of our class to bring to your kind notice the severe shortage of books in the college library.

Currently, the library lacks an adequate number of text books and reference books for major subjects like English, Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics, which are essential for the new academic session. Furthermore, many existing books are outdated or damaged. As mid-term examinations are approaching, students are facing immense difficulty in completing their syllabus and preparing notes due to the non-availability of required books.

I request you to kindly order new copies of the prescribed textbooks and latest reference materials for the library at the earliest.

Thanking you.

Yours obediently,

Amit Kumar

Class XI-A

Roll No. 12

Her mother asked me how old I was.

Arun said that he would arise and go to his father.

The weather being fine, we enjoyed the walk.

The patient had died before the doctor came.

I am so tired that I cannot walk.

He was laughed at by all his friends.

I myself can do it.

The more you have, the more you desire.

India is making progress by leaps and bounds in the field of technology.

The manager requested the employee to submit his resignation in black and white.

We must carry out the orders of our parents and teachers.

He was brought up by his aunt after the death of his parents.

सही विकल्प: (c) Curse

व्याख्या: 'Bane' का अर्थ अभिशाप होता है, जिसका समानार्थक शब्द 'Curse' है।

सही विकल्प: (c) Vice

व्याख्या: 'Virtue' का अर्थ गुण या सदाचार है, जिसका विलोम शब्द 'Vice' (अवगुण) होता है।

Inaudible

Illiterate

Pain: He is feeling a lot of pain in his arm.

Pane: The boy accidentally cracked the window pane with a ball.

Adapt: It takes time to adapt to a new climate.

Adept: She is adept at playing the guitar.

Who does not know Munshi Premchand? People have read his stories and novels. A glimpse of poor and other families living in villages is found in his stories. He wrote openly about village customs, social evils, atrocities of landlords, and superstitions. He proved that he is the Emperor of Novels.

The grandmother in Khushwant Singh's story 'The Portrait of a Lady' is a deeply religious, kind-hearted, and dignified elderly woman. She was short, fat, and slightly bent, with silver hair and a wrinkled face. She always dressed in spotless white clothes and constantly recited silent prayers while telling the beads of her rosary.

She shared a strong, affectionate bond with her grandson during his early childhood in the village, taking care of him and taking him to the temple school. When they moved to the city, her role changed as he went to an English school. Though she disapproved of western education and music, she accepted her seclusion with quiet grace. She spent her time spinning the wheel, reciting prayers, and feeding sparrows, which was the happiest half-hour of her day. Her death was peaceful and deeply mourned even by the sparrows, highlighting her extraordinary love for nature and noble character.

On 5 January 2005, King Tut's mummy was brought out of his tomb in the Valley of the Kings to undergo a CT scan to reveal the mysteries surrounding his early death. A portable CT scanner donated by National Geographic Society and Siemens was set up in a trailer parked near the tomb.

The mummy was carefully lifted from its wooden box and placed inside the scanner. During the procedure, the scanner created 1,700 digital X-ray images in cross-section to scan his body in 0.62-millimeter slices. Suddenly, the scanner's fan stopped working because of sand entering the cooler fan, but spare plastic fans were used to complete the scan. The scan produced three-dimensional, highly detailed images of Tut's head, neck, vertebrae, and rib cage, allowing international experts in radiology, forensics, and anatomy to study his remains safely.

Grandmother sensed that her end was near. She refused to waste any time talking to her family members. She lay peacefully in bed, praying and telling the beads of her rosary until her lips stopped moving and the rosary fell from her lifeless fingers.

In 'We're Not Afraid to Die...', giant waves broke over the ship, filling it with water. Clothes, crockery, charts, tins, and toys were floating about in deep water across the flooded deck.

King Tut's body was CT scanned to investigate the medical mysteries surrounding his premature death at a young age and to determine his exact age at the time of death, providing new clues through detailed three-dimensional images.

In the poem, the 'cardboard' denotes an old photograph pasted on a thick, stiff paper frame, which preserves the sweet childhood memory of the poet's mother along with her two girl cousins.

The poet's mother was around twelve years old when the photograph was captured on the sea beach.

They were standing still to pose for a photo being taken on the beach. They were smiling at the uncle because he was capturing their joyous picture with his camera while their hair blew across their faces in the breeze.

Central Idea of 'The Laburnum Top':

The poem 'The Laburnum Top' composed by Ted Hughes depicts the sweet and lively relationship between the Laburnum tree and a goldfinch bird. Initially, the laburnum tree is silent, still, and lifeless. But as soon as the goldfinch arrives to feed her chicks, the tree transforms into a hub of activity, noise, and excitement. The bird acts as the engine of her family and livens up the tree. Once the bird flies away into the vast sky, the tree retreats into its former silence and emptiness. The poem reflects how a simple arrival of life can bring vibrancy to a quiet environment.

Central Idea of 'A Photograph':

The poem 'A Photograph' composed by Shirley Toulson expresses feelings of loss, nostalgia, and the transience of human life compared to eternal nature. By looking at an old photograph, the poet remembers her deceased mother. The poem captures three stages: the happy childhood of the mother at a sea holiday, the mother's middle age where she nostalgically laughed at her old photograph, and the present stage where the mother is dead, leaving the poet in deep, silent grief. While the sea has remained unchanged over the years, human life has changed and ended, highlighting the painful truth of mortality.

Central Idea of 'The Voice of the Rain':

The poem 'The Voice of the Rain' composed by Walt Whitman portrays a personified conversation between the poet and the rain. It explains the endless, natural water cycle. The rain rises invisibly from the land and deep sea into the sky, changes its form into clouds, and then descends back to the earth to bathe the dry land, give life to hidden seeds, and cleanse the environment. It beautifies and purifies its own birthplace. The poet compares rain to a song, as both originate from a source, fulfill their purpose of spreading love and happiness, and ultimately return to their origin.

Mourad was a thirteen-year-old boy belonging to the Garoghlanian tribe, which was famous for its honesty and trust. He was considered the natural descendant of the crazy streak in his family. Mourad had an intense love for animals and nature; he was gentle with birds and possessed a natural skill in handling horses. He stole a beautiful white horse not out of greed or dishonesty, but purely to fulfill his passion for riding. He firmly believed that taking a horse to ride was not the same as stealing, as long as they had no intention of selling it. Mourad was confident, free-spirited, kind-hearted, and possessed a remarkable understanding of animals.

Shyama, the narrator, decided that Ratna, the eleven-year-old niece of Rama Rao, was the perfect match for Ranga. First, he arranged a meeting by inviting Ratna to his home to fetch buttermilk and asked her to sing when Ranga arrived. Ranga was instantly enchanted by her voice. Next, Shyama tutored Shastri, the village astrologer, to play along with his scheme. The following day, Shyama took Ranga to Shastri, who pretended to calculate horoscope charts and announced that Ranga was thinking of a girl whose name was connected to something found in the ocean, indicating Ratna. This clever strategy convinced Ranga, ultimately leading to his marriage with Ratna.

When Aram jumped onto the horse alone, it did not move at first. After kicking into its muscles, the horse reared, snorted, and ran uncontrollably down the road into the vineyard. It jumped over seven vines before throwing Aram off and running away.

The girl, Mrs. Dorling's daughter, told the narrator that they used all the antique silver cutlery every day for eating. She added that she had once even scraped the silver off one of the spoons, without realizing its true historical and financial value.

यह प्रश्न स्पष्ट रूप से पढ़ा नहीं जा सका।