Expansion Of ideas Solutions | Expansion of ideas Questions And Answers
Chapter 3: Expansion of Ideas
ICE BREAKERS [PAGE 97]
Ice Breakers | Q 1 | Page 97
Discuss with your partner the different ideas connoted by the word 'season'.
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Solution:
The word ‘season’ could mean the different weather patterns that occur due to the changes in the position of the earth in regard to the sun.
The word ‘season’ could also mean ‘giving more flavour by adding’ when it is used in the context of food.
e.g. Season the dish with black pepper and oregano.
The word ‘season’ could also refer to the period when a sport is played.
e.g. football season, cricket season, etc.
Ice Breakers | Q 2 | Page 97
Select a season of your choice and give the following details:
Time of the year -
Characteristics- crops, festivals, etc.
Features/changes - climate/weather/temperature etc.
Advantages/Disadvantages -
Solution:
Time of the year:
The Winter season - begins from the end of November and stays till the end of February.
Characteristics:
The crops that are grown in the winter season in India are known as Rabi crops. These crops are sown in the month of October and harvested in spring. Wheat, barley, sesame, gram, and mustard are some examples of crops grown in the winter season. The festivals that are celebrated on a large scale in India during the winter season are - Diwali, Christmas, Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Lohri, Republic Day, etc.
Features/Climate:
During the winter season, the weather in India changes from the hot and humid to the cool and dry. The average winter temperature ranges between 10-15 degrees Celsius, with the coldest months being December and January.
Advantages/Disadvantages:
The winter season in all parts of India, except the North, is a respite from the scorching October heat. It is the most-awaited season, apart from the monsoon, as it helps people enjoy the outdoors without having to worry about getting a heatstroke. However, winters in the north of India can be quite extreme. With thick fog, snowfall, hailstorms, etc. survival becomes quite difficult at times.
Ice Breakers | Q 3 | Page 97
Proverbs associated with the word season: for eg: Make hay while the sun shines.
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Solution:
One kind word can warm three winters.
No winter lasts forever, no spring skips its turn.
Turn your face toward the sun and the shadows fall behind you.
Ice Breakers | Q 4 | Page 97
Guess the meaning of the above proverbs and write them down along with a sentence of your own.
Solution:
One kind word can warm three winters:
This proverb means that being kind to someone can go a long way. ‘Winter’ is considered to be harsh, cold, bleak, and gloomy. Therefore, an act of kindness can bring warmth to the life of someone going through a bleak phase.
Sentence: We must never forget that one kind word can warm three winters.
No winter lasts forever, no spring skips its turn
As winter is associated with gloom and spring with liveliness and goodness, this proverb states that no matter how bad the times, they won’t last forever. In other words, difficulties don’t last forever and good times never fail to follow.
Sentence: Rehan needs to move on from his loss and understand that no winter lasts forever and no spring skips its turn.
Turn your face toward the sun and the shadows fall behind you
Sun is a symbol of goodness and positivity, whereas shadows represent troubles and problems. This proverb means that when we choose to focus on the positive things in life, the negative things will automatically stop affecting us as we will have left them behind.
Sentence: Nikita, you can’t live your life like a pessimist. You need to turn your face toward the sun and let the shadows fall behind you.
Discuss with your partner on the following topic. Express your views and opinions in favour of and against the topic.
Ice Breakers | Q 5. (a) | Page 97
Are sports essential in Jr. Colleges?
Solution:
In Favour: Yes, sports keep the students healthy and active as well as develop a competitive spirit in them.
Against: No, sports are not essential in Jr. Colleges as they might lead the students to focus less on their studies.
Ice Breakers | Q 5. (b) | Page 97
Are college council elections essential in Jr. Colleges?
Solution:
In Favour: Yes, the college council is the mediator between the teachers and the students. It is assigned a lot of responsibilities like organising meets, conducting activities, arranging for guest lectures, etc.
Against: No, student council elections are not essential in Jr. Colleges because students who are not a part of the council may feel left out and the ones who are a part of the council might misuse their authority.
Ice Breakers | Q 5. (c) | Page 97
Is cell-phone the need for the times?
Solution:
In Favour: Yes, it helps one stay in touch with their friends and family. It is also a life-saver in times of emergencies.
Against: People have grown apart because of cell phones. They prefer living in the virtual world rather than in the real one.
Ice Breakers | Q 5. (d) | Page 97
Should the 'Earn and Learn' concept be made mandatory for students?
Solution:
In Favour: Yes, because this way they will learn how to be responsible. It will also help them manage their finances better as adults.
Against: No, as it would be an additional burden on the students and might shift their focus from learning.
BRAINSTORMING, ICE BREAKERS [PAGE 100]
Expand the idea inherent in the following proverb :
Brainstorming | Q (A1) (i) | Page 100
A Bad workman blames his tools.
Solution:
A bad workman blames his tools
A workman who is not good at his work blames his tools and not himself. Blaming his tools is a bad workman’s way of not owning up to his mistakes or taking responsibility for a job not done well.
When a workman doesn’t do his job right, he loses credibility and his clients are driven away. Thus, he cannot take ownership of the bad work since that will establish him as a poor workman. Fearing this bad reputation, he blames everything but himself for his mediocre deliverables.
Citing excuses, delaying deadlines, and pointing fingers are some of the many arrows in a bad workman’s quiver of fallacy. According to him, everything conspires against him whenever he is trying to do his job well. This saying is suitable for people who lack certain skill sets or qualities and instead of correcting them and improving, they make excuses for themselves by blaming it on external factors. The saying thus continues, ‘a bad workman always quarrels with his tools’.
Ice Breakers | Q (A1) (ii) | Page 100
One should eat to live, not live to eat - Franklin.
Solution:
One should eat to live, not live to eat
‘One must eat to live and not live to eat’, is a famous quote from the well-known playwright, Molière’s play, ‘The Miser’. This proverb aims to communicate that one must eat as much as is needed to survive and not overeat. One must not make eating their life’s purpose.
In today’s day and age, we have a lot of options available for travel, entertainment, and even food. From gourmet restaurants to fast food joints, the list is never-ending. Therefore, when we indulge in these, it becomes our responsibility to choose wisely. We need to draw a line between having a hearty meal and indulging in gluttony.
We should understand that food is primarily eaten for survival and though there is nothing wrong with consuming food for pleasure, care must be taken to avoid overconsumption.
Our busy lives don’t permit us to develop extensive exercise routines. Hence, it becomes essential to limit our intake to what the body can process, instead of making it work overtime to break down the extra amount of food that we have consumed. After all, ‘Too much of anything is good for nothing’.
Brainstorming | Q (A1) (iii) | Page 100
If winter comes, can spring be far behind? - Shelley
Solution:
If winter comes, can spring be far behind?
The proverb ‘If winter comes, can spring be far behind?’ means that if something bad or unfortunate happens, one mustn’t lose heart for there is definitely something better and much more fortunate that will soon follow. The quote refers to the cycle of joy and sorrow.
If it is winter and everything is dying, there will come spring next and everything will blossom again. For fresh flowers to bloom and leaves to unfold, it is necessary for the old ones to wither away. This proverb fuels positivity in the minds of people so that if they think they have hit rock bottom, the only way to go now is up; it gives them the hope that the dark clouds will soon disperse, and the sun will shine again.
One simply needs to have faith that the difficult times won’t last forever. All in all, this proverb is full of hope and positivity, just like the profound saying, ‘There is light at the end of the tunnel’.
Brainstorming | Q (A1) (iv) | Page 100
Beauty is truth, truth is beauty - John Keats
Solution:
Beauty is truth, truth is beauty
‘Beauty is truth, truth is beauty’ is an extract from a famous poem by Keats, ‘Ode on a Grecian Urn’, in which the poet describes how an urn depicts the truth of humankind and that of life.
In context to the rest of the poem, the idea is that art conveys the truth better than any other form of communication.
Nothing communicates human experiences better than art. The quote states how beauty lies in permanence. Elements that never perish will remain beautiful for eternity and truth is one such element. Thus, it is said that truth lies in everything that’s beautiful and beauty lies in everything that’s true.
Consequently, one must search for the element of truth in everything we see, because though appearances may fade with time, the truth will always retain its beauty. After all, as John Keats notes in another one of his sayings, ‘A thing of beauty is a joy forever’.
Brainstorming | Q (A1) (v) | Page 100
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread - Alexander Pope.
Solution:
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread
The meaning of the proverb ‘Fools rush in where angels fear to tread’ is that only inexperienced and impatient people attempt to do things which the experienced will think twice before taking on.
This phrase by Alexander Pope suggests that a person who quickly rushes in to take over a situation, whose challenges and difficulties he does not fully understand, is a fool. Such a person does not stop to think why the people who are experts on the matter have avoided the situation.
Thus, in his overconfidence, he thinks that he can handle something that the intelligent and experienced people have chosen to stay away from. This cautious behaviour of the experienced is also often misinterpreted by the inexperienced as cowardice. The amateur thinks that he has the chance to prove that he has greater knowledge and hence, rushes in to solve the problem.
In conclusion, a wise man carefully considers the views of those who are smarter than him while a fool, who is in a hurry to brag, ends up paying for his haste.
Brainstorming | Q (A2) | Page 100
Complete the tabular columns to specify Dos and Don’ts associated with the 'Expansion of Ideas'.
Expansion of Ideas | |
Dos | Don’ts |
(i) Begin impressively | (i) Do not go off-track |
(ii) | (ii) |
(iii) | (iii) |
(iv) | (iv) |
Solution:
Expansion of Ideas | |
Dos | Don’ts |
(i) Begin impressively. | (i) Do not go off-track. |
(ii) Clearly explain the symbolism of the proverb. | (ii) Do not be ambiguous while explaining the meaning of the proverb. |
(iii) Ensure that each paragraph has a topic sentence. | (iii) Don’t include too many ideas in one paragraph. |
(iv) Include anecdotes, examples, and experiences as well as maintain unity and clarity of thought. | (iv) Don’t forget to maintain coherence and a logical link between the sentences with the help of discourse markers, conjunctions, and conjunctive phrases. |
(v) Keep in mind the ‘Proportion of Space’ and ‘Proportion of Emphasis’, that is, important ideas should be given more space and prominence and vice versa. | (v) Don’t forget to conclude the expansion with a strong and relevant point, that is, try to use quotes similar to the one given in the question. (This will create a full circle of thought). |
expansion of ideas 11th class | expansion of ideas pdf
Introductory paragraph
A good paragraph is always associated with a topic sentence either at the beginning,
in the middle or at the end. The symbolism or the idea should be clearly understood.
The literal/symbolic/metaphorical meaning needs to be given. To expand an idea the
focus should be on words and expression of thoughts to put forth the hidden meaning
or deeper thought behind the given idea. In short, the given idea needs to be well
evaluated and interpreted accordingly
Core Content
While elaborating various aspects of the idea, remember that the following points
need to be taken into consideration :
• Explore perspectives, give instances and anecdotes, experiences or even personal
experiences.
• There should be unity, and clarity of thoughts.
• Maintain coherence and a logical link between two distinct points between the
sentences. For this, discourse markers, conjunctions and conjunctive phrases can be used.
Each paragraph or point should support the central idea, but ‘proportion of space’ should
be kept in mind.
(Proportion of space : more important ideas – more space; less important idea, less
space).
• Proportion of emphasis is an important aspect. It simply means keeping the
principal subject in place of prominence throughout the paragraph.
• Avoid too many ideas.
• Remember that this is the most creative part to demonstrate your language skills.
Conclusion
At the end we need to sum up suitably with strong and relevant point.
• Use of proverbs is appropriate at the end with a similar meaning sentence given
in the topic sentence.
e.g. (1) The given one is- ‘Tit for tat’ you may sum up using another similar one
‘Reap as you sow
Keypoints for Expansion of Ideas
• As an example, let’s take the concept, “Love thy neighbor as thyself.”
(i) Key Point : We should love others, as we love ourselves.
(ii) Literal Meaning: To find pleasure in others’ virtues. To “love” means to
overlook the faults, and appreciate the virtues in others and to forgive others
as we forgive ourselves.
(iii) Explanation of the different aspects of the topic sentence.
(a) We should love human beings because all human beings are images of
God.
(b) Love is the fundamental essence of all joys, goodness and pleasure.
(c) Love ensures peace and harmony.
(d) Love creates bonding.
(e) Loving someone is protecting them from harm, fighting for their rights
and working against injustice.
(iv) Conclusion: If everyone practiced “Love your neighbor,” the world would
operate with a far greater degree of patience, tolerance, understanding,
communication, appreciation, unity, etc. This one principle would transform
human history! When we love each other, take pleasure in each others'
achievements and work together, we are able to achieve harmony and
peace, sustaining the universe
Travel Broadens the Mind
Travelling is the best form of education, as learning from the environment is more
effective. If you live all your life in the same place, you are like the proverbial frog
in a well. You become narrow-minded. You do not know what the world outside is
truly like.
There is no doubt that travelling broadens the mind and enlivens the spirit.
Apart from viewing of natural and historical sights, travelling enables a person to
meet different people and study their customs, modes of dressing, culture and languages
at close quarters. Meeting different people makes a person broad-minded and tolerant.
Travelling brings people closer and broadens one's outlook. It removes prejudices
and helps a person to become a citizen of the world in the true sense. Therefore, never
lose any opportunity to travel. It will be an experience well worth the time and money
spent on it. The world is a book and he who stays at home reads only one page.
Discourse Markers
The phrase ‘Discourse Markers' reveals its own meaning. ‘Discourse’ means
conversation, narration, exchange. Words that connect, mark, give direction to the
communication are Discourse Markers.
Definition : Discourse markers are words or phrases like ‘anyway’, ‘right’, ‘okay’,
‘as I say’, ‘to begin with’, ‘used to connect’, organise and manage what we say or
write, to express attitude.
When we speak or write we constantly use Discourse Markers. In fact we are not
even aware that we use them or when we use them.
Words like ‘nevertheless’, ‘further’, ‘furthermore’, ‘similarly’, ‘so’, ‘therefore’, ‘to be
fair’, ‘by the time’, ‘thus’ etc. are examples of discourse markers that we use in our
everyday conversations.
Why do you think they are used? What is their function in speech or writing?
The answer would be, that firstly they link the narrative or conversation. Secondly
they explain, emphasise and connect what you are saying. By this they bring clarity to
the communication and thereby make it effective by adding aesthetic value.
Find out examples of discourse markers from the text