1. Read the following passage and answer the questions following it
Pongal, 0 Pongal, "the cry reverberates through the air and a feeling of contentment combined with the spirit of thanksgiving marks the. onset of this South Indian festival called Pongal or Makar Sankranti which is one of the most important ones in the region.

Pongal is among the best-known, and certainly one of the major festivals in the State of Tamil Nadu. The three or four-day festival which takes place in January, celebrates the harvest, and in particular the rice crop. It is said to be an ancient form of thanksgiving and is believed to come from Dravidian practices almost untouched by Aryan influences.

The first day of the celebrations is known as Bhogi Pongal which is set aside for preparations. Homes are washed and decorated. Doorways are painted with vermilion and sandalwood paste and colourful garlands of leaves and flowers adorn the outside of almost every home. The courtyard is decorated with designs in chalk. powder, intricate or simple, but always "beautiful. Everyone dresses in new clothes and a happy glow of anticipation surrounds the participants.
The second day, or the Surya Pongal, as it is known, is dedicated to the Sun God. It is on this day that the most important ceremony of the four day festivities takes place. A new metal or earthen pot is filled with milk and set to boil. To this milk is added the freshly harvested rice, specially saved for the day, and sugarcane juice and turmeric. This special rice pudding is what is known as Pongal and the festival has been named after it.

The third day of the festival is called the Mathu Pongal or the Pongal of the cattle. In the morning, the animals are herded into the village pool and bathed. They are then decorated and the rice preparations made the previous day are offered to them. This is also a time when the sister prays for the longevity and happiness of her brother. Five different kinds of rice are cooked in as many different colours, and from each of these, in a symbolic gesture, a rice ball is made and fed to five types of birds and animals.

The last day called Kunnam, is a day reserved for the outdoors. This is a day of outings, picnics and outdoor sports. Today, however, the last two days are combined, making the festival a three-day affair.

Describe the feeling associated with Pongal.

Which is the most important day in the four-day celebrations Describe in your own words what happens on that day.

State whether the following statements based on the passage are true or false. Correct the false statements. 5

Pongal has how been reduced to a three-day festival.

Bhogi Pongal is marked as a day of preparations.

On Mathu Pongal rice preparations are freshly made and offered to cattle.

On Kunnam, a sister prays for the longevity and happiness of her brother.

The festival is named after the Sun God.

Use the following words from the passage into sentences of your own:

combined

adorn

anticipation

longevity

symbolic

Give opposites of the following words from the passage:

contentment

ancient

intricate

colourful

outdoor

Use the phrasal verbs given below to complete the passage:

took turns, turned out, turned off,· turned down, .turned on

Shortly after the writer had sent her story to the magazine, she received a letter telling her that her work has been

Hearing this, she the television the air-conditioner, and began to write another story.

For three days she between writing and eating and wrote another story which to be so good that it was ,readily accepted.

Fill in the blanks with the correct forms of the verbs given in brackets:

In U.K today, the number of working women (reach) nearly 50% of the working population.

In the 1950s and early 1960s, very few women out to work.

Today the situation a lot.

In the 1970s, new laws (make) employers offer women and men equal pay and conditions.

Several changes in the present law women today better conditions than before.

4. You wish to go on a trip to an animal sanctuary and desire to stay in the midst of the forest. Ring up your travel agent and tell him the following:

• The place you wish to go to

• HoteVguest house you would like to stay in

• Dates of the trip

• Members of the family accompanying you

Keeping all these points in mind, write a telephone conversation between you and the travel agent.

5. Write an essay in about 200 words on anyone of the following:

Your personal contribution to saving and preserving the environment

A cultural festival that you particularly enjoy

Caring for and respecting the elderly

Your favourite cuisine (food)