PRE-LISTENING ACTIVITY

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2 MT EDUCARE LTD. English CENTRAL IDEA The poem Buying and Selling by the poet Khalil Gibran is an extract from his book titled The Prophet. The Prophet is requested by a group of merchants to impart to them the truth about buying and selling. The poet tells the merchants that trading should be done ethically. Goods should be sold with love and kindness then there would be abundance. Lack of fairness and justice would only lead to hunger and greed. The poet has used analogy by describing Mother Earth s generosity of granting her children various gifts. According to The Prophet, the merchants should ensure that no trader goes away empty - handed before they leave the market place. The master spirit of the earth will not sleep peacefully if everyone s needs are not satisfied. PRE-LISTENING ACTIVITY 1. What is the difference between trade and commerce? Ans. Trade is an activity of buying and selling with or without money. Commerce includes trade with only money being the medium for buying and selling. It also includes banking, investment and is a wider term. 2. What are the characteristics of a good trader? Ans. The characteristics of a good trader are honesty and integrity. He should follow ethics in trade besides having a sound knowledge of business - related rules and regulations. Profit making is important but it should not be at the cost of cheating the customers. STANZA I (Lines 1-16) And a merchant......words for your labour. GLOSSARY yields - provides abundance - plenty, more than enough toilers - workers vineyards - plantation of grape-vines weavers - a person who forms fabric out of threads in loom invoke - make an urgent request to midst - in the middle of sanctify - make holy, purify reckoning - rough calculations barren-handed - empty - handed transaction - dealing labour - hard work SCHOOL SECTION 101

3 English MT EDUCARE LTD. PARAPHRASE The merchants requested The Prophet to speak to them of buying and selling. The Prophet answered thus : The earth provides her fruits to you and you shall not lack if you know how to fill your hands by toiling. If the gifts of the earth are exchanged in the right way with kindness and love, there will always be abundance and contentment. If the exchange is devoid of love and kindness, it will lead to greed and hunger. When in the market place, the workers of the sea, fields and vineyards meet the weavers, potters and gatherers of spices, they should first call upon the master spirit of the earth to come amongst them and bless the weighing scales and the transactions that will be carried out in the market place. The Prophet further continues that the empty - handed people, i.e. the unemployed should not be tolerated. They do not have goods to exchange but will only give you empty promises for your goods. [I] SIMPLE FACTUAL QUESTIONS (SFQ). (1 Mark) *1. Who is speaking to whom? OR The poem is a dialogue between two individuals. Who are they? (Sept. 09, 10) Ans. The Prophet is speaking to the merchants. 2. What does the earth yield? Ans. The earth yields her fruit that is the bounties of nature. *3. Name the people who come to the market place Ans. Toilers of the sea and fields and vineyards, the weavers and the potters and the gatherers of spices meet in the market place. *4. Why should the master spirit of the earth be invoked? (Sept. 09) Ans. The master spirit of the earth should be invoked to sanctify the scales and bless the proceedings of work so that trade is done with honesty. *5. Who does he refer to in line 1? Ans. He refers to The Prophet in line 1. *6. How can the merchants be satisfied? Ans. The merchants can be satisfied by exchanging the gifts of the earth which are in abundance. [II] COMPLEX FACTUAL QUESTIONS (CFQ). (1 Mark) 1. What does The Prophet advise the merchants about the exchange of goods? Ans. The Prophet advises the merchants to exchange the gifts of the earth with love and kindness to avoid injustice. 2. What does the prophet ask the traders to do when they meet in the market place? Ans. When the traders meet in the market place, The Prophet asks them to request the master spirit of the earth to come in their midst and sanctify the scales and bless the proceedings of work so that trade is carried out with honesty. [III] INTERPRETATIVE / EVALUATIVE QUESTIONS (IQ/EQ). (1 Mark) *1. It will lead some to greed and others to hunger. Who will be led to greed and who to hunger? Why? (Sept. 09, 10) Ans The traders who want to make a profit at the cost of others will be led to greed and those who are cheated will be led to hunger. 102 SCHOOL SECTION

4 MT EDUCARE LTD. English *2. What does the word fruit refer to? Ans. Fruit here refers to the bounties of earth or the natural resources. *3. What is the theme of the poem? Does the poem have a universal truth in its theme? Justify your answer? Ans. The theme of the poem is that trade should be done fairly without injustice which will surely lead to profit. This is a universal theme as it is applicable even today to the corporate world. 4. Bring out the imagery in the poem. Ans. The line when in the market place you toilers of the sea and fields and vineyards meet the weavers and the potters and the gatherers of spices brings out the image of a market place. 5. What are the views of the poet about buying and selling? Ans. The poet believes that buying and selling should be done ethically otherwise it will lead to greed and hunger. 6. Explain the line : Sanctify the scales and the reckoning that weighs value against value. (Sept. 10) Ans. Here it means that God will surely bless the scales and also bless the calculations so that the trader weighs value against value. This will ensure that the trading is done with honesty. [IV] VOCABULARY QUESTIONS (VQ). (1 Mark) 1. Write the nouns form of : (a) sanctify (b) weigh Ans (a) sanctity (b) weight 2. Write the adjectives form of : (a) abundance (b) value Ans (a) abundant (b) valuable *3. Read the poem and complete the table by writing the words from the poem in the columns relating to trade and traders. (Sept. 09) TRADE buying exchanging toiling weaving gathering selling singing dancing TRADERS merchant toilers weavers gatherers sellers singers dancers 4. Explain the master spirit of the earth. Ans. The term means God or even the laws of nature. 5. Pick the odd one out from each of the following sets : (i) toilers, vineyards, weavers, potters. (ii) buying, selling, exchanging, reckoning. (Sept. 10) Ans. (i) vineyards (ii) reckoning. [V] POETIC DEVICE QUESTIONS (PDQ). (1 Mark) 1. What is the tone of the poem? Ans. The tone of the poem is serious and advising as it highlights the ethics of trade. SCHOOL SECTION 103

5 English MT EDUCARE LTD. *2. Bring out the antithetical idea contained in the eighth line of the poem. Ans. Yet unless the exchange be in love and kindly justice, it will but lead some to greed and others to hunger. The antithetical ideas of greed and hunger are mentioned *3. The poet has used the device of Direct Speech. What purpose does the dialogue used by the poet serve in the poem? Ans. The device of Direct Speech helps us to understand that the poet is expressing his personal views. It also becomes easy to follow the poem well. *4. Give an example of sublime expression from the extract. (Sept. 09) Ans. sanctify the scales, the reckoning that weighs value against value. STANZA II (Lines 17-29) To such men......of you are satisfied GLOSSARY cast - throw fashioned of dreams - imaginary, intangible bountiful - generous frankincense - sticky substance obtained from certain trees which is burnt to give a sweet smell raiment - clothing PARAPHRASE The barren handed people should not be encouraged by you. They should be urged to go to the field or to the sea to cast their net along with you. Inspire them by saying that the land and the sea shall be generous to them, too. If the singers, the dancers and the flute players come, buy their gifts too. Their art and music is food and clothing for your soul. They, too are like the gatherers of the fruit that the earth yields. Before you leave the market place, ensure that no trader has gone away empty handed as God shall not sleep peacefully till the needs of each and every soul is satisfied. [I] SIMPLE COMPLEX QUESTIONS (SFQ). (1 Mark) 1. Which two places should the barren-handed be taken to? Ans. The barren-handed should be taken to the fields and to the sea. *2. Who are the gatherers of fruit and frankincense? Ans. The singers and the dancers and the flute players are the gatherers of fruit and frankincense. 3. What is raiment and food for the merchant s soul? Ans. Music and art is raiment and food for the merchant s soul. *4. When will the master spirit of the earth sleep peacefully? Ans. The master spirit of the earth will sleep peacefully only when the needs of every individual are satisfied 104 SCHOOL SECTION

6 MT EDUCARE LTD. English *5. For whom will the land and the sea be bountiful? Ans. The land and the sea will be bountiful to the barren-handed if they work like others. [II] COMPLEX FACTUAL QUESTIONS (CFQ). (1 Mark) 1. What should be said to the barren-handed men? Ans. The barren-handed men should be asked to go to the fields or to the sea to cast their net as the land and sea shall be bountiful to them too. 2. Why should you buy the gifts of the singers, dancers and the flute players? Ans. These artists entertain us and fulfil our spiritual needs so they should also be paid. *3. What should the merchant do before leaving the market place? Ans. The merchant should see that no trader goes away empty - handed from the market place. [III] INTERPRETATIVE / EVALUATIVE QUESTIONS (IQ/EQ). (1 Mark) *1. Why wouldn t the master spirit of the earth sleep peacefully? Ans. The master spirit of earth wouldn t sleep peacefully if any of the traders go away empty handed from the market place. *2. Does the poem advocate righteousness in our words and deeds? How? Ans. The Prophet advises merchants to indulge in fair play and ensure that those who have got something to sell don t go empty handed. These principles advocate righteousness in our words and deeds. *3. Do you think the poet has used an analogy to explain the term buying and selling? What is the analogy? Does it give the poem a deeper meaning? Ans. Here the earth is compared to a mother as it yields her fruit to all without being partial. This analogy gives the poem a deeper meaning. [IV] VOCABULARY QUESTIONS (VQ). (1 Mark) 1. Find words which mean : (a) generous (b) clothing Ans. (a) bountiful (b) raiment 2. Give Opposites : (a) satisfied (b) empty Ans. (a) dissatisfied (b) full [V] POETIC DEVICE QUESTIONS (PDQ). (1 Mark) *1. Symbolism is yet another poetic device which is used to represent or recall something with similar qualities, especially, it recalls an object representing an abstract thought or quality. In this poem the earth yields her fruit is symbolic of the bounties. Find another instance from the poem to bring out this symbolism. Ans. master spirit of earth is symbolic of God, raiment and food for soul means the spiritual needs of a person. *2. Find one example of imagery. Ans. And if there come the singers and the dancers and the flute players, - This line portrays an image of the singers, dancers and musicians entertaining the traders in the market place. *3. The poem does not have a rhyme scheme or a fixed length for each line. Yet it is a poem. Why? (Sept. 10) Ans. The poem does not have a rhyme scheme or a fixed length for each line. Yet it is a poem as it has important poetic devices like Imagery, Symbolism, Sublime Expression, Analogy and figures of speech. SCHOOL SECTION 105

7 English MT EDUCARE LTD. TEXTUAL QUESTIONS [II] WRITING SKILLS. Write a speech you would deliver to your fellow merchants with the help of the points. You may begin like this : Good morning, dear brothers. I feel honoured to have this opportunity to talk to all of you. As you know, I have spent my whole life in business transactions and have learnt the true values of conducting trade. I have learnt that ethics must be followed honestly to create goodwill and trust in the market. Cheating someone can give you temporary benefits but in the long run, the prosperity of one s business is affected. There is enough for every man s need but not for every man s greed. Let us have good intentions in our heart and prosperity and success will soon follow. I earnestly hope you will follow my advice, remember God dwells only amongst the honest and the hardworking. FIGURES OF SPEECH 1. And a merchant said, Speak to us of Buying and Selling. And he answered and said : Ans. Antithesis - The opposite ideas Buying and Selling are brought together. 2. To you the earth yields her fruit, and you shall not want if you but know how to fill your hands. Ans. Inversion - The correct prose order is the earth yields her fruit to you. Synecdoche - part (fruit) represents whole (bounties of earth) 3. Yet unless the exchange be in love and kindly justice, it will but lead some to greed and others to hunger. Ans. Antithesis - The opposite ideas greed and hunger are brought together. 4. Invoke then the master spirit of the earth, to come into your midst and sanctify the scales and the reckoning that weighs value against value. Ans. Personification - The abstract idea (master spirit) has been given the human quality of coming 5. To such men you should say - Inversion (You should say to such men) 6. Come with us to the field, or go with our brothers to the sea and cast your net; - Antithesis (come - go) 7. For they too are gatherers of fruit and frankincense, and that which they bring, though fashioned of dreams, is raiment and food for your soul. Ans. Metaphor - singers, dancers and flute players have been indirectly compared to gatherers of fruit and frankincense. 8. For the master spirit of the earth shall not sleep peacefully upon the wind till the needs of the least of you are satisfied - Personification (The abstract idea of master spirit is given the human attribute of sleeping.) 106 SCHOOL SECTION

8 SSC Marks : 20 UNIT 4.1 BUYING AND SELLING ENGLISH Duration : 1 hr. Q.I SIMPLE FACTUAL QUESTIONS (SFQ). (3) 1. Whom does the he in line 2 refer to? 1 2. For whom will the land and the sea be bountiful? 1 3. Who is talking in this poem? To whom? 1 Q.II COMPLEX FACTUAL QUESTIONS (CFQ). (5) 1. Why should the master spirit of the earth be invoked? 1 2. Name the people who came to the market place? 1 3. How will the merchants find abundance and satisfaction? 1 4. Why should you buy the gifts of the singers, dancers and flute players? 1 5. What does the prophet advice the merchants about the exchange of goods? 1 Q.III INTERPRETATIVE QUESTIONS (IQ). (5) 1. What is the theme of the poem? Does the poem have a universal truth in its theme? Justify your answer Does the poem advocate righteousness in our words and deeds? How? 1 3. What are the views of the poet about buying and selling? 1 4. What is the master spirit of the earth? 1 5. What does the word fruit refer to? 1 Q.IV VOCABULARY QUESTIONS (VQ). (3) 1. Make Nouns : sanctify, weigh, empty, bountiful Write from the lines words that refer to trade Give one word for : (a) those who work hard (b) an orchard of grapes. 1 Q.V POETIC DEVICE QUESTIONS (PDQ). (4) 1. Give the examples of symbolism from the lines and explain The poem does not have a rhyme scheme or a fixed length for each line. Yet it is a poem. Why? 2 Best of Luck