1. Its SUMMER TIME again. Time for strengthening family bond tying threads of family tree, sharing joys and sorrows, having a good time together. Do shower your love and care on people you meet and get loads of blessings in return. 2. Look for interesting books and read as much as you can about the places and people. Also click lot of good pictures. 3. Take good care of your health and hygiene. Avoid heavy and oily food and increase intake of fresh fruits and water to keep yourself well hydrated and energetic. 4. Use holiday homework as an opportunity to spend quality time together. Let your child take the lead and use his/her imagination, creativity and knowledge to do the assigned task. The role of the parent is to be a facilitator and guide to steer the child in the right direction. He/she will find his own destination. Original work of students will receive greater recognition and appreciation. 5. Follow the guidelines given by teachers to complete specific activities. All the work is to be done only in school notebooks. Holiday Homework (2020-2021) Class 12 (COMMERCE) ENGLISH READING SECTION Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:- 1. The work of the heart can never be interrupted The heart’s job is to keep oxygen rich blood flowing through the body. All the body’s cells need a constant supply of Oxygen, especially those in the brain. The brain cells like only four to five minutes after their oxygen is cut off, and death comes to th entire body. The heart is a specialized muscle that serves as a pump. This pump is divided into four chambers connected by tiny doors called valves. The chambers work to keep the blood flowing round the body in a circle. At the end of each circuit, veins carry the blood to the right atrium, the first of the four chambers 2/5 oxygen by then is used up and it is on its way back to the lung to pick up a fresh supply and to give up the carbon dioxide it has accumulated. From the right atrium the blood flow through the tricuspid valve into the second chamber, the right ventricle. The right ventricle contracts when it is filled, pushing the blood through the pulmonary artery, which leads to the lungs – in the lungs the blood gives up its carbon dioxide and picks up fresh oxygen. Then it travels to the third chamber the left atrium. When this chamber is filled it forces the blood through the valve to the left ventricle. From here it is pushed into a big blood vessel called aorta and sent round the body by way of arteries. Heart disease can result from any damage to the heart muscle, the valves or the pacemaker. If the muscle is damaged, the heart is unable to pump properly. If the valves are damaged blood cannot flow normally and easily from one chamber to another, and if the pacemaker is defective, the contractions of the chambers will become un-coordinated. Until the twentieth century, few doctors dared to touch the heart. In 1953 all this changed after twenty years of work, Dr. John Gibbon in the USA had developed a machine that could take over temporarily from the heart and lungs. Blood could be routed through the machine bypassing the heart so that surgeons could work inside it and see what they were doing. The era of open heart surgery had began. In the operating theatre, it gives surgeons the chance to repair or replace a defective heart. Many parties have had plastic valves inserted in their hearts when their own was faulty. Many people are being kept alive with tiny battery operated pacemakers; none of these repairs could have been made without the heart – lung machine. But valuable as it is to the surgeons, the heart lung machine has certain limitations. It can be used only for a few hours at a time because its pumping gradually damages the bloods cells. Questions: 1. On the basis of your reading of the above passage, make notes using headings and subheadings. Use recognizable abbreviations, wherever necessary. 2. Write a summary of the passage in not more than 80 words using the notes made and also suggest a suitable title. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:- 2. I remember my childhood as being generally happy and can recall experiencing some of the most carefree times of my life. But I can also remember, even more vividly, moments of being deeply frightened. As a child, I was truly -terrified of the dark and getting lost. These fears were very real and caused me some extremely uncomfortable moments. Maybe it was the strange way things looked and sounded in my familiar room at night that scared me so much. There was never total darkness, but a street light or passing car lights made clothes hung over a chair take on the shape of an unknown beast. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw curtains move when there was no breeze. A tiny creak in the floor would sound a hundred times louder than in the daylight and my imagination would take over, creating burglars and monsters. Darkness always made me feel helpless. My heart would pound and I would lie very still so that ‘the enemy’ wouldn’t discover me. Another childhood fear of mine was that I would get lost, especially on the way home from school. Every morning, I got on the school bus right near my home—that was no problem. After school, though, when all the buses were lined up along the curve, I was terrified that I would get on the wrong one and be taken to some unfamiliar neighbourhood. I would scan the bus for the faces of my friends, make sure that the bus driver was the same one that had been there in the morning, and even then ask the others over and over again to be sure I was in the right bus. On school or family trips to an amusement park or a museum, I wouldn’t let the leaders out of my sight. And of course, I was never very adventurous when it came to taking walks or hikes because I would go only where I was sure I would never get lost. Perhaps, one of the worst fears I had as a child was that of not being liked or accepted by others. First of all, I was quite shy. Secondly, I worried constantly about my looks, thinking people wouldn’t like me because I was too fat or wore braces. I tried to wear ‘the right clothes’ and had intense arguments with my mother over the importance of wearing flats instead of saddled shoes to school. Being popular was very important to me then and the fear of not being liked was a powerful one. One of the processes of evolving from a child to an adult is being able to recognise and overcome our fears. I have learnt that darkness does not have to take on a life of its own, that others can help me when I am lost and that friendliness and sincerity will encourage people to like me. Understanding the things that scared us as children helps to cope with our lives as adults. Questions: 1. On the basis of your reading of the above passage, make notes using headings and subheadings. Use recognizable abbreviations, wherever necessary. 2. Write a summary of the passage in not more than 80 words using the notes made and also suggest a suitable title. 3. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: 1. Manali, the very name of the place evokes a strange mountain mystique, stirring the spirit of adventure even in the most laid-back traveller. The view of the snow-clad peaks in and around Manali, at the height of over 7,000 feet above sea level is like a journey into the heavens. Mountain peaks and ridges stand out in bold relief against the skyline. 2. As for tourists, whether domestic or foreign, travelling to Manali and its surronnenSfi areas is an unforgettable experience. Deep purple crevices over sheer cliffs reach down towards the valley. Silver streaks of water glistening in the clear sunlight cascade down the perpendicular slopes. The pinewood trees flank the sides of sheltered ravines and ascend in irregular, unspoilt and undulating formation towards rock-crowned crests. 3. Manali derives its name from ‘Manavalaya’, the abode of Manu. The words ‘Manav” and ‘manushya’ are derived from the root word Manu. Manu was the only survivor of the Mahajalpralay—the great flood—and is said to have fathered the human race. A visit to the temple of Manu is a must. It is the only shrine in the country dedicated to the great Manu Rishi. 4. Manali, apart from tourists who are in for a good holiday, beckons adventure lovers in large numbers every year. In the lap of these mountains, one can be sure to achieve what he or she is looking for, whether it be mountaineering, rock climbing, white water rafting, skiing, hiking, high altitude jeep safari, bicycling, paragliding, hiking or trekking. With all the basic amenities available in Manali, it is the right base camp for any activity. 5. There are many treks which commence from Manali itself but the most popular one is to Beaskund (12177 ft.). Trekkers find it a rewarding destination as it offers much in terms of scenic beauty and nature.