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6. Why is the Englishman’s visit referred to as unexplained mystery? Ans: The Englishman’s visit to the Gemini Studios is referred to as an unexplained mystery because no one could decipher his identity, whether he was a poet or an editor. Besides, when he spoke no one at the studio understood what he intended to say as his accent was beyond their comprehension.
1. Who was the English visitor to the studios? Ans: The English visitor to the Gemini Studios was Stephen Spender. He was the editor of The Encounter, a British Periodical, and a famous English poet, essayist and novelist of the twentieth century.
2. How did the author discover who the English visitor to the studios was? Ans: Before investing money in participating in a short story contest organised by an English periodical The Encounter, the author did a research on the magazine. He went to the British Council Library where, while going through an issue of that periodical, he discovered that its editor was Stephen Spender, the poet that had once visited the studio.
3. What does ‘The God that Failed’ refer to? Ans: ‘The God That Failed’ was a compilation of six essays written by six eminent writers, namely, Andre Gide, Richard Wright, Ignazio Silone, Arthur Koestler, Louis Fischer and Stephen Spender. In each of the essays, the respective writers described “their journeys into Communism and their disillusioned return”.
1. The author has used gentle humour to point out human foibles. Pick out instances of this to show how this serves to make the piece interesting. Ans: The instances of humour, used by the author, mark the eccentricities and idiosyncrasies without making any direct and rude comment on anybody. For instance, the author portrays the make-up artists and the usage of the pancakes in an interesting way. Even the caricature of Subbu is hilarious. The way he tries to help his principal by offering quick solutions to his problems is quite amusing. The episode of the legal adviser that inadvertently causes the end of an actress’s career is yet another example. The frustration of the office boy, the superficial praising of Gandhi, hatred of Communism and the ‘mystery’ surrounding Stephen Spender are some of the instances where the author has incorporated gentle humour. 
2. Why was Kothamangalam Subbu considered No. 2 in Gemini Studios? Ans: Kothamangalam Subbu succeeded in securing the place closest to The Boss by means of flattery. He was not brilliant but a rather cheerful person and exceedingly loyal to The Boss. He offered solutions whenever The Boss was in a fix. Thus, the other employees considered him No.2 in Gemini Studios.
3. How does the author describe the incongruity of an English poet addressing the audience at Gemini Studios? Ans: The English poet was addressing the Tamil audience at Gemini Studios in English with a typical provincial accent. He was talking about the thrills and travails of an English poet to a dazed and silent audience. This was the incongruity because his audience could not understand him at all .

Q. 4. Why is phytoplankton necessary for the survival of biodiversity in Antarctica?

Ans – Phytoplankton necessary for the survival of biodiversity in Antarctica because it nourishes and sustains the entire southern food chain. It is responsible for the lives of water animals, birds of the region and global carbon cycle.

Q 7. Why does the author think that Antarctica is the right place to study the human race past the present and future?

Ans – The author thinks that Antarctica is the right place to study the human race past the present and future because there is no human population that’s why it is completely pure. World geological history is trapped here. There are no trees and human markers.

Q 8. Describe the Antarctica atmosphere as experienced by the author.

Ans – Antarctica is the coldest, driest and windiest in the world. About 90 percent of the earth’s total ice is here. A little change in the environment here can have a big effect. Here the ecosystem is very simple. In Antarctica no human markers, no trees, no buildings, etc.

Q 9. “The world geological history is trapped in Antarctica”. How the study of this region useful to us?

Ans – The study of Antarctica is useful to us. It holds in its ice cores half million-year-old carbon records trapped in its layer of ice. It existed when there were no human beings. Thousand of species flora and fauna flourished here. It was the center of the Gondwana Supercontinent

1. Have you ever visited or seen an elementary school in a slum? What does it look like? Answer: Yes, I have visited an elementary school in a slum. The school was in a pitiful state. Its dingy and neglected classrooms were devoid of even basic amenities like fans and lights. Every single window was broken and bore marks of rust. How the students in the classroom dealt with the outside noise or the winters was anybody’s guess. The ceilings too were full of cobwebs. The furniture was broken and almost unusable. The walls of the classrooms were as shabby, malnourished and disinterested as the students sitting in their enclosures. Even the teachers seemed to have lost their concern both for the students and their education. Moreover, I was shocked to know that the usage of toilets was restricted to the school staff.