Rewrite the following sentences according to the instructions given after each. Make necessary changes but do not change the meaning of the sentence.
a.    Australia is not as large as Africa. (Use ‘larger than’)
b.    No other English playwright is as great as Shakespeare. (Use ‘the greatest’)
b.    The ant is the most hardworking insect. (Use’ as hardworking as’)
d.    The Eiffel Tower is the most famous monument in France. (Use’ older than’)
e.    Few other statues in the world are as old as the Sphinx. (Use ‘Older than’)
f.     Monaco is one of the smallest countries in the world. (use ‘as small as’)

Read the sentences given below and introduce colons in the correct places. Make other changes wherever necessary.
a.    I have to get the following from the farmer’s market in the next town – vegetables, fruits,
        some pulses and some fish.
b.    The Newspaper had an important headline today. It said ‘A New and Interesting Excavation
        by the Archaeology Department of the Government.’
c.     The coach shouted, ‘Get it, Skipper!’
d.    The film review committee now includes the following people as its members – the president
        of the club, an ace director from within the industry, the famous producer, A.K. Chhetri and
        the famous actress form yesteryears, Shantibala.
e.    Alexander Graham Bell said, ‘Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.’
f.     Captain It is luck that you yourself were saved.
        Viola O my poor brother! and so lucky may he be.
        Captain True, madam: and, to comfort you with chance,
        Assure yourself, after our ship did split,
        I saw him stay afloat on the waves
        So long as I could see.
g.    These  are three pedals in a car the clutch for changing gears, the accelerator for controlling
        speed and the brake for stopping the vehicle.

You went on a week-long visit to your uncle and aunt who live in a different city. They have several pets. Write a letter to your friend describing your experiences during the visit.

“But I have no intention of getting used to him.”
“How exasperating you are!” grumbled grandmother. “Lock the creature in the bathroom, go back to the bazaar and find the man you bought it from, and get him to come and take it back.”

a. Why was grandmother unwilling to adapt herself to the presence of the python?
b. What does grandmother’s command to grandfather signify about her attitude towards the python?
c. How does the interaction between the grandparents about the python reveal their differences in outlook and decision-making?

Which family member spotted the python on the dressing table? What was it doing?

Why do you think the python was attracted to its own reflection in the mirror? What does this irony convey about vanity and self-love?

What was Grandmother’s reaction on seeing the python?

Who arrived at the narrator’s grandparents’ home, shortly?

Where did the guest first see the python?

‘He’s gone,’ announced Grandfather. ‘He must have felt hungry.’

a. Who is being referred to in these lines?
b. Where did he go away from? How?
c. What was the narrator’s response to this? What did he mean?

After this incident, the python began to make a series of appearances, often in the most unexpected places.

a. After which incident did the python start making regular appearances?
b. What were some of these ‘unexpected places’?
c. Who was the most affected by the python’s visits? How did this person react to these visits?

He set about preparing a large cage with a mirror at one end. In the cage, he left a juicy chicken and various other delicacies and fitted up the opening with a trapdoor.

a. Why began to make this cage, and for whom?
b. Why was this cage being prepared?
c. Why were such elaborate arrangements being made while preparing the cage? What does this say about whoever was expected to enter the cage?

Describe Aunt Mabel’s reaction when she first saw the python.

Why do you think Grandfather only made half-hearted attempts to get the python out of the house?

What about the python was concluded to be its ‘weakness’?

The author says that his grandmother drew the line at snakes being brought to the house. Having read the story, do you believe that Grandmother was unkind to snakes or to the particular snake that Grandfather brought to the house?

Both the narrator and his grandfather love animals. Have you ever cared for an animal or a bid? Describe your experience.

Extended Writing: Do you think Grandfather was fond of the python? Give instances from the text to support your answer.