ASSIGNMENT (Session: 2021-22)

SUBJECT: ENGLISH CLASS : XI

TOPIC : NOTE MAKING

1. Read the passages given below and answer the questions that follow:

1. Scientists in the USA and Japan are developing a set of smart materials that clean themselves off dirt
and stains besides eliminating foul odours and dangerous bacteria.
2. Exploiting powerful catalytic properties, researchers succeeded in creating tiles, glass, paint, paper
and cloth that can keep themselves sparkling clean.
3. The first item to reach the market, a self-cleaning wall and counter tile, can not only kill bacteria but
also eliminate odours and staining associated with smoke from cooking oils and cigarettes, reports the
journal Technology Review.
4. The key to the self-cleansing world of the future is the interaction between titanium dioxide and
ultraviolet rays from the sun or fluorescent lights. The special properties of titanium dioxide—a
substance used to make paint and tooth-paste white—were first discovered by Tokyo University
chemist Akira Fujishima and Associates in 1969. Their research showed that when exposed to solar
energy, titanium dioxide has the ability to break down water into hydrogen and oxygen.
5. After a quarter-century of observation, scientists now understand that the reaction occurs as titanium
dioxide absorbs ergy from the UV band of sunlight and reacts with water vapour in the air to produce
oxygen molecules. These molecules are energetic enough to break down organic matter into carbon
dioxide and trace elements.
6. “When light shines on the white paint pigment, titanium dioxide, it produces an active form of oxygen
that can burn combustible material at room temperature,” says David Ollis, Professor of Chemical
Engineering at North Carolina State University. “It is a fire without a flame.”
7. Scientists have discovered that titanium dioxide-coated materials can easily remove thin deposits such
as bacteria and fingerprints, though they are unable to break down thick splotches of organic
materials—such as blood stains—because light and oxygen in the air cannot reach the surface where
the reaction occurs.
8. Fujishima says that when titanium-dioxide tiles were used in the operating rooms and bathrooms of
Ako Central Hospital in Ako, Japan, they killed 99.9 per cent of bacteria on their surface. Included
among them were penicillin-resistant Staphylococcus and other germs that can cause secondary
infections among patients.
9. The tiles—marketed by Japan’s Toto Corp under the name NeoClean—remain effective even though
they are coated with a layer of titanium dioxide only one micron thick, about one-fiftieth the diameter
of a human hair. Once the fine layer of compound is permanently affixed—it is commonly sprayed
and then baked onto the tile’s surface— the company says it is resistant to the abrasion of ordinary
scrubbing that might be needed for thicker stains. Moreover, because titanium dioxide acts only as a
catalyst for the photochemical reaction, it theoretically never gets used up.
10. While cleaning time varies with the thickness of the deposit, Adam Heller, a professor of Chemistry at
the University of Texas at Austin, says his experiment shows that titanium dioxide-treated glass
removed fingerprints in about two hours. This glass, versions of which both Heller and Fujishima
have developed, could be made reactive on both sides, making it ideal for everything from sky-scraper
windows to car window glass.
11. The Japanese have tested other titanium dioxide-treated materials as well. Kazuhito Hashimoto, a
chemist at Tokyo University, applied the compound to a porcelain urinal. After a month, the treated
urinal looked sparkling clean while an untreated unit was blotched and yellowed. Elsewhere,
researchers are experimenting to see if the tiles can keep themselves clean on the walls of heavily
polluted car and truck tunnels. And a Japanese paper company is developing windows and partitions
for Japanese houses while a camping equipment manufacturer is testing a self-cleaning tent fabric.
12. But the most promising self-cleaning product is likely to be a wash-itself paint. Both the Texas and the
Tokyo laboratories have demonstrated the self-cleaning capacities of paints containing titanium
dioxide. While they are not saying exactly how they did it, both claims to have overcome an intrinsic
problem in which titanium dioxide breaks down materials that bind pigments in coloured paints.

Make notes of the passage you have read. Use a format you consider suitable. Use recognizable
abbreviations wherever necessary. Supply a suitable title to your notes.

Write a summary of the passage.

2. Read the passage given:

There is nothing more frustrating than when you sit down at your table to study with the sincerest of
intentions and instead of being able to finish the task at hand, you find your thoughts wandering.
However, there are certain techniques that you can use to enhance your concentration. “Your
concentration level depends on a number of factors,” says Samuel Ghosh, a social counsellor. “In
order to develop your concentration span, it is necessary to examine various 2 facets of your physical
and internal environment,” she adds.
To begin with one should attempt to create the physical environment that is conducive to focussed
thought. Whether it is the radio, TV or your noisy neighbours, identify the factors that make it
difficult for you to focus. For instance, if you live in a very noisy neighbourhood, you could try to
plan your study hours in a nearby library.
She disagrees with the notion that people can concentrate or study in an environment with
distractions like a loud television, blaring music etc. “If you are distracted when you are attempting
to focus, your attention and retention powers do not work at optimum levels,” cautions Ghosh. “Not
more than two of your senses should be activated at the same time,” she adds. What that means is
that music that sets your feet tapping is not the ideal accompaniment to your books.
Also do not place your study table or desk in front of a window. “While there is no cure for a mind
that wants to wander, one
should try and provide as little stimulus as possible. Looking out of a window when you are trying to
concentrate will invariably send your mind on a tangent,” says Ghosh.
The second important thing, she says, is to establish goals for oneself instead of setting a general
target and then trying to accomplish what you can in a haphazard fashion. It is very important to
decide what you have to finish in a given span of time. The human mind recognizes fixed goals and
targets and appreciates schedules more than random thoughts. Once your thoughts and goals are in
line, a focussed system will follow.
She recommends that you divide your schedule into study and recreation hours. When you study,
choose a mix of subjects that you enjoy and dislike and save the former for the last so that you have
something to look forward to. For instance, if you enjoy verbal skill tests more than mathematical
problems, then finish Maths first. Not only will you find yourself working harder, you will have a
sense of achievement when you wind up.
Try not to sit for more than 40 minutes at a stretch. Take a very short break to make a cup of tea or
listen to a song and sit down again. Under no circumstances, should one sit for more than one and a
half hours. Short breaks build your concentration and refresh your mind. However, be careful not to
overdo the relaxation. It may have undesired effects.
More than anything else, do not get disheartened. Concentration is merely a matter of disciplining
the mind. It comes with practice and patience and does not take very long to become a habit for life.

(a) On the basis of your reading of the above passage, make notes on it using abbreviations,
wherever necessary. Also suggest a suitable title.

(b) Write a summary of the passage.

3. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:

The term dietary fibres refer collectively to indigestible carbohydrates present in plant foods. The
importance of these dietary fibres came into the picture when it was observed that the people having
diet rich in these fibres, had low incidence of coronary heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome,
dental caries and gall stones.
The foodstuffs rich in these dietary fibres are cereals and grains, legumes, fruits with seeds, citrus
fruits, carrots, cabbage, green leafy vegetables, apples, melons, peaches, pears etc.
These dietary fibres are not digested by the enzymes of the stomach and the small intestine whereas
most of other carbohydrates like starch and sugar are digested and absorbed. The dietary fibres have
the property of holding water and because of it, these get swollen and behave like a sponge as they
pass through the gastrointestinal tract. The fibres add bulk to the diet and increase transit time in the
gut. Some of these fibres may undergo fermentation in the colon.
In recent years, it has been considered essential to have some amount of fibres in the diet. Their
beneficial effects lie in preventing coronary heart disease, and decreasing cholesterol level. The
fibres like gums and pectin are reported to decrease postprandial (after meals) glucose level in the
blood. These types of dietary fibres are recommended for the management of certain types of
diabetes. Recent studies have shown that the fenugreek (Methi) seeds, which contain 40 per cent
gum, are effective in decreasing blood glucose and cholesterol levels as compared to other gum
containing vegetables.
Some dietary fibres increase transit time and decrease the time of release of ingested food in colon.
The diet having less fibres is associated with colon cancer and the dietary fibres may play a role in
decreasing the risk of it.
The dietary fibres hold water so that stools are soft, bulky and readily eliminated. Therefore, high
fibre intake prevents or relieves constipation.
The fibres increase mobility of the small intestine and the colon and by decreasing the transit time
there is less time for exposure of the mucus to harmful toxic substances. Therefore, there is a less
desire to eat and the energy intake can be maintained within the range of requirement. This
phenomenon helps in keeping a check on obesity. Another reason in helping to decrease obesity is
that the high-fibre diets have somewhat lower coefficients of digestibility.
The dietary fibres may have some adverse effects on nutrition by binding some trace metals like
calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and others and therefore preventing their proper absorption.
This may pose a possibility of nutritional deficiency especially when diets contain marginal levels of
mineral elements. This may become important constraints on increasing dietary fibres. It is suggested
that an intake of 40 grams dietary fibres per day is desirable. (Extracted from ‘The Tribune’)

(a) On the basis of your reading of the above passage make notes using recognizable
abbreviations wherever necessary. Also suggest a suitable title.

(b) Write a summary of the passage.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is making a difference to how legal work is done, but it isn’t the threat
it is made out to be. AI is making impressive progress and shaking up things all over the world
today. The assumption that advancements in technology and artificial intelligence will render any
profession defunct is just that, an assumption and a false one. The only purpose this assumption
serves is creating mass panic and hostility towards embracing technology that is meant to make
our lives easier.
Let us understand what this means explicitly for the legal world. The ambit of AI includes
recognizing human speech and objects, making decisions based on data, and translating languages.
Tasks that can be defined as ‘search-and-find’ type can be performed by AI. Introducing AI to this
profession will primarily be for the purpose of automating mundane, tedious tasks that require
negligible human intelligence. The kind of artificial intelligence that is employed by industries in
the current scene, when extended to law will enable quicker services at a lower price. AI is meant
to automate a number of tasks that take up precious working hours lawyers could be devoting to
tasks that require discerning, empathy, and trust- qualities that cannot be replicated by even the
most sophisticated form of AI.
The legal profession is one of the oldest professions in the world. Thriving over a 1000 years,
trust, judgement, and diligence are the pillars of this profession. The most important pillar is the
relationship of trust between a lawyer and clients, which can only be achieved through human
connection and interaction. While artificial intelligence can be useful in scanning and organizing
documents pertaining to a case, it cannot perform higher-level tasks such as sharp decision-
making, relationship-building with valuable clients and writing legal briefs, advising clients, and
appearing in court. These are over and above the realm of computerization. The smooth
proceeding of a case is not possible without sound legal research. While presenting cases lawyers
need to assimilate information in the form of legal research by referring to a number of relevant
cases to find those that will favour their client’s motion. Lawyers are even required to thoroughly
know the opposing stand and supporting legal arguments they can expect to prepare a watertight
defense strategy.
AI, software that operates on natural language enables electronic discovery of information relevant
to a case, contract reviews, and automation generation of legal documents. AI utilizes big-data
analytics which enables visualization of case data. It also allows for creation of a map of the cases
which were cited in previous cases and their resulting verdicts, as per the website Towards Data
Science. The probability of a positive outcome of a case can be predicted by leveraging predictive
analytics with machine learning. This is advantageous to firms as they can determine the return on
investment in litigation and whether an agreement or arbitration should be considered.

(a) On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, make notes on it using headings
and sub-headings. use recognizable abbreviations (where ever necessary-minimum four)
and a format you consider suitable. Also supply in appropriate title to it.

(b) Write a summary of the passage in about 80 words.