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✨ Chapter 8: Follow That Dream

Verified step-by-step solutions for your class notes.

Q1

I State whether the following sentences are true or false. Share your answers with your classmates and teacher.

  1. Reaching the peak of skill in a field typically demands a focused and intense dedication for about a decade.
  2. The mother believes that significant effort and personal sacrifices are essential for turning aspirations into reality.
  3. The path to achieving the deepest desires has very little difficulty or a few obstacles.
  4. The mother is of the opinion that a person's life goals and hopes can evolve over time.
  5. Having a strong network of individuals can be a hurdle in pursuing one's ambition.
  6. The mother feels that pursuing a major life goal will not involve any financial expense or sacrifice.
  7. For many individuals, their aspirations remain just wishes because they don't move beyond mere daydreaming.
  1. True (The text explicitly mentions that reaching a world-class standard requires at least ten years of single-minded pursuit).
  2. True (The mother states that effort and sacrifice are what differentiate greatness from the ordinary).
  3. False (The text describes the path as an uphill journey that requires negotiating a maze of hurdles).
  4. True (The mother shares from experience that life itself can change a person's dreams).
  5. False (The text points out that a support network is vital, explicitly referencing how Oscar winners thank their groups).
  6. False (The mother advises her daughter to carefully count the costs, including financial investments).
  7. True (The text notes that for many people, dreams remain dreams because they never progress past wishful thinking).
Q2

I Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

1. It starts with a passion for a particular interest, then comes the conviction that it is imperative to realise it. Count the cost in years of effort, financial investments and sacrifice. Then if it is still burning in your blood and you are ready to commit yourself to the task, plunge. It could be in any field—sports, science, arts, business, or design. The road may be uphill most of the way and often you are buoyed up only by the knowledge that you are doing what you love best and are doing the right thing. When stamina is running out, the prospect of success will keep you on track.

  • (i) Complete the analogy with a suitable word from the extract.
    enthusiasm: passion:: belief: ________________
  • (ii) Choose the correct option to complete the following sentence appropriately.
    The author says that a realistic assessment of effort, investment and sacrifice is crucial for preventing ________________.
    A. the need for external support network
    B. an early abandonment of the dream
    C. initial excitement from fading over time
    D. others from questioning one's commitment
  • (iii) Complete the following with the correct option from those given in the brackets.
    The word 'plunge' as used in the extract indicates a ________________ (complete/gradual) involvement in a task.
  • (iv) Complete the sentence with an appropriate reason.
    The author's emphasis on 'when you are doing what you love best and are doing the right thing' works as a form of intrinsic motivation because ________________.
  • (v) Mention one motivating factor besides 'prospect of success', that might keep a person on track, despite running out of stamina.
  • (i) Answer: conviction
  • (ii) Answer: B. an early abandonment of the dream
  • (iii) Answer: complete
  • (iv) Answer: doing something out of pure passion brings internal satisfaction and deep joy, which creates a natural pool of endurance that does not depend on external validation, rewards, or praise.
  • (v) Answer: The deep knowledge and inner reassurance that you are doing what you love best and are doing the right thing.
Q3

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

2. From my own experience, life itself may change a person's dreams. These hopes and aspirations are no less than the original dream of younger days. To fulfil them you will need to negotiate a path through a maze of hurdles. The dream will take a much longer time to realise, and the people who are participants in your dreamscape would be many more.

  • (i) Complete the sentence appropriately.
    The phrase 'life itself may change a person's dreams' suggests that dreams are not static but rather ________________ (evolving/dynamic).
  • (ii) What does the author mean by, 'hopes and aspirations are no less than the original dream of younger days'?
  • (iii) Identify the phrase from the extract that indicates a complex and challenging journey.
  • (iv) Complete the sentence with an appropriate reason.
    The author says, 'people who are participants in your dreamscape would be many more' because ________________.
  • (v) What is the tone of the author in this extract?
    A. appreciative and celebratory
    B. excited and cheerful
    C. optimistic and encouraging
    D. eager and inquisitive
  • (i) Answer: evolving
  • (ii) Answer: The author means that the modified goals and hopes we choose to follow later in life hold the exact same deep value, importance, and validity as the initial dreams of our childhood or youth.
  • (iii) Answer: 'a maze of hurdles'
  • (iv) Answer: as goals evolve with maturity, they naturally branch out into professional collaborations, adult responsibilities, or community projects that involve a much wider circle of people to accomplish.
  • (v) Answer: C. optimistic and encouraging
Q4

(i) The letter begins thus, 'By all means follow that dream'. What do you think Ming must have written to her mother about?

(i) Answer: Ming must have written to her mother expressing a deep, newfound passion or a big ambition for her future career that she wanted to pursue fiercely, looking for her mother's approval, support, and advice.

Q5

(ii) How can one attain an international level of skill in any field? Mention any two ways.

(ii) Answer: One can attain an international level of skill by (a) pursuing the subject singularly and intensively for at least ten years, and (b) investing significant effort, financial resources, and personal sacrifice along an uphill journey.

Q6

(iii) What differentiates the mere dreamers from actual achievers?

(iii) Answer: Mere dreamers settle for wishful thinking, never progress past simple daydreaming, and often trade their dreams for safety or comfort zones. Actual achievers accept a burning conviction, count the true costs in advance, and courageously plunge into action to face a maze of hurdles.

Q7

(iv) How does Ming's mother use critical questions and personal anecdotes to persuade Ming and convey her message effectively?

(iv) Answer: The mother asks critical questions to make Ming evaluate if her goal is worth years of effort and sacrifice. She shares her personal anecdote about taking ten years to publish this collection of letters to serve as an authentic, achievable model of perseverance.

Q8

(v) How does Ming's mother balance encouragement with caution in her advice?

(v) Answer: The mother balances encouragement by telling Ming to go ahead if a burning conviction courses through her veins, but inserts strong caution by warning her about long timelines, heavy financial costs, changing dreams, and unexpected global disruptions like war or family survival duties.

Q9

(vi) In the letter, Ming's mother specifically addresses the challenges people face in pursuing their dreams. Do you think this advice is still relevant in contemporary society? If yes, why? If no, why not?

(vi) Answer: Yes, this advice remains highly relevant today because even though digital platforms allow people to showcase talents much faster, mastering any complex field still requires a major time commitment. Contemporary youth face intense competition, high financial stress, and sudden career market changes where grit and focus are absolutely necessary.

Q10

(vii) What 'costs' in terms of effort, sacrifice, and time are you willing or unwilling to invest to pursue your goals?

  • Willing to invest: I am completely willing to invest long hours of hard work, daily practice, and the sacrifice of short-term comfort to build true skill.
  • Unwilling to invest: I am completely unwilling to sacrifice my physical or mental health metrics, break my core ethical principles, or neglect my family relationships.