Class 11 English Unit 14: Nepoleon Bonaparte Langauge Development Section

 

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Unit 14 Napoleon Bonaparte (page 132)

Reflection of the Text

Napoleon Bonaparte was born in 1769 on the French island of Corsica and was one of fourteen children. He loved to play soldiers with his brothers and was sent to military school to learn how to become a real soldier. Four years later, in 1789, there was a sudden and violent change in France. Poor and middle-class people started a revolution and declared France a republic where all people were to pay taxes according to their wealth.

When the rulers of other European countries heard what happened in France, they thought they too would lose control over their countries. Napoleon was a brilliant officer and was only a part of the revolution. Napoleon was 27 years old when he was made Commander-in-Chief of the French army in Italy. He won victories over the Austrians in eighteen battles and moved his army to Egypt to stop the British trade route to India.

In 1798, his troops in Egypt discovered the Rosetta Stone, an important object that helped people to understand ancient Egyptian writing for the first time. When he returned to France, he was appointed the first consul and declared himself emperor of France. He conquered Austria in 1805 and Prussia in 1806. He reorganized the French government and the Bank of France, built many fine roads and improved the old ones, and improved the laws.

His Napoleonic Code is the foundation of European law, as well as of laws in Central and South America and Quebec in Canada.

Ways with words

A.   Choose the correct meaning of the underlined word.

a.      Many portraits of Napoleon show him with his right hand placed inside his coat.

a.      shapes

b.     hairstyles

c.      sketches

d.     movements

b.     Napoleon won one victory after another, defeating the Austrians in eighteen battles.

a.     beating

b.     joining

c.      fighting

d.     directing

c.      Portrait painters thought this pose made men look more dignified.

a.     good-looking

b.     young

c.      intelligent

d.     energetic

d.     They announced France a republic.

a.     officially declared	b.     put into practice
c.      informally decided	d.     voted into law

e.      Napoleon conquered Austria in 1805.

a.      lost

b.     tried to control

c.      triumphed over

d.     attacked

f.       There was no place to house his soldiers in the bitter Russian winter.

a.      difficult

b.     cold

c.      dark

d.     empty

g.     Napoleon was humiliated when he was defeated.

a.      tortured

b.     punished

c.      confused

d.     shamed

B.    Guess the meanings of these words from the text. Check in your dictionary and make sentences of your own. (Answers)

Violent – causing hurt

Execute – kill somebody as a legal punishment

Ancient – very old

Alliance – a group of countries, political parties

Brilliant – very skilful

Genius – very great and rare natural ability

Consul – an official appointed by a state, and is the representative of his or her 

              state in a foreign city

Invading – entering a country by force with a large number of soldiers to

to take control of it

C.    Look at the compound noun phrase Commander-in-Chief as used in this sentence from the text.

Napoleon was only twenty-seven years old when he was made Commander-in-Chief of the French army in Italy.

D.   Find the meanings of the following noun phrases and use them in sentences.

Noun Phrase	Meaning
a.      Vice-President	an executive officer ranking below a president
b.     Editor-in-chief	the Principal Editor of a publication
c.      Deputy-Mayor	assistant mayor or elective body
d.     Joint-secretary	a post and a rank under the Central Staffing Scheme of Government
e.      Under-secretary	a title for a person who works for and has s lower rank than a secretary
f.       Deputy-Prime Minister	the Deputy Prime Minister presides and chairs the cabinet in the absence of the Prime Minister
g.     Vice-Chancellor	an officer ranking next below a chancellor
h.     Attorney-general	the most important government lawyer
i.       Ex-president	a former president
j.       Sub-editor	a person who checks and makes changes to tests for a newspaper
k.     Co-author	a person who helps the author in writing

Comprehension

Answer these questions.

a.      Where was Napoleon from?

He was from the French island of Corsica, which was not far from the coast of Italy.

b.     Why did poor and middle-class people declare France a republic?

The poor and middle-class people declared France a republic because they were highly taxed by the monarch.

c.      When did Napoleon declare himself emperor of France?

Napoleon declared himself emperor of France in 1804

d.     What did he do when he ruled France?

When he ruled France, he restored law and order. He himself wrote 2281 articles, although he was self-taught in legal matters. He reorganized the French government and the Bank of France. He built many fine and wide roads and changed Paris into a beautiful city with fine bridges, buildings, and monuments.

e.      Which countries did he rule when he was the emperor?

He ruled countries such as Italy, Switzerland, and Germany when he was the emperor.

f.       What was the main cause of his destruction?

The main cause of his destruction was to invade the Russian Armies.

g.     How did his rule as emperor end in Europe?

His rule as emperor ended in Europe when the European countries united their armies against him in the battle.

h.     How could Napoleon have been an even greater ruler?

He could have been an even greater ruler of the world if he had not been driven by his love of power.

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