Month: July 2022

JAC Board Class 10th English Solutions First Flight Chapter 10 The Sermon at Benares.

JAC Class 10th English The Sermon at Benares Textbook Questions and Answers

Before You Read (Page – 133)

Activity

Use a dictionary or ask for your teacher’s help as you discuss the following questions in groups.

Question 1.
What is a sermon? Is it different from a lecture or a talk? Can this word also be used in a negative way or as a joke (as in “my mother’s sermon about getting my work done on time…”)?
Answer:
Sermon is mainly a talk or a speech given by a priest on religious or moral subject. It is totally different from a lecture or a talk. No, this word can’t be used in a negative way or as a joke.

Question 2.
Find out the meanings of the words and phrases given in the box.
alllicted with be composed desolation
lamentation procure be subject to
Answer:

1. afflicted with – cause pain or suffering
2. desolation – sorrow, sadness
3. be composed – calm
4. procure – to obtain
5. lamentation – mourning
6. be subject to – determined to, liable to

Question 3.
Have you heard of the Sermon on the Mount? Who delivered it? Who do you think delivered a sermon at Benares?
Answer:
Yes, I have heard about the, ‘Sermon on the Mount’. Jesus Christ delivered the Sermon on the Mount. Gautam Buddha delivered a Sermon at Benares.

Thinking about the Text

Question 1.
When her son dies, Kisa Gotami goes from house to house. What does she ask for? Does she get it? Why not?
Answer:
When Kisa Gotami’s son dies, she goes from house to house to get some medicine that would cure her child. No, she does not get it. Because her child died and no medicine can cure a dead person.

Question 2.
Kisa Gotami again goes from house to house after she speaks with the Buddha. What does she ask for, the second time around? Does she get it? Why not?
Answer:
Kisa Gotami goes from house to house to get a handful of mustard seeds from a house where no one has lost a child, husband, parent, or friend. But, she does not get it. Because there was not a single house where no one had died in the family.

Question 3.
What does Kisa Gotami understand the second time that she failed to understand the first time? Was this what the Buddha wanted her to understand?
Answer:
Kisa Gotami understands the second time that death is common to all. It is bound to happen. It is inevitable. Nobody can deny this fact. There is no house where someone has not died. This was what the Buddha wanted her to understand.

Question 4.
Why do you think Kisa Gotami understood this only the second time? In what way did the Buddha change her understanding?
Answer:
Kisa Gotami understood that death is common to all. She understood this only the second time because it was then that she found that there was not a single house where some beloved had not died. Firstly, she was only thinking about her grief. That is why she was asking for a medicine that would cure her son. When she met the Buddha, he asked her to get a handful of mustard seeds from a house where no one had died.

He did this intentionally to make her realize that there was not a single house where no body had died. Death is inevitable. Second time, when she went to all the houses she felt depressed that she could not gather the mustard seeds. Ultimately, she realized that the fate of men is such that they live and die. It is the natural course of life. Death is common to all. This is what the Buddha had intended her to understand.

Question 5.
How do you usually understand the idea of ‘selfishness’? Do you agree with Kisa Gotami that she was being ‘selfish in her grief’?
Answer:
‘Selfishness’ means being concerned only about one’s own interests without caring for others. Yes, it can be said that Kisa Gotami is ‘selfish in her grief’. She was so grieved at her son’s death that she was not able to understand that death is something that strikes all beings. If we take the usual sense of the word ‘selfish’, then calling Kisa Gotami selfish would be inappropriate, because every person becomes selfish in his/her grief.

Thinking about Language

I. This text is written in an old-fashioned style, for it reports an incident more than two millennia old. Look for the following words and phrases in the text, and try to rephrase them in more current language, based on how you understand them.
1. give thee medicine for thy child
2. Pray tell me
3. Kisa repaired to the Buddha
4. there was no house but someone had died in it
5. kinsmen
6. Mark!
Answer:

1. give you medicine for your child
2. Please tell me
3. Kisa went to the Buddha
4. there was no house where no one had died
5. relatives
6. Listen!

II. You know that we can combine sentences using words like and, or, but, yet and then. But sometimes no such word seems appropriate. In such a case we can use a semicolon (;) or a dash (—) to combine two clauses.

She has no interest in music; I doubt she will become a singer like her mother. The second clause here gives the speaker’s opinion on the first clause. Here is a sentence from the text that uses semicolons to combine clauses. Break up the sentence into three simple sentences. Can you then say which has a better rhythm when you read it, the single sentence using semicolons, or the three simple sentences? For there is not any means by which those who have been born can avoid dying; after reaching old age there is death; of such a nature are living beings.
Answer:
The single sentence using semicolons has a better rhythm. This is because the three parts of the sentence are connected to each other in their meanings. The second clause gives further information on the first clause. The third clause is directly related to both the first and the second. Their meanings are better conveyed when they are joined by semicolons.

Speaking

The Buddha’s sermon is over 2500 years old. Given below are two recent texts on the topic of grief. Read the texts, comparing them with each other and with the Buddha’s sermon. Do you think the Buddha’s ideas and way of teaching continue to hold meaning for us? Or have we found better ways to deal with grief? Discuss this in groups or in class.

I. A Guide to Coping with the Death of a Loved One

Martha is having difficulty sleeping lately and no longer enjoys doing things with her friends. Martha lost her husband of 26 years to cancer a month ago. Anya, age 17, doesn’t feel like eating and spends the days in her room crying. Her grandmother recently died. Both of these individuals are experiencing grief. Grief is an emotion natural to all types of loss or significant change.

Feelings of Grief

Although grief is unique and personal, a broad range of feelings and behaviours are commonly experienced after the death of a loved one.

1. Sadness. This is the most common, and it is not necessarily manifested by crying.
2. Anger. This is one of the most confusing feelings for a survivor. There may be frustration at not being able to prevent the death, and a sense of not being able to exist without the loved one.
3. Guilt and Self – reproach. People may believe that they were not kind enough or caring enough to the person who died, or that the person should have seen the doctor sooner.
4. Anxiety. An individual may fear that she/he won’t be able to care for herself/himself.
5. Loneliness. There are reminders throughout the day that a partner, family member or friend is gone. For example, meals are no longer prepared the same way, phone calls to share a special moment don’t happen.
6. Fatigue. There is an overall sense of feeling tired.
7. Disbelief. This occurs particularly if it was a sudden death.

Helping Others Who Are Experiencing Grief

When a friend, loved one, or co – worker is experiencing grief how can we help? It helps to understand that grief is expressed through a variety of behaviours. Reach out to others in their grief, but  understand that some may not want to accept help and will not share their grief. Others will want to talk about their thoughts and feelings or reminisce. Be patient and let the grieving person know that you care and are there to support him or her.

II. Good Grief Amitai Etzioni

Soon after my wife died her car slid off an icy road in 1985 a school psychologist warned me that my children and I were not mourning in the right way. We felt angry; the proper first stage, he said, is denial. In late August this year, my 38-year-old son, Michael, died suddenly in his sleep, leaving behind a 2 – year – old son and a wife expecting their next child. There is no set form for grief, and no ‘right’ way to express it. There seems to be an expectation that, after a great loss, we will progress systematically through the well-known stages of grief. It is wrong, we are told, to jump to anger or to wallow too long in this stage before moving towards acceptance. But I was, and am, angry.

To make parents bury their children is wrong; to have both my wife and son taken from me, for forever and a day, is cruel beyond words. A relative from Jerusalem, who is a psychiatrist, brought some solace by citing the maxim: ‘We are not to ask why, but what.’ The ‘what’ is that which survivors in grief are bound to do for one another. Following that advice, my family, close friends and I keep busy, calling each other and giving long answers to simple questions like, “How did your day go today?” We try to avoid thinking about either the immediate past or the bereft future. We take turns playing with Max, Michael’s two – year – old son. Friends spend nights with the young widow, and will be among those holding her hand when the baby is born. Focusing on what we do for one another is the only consolation we can find.
Answer:
The paragraphs mentioned above deal with grief. It is mainly felt after the loss of the near and dear ones. So far Buddha’s ideas and way of teaching are concerned they have meaning for us.

Writing

Write a page (about three paragraphs) on one of the following topics. You can think about the ideas in the text that are relevant to these topics, and add your own ideas and experiences to them.
Question 1.
Teaching someone to understand a new or difficult idea.
Answer:
To teach someone a new or difficult idea is really a tedious task. Because people are preoccupied with preconceived notions. To do this, the new concept should be simplified to keep into their mind. The concept should be repeated in their mind. Because the more they hear it, the better they understand it. Only teachers should not be delivered to students. But they should be taught through problem – solving or discussion among teachers and students. It should be elaborately explained so that new ideas can be taught. This way teaching someone to understand a new or difficult idea will become more easier.

Question 2.
Helping each other to get over difficult times.
Answer:
Being human beings, it is our moral duty to help others in difficult times. If someone is in difficulty, he must be helped. Human life is full of problems and difficulties. If we have to live in society, we also need the cooperation of others. If we seek other’s help then we should also help them in adverse circumstances. Human beings can’t live alone. Difficulty may be of any kind. It might be difficulty of money, health related, study, marriage, etc. At each and every stage of life, it should be solved through cooperation.

Question 3.
Thinking about oneself as unique, or as one among billions of others.
Answer:
Each individual considers himself to be unique. He always tries to differentiate himself from others. In the crowd of millions, he always tries to think about himself unique. It is a common phenomenon of human being. But, it shows his arrogant nature and feeling of pride. But it also varies from person to person. If someone is a very important person even then he mixes up with common people. But if someone has a unique idea then that will certainly create an effect on the people. It will mould his understanding.

JAC Class 10th English The Sermon at Benares Important Questions and Answers

I. Short Answer Type Questions (20 – 30 words & 2 marks each)

Question 1.
Who was Gautam Buddha? Write in few lines about his early life.
Answer:
Gautam Buddha was a prince. He was named Siddhartha Gautam by his parents. He was bom in 563 B.C. in North India. He was sent away for schooling when he was twelve years old but four years later he got married to a princess.

Question 2.
Which people did the Buddha call ‘wise’ in his sermons?
Answer:
Buddha said that everyone is subject to death. The world is afflicted with death and decay. But the ones who do no lament and grieve knowing the terms of the world, are wise.

Question 3.
Which two values are depicted in the statement, ‘To seek peace one has to draw out the arrow of lamentation’?
Answer:
The above statement depicts that no lamentation can bring back someone dear to life. Lamenting tells upon one’s health. One becomes sick and pale and may lose appetite and interest in life.

Question 4.
Why was Kisa Gotami sad? What did she do in her hour of grief?
Answer:
Kisa Gotami w as sad because her only son had died. In her hour of grief, she went from house to house in search of medicine to cure her son.

Question 5.
What did the Buddha want Kisa Gotami to understand?
Answer:
Buddha wanted Kisa Gotami to understand that death is common to all. Death is permanent. It is bound to happen. No one can avoid dying. No one can save their kith and kin. So, this reality must be accepted at all costs.

Question 6.
What does the Buddha say about the world?
Answer:
The Buddha says that everything in this world is subject to death. He further says that the world is deeply affected by suffering, disease or pain. Death is inevitable. Nobody can escape from it.

II. Short Answer Type Questions (40 – 50 words & 3 marks each)

Question 1.
Which inanimate object did Kisa Gotami compare human life? Why?
Answer:
Kisa Gotami compared human life to the lights of the city, which flickered up and extinguished again and at last the darkness of the night reigned everywhere. Similarly the life and fate of humans flicker up and are extinguished again. She did so because she realised that death was common to all and she was being selfish in her own grief.

Question 2.
How did Siddhartha become the Buddha?
Answer:
Siddhartha at the age of 25 confronted a sick man, an aged man, a funeral procession and finally a monk begging for alms. These sights moved him so much that he at once went out into the world to seek enlightenment concerning the sorrows he had witnessed. He wandered for seven years and finally sat down under a peepal tree, where he gained enlightenment. After seven days of enlightenment, he renamed the tree to Bodhi Tree and began to teach and share his new understanding. At that point he became known as Buddha.

Question 3.
Why did Prince Siddhartha leave the palace and become a beggar?
Answer:
One day while hunting, Prince Siddhartha saw a sick man, an aged man, then a funeral procession and a monk begging for alms. These sights of humans’ suffering moved him so much that he left the palace to seek enlightenment.

Question 4.
Which incidents prompted Prince Siddhartha to become a monk?
Answer:
Once Prince Siddhartha had gone for hunting where he came across a sick man, an aged man, a monk asking for alms and also saw a funeral procession. He was unable to understand these sufferings. Seeing this, he got perturbed. After wandering hither and thither, he went in search of spiritual knowledge.

Question 5.
What did Kisa Gotami learn in the end?
Answer:
In the end, Kisa Gotami learnt that death is common to all. No one can deny this fact. People weep over their dead ones but it is only the wise who do not grieve as they have accepted the truth. A person should only try to seek inner peace.

Question 6.
How did Buddha teach Kisa Gotami the truth of life?
Answer:
Kisa Gotami was totally dejected by the death of her only son. She wandered from door to door to save the life of her son. She ultimately went to the Buddha, who asked her to bring a handful of mustard seeds. This raised a hope in Gotami’s heart that her son could be revived. But the Buddha imposed a condition. He told that the seeds should be from a house where people had not lost a loved one to death. It made Kisa Gotami realize the bitter truth of life. Sorrows are a part and parcel of life. It can never be denied.

III. Long Answer Type Questions (100 – 120 words & 5 marks each)

Question 1.
Life is full of trials and tribulations. Kisa Gotami also passes through a period of grief in her life. How does she behave in those circumstances?
Answer:
Kisa Gotami was very sad losing her only child. She carried her dead child to her neighbours in order to get medicine to bring him back to life. Her neighbours thought that she had gone insane as she was not able to accept the fact. It was at that time when someone suggested her to go to Sakyamuni, the Buddha. When she asked the Buddha to give her the medicine to cure her boy, the Buddha told her to fetch a handful of mustard-seed from a house where no one had lost a child, a husband, parent or friend. She went from door to door of people’s houses but didn’t find a single house where no one had died. Observing this, she chanced upon a realisation that death is an inevitable part of life and anyone who is bom is bound to die one day. Thus, the Buddha changed her understanding of death by this exercise.

Question 2.
“The life of mortals in this world is troubled and brief and combined with pain .” With this statement of the Buddha, find out the moral values that Kisa Gotami learnt after the death of her child.
Answer:
After the death of her only son, Kisa Gotami went to the Buddha. Firstly, she went to every neighbour, asking for medicine for her dead son. She had lost all her senses. She forgot that no medicine could bring back the dead. Then she went to Buddha for making his son alive. Buddha asked her to bring a handful of mustard seeds from a house where no death had occurred. But she couldn’t find such a house. The Buddha made her realise that death is common to all. It also shows the detachment from mundane life. Only grieving cannot bring peace of mind.

Question 3.
At about the age of twenty-five, the prince there shielded from the sufferings of the world, while out hunting, chanced upon a sick man, then an aged man, then a funeral procession, and finally a monk begging for alms. These sights so moved him that he at once went out into the world to seek enlightenment concerning the sorrows he had witnessed.
On the basis of the above passage, explain why Buddha was so moved that he went out to seek enlightenment.
Answer:
Gautam Budha belonged to a princely state. He was sent for schooling by his parents at the age of twelve. After returning from there, he married a princess and was blessed with a son. But he was not meant for the worldly affairs. At the age of twenty-five, he went out for hunting. He saw a sick man, then an old man, funeral procession and finally a monk begging for alms, seeing such things, he was moved. These sights frustrated.

He was much thrilled seeing such a situation. He got frustrated and went out into the world to seek enlightenment. It was his opinion that all things are worthless in this world. Through this, we come to the conclusion that such sufferings are the part and parcel of this world. If someone is bom, he will certainly die one day. If someone is healthy, he will certainly be sick one day. If someone is young, he will certainly be old one day. These are the bare truths of life. One must accept these realities.

Question 4.
The Buddha answered, “I want a handful of mustard seed.” And when the girl in her joy promised to procure it, the Buddha added. “The mustard – seed must be taken from a house where no one has lost a child – husband, parent or friend.” On the basis of the passage, discuss the context in which the following has been written.
Answer:
Kisa Gotami had lost her child. But she did not want to accept this reality. So, taking her son, she went out from her home in her neighbourhood to find medicine that could cure her son. Although their neighbours tried to convince her a lot, she did not get convinced. At this she was advised to go to the Buddha who would tell her about the medicine to cure her son. When she reached to the Buddha, he told her to bring a handful of mustard seed. She considered it an easy task.

She was very happy. The Buddha told her to do so but with the condition that the mustard seed must be taken from a house where no one has lost a child, parent, husband or a friend. Hearing this, she became awestruck because there is no family in this world where not even a single man has not died. It is a universal truth that if someone has come on this earth, he will certainly die. Nobody can deny this phenomenon. Birth and death are the part and parcel of this world and everyone should accept this reality.

Reference To Context

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:

Question 1.
GAUTAMA Buddha (563 B.C.- 483 B.C.) began life as a prince named Siddhartha Gautama, in northern India. At twelve, he was sent away for schooling in the Hindu sacred scriptures and four years later he returned home to marry a princess. They had a son and lived for ten years as befitted royalty. At about the age of twenty-five, the Prince, heretofore shielded from the man, then a funeral procession, and finally a monk begging for alms. These sights so moved him that he at once went out into the world to seek enlightenment concerning the sorrows he had witnessed.

Choose the correct option:
(a) Where did Gautama Buddha begin his life as a prince?
(i) In southern India
(ii) In western India
(iii) In northern India
(iv) In eastern India
Answer:
(iii) In northern India

(b) At what age was Gautama sent away for schooling?
(i) Ten
(ii) Twelve
(iii) Thirteen
(iv) Fifteen
Answer:
(ii) Twelve

(e) After four years, Gautama returned to marry a princess.
(i) home
(ii) Patliputra
(iii) Kathmandu
(iv) nowhere
Answer:
(i) home

(d) What did move Gautama when he went out hunting?
(i) A sick and aged man
(ii) A funeral procession
(iii) A monk begging for alms
(iv) All of these
Answer:
(iv) All of these

(e) Find out a word from the passage similar in meaning to ‘protected’.
(i) exposed
(ii) shielded
(iii) vulnerable
(iv) unsecured
Answer:
(ii) shielded

Question 2.
He wandered for seven years and finally sat down under a peepal tree, where he vowed to stay until enlightenment came. Enlightened after seven days, he renamed the tree the Bodhi Tree (Tree of Wisdom) and began to teach and to share his new understandings. At that point he became known as the Buddha (the Awakened or the Enlightened). The Buddha preached his first sermon at the city of Benares, most holy of the dipping places on the River Ganges; that sermon has been preserved and is given here. It reflects the Buddha’s wisdom about one inscrutable kind of suffering.

Choose the correct option:
(a) What does ‘Buddha’ mean?
(i) The Enlightened
(ii) Illiterate
(iii) Uncivilised
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(i) The Enlightened

(b) Where did Buddha preach his first sermon?
(i) Gaya
(ii) Allahabad
(iii) Benares
(iv) Patna
Answer:
(iii) Benares

(c) Gatam Buddha sat down under the …………. enlightenment. tree until he attained
(i) Mango
(ii) Peepal
(iii) Banyan
(iv) Eucalyptus
Answer:
(ii) Peepal

(d) For how many years did Gautam Buddha wander?
(i) Three years
(ii) Four years
(iii) Five years
(iv) Seven years
Answer:
(iv) Seven years

(e) Find out a word from the passage similar in meaning to ‘conserved.’
(i) ignored
(ii) hurt
(iii) preserved
(iv) skip
Answer:
(iii) preserved

Question 3.
Poor Kisa Gotami now went from house to house, and the people pitied her and said, “Here is mustard seed; take it!” But
when she asked, “Did a son or daughter, a father or mother, die in your family?” they answered her, “Alas! the living are few, but the dead are many. Do not remind us of our deepest grief.” And there was no house but some beloved one had died in it.

Choose the correct option:
(a) Who went from house to house?
(i) Kisa Gotami
(ii) Gautama Buddha
(iii) Buddha’s son
(iv) All of these
Answer:
(i) Kisa Gotami

(b) What did Kisa Gotami demand from the people?
(i) Water
(ii) Mustard seed
(iii) Lemon
(iv) Grains
Answer:
(ii) Mustard seed

(c) The living are few, but the are many.
(i) alive
(ii) worst
(iii) dead
(iv) none of these
Answer:
(iii) dead

(d) What did the people tell Kisa Gotami?
(i) Not to remind of their deepest grief
(ii) Only to remind of their deepest grief
(iii) Not to remind of their childhood days
(iv) Not to remind of their old days
Answer:
(i) Not to remind of their deepest grief

(e) Find out a word from the passage opposite in meaning to ‘remind’.
(i) recall
(ii) caution
(iii) cite
(iv) forget
Answer:
(iv) forget

Question 4.
Kisa Gotami became weary and hopeless, and sat down at the wayside watching the lights of the city, as they flickered up and were extinguished again. At last the darkness of the night reigned everywhere. And she considered the fate of men, that their lives flicker up and are extinguished again. And she thought to herself, “How selfish am I in my grief. Death is common to all; yet in this valley of desolation there is a path that leads him to immortality who has surrendered all selfishness.”

Choose the correct option:
(a) What did Kisa Gotami watch at the wayside?
(i) The movement of the people
(ii) The lights of the city
(iii) The activities of small children
(iv) The working style of people
Answer:
(ii) The lights of the city

(b) What is common to all, according to the passage?
(i) Death
(ii) Life
(iii) Education
(iv) Habits
Answer:
(i) Death

(c) Kisa Gotami became and
(i) tired, sad
(ii) weary, hopeless
(iii) shy, unhappy
(iv) happy, hopeful
Answer:
(ii) weary, hopeless

(d) What reigned everywhere?
(i) Darkness of the night
(ii) Light of the day
(iii) Disappointment of life
(iv) All of these
Answer:
(i) Darkness of the night

(e) Find out a word from the passage opposite in meaning to ‘hopeful.’
(i) happy
(ii) eager
(iii) content
(iv) hopeless
Answer:
(iv) hopeless

The Sermon at Benares Summary

The Sermon at Benares About the Author

Betty Renshaw was bom on October 2, 1921 in Shannon, Mississippi. “ Values and Voices: A College Reader” is her important work.

The Sermon at Benares Gist of the Lesson
In the story, ‘ The Sermon at Benares’, the author has presented an account of the journey of Gautam Buddha. While on hunting, Buddha saw a sickman, an old man, a funeral procession and a man begging for alms. These sights moved him much. He was so moved that he went into the world to seek enlightenment.

He attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya. The Buddha preached his first sermon at Benares. A lady named, Kisa Gotami, was grieving over the death of her son. She carried the dead child to all her neighbours asking them for medicine. She needed the medicine that could cure her. Then a man advised her to go to Sakyamuni, the Buddha. The Buddha told her to bring a handful of mustard seed.

But it must be taken from that house where no one had lost a child, husband, parent or friend. Kisa Gotami went from house to house. But she could not find the house where no one had died. She got tired and helpless. This way she knew that the lives of mortals in this world are troubled and grieved. Mortals are always in danger of death. It is inevitable. The world is full of pain and suffering. It is afflicted with death and decay.

The Sermon at Benares Summary

1. Early life of Gautam Buddha: Siddhartha Gautama was a prince of north India. When he was twelve years-old, he was sent away for schooling. After four years, he was married to a princess. He was blessed with a son. Moved by the sufferings of the world: Gautam Buddha was moved by the sufferings of the world. While on hunting, he saw a sick man, an aged man, a funeral procession and a monk begging for alms. These sights moved him.

2. To seek enlightenment: He was so much moved by these sufferings that he went out into the world to seek enlightenment. After wandering for seven years, he sat under a peepal tree and stayed there until he got enlightenment. He got enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree (Tree of Wisdom) and shared his teachings among the people. Now, he was known as the Buddha. He preached his first sermon in Benares on the bank of the River Ganges.

3. The story of Kisa Gotami: Kisa Gotami had only one son. He died. After his death, she took her son to her neighbours and asked them for medicine that could cure him. Although they told her that the boy was dead even then she did not adhere to.

4. A handful of mustard seed: Kisa Gotami went to the Buddha and told him to give medicine to cure her son. The Buddha told her to bring a handful of mustard seed. But the seed must be taken from a house where no one had lost a child, husband, parent or friend. She went from house to house but did not get such house where no one had died.

5. Gotami became hopeless: After this, Gotami became weary and hopeless. She sat down at the wayside and watched the lights of the city. The light flickered up and extinguished again. This thing gave her a good lesson. Now she understood the fact that Death is common to all.

6. Buddha’s spirituality: The Buddha told that the life of mortals in this world is troubled and painful. No body can deny death. All are subject to death whether they are young or adult, fool or wise.

7. Terms of the world: The world is afflicted with death and decay. The wise people know the terms of the world. So, they do not grieve on the death of anyone. We can’t obtain the peace of mind by weeping or grieving. Those who have become composed will obtain peace of mind.

The Sermon at Benares Lesson at a Glance

1. This lesson gives a vivid account of the life of Gautam Buddha.
2. Gautam Buddha (563 BC – 483 BC) was bom in a royal family as Siddhartha Gautama in northern India.
3. He was sent for schooling when he was twelve-years old.
4. After four years, he was married to a princess.
5. At the age of twenty-five, he was deeply shaken by the sufferings of the world.
6. While he was hunting, he saw a sick man, an aged man, a funeral procession and a monk begging for alms. He was completely moved by these sights.
7. He was so much moved with this that he went out into the world to seek enlightenment.
8. After wandering for seven years, he sat down under a peepal tree to seek enlightenment.
9. This tree was named as the Bodhi Tree (Tree of Wisdom).
10. He also came to be known as the Buddha (the Enlightened).
11. He preached his first sermon at Benares.
12. Once a woman, named Kisa Gotami came to him requesting to bring her dead son to life.
13. She went from house to house to get medicine to cure her child. But nobody could give her the
    medicine.
14. On the advise of people, she met Buddha and told her misery.
15. The Buddha told her to bring a handful of mustard seed but with the condition that the mustard seed must be taken from a house where no one had lost his near and dear ones, child, husband, parent or friend.
16. Kisa Gotami went from house to house but did not get the family like that where no one had died. At this she became weary and hopeless.
17. After this she could be able to understand that death is common to all.
18. According to Buddha, the life of mortals in this world is troubled, brief and combined with pain.
19. Mortals when bom are always in danger of death.
20. All people whether fool or wise are subject to death.
21. This world is affliced with death and decay. The wise people do not grieve knowing the terms of the world.

The Sermon at Benares Character Sketch

Gautam Buddha: Gautam Buddha was a prince. He was bom is 563 B.C. He studied Hindu sacred scriptures. When he was 25 years old, he saw a sick man, an aged man, a funeral procession, and a monk begging for alms. Seeing this, he was totally moved. He left the luxuries of the world and wandered hither to thether. After seven years, he meditated under a peepal tree at Bodh Gaya and got enlightenment. It was the Tree of Wisdom. He preached his first sermon at Benares.

The Sermon at Benares Word – Meanings

Word	Meaning	Word	Meaning
sermon	religious or moral talk	sacred	holy, spiritual
scriptures	sacred text	befitted	appropriate
royalty	nobility	shielded	covered
funeral	burial, last rites	alms	charity
enlightenment	high spiritual knowledge	witnessed	observed
vow	promise	preached	delivered a sermon
inscrutable	difficult to understand	repaired	(here) went to
procure	to obtain	flickered up	a faint or wavering light
extinguished	put out	desolation	sorrow, grief
immortality	endlessness	kinsmen	relatives
depart	to leave, to go	afflicted with	troubled with
slaughter	the killing of animal	lamentation	expression of sorrow
mortals	those bound to die

JAC Class 10 English Solutions

JAC Board Class 10th English Solutions First Flight Chapter 7(i) A Baker From Goa

JAC Class 10th English A Baker From Goa Textbook Questions and Answers

Oral Comprehension Check (Page – 86)

Question 1.
What are the elders in Goa nostalgic about?
Answer:
The elders in Goa are nostalgic about the good old Portuguese days, and their famous loaves of bread.

Question 2.
Is bread – making still popular in Goa? How do you know?
Answer:
Bread – making is still popular in Goa. The author says that the mixers, moulders, and those who bake the loaves are still present in Goa. The age – old, time – tested furnaces still exist. The ‘thud’ and ‘jingle’ of the traditional baker’s bamboo, marking his arrival in the morning, could still be heard in some places.

Question 3.
What is the baker called?
Answer:
The baker is known as pader in Goa.

Question 4.
When would the baker come everyday? Why did the children run to meet him?
Answer:
The baker would come twice a day. Once when he set out in the morning on his selling round, and then again, when he returned after emptying his huge basket. The children ran to meet him not because of their love of the loaves which were bought by the maid – servant of the house. They actually longed for the bread-bangles, which they chose carefully. Sometimes, it was a sweet bread of special make.

Oral Comprehension Check (Page – 87)

Question 1.
Match the following. What is a must

(i) as marriage gifts?	cakes and bolinhas
(ii) for a party or a feast?	sweet bread called bol
(iii) for a daughter s engagement? – bread	bread
(iv) for Christmas?	sandwiches

Answer:

(i) as marriage gifts?	sweet bread called bol
(ii) for a party or a feast?	bread
(iii) for a daughter s engagement? – bread	sandwiches
(iv) for Christmas?	cakes and bolinhas

Question 2.
What did the bakers wear:
1. in the Portuguese days?
2. when the author was young?
Answer:

1. In the Portuguese days, the bakers wore a peculiar dress known as kabai. It was a singlepiece long frock reaching down to the knees.
2. When the author was young, he saw the bakers wearing a shirt and trousers, which were shorter than full – length ones and longer than half pants.

Question 3.
Who invites the comment – “he is dressed like a pader”? Why?
Answer:
Anyone who wears a half – pant which reaches just below the knees invites the comment that “he is dressed like a pader”. This was so because the bakers were known as pader and they wore such half pants.

Question 4.
Where were the monthly accounts of the baker recorded?
Answer:
The monthly accounts of the baker were recorded on the walls in pencil.

Question 5.
What does a ‘jackfruit – like physical appearance’ mean?
Answer:
A ‘jackfruit – like physical appearance’ means a plump physique. Such a physique was linked to the bakers because they never starved. Baking was a profitable profession

Thinking about the Text

Question 1.
Which of these statements are correct?
1. The pader was an important person in the village in old times.
2. Paders still exist in Goan villages.
3. The paders went away with the Portuguese.
4. The paders continue to wear a single-piece long frock.
5. Bread and cakes were an integral part of Goan life in the old days.
6. Traditional bread-baking is still a very profitable business.
7. Paders and their families starve in the present times.
Answer:

1. Correct,
2. Correct,
3. Incorrect,
4. Incorrect,
5. Correct,
6. Correct,
7. Incorrect

Question 2.
Is bread an important part of Goan life? How do you know this?
Answer:
Bread is an important part of Goan life, because on all the auspicious occasions, bol and sweet bread are used. For a party, bread is a must, while for Christmas, cakes and bolinhas are a must. Sandwiches must be prepared by the lady of the house on her daughter’s engagement. The author says that everybody loves the fragrance of loaves.

Question 3.
Tick the right answer. What is the tone of the author when he says the following?
1. The thud and the jingle of the traditional baker’s bamboo can still be heard in some places, (nostalgic, hopeful, sad)
2. Maybe the father is not alive but the son still carries on the family profession, (nostalgic, hopeful, sad)
3. I still recall the typical fragrance of those loaves, (nostalgic, hopeful, naughty)
4. The tiger never brushed his teeth. Hot tea could wash and clean up everything so nicely, after all. (naughty, angry, funny)
5. Cakes and bolinhas are a must for Christmas as well as other festivals, (sad, hopeful, matter-of-fact)
6. The baker and his family never starved. They always looked happy and prosperous, (matter-of-fact, hopeful, sad)
Answer:

1. nostalgic
2. hopeful
3. nostalgic
4. funny
5. matter – of – fact
6. matter – of – fact

Writing

Question 1.
In this extract, the author talks about traditional bread-baking during his childhood days. Complete the following table with the help of the clues on the left. Then write a paragraph about the author’s childhood days.

Clues	Author’s childhood days
the way bread was baked	–
the way the pader sold bread	–
what the pader wore	–
when the pader was paid	–
how the pader looked	–

Answer:

Clues	Author’s childhood days
the way bread was baked	in the furnace
the way the pader sold bread	wandering in the streets having the basket on the head
what the pader wore	shirt and trousers
when the pader was paid	at the end of the month
how the pader looked	happy and prosperous

Author’s Childhood Days
When the author was young, the bakers of Goa loved to make and sell the loaves of bread. They baked them in the furnaces. A baker came daily to the author’s house twice a day. He came there with the jingling of sound. The author and the other children longed for bread – bangles. The children peeped through the basket climbing on railing and benches. On the auspicious occasions like marriage, bols were prepared. The bakers used a unique dress called kabai. They collected their amounts at the end of the month. It was in reality, a profitable profession.

Question 2.
Compare the piece from the text (on the left below) with the other piece on Goan bakers (on the right). What makes the two texts so different? Are the facts the same? Do both writers give you a picture of the baker?
Our elders are often heard reminiscing nostalgically about those good old Portuguese days, the Portuguese and their famous loaves of bread. Those eaters of loaves might have vanished hut the makers are still there. We still have amongst us the mixers, the moulders and those who bake the loaves. Those age- old. lime – tested furnaces still exist. The lire in the furnaces has not vet been extinguished. The thud and jingle of the traditional baker’s bamboo, heralding his arrival in the morning, can still be heard in some places.

Maybe the lather is not alive but the son still carries on the family profession. After (ioa’s liberation, people used to say nostalgically that the Portuguese bread vanished with the paders. But the paders hav e managed to surv iv e because they have perfected the art of door – to – door delivery serv ice. The paders pick up the knowledge of bread-making from traditions in the family. The leavened, oven-baked bread is a gilt ol’ihe Portuguese to India. [Adapted from Nandakumar Kamat’s The unsung Lives of Goan Paders’]
Answer:
The topics of both texts are the same but their description varies. The first text gives more extensive history of baking. It is well-knitted. The second text gives short description about the bakers of Goa and their contribution. This text also tells about their profession in detail. Both the writers give a picture of the baker. In the first text, source has not been mentioned, but in the second text, it is mentioned.

Question 3.
Now find a travel brochure about a place you have visited. Look at the description in the brochure. Then write your own account, adding details from your own experience, to give the reader a picture of the place, rather than an impersonal, factual description.
Answer:
I visited the Taj Mahal, Agra, recently. It is one of the seven wonders of the world. It was built between 1631 and 1648 by the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. Agra is well connected by road to Delhi. From Delhi it is 210km. Hotel Sidhartha – Western Gate, Taj Mahal 600800. Several restaurants in Agra serve awesome Mughal, Indian and Chinese cuisines. Angoori Petha is famous in this city. Handicraft items, Chilean embroidery, Pietra Dura are also famous.

Group Discussion

Question 1.
In groups, collect information on how bakeries bake bread now and how the process has changed over time.
Answer:
Do it yourself.

Question 2.
There are a number of craft-based professions which are dying out. Pick one of the crafts below. Make a group presentation to the class about the skills required, and the possible reasons for the decline of the craft. Can you think of ways to revive these crafts?
(i) Pottery
(ii) Batik work
(iii) Dhurri (rug) weaving
(iv) Embroidery
(v) Carpentry
(vi) Bamboo weaving
(vii) Making jute products
(viii) Handloom
Answer:
Do it yourself.

JAC Class 10th English A Baker From Goa Important Questions and Answers

I. Short Answer Type Questions (20 – 30 words & 2 marks each)

Question 1.
Elucidate the statement ‘Baking was, indeed, a profitable profession’.
Answer:
In old days, baking used to be a profitable profession. The baker and his family lived happily and prosperously. Their plump physique was a testimony to it.

Question 2.
What shows the existence of Portuguese impact still in Goa?
Answer:
Goa was once occupied by the Portuguese. They were very skilled in baking bread loaves. Though they left Goa long ago, their traditional work of baking is still pervasive. The age- old, time-tested furnaces are still used.

Question 3.
What do the narrator and the people of his time still have among them?
Answer:
The narrator and the people of his time still have the mixture, the moulders and those who bake the loaves among them.

Question 4.
How did the baker attract the children?
Answer:
The baker attracted the children not by his jingle or by the loaves of bread he sold but by the bread bangles or the special sweet bread he sold.

Question 5.
Where were the monthly accounts of the baker recorded?
Answer:
The baker maintained his monthly accounts on the walls. He usually collected his bills at the end of the month.

Question 6.
What did the children do after coming of the baker?
Answer:
After coming of the baker, the children got excited. After hearing the jhang-jhang sound of the baker, they ran towards them. They peeped into the basket climbing on the railings and benches.

Question 7.
What was the importance of a baker among the villagers?
Answer:
The baker has great importance among the villagers. The baker made sweet bread. It was known as bol. It was very popular among the villagers.

II. Short Answer Type Questions (40 – 50 words & 3 marks each)

Question 1.
How was the baker a friend, companion and guide to the children?
Answer:
The jingling thud of the baker’s bamboo used to wake the children up during his morning round. They all would run to meet and greet him. The narrator said that it was not because of the bread loaves but for the bread bangles which would sometimes be sweet bread with special make that they longed for.

Question 2.
Why did the children not care to brush their teeth or wash their mouths properly?
Answer:
The children would wake up on listening the jingling thud of the pader in the morning. Then
they used to run to meet and greet him. In the process, they did not even care to brush their teeth or wash their mouths. To support this act, the narrator made the point that a tiger never brushed his teeth and a cup of hot tea could wash and clean up everything so nicely.

Question 3.
Baking was considered essential in a traditional Goan village. What reasons does the writer give to support his point?
Answer:
In Goa, no festival is complete without bakery products. It is used in marriages, engagements and other ceremonies. Traditional sweet bread, known as ‘boV is to be given with marriage gifts. At Christmas ‘bolinhcts’ and cakes are a must.

Question 4.
Even today any person with a jackfruit-like physical appearance is easily compared to a baker. Explain.
Answer:
Bread – making is a prosperous business in Goa. The physique of the baker, i.e., his plump and round body are testimony to that. Therefore, anyone who is fat and plump just like a jackfruit is easily compared to a baker.

Question 5.
Comment on the significance of a bread baker in a traditional Goan village.
Answer:
Bread is a permanent item of a Goan meal and the baker is an important member of the Goan community. Sweet bread ‘bol’ is a special delicacy. It is served at festivals. Cakes and bolinhas are special items served at Christmas. A baker’s furnace is therefore indispensable in a traditional Goan village.

Question 6.
What was the peculiar dress of the bakers during the Portuguese days?
Answer:
During the Portuguese days, the bakers wore a peculiar dress called the ‘kabai’. It was a frock in a single piece, reaching upto the knees. During his childhood, the author had seen the bakers wearing shirts with trousers that were longer than half pants, but shorter than a full length one

III. Long Answer Type Questions (100 – 120 words & 5 marks each)

Question 1.
Describe the childhood memories of the author’s time in Goa and his fondness for loaves of bread and cakes.
Answer:
The author tells us that bread has been an indispensable part of the life of the Goan people since the time of the Portuguese. It is a part not only of everyday life but also of festive occasions and events. For each occasion there was a special kind of bread. The baker has a leading role in the society. It is so important in the life of the Goans that they got up with the jingling sound of his bamboo. He also tells us that in the author’s childhood, the baker wore a shirt and trousers. The author seems to be very observant. He says that in those days, the baker was very prosperous and never starved. He also knew that they maintained monthly bills on the walls. Such strong observation powers would definitely be beneficial for children as they would become aware of citizens of their neighbourhood.

Question 2.
Should we learn from the history that has passed on to us from generations?
Answer:
History is the mirror through which we can remember our past. It actually provides a path that our ancestors have laid for us. The various battles and wars, that were fought and won, show us the strength and valour our people had. The traditions and customs make us a better human being. ‘A Baker from Goa’ is a pen-portrait of a traditional Goan village baker who still has an important place in the society. The paders pick up the knowledge of bread baking from traditions in the family. The leavened, oven-baked bread is a gift of the Portuguese to India. These traditions have strengthened our present.

Question 3.
After reading the story ‘A Baker from Goa’, do you think our traditions, heritage, values and practices are the roots that nourish us? Why/Why not?
Answer:
‘A Baker from Goa’ highlights the importance of the traditional practice of making loaves of bread for every occasion and festival of the Goan people. This tradition continues even today. This shows how our traditional practices can keep us to our past and heritage. Traditional values shape our personality and also provide us emotional support. They enable us to face difficult situations and make us mentally strong. Traditional practices also have an impact on our behavioral pattern towards the other people in society.

Question 4.
During our childhood in Goa, the baker used to be our friend, companion and guide. He used to come at least twice a day. Once when he set out in the morning on his round and then again, when he returned after emptying his huge basket. The jingling thud of his bomboo woke us up from sleep and we ran to meet and greet him. On the basis of the given passage write how was the baker a friend, companion and a guide to the narrator?
Answer:
Through this passage the author wants to highlight the importance of baker in his childhood days. The thud and jingle of the traditional baker’s bamboo heralds his arrival in the morning. The baker came at least twice a day, in the morning they came for selling and then they returned after emptying his huge basket. They ran all around to meet and greet the people. The narrator said that it was not because of the bread loaves but for the bread bangles which would sometimes be sweet bread with special make that they longed for.

Bakers were mainly the friends of children especially the narrator. The narrator enjoyed his childhood days with the bakers. The activities of the village started with their arrival. They sold bread from door – to – door. The children woke up hearing the jingling thud of the bamboo of bakers. All these things signalled their arrival in the village. They were just not only the friend and companion of the narrator but also guide too. They showed them the path to glory.

Reference To Context

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:

Question 1.
Our elders are often heard reminiscing nostalgically about those good old Portuguese days, the Portuguese and their famous loaves of bread. Those eaters of loaves might have vanished but the makers are still there. We still have amongst us the mixers, the moulders and those who bake the loaves.

Choose the correct option:
(a) Who is the author of the given extract?
(i) Lokesh Abrol
(ii) Arup Kumar Dutta
(iii) Lucio Rodrigues
(iv) Katherine Mansfield
Answer:
(iii) Lucio Rodrigues

(b) What are the elders nostalgic about?
(i) Their style of living
(ii) Old Portuguese days and their loaves of bread
(iii) Their dress sense
(iv) Their way of talking
Answer:
(ii) Old Portuguese days and their loaves of bread

(c) The eaters of loaves might have …………………. but the makers are still there.
(i) vanished
(ii) appeared
(iii) come
(iv) none of these
Answer:
(i) vanished

(d) Which things are still amongst us?
(i) The mixers
(ii) The moulders
(iii) Both (i) and (ii)
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(iii) Both (i) and (ii)

(e) Find out a word from the passage similar in meaning to ‘longing for the past.’
(i) memory
(ii) nostalgic
(iii) remembrance
(iv) forgetfulness
Answer:
(ii) nostalgic

Question 2.
During our childhood in Goa, the baker used to be our friend, companion and guide. He used to come at least twice a day. Once, when he set out in the morning on his selling round, and then again, when he returned after emptying his huge basket. The jingling thud of his bamboo woke us up from sleep and we ran to meet and greet him.
Choose the correct option:
(a) Who used to be the author’s friend, companion and guide during his childhood in Goa?
(i) The baker
(ii) The shopkeeper
(iii) The teacher
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(i) The baker

(b) What woke the children up from their sleep?
(i) The jingling thud of bamboo
(ii) The ringing of bell
(iii) The chirping of birds
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(i) The jingling thud of bamboo

(c) The baker used to come …………………… twice a day.
(i) at least
(ii) frequently
(iii) at interval
(iv) none of these
Answer:
(i) at least

(d) When did the backer set out on his selling round?
(i) Evening
(ii) Morning
(iii) Night
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(ii) Morning

(e) Find out a word from the passage similar in meaning to ‘vacant.’
(i) full
(ii) load
(iii) empty
(iv) worthwhile
Answer:
(iii) empty

Question 3.
The baker made his musical entry on the scene with the ‘jhang, jhang’ sound of his specially made bamboo staff. One hand supported the basket on his head and the other banged the bamboo on the ground. He would greet the lady of the house with “Good morning” and then place his basket on the vertical bamboo. We kids would be pushed aside with a mild rebuke and the loaves would be delivered to the servant. But we would not give up. We would climb a bench or the parapet and peep into the basket, somehow. I can still recall the typical fragrance of those loaves. Loaves for the elders and the bangles for the children.

Choose the correct option:
(a) Who made his musical entry on the scene with the ‘jhang, jhang’ sound?
(i) The children
(ii) The elders of the village
(iii) The baker
(iv) All of these
Answer:
(iii) The baker

(b) How did the baker greet the lady of the house?
(i) Saying ‘Good morning’
(ii) Saying ‘How are you’
(iii) Saying ‘Good bye’
(iv) Both (ii) and (iii)
Answer:
(i) Saying ‘Good morning’

(c) Pushing aside the kids, the loaves were delivered to the ……………………
(i) house owner
(ii) women of the hosue
(iii) servant
(iv) old men
Answer:
(iii) servant

(d) For whom were the loaves and the bangles made?
(i) Loaves for children and bangles for the ladies
(ii) Loaves for the elders and bangles for the children
(iii) Loaves for the ladies only
(iv) Both (i) and (iii)
Answer:
(ii) Loaves for the elders and bangles for the children

(e) Find out a word from the passage similar in meaning to ‘scold’.
(i) praise
(ii) acquaint
(iii) repent
(iv) rebuke
Answer:
(iv) rebuke

Question 4.
The baker usually collected his bills at the end of the month. Monthly accounts used to be recorded on some wall in pencil. Baking was indeed a profitable profession in the old days. The baker and his family never starved. He, his family and his servants always looked happy and prosperous. Their plump physique was an open testimony to this. Even today any person with a jackfruit – like physical appearance is easily compared to a baker.

Choose the correct option:
(a) When did the baker usually collect his bills?
(i) In the starting of the month
(ii) In the mid of the month
(iii) At the end of the month
(iv) At the end of the year
Answer:
(iii) At the end of the month

(b) Where were monthly accounts recorded?
(i) On some wall in pencil
(ii) On plain paper
(iii) In notebooks
(iv) In diaries
Answer:
(ii) On plain paper

(c) ……………………… was indeed a profitable profession in the old days?
(i) Cooking
(ii) Serving
(iii) Writing
(iv) Baking
Answer:
(iv) Baking

(d) Who always looked happy and prosperous?
(i) The baker
(ii) The baker, his family and servants
(iii) The relatives of the baker
(iv) All of these
Answer:
(ii) The baker, his family and servants

(e) Find out a word from the passage similar in meaning to ‘evidence’.
(i) disproof
(ii) contradiction
(iii) contravention
(iv) testimony
Answer:
(iv) testimony

A Baker From Goa Summary

A Baker From Goa About the Author

• Lucio Rodrigues (1916 – 73) was one of the literary geniuses of Goa.
• He was an authority on Goan folklores and wrote a number of articles on the same.
• He wrote in both English and Konkani languages.
• The element of humour is prevalent in his writing. His writing had been more effective.
• His essays and translation were published under the title ‘Soil and Soul ’ and ‘Konkani Folktales

A Baker From Goa Gist of the Lesson

In the lesson ‘A Baker from Goa the author has presented a pen – portrait of the bakers of Goa. He reminisces about his childhood days in Goa when a baker used to visit their houses. The Portuguese who live in Goa are famous for preparing the loaves of bread. This business is still in practice in Goa. Those who carry on this business are known as ‘Pader’. The children ran either to meet or to look into his basket climbing on railing and benches. The loaves were purchased by the manservant of the house. The villagers were much fond of the sweet bread known as ‘bob. Bol is used even in marriages. It wras used on all auspicious occasions. The bakers’ furnace in the village was the most essential thing. The lady of the house prepared sandwiches on the occasion of her daughter’s engagement. In those days, the bread sellers wore a particular dress known as ‘Kabai’. It was a single piece long frock up to the knees. The dress code made them distinct and different personalities. In the old days, baking was a profitable profession. The bakers took care of their families in a proper way.

A Baker From Goa Summary

portrait of Goan village: The story ‘A Baker from Goa’ is a pen-portrait of a traditional village baker of Goa. They still hold an important place in the society. The elders still remember about the good old Portuguese days and the loaves of bread of Goa. The time – tested furnaces still exist. The thud and jingle of the traditional baker’s bamboo heralds his arrival in the morning. This sound can still be heard in some places. The son still carries on the family profession in the absence of their father. These bakers are known as pader in Goa.

1. Childhood days of the author: During the childhood of the author, the baker was considered to be his friend, companion and guide. He used to come to his house at least twice a day. The jing-jing thud of the bamboo of baker woke up all the people in the morning. The children ran to meet and greet him.

2. Entry of the baker: The baker made his musical entry on the scene with the ‘jhang, jhang’ sound of the bamboo. The baker used to greet the lady of the house saying ‘Good Morning’. Children were pushed aside and the loaves were delivered to the servant. The children started eating loaves of bread with tea without caring for their toothbrush.

3. Important occasions: Without bol, (the sweet bread) marriage gifts were meaningless. On each occasion, bread was considered to be important. On the occasion of the engagement of daughter, the lady of the house prepared sandwiches. Cakes and bolinhas are a must for Christmas and other festivals.

4. Dress of the baker: The baker used to wear a peculiar dress. It was known as the kabai. It was a single – piece long frock upto the knees. The bakers wore a shirt and trousers which were shorter than full – length and longer than half pants. Even now the people who wear half pants below the knees are called pader.

5. Profitable profession and happy life: Baking was a profitable profession. Monthly accounts were maintained on the wall with a pencil. They led a happy and contented life. Their prosperity and happy life can be seen from their plump physique.

A Baker From Goa Lesson at a Glance

1. ‘A Baker from Goa’’ is a pen – portrait of a traditional Goan village baker.
2. They still hold an important place in the society.
3. The elders of Goa are nostalgic about those good old Portuguese days, and the loaves of bread.
4. The eaters of Goa might have vanished but the bakers still persist.
5. The thud and jingle of the traditional baker’s bamboo heralds his arrival in the morning.
6. After the death of father, the son carries on the family profession.
7. These bakers are known as pader in Goa.
8. The baker of Goa would greet the lady of the house with ‘Good morning’.
9. Loaves are for the elders and the bangles are for the children.
10. Without bol, (the sweet bread) marriage gifts are meaningless.
11. Cakes and bolinhas are a must for Christmas as well as other festivals.
12. The baker of those days had a peculiar dress known as the Kabai, a single-piece long frock down to the knees.
13. Baking was really a lucrative profession in the old days.

A Baker From Goa Character Sketch

The Baker of Goa: The baker of Goa occupies an important place in Goan’s life. They wore a peculiar dress during the Portuguese days known as ‘Kabai.’ Early morning, the baker made his musical entry on the scene with the ‘jhang, jhang’ sound. In due course of time, the baker started wearing a shirt and trousers. Their family led a happy and prosperous life in the old days. They were financially sound. The sweet bread, i.e., bols are still used on the occasion of marriages, Christmas festival etc.

A Baker From Goa Word – Meanings

Word	Meaning	Word	Meaning
pen – portrait	an informal description of a person	reminiscing	recollecting past events
nostalgically	longing for the past	vanished	disappeared
furnace	an enclosed structure in which material can be heated	extinguished	destroyed
thud	a low dull sound	jingle	a kind of sound
heralding	announcing, indicating	greet	sign of welcome
vertical	upright	fragrance	a pleasant smell
parapet	wall, railing	rebuke	scold
profitable	beneficial	prosperous	flourishing
Plump physique	full rounded shape	testimony	evidence
bolinhas	a kind of sweet	baker	who bakes bread
companion	friend	moulders	wasters
open testimony	public statement about character or quality	meaningless	which has no meaning

JAC Class 10 English Solutions

JAC Board Class 10th English Solutions First Flight Chapter 7(ii) Coorg

JAC Class 10th English Coorg Textbook Questions and Answers

Thinking about the Text

Question 1.
Where is Coorg?
Answer:
Coorg is a small district of Karnataka. It is located midway between Mysore and Mangalore.

Question 2.
What is the story about the Kodavu people’s descent?
Answer:
There is a story behind it. The fiercely independent people of Coorg are possibly of Greek or Arabic descent. A group of Alexander’s army moved south along the coast. They settled there because it was quite impossible for them to return. So these people married amongst the locals. Their culture is evident in the martial traditions. The Kodavus wear a long, black coat, with an embroidered waist-belt. It is known as kuppia. It resembles the kuffia worn by the Arabs and the Kurds.

Question 3.
What are some of the things you now know about
1. the people of Coorg?
2. the main crop of Coorg?
3. the sports it offers to tourists?
4. the animals you are likely to see in Coorg?
5. its distance from Bangalore, and how to get there?
Answer:

1. The people of Coorg are fiercely independent. They love and enjoy hospitality. They feel proud in telling numerous stories of valour relating to their sons and fathers.
2. Coffee is the main cash crop of Coorg.
3. Coorg offers to tourists many sports like river rafting, canoeing, rappelling, rock climbing, mountain biking, and trekking.
4. The animals that are likely to be seen in Coorg are birds, bees, butterflies, macaques, Malabar squirrels, langurs, slender loris and wild elephants.
5. The distance between Coorg and Bangalore is around 250 – 260 km. There are two routes to Coorg from Bangalore and both are of the same distance. We can get there by rail, air and road.

Question 4.
Here are six sentences with some words in italics. Find phrases from the text that have
the same meaning. (Look in the paragraphs indicated)
1. During monsoons it rains so heavily that tourists do not visit Coorg. (para 2)
2. Some people say that Alexander’s army moved south along the coast and settled there, (para 3)
3. The Coorg people are always ready to tell stories of their sons’ and fathers’ valour, (para 4)
4. Even people who normally lead an easy and slow life get smitten by the high-energy adventure sports of Coorg. (para 6)
5. The theory of the Arab origin is supported by the long coat with embroidered waist-belt they wear, (para 3)
6. Macaques, Malabar squirrels observe you carefully from the tree canopy, (para 7)
Ans.

1. keep away
2. as one story goes
3. more than willing to recount
4. the most laidback individuals become converts
5. draws support from
6. keep a watchful eye

Thinking about Language

Collocations Certain words ‘go together’. Such ‘word friends’ are called collocations. The collocation of a word is ‘the company it keeps’. For example, look at the paired sentences and phrases below. Which is a common collocation, and which one is odd? Strike out the odd sentence or phrase.
(a)

• ‘How old are you?’
• ‘How young are you?’

(b)

• a pleasant person
• a pleasant pillow

1. Here are some nouns from the text.

culture

monks

surprise

experience

weather

tradition

Work with a partner and discuss which of the nouns can collocate with which of the adjectives given below. The first one has been done for you.

unique

terrible

unforgettable

serious

ancient

wide

sudden

1. culture : unique culture, ancient culture
2. monks: ……………………………..
3. surprise : …………………………..
4. experience : ……………………….
5. weather : ……………………………
6. tradition : ………………………….
Answer:

1. culture : unique culture, ancient culture
2. monks : serious monks, ancient monks
3. surprise : sudden surprise, terrible surprise, unforgettable surprise
4. experience : unique experience, wide experience
5. weather : terrible weather, unique weather
6. tradition : unique tradition, ancient tradition

Question 2.
Complete the following phrases from the text. For each phrase, can you find at least one other word that would fit into the blank?
1. tales of …………..
2. coastal ………….
3. a piece of
4. evergreen
5. plantations
6. bridge
7. wild
You may add your own examples to this list.
Answer:
From the text

1. tales of valour
2. coastal town
3. a piece of heaven
4. evergreen rainforests
5. coffee plantations
6. rope bridge
7. wild elephants

JAC Class 10th English Coorg Important Questions and Answers

I. Short Answer Type Questions (20 – 30 words & 2 marks each)

Question 1.
Elucidate that Coorgis are hospitable by nature.
Answer:
Coorgis homes have a tradition of hospitality. They keep their guests entertained and energetic by telling them numerous tales of valour related to their sons and fathers.

Question 2.
According to the chapter, which two descents to which people of Coorg belong to are talked about?
Answer:
The fiercely independent people of Coorg are possibly of Greek or Arabic descent.

Question 3.
How can a person get panoramic view of the misty landscape of Coorg?
Answer:
To get a panoramic view of the misty landscape of Coorg, tourists are advised to climb to the Brahamagiri hills.

Question 4.
What type of place is Coorg?
Answer:
Coorg is a very beautiful place. It appears as if it were drifted from the kingdom of God. It is famous for evergreen rainforests, coffee plantation and spices.

Question 5.
Why is Coorg called the ‘land of rolling hills’?
Answer:
Coorg is called the ‘land of rolling hills’ because the city is situated on the gentle sloping hills. The entire area is covered with these hills.

Question 6.
What sort of adventures tourists enjoy at the Coorg?
Answer:
Tourists over there enjoy river rafting, canoeing, rock climbing, biking etc. Elephant riding also lures the tourists.

II. Short Answer Type Questions (40 – 50 words & 3 marks each)

Question 1.
Write in brief about the wildlife of Coorg.
Answer:
Mahaseer – a large freshwater fish – abound in the waters from the hills and forests of Coorg. Kingfishers dive for their catch. Squirrels and langurs drop partially eaten fruit for the mischief of enjoying the splash and the ripple effect in the clear water. Elephants enjoy being bathed and scrubbed in the river by their mahouts. Macaques, Malabar squirrels, langurs and slender loris keep a watchful eye from the tree canopy.

Question 2.
Why are the people of Coorg known as the descendants of the Arabs?
Answer:
The people of Coorg are also known as the descendants of Arabs because of the long black coat worn by them with an embroidered waist band. This is called kuppia in Coorg. It resembles the kuffia worn by the Arabs and Kurds.

Question 3.
The people of Coorg have a tradition of courage and bravery. How has it been depicted in the lesson?
Answer:
The Coorg people are highly energetic, enthusiastic and courageous. The tales of valour are related to their sons and fathers. The Coorg Regiment is one of the most decorated in the Indian Army. The first Chief of Indian Army, General K.M. Cariappa, was a Coorgi. Even now Kodavus are the only people in India permitted to carry firearms without a license..

Question 4.
Why has Coorg been referred to as ‘a piece of heaven drifted from the kingdom of God’?
Answer:
Coorg is often referred to as a small piece of heaven. It is only because of its natural beauty, its evergreen forest, rolling hills, coffee plantations and spice trees. The freshness of the natural surroundings is further enhanced by the aroma of coffee.

Question 5.
Throw some light on the vast biodiversity of Coorg.
Answer:
The evergreen forests of Coorg enclose vast treasures of flora and fauna. It is a home to squirrels, langurs, kingfishers, elephants, slender loris, bees and butterflies. The spice and coffee plantations, further add to its vast biodiversity.

III. Long Answer Type Questions (100 – 120 words & 5 marks each)

Question 1.
Describe the evergreen rainforests, the river Kaveri and coffee plantation in Coorg.
Answer:
Coorg or Kodagu is a land of rolling hills and evergreen rainforests. The rainforests cover
thirty per cent of this district. Here, it rains a lot during the monsoons. The hills and the rainforests are the sources of water for the river Kaveri. Mahaseer, a large freshwater fish, abounds in these waters. The forests of Coorg have a rich flora and fauna. Birds, bees, butterflies, Malabar squirrels, langurs and wild elephants find their shelter in these rainforests. The air breathes of invigorating coffee. Coffee estates and colonial bungalows stand tucked under tree canopies in prime comers.

Question 2.
How has the author depicted the natural beauty of Coorg in the lesson?
Answer:
Coorg is a small state in Karnataka. It lies between Mysore and the coastal town of Mangalore. The author has depicted the natural beauty of Coorg in the lesson in a very beautiful manner. It looks like a piece of heaven that must have been drifted from the kingdom of God. It is a home of evergreen rainforests, coffee plantations and spices. The Kaveri river flows through the land of Coorg. This place lures the tourists. They enjoy the bounty of nature. Birds, butterflies, Malabar squirrels, langurs and slender loris do recreation of the visitors. The climb to the Brahmagiri hills brings a panoramic view of the entire landscape. It really seems to be a piece of heaven.

Question 3.
Coorg seems to share a lot of historical perspectives. Is such kind of historical knowledge important for us? Also write the values related with it.
Answer:
It is important for us to know about the history and deep-rooted cultural background of our country and cultural heritage. We become aware of the fact that our culture has always welcomed people from other cultures and absorbed them into its own. It spreads the message of tolerance which is very important in today’s world. The elements of bravery and unity are prevalent in Coorg people. The Coorg people are outsiders even then they accepted our culture and history in proper way.

Question 4.
Coorgi homes have a tradition of hospitality and they are more than willing to recount numerous tales of valour related to their sons and fathers. What general tradition does Coorgi homes have? Discuss it with reference to the passage.
Answer:
Coorgi people are famous for their tradition of hospitality. They give due respect to their guests. They help them with the core of their heart. The people of Coorg are fiercely independent. They love and enjoy hospitality. They feel proud in telling numerous stories of valour relating to their sons and fathers. The Coorgi people are highly energetic, enthusiastic and courageous. Their culture is very rich.

They keep their guests entertained and energetic by telling them the stories of their valour. The first Army Chief of Independent India, General K.M. Cariappa was also a Coorgi. He was also very bold and courageous. The Coorgi people recount the stories of valour and courage to their new generation to acquaint them with achievements of their ancestors. This inculcates good values in their children and teaches them how to deal with the difficult situation in difficult times.

Reference To Context

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:

Question 1.
Coorg, or Kodagu, the smallest district of Karnataka, is home to evergreen rainforests, spices and coffee plantations. Evergreen rainforests cover thirty per cent of this district. During the monsoons, it pours enough to keep many visitors away. The season of joy commences from September and continues till March. The weather is perfect, with some showers thrown in for good measure. The air breathes of invigorating coffee. Coffee estates and colonial bungalows stand tucked under tree canopies in prime comers.

Choose the correct option:
(a) Coorg, or Kodagu is the smallest district of
(i) Madhya Pradesh
(ii) Karnataka
(iii) West Bengal
(iv) Tamil Nadu
Answer:
(ii) Karnataka

(b) How much area of the evergreen rainforests does this district cover?
(i) 30%
(ii) 40%
(iii) 45%
(iv) 50%
Answer:
(i) 30%

(c) The best season for visiting Coorg begins from and continues till March.
(i) August
(ii) September
(iii) October
(iv) November
Answer:
(ii) September

(d) What does the air breathe of?
(i) Tea
(ii) Invigorating coffee
(iii) Milk
(iv) Curd
Answer:
(ii) Invigorating coffee

(e) Find out a word from the passage similar in meaning to ‘begins’.
(i) finish
(ii) late
(iii) end
(iv) commences
Answer:
(iv) commences

Question 2.
The fiercely independent people of Coorg are possibly of Greek or Arabic descent. As one story goes, a part of Alexander’s army moved south along the coast and settled here when return became impractical. These people married amongst the locals and their culture is apparent in the martial traditions, marriage and religious rites, which are distinct from the Hindu mainstream.
Choose the correct option:
(a) Whom do the Coorg people marry?
(i) Locals
(ii) Foreigners
(iii) People of other states
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(i) Locals

(b) The culture of Coorg is apparent in the martial traditions, marriage and
(i) social rites
(ii) religious rites
(iii) both (i) and (ii)
(iv) none of these
Answer:
(ii) religious rites

(c) The people of Coorg are of or descent.
(i) Greek, Arabic
(ii) French, Portuguese
(iii) British, Indian
(iv) Russian, British
Answer:
(iii) British, Indian

(d) According to the passage, whose a part of army settled here?
(i) Porus
(ii) Alexander
(iii) Napolean
(iv) Louis – XIV
Answer:
(ii) Alexander

(e) Find out a word from the passage opposite in meaning to ‘uncommon.’
(i) rational
(ii) rescue
(iii) mainstream
(iv) unique
Answer:
(iii) mainstream

Question 3.
Coorgi homes have a tradition of hospitality, and they are more than willing to recount numerous tales of valour related to their sons and fathers. The Coorg Regiment is one of the most decorated in the Indian Army, and the first Chief of the Indian Army, General Cariappa, was a Coorgi. Even now, Kodavus are the only people in India permitted to cany firearms without a licence.
Choose the correct option:
(a) What general tradition does Coorgi people have?
(i) Hospitality
(ii) Cordiality
(iii) Loneliness
(iv) Loveliness
Answer:
(i) Hospitality

(b) What do the Coorgi people recount?
(i) Tales of valour related to their sons and fathers
(ii) Tales of discipline
(iii) Tales of honesty and justice
(iv) All of these
Answer:
(i) Tales of valour related to their sons and fathers

(c) The Coorg Regiment is one of the most in the Indian Army.
(i) quoted
(ii) directed
(iii) decorated
(iv) highlighted
Answer:
(iii) decorated

(d) What is the specialty of the Kodavus, according to the passage?
(i) They can attack their enemies violently.
(ii) They are the only people in India who are permitted to carry firearms without a licence.
(iii) They are very weak.
(iv) They do nothing for anybody.
Answer:
(ii) They are the only people in India who are permitted to carry firearms without a licence.

(c) Find out a word from the passage similar in meaning to ‘recap’.
(i) hide
(ii) withhold
(iii) confuse
(iv) recount
Answer:
(iv) recount

Question 4.
The river, Kaveri, obtains its water from the hills and forests of Coorg. Mahaseer — a large freshwater fish — abound in these waters. Kingfishers dive for their catch, while squirrels and langurs drop partially eaten fruit for the mischief of enjoying the splash and the ripple effect in the clear water. Elephants enjoy being bathed and scrubbed in the river by their mahouts.

Choose the correct option:
(a) Which river obtains its water from the hills and forests of Coorg?
(i) Krishna
(ii) Bcas
(iii) Kaveri
(iv) Godavari
Answer:
(iii) Kaveri

(b) Which freshwater fish abounds in these waters?
(i) Mahaseer
(ii) Catfish
(iii) Cichid
(iv) Loaches
Answer:
(i) Mahaseer

(c) Elephants are scrubbcd in the river by their .
(i) boss
(ii) mahouts
(iii) master
(iv) none of these
Answer:
(ii) mahouts

(d) Which fish dives for their catch?
(i) Hilas
(ii) Gold fish
(iii) Common carp
(iv) Kingfisher
Answer:
(iv) Kingfisher

(e) Find out a word from the passage similar in meaning to ‘to get in.’
(i) disdain
(ii) contain
(iii) obtain
(iv) ascertain
Answer:
(iii) obtain

Coorg About the Author

Lokesh Abrol is a prolific writer. He is also a consultant of Internal Medicine and a social entrepreneur. In 1991, he established Gurgaon’s first multispeciality hospital and emergency team. He is the Director of Hult Prize India. He is also the Founder Director of Aravindam Foundation and Aster. Abrol also established Gurukul Kalpataru for non-formal education of slum children in Indian arts, crafts, etc. He has contributed a number of articles in ‘Outlook Traveller’, ‘Discover India’’ and ‘Incredible India’. He has written a lot on tourism and travelling also “Coorg” is considered to be his best work.

Coorg Gist of the Lesson

In this lesson, the narrator has given a vivid description of Coorg, a heavenly place which lies between Mysore and Mangalore. It is a rural district in Karnataka. It has evergreen forests, spices and coffee plantations. Different kinds of animals are also found here. The best season is between September and March when the weather is perfect for a visit to Coorg.

The Coorg people are of Greek or Arabic descent. It is rumoured that a part of Alexander’s army drifted here and found it impossible to return. They married the locals. That is why their traditions and rites are different from other Indians. The Coorgis are known for their hospitality and recount many tales of bravery. General K.M. Cariappa, the first Army Chief was a Coorgi. The Kodavus are the only people in India to carry firearms without a license.

A variety of wildlife like the Mahaseer – a large freshwater fish, kingfishers, squirrels, langurs and elephants, etc., are found there. Coorgis are highly energetic. They do adventures like river rafting, canoeing, rappelling, rock-climbing, etc. The Brahmagiri hills give the climber a panoramic view of Coorg. A walk across the rope bridge leads to the sixty-four acre island of Nisargadhama. Bylakuppe in Coorg is India’s largest settlement of Buddhist monks. These Buddhist monks can be seen here. They are dressed in red, ochre and yellow robes. Narration

Coorg Summary

1. Description of Coorg: Coorg or Kodagu is the smallest district of Karnataka. It lies between Mysore and the coastal town of Mangalore. This land is abound with evergreen rainforests, spices and coffee plantations. On this land, the season of joy begins from September and continues upto March. During the monsoons, it rains heavily. That is why so many visitors keep away from this place.

2. The origin of Coorg: The people of Coorg belonged to Greek or Arabic descent. There is a story behind it. When a part of Alexander’s army moved towards south coast and settled there, they could not return to their native place. These people married amongst the locals. Their culture is reflected in the martial traditions, marriages and religious rites. The black long coat worn with waist-belt is worn by the Kodavus. It is also known as Kuppia. It is like Kuffia worn by the Arabs and the Kurds. Tradition of

3. hospitality: Coorgi people are famous for their tradition of hospitality. A number of tales of bravery are related to their sons and fathers.

4. Famous Coorgi Regiment: In the Indian Army, the Coorg Regiment is very famous. General Cariappa, the first chief of the Indian Army was also a Coorgi. In our country, only Kodavus are permitted to carry firearms without a licence.

5. Activities around the Coorg area: There are hectic activities around the Coorg area. Mahasheer, kingfishers, squirrels and langurs are found in abundance. Elephants are being bathed in the river by the mahouts. River rafting, canoeing, rappelling, rock climbing and mountain biking are the main activities of the Coorg area. Birds, bees and butterflies are also there to give company. Macaques, Malabar squirrels, langurs etc. keep a watchful eye from the tree.

6. Panoramic view: The Brahmagiri hills gives a panoramic view of the landscape of Coorg. There is a rope bridge that leads to the island of Nisaragadhama. Near Bylakuppe, the monks in red, ochre and yellow robes give more surprise to the visitors.

Coorg Lesson at a Glance

1. Coorg or Kodagu, the smallest district of Karnataka is famous for evergreen rainforests, spices and coffee plantations.
2. It is located between Mysore and the coastal town of Mangalore.
3. This land is inhabited by a proud race of martial men, beautiful women etc.
4. 30% area of the district is covered with evergreen forests.
5. September to March is the season of joy there.
6. The independent people of Coorg are of Greek or Arabic descent.
7. The Kodavus wear kuppia (kuffia) which were earlier worn by the Arabs and the Kurds.
8. They have a tradition of hospitality. Numerous stories of valour are related to their sons and daughters.
9. The Coorg Regiment is the most prestigious and decorated in the Indian Army.
10. General Cariappa, the first chief of the Indian Army was a Coorgi.
11. In India, Kodavus are the only people who are permitted to carry firearms without a licence.
12. Macaques, Malabar squirrels, langurs and slender loris are mainly found there.
13. The Brahmagiri hills gives us a panoramic view of the entire landscape of Coorg.

Coorg Character Sketch

The Coorgi People: The Coorgi people are entirely different. Coorg, or Kodagu, the smallest district of Karnataka is their home. Their traditions, marriages and rituals are entirely different from the Hindu customs. According to some, they are considered to be of Arabic descent. But some others think that they are of Greek origin. The Coorgis wear a long, black coat with an embroidered waist – best. It resembles Kuffia which was worn by the Arabs.

Coorg Word – Meanings

Word	Meaning	Word	Meaning
midway	in the midpath, halfway	coastal	near the coast
drifted from	carried along by air	kingdom	country
martial	relating with war	inhabited	occupied
evergreen	always green	plantation	an estate where crops such as coffee,spices etc. are grown
pours	rains	commences	starts
invigorating	enlivening, full of energy	colonial	pertaining to a colony
tucked	with complete nearness	canopies	roof-like coverings
fiercely	in a powerful way	mainstream	the way of life or set of beliefs that most people accept
panoramic view	a view of wide area of land	robes	dress
descent	ancestry, dropping or falling	ochre	a pale brownish yellow colour
embroidered	decorated	loris	a kind of lemur
rappelling	going down a rock by sliding down a rope	canoeing	travelling in a river in a light, narrow boat (a large one)
raft	a platform made by tying planks together	recount	describe, depict
splash	dashing	hospitality	custom of welcoming
valour	bravery	laidback	relaxed, casual
scrubbed	mbbed	mahouts	who take care of elephants

JAC Class 10 English Solutions

JAC Board Class 10th English Solutions First Flight Chapter 7(iii) Tea From Assam

JAC Class 10th English Tea From Assam Textbook Questions and Answers

I. Thinking About Language

Question 1.
Look at these words: upkeep, downpour, undergo, dropout, walk – ui. They are built up from a verb (keep, pour, go, drop, walk) and an adverb or a particle (up, down, under, out, in). Use these words appropriately in the sentences below. You may consult a dictionary.
1. A heavy …………… has been forecast due to low pressure in the Bay of Bengal.
2. Rakesh will ………….. major surgery tornotTow morning.
3. My brother is responsible for the …………….. of our family property.
4. The …………… rate for this accountancy course is very high.
5. She went to the Enterprise Company to attend a …………………. interview.
Answer:

1. A heavy downpour has been forecast due to low pressure in the Bay of Bengal.
2. Rakesh will undergo major surgery tomorrow morning.
3. My brother is responsible for the upkeep of our family property.
4. The dropout rate for this accountancy course is very high.
5. She went to the Enterprise Company to attend a walk – in interview.

Question 2.
Now fill in the blanks in the sentences given below by combining the verb given in brackets with one of the words from the box as appropriate.
over In through out up down
1. The Army attempted unsuccessfully to the Government, (throw)
2. Scientists are on the brink of a major in cancer research, (break)
3. The State Government plans to build a for Bhubaneswar to speed up traffic on the main highway, (pass)
4. Gautama’s on life changed when he realised that the world is full of sorrow, (look)
5. Rakesh seemed unusually after the game, (cast)
Answer:

1. The Army attempted unsuccessfully to overthrow the Government.
2. Scientists are on the brink of a major breakthrough in cancer research.
3. The State Government plans to build a bypass for Bhubaneswar to speed up traffic on the main highway.
4. Gautama’s outlook on life changed when he realized that the world is full of sorrow.
5. Rakesh seemed unusually downcast after the game.

II. Notice how these – ing anded adjectives are used.

(a) Chess is an interesting game. I am very interested in chess.
(b) Going trekking in the Himalayas We are very excited about the trek this summer is an exciting idea.
(c) Are all your school books this boring? He was bored as he had no friends there. The – ing adjectives show the qualities that chess, trekking, or these books have they cause interest, excitement, or boredom in you. The – eden adjectives show your mental state, or your physical state: how you feel in response to ideas, events or things.

Question 1.
Think of suitable – ing or – ed adjectives to answer the following questions. You may also use words from those given above.
How would you describe
1. a good detective serial on television?
2. a debate on your favourite topic ‘Homework Should Be Banned’?
3. how you feel when you stay indoors due to incessant rain?
4. how you feel when you open a present?
5. how you feel when you watchyour favourite programme on television?
6. the look on your mother’s face as you waited in a queue?
7. how you feel when tracking a tiger in a tiger reserve forest?
8. the story you have recently read, or a film you have seen?
Answer:

1. a good detective serial on television? Interesting
2. a debate on your favourite topic ‘Homework Should Be Banned’? Exciting
3. how you feel when you stay indoors due to incessant rain? Bored
4. how you feel when you open a present? Excited
5. how you feel when you watch your favourite programme on television? Interested
6. the look on your mother’s face as you waited in a queue? Tired
7. how you feel when tracking a tiger in a tiger reserve forest? Thrilled
8. the story you have recently read, or a film you have seen? Boring

Question 2.
Now use the adjectives in the exercise above, as appropriate, to write a paragraph about Coorg.
Answer:
The author Lokesh Abrol has given a vivid description of Coorg. It is an exciting and interesting chapter. The scenic beauty of the place enchants and thrills us. The legends related with Coorg people thrill us. The adventures like river rafting, canoeing, rappelling, rock climbing, etc., give more excitement to the tourists. The valour of Coorg and the story related with it give more thrill and excitement to the readers.

Speaking and Writing

I. Read the following passage about tea.
India and tea are so intertwined together that life without the brew is unimaginable. Tea entered our life only in the mid – nineteenth century when the British started plantations in Assam and Darjeeling In the beginning though, Indians shunned the drink as they thought it was a poison that led to umpteen diseases. Ironically, tea colonised Britain where it became a part of their social diary and also led to the establishment of numerous tea houses. Today, scientific research across the world has attempted to establish the beneficial qualities of tea – a fact the Japanese and the Chinese knew anyway from ancient times, attributing to it numerous medicinal properties.

Collect information about tea, e.g. its evolution as a drink, its beneficial qualities. You can consult an encyclopedia or visit Internet websites. Then form groups of five and play the following roles: Imagine a meeting of a tea planter, a sales agent, a tea lover (consumer), a physician and a tea-shop owner. Each person in the group has to put forward his/her views about tea. You may use the following words and phrases.
1. I feel …
2. I disagree with you …
3. I would like you to know It is my feeling …
4. May I know why you …
5. It is important to know …
6. I think that tea …
7. I agree with …
8. I suggest…
9. I am afraid…
Answer:
I think that tea is a beverage that stimulates and refreshes us. It is important to know that tea originated in China. I agree with this that tea is used at a large scale around the world. It overcomes our tiredness. People usually take it twice or thrice a day.

Question 2.
You are the sales executive of a famous tea company and you have been asked to draft an advertisement for the product. Draft the advertisement using the information you collected for the role play. You can draw pictures or add photographs and make your
Answer:

JAC Class 10th English Tea From Assam Important Questions and Answers

I. Short Answer Type Questions (20 – 30 words & 2 marks each)

Question 1.
How long does the second sprouting period of tea last?
Answer:
There are two flushes or sprouting periods of tea plantation. The second sprouting period lasts from May to July and it yields the best tea.

Question 2.
When did tea come to Europe?
Answer:
Tea came to Europe only in the 16th century. In Europe, tea was treated more like a medicine than a beverage.

Question 3.
How does Rajvir describe the view from the train?
Answer:
Rajvir describes the magnificent view of the landscape from the train window. It is a sea of tea bushes. At odd intervals, there are tall shade-tree and one can see women tea-pluckers picking tea leaves. They appear to be doll-like figures.

Question 4.
What Indian legend is associated with the origin of tea?
Answer:
The Indian legend behind the origin of tea is that Bodhidharma, an ancient Buddhist ascetic cut off his eyelids because he felt sleepy during meditation. Ten tea plants grew out of the eyelids. The leaves of these plants boiled in water and drunk banished sleep.

Question 5.
What is the Chinese legend regarding tea?
Answer:
The Chinese legend about tea is that there was a Chinese emperor who had the habit of boiling water before drinking it. Once, a few twigs of the leaves burning under the pot fell into the water and gave it a delicious flavour. Those leaves were tea leaves.

II. Short Answer Type Questions (40 – 50 words & 3 marks each)

Question 1.
In what way has the tea become a popular beverage?
Answer:
More than eighty crore cups of tea are drunk every day throughout the world. The vendors selling tea can be seen at railway platforms, markets and tourist spots, crying “Chai gar am The people can’t resist buying and relishing a hot cup of tea. Tea, indeed, has become a popular beverage worldwide.

Question 2.
While travelling in the train, why did Pranjol not share the same excitement as Rajvir when Rajvir saw tea gardens outside?
Answer:
Rajvir was Pranjol’s classmate in Delhi. While travelling in the train, Rajvir was looking at the beautiful scenery from the window. It wras green everywhere. He had never seen this much greenery in his life before. On the other hand, Pranjol had grown up on plantation, so he was quite accustomed to this kind of greenery. That’s why when Rajvir showed his excitement to Pranjol, he didn’t respond with the same energy.

Question 3.
Why did Pranjol’s father, Mr Barua say to Rajvir that he had done his homework?
Answer:
Pranjol’s parents picked Rajvir and Pranjol from the station. While travelling through the Dhekiabari Tea Estate, on seeing a tractor, pulling a trailor – load of tea leaves, Rajvir confirmed with Mr Barua if that was the second – flush or sprouting period. Mr Barua replied affirmatively and was quite surprised by his knowledge of tea. Therefore, Pranjol’s father said that Rajvir had done his homework.

Question 4.
Elucidate the statement ‘This is tea country now.’
Answer:
Pranjol said the above line when Rajvir showed his excitement of the greenery outside the train while travelling to Assam. He meant to say that Assam has the world’s largest concentration of tea plantation in the world. A large number of trees can be found there. Most of the tea grown in Assam is supplied all over the world.

Question 5.
Why was Rajvir excited to see the tea gardens?
Answer:
Rajvir found the view outside the train splendid and eye catching. It was full of greenery. It was Rajvir’s first visit to Assam. He was fascinated and enchanted by the sprawling tea gardens, spreading like a green sea of neatly pruned bushes. He found it more interesting to watch, than reading his book on detectives.

Question 6.
How did Rajvir describe the tea garden at Dhekiabari Tea Estate?
Answer:
Rajvir’s visit to Dhekiabari Tea Estate where Pranjol’s father worked as a manager, was a novel experience for him. He found it extremely fascinating. He saw groups of tea-workers, wearing plastic aprons and baskets of bamboo sticks on their back, picking newly sprouted tea leaves.

Question 7.
How are the tea – pluckers different from the other farm labourers?
Answer:
Tea pluckers are different from the other farm labourers in many ways. Tea pluckers are hired labourers whereas the farm labou
rers can be hired or can be the owners of the land. Tea pluckers only pluck leaves whereas farm labourers go through the whole process, i.e., from sowing to harvesting.

III. Long Answer Type Questions (100 – 120 words & 5 marks each)

Question 1.
What information did Rajvir share with Pranjol and his father?
Answer:
Rajvir had gathered a lot of information about tea. He told Pranjol that though there were numerous legends about it but no one actually knew about the origin of it. Chinese legend says that it was discovered by a Chinese Emperor. The Indian legend says that it was discovered by Bodhidharma, who cut off his eyelids as he felt sleepiness during meditation and tea plants grew out of them to banish sleep. He also knew that tea was first drunk in China in 2700 B.C. and it reached Europe in the sixteenth century as a medicine. He also informed Pranjol that the words tea, chai and chini are Chinese. He had even the knowledge about the sprouting season on the second-flush which is the best in the world.

Question 2.
What details do you gather about tea from the lesson, ‘Tea from Assam’?
Answer:
Tea was first drunk in China. Even the words ‘Chai’ and ‘Chini’ are Chinese. It goes back to 2700 B.C. In the 16th century, tea came to Europe. There are a number of tea fields in Assam. Unlike the other farm labourers, who might never carry the harvest on their backs, the tea pluckers, i.e., the groups of women were there hanging bamboo baskets on their backs. They pluck the newly grown fresh tea leaves from the plants and store them in their baskets. They also wear plastic apron.

Question 3.
Rajvir had a lot of information about tea. What all does he tell? What character trait about him is revealed in the lesson?
Answer:
Rajvir had been invited to spend his vacations with his classmate Pranjol, whose father was the manager of a tea estate in Assam. He was quite enthusiastic and excited about the trip. He had gathered considerable amount of information about tea like where the tea originated and how it became such a popular beverage. He informed that about 80 crore cups of tea are consumed daily in the world. The name tea itself has originated from Chinese. He narrates two popular legends about the origin of tea.

Rajvir exhibits two important value traits, that are pre-requisite to gain knowledge, viz., curiosity and eagerness. He is active in collecting information prior to any real experience. He likes to do his homework thoroughly before going to a place. This is something very appreciable. Children should develop this habit of finding out the information. These are extremely desirable traits for all learners.

Question 4.
“Tea was first drunk in China, Rajvir added” as far back as 2700 B.C.! In fact words such as tea, ‘Chai’ and ‘Chini’ are from Chinese. Tea came to Europe only in the sixteenth century and was drunk more as medicine than as beverage.” What does the author want to say through this about the origin of tea?
Answer:
Through this passage, the author wants to highlight the origin of tea. Actually, tea was at first drunk in China as far back as 2700 BC. From this angle, it seems that the main originator of the word ‘tea’ was China. The words like ‘Chai’ and ‘Chini’ also belonged to China. Tea came to Europe in the 16th century. It was used as medicine in Europe than as beverage. This is actually the information that comes out after a discussion between Pranjol and Rajvir during the train journey to Assam. After going through the entire passage we come to the conclusion that in ancient times, tea was used more as medicine than as beverage. The author has really given a detailed description of tea, its origin, its popularity and how to use even in the form of medicine.

Reference To Context

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:

Question 1.
“CHAI-GARAM… garam chaia vendor called out in a high – pitched voice. He came up to their window and asked, “Chai, sa’ab?”
“Give us two cups,” Pranjol said. They sipped the steaming hot liquid. Almost everyone in their compartment was drinking tea too.
“Do you know that over eighty crore cups of tea are drunk every day throughout the world?” Rajvir said.

Choose the correct option:
(a) What was every one drinking in the compartment?
(i) Coffee
(ii) Tea
(iii) Cold drink
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(ii) Tea

(b) How many cups of tea are drunk everyday throughout the world?
(i) Seventy crore
(ii) Eighty crore
(iii) Ninety crore
(iv) Ninety – five crore
Answer:
(ii) Eighty crore

(c) A tea vendor was speaking in a high – pitched voice to attract …………… of the train to buy hot tea.
(i) customers
(ii) guard
(iii) driver
(iv) none of these
Answer:
(i) customers

(d) Who demanded two cups of tea?
(i) Rajvir
(ii) Pranjol
(iii) PranjoTs father
(iv) Rajvir’s brother
Answer:
(ii) Pranjol

(e) Find out a word from the passage similar in meaning to ‘drink.’
(i) swallow
(ii) taste
(iii) sip
(iv) imbibe
Answer:
(iii) sip

Question 2.
The train pulled out of the station. Pranjol buried his nose in his detective book again. Rajvir too was an ardent fan of detective stories, but at the moment he was keener on looking at the beautiful scenery. It was green, green everywhere. Rajvir had never seen so much greenery before. Then the soft green paddy fields gave way to tea bushes.
Choose the correct option:
(a) Who buried his nose in his detective book?
(i) Rajvir
(ii) Pranjol
(iii) PranjoTs father
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(ii) Pranjol

(b)What did Rajvir look at keenly?
(i) The beautiful scenery
(ii) The running train
(iii) The college going students
(iv) The passengers on train
Answer:
(i) The beautiful scenery

(c) The soft green ……….. fields gave way to tea bushes.
(i) maize
(ii) wheat
(iii) paddy
(iv) none of these
Answer:
(iii) paddy

(d) What had Rajvir never seen so much before?
(i) Passengers
(ii) Greenery
(iii) Shops
(iv) Trains
Answer:
(ii) Greenery

(e) Find out a word from the passage opposite in meaning to ‘ugly’.
(i) awkward
(ii) uncouth
(iii) horrible
(iv) beautiful
Answer:
(iv) beautiful

Question 3.
It was a magnificent view. Against the backdrop of densely wooded hills a sea of tea bushes stretched as far as the eye could see. Dwarfing the tiny tea plants were tall sturdy shade-trees and amidst the orderly rows of bushes busily moved doll-like figures. In the distance was an ugly building with smoke billowing out of tall chimneys.

Choose the correct option:
(a) What were the tiny tea plants?
(i) Palm trees
(ii) Banyan trees
(iii) Shade – trees
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(iii) Shade – trees

(b) In the distance, there was an ugly building with smoke
(i) emitting
(ii) billowing out of chimneys
(iii) whirling
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(ii) billowing out of chimneys

(c) Tea plantations have been compared to a sea of ………………
(i) palm leaves
(ii) coriander leaves
(iii) mango leaves
(iv) tea bushes
Answer:
(iv) tea bushes

(d) How was the view of the tea garden?
(i) unimpressive
(ii) common
(iii) ordinary
(iv) magnificent
Answer:
(iv) magnificent

(e) Find out a word from the passage similar in meaning to ‘thickly.’
(i) gently
(ii) densely
(iii) easily
(iv) lightly
Answer:
(ii) densely

Question 4.
“Tea was first drunk in China,” Rajvir added, “as far back as 2700 B.C.! In fact words such as tea, ‘chaf and ‘chinV are from Chinese. Tea came to Europe only in the sixteenth century and was drunk more as medicine than as beverage.” The train clattered into Mariani junction. The boys collected their luggage and pushed their way to the crowded platform.
Choose the correct option:
(a) Where was tea first drunk in 2700 B.C.?
(i) Malaysia
(ii) India
(iii) China
(iv) Britain
Answer:
(iii) China

(b) When did tea come to Europe?
(i) Thirteenth century
(ii) Sixteenth century
(iii) Eighteenth century
(iv) Nineteenth century
Answer:
(ii) Sixteenth century

(c) Tea was drunk more as than as beverage.
(i) medicine
(ii) liquid
(iii) both (i) and (ii)
(iv) none of these
Answer:
(i) medicine

(d) What did the boys do at Mariani junction?
(i) They remained there as spectators.
(ii) They collected their luggage and pushed to their way to the crowded platform.
(iii) They were busy in talking only.
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(ii) They collected their luggage and pushed to their way to the crowded platform.

(e) Find out a word from the passage similar in meaning to ‘rattled’.
(i) fix
(ii) gaze
(iii) mend
(iv) clattered
Answer:
(iv) clattered

Tea From Assam Summary

Tea From Assam About the Author

Amp Kumar Datta is an Indian writer and journalist. He was bom on 2 July 1946 at Jorhat in Assam. After completing his senior secondary in Himachal Pradesh he did his graduation and post¬graduation in English literature from Delhi University. His writings featured in ‘ The Illustrated Weekly of India’, ‘ Caravan ’, ‘Femina’, etc. He has authored 16 books for adults, 13 of which are non-fiction wrhile 3 are fiction. Kaziranga Trail. The Blind Witness. Revenge. The Crystal Cave. Toot Trim in she Sand. etc., are some of his important works. The Brahmaputra w as published in 2001. He was awarded Shankar award and the civilian award.

Tea From Assam Gist of the Lesson
“Tea from Assam’ is an interesting story about tea, its history and significance. In this story, we get a glimpse of the tea plantation of Assam. Two boys Rajvir and Pranjol are travelling to Assam. Pranjol’s father is a manager in a tea garden of Assam. He invites Rajvir to Assam. Rajvir tells Pranjol that over 8,00,000,000 cups of tea are dmnk everyday throughout the w’orld. The train passes through green hills. Rajvir is very excited about his journey. Rajvir then tells him about the various legends Indian and Chinese behind tea. He tells him that tea was discovered by a Chinese emperor in 2700 BC. Another Indian story about tea was how ten tea plants grew out of eyelids of Bodhidharma, a Buddhist ascetic. The ’Char and ‘Chini’ are Chinese words. It was only in the sixteenth century that tea came to Europe. By now they had reached Marian Junction where they got down and set off for Dhekiabari Tea Estate. On both sides of the road, there were tea bushes with women plucking tea leaves. Pranjol’s father told Rajvir that he would tell them many more things about tea plantation.

Tea From Assam Summary

Journey to Assam: Pranjol and Rajvir are two close friends. They study in Delhi. Pranjol hails from Assam and his parents live there. Pranjol’s father is the manager of a tea-garden in Upper Assam. Both the friends start their journey from Delhi to Assam by train. Activities inside the train: Both the friends talk to each other. The tea vendor came upto the window of the train and started shouting ‘ Chai-Garam garam chai They take two cups of tea and start sipping. Rajvir tells that more than eighty crore cups of tea are drunk daily throughout the world. Tea is very popular. Both the friends also start reading detective stories.

Wonderful greenery: They take outside view of the fields. It was really a magnificent view. There were tea bushes and the tea plants outside. There was also a building with smoke coming out of old chimneys. It was a tea garden. Assam is called a tea country. It has the largest concentration of plantations in the world. Chinese legend about tea: There is a Chinese legend about tea. There was a Chinese emperor who used to boil water before drinking it. A few leaves of the twigs were burnt under the pot. And then they fell into the water that gave a delicious flavour to it.

Actually, they were tea leaves. Indian legend about tea: There is an Indian legend about tea too. Bodhidharma was a Buddhist ascetic. During meditations, he used to cut off his eyelids because of his sleepiness. Ten tea plants grew out of the eyelids. Then, the leaves of these plants were put in hot water and drunk. First drunk in China: Tea was first drank in China as far back as 2700 BC. The words like ‘chaf and ‘chinP originated from China. In the 16th century, tea came to Europe. It was used there as medicine. Train reached at its destination: At last, the train reached at its destination.

Both the friends deboarded the train at Mariani junction. PranjoTs father received and took them to Dhekiabari Tea Estate where he was deputed. There were tea bushes on both sides of the road. Numerous tea pluckers keeping baskets on their bags were plucking the new leaves. Rajvir was appreciated: Rajvir told Mr. Barua (PranjoTs father) that May to July are the best months for tea plantation. At this, PranjoTs father told him that you have good knowledge about tea and it seems that you have done your homework properly well. At this, Rajvir told that he wanted to seek more information about it.

Tea From Assam Lesson at a Glance

1. Pranjol, a native from Assam is the school classmate of Rajvir in Delhi.
2. The father of Pranjol is the manager of tea-garden in Upper Assam.
3. Pranjol invited Rajvir to visit his home during the summer vacation.
4. During the journey, they were busy in reading detective stories. Rajvir often looked out of the train window to have a panoramic view of the scenery.
5. They were also sharing information with each other.
6. According to Rajvir, more than eighty crore cups of tea are drunk daily throughout the world.
7. There was greenery outside. So Rajvir enjoyed it very much.
8. Rajvir found the tea garden very beautiful with tiny tea plants, tall trees and doll-like tea pluckers.
9. Assam has the largest concentration of plantations in the world.
10. There are many legends related with tea.
11. It is said that tea was discovered in China by the Chinese emperor who always boiled water before drinking it.
12. A few leaves of the twigs burnt under the pot and fell into the water. It added delicious flavour to it. These were tea leaves.
13. An Indian legend is also associated with it. Bodhidharma, a Buddhist ascetic cut off his eyelids because he felt sleepy during meditations.
14. The leaves of these plants were put in hot water and drunk.
15. Tea was first drunk in China in 2700 BC.
16. The words like ‘chaV and ‘chini’ are Chinese words.
17. Tea came to Europe in the 16th century and was drunk as medicine.
18. The train reached upto its destination and they were taken towards Dhekiabari Tea Estate.

Tea From Assam Character Sketch

Pranjol: Pranjol was a youngster from Assam. He was bom and brought up on a tea plantation. His father was the manager of Dhekiabari Tea Estate. Pranjol studied with Rajvir in Delhi. Pranjol invited Rajvir to visit his home during the summer vacation.

Rajvir: Rajvir and Pranjol were classmates. They studied in Delhi. Rajvir was excited to see the Tea Estate. His classmate, Pranjol invited him to visit his home during summer vacation. He had very good knowledge of tea. He was also interested in detective stories. Pranjol’s father was also surprised to know his detailed knowledge about the subject.

Tea From Assam Word – Meanings

Word	Meaning	Ward	Meaning
vendor	seller	High – pitched	high voice, loud voice
exclaimed	said in wonder	detective	spy
ardent	avid, passionate	magnificent	attractive, impressive
excitement	elation	keener	eager
concentration	attentiveness	billowing	moving mass of cloud
meditations	deep thought	ascetic	holy man
clattered	rattling sound	beverage	drink
pmned	trimmed	veered	changed direction suddenly
sprouted	grown	aprons	scarfs
admitted	accepted	twigs	branches
sturdy	powerful	whew	to express surprise
dwarfing	small	densely	deep

JAC Class 10 English Solutions

JAC Board Class 10th English Solutions First Flight Chapter 9 Madam Rides the Bus

JAC Class 10th English Madam Rides the Bus Textbook Questions and Answers

Activity (Page – 116)

Question 1.
Look at the words and phrases given below. Then put a tick against the ones you think you will find in the text.
1. a set of passengers
2. get off the bus
3. Tickets, please
4. a row of seats
5. blowing a whistle
6. get on the bus
7. platform
8. a roar and a rattle
9. slowing down to a crawl
Answer:

1. a set of passengers (✓)
2. get off the bus (✓)
3. Tickets, please (✓)
4. a row of seats (✓)
5. blowing a whistle (✓)
6. get on the bus (✓)
7. platform (x)
8. a roar and a rattle (✓)
9. slowing down to a crawl (✓)

Question 2.
You must have travelled by bus more than once. What can you see from a fast-moving bus? Given below are some suggestions. Speak briefly about some of these scenes, or about other such scenes that you have seen; or write a sentence or two about them.

rivers	green fields	hills
roadside shops	market places	railway tracks
moving trains	vehicles on the road	trees
a crowd	clothes in shops	animals

Answer:
While we travel by a fast – moving bus, we see all the things given under the box. Some of the descriptions are given below.

1. A crowd: While going by the bus from Delhi to Agra, we saw a large crowd at few places.
2. Roadside shops: We find a number of shops at the roadside while travelling by the bus. We also purchase some eatable items there.
3. Vehicles on the road: A number of vehicles ply on the road. These vehicles take people and luggage from one place to another.
4. Hills: While we travel by the bus, we see hills at the outside. These hills really look beautiful.

Oral Comprehension Check (Page – 119)

Question 1.
What was Valli’s favourite pastime?
Answer:
Valli’s favourite pastime was to stand in the front doorway of her house and watch all the happenings around the street outside.

Question 2.
What was a source of unending joy for Valli? What was her strongest desire?
Answer:
A source of unending joy for Valli was the sight of the bus that travelled between her village and the nearest town. Her strongest desire was to ride on that bus.

Question 3.
What did Valli find out about the bus journey? How did she find out these details?
Answer:
Valli found out that the town was six miles from her village. The fare was thirty paise for one way. The trip to the town took forty – five minutes. On reaching the town, if she stayed in her seat and paid another thirty paise, she could return home on the same bus. She found out these details by listening carefully to the conversations between her neighbours and the people who regularly used the bus. She also gained information by asking them a few questions.

Question 4.
What do you think Valli was planning to do?
Answer:
Valli was planning to travel on the bus.

Oral Comprehension Check (Page – 122)

Question 1.
Why does the conductor call Valli ‘madam’?
Answer:
When the conductor stretched out his hand to help her get on the bus, Valli said confidently that she could get on by herself. She did not require anybody’s help. She did not act like a child, but as a grown – up girl. That is why the conductor called her ‘madam’.

Question 2.
Why does Valli stand up on the seat? What does she see now?
Answer:
Valli stood up on the seat because her view was cut off by the lower part of the window. She saw the narrow road and beyond it there were trees, grassland, distant mountains, and the blue sky.

Question 3.
What does Valli tell the elderly man when he calls her a child?
Answer:
When the elderly man called her a child, Valli told him that there was no child on the bus. She had paid her full fare of thirty paise like everyone else.

Question 4.
Why didn’t Valli want to make friends with the elderly woman?
Answer:
Valli did not want to make friends with the elderly woman because she found her absolutely repulsive. She saw that the woman had big holes in her ear lobes and very ugly earrings in them. She was chewing betel nut and the betel juice was coming out on her lips.

Oral Comprehension Check (Page – 125)

Question 1.
How did Valli save up money for her first journey? Was it easy for her?
Valli had carefully saved her money. She resisted every temptation to buy peppermints, toys, balloons, and the like. This way she had saved sixty paise. When she went to the village fair, she was tempted to ride the merry-go-round because she had the money. But she suppressed her desire and saved the money for the bus ride.

Question 2.
What did Valli see on her way that made her laugh?
Answer:
Valli saw a young cow, whose tail was high in the air. When the bus came, the cow came on the middle of the road. The bus slowed down and the driver sounded his horn loudly. Even then it kept running faster in front of the bus. Valli found it so amusing that she laughed heartily. She had tears in her eyes.

Question 3.
Why didn’t she get off the bus at the bus station?
She did not get off the bus at the bus station because she had to go back on the same bus. She took out another thirty paise from her pocket and demanded ticket from the conductor. She just wanted to ride on the bus.

Question 4.
Why didn’t Valli want to go to the stall and have a drink? What does this tell you about her?
Answer:
Valli did not want to go to the stall and have a drink because she did not have any money for that. Even when the conductor offered her a drink free of charge, she refused it. She only wanted her ticket. This shows that Valli had self-respect and control over her.

Thinking about the Text

Question 1.
What was Valli’s deepest desire? Find the words and phrases in the story that tell you this.
Answer:
The deepest desire of Valli was to ride on the bus. The words and phrases that tell us this are:

• the sight of the bus
• a tiny wish crept into her head
• small details about the bus journey
• a source of unending joy, etc.

Question 2.
How did Valli plan her bus ride? What did she find out about the bus, and how did she save up the fare?
Answer:
Valli wanted to ride on the bus. So, she planned that she would take the one o’clock afternoon bus, reach the town at one forty – five, and will be back home by about two forty-five. The town was at the distance of six miles from her village. The fare of one side was thirty paise. It took forty-five minutes to reach there. After reaching the town, if she stayed in her seat and paid another thirty paise, she could return home by the same bus. She had carefully saved the coins. To save this, she resisted her temptation to buy peppermints, toys, balloons, etc. This way she had saved sixty paise.

Question 3.
WWhat kind of a person is Valli? To answer this question, pick out the following sentences from the text and fill in the blanks. The words you fill in are the clues to your answer.
1. “Stop the bus! Stop the bus!” And a tiny hand was raised …………..
2.  “Yes, I ………. go to town,” said Valli, still standing outside the bus.
3. “There’s nobody here ………..” she said haughtily. “I’ve paid my thirty paise like everyone else.”
4. “Never mind,” she said, “I can …………… You don’t have to help me.” “I’m not a child, I tell you,” she said, .
5. You needn’t bother about me. I…………..,” Valli said, turning her face toward the window and staring out.
6. Then she turned to the conductor and said, “Well, sir, I hope.”
Answer:

1. “Stop the bus! Stop the bus!” And a tiny hand was raised commandingly.
2. “Yes, I simply have to go to town,” said Valli, still standing outside the bus.
3. “There’s nobody here who s a child,” she said haughtily. “I’ve paid my thirty paise like everyone else.”
4. “Never mind,” she said, “I can get on by myself.” “You don’t have to help me.” “I’m not a child, I tell you,” she said, irritably.
5. “You needn’t bother about me. I can take care of myself,” Valli said, turning her face towards the window and staring out.
6. Then she turned to the conductor and said, “Well, sir, I hope to see you again.” Valli is a quite confident girl. She takes decision at her own. She has great sense of self respect but gets quite irritated when anyone treats her as a child. She replies every thing in a convincing way.

Question 4.
Why does the conductor refer to Valli as ‘madam’?
Answer:
The bus conductor called Valli ‘madam’ because she behaved in a matured and commanding way. She gave proper reply to conductor’s query. When the conductor stretched out his hand to help her on the bus, she said that she could get on by herself. She did not require anybody’s help. She always laid emphasis on the fact that she had paid her full fare, so she should not be treated in a different way.

Question 5.
Find the lines in the text which tell you that Valli was enjoying her ride on the bus.
Answer:
The following lines in the text show that Valli was enjoying her ride on the bus:

1. “Valli devoured everything with her eyes.”
2. “On one side there was the canal and, beyond it, palm trees, grassland, distant mountains, and the blue, blue sky. On the other side was a deep ditch and then acres and acres of green fields – green, green, green, as far as the eye could see. Oh, it was all so wonderful!”
3. “Everyone laughed, and gradually Valli too joined in the laughter.
4. Suddenly, Valli clapped her hands with glee.”
5. “Somehow this was very funny to Valli. She laughed and laughed until there were tears in her eyes.”
6. “Valli wasn’t bored in the slightest and greeted everything with the same excitement she’d felt the first time.”

Question 6.
Why does Valli refuse to look out of the window on her way back?
Answer:
Valli refused to look out of the window on her way back because she saw a young cow lying dead by the roadside. It had been struck by some fast – moving vehicle. It was the same cow that was running in front of their bus, during their trip to the town. She was overcome with sadness. The memory of the dead cow haunted her again and again.

Question 7.
What does Valli mean when she says, “I was just agreeing with what you said about things happening without our knowledge.”
Answer:
Valli’s mother was talking to an aunt. They were discussing that many things happened around them, but they were usually unaware of them. Valli had gone on a bus ride to town, all alone. She did all this without the knowledge of her mother. Hence, she agreed with what her mother said.

Question 8.
The author describes the things that Valli sees from an eight-year-old’s point of view. Can you find evidence from the text for this statement?
Answer:
The author has described the things that Valli saw from an eight-year-old’s point of view. She was fascinated by a bus. Her strongest desire was to ride the bus. She saved money by resisting her temptation to ride the merry-go-round at the fair. She did not even take peppermints, toys and balloons. When the author describes the bus, the points he stresses on are the colour and look of the bus. It was a newly painted bus.

The seats were ‘soft and luxurious’. She was happy to see the green fields. Valli clapped her hands in glee on watching a cow run right in front of the bus. She found it very funny. On the other hand, she was quite sad while returning from the town. She saw the same cow lying dead. The memory of the dead cow haunted her so much that she refused to look outside the window. All these things have been described from the author’s point of view.

Speaking

This story has a lot of people talking in it. The conductor jokes and laughs with Valli, some passengers try to show their concern for her, and her mother and her aunt spend time chatting. Read the conversations carefully. Then think of similar people, or similar situations that you have experienced. Mimic a person or persons who spoke to you, saying what they said, along with your replies.
Answer:
Do it yourself.

Writing

Write a page – about three paragraphs – on one of the following topics.
1. Have you ever planned something entirely on your own, without taking grown-ups into your confidence? What did you plan, and how? Did you carry out your plan?
2. Have you made a journey that was unforgettable in some way? What made it memorable?
3. Are you concerned about traffic and road safety? What are your concerns? How would you make road travel safer and more enjoyable?
Answer:
(1) Yes, I have planned something entirely on my own. I along with my classmates planned a visit to see the ‘Hawa Mahal’ in Jaipur. We took bus tickets two days in advance. We along with our friends took bus on Saturday night from Delhi. We reached Jaipur early morning to visit the ‘Hawa Mahal’. We had actually saved some money from daily expenditures. We even did not take money from our parents. ‘Hawa Mahal’ or ‘Palace of the Winds’ is really a marvellous and beautiful place in Jaipur.

It is constructed of red and pink sandstone. It was built up by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799. It is a beautiful blend of Hindu Rajput architecture and Islamic Mughal architecture. It was built for the royal women to enjoy the events and festivals in the street. It is also one of the famous tourist attractions. We visited this palace for the whole day and enjoyed a lot. We took a good lunch there and took the bus of 6 p.m. We reached Delhi at night. It was really an enjoyable journey.

JAC Class 10th English Madam Rides the Bus Important Questions and Answers

I. Short Answer Type Questions (20 – 30 words & 2 marks each)

Question 1.
What advice did the conductor give to Valli?
Answer:
The conductor referring to Valli as child, told her that it would be comfortable for her to sit down rather than standing up and she would not get hurt when the bus would take sharp turns.

Question 2.
What kind of girl was Valli? What was her deepest desire?
Answer:
Valli was an eight – year – old girl. She was wise and intelligent. She always watched everything carefully outside her house. Her deepest desire was to undertake a bus ride.

Question 3.
What details did Valli pick up about the bus journey? How did she pick up these details? Answer:Valli picked up details about the bus journey. She knew about the distance from her village to town, the duration and fare. She gathered this information by hearing the conversations of others and by asking a discreet or two.

Question 4.
Why didn’t Valli get off the bus at the bus station?
Answer:
Valli did not get off from the bus at the bus stand because she had come in the bus just for a ride and would go back in the same bus.

II. Short Answer Type Questions (40 – 50 words & 3 marks each)

Question 1.
How did Valli manage to leave the house?
Answer:
Valli was a meticulous planner. She knew that everyday her mother would take a nap from about one to four or so. She used these hours for her ‘excursions’ as she stood looking from the doorway of her house. In these hours, Valli decided to leave the house for her first excursion outside the village

Question 2.
Why was Valli overcome with shyness?
Answer:
While boarding the bus, Valli refused to take help of the conductor to get on to the bus and said to board the bus herself. The conductor being a jolly person, announced to make way for madam (Valli). All the six or seven passengers on the bus started laughing with the conductor, looking at Valli. This made Valli to overcome with shyness and avoiding everyone’s eyes, she quickly walked to an empty seat and sat down there.

Question 3.
Why did Valli not want to look at the sights in town alone?
Answer:
The conductor had asked Valli if she did not want to see the town. She replied that she was too afraid to go and see the sights alone in the town. The conductor reminded her that she was travelling alone too by bus. Valli told him that there was nothing to be afraid of in the bus.

Question 4.
How can you say that Valli was a meticulous planner?
Answer:
Valli desired to undertake a bus ride. She fulfilled her desire by systematic and organised planning. She gathered information about the time of the bus, the duration of the journey as well as the fare. She could do all this by saving money. She went to a bus ride and fulfilled her desire. So, it can be said that Valli was a meticulous planner.

Question 5.
How can you say that the conductor was a good natured jolly fellow? Substantiate your answer with examples.
Answer:
The conductor was a man of humour. He was concerned that a small girl was travelling to town alone and took care that she was comfortably seated. When Valli objected to being treated as a child, he took it in light spirit and jokingly addressed her ‘Madam’. These things show that the conductor was a jolly fellow.

Question 6.
How did Valli react when she saw the dead cow lying by the roadside?
Answer:
When Valli saw the dead cow lying by the roadside, she became very sad. She was now in a pensive mood. It was shocking to her that the animal she’d been laughing at a while ago, was lying dead. Because while she was going by bus, she saw the same cow roaming on the road.

III. Long Answer Type Questions (100 – 120 words & 5 marks each)

Question 1.
The bus ride introduces Valli to the mystery of life and death. Explain.
Answer:
Valli was excited about her first bus ride to the town. It was a dream come true for her. On this journey, she was introduced to the mystery of life and death. She was awestruck by the beauty of the outside world. She clapped, laughed and thoroughly enjoyed the sight of a young cow running in the middle of the road in front of the bus. The driver honked to warn it but the more he honked the horn, the faster it galloped.

Valli found it amusing and laughed till the tears came into her eyes. While returning, she saw the same cow lying dead on the road. Some fast speeding vehicle must have hit it. It was a horrible sight and the scene looked frightening and depressed to Valli. The above two opposite situations in which one character was alive at first and dead in the second time, present themselves as a reflection of life and death.

Question 2.
‘Age is not a barrier when it conies to doing something different and great’. Which characteristics of Valli help her achieve the wonder of visiting the town at such a tender age?
Answer:
In modem world, children are doing wonders at a very young age. So far Valli is concerned, she was determined enough to pursue her dream all alone by travelling in the bus to town. She was no different than others but some characteristics made her fulfil her dreams. She was a very confident and bold girl. Before executing her plan of bus ride, she had meticulously planned everything, like bus fare and the way to get out of home.

This shows her intelligence of proper planning and execution. She resisted her temptation to save money for the bus ride. Also, she was a good observer and learner. All these qualities made her realise the dream of visiting the town. Therefore, one must never surrender to one’s inhibitions and must remember that there is no age barrier to leam and experience new things.

Question 3.
What made Valli sad in her bus journey?
Answer:
While going by bus, Valli saw a playful cow on the road. When the driver blew the hom the cow started mnning faster. It made her laugh. But while she was returning, she saw that the cow was hit by a fast moving vehicle. The cow looked frightening with legs spread and eyes lifeless. It really disturbed Valli a lot. This incident really made Valli sad in her bus journey. It was a rude shock that the animal that she’d been laughing at a while ago, was lying in the stillness of death.

Question 4.
The behaviour of the conductor in ‘Madam Rides the Bus’ is an example of good manners. Mentioning the instances of good manners shown by the conductor in the story, write how you can make your life happy by observing good manners.
Answer:
The bus conductor in ‘Madam Rides the Bus’ presents himself as an amiable person. He is a man of jolly nature. He shows genuine concern for a young girl. She is travelling alone. He makes sure that she is comfortably seated and also offers to buy her something to drink. He takes it in a good spirit. Valli demands respect and does not wish to be treated as a child, because she has paid him for her ticket like everyone else.

Such people are not just happy and pleased with themselves but also radiate positive energy. The words like ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’ should be a frequent part of our conversation. They are not only basic etiquettes, but they have a magical effect on the listeners too. The conductor is practical as well as enthusiastic.

Question 5.
“The most fascinating thing of all was the bus that travelled between her village and the nearest town. It passed through her street each hour, once going to the town and once coming back. The sight of the bus, filled each time with a new set of passengers, was a source of unending joy for Valli. On the basis of the given passage discuss what did the author want to express?
Answer:
The author wants to express the feeling of Valli, an eight – year – old girl for her bus journey. In it, he has given a detailed description of the bus journey which Valli usually used to see in day time. It was a source of unending joy for Valli. It was the sight of the bus that travelled between her village and the nearest town. Her strongest yearning was to ride on that bus. The bus usually passed at the interval of an hour through her street. It usually made to and fro journey subsequently.

Each time, the bus travelled, it consisted of new passengers. While going towards the town and while returning towards the village. To ride on the bus, she observed all the things minutely and gathered all the details pertaining to it. She wanted to take the enjoyment of its journey. Her wish became stronger. It was really the most fascinating thing for her. Through this, the author wants to highlight the curiosity and desire of an eight – year old girl. It shows her curiousty and inquisitive mind.

Question 6.
“Her first journey what careful, painstaking, elaborate plans she had to make for it! she had thriftily saved whatever stray coins came her way, resisting every temptation to buy peppermints, toys, balloons come the like, and finally she had saved a total of sixty paise.” On the basis of the given passage, write why did Valli resist her every temptation?
Answer:
Actually, Valli had carefully saved her money for a maiden journey to town by the bus. She had made adequate and elaborate arrangements. She had saved each paise very carefully. Whatever coins came her way, she saved it meticulously. Even during her visit to a fair, she resisted all her temptations of buying peppermints, toys, balloons and a ride of merry – go – round. She did not spend even a single penny like other children.

This way, she saved sixty paise to make journey by bus. It was really an appreciable effort by an eight-year old girl. All these things really show how calculative and intelligent she was. To fulfil her desire she did not spend money like other children did. As other children would have spent all the amount on peppermints, toys, balloons, etc. But she restricted her temptations and ultimately did what an intelligent girl should do.

Reference To Context

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:

Question 1.
THERE was a girl named Valliammai who was called Valli for short. She was eight years old and very curious about things. Her favourite pastime was standing in the front doorway of her house, watching what was happening in the street outside. There were no playmates of her own age on her street, and this was about all she had to do.

Choose the correct option:
(a) What was the short name of Valliammai?
(i) Balli
(ii) Kalli
(iii) Malli
(iv) Valli
Answer:
(iv) Valli

(b) How old was the girl?
(i) Six-years old
(ii) Seven-years old
(iii) Eight-years old
(iv) Nine-years old
Answer:
(iii) Eight – years old

(c) Valli was very …………. about things.
(i) indifferent
(ii) embarrassed
(iii) curious
(iv) disappointed
Answer:
(iii) curious

(d) What was her favourite pastime?
(i) To play games with her friends
(ii) To watch all the activities in the street standing in front of her doorway
(iii) To cook in the kitchen
(iv) All of these
Answer:
(ii) To watch all the activities in the street standing in front of her doorway

(e) Find out a word from the passage similar in meaning to ‘inquisitive’.
(i) average
(ii) indifferent
(iii) ordinary
(iv) curious
Answer:
(iv) curious

Question 2.
But for Valli, standing at the front door was every bit as enjoyable as any of the elaborate games other children played. Watching the street gave her many new unusual experiences. The most fascinating thing of all was the bus that travelled between her village and the nearest town. It passed through her street each hour, once going to the town and once coming back. The sight of the bus, filled each time with a new set of passengers, was a source of unending joy for Valli.

Choose the correct option:
(a) Where did Valli want to stand?
(i) Back door
(ii) Front door
(iii) Floor
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(ii) Front door

(b) How was the sight of the bus for Valli?
(i) Unending joy
(ii) Sorrow
(iii) Both (i) and (ii)
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(i) Unending joy

(c) Watching the street gave Valli many new unusual .
(i) thoughts
(ii) feelings
(iii) emotions
(iv) experiences
Answer:
(iv) experiences

(d) What was the most fascinating thing for Valli?
(i) The bus that travelled between her village and the nearest town.
(ii) The friends who came to play with Valli.
(iii) The teacher who came to Valli’s house for tuition.
(iv) The relatives who came to meet Valli.
Answer:
(i) The bus that travelled between her village and the nearest town.

(e) Find out a word from the passage similar in meaning to ‘infinite.’
(i) limited
(ii) perennial
(iii) unending
(iv) unusual
Answer:
(iii) unending

Question 3.
Day after day she watched the bus, and gradually a tiny wish crept into her head and grew there: she wanted to ride on that bus, even if just once. This wish became stronger and stronger, until it was an overwhelming desire. Valli would stare wistfully at the people who got on or off the bus when it stopped at the street comer. Their faces would kindle in her longings, dreams, and hopes. If one of her friends happened to ride the bus and tried to describe the sights of the town to her, Valli would be too jealous to listen and would shout, in English: “Proud! proud!” Neither she nor her friends really understood the meaning of the word, but they used it often as a slang expression of disapproval.

Choose the correct option:
(a) What tiny wish crept into Valli’s head?
(i) That she wanted to go to the market.
(ii) That she wanted to ride on the bus.
(iii) That she wanted to eat ice cream.
(iv) That she wanted to talk to her neighbours.
Answer:
(ii) That she wanted to ride on the bus.

(b) What slang expression of disapproval did Valli and her friends use?
(i) Bravo! Bravo!
(ii) Wow! Wow!
(iii) No! No!
(iv) Proud! Proud!
Answer:
(iv) Proud! Proud!

(c) Valli used to see the people getting on and off the bus when it stopped at the
(i) tea comer
(ii) street comer
(iii) school comer
(iv) bus stop
Answer:
(ii) street comer

(d) Whose wish became stronger and stronger, until it was an overwhelming desire?
(i) Valli
(ii) Valli’s mother
(iii) Valli’s friend
(iv) Valli’s aunt
Answer:
(i) Valli

(e) Find out a word from the passage opposite in meaning to ‘approval.’
(i) compliment
(ii) disapproval
(iii) overwhelming
(iv) content
Answer:
(ii) disapproval

Question 4.
Over many days and months Valli listened carefully to conversations between her neighbours and people who regularly used the bus, and she also asked a few discreet questions here and there. This way she picked up various small details about the bus journey. The town was six miles from her village. The fare was thirty paise one way “which is almost nothing at all,” she heard one well-dressed man say, but to Valli, who scarcely saw that much money from one month to the next, it seemed a fortune. The trip to the town took forty – five minutes. On reaching town, if she stayed in her seat and paid another thirty paise, she could return home on the same bus. This meant that she could take the one-o’clock afternoon bus, reach the town at one forty-five, and be back home by about two forty – five……..

Choose the correct option:
(a) How did Valli pick up various small details about the bus journey?
(i) Listening to the conversations of people
(ii) Reading a manual book ’
(iii) Learning from the elders
(iv) From her friends
Answer:
(i) Listening to the conversations of people

(b) What was the distance between Valli’s village and the town?
(i) Five miles
(ii) Six miles
(iii) Ten miles
(iv) Nine miles
Answer:
(ii) Six miles

(c) Thirty paise seemed a ……….. to Valli.
(i) fortune
(ii) misfortune
(iii) new thing
(iv) none of these
Answer:
(i) fortune

(d) How much time did the bus take to make a trip to the town?
(i) Forty minutes
(ii) Forty – five minutes
(iii) Fifty minutes
(iv) Fifty – five minutes
(ii) Forty – five minutes

(e) Find out a word from the passage opposite in meaning to ‘abundantly.’
(i) scarcely
(ii) amply
(iii) handsomely
(iv) sufficiently
Answer:
(i) scarcely

Question 5.
It was the slack time of day, and there were only six or seven passengers on the bus. They were all looking at Valli and laughing with the conductor. Valli was overcome with shyness. Avoiding everyone’s eyes, she walked quickly to an empty seat and sat down. “May we start now, madam?” the conductor asked, smiling. Then he blew his whistle twice, and the bus moved forward with a roar. It was a new bus, its outside painted a gleaming white with some green stripes along the sides. Inside, the overhead bars shone like silver.

Choose the correct option:
(a) For how many times did the conductor blow his whistle?
(i) Once
(ii) Twice
(iii) Thrice
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(ii) Twice

(b) How were the inside overhead bars shown like?
(i) Gold
(ii) Copper
(iii) Silver
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(iii) Silver

(c) The bus moved forward with a ………..
(i) roar
(ii) silence
(iii) fast speed
(iv) slow speed
Answer:
(i) roar

(d) How was the bus?
(i) Old
(ii) New
(iii) Neither old nor new
(iv) Broken
Answer:
(ii) New

(e) Find out a word from the passage similar in meaning to ‘hastily.’
(i) quickly
(ii) shortly
(iii) intermittently
(iv) frequently
Answer:
(i) quickly

Question 6.
Valli devoured everything with her eyes. But when she started to look outside, she found her view cut off by a canvas blind that covered the lower part of her window. So she stood up on the seat and peered over the blind. The bus was now going along the bank of a canal. The road was very narrow. On one side there was the canal and, beyond it, palm trees, grassland, distant mountains, and the blue, blue sky. On the other side was a deep ditch and then acres and acres of green fields green, green, green, as far as the eye could see.

Choose the correct option:
(a) Why did Valli stand up on the seat?
(i) To look outside the window over the blind
(ii) To shout at the passengers
(iii) To call the conductor of the bus
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(i) To look outside the window over the blind

(b) How was the road along the bank of the canal?
(i) Wide
(ii) Busy
(iii) Empty
(iv) Narrow
Answer:
(iv) Narrow

(c) On one side of the road, there was a .
(i) canal
(ii) bridge
(iii) river
(iv) farm house
Answer:
(i) canal

(d) Who devoured everything with her eyes?
(i) The bus driver
(ii) The bus conductor
(iii) Valli
(iv) Valli’s mother
Answer:
(iii) Valli

(e) Find out a word from the passage opposite in meaning to ‘near.’
(i) adjacent
(ii) around
(iii) beside
(iv) distant
Answer:
(iv) distant

Question 7.
After she had enough money saved, her next problem was how to slip out of the house without her mother’s knowledge. But she managed this without too much difficulty. Every day after lunch her mother would nap from about one to four or so. Valli always used these hours for her ‘excursions’ as she stood looking from the doorway of her house or sometimes even ventured out into the village; today, these same hours could be used for her first excursion outside the village.

Choose the correct option:
(a) What did Valli do to make a bus ride?
(i) She consulted the conductor.
(ii) She consulted the driver.
(iii) She consulted her mother.
(iv) She saved enough money.
Answer:
(iv) She saved enough money.

(b) What was Valli’s next problem?
(i) To play with other friends
(ii) To slip out of the house without her mother’s knowledge
(iii) To manage everything
(iv) All of these
Answer:
(ii) To slip out of the house without her mother’s knowledge

(c) Valli’s mother would from about one to four daily.
(i) nap
(ii) read
(iii) write
(iv) watch television
Answer:
(i) nap

(d) For which purpose did Valli use these hours?
(i) Playing card
(ii) Watching children playing on the roads
(iii) Concentrated on studies
(iv) For first excursion
Answer:
(iv) For first excursion

(e) Find out a word from the passage similar in meaning to ‘undertook’.
(i) assured
(ii) ventured
(iii) idleness
(iv) protected
Answer:
(ii) ventured

Question 8.
The bus rolled on now cutting across a bare landscape, now rushing through a tiny hamlet or past an odd wayside shop. Sometimes the bus seemed on a point of gobbling up another vehicle that was coming towards them or a pedestrian crossing the road. But lo! somehow it passed on smoothly, leaving all obstacles safely behind. Trees came running towards them but then stopped as the bus reached them and simply stood there helpless for a moment by the side of the road before rushing in other direction.

Choose the correct option:
(a) Where did the bus roll on new cutting?
(i) Landscape
(ii) Field
(iii) Road
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(i) Landscape

(b) Where did the bus rush through?
(i) Village
(ii) Hamlet
(iii) City
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(ii) Hamlet

(c) The bus passed on smoothly, leaving all safely behind.
(i) obstacles
(ii) things
(iii) miseries
(iv) incidents
Answer:
(i) obstacles

(d) What did Valli notice about the bus on the road?
(i) The bus remained motionless on the earth.
(ii) The bus seemed on a point of gobbling up another vehicle.
(iii) The bus seemed to be running out of road.
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(ii) The bus seemed on a point of gobbling up another vehicle.

(e) Find out a word from the passage opposite in meaning to ‘roughly.’
(i) smoothly
(ii) practically
(iii) approximately
(iv) visibly
Answer:
(i) smoothly

Question 9.
Suddenly Valli clapped her hands with glee. A young cow, tail high in the air, was running very fast, right in the middle of the road, right in front of the bus. The bus slowed to a crawl, and the driver sounded his horn loudly again and again. But the more he honked, the more frightened the animal became and the faster it galloped always right in front of the bus.

Choose the correct option:
(a) Why did Valli clap her hands with glee?
(i) Seeing the bus
(ii) Seeing the passengers
(iii) Seeing the cow in the middle of the road
(iv) Seeing the roadside market
Answer:
(iii) Seeing the cow in the middle of the road

(b) What did the driver do?
(i) He stopped the bus.
(ii) He de – boarded the passengers from bus.
(iii) He chided Valli.
(iv) He sounded his horn loudly again and again.
Answer:
(iv) He sounded his horn loudly again and again.

(c) As the driver honked, the more the animal become.
(i) frightened
(ii) scared
(iii) rigid
(iv) fearless
Answer:
(i) frightened

(d) What did the cow do?
(i) The cow always came in front of the bus.
(ii) The cow never came in front of the bus.
(iii) The cow annoyed the passengers.
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(i) The cow always came in front of the bus.

(e) Find out a word from the passage similar in meaning to ‘noisily’.
(i) inaudibly
(ii) silently
(iii) fruitfully
(iv) loudly
Answer:
(iv) loudly

Madam Rides the Bus Summary

Madam Rides the Bus About the Author

• Vallikkannan is the pseudonym of R. S. Krishnasamy. He was a writer, journalist, critic, and translator from Tamil Nadu.
• Krishnasamy was bom on November 12, 1920 in Rajavallipuram near Tirunelveli.
• He worked for magazines like Cinema Ulagam, Navasakthi, Grama Oozhiyan and Hanuman.
• He wrote a number of books including novels, novellas, poetry collections, plays and essay anthologies. He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award for his critical work on modem Tamil poetry Pudukavithaiyin Thottramum Valarchiyum in 1978.
• He died on November 9, 2006.

Madam Rides the Bus Gist of the Lesson

In the story, 1 Madam Rides the Bus the author has written a sensitive story of an eight-year-old girl, Valli. She is curious to know about the outside world, which is charming and fascinating. She wants to experience it by herself. She watches everything standing on her doorway. She watches the people of the village and town daily who come there. She takes all the details about the journey, fare and time duration. She decides to go to the town all by herself without anybody’s support. To ride the bus, she had collected money by crushing her wishes.

She did not even take peppermints, toys, etc. She did all this to ride the bus. She wanted to devour everything with her eyes. She asked the bus conductor to take her to the town. She herself paid her fare. She saw the canal, palm tree, grassland, distant mountain and the blue sky. She was too overjoyed when she saw a cow running with her raised tail on the road ahead of the bus. While returning, she noticed that the same cow was crushed and bled. She was totally disturbed. She returned home in time. None of the family members could know about her adventurous journey.

Madam Rides the Bus Summary

1. Brief introduction of Valli: Valliammai, (short name Valli) was an eight-year-old girl. She was very curious. She always wanted to know something about the outer world. Her favourite pastime was to stand in the front doorway of her house and watch the outside activities. She had also no playmates.

2. The most fascinating thing: To her, the most fascinating thing was the bus that travelled between the village and town. The bus passed through her street at an interval of one hour. She always watched a new set of passengers. It gave her much joy.

3. A wish crept into her head: After watching the bus for the whole day, a wish crept into her mind. She wanted to ride the bus and take its enjoyment. Her wish became stronger and it turned into desire. She always stared at the people who came down from the bus at the street comer. Even if one of her friends used to ride the bus and tried to describe the sights of the town, Valli felt jealous towards her. She often started shouting “proud! proud!. But nobody could understand its meaning. It was considered to be an expression of disapproval.

4. Details about the bus journey: Valli gathered all the details about the bus journey from her neighbours. She knew that the town was at the distance of six miles from her village and the fare was thirty paise. But, it was really a big amount for Valli. She planned about her journey again and again.

5. Boarded the bus: On a fine spring afternoon, Valli left the village. She reached at the bus stop and stood outside the bus. She also showed him some coins. The conductor was a man of jovial nature. He told her to board the bus first and take a seat. Being afternoon, there were hardly six to seven passengers in the bus.

6. The bus started: The conductor blew the whistle and the bus started. The seats were comfortable and there was a beautiful clock in front of Valli. She also started looking outside. There was a canal and around it there were palm trees, grasslands, mountains, etc.

7. Curiosity of Valli: Valli heard the conversation of every passenger in the bus. An elderly man had much concern for this little child. But she was annoyed by her attention. She told that nobody is a child in the bus. And she had also paid thirty paise like other passengers. The conductor called her ‘Madam’.

8. The entry of an elderly woman: When the bus stopped, an elderly woman entered and sat beside her. She was repulsive. She told that it was not proper for a young person to travel again. At this, Valli expressed her anger and told that she could take proper care of herself.

9. Saved money restricting her temptations: Valli had saved money with great difficulty. She restricted all her temptations. She did not buy peppermints, toys, balloons, and not even rode merry-go-round. This way she could be able to save sixty paise.

10. Cow episode: While the bus was returning from town to village, a cow was mnning on the road. The driver sounded the hom loudly but it made no effect on the cow. It was really a funny thing for Valli. The cow moved off the road. The bus came to a railroad crossing soon.

11. Returning of Valli: While returning from the town, Valli boarded the same bus and took ticket. All of a sudden, she saw that the same cow was lying dead on the road. It really frightened her. She became very sad at this.

12. Valli reached home safely: Valli reached home well within time. When she entered her home her mother was talking to one of her aunts. When her aunt asked anything from Valli, she just smiled and spoke nothing.

Madam Rides the Bus Lesson at a Glance

Valli was an eight – year old girl who was fascinated by the bus that travelled between her village and the nearest town.

1. She gathered more information about the bus from the conversations of her neighbours.
2. She wanted to travel in the bus and therefore, planned her trip and saved sixty paise for the fare.
3. One day, she got onto the bus and the conductor jokingly addressed her ‘Madam’.
4. She paid for the fare and sat on a seat beside an elderly lady.
5. The old lady was chewing betel and Valli was not liking its smell. Moreover, the lady asked her why she was travelling alone.
6. Valli wanted to travel alone, so she told her not to bother about her.
7. Out of nowhere, a cow came running in the middle of the road. It got more frightened when the driver honked.
8. Valli enjoyed this scenario a lot and laughed over it until tears came in her eyes.
9. After sometime, the conductor asked her to get down as the bus had reached the town.
10. Valli told him to take her to the village from where she had boarded the bus and gave him another thirty paise.
11. The conductor, surprised at her, offered her a free cold drink but she denied firmly.
12. While returning, she saw the same cow, lying dead by the side of the road.
13. The gory scene seared her and she did not look outside the window anymore.
14. She reached her village and hoped to see the conductor of the bus again.
15. Her aunt and her mother were talking and her aunt asked her casually where she had been all day, without expecting any reply.

Madam Rides the Bus Character Sketch

Valli: Valli was an eight – year – old girl. She was very clever, sensitive and fun loving. She was of inquisitive nature. She was curious to know about things. Her favourite pastime was to stand in the front doorway of her house. To ride on the bus, she collected all the information pertaining to the journey and also resisted her temptation. She even calculated time. The bus conductor called her ‘Madam’ at which she reacted harshly. She was a girl beyond her years.

Madam Rides the Bus Word – Meanings

Word	Meaning	Word	Meaning
sensitive	full of feeling	gleaming	shining
crawl	move slowly	slang expression	using informal words
haughtily	proudly	ditch	a narrow trench
bump	push against	punched	made a hole
Overwhelming desire	a keen desire	concerned	caring
glance	stare	on and on	further and further
wistfully	regretful longing	curtain	a piece of cloth to cover a door or a window
crept	came, entered	induction	entry
mystery	surprise	disapproval	unacceptable disagreement
fascinating	attractive	annoyed	angry
mere	small	lobes	soft hanging part of ear
peered over	seeing through	repulsive	causing strong dislike
chimmed	to be in rhyme	startled	surprised
resisting	controlling, opposing	struck dumb with wonder	kept mum due to wonder
chatterbox	who talks too much	firmly	with belief
a chit of a girl	a small girl	dampening	wetting
stifled	controlling	tremendous	violent
glew	with happiness	traversed	lying across
elaborate	complicated	unusual	not common
fascinating	captivating, charming	overwhelming	fantastic
wistful	pensive	kindle	ignite
longing	desire	disapproval	dislike
discreet	careful, tactful	pastime	hobby, craze
commandingly	powerfully	stretched out	in relaxed manner
peer over	to look over something	devour	to eat quickly
chimed in	to interrupt in conversation	startled	surprised
repulsive	disgusting	mimicking	copying
drivel	rubbish, silly, nonsense	curtly	rudely
thriftily	spending money carefully	painstaking	meticulous, careful
resolutely stifled	suppressed	temptation	urge, desire
ventured out	went cautiously	excursion	trip, journey
glee	happiness, joy	gobbling up	hurriedly and noisily
thoroughfare	roadway, passage	gallop	go at fast speed
spreadeagled	spread out	shrugged	dismiss, ignore

JAC Class 10 English Solutions