HOW I TAUGHT MY GRANDMOTHER TO READ

1. Reference to context:

1. Most Hindus believe that going to Kashi and worshipping Lord Vishweshara is the
ulitimate punya. This old lady also believed in this, and her struggle to go there
was described in that novel.
a) Where does the old lady wish to go?

b) Why did she want to go to Kashi?

c) Who does the old lady refer to here?

2. .........she was the one most interested in knowing what happened next in the
story and used to insist that I read the serial out to her.

a) Who does ‘she’ refer to here?

b) Why was she so much interested in the story?

c) Why Sudha Murty had to read the story to her grandfather?

3. Write the character sketch of the grandmother from the story ‘How I taught My
Grandmother to Read’.

4. The grandmother waited eagerly for each episode of Kashi Yatre. Why was she so
interested in the story?
5. What was unusual in the grandmother’s touching the feet of her granddaughter?

6. What is described in the novel, ‘Kashi Yatre’?

7. What were the obstacles that the grandmother faced when she was a young girl?

8. What made Triveni popular?

VALUE BASED QUESTIONS:

9. Sudha Murty’s grandmother was a woman with a very enlightened attitude.

Discuss the statement with reference to the value points given below:
My grandmother, Krishtakka’ never went to school so she could not read. Every
Wednesday, the magazine would come and I would read the next episode of the
story to her. During that time, she would forget all her work and listen with the
greatest concentration.

8. Taking ideas from the lesson ‘How I Taught My Grandmother to Read’, write a
paragraph on the topic, ‘Where there is a will; there is a way’.
9. After grandmother learned to read and write, she told her granddaughter, ‘Now I
am independent’. Based on this statement of grandmother, write a paragraph on
the topic: “Education can make one Independent”.

A DOG NAMED DUKE

A. Read the following extracts and answer the questions.

1. “After the excitement of homecoming wore off, Chuck hit a new low.”

(i) What ‘homecoming’ is referred to here?

(ii) Who is Chuck?

(iii) How did Chuck feel when he first came home?

2. “He was a 23-Kilo missile of joy. He hit Chuck above the belt, causing him to fight
to keep his balance.”
(i) Who is ‘he’ referred to here?

(ii) What do you mean by a ’23 – kilo missile of joy’.

(iii) Who failed to keep his balance?

3. When two fellows stare at each other day in, day out, and one can’t move and the
other can’t talk, boredom sets in.
(i) Who are the two fellows referred to here? Who can’t talk and who can’t move?

(ii) What happens when one can’t move and the other can’t talk?

(iii) What did Duke do when he could not stand this boredom?

4. “People who knew the distance Chuck and Duke had come together, one fence post
at a time, now watched the big man walk alone day after day”.

(i) Who does the big man refer to? Why was he walking alone?

(ii) What did the people think when they saw the big man walk alone?

(iii) Do you think Chuck gave up hope after the tragic death of his dog Duke?

B. Answer the questions.

1. Duke was an extraordinary dog. What special qualities did he exhibit to justify
this? Support your answer making use of the information given in the extract”

“............. the dog would surge out to the end of the leash and wait again. The
pair set daily goals; Monday, the sixth fence post, Tuesday, the seventh fence
post, Wednesday............
2. “During his struggle for survival Charles Hooper displays rare qualities of courage,

perseverance, determination, endurance and faith.’ Support your answer making use of

the information given in the extract:

‘Chuck hit the target, and after March 1. There was no time for the physiotherapy
programme; he turned completely to Duke, who pulled him along the Street
faster and faster, increasing his stability and endurance.”

3. Hooper had a very successful career when he met with the accident. Often

unexpected happenings overturn our plans and expectations. Based on your reading of

the story, write a paragraph on the topic: “Man proposes God disposes”.

THE ROAD NO TAKEN

1. I shall be telling this with a sigh somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less travelled by,

and that has made all the difference.

(a) The poet would tell his future generations with a sigh

(i) that he chose to travel on a new and off beat path.

(ii) if he could travel the worn out path his life would have been better.
(iii) that he was not sure where his decision would take him in life.
(iv) all of the above

(b) What is going on in poet's mind as reflected in the above lines?

(c) Explain : And that has made all the difference.

(d) What do the two diverging roads symbolise?

(e) What impact has the path trodden by the poet made on his life?

(f) Is it a positive or negative impact? Explain.

2. In the poem, a traveller comes to a fork on the road and needs to decide which
way to go to continue his journey. Figuratively the choice of the road denotes

(i) the tough choices people make on the road of life. (ii) the time wasted on
deciding on what to do.
(iii) life is like a forest. (iv) one must travel a lot to realize
his dreams.

(a) The poet writes, Two roads diverged in a yellow wood. The word diverged means

(b) The tone of the speaker in the first stanza is that of :

(i) excitement (ii) anger (iii) hesitation and thoughtfulness (iv)

sorrow

3. And both that morning equally lay in leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept
the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I
should ever come back.

(a) I kept the first for another day ! conveys that

(i) the poet has taken the second road and wished to take the first road some
other day.
(ii) the poet ultimately found the first road a wrong choice and decided to
leave it.
(iii) the poet was not sure about the first road.
(iv) there was no second thought.

(b) I should ever come back conveys that

(i) the poet was sure to come back and take the first road.

(ii) the poet doubted if he would ever be able to return and walk over the
second road since he knew how a way leads to another way.

(iii) he had taken a right decision and he was satisfied with that.

(iv) one day or the other he would return.

(c) His decision was

(i) right. (ii) wrong. (iii) neither right nor wrong. (iv) it was too early to say
anything.

4. Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and sorry I could not travel both And be
one traveller, long I stood And looked down one as for as I could to where it bent
in the undergrowth;

(a) Why did the poet look down as far as he could?

(b) What do the roads represent in these lines?

(c) Why is the poet feeling sorry?

5. Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because
it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had, worn
them really about the same.

(a) What does the poet mean by ‘as just as fair’?

(b) The poet chooses to travel by the lesser worn road. What does this reflect about
the poet's personality?

(c) How do you understand the expression ‘grassy and wanted near’?

(d) In which sense were the two roads similar?

6. And both that morning equally lay in leaves no step had trodden black. Oh ! I
kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, i doubted if
i should ever come back.

(a) The word both refers to

(i) the two roads directing in different directions. (ii) two decisions ,
right and wrong.
(iii) morning and evening. (iv) two choices leading to
different decisions.

(b) Explain : way leads on to way, ...

(c) What doubt did the poet have in his mind?

7. Then took the other,………, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was
grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them
really about the same.
(a) Took the other, - The other refers to

(b) the better claim means………..

(i) the other road offered good future prospects . (ii) it was a long one.
(iii) the other road seems to be more promising . (iv) (i) & (iii)

(c) Identify the rhyme scheme of the given stanza.

8. And both that morning equally lay in leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept
the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I
should ever come back.
(a) Who does ‘both’ refer to?

(b) Why does the poet doubt his coming back?

(c) Why would the poet like to come back?

(d) What does the poet known about the road?

Q. Bring out symbolism in the poem “The Road Not Taken.”