First Flight

SECTION –C (LITERATURE) FIRST FLIGHT
UNIT 1 A LETTER TO GOD

Gist
A Letter to God is a story of extreme faith in God. It is the story of Lencho, a poor, honest and hard- working
farmer, who wrote a letter to God and asked God to send him money.
Lencho was a dedicated farmer. He was expecting a good harvest. Unfortunately a hail storm came and
destroyed his harvest totally. Lencho was very sad, but he had strong belief in God. He was sure that God
would definitely help him. So the simple straight forward man wrote a letter to God asking for one hundred
pesos. Although, his wishes get fulfilled partially, if not completely, he is ungrateful in the end and questions
the honesty and modesty of the post-masters who actually helped him with money (anonymously) in the
name of god.
CHARACTER SKETCH OF LENCHO

Lencho was a simple farmer who was very hard working. He was completely dependent on the yield of his
fields. He had good knowledge of farming. His crops had always been good. He knew his crops needed a
good downpour to get good yield. But when the rain changed into a hail storm his crop was totally destroyed.
He became very sad. But since he had strong faith in God, he didn‘t lose hope. He needed God‘s help. He
knew how to read and write. He wrote a letter to God asking for help. He was fully confident that he would
get the money. When he didn‘t get as much money as he had asked, he became unhappy. He was not ready to
be happy with what he received. He felt that he was being cheated. But he was not ungrateful to God. He felt
angry thinking that the people in the post office are crooks and they had stolen the rest of the money. So he
wrote another letter to God, instructing him to send money directly to him, not through the post
office.Lencho‘s innocence and staunch belief in God is clearly depicted in the story.
EXTRACT BASED COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. The man went out for no other reason than to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body, and
when he returned he exclaimed, ―These aren‘t raindrops falling from the sky, they are new coins. The big
drops are ten cent pieces and the little ones are five‘s.‖
Questions:
a. Who is the person described here?
Ans: Lencho, the farmer is described here.
b. Why did he go out in the rain?
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Ans: He went out in the rain to feel the happiness of rain on his body.
c. Whywere the raindrops like ‗new coins‘ for Lencho?
Ans: Lencho thought that the raindrops would help him get a good harvest and thus he can earn money.
So the raindrops were like new coins for Lencho.
d. How did raindrops bring disaster to his crops?
Ans: The raindrops soon turned into a hailstorm and destroyed his crops and ruined his hopes.
2. With a satisfied expression he regarded the field of ripe corn with its flowers, draped in a curtain of
rain. But suddenly a strong wind began to blow and along with the rain very large hailstones began to fall.
These truly did resemble new silver coins. The boys exposing themselves to rain, ran out to collect the
frozen pearls.
Questions:
a) Why was Lencho satisfied?
Ans: He was satisfied because his fields got good rains.
b) What does he compare the raindrops to?
Ans: He compared them to coins.
c) What do the ‗frozen pearls‘ refer to?
Ans: The frozen pearls refer to hail stones.
d) Trace the word in the passage which means ‗covered with‘.
Ans. draped
3. ―What faith! I wish I had the faith of the man who wrote this letter. Starting up a correspondence with
God!‖
Questions:
a) Who is the speaker of the above lines?
Ans: The postmaster
b) Why did the man write a letter to God?
Ans: The man lost his crops due to a hailstorm. So he wanted hundred pesos to sow his field again
and to live until the crops come.
c) ―Starting up a correspondence with God.‖ What does it tell you about the man‘s character?
Ans: The man is simple, innocent and straight forward. He has strong belief in God
d) Give the verb form of the word ‗Correspondence‘.
Ans: Correspond
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SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS : (30 to 40 words)
1.How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho‘s fields?

Ans: The rain began on a pleasant note. The air was fresh and sweet. But suddenly a strong wind began to
blow and along with the rain very large hailstones began to fall. It did not pass quickly. For an hour the hail
rained on the field and the corn was total.
2.Who did Lencho write a letter? What did he ask for?

Ans: Lencho wrote a letter to God. He asked God to send him Hundred Pesos to sow his field again and to
live until the crops come.
3.What does the postmaster do to answer Lencho‘s Letter?

Ans: The postmaster decided to answer the letter, but as Lencho very badly needed some money, he asked
for money from his employees. He himself gave part of his salary and several of his friends joined him. He
could gather only seventy pesos. He put the money in an envelope addressed to Lencho and with it a letter
containing only one word as signature: God.
Long Answer Questions [100-150words]

1. The postmaster represents such people who still believe in helping others. Write a character sketch of
the postmaster pointing out his good qualities.
Points
The postmaster of the story is a kind, generous, helpful, amiable, and God-fearing man. He received a letter
from Lencho which was written to God asking for hundred pesos so that he could sow his fields again. The
postmaster did not want to shake the writer's faith in the almighty, and thus, out of virtuous intentions,
decided to collect money for "an act of charity. He also signed the letter in the name of God to conceal his
identity as he wanted Lencho to think it was actually a reply from God. This shows that he was a very good
man at heart.
Unsolved Short Answer Questions
1. What were Lencho‘s feelings when he found the letter with money in it?
2. Why was Lencho angry? What did he do?
3. What are the raindrops compared to and why?
4. How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho's fields?
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Unsolved Long Answer Questions
1. Write the story of Lencho‘s faith in God?

2. Who does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? Describe the ironical ending of the story.
Dust of snow-Robert Frost [Poem]

Gist
Dust of Snow is a beautiful poem written by the famous American poet Robert Frost. It depicts a simple
moment, but it has great significance. The poem is set on a wintry day. The snow is falling heavily. The poet
is depressed and has lost all hope. He is sitting under a hemlock tree. A small natural incident changes his
sad mood into a happy mood. The poem teaches us that one should never be desperate and hopeless. There is
always scope for a change.
EXTRACT BASED COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree.
a) The crow and the hemlock are considered as symbols of nature.
i. positive ii. negative iii. Pleasant
b) What did the crow do to the hemlock tree?
c) Where do you think the poet was then?
d) What is the rhyme scheme of the given stanza?
ANSWERS
a) ii. Negative
b) The crow shook the hemlock tree.
c) The poet was under the hemlock tree. d] abab
2. Has given my heart A change of mood And saved some part Of a day I had rued.
a) How did the poet‘s mood change?
b) What had the poet thought of the day?
c) What do you understand by the word ‗rued‘? d] Name the poet and the poem?
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ANSWERS
a) The falling of snow on the poet had changed his mood.
b) The poet had thought that it was a bad day. He was sad and depressed. c] ‗Rued‘ means held in regret
d) The poet is Robert Frost and the poem is ‗Dust of Snow‘.
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS:

1. What mood of the poet is reflected in the poem?
2. What do the crow, hemlock tree and dust of snow represent in the poem?
3. What is the message given by the poem?
ANSWERS
1. The poet seems to be in a sad and depressive mood. The day offered no comfort or happiness to him.
He thinks that the whole day is going to be sad and dull. He can see only negative symbols like the
hemlock tree and the crow around him.
2. The crow is black and ugly. It is not considered as a pleasant sight. It is a symbol of bad omen. The
hemlock tree is a poisonous plant with white flowers. It is a symbol of sorrow. The poet chose the
crow and the hemlock tree to present his sadness and depression.
3. The poem teaches us that we should not be desperate because there is always an opportunity to
change the sad mood into happy mood. Today, when most of the people are living in stressful
atmosphere, the poem teaches us to gain happiness from little things.
Long Answer Questions [100-150 words]

1. It is our attitude towards a situation that makes it positive or negative. Do you agree with it?
Express your views with reference to the poem ‗Dust of Snow‘.
Ans: It is true that our attitude towards a problem plays an important role in making it positive or negative.
Most of the people in today‘s world live a stressful life. They face different types of problems in day to day
life. A person can neither keep away from problems completely nor find solutions for them easily. But what
makes the situation worse is one‘s attitude towards the problems. If we are depressed or sad the whole
environment becomes gloomy. But if we are ready to face the problem bravely and positively, it helps in
solving the problem also.
The poet in the poem Dust of Snow was in a sorrowful mood. He felt that the whole day was going to be
gloomy. But when a crow shook down snowflakes on him, his bitter mood changed into an optimistic one.
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This small, regular incident wiped away his gloom and made him cheerful. He could have become unhappy
when such a thing occurred. But instead of seeing the negative aspect of the incident, he took a positive vibe
from it. Thus the poem teaches us to find happiness from small things and to take everything positively.

1. How has the poet observed nature in the poem Dust of Snow?
2. What happened to the poet when the crow shook the tree?
3. What does the poet feel in the end?
Unsolved Long Answer Question

1.Explain the underlying message in the poem Dust of Snow.
FIRE AND ICE- ROBERT FROST (POEM)

Gist
Fire and ice is a compact poem written by Robert Frost. It expresses the profound idea that the world would
end in either of two ways- by fire or by ice. People are divided in this issue. Some believe that fire will
become the cause of the end and others think that ice will end the world. Both the components are compared
with self-destructing human emotions: hatred and desire. He says that from what he is aware about ―fiery
desires‖, he would favor the ones who say that it would be fire. But later he says that Ice or hatred, created
by cold reasoning is also equally capable of destroying the world. Therefore, if Earth was to end twice, ice
would be just as good as fire. If fire would lead to rapid destruction, ice would lead to silent damage.
EXTRACT BASED COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS [SOLVED]

1) Some say the world will end in fire some say in ice.
From what I‘ve tasted of desire I hold with those who favour fire.
Questions
(a) Who wrote these lines?
(b) What is the poet‘s opinion about the world?
(c) What is the contradictory opinion of public?
(d) How are ice and fire similar to each other though they have contradictory traits?
Answers:
(a) Robert Frost
(b) According to the poet, the world will end in fire.
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(c) The contradictory opinion of public is the debate whether the world will end in fire or ice.
(d) Both ice and fire are similar in the in the sense that both of them would destroy everything in the
world.
2) But if it had to perish twice I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice Is also great
And would suffice.
Questions
(a) What does ‗it‘ refers to in the first line?
(b) What do you mean by ‗perish‘?
(c) What does ice stand for?
(d) What would be two causes of destruction?
Answers
(a) ‗It‘ refers to the world.
(b) Perish means to die or to be destroyed.
(c) Ice stands for coldness or hatred.
(d) Ice or fire would be the cause of destruction.
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS [SOLVED]

1. Which age old question does the poem revolves around?
2. Why does the poet hold with those who favour fire?
3. What does ‗ice‘ stand for? How is it sufficient to bring destruction?
Answers
1. The poem revolves around the age old question of whether the world will end in fire or in ice.
People are divided in this issue. Some believe that fire will become the cause of the end and others think that
ice will end the world. Here, fire symbolizes human desire and ice symbolizes hatred.
2. The poet takes side with those who believe that the world will be destroyed by fire. Frost connects
fire with desire. According to the poet, desire is powerful and would be a quick end. Moreover, the fact that
he has had personal experience with desire leads him to first conclude that the world will end in fire.
3. Ice symbolizes hatred. Hate is just as powerful as desire. While desire consumes quickly, hate can
occur and linger in people‘s minds and hearts for years and sometimes even lifetimes. Hate can, thus, be very
destructive and sufficient to bring destruction.
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Long Answer Questions [100-150words]
1. What do the metaphors of Ice and Fire convey to the reader? Elaborate. What is the message given by the
poet?
Answer:
Frost presents the two of the darkest traits of humanity; the capacity to hate and the capacity to be consumed
by lust or desire. Of the two, he attributes the greater of the two evils, is desire. In giving desire the foremost
position with regard to the destruction of the world, Frost is providing a powerful statement on the subject of
greed and jealousy, saying that above all trait of humanity that is most likely to lead to its demise. Desire
represents the greatest problem that attributes to the cause of the war. Frost then attributes hatred with the
same capacity to do harm. However, he lessens the relative importance of hatred but still presents it as having
the ability to lead to the destruction of the world if it were to happen for a second time.

1. What do ‗ice‘ and ‗fire‘ represent in the poem?
2. ‗But if it had to perish twice‘. How will the world perish twice?
3. Briefly write about the ideas about how the world will end
4. Write the sum and substance of the poem ‗Fire and Ice‘.
5. Why does the poet say ‗I have tasted of desire‘?

1. Describe the symbols of ‗fire‘ and ‗ice‘ used by the poet in the poem. How can each as well as both
can cause the end of the world?
2. Discuss how extreme behavior can hasten the end of the world with respect to ‗Fire and Ice‘.
UNIT 2
PROSE: NELSON MANDELA – LONG WALK TO FREEDOM – Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela
GIST
Nelson Mandela became South Africa‘s first Black President after more than three centuries of White rule.
Mandela had spent a life time fight against ‗apartheid‘. He had spent thirty years in prison fighting for the
democratic rights of the Black and Coloured people of South Africa.
Mr. Mandela‘s African National Congress (ANC) party won 252 of the 400 seats in the first democratic
elections of South Africa‘s history.
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In this extract from his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela speaks about a historic
occasion, ‗the inauguration‘ on 10th May 1994.
The inauguration ceremony took place in the Union Building‘s amphitheater in Pretoria today, attended by
politicians and dignitaries from more than 140 countries around the world.
EXTRACT BASED COMPREHENSION QUESTION EXERCISES

Q1. ‗Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of
one by another.
The sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement‘
Questions:
a) Who is the speaker?
b) Which is the beautiful land the speaker refers to here?
c) What is the ‗glorious a human achievement‘ that the speaker talks about in the extract?
d) The idiom ‗The sun shall never set‘ means:
i) It is always bright in the land
ii) The sun always shines in the land
iii) The people will enjoy the freedom attained forever
iv) It is never dark in the country
Answers
a) The speaker is Nelson Mandela
b) The beautiful land is South Africa
c) The freedom that the people of South Africa have attained/ freedom attained after the fight against
‗apartheid‘/first democratic non-racial government.
d) The people will enjoy the freedom attained forever
Q2. ‘It is from these comrades in the struggle that I learned the meaning of courage. Time and again, I have
seen men and women risk and give their lives for an idea. I have seen men stand up to attacks and torture
without breaking, showing a strength and resilience that defies the imagination. I learnt that courage was not
the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.‘
Questions:
i) Who learnt the meaning of courage?
ii) What has he seen again and again?
iii) What has he noticed (seen) about the people?
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iv) Define ‗Courage‘ as given here?
Answers
i) Nelson Mandela
ii) He has seen men and women risk and give their life for the idea of freedom, again and again
iii) He has seen men stand up to attacks and torture showing strength and resilience.
iv) Courage doesn‘t mean the absence of fear but the triumph over it. It mind to stand up to attacks
without breaking, showing strength and resilience.
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS – (30 - 40 words)
1. What according to Nelson Mandela is true freedom?
2. What did Nelson Mandela pledge when he was sworn in as President?
Answers
1. According to Mandela, true freedom means, not to be obstructed in leading a lawful life.
2. Nelson Mandela pledged freedom and justice for all the black and coloured people of South Africa.
He promised to uphold the constitution of his country and devote himself to liberate his people from the
bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other discrimination.
LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS – (100-150 words)
1. What were the difficulties Nelson Mandela encountered while fighting for freedom
2. What were Nelson Mandela‘s views on the policy of Apartheid?
Answers – Main Points
1. Nelson Mandela underwent extreme hardships and suffering. He was a true patriot and sacrificed his
personal comforts and that of his family‘s while demanding freedom and equality for all his countrymen.
He and his comrades were oppressed, punished and imprisoned for resisting the white rule. He was
imprisoned for almost thirty years. His persistence and sacrifice culminated in the independence of South
Africa.
2. Nelson Mandela says that Apartheid created a deep and lasting wound in his country. It cast a
shadow on the people of South Africa - deep wounds that would take many years to heal. The oppression and
brutality that the people of the nation had been subjected to had no parallel. From this situation arouse a spirit
of aggression in the minds of men and produced men of extraordinary courage, wisdom and generosity.
Mandela believed that the greatest wealth of South Africa are the people of the nation. The more the
oppression rained on them the more the spirit to fight back was triggered in the minds of the people. In the
end victory for the people of South Africa prevailed and they attained Independence on 10th May 1994.
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UNSOLVED QUESTIONS SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
1. What does Mandela mean to say that the oppressor and the oppressed alike are robbed off their
humanity?
2. What are the twin obligations that Mandela talks about?
LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS
1. Do you agree with Mandela that the ‗depths of oppression‘ create ‗heights of character‘? Explain how
he illustrates this.
2. How did Mandela‘s ‗hunger for freedom‘ change his life?
POETRY: A TIGER IN THE ZOO – LESLIE NORRIS

GIST – Poem at a glance
 The poet has depicted the tiger both in the cage and in its natural habitat.
 The poet conveys that the tiger is best suited to roam the wild rather than be caged in a zoo
 Animals are more majestic when seen in their natural habitat than enclosed in an artificial setting.
 The tiger is aware of the sights and sounds around the him
 The tiger‘s body and strength are locked up behind the bars of the cage.
 He strides proudly inside the cage suppressing his anger, while ignoring the visitors

Q1. ‗He stalks in the his vivid stripes The few steps of his cage,
On pads of velvet quiet In his quite rage‘
a) Who is ‗He‘ in these lines?
b) Where is ‗he‘ in these lines?
c) What is ‗his‘ mood in the poem? Why is it so?
d) What is the poetic device used in line 3?
Answers
a) ‗He‘ is the Tiger
b) ‗He‘ is in a cage in the zoo
c) ‗He‘ is in an angry mood, as he has been caged, and cannot move around.
d) The poetic device used is ‗metaphor‘
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Q2. ‗He should be snarling around houses
At the jungle‘s edge,
Baring his white fangs, his claws, Terrorizing the village!
a) Who is ‗He‘ in these lines?

b) Where does the poet say ‗he‘ should be is in these lines?
c) What does ‗Baring his white fangs‘ mean in line 3?
d) Name the poem and the poet?
Answers
a) ‗He‘ is the Tiger.
b) The poet says that ‗he‘ should be in the jungle/forest/in his natural habitat
c) ‗Baring his white fangs‘ means showing his sharp teeth in an attempt to frighten the villagers
d) The poem is A Tiger in the Zoo and the poet is Leslie Norris
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS – (30 - 40 words)

1. What does the poet mean when he says that the Tiger‘s strength is behind the bars?
2. Explain why the Tiger ignores the visitors at the zoo?
Answers
1. The poet means that since the Tiger is locked in the cage, he has no freedom and therefore he cannot
use his strength. He is angry and restless but proudly walks the length of his cage.
2. The Tiger is caged it has no freedom to roam the vast jungles. He is constrained by the space
available in the cage. He is angry and restless. He suppresses his anger by proudly walking the length of his
cage and ignoring the visitors who have come to see him.
LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS – (100-150 words)

1. Explain how the poet contrasts the Tiger in the cage to the Tiger in the jungle?
Answer – Main points
The poet says that since the Tiger is caged it has no freedom to roam the vast jungles. He is constrained by
the space available in the cage. He is angry and restless but proudly walks the length of his cage, ignoring
the visitors who have come to see him. All he can do is stare at the brilliant stars with his brilliant eyes.
The poet contrasts this with the Tiger in the jungle, who is free, to roam the wild, sliding through long grass,
and enjoying his liberty. He goes near water holes and where he can find deer. He snarls around houses at
the edge of the jungle frightening the villagers by baring his fangs and his claws.
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UNSOLVED QUESTIONS SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
1. How does the poet describe the Tiger in his natural habitat?
2. What does the Tiger in the Zoo do to convey his displeasure?
LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS

What message does the poet want to convey through the poem?
Hints – Do not cage Animals – Give them the freedom that is theirs – They are meant to be in their natural
habitat. – Cruelty to animals must end – Empathy to all living creatures is essential – Man should find other
means of entertainment rather than keep animals in captivity – etc.
Unit 3 TWO STORIES ABOUT FLYING

Part I - His First Flight
GIST
The story is about a young seagull who is afraid to fly. He observes all his siblings take their first flight but
he cannot get himself to take the plunge. He feels that his wings will never support him to fly into the sky
and so he hesitates each time he runs to the brink of the ledge. However, his mother‘s ingenuity empowers
him to soar into the boundless skies with the vast expanse of the sea stretched down beneath him. The
lesson explicitly explains his fears and doubts initially and his exhilarated feelings, as he finally soars into
the skies with his family beside him.
EXTRACTS FROM THE TEXT

1. ‗He stepped slowly out to the brink of the ledge, and standing on one leg with the other leg hidden
under his wing; he closed one eye, then the other, and pretended to be falling asleep. Still they took no notice
of him.‘
(a) What did the young seagull do?
(b) What was the seagull afraid of?
(c) Why did he close his eyes one at a time?
(d) What could his brothers and sister do which he was not able to?
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Answers
(a) The young seagull wanted to catch the attention of the others. So he pretended to fall asleep on the
brink of the ledge
(b) The seagull was afraid to fly.
(c) He was pretending to fall asleep.
(d) They could fly but he was not able to.
2. His father and mother had come around him calling him shrilly, upbraiding him, and threatening to
let him starve on the ledge unless he flew away. But for the life of him, he could not move.
(a) How did his parents try to make him fly?
(b) What was the effect of their efforts?
(c) What does the passage convey about the young seagull?
(d) How was the young seagull threatened by his parents initially when he did not fly?
Answers
(a) First, they invited him encouragingly. Then scolded and threatened to leave him alone to starve unless
he flew away.
(b) All their efforts failed but he did not fly.
(c) He was a coward.
(d) First his parents encouraged him to fly but later on, they even threatened to let him starve if he did not
fly.
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (30 -40 Words)

1. Describe the young seagull‘s expression when he saw his mother with food.
2. How did the young seagull and his family celebrate his first flight?
Answers
1. The young seagull uttered a joyful scream because he thought that his mother was bringing food for
him. He tried to come nearer to her as she flew across.
2. When the young seagull started flying and got over his fear, his family screamed around him out of
joy. They praised him and offered him scraps of dog-fish out of delight as he made a successful attempt
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LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS (100 - 150 Words)
1. How does the author describe the young Seagull‘s fear of flying?
2. Do you think hunger was a good motivation for the young Seagull in his flight?
Answers
1. The young Seagull was afraid of flying though he wanted very much to fly. When he flapped his
wings he became afraid. The sea stretched down beneath. He felt certain that his wings would never support
him. So he bent his head and ran away back to the little hole. He could not get himself to fly like his siblings.
2. The young seagull was greatly afraid of flying --- did not dare to come out and fly --- had no self-
confidence - Parents, brothers and sister decided to leave him alone – left for twenty four hours --- no food to
eat --- very hungry --- parents rebuked --- would die of hunger --- getting mad with hunger --- mother bought
a piece of fish --- offered him --- but was not able to catch it - called out to her – but she did not come any
closer - so he dived for it as he was hungry --- fell and started going downwards --- next moment wings
spread outwards --- wind rushed through him --- started flying high --- screamed with joy as he was finally
flying --- thus made his maiden flight.
UNSOLVED QUESTIONS
1. Why did the young seagull feel very miserable on the ledge?
2. How did young seagull‘s parents try to make him fly?
3. Young seagull tried to fly but he could not. Why was he afraid to fly?

1. Flying is a natural act in birds. Then why was the young seagull terrified by the strange exercise?
Hints - The seagull didn‘t have the courage to fly. Hence, he used to make excuses for not flying. He felt
certain that his wings were too weak to support him – thought they were longer than those of his siblings- He
had no courage to flap his wings and try- failed to muster up the courage to take the plunge when he looked
down at the vast expanse of the sea.
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Unit 3
TWO STORIES ABOUT FLYING
Part II – Black Aero plane
GIST
The Black Aero plane is about a pilot who is flying an old Dakota aeroplane and is happy and to be able to
be home with his family in time for breakfast. He is flying from Paris to London. But suddenly he sees
some huge black storm clouds that look like black mountains in front of him. He does not have enough fuel
to go around the clouds. He takes the risk and flies right into it. Suddenly it is pitch dark and impossible to
see anything. The instruments stop working and he has lost contact with Paris Control. Very soon he sees
another black aero plane near him and the pilot motions for him to follow and leads the way. Soon he comes
out of the clouds and sees two long straight lines of lights in front of him and that was a Runway! He looks
back to thank his friend but cannot see the other plane anywhere. After landing he asks the lady at the
Control room about the other plane, but she‘s surprised and says that there were no other plane in the skies
that night, and his was the only plane flying in the storm. The pilot is puzzled! Who could it have been he
wonders.
EXTRACTS FROM THE TEXT

1. I knew I could not fly up and over them, and I didn‘t have enough fuel to fly around them to the north
or south. ―I ought to go back to Paris.‖ I thought, but I wanted to get home.
a) What does ‗them‘ in the first sentence refer to?
b) Why could he not fly over on either side of storm clouds?
c) Why did he not go back to Paris?
d) Which country was the pilot of the plane flying towards?
Answers
a) ‗Them‘ means the big black clouds
b) There was not enough fuel left in the Dakota – aero plane for him to fly around the clouds
c) He wanted to get home and enjoy breakfast with his family
d) The Pilot was flying towards England.
2. He turned his aero plane slowly to the north, in front of my Dakota, so that it would be easier for me
to follow him. I was very happy to go behind the strange aero plane like an obedient child.
a) Where was the pilot at this time?
b) Who does ‗He‘ refer to in the first sentence?
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c) Why did ‗He‖ of the black aero plane bring his plane in front of the Dakota aero plane?
d) Why did the pilot of the Dakota follow him like an obedient child?
Answers
a) The pilot was inside the black storm cloud
b) The pilot of the Black aero plane
c) The pilot was trying to guide the author out of the storm clouds by asking him to follow him.
d) He was lost and all his instruments had stopped working. He wanted to find a way out of the storm/
He wanted to get out of the storm safely.

1. What did the narrator feel inside the clouds?
2. Why was the woman in the control room shocked when the narrator asked her about another aero
plane?
Answer:
1. When the narrator entered the clouds, it became impossible to see outside the aero plane. The aero
plane jumped and twisted in the air and all the instruments like compass etc. stopped working due to the
weather conditions. He could not see anything and he was worried whether the fuel would last till he landed.
2. The woman in the control room was shocked when the narrator asked about another aero plane
because there was no such plane flying in the sky that night as she saw none on the radar. It was an extremely
stormy night and no one had taken the risk of flying in the storm.
LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS (100-150 Words)

1. The narrator does not lose hope and follows the pilot in the black aero plane knowing well that he
might be taking a huge risk. What qualities does he possess to endure this critical situation bravely?
2. The narrator knew that he could not fly up due to storm and lack of fuel but still, he continued. What
kind of person was he? Was it not in his nature to accept defeat? Discuss the values one should possess to
accept failures and still be able to move ahead in life
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Answer
The author‘s plane did not have enough fuel. He knew that because of the paucity of fuel, he could not fly up
and over the clouds nor he could fly around them to the north or south. But then he decided to take the risk to
fly into the clouds because he wanted to go home and wanted to join his family at breakfast. This shows that
he was a family-loving person. He was courageous as he knew that it would be risky to enter the clouds, but
he did so nevertheless. Gradually a black aero plane approaches and the pilot signals to him to follow him.
Knowing well that it is a risky move he still continues to follow and to his delight and relief he reaches an
airport safely. However he cannot see the other aero plane anywhere and nor can the lady at the Control
room help him. His brave act led him to safety. His Faith in himself and perhaps the Almighty enabled him
to emerge safely from the grueling situation.
UNSOLVED QUESTIONS
1. Why do you think there were no other planes flying?
2. ―I‘ll take the risk.‖ What is the risk that the pilot of the old Dakota takes? Why does he take the risk?

1. Describe the flight of the Dakota aero plane until it landed safely at the airport.
2. What is the message that Frederick Forsyth wants to convey to the readers through the lesson ‗The
Black Aero plane‘?
Hints – The message the narrator conveys is Never say ‗die‘ till the end. Never lose hope in the most
hopeless situation. No one knows who may come to save you. The narrator was really in such a hopeless
situation when he lost contact with Paris control and all his instruments and the compass was dead. Then
came the mysterious pilot in the black aero plane to guide the narrator to safety.
Having Faith in oneself is important to move forward in life.
HOW TO TELL WILD ANIMALS [POEM]

GIST
How to tell wild animals is a humorous poem written by Carolyn Wells. In the poem, the poet is introducing
various wild animals by explaining the characteristics of each of them in a very funny way. The poem
suggests some dangerous ways to identify wild animals. She has used language in a way that it generates
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humour. Various kinds of wild animals like Asian lion, Bengal tiger, bear, and etc. are introduced to the
reader humorously. Much of the humour arises from the way language is used.
EXTRACT BASED COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS [SOLVED]

1. If ever you should go by chance
To jungles in the east;
And if there should to you advance
A large and tawny beast,
If he roars at you as you‘re dyin‘
You‘ll know it is the Asian Lion ….
Questions.
(a) What are the features of an Asian Lion?
(b) What happens to you when the lion roars?
(c) What do you mean by ‗tawny‘?
(d) Where is the Asian Lion found?
Answers:
(a) An Asian Lion is large and brownish-yellow in colour.
(b) When the lion roars, it is very scary and we feel that we are going to die.
(c) ‗Tawny‘ means brownish-yellow in colour.
(d) Asian lion is found in the jungles of the East. If strolling forth, a beast you view,
Whose hide with spots in peppered, As soon as he has leapt on you, you‘ll know it is the Leopard.
It will do no good to roar with pain, He‘ll only leap and leap again.
Questions.
(a) Describe the hide of a leopard?
(b) When does one come to know that it is a leopard?
(c) Write two words from the stanza which is wrongly spelt?
(d) Why it won‘t do any good to roar with pain?
Answers
(a) A leopard‘s hide is covered with spots.
(b) One comes to know that it is a leopard when it leaps or jumps on him.
(c) Leapt and leap are given in the poem as leapt and leapt
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(d) It won‘t do any good to roar with pain because then the leopard will pounce upon you again.
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS [SOLVED]

1. How can you identify the Asian lion and the Bengal Tiger?
2. How can you distinguish between a hyena and a crocodile?
3. How does the poet describe the bear?
4. How does a leopard behave when he sees someone?
Answers
1. The Asian Lion has a large body and a brownish-yellow colour... It roars loudly when it attacks its
prey. The very roar is enough to terrorise one to death. On the other hand, the Bengal Tiger is a noble animal
which attacks the prey silently. It has black stripes on its yellow coat.
2. It is not easy to distinguish among wild animals. But a hyena and a crocodile can easily be
distinguished. A hyena laughs as it swallows its victim, whereas a crocodile will have tears as it kills its
victim.
3. The poet describes the bear in a humorous way. He says that as soon as a bear sees a human being, it
hugs him tightly. It clasps its prey tightly with both its hands and squeezes him to death. If he is still alive,
he gives him another tight hug to kill him.
4. A leopard has black spots all over its body. As soon as it sees someone, it leaps over him at once.
There will be no use of crying with pain. It will not show any mercy, but keep on pouncing continuously on
its victim.
Long Answer Question [100-150words each.]

Describe the effective use of humour in the poem How to tell wild animals. What are the poetic liberties
taken by the poet in the poem?
The poet, in the poem ‗How to tell Wild Animals‘ creates humour by describing various beasts of prey. The
way the poet explains the things is very funny yet interesting. The poet has depicted the wildlife very vividly
and in a lively manner. While reading the poem, the readers enjoy the poet‘s work and it leaves them
refreshed and happy. The humour used in the poem is suggestive and mild. If the Asian Lion ‗roars‘ at you as
you are dying, the Bengal Tiger is a ‗noble‘ wild beast that ‗greets‘ you when you are roaming round in the
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jungle. The leopard will show no mercy and it will do no good to roar with pain. The bear gives you a very
hard ‗hug‘ and if you have any doubts whether it is a bear, it will give you just one more caress. The poet
humorously says that hyenas come with ‗merry smiles‘; but if they ‗weep‘ they are crocodiles. Similarly, the
poet takes many liberties to make the poem impressive. In order to rhyme with ‗lion‘ the poet changes the
word dying to ‗dyin‘. Instead of leapt and leap the poet writes ‗lept‘ and ‗lep‘. All these changes make the
poem more interesting and enjoyable.

1. How will you recognize an Asian lion?
2. What are the specialties of a Bengal Tiger?
3. How can you distinguish between a tiger and a leopard?
4. What are the distinctive features of the Asian lion as given in the poem?
5. How does a leopard behave when he sees someone?
6. Is the tight hug of a bear really friendly?
7. How will you recognize a true chameleon?

1. Describe the various ways to recognize Asian Lions, Bengal Tigers, Leopards, Bears, Hyenas,
Crocodiles and Chameleons?
2. The poet has successfully used humour to be able to ‗tell‘ or identify ‗Wild Animals‘. How do you
think we need lots of it in our daily life?
3. ‗Humour is the best medicine for every ailment in life‘. Comment.
THE BALL POEM

GIST
The poet is talking about a little boy who has lost his ball. He was playing with his ball. The ball skipped
from his hand and went into the nearby water body. The poet says that this sight of the boy losing his favorite
ball made him think about the boy and his reaction to this situation. He further says that the boy was
helplessly looking into the water where his ball had gone. He was sad and was trembling with fear. He got so
immersed in his sorrow that he kept standing near the harbor for a very long time and kept on looking for his
ball. The poet says that he could console him that he may get new balls or he could also give him some
money to buy another ball. But he stops himself from doing so because he thinks that the money may bring
a new ball but will not bring the memories and feelings attached to the lost ball. He further says that the time
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has come for the boy to learn his responsibilities. Here the poet wants to say that now the boy will learn the
toughest lesson of life. The lesson of accepting the harsh realities of life that one day we will lose our loved
ones and our loved things.
Extracts Based Comprehension Questions:
1. What is the boy now, who has lost his ball, what, what is he to do? I saw it go merrily bouncing,
down the street, and then merrily over – there it is in the water! No use to say – ‗O there are other
balls‘:
1. What has happened to the boy?
(b) Why does the poet say ‗No use to say – ‗O there are other balls‘?
(c) Which word means ‗happily‘?
(d) Where did the ball go?
Answer:
(a) The boy was very sad as he had lost his ball.
(b) The poet says so as the loss of the ball is of a major consequence to the boy.
(c) Merrily means happily.
(d) The ball went to the water.
2. What is the boy now, who has lost his ball, What, what is he to do? I saw it go merrily bouncing,
down the street, and then merrily over – there it is in the water! No use to say – ‗O there are other
balls‘:
(a) What has happened to the boy?
(b) Why does the poet say ‗No use to say – ‗O there are other balls‘?
(c) Which word means ‗happily‘?
(d) Where did the ball go?
Answer:
(a) The boy was very sad as he had lost his ball.
(b) The poet says so as the loss of the ball is of a major consequence to the boy.
(c) Merrily means happily.
(d) The ball went into the water.
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Short answer questions (30-40 Words)
Q1-Why does the poet say, ―I would not intrude on him‖? Why doesn‘t he offer him money to buy another
ball?
A1- The poet does not want to intrude so that the boy can get a chance to learn the real truth of life. He has to
learn to accept the loss. The loss here means the most important thing or relationship.
Q2- ―… staring down/All his young days into the harbour where/His ball went …‖ Do you think the boy has
had the ball for a long time? Is it linked to the memories of days when he played with it?
A2- Yes we can say that the boy had the ball for a very long time. The line itself describes how the boy
recalls those days when he used to play with the ball. The ball was surely linked to some sweet memories of
his playing with the ball.

1. Should the boy be allowed to grieve for his ball? If his loss is irreparable or irretrievable then how
should one handle it? What lessons can be learnt?
Ans. Yes, the boy should be allowed to grieve for his ball, as he had that ball for a long time. He had many
old memories associated with it since his childhood. Moreover, when a person is trying to come over his
grief on his own, then one should not intrude or disturb him as it may break his chain of thoughts and may
irritate him.
One should have self-consolation, and self -understanding in order to bear the loss. Self-realization and
understanding are more effective and lasting than when it is done by an external agency or a person.
2. How did the boy really react to the loss of the ball or was he fearful of something or someone
……..? Can our attention be directed toward his family and other people? Are there any lessons to be learnt?
Ans. (i) The boy was not fearful of anyone, in fact, he was really upset about the loss of the ball. The ball
was valuable for him. He was shocked, remained fixed, trembled with grief staring at the place where the ball
had fallen. His family must not have been affected by the loss as a ball is an easily available and inexpensive
item.
(ii) The loss of the ball teaches a lesson to us. Money is external in the sense that it can give you only outer
happiness or pleasure not inner. Money cannot buy the emotions and heavenly virtues. It cannot be linked
with old memories. Moreover, self-consolation, realization or understanding is more effective and lasting
than done by an external agency or a person.
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3. Why does the poet say, ‗I would not intrude on him?‘ Why doesn‘t he offer him money to buy
another ball?
Ans. When a person is trying to come over his grief on his own, he is busy making himself understand
certain things if then, someone intrudes or disturbs, and his chain of thoughts is broken. It makes him
irritated. Moreover, self-consolation, realization or understanding is more effective and lasting than when it
is done by an external agency or a person. The poet knows it. So he does not intrude on him. His offer of
money to buy another ball is useless for the boy wants the same ball he is attached to and has been playing
for a long time. No other ball will be able to take its place.
UNSOLVED QUESTIONS
Short answer questions (30-40 Words)
1 What does ―in the world of possessions‖ mean?
2 Do you think the boy has lost anything earlier? Pick out the words that suggest the answer?

Q1. How is the lost ball, the metaphor of the lost childhood of the boy? Why doesn‘t the poet want to
‗intrude on‘ the boy by offering him money to buy another ball?
Q2. What is the epistemology of loss in this world of possessions? How has the child learned to stand up in
life?
UNIT 4: FROM THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK

GIST:
This lesson is an excerpt from ―Diary of a Young Girl‖ or ―The Diary of Anne Frank‖. It is an autobiography
that was first published in 1947. In this, Anne expresses her thoughts in a diary which was gifted to her on
her thirteenth birthday. She names the diary ―kitty‖ which she considers as her only true friend. She mentions
about her childhood, her family and a lot other things that she told no one else.
CHARACTER SKETCH OF ANNE FRANK

Anne Frank was born on 12th June 1929 in Frankfurt Germany. She was four years old when her father
went to Holland to find a better place for them to live. She was very intelligent and always wanted to become
a writer.
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She was a very good reader as well; she continued reading books, translated chapters, wrote down the
vocabulary and worked hard on her skills. Like any child, she loved her parents but later grew a dislike
towards her mother as she compared her to Margot. She was always jealous of her. She believed that time
would come when the problems would be over. She felt lonely. Though she was amidst thirty people, she
could hardly call anyone as her true friend. Anne died of typhus in the concentration camp at Berger-Belsen
in late February or early March of 1945.

1. Writing in a diary is a really strange experience for someone like me. Not only because I have never
written anything before, but also because it seems to me that later on neither I nor anyone else will be
interested in the musing of a thirteen year old school girl. Oh well, it doesn‘t matter. I feel like writing and I
have an even greater need to get all kind of things off my chest. Paper has more patience than people.‘ I
thought of this saying on one of those days when I was feeling a little depressed and was sitting at home
with my chin in my hands, bored and listless, wondering whether to stay in or go out.
(a) Whom does ‗I‘ refer to in the given passage?
(b) ‗Paper has more patience than people‘ – Why did Anne Frank say that?
(c) Find a word in the passage that means ‗deep thought‘.
(d) Which word in the passage is a synonym of lethargic?
Answers:
(a) ‗I‘ refers to Anne Frank in the given passage.
(b) Anne Frank said that ‗Paper has more patience than people‘ because one can rely on the paper to
confide his/her secrets and it listens carefully and silently.
(c) The word is ‗musing‘.
(d) The word is ‗listless‘.
2) Let me put it more clearly, since no one will believe that a thirteen-year-old girl is completely alone
in the world. And I‘m not. I have loving parents and a sixteen-year-old sister, and there are about thirty
people I can call friends. I have a family, loving aunts and a good home. No, on the surface I seem to have
everything, except my one true friend. All I think about when I‘m with friends is having a good time. I can‘t
bring myself to talk about anything but ordinary everyday things. We don‘t seem to be able to get any closer,
and that‘s the problem. Maybe it‘s my fault that we don‘t confide in each other. In any case, that‘s just how
things are, and unfortunately they‘re not liable to change. This is why I‘ve started the diary.
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(a) Why was Anne Frank disturbed even when she had loving parents, relatives and friends?
(b) Why did Anne decide to write a diary?
(c) Find the word that means the same as ‗unluckily‘.
(d) To confide in somebody is to ………
Answers:
(a) Anne Frank was disturbed even after being surrounded by so many people because she didn‘t have
any true friend.
(b) Anne decided to write a diary because she could not confide in anyone and felt lonely.
(c) The word is unfortunately.
(d) It means to tell somebody your secrets or personal information.
3) To enhance the image of this long awaited friend in my imagination, I don‘t want to jot down the
facts in this diary the way most people would do, but I want the diary to be my friend, and I‘m going to call
this friend ‗Kitty‘.
Since no one would understand a word of my stories to Kitty if I were to plunge right in, I‘d better provide a
brief sketch of my life, much as I dislike doing so.
(a) Who was the long awaited friend of Anne? Why?

(b) What did she provide in her diary?
(c) Find a word from the extract which means the same as ‗submerge‘.
Answers:
(a) The diary named ‗Kitty‘ was the long awaited friend of Anne, because she had no true friend in her
life with whom she could share her feelings and thoughts.
(b) She provided a brief-sketch of her life and her family in her diary
(c) Plunge.
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (30 - 40 words)

1. Why does Anne Frank think that ‗paper‘ has more patience than ‗people‘?
Ans .Anne believes that paper has more patience than people because it listens to her more patiently and
silently it does not react like other people and also because she can confide in her diary all her secrets..
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2. What does Anne Frank tell about her family in her diary?
Ans. Anne Frank tells that she has very lovely and caring family. Her parents and her elder sister love her a
lot. There are about thirty people nearby her whom she can call friends. She has loving aunts and a good
home but she wants to have a true friend with whom she can share her feelings and thoughts.
1. Describe your views about Mr Keesing as a teacher.

Ans. Mr Keesing seems to be a strict teacher. He actually believes taking action with good intention and
prefers development in children. He tries to control Anne‘s talkative habit, but as soon as he is convinced
that it does not affect her studies, he overlooks her shortcoming.

1. Anne called 26th July a ‗tumultuous‘ day. Explain the reasons behind it.
Ans. Anne called 26th July a tumultuous day as it was full of tension and fright. The first warning siren was
sent off in the morning but nobody paid any attention to it because it only meant that the planes were
crossing the coast. The siren alarmed again around 2 O‘clock in the afternoon. Anne and her sister went
upstairs but after five minutes they heard loud gunshots. After half an hour, drone of engines faded and life
became normal. The city was enveloped in thick fog. But after dinner time, there was another gun-fire round
and swarms of planes. The air was buzzing with the drone of engines. Nobody was able to sleep that night
because it repeated again at midnight.
2. Why did Anne think that she could confide more in her diary than in the people?
Ans. Anne Frank did not have a friend with whom she could share her feelings. Though she had spent a
good time with her friends but she was unable to share her views and thoughts with them. When she got her
diary, she decided to share everything with it because she believed that nobody would be interested in her
musings. So, she treated her diary as her best friend. She felt that it would keep her life a secret and would
not react like people. She confided everything in the diary; her family, her fear, her loneliness, her life and
considered it her best friend and named it ‗Kitty‖.
UNSOLVED QUESTIONS:
1) What does Anne write in her first essay to support her habit of talking so much?
2) Why was Anne‘s entire class anxious and nervous?
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3) Describe Anne‘s love for her grandmother.
4) Write in brief about Anne Frank‘s early education.

1) Who helped Anne in writing the essay and how?
2) Give a brief description about Anne‘s life.
3) ‗Paper has more patience than people‘. Justify.
(Or)
‗Paper has more patience than people‘. Do you agree with the statement?
4) ‗From the diary of Anne Frank‘ throws light on teacher-student relationship, class atmosphere and
discipline. Write a paragraph on the values of these aspects of school and how far these values are necessary
for learning and life.
Poem: AMANDA!
GIST
The Poem Amanda by ROBIN KLEIN depicts a child‘s feelings about the restrictions the parents put on
him/her. Children feel their parents don‘t let them do many things they want to do.
In the poem there is a girl named Amanda who feels her mother nags her too much. The mother scolds
Amanda for biting her nails, hunching her shoulders, and not sitting straight. Amanda does not like it.
On the contrary Amanda lives in her dream world. In her fantasy she feels like a mermaid swimming freely
and joyously in the light green sea.
The mother drags Amanda out of her dream by asking whether she has completed her homework or not. She
also asks her whether she has tidied her room; she tells her to clean and polish her shoes.
Amanda then daydreams of being an orphan roaming freely, barefoot in golden silence enjoying
uninterrupted freedom.
The mother instructs Amanda not to eat chocolates because of her acnes and pimples. She also scolds her for
not looking at her when she is talking to her.
Amanda is enjoying another dream; she fantasizes herself as Rapunzel living peacefully in her tower; she
feels she will never let down her hair from the tower.
Her mother again reprimands her for sulking and being moody. And the mother feels others will think that
she is always pestering her.
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1) Don‘t bite your nails, Amanda!
Don‘t hunch your shoulders,
Amanda! Stop that slouching and sit up straight, Amanda!
Questions:
(a) What is Amanda doing to her nails?
(b) What does she do to her shoulders?
(c) How is she sitting?
(d) How is Amanda expected to sit? Answers:
Answers
(a) She is biting her nails.
(b) She hunches her shoulders.
(c) She is sitting in a slouching posture.
(d) Amanda should sit straight
2) I am an orphan, roaming the street.

I pattern soft dust with my hushed, bare feet.
The silence is golden, the freedom is sweet)
Questions:
(a) Who longs to be an orphan?
(b) Where is the orphan roaming?
(c) How does the speaker make designs?
(d) What does the speaker say about silence and freedom? Answers:
Answers
(a) The orphan longs to roam freely in streets.
(b) The orphan is roaming in the street.
(c) The speaker makes designs with her bare feet on the soft dust.
(d) The speaker says that silence is golden and freedom is sweet.
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1. Amanda imagines herself to be Rapunzel, yet would not like to do what all she did. Identify and state
the reasons for her decision.
Ans. Amanda wants to be Rapunzel to live a peaceful life in a tower, where no one gives any instruction and
she doesn‘t have to do any work. She doesn‘t want to escape with a prince like Rapunzel.
2. What is the theme of the poem — ‗Amanda‘?

Ans. Too many instructions and too much control are resented by children. They get bored and fed up. Then,
they listen to their parents half-heartedly and indulge in daydreaming.
3. What message does the poet want to give through the poem — ‗Amanda‘?
Ans. The poet wants to convey that parents in their endeavour to make their children well-behaved and well-
mannered tend to give too many instructions or nag (always finding fault) them. They should adopt positive
measures, acceptable to children.
4. Who was Amanda? What idea do you form about her through the poem?
Ans. Amanda was a little school going, girl. She loved fairy tales like Rapunzel and mermaids. She did not
like too many instructions or nagging that made her sulk and become moody. So she did not listen to her
mother attentively and started daydreaming.
QUESTIONS: (UNSOLVED)
Q1 How does Amanda describe her life as an orphan?
Q2 Why is Amanda forbidden to eat chocolate? How does Amanda behave when she is addressed by the
speaker?
Q3 What does the speaker tell Amanda in the end? What is the speaker afraid of?
Q4 What is the central idea of the poem?
Q 5 List the things which Amanda‘s mother doesn‘t want her to do. Q 6 Why does Amanda‘s mother ask her
to stop sulking?
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ANIMALS - WALT WHITMAN
GIST:
The poet, Walt Whitman compares animals and human beings. He says that, unlike humans, animals do not
complain nor cringe about anything in their life. Animals are simple; self- contained, satisfied and are not
after owning things. They do not weep for their sins nor cry over their unfavorable conditions. The poet feels
more at home with animals than humans whom he finds complicated, materialistic and false.
Extract Based Questions:

A.) ‗Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with the mania of owning things, Not one kneels to
another, nor to his kind that lived a thousand years ago.‘
Questions
a) About whom is the poet saying these lines?
b) With/to whom is the poet comparing them?
c) Mention any two qualities that make the poet want to be like ‗them‘.
d) What is the literary device used in the first line given?
Answers
a) The poet is speaking about animals.
b) The poet is comparing them with human beings.
c) They do not complain / they are not anxious / not unhappy / not unsatisfied/ do not lie awake
pondering over the sins they committed.
d) It is ‗Repetition‘ where the words ‗not one‘ has been repeated.
B) ‗I wonder where they get those tokens,

Did I pass that way huge times ago and negligently drop them?‘
Questions
a) Who does the word ‗they‘ refer to in the first line?
b) What does the word ‗tokens‘ stand for?
c) What does the poet mean by the last line?
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Answers
a) The word ‘they‘ refers to animals.
b) The word ‗tokens stands for virtues like simplicity, innocence, satisfaction, contentment etc.
c) The poet means to say that he may have lost those virtues that animals possess long ago in his quest
for civilization.
Short Answer Questions

a) What does the poet wish to do at the beginning of the poem?
b) What do humans do to other human beings who lived thousands of years ago?
c) What conclusion does the poet come to at the end of the poem?
Answers
a) The poet wishes he could transform and become one with animals.
b) Human beings hold their ancestors in great respect.
c) The poet says that he as a human being must have lost those virtues that only animals now possess,
sometime in the past.
Long Answer Questions

a) Why does the poet want to ‗turn and live with animals‘? Or what is the gist of the poem? Or
What is the central theme of the poem?
The poet expresses his desire to change and be with the animals because they are very mild and content.
They are not anxious about anything nor do they complain about anything. They do not spend sleepless
nights repenting over their sins nor discuss their duty to God. None of them is neither dissatisfied nor crazy
over possessing things. No animal shows submission to another nor does he show respect and honour to
those of his kind that lived thousands of years ago. Not a single animal is dissatisfied or unhappy. The poet
learns these virtues from animals which they openly express. At the end the poet wonders where they got
these virtues from and concludes that he, as a human being, also may have possessed these qualities
thousands of years ago. In his quest for civilization human beings have lost these beautiful virtues that
animals still possess. And therefore he wishes to turn and live with animals.

a) What are some of the things that humans do in their relationship with God?
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b) How are animals different from humans in their attitude to life?
Unsolved Long Answer Question

Comment on the first and last lines of the poem.
Literary Devices:-
Line two- I stand and and long. Repetition (the Word Long is repeated)
Line three - sweat and whine Onomatopoeia (the sound gives the sense)
Line four – discussing their duty to God Alliteration (the repetitive consonantal sound /d/) Line ten – plainly
in their possession Alliteration (the repetitive consonantal sound /p/) Line eleven – wonder where
Alliteration (the repetitive consonantal sound /w/) Line twelve – Did I pass drop them? Interrogation
(Question asked not in expectation of an answer)
UNIT-7 GLIMPSES OF INDIA
PART – I: A Baker from Goa

Introduction
‗A Baker from Goa‘ revolves around the relevance of a baker in the Goan culture which dates back to the
time when Portuguese ruled over the city of Goa. The Portuguese may have left but the bread- makers
continue to have an inevitable stature. In this story, the author recalls his childhood days and their excitement
on seeing the baker. They were enthusiastic to the point that they would run to him as soon as they woke up
without even brushing their teeth.
GIST
The lesson begins with how narrator‘s elders often recall the time when Goa was under the rule of the
Portuguese. They talk how the importance of bakers is still maintained in their villages even after the
Portuguese have left. They are known as ‗Paders‘ in Goa. The mixers, moulders and their time-tested
furnaces continue to serve the people of Goa with their famous bread loaves. It is possible that the original
ones may not exist, but their profession is being continued by their sons. The thud of their bamboo stick can
still be heard in some parts of the village. The same jingling thud would wake the narrator and his friends
during their childhood days that would go running to him without brushing or washing their mouth properly.
It was the maid-servant of the house who collected the loaves while children sorted out the bread bangles for
themselves. Bakery products have importance in the culture and traditions of Goa. Bol or sweet bread is a
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part of marriage gifts, cakes and Bolinhas or coconut cookies are eaten at every festival and the lady of the
house prepares sandwiches at her daughter‘s engagement. Earlier bakers wore a unique frock of knee-length
known as ‗kabai‘ but during the narrator‘s childhood days, they wore a shirt and trousers of length slightly
shorter than the usual ones. They generally collected their bills at the end of every month. Bakery has
continued to be a profitable profession, managing to keep their families joyous and prosperous.
Main Points of the Story

 The Portuguese in Goa were lovers of bread
 Those eaters of bread have now gone but is makers still exist.
 During the childhood days of the narrator, a baker used to be their friend, companion and guide.
 The baker came twice a day – once in the morning and again while returning home
 After finishing his sailing.
 The jingling thud of the baker‘s bamboo woke up the sleeping children.
 The loaves were delivered to the servants of the house.
 The children would peep into the baker‘s basket for the bread bangles.
 The children would eat bread with hot tea.
 The marriages were incomplete without the popular bol bread.
 Bolinhas was a must during Christmas and all other festivals.
 The makers wore a particular knee length frock known as kabai.
 Baking was a profitable profession. Bakers had a plump physique testifying to this.
 The bakers collected their bills at the end of the month
Extract Based Questions (Solved)

Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow
Question 1
We kid 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.
(a) Who are ‗we‘ in the extract?
(b) Why were the children pushed aside?
(c) Which word/phrase in the extract means the same as ‗an expression of disapproval/a scolding‘?
(d) What was there in the basket?
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Answer
(a) ‗We‘ in the extract refers to the narrator and his friends.
(b) The kids were pushed aside so that the breads can be delivered to the servants.
(c) The word ‗rebuke‘ from the extract means ‗an expression of disapproval/a scolding‘.
(d) There were some loaves for the elders and some bangles for the children.
Question 2.
Marriage gifts are meaningless without the sweet bread known as the bol, just as a party or a feast loses its
charm without bread. Not enough can be said to show how important a baker can be for a village. The lady of
the house must prepare sandwiches on the occasion of her daughter‘s engagement. Cakes and bolinhas are a
must for Christmas as well as other festivals. Thus, the presence of the baker‘s furnace in the village is
absolutely essential.
(a) What are compulsorily prepared during Christmas in Goa?
(b) Why is a baker necessary in a village?
(c) Find the word in the extract which means ‗celebration meal‘.
(d) What is must to be prepared on a daughter‘s engagement by a lady?
Answer
(a) During Christmas cakes and Bolinas are compulsorily prepared in Goa.
(b) A baker is necessary in a village because different kinds of breads are required by the villagers for
daily consumption as well as for special occasions.
(c) ‗Feast‘ from the extract means ‗celebration meal‘.
(d) The lady of the house must prepare sandwiches on the occasion of her daughter‘s engagement.
Question 3
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.
(a) Where did the baker record his accounts?
(b) Why did the baker and his family never starve?
(c) Which work in the extract is a synonym of ‗build‘?
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(d) How can a baker be identified in Goa? Answer:
Answers
(a) The baker recorded his accounts on some wall in pencil.
(b) The baker and his family never starved because baking was a profitable profession.
(c) ‗Physique‘ from the extract is the synonym of ‗build‘.
(d) Any person with a Jackfruit-like physical appearance is easily identified to a baker as their pump
physique is an open testimony of their happiness and prosperity.
Short Answer Questions (30-40 Words)

1. What did the baker do first once he reached a house?
Ans. The baker would first greet the lady of the house by saying ―Good Morning‖. He would then place the
basket on the vertical bamboo and deliver the loaves to the servant.
2. How did the baker make his entry?

Ans. The baker used to enter with the Jingling sound of his specially made bamboo staff. His one hand
supported the basket on his head and the other banged the bamboo on the ground.
3. How do we get to know that the makers of bread still exist?

Ans. The narrator states that the eaters of loaves might have vanished but the makers are still there. He
further says that those age old, time tested furnaces still exist and the fire in the furnaces had not yet been
extinguished.
4. What is the importance of breads for the Goans?

OR
Why was the Baker‘s furnace essential in a traditional Goan village?
Ans. Different kinds of breads are important during the different occasions. Bolinhas had to be prepared
during Christmas and other festivals. The mothers used to prepare sandwiches on the occasion of their
daughter‘s engagement. So, the baker‘s furnace was essential.
5. Describe the dress of the bakers.

Ans. The bakers had a peculiar dress earlier known as the kabai. It was a one-piece long frock reaching down
to the knees.
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Long Answer Questions (100-150 Words)
1. Instead of enjoying their childhood, the children today are keen to enter adulthood. After reading
about all the joys that the author Lucio Rodrigues had in his childhood do you think such a keenness on the
part of children is desirable?
Ans. I don‘t think that the keenness of the children these days to enter adulthood is desirable. Children these
days are in a hurry to enter adulthood and have access to technology. Due to this they are learning things
earlier than usual and getting matured beyond their age.
Hence, they are losing out their childhood and missing the joys that it brings with it. As per my thinking, they
should grow at a slow pace and enjoy their childhood to the fullest. Children who miss out on their childhood
cannot be a complete adult. So, they should not hurry up to be an adult and grow at nature‘s pace.
2. 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?
Ans. ‗A Baker from Goa‘ highlights the importance of the traditional practice of making breads 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.
3. ‗During our childhood in Goa, the baker used to be our friend, companion and guide.‘ What does this
statement imply in relation to the character of the baker?
Ans. This statement tells us that the baker was a very respected person in the Goan society because he would
guide the children about good behaviour (when he mildly rebuked them for peeping into his basket and
giving respect to the elders (when he wished ―Good morning‖ to the lady of the house) etc.
He was very informal with the children and so the author considered him as a friend and companion. He was
not simply a vendor interested in selling what he made. Thus, he was an important character in the Goan
society of those days.
Extract Based Questions (Unsolved)

Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow:
Question 1
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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. That age-old, time tested
furnaces still exist. The fire in the furnaces has not yet 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 father is not alive but the son still carries on the family profession. These bakers are, even today, known
as pader in Goa.
Answer the following questions:

1. What were the Portuguese of Goa famous for?
2. What are the elders nostalgic about?
3. Choose the correct option. The eaters of loaves might have–
i) remained ii) vanished iii) died iv) none of these
4. We still have amongst us those who bake the –
i) bread ii) cake iii) loaves iv) none of these
Question 2
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.
Answer the following questions:
1. How did the baker make his entry?
2. What kind of sound did he make?
3. What would he do with his hands?
4. What would he do before placing the basket on the vertical bamboo?
Short Answer Type Questions [Unsolved]

1. When would the baker come every day in the life of the people?
2. Why was bread important on social occasions and festivities in Goa?
3. What was the presence of furnace in the village?
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PART II: GLIMPSES OF INDIA – COORG
Introduction
The lesson gives us a beautiful insight of the smallest district of Karnataka and its people. The place has an
amazing weather throughout the year with enough rain during the monsoon season. The people of Coorg are
known to be one of the bravest. Coffee is the main crop grown in this region. A variety of animals can be
found here while the place is surrounded by beautiful Brahmagiri hills, islands and Tibetan settlements.
GIST
The writer describes the hill station of Coorg located in the Western Ghats in the state of Karnataka. It is
located midway between Bangalore and Mangalore. The suitable time to visit Coors is from September to
March. The place is famous for coffee plantations and spices. There are abundant rainforests which cover 30
percent of the area. The Corgi men are brave warriors who are permitted to keep firearms without a license
due to their trustworthiness. The women of Coorg are pretty. Coorg is also known as Kodavu and the
Kodavus, though are Hindus by religion but their customs differ from those of mainstream Hindus. They
marry within their community. Kodavus are said to be of Greek or Arabic descent. Some soldiers of
Alexander‘s army settled there. Also, as the ethnic dress of the Kodavus, Kuppia is similar to the Arab
garment Kuffia, it is said that maybe their ancestors were Arabs or Kurds. The river Kaveri originates from
Coorg. The fish named Mahaseer is found in the river. Many animals and birds like kingfisher, langur,
squirrels and elephants can be spotted along the river.
Tourists relax in the serene atmosphere and also enjoy adventure sports like river rafting, canoeing,
rappelling, mountain biking, rock climbing and trekking. While trekking on the nature trails, animals like
Macaques, Malabar squirrels, langurs and slender loris can be spotted on the trees. The major tourist
attractions are Brahmagiri hills, Nisargdham Island and Bylakuppe Tibetan settlements. Coorg gives visitors
a feel of India‘s diverse cultures.

 Coorg is situated between Mysore and the coastal town of Mangalore.
 It is called the land of rolling hills.
 Coorg is inhabited by a proud race of martial men, beautiful women and wild creatures.
 It is the smallest district of Karnataka.
 Coorg is the home of evergreen forests, spices and coffee plantations.
 September to March is the most pleasant season for the tourists.
 During this period, weather is perfect and the air breathes of coffee.
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 The people of Coorg are fiercely independent people.
 They are possible of Greek or Arabic origin.
 It is said that a part of Alexander‘s army settled there and married amongst the locals.
 Their long black coat with an embroidered waist-belt Kuppia resembles the kuffia worn by the Arabs.
 Coorgi homes are known for their hospitality.
 The Coorg Regiment is one of the most decorated in the Indian Army.
 The first Chief of the Indian Army, General Cariappa, was a Coorgi.
 The river, Kaveri, obtains its water from the hills and forests of Coorg.
 High energy adventures with river rafting, canoeing, rock climbing and mountain biking are quite
popular in Coorg.
 Birds, bees, butterflies, Malabar squirrels and langurs find shelter in the rainforests of Coorg.
 The top of the Brahamagiri hills gives you a panoramic view of the misty valley of Coorg. India‘s
largest Tibetan settlement at Bylakuppe is famous for its Buddhist monks and temple.

Question 1.
Midway between Mysore and the coastal town of Mangalore sits a piece of heaven that must have drifted
from the kingdom of God. This land of rolling hills is inhabited by a proud race of martial men, beautiful
women and wild creatures.
Coorg, or Kodagu, the smallest district of Karnataka, is home to evergreen rainforests, spices and coffee
plantations.
(a) Which kind of animals are we likely to see at Coorg?
(b) What is Coorg known for?
(c) Which word in the extract means the same as ‗having to do with war‘?
(d) Where is Coorg situated?
Answer:
(a) We are likely to see wild animals in Coorg.
(b) Coorg is known for its evergreen rainforests, spices and coffee plantations.
(c) ‗Martial‘ from the extract means ‗having to do with war‘.
(d) Coorg is situated between the midway of Mysore and the coastal town of Mangalore.
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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.
(a) Which descent do the people of coorg belong to?

(b) Where can we find the culture of Coorg most apparently?
(c) Which word in the extract means ‗an act that is part of a religious ceremony‘?
(d) Which story is famous about the people of Coorg?
Answer
(a) The people of Coorg belong to Greek or Arabic descent.
(b) The Coorg people‘s culture is most apparent in their martial traditions, religious rites and marriages.
(c) ‗Rites‘ from the extract means ‗an act that is part of a religious ceremony‘.
(d) It is said that the people of coorg were the descendants of Alexander‘s army who settled here when
return became impractical.
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 carry firearms without a license.
(a) What kind of stories are the Coorg people always ready to tell?
(b) What is the special favour granted only to them even now?
(c) Find a word in the extract which means the same as ‗courage and bravery, usually in war.
(d) Who is free to have a firearm without a license in India?
Answer:
(a) The Coorg people are always ready to tell the tales of valour related to their sons and fathers.
(b) Kodavus are the only people in India permitted to carry firearms without a license.
(c) ‗Valour‘ from the extract means ‗courage and bravery, usually in war.
(d) Kodavus are the only people in India permitted to carry firearms without a license.
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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.
(a) Which river flows from the hills of Coorg?

(b) Why do the squirrels drop partially eaten fruit in the river?
(c) Find the word in the extract which means same as ‗wave‘.
(d) What do elephants enjoy by their mahouts?
Answer:
(a) The river Kaveri flows from the hills of Coorg.
(b) The squirrels drop partially eaten fruit in the river because they enjoy the splash and ripple effect
created by the fruit hitting the water.
(c) ‗Ripple‘ from the extract means ‗wave‘.
(d) Elephants enjoy being bathed and scrubbed by their mahouts.

1. From whom have the inhabitants of Coorg descended, as per the legend?
Ans: As per the legend, a part of Alexander‘s army, when retreating from India, went South and settled in
Coorg when they found that they could not return home. Then they married among the locals and their
descendants are the Kodavus. (The people of Coorg).
2. How has the Coorgi tradition of courage and bravery recognised in modern India?
Ans: The Coorgi tradition of courage and bravery has been recognised by awarding the Coorg Regiment
with the most number of gallantry awards. Besides, the Coorgis are the only Indians allowed to carry
firearms without a license.
3. Describe the wildlife of Coorg.

Ans: The wildlife of Coorg consists of animals like macaques, langurs, squirrels, loris and elephants. The
birds spotted in Coorg are kingfishers.
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4. Describe any two tourist places of Coorg.
Ans: The climb of Brahmagiri hills brings into a panoramic view of the entire misty landscape of Coorg. A
walk across the rope bridge leads to the 64acre island of Nisargadhama.
5. Describe Coorg‘s weather. When is it most pleasant for the tourists to visit Coorg?
Ans: The weather of Coorg is pleasant during the months from September to March. During that time, the
weather is perfect with some showers thrown in for good measure. During the monsoon, it receives heavy
rainfall.

1. The Coorgis are the descendants of the Greeks or the Arabs and are still are able to maintain their
traditional practices. Do you agree that following these practices today is important? Why or why not?
Ans: After reading the text, I feel that it is important to follow the traditional practices, as it has kept the
tradition of Coorgis known to the people even today. If the people of Coorg had not followed it their tradition
would have perished and nobody would have remembered them today because of their culture and
traditional practices. According to the text, their traditions can be seen in the martial traditions, religious rites
and marriages. The Kodavus even wear the dress which resembles Arabs. Traditional practices also play a
very important role in maintaining values amongst people and have an impact on shaping the behaviour of
people.
2.How do Coorg‘s location, people and natural features add to the diversity of India?
Ans: Coorg, or Kodagu, the smallest district of Karnataka, is home to evergreen rainforests, spices and coffee
plantations. Evergreen rainforests cover thirty percent 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 corners.
Coorg is beautifully located and described as a piece of heaven that must have drifted from the kingdom of
God. It has rolling hillsides with a pollution free river and forests teeming with wildlife. Here nature exists in
its pristine glory, which adds to the diversity of India. Further, it has coffee and spice plantations, quite
different from the rest of India. The local people, the Kodavus, are a martial race. Of course, they are well
known for their hospitality, just like all Indians. All these features of Coorg add to the diversity of our
country.
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Extract Based Questions (Unsolved)
The climb to the Brahmagiri hills brings you into a panoramic view of the entire misty landscape of Coorg. A
walk across the rope bridge leads to the sixty-four-acre island of Nisargadhama. Running into Buddhist
monks from India's largest Tibetan settlement, at nearby Bylakuppe, is a bonus. The monks, in red, ochre and
yellow robes, are amongst the many surprises that wait to be discovered by visitors searching for the heart
and soul of India, right here in Coorg.
(a) What does the climb to the Brahmagiri hills bring?
(b) What are the surprises discovered by the visitors?
(c) Where does walking across the rope bridge leads to?
Choose the correct option:
(i) The island of Bisargadhama (ii) The island of Srisargadhama
(iii) The island of Nisargadhama (iv) None of these
(d) The monks in red, ochre and yellow robes are amongst the many_ .
(i) surprises (ii) species
(iii) classes (iv) None of these

1. What type of place is Coorg?
2. Why is Coorg called the land of rolling hills?
3. Why are the people of Coorg known as descendants of the Arabs?
4. Throw some light on the vast biodiversity of Coorg.
Long Answer Type Questions [Unsolved]

1. How has the Coorgi tradition of courage and bravery recognised in modern India?
2. Describe the wildlife of Coorg.
3. Describe Corgi's weather. When is it most pleasant for the tourists to visit Coorg?
4. The Corgis are the descendants of the Greeks or the Arabs and are still are able to maintain Their
traditional practices. Do you agree that following these practices today is important? Why or why
not?
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PART III: GLIMPSES OF INDIA – Tea from Assam
Introduction
This is a very short description of Assam, a North-Eastern State of India. This state is famous for its tea
plantations. In this extract Pranjol, a youngster from Assam is Rajvir‘s classmate at a school in Delhi.
Pranjol‘s father is the manager of a tea-garden in Upper Assam and Pranjol has invited Rajvir to visit his
home during the summer vacation.
GIST
In ‗Tea from Assam‘ Arup Kumar Datta describes how popular tea has become as a beverage in the world.
Over 80 crore cups of tea are drunk every day throughout the world. It shows the increasing popularity of tea.
The lesson gives a graphic description of the sea of tea bushes stretching as far as eyes can go in Assam. The
plucking of the newly sprouted leaves by groups of tea-pluckers with bamboo baskets on their backs are
vividly described in the lesson.
Pranjol belonged to Assam. He was studying in a school in Delhi. Rajvir was his classmate. Pranjol‘s father
was the manager of a tea-garden in Upper Assam. Pranjol invited Rajvir to visit his home during the summer
vacation. Both of them travelled to Assam on a train. When the train stopped on the way at a station, a
vendor called, ‗chai-garam garam-chai‘. They took tea and started sipping it. Rajvir told
Pranjol that over eighty crore cups of tea are drunk every day throughout the world. Pranjol started reading
his detective book again. But Rajvir looked out of the window of the moving train. There was beautiful
scenery outside. Soon the soft green paddy fields were left behind and there were tea bushes everywhere.
Rajvir was fascinated by the magnificent view of tea gardens. There were shade trees also. He was very
excited. Pranjol didn‘t share Rajvir‘s excitement because he had been born and brought up on a plantation.
He told Rajvir that Assam has the largest concentration of tea plantation in the world.
Rajvir said that no one really knows who discovered tea. He told Pranjol that there are many legends attached
to tea, to the discovery of tea. According to one story, a Chinese emperor discovered tea by chance. He
always boiled water before drinking it. One day a few leaves off the twigs burning under the pot fell into the
water. As a result, the boiled water got a delicious flavour. It is said they were tea leaves. According to
another Indian legend, Bodhidharma, an ancient Buddhist monk, felt sleep during meditations. So he cut off
his eyelids. Ten tea plants grew out of the eyelids. The leaves of these plants when put in hot water and drunk
banished sleep.
Rajvir told Pranjol that tea was first drunk in China in 2700 B.C. Words like ‗chai‘ and ‗chini are Chinese.
Tea came to Europe in the sixteenth century. At first, it was used more as a medicine than as a beverage.
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Both Rajvir and Pranjol reached Mariani junction. Pranjol‘s parents received them on the platform they took
them in a car to Dhekiabari, the tea estate managed by Pranjol‘s father. There were acres and acres of tea
bushes. Women with bamboo baskets on their backs were plucking the new tea leaves; they had come there
in the sprouting season. Rajvir said that this season lasts from May to July. The best tea is produced during
this season. Pranjol‘s father told Rajvir that he knew many things about tea Plantations. Rajvir wanted to
learn more about tea there.
 Tea is really a very popular beverage in India.

 You can bear the vendor shouting ―chai-garam-garam chai‖ at every railway station.
 More than eighty crores of cups of tea are drunk every day throughout the world.
 It was green, green everywhere and Rajvir had never seen so much greenery before.
 The landscape changed and tea bushes took the place of green paddy fields.
 A sea of tea-bushes stretched as far as the eyes could go.
 Assam has the largest concentration of plantations in the world.
 No one really knows who discovered tea. One Chinese legend says that a few leaves of the twigs
burning under the pot fell into the boiling water.
 The leaves gave it a delicious flavour. They were tea leaves.
 Words like Thai‘ and thine are from the Chinese language.
 According to an Indian legend, an ancient Buddhist ascetic cut off his eyelids because he felt sleepy
during meditation.
 Ten tea plants grew out of his eyelids.
 Rajvir saw acre upon acre of tea bushes and nearly all of them were neatly pruned to the same height.
 Groups of tea-pluckers with bamboo baskets on their backs were plucking newly sprouted leaves.
 A tractor was pulling a trailer-load of leaves.
 Rajvir asked Pranjol‘s father if it was the second-flush or sprouting period.
 The sprouting periods lasts from May to July and this period yields the best tea.

Question 1.
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―Chai-garam… garam-chai,‖ a 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.
―Whew!‖ exclaimed Pranjol. ―Tea really is very popular.‖
(a) How many cups of tea are drunk everyday throughout the world?
(b) Where were Pranjol and Rajvir when this conversation took place?
(c) Find the word in the extract which is an expression of astonishment.
(d) Who was selling the tea and where was he?
Answer
(a) Over eighty crore cups of tea are drunk everyday throughout the world.
(b) Pranjol and Rajvir were in a train when this conversation took place.
(c) ‗Whew!‘ is an expression of astonishment from the extract.
(d) A tea vendor was selling tea and he was outside the window of the train compartment.
Question 2.
We have an Indian legend too. Bodhidharma, an ancient Buddhist ascetic, cut off his eyelids because he felt
sleepy during meditations. Ten tea plants grew out of the eyelids. The leaves of these plants when put in hot
water and drunk banished sleep.
―Tea was first drunk in China,‖ Rajvir added, ―as far back as 2700 BC! 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.‖
(a) Who was Bodhidharma?
(b) How is medicine different from a beverage?
(c) Find the word in the extract which means the same as ‗a drink‘.
(d) When and where was tea first drunk?
Answer
(a) Bodhidharma was an ancient Buddhist ascetic.
(b) Medicine is used for treating diseases whereas beverage is used for general drinking purpose.
(c) ‗Beverage‘ from the extract means ‗a drink‘.
(d) Tea was first drunk in China as far back as 2700 BC.
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Question 3
Pranjol‘s father slowed down to allow a tractor, pulling a trailer-load of tea leaves, to pass. ―This is the
second-flush or sprouting period, isn‘t it, Mr. Barua?‖ Rajvir asked. ―It lasts from May to July and yields the
best tea‖. ―You seem to have done your homework before coming‖, Pranjol‘s father said in surprise. „
―Yes, Mr. Barua‖, Rajvir admitted. ―But I hope to learn much more while I‘m here.‖
(a) Why did Mr. Barua feel surprised?
(b) How did Rajvir want to spend his stay there?
(c) Which word in the extract means ‗agreed‘?
(d) What is the sprouting period of tea?
Answer:
(a) Mr Barua was surprised to know that Rajvir already knew a lot about the tea gardens of Assam.
(b) Rajvir wanted to spend his time discovering the beauty of Assam. He wanted to learn more about the
tea plantations of Assam.
(c) ‗Admitted‘ from the extract means ‗agreed‘.
(d) The sprouting period or the second-flush of tea lasts from May to July.
Question 4
―Do you know that over eighty crore cups of tea are drunk every day throughout the world?‖ Rajvir said.
―Whew!‖ exclaimed Pranjol. ―Tea really is very popular.‖
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.
(a) How do we know that tea is very popular?
(b) Rajvir was a great fan of reading detective stories. Why didn‘t he like to read at that? moment?
(c) Which word in the extract means the same as ‗well-liked‘?
(d) Where was Rajiv busy when train pulled out of the station?
Answer:
(a) We know that tea is very popular because eighty crore cups of tea are drunk every day throughout the
world.
(b) Rajvir didn‘t like to read a detective story at that moment because he was more interested in looking
at the beautiful scenery which passed by as the train moved.
(c) ‗Popular‘ from the extract means ‗well-liked‘.
(d) Rajiv was busy in looking at the beautiful scenery outside the train when train pulled out of the
station.
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1. Where were Rajvir and Pranjol going and why?
Ans: Rajvir and Pranjol were going to Assam as Pranjol had invited Rajvir to spend summer vacation there.
2. What did Rajvir see while looking outside from the train?
Ans: Rajvir saw much greenery while looking outside from the train. He was amazed to see the soft: green
paddy fields first and then the green tea bushes.
3.‗This is a tea country now‘. Explain this with reference to Assam.

Ans: Assam has the world‘s largest concentration of tea plantations in the world. A large number of tea
gardens can be found there. Most of the tea grown in Assam is supplied all over the world.
4. In what ways is China related to tea?

Ans: Tea was first drunk in China. The words ‗chai‘ and ‗chini‘ are from Chinese.
5. Why did Pranjol‘s father say that Rajvir had done his homework before visiting Assam?
Ans: Rajvir was very excited about visiting the tea garden and thus, he studied a lot about it before visiting
the tea garden. Thus, Pranjol‘s father said that Rajvir had already done his homework before visiting Assam.

1.According to the text, Assam is said to be ‗tea country‘. Do you believe that Assam has some of the best
plantations in the world that makes it a unique country?
Ans: In India, some of the best plantations like tea and coffee are grown in huge quantities. India is also a
home to many spices like haldi and while Assam is home to tea, Coorg is home to coffee.
Others are grown exclusively in India and exported to various countries. These plantations make India a
unique country which has not just traditional spices and beverage plants growing within it but also follows
traditional agricultural practices.
2.What are the legends related to the discovery of tea?

Ans. There are many popular legends about the discovery of tea. Two of them are as follows:
A Chinese emperor was used to drinking boiled water. One day a twig from the fire fell into the pot in which
water was being boiled. It gave a delicious flavour to the drink. It is said that those were tea leaves.
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An Indian legend goes like this. Once there was a Buddhist ascetic who used to feel sleepy during
meditations. So he cut off his eyelids. Ten tea plants grew out of the eyelids. When the leaves from these
plants were put in hot water and drunk they banished sleep.
Extract Based Questions [Unsolved]

Question 1
I have been reading as much as I could about tea- Rajvir said. ―No one really knows who discovered tea but
there are many legends.‖
―What legends?‖
―Well, there‘s the one about the Chinese emperor who always boiled water before drinking it. One day a few
leaves off the twigs burning under the pot fell into the water giving it a delicious flavour. it is said they were
tea-leaves.‖
Tell me another!‖ scoffed Pranjol.‖ We have an Indian legend too. Bodhi dharma, an ancient Buddhist
ascetic, cut off his eyelids because he felt sleepy during meditations. Ten tea plants grew out of the eyelids.
The leaves of these plants when put in hot water and drunk banished sleep.
(a) What kind of water did the Chinese emperor drink?

(b) What happened when a few leaves of the twigs fell into the water kept for boiling?
(c) What did Bodhi dharma cut off his eyelids?
(d) What banished sleep?
(e) Find a word from the passage which means ‗tasty‘.
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.
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.
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(a) What was Rajvir looking at?
(b) What Kind of scenery was it?
(c) What was there as far as the eye could see?
(d) Find a word from the passage which means ‗spread‘

1. What landscape did Rajvir notice while sitting in the train?
2. Why was Rajvir so much excited?
3. How has tea become a popular beverage?
4. How does Rajvir describe the tea-garden at Dhekiabari?

1. What information do you gather about the history of tea after reading the lesson, ‗Tea from Assam‘?
2. Where were Pranjol and Rajvir going? What did Rajvir see when he looked out of the train on the
way?
The Trees
GIST
The poet talks about trees symbolically. They refer to women who have been healed and are ready to move
out of their houses to fulfill their primary purpose - to renew the forest of mankind. As women have
remained indoors, the forest has become empty, the birds and insects rendered shelter less. The Sun‘s rays do
not have the tree trucks and leaves to fall upon and thus, reach the earth. She says that the forest will be full
of trees the next morning. The roots of the trees are working hard to separate from the floor of the veranda
where they have remained fixed. The leaves and branches are moving towards the glass windows. They are
desperate to move out just like a newly discharged patient who has not recovered completely, moves to the
exit door of the hospital in a hurry. The poet is sitting in her house with the doors of the veranda open. She
is writing letters but does not mention this movement of the trees. It is night time, the sky is clear and a
bright moon is visible. She can smell the leaves and lichen which seem to be calling out desperately. She
hears the glass of the window pane breaking. The trees are moving out and the fast blowing wind embraces
them. As the trees have reached the forest, the tall and strong oak tree overshadows the moon and it seems
that the moon has been broken into several pieces. The trees inside are moving out into the forest, the forest
that was empty all these days where no bird could sit, no insect hide, no sun bury its feet in shadow, the
forest that was empty all these nights will be full of trees by morning.
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Extract Based Comprehension Questions:
1. The trees inside are moving out into the forest, the forest that was empty all these days
where no bird could sit no insect hide
no sun bury its feet in shadow
the forest that was empty all these nights will be full of trees by morning.
Questions
(a) From where are the trees moving out into the forest?
(b) Why can‘t birds sit in them or insects hide in them?
(c) How was the forest ‗all these nights‘?
(d) Are these trees useful for birds and insects?
(e) What type of trees are these?
Answers
(a) The trees are moving out of the mind of the painter and coining on the canvas.
(b) These are not real trees. These are the trees in a picture or decorative trees in a house. So, birds can‘t
sit in them and insects cannot hide there.
(c) All these nights, the forest was empty.
(d) No, these trees are not useful for birds and insects.
(e) These are decorative or picture trees.
2. All night the roots work

to disengage themselves from the cracks on the veranda floor.
The leaves strain toward the glass small twigs stiff with exertion
long-cramped boughs shuffling under the roof like newly discharged patients
half-dazed, moving to the clinic doors.
Questions
(a) What do the roots do all night?
(b) How are the small twigs?
(c) What are the boughs compared to?
(d) What do the leaves do?
(e) Name the poem and the poetess.
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Answers
(a) All night the roots work to free themselves from the cracks in the veranda floor.
(b) The small twigs are stiff.
(c) The boughs are compared to newly discharged patients.
(d) The leaves strain towards the glass.
(e) Poem: The Trees, Poetess: Adrienne Rich.
3. I sit inside, doors open to the veranda writing long letters

in which I scarcely mention the departure of the forest from the house.
The night is fresh, the whole moon shines in a sky still open.
Questions
(a) Where is the poetess sitting?
(b) What is the poetess doing?
(c) What does she not mention in her letters?
(d) How does the poetess describe the night and the moon?
(e) How is the sky?
Answers
(a) The poetess is sitting in her room.
(b) The poetess is writing long letters.
(c) She does not mention the departure of the forest from the house.
(d) The night is pleasant and fresh. The full moon is shining.
(e) The sky is still open.
4. The smell of leaves and lichen
still reaches like a voice into the rooms.
My head is full of whispers which tomorrow will be silent. Questions:
Questions
(a) Where is the poetess sitting at present?
(b) Which smell is reaching her?
(c) What is her head full of?
(d) What will be silent tomorrow?
(e) Name the poem and the poetess.
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Answers
(a) At present, the poetess is sitting in her room.
(b) The smell of leaves and lichen is reaching her.
(c) Her head is full of whispers.
(d) Tomorrow, the whispers will be silent.
(e) Poem: The Trees, Poetess: Adrienne Rich.
5. Listen. The glass is breaking.

The trees are stumbling forward
into the night Winds rush to meet them. The moon is broken like a mirror,
its pieces flash now in the crown of the tallest oak.
Questions
(a) What is happening to the glass?
(b) What does the poetess say about the trees?
(c) What rushes out to meet the trees?
(d) How does the poetess describe the moon?
(e) Why does the wind rush?
Answers
(a) The glass is breaking.
(b) The poetess says that the trees are stumbling forward into the night.
(c) The wind rushes out to meet the trees.
(d) The poetess says that the moon is like a broken mirror.
(e) The wind rushes to meet the trees.
Short Answer Questions (30-40words)

Q1- (i) Find three things in the first stanza, that cannot happen in a treeless forest?
Ans: The three things mentioned in the first stanza that cannot happen in a treeless forest are:
1. Birds sitting on the tree branches.
2. The hiding of insects in the branches of trees
3. The sun burying its feet in the shadow of the trees in the forest.
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(ii) What picture do these words create in your mind: ―… sun bury its feet in shadow…‖? What could the
poet mean by the sun‘s ‗feet?‘
Ans: The sun‘s feet are the rays of sun that reach the earth after falling on the leaves of the trees and finally,
reach the earth‘s surface.
Q2
(i) Where are the trees in the poem? What do their roots, their leaves, and their twigs do?
Ans: The trees are in the poet‘s house. The roots are working hard to remove themselves from the cracks of
veranda. The leaves are making an effort to reach towards the glass in order to come out and the twigs are
making attempts to set themselves free and reach the forest.
(ii) What does the poet compare their branches to?

Ans: The poet uses the word long cramped for the branches. She says that the branches are trying hard to
come out of the roof. She then compares them with newly discharged patients who are trying to move out in
their half consciousness.
Q3
(i) How does the poet describe the moon?
(a) At the beginning of the third stanza, and (b) at its end? What causes this change?
Ans: The poet describes the moon as a full moon in the beginning of the third stanza but at the end of the
stanza, she describes it to be broken into pieces. The change in the moon is because of the trees. The trees
that earlier were in the poet‘s house have now reached the forest. Their long branches have cast a shadow on
the full moon and now it appears to be broken into pieces like a mirror.
(ii) What happens to the house when the trees move out of it?
Ans: The house becomes silent as the fragrance of the leaves and lichens which was like a voice urging for a
change can no longer be smelt.
(iii) Why do you think the poet does not mention ―the departure of the forest from the house‖ in her
letters? (Could it be that we are often silent about important happenings that are so unexpected that they
embarrass us? Think about this again when you answer the next set of questions.)?
Ans: The poet did not mention the departure of the forest from her house because it is a part of human nature
to ignore the important matters of their life. We all know that trees are so important for our survival on earth.
But still human beings are cutting them for making profits without even thinking of the aftermath.
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Q1. Now that you have read the poem in detail, we can begin to ask what the poem might mean. Here are
two suggestions. Can you think of others?
Does the poem present a conflict between man and nature? Compare it with A Tiger in the zoo. Is the poet
suggesting that plants and trees, used for ‗interior decoration‘ in cities while forests are cut down, are
‘imprisoned‘ and need to ‗break out‘?
Ans: Yes, the poem presents a conflict between man and nature. Man is causing deforestation by cutting
down the trees for his own use. On the other hand, he decorates his house with the trees. We are damaging
our environment without even thinking about the end results. By clearing up the forests, we are endangering
ourselves. So is with the animals too. We are ruining their natural habitat and killing them for our fun or
food but on the other hand, we are keeping them in the cages on the pretext of safeguarding them by making
sanctuaries and zoos. So, it is true that we are in a direct conflict with nature and making the other living
beings prisoners, be it the trees or animals.
Q2. On the other hand, Adrienne Rich has been known to use trees as a metaphor for human beings; this is a
recurrent image in her poetry. What new meanings emerge from the poem if you take its trees to be
symbolic of this particular meaning?
Ans: If trees are to be taken as a symbol for human beings, then the poem will define the efforts of humans to
free themselves from the clutches of the desire to achieve everything. All the human beings are under a
constant pressure of being at the top in every field. Either they are forced by their own desire of doing so or
there is a constant peer pressure on them. So, the human beings will set themselves free from this race and
try to live a happy and peaceful life.

Q1.Where do the trees go? Why?
Q2.Why is the forest empty?
Q3.What are the roots doing?
Q4.What was the poet‘s reaction when the trees were moving out?

Q1.What message does the poet want to convey through the poem, ‗The Trees‘?
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Q2. The basic theme of happiness for all living beings is freedom. Explain with reference to the poem, ‗The
Trees
UNIT 8: MIJBIL THE OTTER
Gavin Maxwell lives in a cottage in Camusfearna, in the West Highlands in Scotland. When his dog Jonnie
died, Maxwell was too sad to think of keeping a dog again. But life without a pet was lonely...
Mijbil the Otter- Introduction
In this lesson, the author tells us how his life changed after he decided to domesticate an otter after he lost his
pet dog. He takes us through his journey of adjusting, playing and travelling with Mijbil (or Mij) the otter,
from Iraq to London and how during this journey, he developed an inseparable bond with him.
GIST
The story begins with the author travelling to Basra along with his friend. During their journey, the author
expresses his desire to domesticate an otter because after he had lost his pet dog, life had become lonely for
him. His friend suggested that he should get one from the Marshes along river Tigris in Iraq. When they
reached the destination, they found that only the friend‘s mail had arrived. After a few days, the friend left
while the narrator was still waiting to receive his mail. Upon receiving it, he went to his room only to find an
otter (brought to him in a sack), accompanied by two Arabs with a note. It was a gift from his friend. He
named the otter Mijbil or shortly, Mij. It took some time for Mij to open up and get acquainted with his
surroundings. He was covered in mud to an extent that it took almost a month of cleaning and washing to
reveal his actual colour. Mij loved playing with water so much so that he even learned to open the tap on his
own. He believed that each drop of water should be squished and splashed till the bowl had been emptied.
Everything was going smoothly in Basra, but now it was time to fly back to London. British airlines did not
allow animals, so he had to book another flight that allowed Mij with a condition that he had to be carried in
a box. The narrator put him in a box an hour before the flight so that Mij could get accustomed to it and
then left for a quick meal. When he returned, he found that the box was still and Mij had created a mess by
destroying the inner lining. As a result, blood was dripping out of the holes. Scared as he was, he hurried.
They were far away from the airport and there were only ten minutes left for the flight to take off. He cleaned
it all, hurried in a cab and managed to reach just in time. He explained the series of events to a very kind
and generous air hostess who advised him to keep the box on his lap. Gavin developed extreme admiration
for the air hostess for she was very kind to him. As soon as he opened the box, the otter leaped out and
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disappeared thereby creating a chaos. Passengers were frightened. A lady climbed up her chair and in an
attempt to get a hold of Mij, the author got himself covered in curry. The air hostess offered help and brought
him back to Gavin and finally, they reached London. Mij was fond of playing with ping-pong balls and
marbles. He even developed a game with the author‘s damaged suitcase. It could keep him engrossed for a
long period of time. Narrator took him for walks while taking the lead and played with him. People of
London, being unfamiliar with otters, had wild guesses about what Mij was. Some thought it to be a baby
seal, squirrel or even a hippo. The most shocking reaction came when a labourer digging the hole asked the
author, ―What is that supposed to be?‖
Extract based comprehension questions:

1. Mijbil, as I called the otter, was, in fact, of a race previously unknown to science, and was at length
christened by zoologists Lutrogale Perspicillata Maxwelli, or Maxwell‘s otter. For the twenty-four hours
Mijbil was either hostile or friendly; he was simply aloof and indifferent, choosing to sleep on the floor as
far from my bed as possible.
Question
a) Who was Mijbil?
b) How did the otter behave for the first twenty-four hours?
c) Find exact word from the extract which means ‗having no particular interest‘.
d) Why is the otter called ‗Maxwell‘s otter‘?
Ansewrs
a) Mijbil was the name of the otter brought by the narrator
b) The otter was indifferent and stayed as far as possible from the narrator for the first 24 hours.
c) ‗Indifferent‘ from the extract means ‗having no particular interest‘.
d) The otter was christened by zoologist Maxwell. So, in his honour, it was called Maxwell‘s otter.
2. Mij was out of the box in a flash. He disappeared at high speed down the aircraft. There was
squawks and shrieks, and a woman stood up on her seat screaming out, ―A rat! A rat!‖
a) Why did the woman scream?
b) What did Mij do?
c) Find the exact word from the extract which means‘ makes a loud noise‘.
d) What had Mij been compared with a rat.
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Answers
a) the woman screamed as she thought that there was a rat inside the plane.
b) Mij came out of the box and disappeared.
c) ‗Squawk ‗from the extract means‘ make a loud noise‘
d) In the extract, Mij had been compared with a rat.
Short Answer Questions (30-40 words)

Q1.What happened when Maxwell took Mijbil to the bathroom? What did it do two days after that?
A. When Maxwell took Mijbil to the bathroom, for half an hour he went wild with joy in the water, plunging
and rolling in it, shooting up and down the length of the bathtub underwater, and making enough slosh and
splash for a hippo. Two days later, it escaped into the bathroom and Maxwell saw it opening the tap, all by
itself.
Q2.Why did Maxwell put the otter back in the box? How do you think he felt when he did this?
A. Maxwell removed every bit of the shredded inner lining so that Mij won‘t hurt himself. He then kept the
otter back in the box as they had to reach the flight on time. He must have felt pity and be worried about Mij.
Q3.Why does Maxwell say the airhostess was ―the very queen of her kind‖?
A. When Maxwell boarded the flight, he took the air hostess into confidence about the latest incidents. Being
understanding, friendly and kind, she advised him to keep the box on his lap. Thus, the way she listened and
helped him, led to an admiration that made the narrator say that she was ―the very queen of her kind‖.
Q4. Describe the physical appearance of Mijbil, the otter.

Ans. The creature that emerged from the sack was a unique one. He resembled like a very small imaginary
dragon of the middle Ages. Its body was coated with pointed scales. Between them a soft velvet fur was
visible. It was like a chocolate brown mole.
Long Answer Questions :( 100 -150 words)

Q1. Describe the relationship between the otter and Maxwell in your own words.
Ans. Maxwell and the otter Mijbil shared a lovely relationship. Maxwell treated Mij like his own son. He
took very good care of him. He gave him many toys including marbles, rubber bans, rubber fruits and a
terrapin shell to play with. He took him to the bathtub to play in the water knowing the fascination of
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otters with water. He noticed his habits and traits. Mijbil hesitated on the first day but then became very
friendly. Maxwell encouraged Mijbil to do whatever he liked to do. He took him out for exercise every day.
When Maxwell saw blood on the box in which Mij was packed, he was horrified. When Mij came out of
the box he jumped all over but then came and sat on Maxwell‘s knees quietly.
Q2.Why did Maxwell decide to have an otter as a pet? How did he get it?
Ans. Maxwell‘s pet dog Jonnie died. He felt alone without a pet. This time he decided to change his pet. He
decided to own an otter as his pet. His place, Camusfearna was ringed by water. It would be a suitable place
for this new experiment. One of his friends suggested that he could get an otter in the Tigris marshes. Otters
were as common in the Tigris marshes as were mosquitoes. They were often tamed by the Arabs as pets.
Maxwell got his mail after five days. He carried it to his bedroom to read. There he found two Arabs
squatting on the floor. A sack lay beside them. There was something moving and twisting in it. The Arabs
handed him a note from his friend. It read, ―Here is your otter …‖ The sack was opened. And there emerged
a Unique creature from the sack. Later on, this otter was named Mijbil by Maxwell.
Additional questions for practice:

1. Why was the author not allowed to take a flight of British Airways?
2. Why were Maxwell and his friends going to Basra?
3. Give an example from the text to show that Mijbil is an intelligent animal.
4. What is a characteristic of otter and how did Mijbil behave in the water?
5. What did Maxwell do to transport Mijbil to England?
6. Why did Maxwell want to have an otter for a pet? How did he get one?
7. How did it come to the mind of the writer that an otter can be substituted for dogs or cats?
8. How did the author make arrangements for transporting his otter to London?
9. How did the otter look when the author got it? What name did he get it? How did the otter enjoy
being in the bathroom?
10. Mijbil did things which demonstrated its personality. Which qualities of the narrator are shown in his
care for Mijbil?
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Fog – (Poem)
GIST
Fog is a very small poem written by Carl Sandburg. He has described the process of arrival of the fog into a
city and the harbour. He has very beautifully compared it to a cat. The poet says that the fog which is
generally seen during the winter season is coming towards the city and the harbour just like a cat. This means
that it is approaching the city in a very silent manner so that no one can notice its arrival. He has compared
its arrival to that of a cat because a cat always enters a place silently. Next he says that the fog has covered
the whole of the city and harbour and it appears as if it is sitting by folding its legs and looking around just
the way a cat does when it sits on the haunches and looks around. At the end, he describes the departure of
the fog which very silently and unpredictably, again, similar to the departure of the cat, vanishes.
1. The fog comes on little cat feet.
It sits looking over harbour
and city on silent haunches and then moves on.
Questions:
(a) How does the fog come?
(b) What does the fog do in the end?
(c) For what does ‗it‘ stand in the third line?
(d) Name the poem and the poet. Answers:
Answers
(a) The fog comes on little cat feet.
(b) In the end, the fog marches on.
(c) ‗It‘, here is the fog.
(d) The name of the poem is ‗Fog‘ and the poet‘s name is Carl Sandburg.
2. The fog comes on little cat feet.

It sits looking over harbour
and city on silent haunches and then moves on.
Questions:
(a) Why does the poet use the metaphor of a cat?
(b) How does the fog enter?
(c) How does it sit and what does it look?
(d) How does it depart?
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Answers:
(a) The poet uses the metaphor of the cat because the fog changes into a cat and the cat morphs back
into the fog.
(b) The fog enters silently like a little cat.
(c) The fog sits silently on its haunches overlooking the harbour and the city.
(d) The fog stays for a while and departs silently.

Q 1.How does the poet compare fog to a living being?
Ans: The poet compares the fog to a cat. The silent steps of a cat and the way it sits on its haunches is very
similar to the way fog comes and surrounds the city and looks over it.
Q 2.What image does the poet give to the fog? What are the similarities between that image and fog? Ans:
The poet looks at fog as a living creature and compares it to a cat. The fog moves like a cat on little cat feet
and sits on haunches like a cat.
Additional SAQ for practice

1. How is the fog like a cat? What poetic device is used by the poet here?
2. Name the three things that tell us that the fog is like a cat.
Long Answer Questions: (100-150 words)

Q 1.Difficulties come but they are not to stay forever. They come and go. Comment referring to the poem
‗Fog‘.
Ans: Difficulties, when faced by people, tend to leave them hopeless and shattered. It takes a lot of courage
to overcome any problem and to solve it. If we take a clue from the poem and compare difficulties to fog, we
find that just like fog, difficulties also come and go. Fog is a very small poem written by Carl Sandburg. He
has described the process of arrival of the fog into a city and the harbour. He has very beautifully compared it
to a cat. One need not be hopeless and lose courage when problems come, one should rather think of it as
fog, meaning that it has not come to stay but will always leave, like fog.
Q 2.Nature has many wonders that people take for granted and never pay attention to. How is the poem ‗Fog‘
different from this perspective?
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Ans: Fog is a very small poem written by Carl Sandburg. He has described the process of arrival of the fog
into a city and the harbour. He has very beautifully compared it to a cat. The poet has taken utmost pleasure
in nature and natural phenomenon like fog. Fog is so special to the poet that he cared enough not only to
write about it, but also thinks of its resemblance with other things in the world. In his close attention to fog,
he found fog resembles a cat, in the way it moves and sits on its haunches. The fact that such a resemblance
was found by the poet shows how connected he is to various things in nature. This poem serves as a
motivation for people, who take nature for granted to find such interesting comparisons and similarities
around them.
Additional LAQ for practice

1. How does the poet describe the fog as if it were a living being, Elaborate?
2. How does the poet make fog like a living being? What message does the ‗Fog‘ give out?
UNIT 9 MADAM RIDES THE BUS
GIST:
In this story, the author tries to present a world as seen from a child‘s perspective. The main character of this
story is an eight year old girl who lives near a bus stop in a village. For major part of the day, she enjoys
standing in her doorway; watching frenetic activities at the bus stop. Valli develops a desire to enjoy a ride
on the bus but she needs to plan meticulously to realize her dream. She has to curtail her expenses so that she
can save enough money for two-way fair. She also has to make the journey during the time when her mother
takes afternoon nap. While on her journey, Valli does not want anybody‘s help and wants to feel
independent. She enjoys every bit of her journey to the town. But she is careful enough not to get off the
bus in the unknown environs of the town. On her return journey, a sad accident spoils her mood and she just
keeps to herself throughout the journey. She does not seem to be satisfied with one ride and wishes to make
another attempt in future. She is also quite mischievous when she is sure that her mother did not know about
her journey.
EXTRACT BASED COMPREHENSION QUESTION EXERCISES:

1. 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
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the street corners. Their faces would kindle in her longings, dreams and hopes. If one of her friends ride the
bus and tried to describe the sights of the town to her, Valli would be too jealous to listen to tug 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.
Questions:
(a) What was Valli‘s ‗tiny wish‘?
(b) What would Valli wistfully stare at?
(c) When were Valli‘s longings, hopes and dreams kindled?
(d) When would Valli be jealous?
(e) Find a word from the passage which means ‗excite‘.
Answers:
(a) Valli‘s tiny wish was to travel by bus.
(b) She would stare wistfully at the people who got on or off the bus.
(c) The sight of the bus passengers would kindle in her longings, dreams and hopes.
(d) She felt jealous when one of her friends described the sights of the town to her.
(e) ‗Kindle.‘
2. 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 the 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 away in the other direction.
Questions:
(a) From which story have these lines been taken?
(b) What did the bus pass by?
(c) How does the author describe the landscape?
(d) How did the trees appear from the moving bus?
(e) Find a word from the passage which means ‗village‘.
Answers:
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(a) These lines have been taken from the story, ‗Madam Rides the Bus.‘
(b) The bus passed by a bare landscape, a tiny hamlet or an odd wayside shop.
(c) The author says that the landscape was bare.
(d) The trees appeared to be coming towards the moving bus.
(e) Hamlet
3. 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. Somehow this was very funny to Valli. She laughed and laughed
until there were tears in her eyes.
Questions:
(a) Why did Valli clap her hands with joy?
(b) What did the bus driver do when there was a cow on the road ahead of him?
(c) What was the effect of honking of the horn on the cow?
(d) What seemed very funny to Valli?
(e) Find a word from the passage which means ‗ran very fast‘.
Answers:
(a) Valli clapped her hands with joy to see a young cow, tail high in the air, running very fast, right in
front of the bus.
(b) He sounded the horn loudly again and again.
(c) The cow was more frightened and it ran faster.
(d) The running of the cow just in front of the bus was very funny to Valli.
(e) Galloped.
4. 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, and the
like, and finally she had saved a total of sixty paise. How difficult it had been, particularly that day at the
village fair, but she had resolutely stifled a strong desire to ride the merry- go-round, even though she had the
money.
Questions:
(a) Who does ‗her‘ refer to in the passage?
(b) Where was her first journey made to?
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(c) What did she do to make it a reality?
(d) How did she save the money for the bus fare?
Answers:
(a) Valli.
(b) Town.
(c) She made careful, painstaking and detailed plans to make it a reality.
(d) She thriftily saved every penny, relisted temptation to buy things for her liking or taking a ride on
the merry-go-round.
Character Sketch
Valliammai: She emerges as a very clever, sensitive, self-respecting and fun-loving girl. She was just eight
years old. She was a determined girl with a commanding nature. She was very curious about things. Her
favourite pastime was standing in the front doorway of her house. She was mature, clever and practical
beyond her years. Saving sixty paise was not an easy job for a girl of her age. She was determined to resist
any temptation that came in her way. Valli didn‘t like being called ‗madam‘ or ‗child‘. She was a great
planner and planned things after knowing all the necessary details about them.
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS: (30-40 Words)

Q1. What was the favourite pastime of Valli?
Ans. Valliammai or Valli was eight years old. Her favourite pastime was standing in the front doorway of
her house. From there, she watched what was happening in the street outside. For her, standing at the front
door was as enjoyable as any of the games other children played.
Q2.Why did Valli find the elderly woman absolutely repulsive?
Ans. The elderly woman who was sitting beside Valli in the bus looked absolutely repulsive to Valli. She
had big holes in her ears and had ugly earrings in them. She didn‘t relish the smell of the betel nut that she
was chewing. The betel juice was about to spill over her lips at any moment. She couldn‘t be social with such
a woman.
Q3. What dampened Valli‘s enthusiasm during the return journey?
Ans During her return journey, Valli saw a young cow lying dead by the side of the road. She was the same
lovable and beautiful cow that she saw only a little while ago. Now, it looked so horrible and frightening as it
lay there. There was a fixed stare in her lifeless eyes and she was smeared with blood. The sight dampened
her enthusiasm and she stopped looking outside.
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Q4. Give examples from the text to show that Valli was a meticulous planner.
Ans. Valli was a meticulous planner. She listened carefully to the conversations between her neighbours and
people who regularly used the bus and also asked discreet questions. She picked up various small details
about the bus journey and then planned.
LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS (100-150 Words):

Q1.‖ Never mind,‖ she said, ―I can get on by myself.‖ ―You don‘t have to help me,‖ said Valli to the
conductor. She shows extraordinary courage in making the bus journey all alone. Taking inspiration from
Valli‘s character, write how the ability and courage to take risk are essential to fulfilling one‘s dream. Or
Valli nurtures a strong desire to travel by bus and visit the city. She works hard for it and finally, she is
successful. Based on this incident, analyse what values of life do you need to nurture to attain your goals in
life?
Ans. Valli is an eight-year-old village girl. She is fascinated by the bus that comes to the village every hour.
She develops a desire and then a longing turning into a firm determination to ride the bus. She meticulously
plans for it and saves money for the bus journey. Then she boards the bus without anyone‘s help. She travels
all alone, confidently and independently and finally returns home successfully. Her self-dependence and self-
respecting nature help her to nurture her goal. She enjoys her journey. Similarly, to achieve goals in life, we
need to have such values in us. One should be confident and self-dependent. Proper planning and strong
determination lead to success. Enthusiasm and excitement to achieve the goal are also needed to nurture our
goals in life.
Q2. Justify the statement with instances that Valla was a mature girl and ahead of her age?
Ans. Valli was an eight-year-old village girl. She had no playmates. Her favourite pastime was to stand at
the doorstep and watch things and people. She not only satisfied her curiosity but also gained new
experiences. Her strongest desire was to make a bus-ride. She meticulously planned for it gathered
information about the distance, time and ticket money. Showing self-restraint, she resisted the temptation to
buy peppermint, toys or a ride on the merry-go-round in order to save 60 paise for the bus journey. She
boarded the bus without anyone‘s help, refused a free treat by the conductor and didn‘t talk to strangers. This
shows her commanding, confident and self-dependent nature. This also shows her determination and
maturity at such a little age.
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Q3. Describe Valli‘s return journey.
Ans. The bus resumed its return journey. There were the same wonderful sights. Valli enjoyed the scene
again. But suddenly she saw a young cow lying dead, by the roadside. It had been struck by a fast moving
vehicle. She asked the conductor if it was the same cow they saw earlier. The conductor nodded. Valli
became sad. It had been a lovable, beautiful creature just a little ago. But now the cow was without its charm
and its life. The bus moved on. The memory of the dead cow haunted Valli. She no longer wanted to see out
of the window. She kept sitting on her seat until her village came. She got down and wished the conductor to
see him again. The conductor smiled. He told Valli that whenever she felt like riding the bus she could come
and join them.
Q.4. Why does Valli refuse to look out of the window on her way back?
Ans. On her way to the town, Valli laughed heartily to see a young cow running at high speed in the middle
of the road just in front of their bus. But on her way back, she saw a young cow lying dead near the road. She
asked the bus conductor if it was the same cow that was running in front of the bus. The bus conductor
nodded. She was shocked and sad. So she refuses to look out of the window on her way back because what
was so beautiful a little while ago now looked so horrible. The memory of the dead cow haunts her. It
dampens her enthusiasm.
UNSOLVED QUESTIONS:

1. What details did Valli pick up about the bus journey? How did she pick up these details?
2. What was the most fascinating thing for Valli?
3. How did Valli manage to leave the house?
4. How did Valli react when the conductor called her ―a very grown-up madam?‖
LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS (100-150 Words):

1. Do you think that Valli enjoyed her first ride on a bus? Give examples in support of your answer.
2. Valli was so overcome with sadness to see the dead cow that she lost all enthusiasm. Do you feel the same
way? If you feel concerned about the plight of animals falling prey to the fast-moving traffic, what efforts
will you make to make travelling on roads a safer activity?
3. How did Valli save up money for her first journey? Was it easy for her? Justify.
4. How can you say that the conductor was a good-natured jolly fellow? Support your answer with examples.
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The Tale of Custard the Dragon (POEM)
GIST
The Tale of Custard the Dragon‘ is a whimsical fantasy. Belinda lives alone in her house with four pets, a
dog, a cat, a mouse and a dragon named Custard. All other dwellers of the house except Custard, pride
themselves on their fearlessness. They mock poor Custard for his timidity. However, when the real danger
comes all others run away in a panic except Custard. Only Custard fights ferociously and swallows the pirate.
The poem ends ironically. After the danger is past, everyone begins to boast again about their courage.
Ironically, Custard who fought like a hero against the pirate agrees that everyone else is braver than he is. So,
appearances may be deceptive. And even your merit and real value may not be recognised by your unwilling
rivals.
1- Custard the dragon had big sharp teeth, And spikes on top of him and scales underneath, Mouth like a
fireplace, chimney for a nose, And realio, trulio, daggers on his toes.
Question
(a) What did the dragon look like?
(b) Why is the dragon‘s mouth called a chimney?
(c) Which word in the stanza means the same as ―a small sword‖?
(d) Find from the passage a word which means a structure through which smoke or steam is carried up
away from a fire.
Answer
(a) The Dragon had spikes on top and scale underneath. His mouth was like a fireplace and nose was like
a chimney. He looked dangerous as his toes looked like daggers.
(b) Dragons can spit fire, therefore Custard‘s mouth has been called a fireplace.
(c) The word is ‗Dagger‘.
(d) The word is ‗Chimney‘.
2- Suddenly, suddenly they heard a nasty sound, And Mustard growled, and they all looked around.
Meowch! cried Ink, and Ooh! cried Belinda, For there was a pirate, climbing in the winda.
Question
(a) Which poetic device is used in these lines?
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(b) Why was everyone frightened?
(c) Which word in the stanza means ―unpleasant‖?
(d) What does a ‗nasty sound‘ refer to? Answer:
Answer
(a) In the first line, the poet has used repetition in ‗Suddenly, suddenly‘.
(b) Everyone was frightened because a pirate was climbing up the window.
(c) The word is ‗Nasty‘.
(d) A nasty sound refers to the entry of a pirate into the house.
3- Belinda paled, and she cried, Help! Help! But Mustard fled with a terrified yelp, Ink trickled down to
the bottom of the household, And little mouse Blink strategically mouse holed.
Question
(a) How did the people in the house react on seeing the pirate?
(b) Why did everyone cry for help?
(c) What does ‗mouseholed‘ mean?
(d) Write the antonym of ‗bottom‘. Answer:
Answer
(a) Belinda became pale with fear and the Mustard fled the scene. Ink went to the bottom of the house
and Blink vanished in a mouse hole. They all cried for help.
(b) Everyone cried for help because they all got frightened of the pirate.
(c) Mouseholed has been used by the poet to mean the hole made by the mouse in which it disappeared.
(d) The antonym of bottom is ‗brim‘.

Q1. How did Custard the dragon face the pirate? What was the outcome of their fight?
Ans: Custard the dragon jumped up snorting. He clashed his tail. Thus, he prepared himself to face the
pirate. The pirate was amazed at this heroic gesture of the dragon. He gulped some wine to cheer up his
drooping spirits. He fired two bullets but missed the aim. In the meantime, Custard the dragon swallowed
him.
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Q2. How did Belinda and her pets behave when the pirate had been killed by Custard?
Ans: When the pirate had been killed by Custard, Belinda embraced him, Mustard licked him and Ink and
Blink gyrated around him.
Q3.How did all boast of their false bravery?

Ans: After the pirate had been killed, Mustard boasted that he would have been twice as brave if he had not
been confused. Ink and Blink said that they would have been thrice as brave.
Q4. How is ‗The Tale of Custard the Dragon‘ a ballad?

Ans. A ballad is a poem that tells a story. The theme of a ballad is an adventure, bravery, romance, etc. Then
it is highly musical due to its rhyme scheme. This poem has these qualities. But it is a parody of a ballad.
The poet shows these qualities in a humorous way.

Q1. The dragon, custard was considered a coward. The humble dragon proved his bravery in adversity.
Analyse that certain qualities like bravery and courage are situational and spontaneous. Express your views
with reference to the poem.
Answer
Custard‘s humbleness won every reader‘s heart as he showed true bravery and did not boast like Belinda and
her other pets. Everyone boasted of their bravery but when they faced real danger, it was only Custard, who
had the courage to face it. And he proved his bravery by not running away and facing the pirate and killing
him. Qualities like bravery and courage can only be tested when someone is actually put in a dangerous
situation. Therefore, these qualities are situational as becomes clear from Custard‘s example. Custard
looked for comfort all the time but this did not mean that he was a coward.
Q2. Do you think that one should be made fun of because of their ‗preferences and choices in life? Explain
in the context of Custard, the dragon.
Answer
It is not right to make fun of anyone on the basis of their life style and their choices. Custard, the dragon,
always wanted comfort and safety for him and therefore always cried for a nice safe cage. Belinda and other
pets of the house made fun of him because they thought that he was a coward. Custard proved that just
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because he likes comfort, he is not a coward. In fact, he was the only one, who had the courage to face the
pirate and kill him.
Q3. Evaluate Ogden Nash‘s ‗The Tale of Custard the Dragon‘ as a ballad. What message does the poet give
to the readers in this poem?
Ans. Ballads are stories told in verse. Generally, ballads are tales of adventures and heroism. In the poem, the
poet does present the encounter of Custard and the pirate in the typical spirit of a ballad. The four-line
stanzas have the rhyme scheme: aa, bb throughout the poem.
Ogden Nash gives a subtle message to the readers through the fate of Custard, the dragon. In this world of
deceit, self-confidence, self-dependence and self-respect are essentials to earn your rightful place among
your peers. The mere presence of physical strength is not enough. The more important point is that you must
be conscious of your strength. You must be fully aware of the fact that many others who are far inferior in
strength and power should have no right to taunt and ridicule you.
UNSOLVED QUESTIONS
1. Why do you think Custard, the dragon, was called a coward? How was Custard able to save
all his house-mates from the pirate? What values should Belinda have possessed so that Custard too could
have been among her favourites?
2. Describe the fight between the dragon and the pirate.
3. Was everyone really as brave as they claimed? What did everyone do When the pirate came?

1. Who all lived in a white house with Belinda?
2. Why did everyone make fun of the dragon?
3. Why did Ink and Blink gyrate in glee?
4. Did Custard accept his cowardice and their bravery
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UNIT 10 THE SERMON AT BENARES
GIST
Sermon is a religious talk delivered by a prophet or Saint. Here we have the journey of Gautam Buddha from
prince hood to his saintly life. He left the palace at the age of 25, after seeing the sufferings of the world, to
seek enlightenment. He wandered for seven years, here and there, and under a peepal tree at Bodhgaya he got
it. His first sermon was delivered at Benaras as it was considered to be the holiest place because of the river
Ganga. He thinks that he who seeks peace should draw out the arrow of lamentation, complaint and grief. He
who has drawn out the arrow has become composed, and will obtain peace of mind; he who has overcome all
such circumstances will be free from sorrow and be blessed. Kisa Gautami was grieving over the death of her
son. She moved from door to door and at last came to Buddha. She made him a humble request to make her
son alive. Buddha said he would do but he asked a handful of mustard seeds. He further commanded it must
be taken from a house where no one had lost a child, husband, parent or friend. She went from house to
house but was unable to find one where nobody had died. She was tired and hopeless and sat down at the
wayside watching the light of the city as they flickered up. And she realised that these lives flicker up for
some time and are extinguished again. This way she was taught that the lives of mortals in this world are
troubled and brief and there is no means by which one can avoid deaths. As all earthen vessels made by the
potter are being broken, so is the life of mortals. Death is inevitable.
DETAILED SUMMARY
Gautam Buddha was born in 563 B.C. He was born in a royal family. He was a prince. His name was
Siddhartha Gautam. At the age of twelve, he was sent away for schooling. He studied all the sacred Hindu
scriptures. He returned after four years. At the age of sixteen, he married a princess. They had a son. For
ten years the couple passed a happy life. Siddhartha had been shielded from the suffering of the world.
However, when he was twenty-five, Siddhartha saw a sick man, then an aged man, then a funeral procession.
Finally, he came across a monk begging for alms. This was his first encounter with the harsh realities of life.
These sights made him so sad that he decided to renounce the worldly pleasures. He left his family and
became a beggar. He went out into the world to seek spiritual knowledge.
Siddhartha Gautama wandered for seven years in search of wisdom and truth. Finally, he sat down under a
fig tree to meditate. He vowed to stay there until he got enlightenment. After seven days, Gautama got
enlightenment. He named the tree as the ‗Bodhi Tree‘. that is ‗The tree of wisdom‘. He became known as
‗the Buddha‘ which means ‗enlightened‘ or ‗the awakened‘. He began to teach and to spread his message of
wisdom and truth. He became known as the Buddha (the enlightened).
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Buddha gave his first sermon at Benares. It is the holiest of places on the bank of the Ganges. His first
sermon reflects his wisdom about one inscrutable kind of suffering i.e. death. Here, the Buddha tells about
the universality of death which is inevitable and can‘t be escaped.
A lady named Kisa Gotami had an only son. One day, her son died. She wanted her child should become
alive again. She wanted some medicine to bring her son to ‗life. People called her mad. At last, she came
across a man. He advised her to meet the Buddha. She approached Buddha with a request to give her
medicine so that her only son could he live again. After deep thought, the Buddha asked her to bring a
handful of mustard-seed. But there was a condition. She must bring it from a house where no one had died.
Kisa Gotami went from door-to-door to get the mustard-seed. She found mustard: seed in every home but
she could not find a home where nobody had died. By evening, she was sad and tired. She saw the lights of
the city. Soon there was the darkness of the night. Now she considered the fate of man. Now she realised that
death is inevitable. No one can escape it.
She came back to the Buddha and asked for his blessings. The Buddha in his sermon told her that our life is
brief and painful. Everyone who takes birth has to die. The vessel made by the potter is not permanent. It has
to break one day. In the same way, everyone has to die. Death spares none. A father cannot save his son.
Everyone grieves when someone dear dies. But grieving cannot bring the dead back to life. So death and
sufferings are unavoidable. The wise persons do not grieve as they know the truth. Weeping does not bring
peace to the mind. On the other hand, a person‘s pain becomes greater by grieving. His body also suffers.
One who has learnt to control his grief shall have peace of mind. That person is blessed, who has overcome
his sorrow.
Extract Based Comprehension Questions Exercises:

1. ‖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.‖
Questions:
(a) Name the holiest of the dipping places on the River Ganges where the Buddha preached his first
sermon.
(b) What does Buddha‘s first sermon reflect?
(c) What did Gautama do after getting on light emend?
(d) How was he known as then?
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Ans.
(a) Benares.
(b) Buddha‘s wisdom about one inscrutable kind of suffering.
(c) After getting enlightenment, he began to teach and share his new understandings with the common
people.
(d) As he started preaching, he was known as Buddha, meaning, the awakened or the enlightened one.
2. ―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.‖
Questions
(a) Why do you think Kisa Gotami became weary and hopeless?
(b) How many sons did Kisa Gotami have?
(c) What did she notice while sitting at the wayside?
(d) What message did she get from the flickering and extinguishing lights of the city?
Ansewrs:
(a) it was because she could not find a house where no one had died.
(b) Only one.
(c) She noticed the flickering lights of the city.
(d) Their lives flicker up and are extinguished.
3. At twelve, he was sent away for schooling in the Hindu sacred scriptures and years later he returned
home to marry a princess. They had a son and lived for ten Y befitting royalty. At about the age of twenty-
five, the prince heretofore shielded from sufferings of the world, while out hunting chanced upon a sick
man, then an aged than a funeral procession, and finally a monk begging for alms. These sights so move
that he at once became a beggar and went out into the world to seek enlighten concerning the sorrows he had
witnessed.
Questions:
(a) What happened at the age of twelve?
(b) What happened when he was out hunting———-
(c) Where was he sent away for schooling?
(d) When did he marry?
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Answers:
(a) At twelve, he was sent away for schooling in the Hindi; sacred seen
(b) He saw a sick man, then human image man and then a funeral procession
(c) He was sent away for Schooling in the Hindu sacred scriptures.
(d) He married at the age en after completing his schooling.
4. Buddha said, ―The life of mortals in this world is troubled and brief and combined with pain. For
there is not any means by which those that have been born can avoid dying; after reaching old age there is
death; of such a nature are living beings. As ripe fruits are early in danger of falling, so mortals, when
born, are always in danger of death. As all earthen vessels made by the Potter end in being broken, so is the
life of mortals. Both young and adult, both those who are fools and those who are wise, all fall. Into the
power of death, all are subject to death.‖
Questions:
(a) What did the Buddha say about the life of the people?
(b) What does a ripe fruit fear?
(c) What happens after reaching age?
(d) What, according to Buddha, death is avoidable?
Answers:
(a) The life of people is troubled and brief and combined with pain.
(b) A ripe fruit fears the danger of falling.
(c) There is death after birth.
(d) There is not any means by which those that have been born, can avoid dying.
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (30-40 Words):

Q1. Who was Gautam Buddha? Write a few lines about his early life.
Ans. Gautam Buddha was a prince. He was named Siddhartha Gautam by his parents. He was born 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.
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Q 2. What did Buddha say about the mortals of the world?
Ans. The Buddha told Kisa Gotami that the life of mortals is troubled and brief in this world. Those who
have been born can‘t avoid dying. As ripe fruits are in danger of falling, so mortals are always in danger of
death. All earthen vessels end in being broken.
Q 3. Did Kisa Gotami get a handful of mustard seeds as directed by the Buddha?
Ans. Poor Kisa Gotami went from house to house. The people pitied her and were ready to give a handful of
mustard seeds to her. But, she couldn‘t find a house where no one had lost a child, husband, parent or
friend.
Q 4. Why did Kisa Gotami say, ‗How selfish am I in my grief!‘ What did she realise about the fate of
mankind?
Ans. Kisa Gotami became weary and hopeless. At last, the darkness of the night reigned everywhere. She
realised that she had been very selfish in her grief Death spares none. One who is born is destined to die
sooner or later. No grieving or lamenting would bring a dead man to life.

Q 1. ―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.
Ans. 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 her son alive. Buddha asked her to bring a handful of
mustard seeds from a house where no death had occur. 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.
Q 2. Why did Kisa Gotami understand the message given by the Buddha only the second time? In what
way did the Buddha change her understanding?
Ans. Kisa Gotami had lost her only son and in grief, she carried her dead son to all her neighbours to get him
cured and restored back to life. Finally, she went to the Buddha asking him for medicine to cure her boy.
The Buddha felt that she needed to be enlightened about the truth of life - that death and sorrow are
inescapable. He could see that grief had blinded her, and it would be difficult for her to accept the truth. So
the Buddha told her to procure mustard seeds from a house where none had died. Kisa Gotami went from
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door to door. Then she realized that there was no house where no one had died and that death is common to
all. She came back to the Buddha where He sermonized her that life in this world is troubled and filled with
sorrows. He gave her examples of ripe fruits and earthen vessels whose ‗lives‘ are short. This way he made
her realize that death is unavoidable and none — even the near and dear ones — can save anyone from death.
Q3. Describe the journey of Siddhartha Gautam becoming the Buddha.

Ans. Gautam Buddha began his life as a royal prince. He was named Siddhartha Gautama. At twelve,
Gautama was sent away for schooling in the Hindu sacred scriptures. At the age of sixteen, he returned home
to marry a princess. The prince was deliberately shielded from all sufferings of the world. But this attempt
failed when the prince while out hunting chanced upon a sick man. Then, he saw an aged man. He also
chanced to see a funeral procession. Finally, he saw a monk, begging for alms. These sights of suffering,
sickness and decay shocked and moved the prince. He wanted to seek the final solution of all these sorrows
and sufferings. He wandered for seven Years in search of enlightenment. Finally, he sat down under a fig
tree. He meditated there until he was enlightened after seven days. He renamed the tree the Bodhi Tree or the
Tree of Wisdom. He became known as the Buddha or the Awakened or the enlightened one. The Buddha
gave his first sermon at Benares on the River Ganges.
UNSOLVED QUESTIONS:
A. And the girl said. ―Please tell me, sir, who is it‘?‖ And the man replied. ―Go to Sakyamuni the
Buddha.‖ Kisa Gotami repaired to the Buddha and cried. ―Lord and Master, give me the medicine that will
cure my boy.‖
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.‖
Questions:
(a) Name the lesson from the above lines have been taken.
(b) What suggestion did a man give to Gotami?
(c) What request did (Miami make to the Buddha?
(d) What did Buddha ask the girl to do?
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B.The Buddha answered. ―I want a handful of mustard-seed.‖ And when the girl in her joy promised to
procure ii, the Buddha added, ―The mustard-seed must be taken from a house where no one has lost a child.
husband, parent or friend.‖
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 is 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.
Questions:
(a) What did the Buddha ask Kisa Gotami to bring?
(b) What was the condition attached to it?
(c) Why did Gotami go from house to house?
(d) What did the people tell Gotami?
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (30-40 Words):

1. Kisa compared human life to an inanimate object. What is it and why does she do so?
2. How did the Buddha attain enlightenment?
3. What did Kisa Gotami learn at the end?
Long Answer Questions (100-150 words)

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? What lesson does the story impart to the reader?
2. Give a character sketch of Gautam Buddha.
3. How does Gautam Buddha make human beings realise that death is common to all?
FOR ANNE GREGORY (POEM)

―For Anne Gregory‖ by W. B. Yeats was published in 1933 as part of his collection of poetry entitled,
‗The Winding Stair and Other Poems‘.
In 1898, Yeats met Lady Augusta Gregory, an aristocrat and a poet who shared his passion for old Irish
folktales and legends. Lady Gregory encouraged him to write plays on this very theme, and together they
established the Abbey Theatre. Anne Gregory, who is mentioned in this poem‘s title, was Lady Gregory‘s
grand-daughter.
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INTRODUCTION
‗For Anne Gregory‘ is one of the best love poems by William Butler Yeats. In this poem, the love between a
man and a woman is presented. Love is done by the core of one‘s heart. It does not matter a little on love if
the colour of the hair or the skin changes. The poet is in deep love for Anne Gregory and wants to love her in
all forms.
GIST
Yeats is of the view that most people love others just because they attract them physically. The complexion
of the skin and the colour of the hair are more important for us than the ‗real‘ worth of a person. We rarely
love people ‗for themselves alone‘. Even the beautiful Anne Gregory is not liked or loved for her inner
beauty or her rare qualities of head and heart, but for her beautiful yellow hair. Shallow minded people adore
only physical beauty. We should look for spiritual beauty before falling in love with a lady. Physical beauty
is just skin-deep. It is momentary. Unfortunately, most of the people are attracted by the colour of the skin
and hair. Only God can love a person for himself alone.

1. ―I heard an old religious man
But yester night declare
That he had found a text to prove That only God, my dear,
Could love you for yourself alone and not your yellow hair.‖
Questions:
(a) What does the old man‘s text prove?
(b) What, according to the poet, is more essential in the eyes of God?
(c) What does ‗I‘ refer to here?
(d) How is God‘s love different from the love of the young lovers?
Answers.
(a) That only God could love Anne for herself.
(b) God loves an individual for himself/herself alone.
(c) The Poet, W. B. Yeats.
(d) Young lovers love her hair that represents physical beauty whereas God loves an individual for being
himself/herself.
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2. ―But I can get a hair-dyeAnd set such colour there, Brown, or black, or carrot,
That young man in despair May love me for myself alone And not my yellow hair.‖
Questions:
(a) What different colours have been mentioned in the extract?
(b) The speaker wants _ _.
(c) Who does ‗I‘ stand for?
(d) Why does the speaker talk about changing the colour of hair?
Answers.
(a) Brown, black, carrot and yellow.
(b) That she should be loved for what she is and not for the colour of her hair.
(c) Anne Gregory
(d) So that she would be loved for what she is and not for the colour of her hair.
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (30-40 WORDS):

Q. 1. What is the theme of the poem ‗For Anne Gregory‘?
Ans. The poem conveys the idea that physical beauty may be important for young men or human beings. But
God does not love human beings for their physical beauty. In this poem, the poet gives an example of a lover
who loves the yellow hair of a young lady but does not like her ramparts. The lady disapproves his love.
Q. 2. To whom is the first stanza of the poem addressed? What does the speaker say to her?
Ans. The first stanza of the poem is addressed to a lady named Anne Gregory. She had a great influence on
the poet. He had great respect for her. He tells her that although she is a noble lady, yet nobody would love
her for herself alone.
Q. 3. What makes a young man not to love the woman referred to in the first stanza?
Ans. The woman has beautiful yellow hair. But the outer part of her ears is not attractive. The poet says
that never shall man love her only for herself.
Q. 4. What does the woman say she can do to make herself more desirable to young men? What does this
show?
Ans. The woman says that she would dye her hair brown, black or in carrot colour. This shows that young
men give more importance to physical appearance than inner beauty.
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LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS (100-150 words):
Q1. Do we love people because we like their appearances or we are fascinated by their physical appearances?
How does Anne Gregory want to be loved?
Ans. This is the world of pomp and show. Things and people are often liked and loved not because of their
merit but because of their external appearances. Anne Gregory‘s honey-coloured yellowish hair looks like
the ramparts of a fort when they fall on her ears. There are many who love Anne Gregory only for her yellow
hair. However, Anne doesn‘t like to be liked and loved this way. After all, how does the colour matter? She
can dye her hair the way she likes. She can dye them brown, black, of carrot‘s colour or the way she likes. If
her lover likes only for her beautiful hair, she won‘t accept him. She should be loved for `herself alone‘. But
this world doesn‘t go by her wish. Only God can love a person for what he is. Human beings will go on
being tempted by beautiful yellow hair.
Q2. People are not objects. They should be valued for being themselves. What lesson does the poet want to
give to the readers through this poem?
Ans. Absolutely true. People are not objects. Appearances may be deceptive. A person should be liked and
loved for being himself or ‗herself. Outwardly appearances do tempt and dazzle us. There may be many
persons who would love to see Anne‘s beautiful hair falling over her ears like the ramparts of a fort. Many
would love Anne Gregory for her beautiful yellow hair. It would be difficult to find a real lover who loves
Anne for `herself alone‘. What is so great about yellow hair? Anne ridicules the idea of being loved for her
yellow hair. She can dye her hair the way she likes — brown, black, carrot or yellow. But the irony of this
world is that people will go on being tempted and dazzled by glamour, show and outwardly appearances.
Only God can love a person for ‗himself or herself‘ alone.
UNSOLVED QUESTIONS:
Short Answer Questions: (30-40 words each)
1. What wisdom was imparted to the poet by an old religious man? Do you agree with the opinion?
2. Why is only God capable of loving Anne for herself?
3. Why will a young man never been thrown in despair?
Long Answer Questions: (100-150 words each)

1. Is it right to judge someone on the basis of his/her physical appearance. Elaborate.
2. The poet in the poem, ‗for Anne Gregory‘ conveys that we should lay importance on the inner beauty
of a person and not the physical appearance. Elaborate with reference to the poem.
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UNIT 11: The Proposal
INTRODUCTION
Anton Chekov (1860-1904) was a famous writer. He is chiefly known for his short stories. This story ‗The
Proposal‘ is a romantic story of a neighbour named Ivan Lomov. He is a landowner and often gets money
from Chuhukov‘s another landowner. Chubukov has a daughter named Natalya. Lomov comes to Chubukov
with a marriage proposal for his daughter Natalya.
GIST
‗The Proposal‘ is a one-act play. Actually, it is a farce written by Anton Chekhov in 1888-89. The play is
about the tendency of wealthy families to seek matrimonial ties. The real purpose is to increase their estates
and landed properties. Ivan Lomov was a wealthy neighbour of another wealthy farmer Stepan Chubukov.
Lomov comes to seek the hand of Chubukov‘s twenty-five-year-old daughter, Natalya. Tomov, Chubukov
and Natalya‘-all three are quarrelsome people. They quarrel over petty or small issues. Each one of them has
a claim over a particular piece of land. They also quarrel over their dogs. Amidst this quarrelling, they
completely forget the real issue — the marriage proposal. But good sense prevails in the end. Economic good
sense ensures that the proposal is made. Chubukov doesn‘t want to miss the opportunity. He puts his
daughter‘s hand into Lomov‘s hands. He doesn‘t waste any time and blesses them. However, old habits die
hard. The newly married couple starts their married life with a fresh quarrel.
DETAILED SUMMARY
When the play begins we see that Lomov comes to meet Chubukov at his house. Chubukov who is a farmer
welcomes Lomov. He asks him why he is wearing formal clothes and whether he is going to attend a
function. Lomov replies that he is not going anywhere; he has come only to meet him. Lomov appears
excited and perturbed. He calms himself down and begins to tell him the purpose of his visit. He tells him
that he came to him many times in the past also for his help but he did not help him. Before telling the
purpose of his visit. Lomov is excited once again. Chubukov thinks that perhaps he has come to ask for a
loan. He makes up his mind not to help him in any way.
Lomov once again begins to tell Chubukov about the purpose of his visit. But he once again becomes
excited. He talks about himself in exaggerated terms. Chubukov asks him not to beat about the hush and to
talk about his purpose of coming. Lomov gathers courage and tells him that he has come to ask for his
daughter Natalya‘s hand in marriage. On hearing this Chubukov becomes very happy, he goes in to call
Natalya. But before this Lomov asks him whether Natalya would give her permission for this. Chubukov
replies that she will readily accept a match like him.
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Lomov is left alone in the room. His body is trembling with excitement. He thinks about his present life. He
wants to settle the question of his marriage at once. He thinks that now he should not delay. He thinks about
Natalya. She is a skilled house-keeper. She is educated and is not bad to look at. At this age, he should not
expect a better girl than her. Now he is thirty-five years old. Now he should lead a regulated life. He is
suffering from serious diseases like palpitation, excitement and insomnia. Because of these reasons, he
should marry.
Just then Natalya comes in. Her father has not told her that Lomov has come to meet her. He only told her
that a customer had come. Even then she welcomes Lomov. Before Lomov can speak, she starts speaking-
When she mentions his beautiful dress, he is again excited. Before he can talk about his marriage to her, he
starts trembling. Natalya encourages him and he recovers. He says that he will tell her everything in brief.
Even then he cannot talk in a straight-forward manner. He beats about the bush. He tells her that for the Iasi
many decades their families have had good relations. Their estates are also adjoining. His Oxen Warbles
touch their birchwoods. Natalya protests against this. She says that the Oxen Meadows belong to her. They
lay their claims to it. They start quarrelling about the ownership of the Oxen Meadows. They shout loudly at
each other. They do not calm down in any way. Chubukov comes in and finds them both quarrelling. He is
greatly surprised. But when he finds that they are quarrelling about the ownership of the Oxen Meadows. He
also becomes angry. Instead of calming them down, he also starts quarrelling. He claims to be the owner of
the Meadows. He insults not only Lomov but also his family members. Lomov becomes more excited. He
uses insulting words for Chubukov, Natalya and their family members. Lomov‘s palpitation increases and he
becomes very perturbed. He goes out of the room. Chubukov says how the foolish Lomov dared to bring a
proposal for Natalya‘s marriage. When Natalya hears this, she is deeply shocked. She is almost unconscious.
She starts weeping and asks her father to bring tomor back. Chubukov feels sad. He says that it is the biggest
misfortune to be the father of a girl. He goes out to call Lomov.
Lomov again enters the room. Natalya thinks that she will not annoy him this time. She tries to please him.
She says that the Meadows belong to him. She tries to change the topic so that he could propose to her. But
he is still not all right. He is feeling disturbed. He does not come to the point. Lomov starts praising the
qualities of his dog Guess, which he has purchased for 125 roubles. But Natalya says that her dog Squeezer
which she purchased for 85 roubles is much better than Lomov‘s dog Guess. Both of them praise the
qualities of their dogs. Now they start quarrelling on this topic. They again start shouting at each other. In the
meantime, Chubukov comes. Instead of putting an end to their quarrel, he also starts quarrelling. In this
dispute, Lomov‘s condition deteriorates and he falls on the chair, unconscious. Both the father and the
daughter think that he has died. Natalya starts lamenting that her chance of getting married has gone.
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After sometime. Lomov comes to his senses. Chubukov tells Lomov that Natalya is willing for marriage.
So he should marry her. Natalya expresses her willingness. Chubukov does not want to lose even a moment
and joins their hands. He asks them to kiss each other. But soon, they start quarrelling again. They start
debating the qualities of their respective dogs. Chubukov tries to calm them down. With this, the play comes
to an end.
Extract Based comprehension Questions
1. Its cold… I‘m trembling all over, just as if I‘d got an examination before me. The great thing is, I
must have my mind made up. If I give myself time to think, to hesitate, to talk a lot, to look for an ideal, or
for real love, then I‘ll never get married.
Questions.
(a) Who is saying, ―I‘m trembling all over as if I had got an examination before me‖?
(b) What is the great thing that the speaker is talking about?
(c) What state of Loom‘s mind does the passage reflect?
(d) Why did Loom not want to wait for real love?
Answers.
(a) Ivan Vassilevitch Lomov.
(b) The speaker is talking about real love and marriage.
(c) His mind reflects that way he would never get married because it is difficult to get an idea or real
love.
(d) This was because he was anxious to get married.
2. ―Then you make out that I‘m a land grabber? Madam, never in my life have I grabbed anybody else‘s
land and I shan‘t allow anybody to accuse me of having done so. Oxen Meadows are mine!‖
Questions.
(a) Who is ‗Madam‘ in the above lines?
(b) In which situation does Lomov call himself a ‗land grabber‘?
(c) What had happened to the speaker?
(d) What will he not allow the other?
Answers.
(a) Natalya
(b) Natalya accuses Lomovof grabbing Oxen Meadows. So, Lomov says that he is not a land grabber.
(c) The speaker got infuriated with Natalya for having called him a land grabber.
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(d) He will not allow anybody to accuse him of having grabbed anyone‘s land.
3. What a surprise! We‘ve had the land for nearly three hundred years, and then we‘re suddenly told
that it isn‘t ours! Ivan Vassilevitch, I can hardly believe my own ears. These Meadows aren‘t worth much to
me. They only come to five dessiatins and are worth perhaps 300 roubles, but I can‘t stand unfairness. Say
what you will, I can‘t stand unfairness.
Questions.
(a) Who speaks the above lines and to whom?
(b) How much are the meadows worth?
(c) Who is the speaker of these lines?
(d) What is difficult for the speaker to believe?
Answer
(a) Lomov speaks these lines to Natalya.
(b) They worth perhaps 300 roubles.
(c) Natalya Stepanovna
(d) That the Meadows don‘t belong to the speaker.
Character Sketch
1. Natalya:
Natalya is talkative and short-tempered. She is very much concerned about her family‘s honour and land. She
is argumentative also. She argues with Lomov about the ownership of Oxen Meadows and the superiority of
her dog Squeezer. She is very keen to get married.
2. Stepan Stepanovitch Chubukov:

Stepan Stepanovitch Chubukov is a landowner. He has a helping nature towards Lomov. He loves his
daughter and plays the role of a good father. He is in search of a good match for his daughter. He is a good
selector of words. He calls Lomov my angel, treasure, etc. This shows his cunningness. When Chubukov
finds Lomov fighting with Natalya, he immediately changes and starts to support his daughter. He uses many
ill words for Lomov and tells him to leave his house.
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Short Answer Questions (30-40 words):
Q1. Describe Lomov‘s first meeting with Natalya.
Ans. Lomov goes to his neighbour Chubukov‘s house to ask for the hand of his daughter Natalya. He is in a
fix how to make the marriage proposal. He talks in a roundabout manner. He makes a mention of his
meadows which touch their birchwoods. At this, a quarrel ensues between them over the ownership rights the
meadows.
Q2. Why is Lomov anxious to marry Natalya?

Ans. Lomov wants to settle the question of his marriage at once. He thinks that now he should not delay. He
thinks about Natalya. She is a skilled house-keeper. She is educated and is not bad to look at. At this age, he
should not expect a better girl than her. He is suffering from some serious diseases. Because of these reasons,
he is anxious to marry Natalya.
Q3. How does Lomov speak warmly of Chubukov‘s family in the beginning? Why does he change his stand?
Ans. In the beginning, Lomov speaks quite warmly about Chubukov‘s family. He reminds Natalya that he
knows the Chubukovs since his childhood. His aunt and uncle to had great respect for her family. Both the
families have been most friendly and close neighbours. Lomov changes his opinion about the Chubukovs
when he picks up a quarrel with Natalya and Chubukov over the ownership of Oxen Meadows.
Q4. Justify the title of the play. ‗The Proposal‘ Or What is the theme or the message of ‗The Proposal‘?
Ans. Anton Chekov has aptly titled the play, ‗The Proposal‘. The title justifies the main theme—the marriage
of Natalya and Lomov. No doubt, both Lomov and Natalya want to be life partners. However, unnecessary
quarrels over Oxen Meadows and their dogs Squeezer and Guess temporarily spoil their game. The message
is very clear. The main issue must not be clouded and lost sight of by indulging in unnecessary and avoidable
quarrels.
Long Answer Questions (100 -150 words)
Q1.‖The way Chubukov, Natalya and Lomov fought over petty issues is against the behaviour and
mannerisms of good neighbours‖ Comment. What would you have done to resolve the issue? (If you were in
the place of Chubukov)
Ans. Lomov and Chubukovs were neighbours. Lomov came to Chubukovs to propose Natalya. But instead
of proposing they started fighting over petty issues like oxen meadows and quality of dogs.
This is not the quality of good neighbours. Neighbours should live like friends. There should be a positive
relationship between the two neighbours.
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There should be understanding and patience among neighbours. The fight between Looms and Chubukovs
could have been avoided if handled carefully. The issue of meadows could be resolved calmly and quietly by
a good conversation. There must have been some documents showing the ownership of the meadows or both
the parties could be convinced by making them understand that if they got married, the meadows will
belongs to both of them.
Similarly, the issues of dog could be solved instead of counting the negative points of each other‘s dogs.
They can discuss the positive features of the dogs. Thus the issues could be resolved.
Q2. Describe the incidents of humour in the play, ‗The Proposal‘?

Ans. ‗The Proposal‘ is certainly a humorous play. The very entry of Lomov in a formal I dress and the way
Chubukov greets calling him ‗darling‘, ‗my treasure‘ or ‗my beauty‘ make one laugh. Marriage proposal,
supposed to be romantic turns to be humorous as the way Natalya and Lomov indulge in arguments over
petty issues like ownership of Oxen Meadows and superiority of dogs makes the play humorous. The critical
terms that the characters I use for each other like a scarecrow, turnip ghost, blind hen, stuffed sausage, etc.,
force one to laugh. The hysterical fit of Natalya when she comes to know about the proposal and the wailing
of father and daughter when they think Lomov is dead create immense humour. Finally, the way Natalya puts
her hand in Loom‘s under continuous arguments indicating acceptance of the proposal is really humorous.
Thus we see that the whole play is replete with humour, making it a humorous play.
Q3. Chubukov has all the attributes of a quarrelsome rich Russian landlord. Instead of solving the problems,
he only adds fuel into the fire in their quarrel over Oxen Meadows and the dogs. Justify the statement.
Ans. Chubukov represents a typical rich landlord of 19th century Russia. He seems to be fairly rich and
resourceful. Even his neighbour Lornov acknowledges the frequent help rendered to him by Chubukov. He
lands his threshing machine to Lomov. On account of this help, he has to put off their own threshing till
November. Chubukov is quite practical. He knows that Lomov can be a good match for his daughter Natalya.
So, he at once gives his assent to Lomov‘s proposal of marrying her. Actually, he has been waiting for such
a proposal for a long time. Chubukov is a landlord and can‘t resist his hunger for land. He opposes the claim
of Lomov over the ownership of Oxen Meadows. He even threatens to send his mowers out to the Meadows.
Chubukov can be quite quarrelsome, abusing and insulting. He always sides with his daughter. He picks up a
quarrel on Oxen Meadows. He calls Lomov ―a land grabber‖ and ―villain‖. He abuses his grandfather of
being a ―drunkard‖ and his father a ‗gambler‘. He jumps into the quarrel and adds only fuel to the fire.
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However, Chubukov is a great opportunity. He grabs the opportunity the moment Lomov comes into the
senses. He makes Natalya kiss and embrace Lomov and gets them married.
Unsolved Questions Short Answer Questions
1. How does Natalya react when she comes to know that Lomov had come to propose?
2. Natalya was not Lomov‘s real love. But still, he wanted to marry her. Give two reasons for his
decision.
3. Which qualities are common in all the three characters in the play ‗The Proposal‘
Long Answer Questions
a) ‗Discussions and disputes seldom solve a problem.‘ Describe the dispute between Natalya and
Lomov over their dogs and their superiority.
b) ―And I‘ve always loved you, my angel as if you were my own son.‖ These words are spoken by
Chubukov to Lomov. But do you think he really loves Lomov as his own son? Is he sincere in his
feelings towards him? Discuss
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SECTION –C (LITERATURE) FIRST FLIGHT

UNIT 1 A LETTER TO GOD

CHARACTER SKETCH OF LENCHO

EXTRACT BASED COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1.How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho‘s fields?

2.Who did Lencho write a letter? What did he ask for?

3.What does the postmaster do to answer Lencho‘s Letter?

Long Answer Questions [100-150words]

1. Write the story of Lencho‘s faith in God?

Dust of snow-Robert Frost [Poem]

EXTRACT BASED COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS:

Long Answer Questions [100-150 words]

Unsolved Short Answer Questions

Unsolved Long Answer Question

FIRE AND ICE- ROBERT FROST (POEM)

EXTRACT BASED COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS [SOLVED]

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS [SOLVED]

Unsolved Short Answer Questions

Unsolved Long Answer Questions

EXTRACT BASED COMPREHENSION QUESTION EXERCISES

POETRY: A TIGER IN THE ZOO – LESLIE NORRIS

EXTRACT BASED COMPREHENSION QUESTION EXERCISES

a) Who is ‗He‘ in these lines?

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS – (30 - 40 words)

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS – (100-150 words)

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS

Unit 3 TWO STORIES ABOUT FLYING

EXTRACTS FROM THE TEXT

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (30 -40 Words)

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS (100 - 150 Words)

EXTRACTS FROM THE TEXT

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (30 -40 Words)

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS (100-150 Words)

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS (100 - 150 Words)

Having Faith in oneself is important to move forward in life.

HOW TO TELL WILD ANIMALS [POEM]

EXTRACT BASED COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS [SOLVED]

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS [SOLVED]

Long Answer Question [100-150words each.]

Unsolved Short Answer Questions

Unsolved Long Answer Questions

THE BALL POEM

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS (100-150 Words)

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS (100-150 Words)

UNIT 4: FROM THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK

CHARACTER SKETCH OF ANNE FRANK

EXTRACT BASED COMPREHENSION QUESTION EXERCISES

(a) Who was the long awaited friend of Anne? Why?

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (30 - 40 words)

1. Describe your views about Mr Keesing as a teacher.

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS (100-150 Words)

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS (100-150 Words)

2) I am an orphan, roaming the street.

2. What is the theme of the poem — ‗Amanda‘?

Q4 What is the central idea of the poem?

Extract Based Questions:

B) ‗I wonder where they get those tokens,

Short Answer Questions

Long Answer Questions