Author name: Prasanna

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English

The Treasure Within NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English It So Happened Chapter 4

The Treasure Within NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

The Treasure Within Comprehension check

Question 1.
What did Hafeez Contractor have nightmares about?
Answer:
Hafeez Contractor had nightmares about appearing for a maths examination where he did not know anything.

Question 2.
What did the Principal say to him, which influenced him deeply?
Answer:
When Hafeez approached eleventh standard, the Principal called him and told him that he would no longer take care of him, and that he would have to start studying. He tried to make Hafeez realize that his mother had brought him up after so much trouble and that the time had come for him to rise to the occasion and study.

Question 3.
“… that year I did not step out onto the field. ” What was he busy doing that year?
Answer:
Hafeez was busy studying that year. In that year, he did not waste any time. He went for prayers, ate and studied. That is all he did that year.

Question 4.
i. What “distraction ” did Hafeez Contractor create one day?
Answer:
Hafeez created a “distraction” by playing ‘chor-police’ for one hour so as to avoid studying. ‘Chor-police’ is a popular game among school children in India.

ii. Would you have liked to participate in the “distraction ” had you been with him? Encourage the students to formulate their own answers.
Answer:
Yes, I would have definitely liked to participate in the “distraction” had I been with him, but I would have finished my studies first.

The Treasure Within Comprehension check

Question 1.
Hafeez Contractor wanted to join the police force. Why didn’t he?
Answer:
Hafeez Contractor did not join the police force because his mother told him not to. She wanted him to complete his graduation first and then get a job.

Question 2.
In the architect’s office, Hafeez Contractor was advised to drop everything and join architecture. Why?
Answer:
Hafeez Contractor seemed to understand the basics of architecture instinctively. He was a natural. He was able to spot a significant inaccuracy in the drawing of one of the architects at his brother-in-law’s office. He was asked to draw a house. He drew it so brilliantly that his brother-in-law was impressed. This, is why he advised Hafeez to drop everything and join architecture.

Question 3.
i. What was Mrs Gupta s advice to Hafeez Contractor?
Answer:
Mrs Gupta’s advised Hafeez Contractor to become an architect when he grew up.

ii. What made her advise him so?
Answer:
She saw Hafeez’s sketches and could see that he had the drawing skills to become an ‘ architect later in life. This is why she advised him so.

Question 4.
How did he help fellow students who had lost a button?
Answer:
When his fellow students lost a button, Hafeez would cut a button for them from chalk, using a blade.

Question 5.
Which rules did he break as a school boy?
Answer:
As a school boy, Hafeez used to be interested in games, running around, and playing jokes and pranks on others. He would copy in class during exams. He would try to get hold of the examination paper that had been prepared and study it, as he could not remember things that had been taught to him in class.

Every Saturday he would have no lunch and collect money from 40 to 50 students to buy movie tickets. On his way back, he would eat to his heart’s content. He used to be the leader of a gang that would have gang fights and plan strategies. Such things used to interest him more than academics.

Question 6.
i. What is Hafeez Contractor’s definition of mathematics?
Answer:
According to Hafeez Contractor, putting design, construction, psychology and sociology together and making a sketch from all that is ‘mathematics’.

ii. How would you want to define mathematics? Do you like the subject?
Answer:
Mathematics is an abstract science of number, quantity, and space, either as abstract concepts (pure mathematics), or as applied to other disciplines such as physics and engineering. Yes, I like the subject very much.

The Treasure Within Exercise Questions and Answers

Answer the following questions.

Encourage the students to use their creativity and formulate answers for the given questions.

Question 1.
Is it likely that someone who is original and intelligent does not do very well at school? Should such a learner be called a failure? If not, why?
Answer:
Yes, it is very likely that someone who is original and intelligent does not do very well at school. Such a person should be called a learner. This is so because being good in academics does not guarantee that a person is going to be successful. There are various kinds of intelligence such as visual, mathematical, linguistic, logical, musical, interpersonal, and so on. Academic excellence only goes on to show that a person is hard-working and applies themselves well. A person who is good at academics may end up doing an ordinary job, and a person who is not as good may end up becoming extraordinary.

An intelligent person may have some learning disabilities, and may not be able to perform well in academics. Besides, each individual has their own strengths and weaknesses. We can never judge a person basis their academic performance. There have been several examples of people who have dropped out of school and still proved their genius to the world. This list includes people such as Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates.

Question 2.
Who, in your view, is an ‘unusual’learner?
Answer:
An ‘unusual’ learner is someone who does not learn in the same way as everybody else. This means that the typical forms of learning do not work with such a learner. They may have a photographic or visual memory, which means that they may remember pictures and images better than written text. Similarly, if someone has an artistic bent of mind, they may see and learn things in a more creative manner.

Question 3.
What can schools do to draw out the best in unusual learners? Suggest whatever seems reasonable to you.
Answer:
Each learner has different needs and aptitude. And all of us have a learning curve, which differs from person to person. Schools must understand this before they design a curriculum. They need to ensure that their modes of teaching cater to students with different types of intelligences. They should design a diverse curriculum.

NCERT Solutions for Class 6 English

The Banyan Tree NCERT Solutions for Class 6 English Honeysuckle Chapter 10

The Banyan Tree NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

The Banyan Tree Working with the text

A. Complete the following sentences.

Question 1.
The old banyan tree “did not belong” to grandfather, but only to the boy, because…
Answer:
his old grandfather could no longer climb it.

Question 2.
The small gray squirrel became friendly when…
Answer:
he found that the boy did not have a catapult or an air gun.

Question 3.
When the boy started to bring him pieces of cake and biscuit, the squirrel…
Answer:
began taking pieces of food from the boy’s hands itself.

Question 4.
In the spring, the banyan tree…, and… would come there.
Answer:
was full of small red figs; birds of all kinds.

Question 5.
The banyan tree served the boy as a…
Answer:
tree library.

Question 6.
The young boy spent his afternoons in the tree…
Answer:
reading and looking down below at whatever was happening

B. Answer the following questions.

Question 1.
“It was to be a battle of champions. ”

i. What qualities did the two champions have? Pick out words and phrases from the paragraph above this line in the text and write them down.
Answer:
Mongoose: superb fighter; clever; aggressive Cobra: swift; skilful; experienced

ii. What did the cobra and the mongoose do, to show their readiness for the fight?
Answer:
Hissing defiance, the snake darted in and out his forked tongue. He spread his broad, spectacled hood. The mongoose bushed his tail and the long hair on his spine stood up.

Question 2.
Who were the other two spectators? What did they do? (Did they watch, or did they join in the fight?)
Answer:
The other two spectators were a jungle crow and a myna. They sat on a cactus plant and tried to hurl themselves at the snake twice. They tried to join the fight, but were no match to the cobra.

Question 3.
Read the descriptions below of what the snake did and what the mongoose did. Arrange their actions in the proper order.
Answer:

Question 4.
i. What happened to the crow in the end?
Answer:
The crow was finally flung by the cobra twenty feet across the garden. The cobra had struck him with his venom and he died in the end.

ii. What did the myna do finally?
Answer:
Finally, the myna dropped cautiously to the ground, hopped about, peered into the bushes from a safe distance, and then, with a shrill cry of congratulation, flew away.

The Banyan Tree Working with language

A. Question 1.
The word ‘round’ usually means a kind of shape. What is its meaning in the story?
Answer:
The word ‘round’ in the story denotes the division of the fight between the mongoose and the cobra. In sports, matches are often divided between rounds. The author has used the term to indicate that he was watching a match between the two as an audience.

Question 2.
Find five words in the following paragraph, which are generally associated with trees. But here, they have been used differently. Underline the words.
Answer:
Hari leaves for work at nine every morning. He works in the local branch of the firm of which his uncle is the owner. Hari s success is really the fruit of his own labour. He is happy, but he has a small problem. The root cause of his problem is a stray dog near his office. The dog welcomes Hari with a loud bark every day.

B. The words in the box are all words that describe movement. Use them to fill in the blanks in the sentences below.

1. When he began to trust me, the squirrel began delving into my pockets for morsels of cake.
2. I saw a cobra gliding out of a clump of cactus.
3. The snake hissed, his forked tongue darting in and out.
4. When the cobra tried to bite it, the mongoose sprang aside.
5. The snake whipped his head back to strike at the crow.
6. The birds dived at the snake.

C. Find words in the story, which show things striking violently against each other.

1. The cobra struck the crow, his snout thudding against its body.
2. The crow and the myna colliding in mid-air.
3. The birds dived at the snake, but bumped into each other instead.

D. Choose would and could to replace the italicized words in the following sentences.

Grandfather says, in the old days,
1. elephants were able to fly in the sky, like clouds. They were also able to change their shapes. They used to fly behind clouds and frighten them. People used to look up at the sky in wonder.
2. because there was no electricity, he used to get up with the sun, and he used to go to bed with the sun, like the birds.
3. like the owl, he was able to see quite well in the dark. He was able to tell who was coming by listening to their footsteps.
Answer:
1. elephants could in the sky, like clouds. They could also change their shapes. They would fly behind clouds and frighten them. People would look up at the sky in wonder.
2. because there was no electricity, he would get up with the sun, and he would go to bed with the sun, like the birds.
3. like the owl, he could see quite well in the dark. He could tell who was coming by listening to their footsteps.

The Banyan Tree Speaking

1. Both Zeba and Rani are taller than Ruby. But Zeba is as tall as Rani.
2. Akshay is as heavy as Vijay. Anwar is taller than both of them.
3. Shimla is as cold as Gangtok. Srinagar is colder than both these places.
4. Romi’s pencil is as long as Raja’s pencil. Mona’s pencil is longer than both of their pencils.
5. Nagpur is as hot as Delhi. Chennai is not as hot as any of them.

The Banyan Tree Writing

Read again the paragraphs of the story in which the author describes the banyan tree, and what he used to do there. Is there a place in your house, or in your grandparents ’ or uncles’or aunts ’ houses, that you specially like? Write a short paragraph about it, saying

• where it is
• what you do there
• why you like it

You may instead write about a place you dislike, or are afraid of
(Encourage the students to use their creativity and formulate their own answers.)
Answer:
My most favourite place in the world is my grandparents’ home in Mussorie. I have a separate room there on the first floor. The room looks out to a gurgling brook which flows outside it. The water of the brook emanates from a glacier and is very cold. I love washing my face with it and dipping my feet into it.

I often look at this small brook from the two large windows on both walls of my room. I love hearing the sound that it makes. It seems to me like some naughty children are frolicking about. I have many books in the room, and often laze around in my room, or soak the sun while reading or sketching.

My grandmother makes a special concoction for the colder days and it is something that I enjoy with all my heart. Often she tells us interesting stories while I and my siblings sit around her, wrapped in blankets with warm drink in our hands and happiness in our hearts. We all have dinner together, and then we go for a stroll together, while the stars are shining brightly in the sky. Our dog, Lucky, follows us to these nighttime walks and we are just happy to have him around.

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English

The Great Stone Face 1 NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 9

The Great Stone Face 1 NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

The Great Stone Face 1 Comprehension check

Write ‘True’or ‘False’ against each of the following statements.

1. The Great Stone Face stood near where Ernest and his mother lived. False
2. One would clearly distinguish the features of the Stone Face only from a distance. True
3. Ernest loved his mother and helped her in her work. True
4. Though not very rich, Gathergold was a skillful merchant. False
5. Gathergold died in poverty and neglect. True
6. The Great Stone Face seemed to suggest that Ernest should not fear the general. False

The Great Stone Face 1 Working with the text

Question 1.
Answer the following questions.

i. What was the Great Stone Face?
Answer:
The Great Stone Face was a work of nature, formed on the perpendicular side of a mountain by some immense rocks, which had been thrown together so that, when viewed at a proper distance, they resembled the features of a human face.

ii. What did young Ernest wish when he gazed at it?
Answer:
Young Ernest wished that the Great Stone Face could speak. He found the face to be very pleasant and wanted to hear him talk.

Question 2.
What was the story attributed to the Stone Face?
Answer:
The story attributed to the Stone Face was that at some future day, a child should be bom near there, who was destined to become the greatest and noblest person of his time and whose face, in manhood, should bear an exact resemblance to the Great Stone Face.

Question 3.
What gave the people of the valley the idea that the prophecy was about to come true for the first time?
Answer:
One of the natives of the village, Gathergold, returned with a lot of wealth from the city and decided to retire in the village. His wealth and power made the villagers believe that it was the return of the Great Stone Face to the village.

Question 4.
i. Did Ernest see in Gathergold the likeness of the Stone Face?
Answer:
No, Ernest didn’t see the likeness of the Stone Face in Gathergold.

ii. Who did he confide in and how was he proved right?
Answer:
He confided in the Great Stone Face. He was proved right when the old man grew poor and the villagers seemed to agree that there was no likeness between him and the Great Stone Face.

Question 5.
i. What made people believe General Blood-and-Thunder was their man?
Answer:
The fact that General Blood-and-Thunder had earned a lot of fame by becoming a commander led the villagers to believe this. The villagers believed that he was the greatest man that had ever lived.

ii. Ernest compared the man’s face with the Stone Face. What did he conclude?
Answer:
Ernest concluded that there was no likeness between the face of the soldier and the Great Stone Face.

The Great Stone Face 1 Working with language

Question 1.
Write the noun forms of the following words by adding -ness or -ity to them appropriately. Check the spelling of the new words.
Solved
i. lofty – loftiness
ii. able – ability
iii. happy – happiness
iv. near – nearness
v. noble – nobility
vi. enormous – enormity
vii. pleasant – pleasantness
viii. dense – density
ix. great – greatness
x. stable – stability

Question 2.
Add -ly to each of the following adjectives, then use them to fill in the blanks.
Solved
i. Why didn’t you turn up at the meeting? We all were eagerly waiting for you.
ii. Perfectly write your name and address in capital letters.
iii. I was pleasantly surprised to see him at the railway station. I thought he was not coming.
iv. It is kindly believable that I am not responsible for this mess.
v. He fell over the step and nearly broke his arm.

Question 3.
Complete each sentence below using the appropriate forms of the verbs in brackets.
i. I …………………….. (phone) you when I (get) home from school.
ii. Hurry up! Madam …………….. (be) annoyed if we ……………… (be) late.
iii. If it ………………….. (rain) today, we ………………… (not) go to the play.
iv. When you ……………. (see) Mandal again, you ………………….. (not/recognize) him. He is
growing a beard.
v. We are off today. We …………………… (write) to you after we ……………….. (be) back.
Answer:
i. phoned; got
ii. will be; are
iii. rains; cannot
iv. see; will not recognize
v. will write; are

The Great Stone Face 1 Speaking and writing

Question 1.
Imagine you are Ernest. Narrate the story that his mother told him.
(Encourage the students to use their creativity and formulate their answers.)

Question 2.
Imagine you are Gathergold. Write briefly the incident of your return to the valley.
Answer:
Sample answer: My name is Gather gold. I left the valley of the Great Stone Face fifty years ago. I am now going back home. Will the people of the valley welcome me? Do they know that I am very rich? I have heard rumours that the villagers believe that I am the prophecy man of the Great Stone Face.

But I know in my heart that I am not the one. I haven’t done so many noble things that would merit such an honour. You cannot become a businessman without being shrewd. I have earned enough wealth.

So, now I want to go back to my roots and spend my time in the lap of the Great Stone Face. How eagerly I am looking forward to my old home and village. I can’t wait to be there.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English

Two Stories about Flying NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 3

Two Stories about Flying NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

I. His First Flight

Two Stories about Flying Part 1 Thinking about the Text

Question 1.
Why was the young seagull afraid to fly? Do you think all young birds are afraid to make their first flight, or are some birds more timid than others? Do you think a human baby also finds it a challenge to take its first step?
Answer:
The young seagull was afraid to fly because he thought his wings would not support him. He was very weak. Yes, all young birds are afraid to make their first flight. The same applies to a human baby too.

Question 2.
“The sight of the food maddened him.” What does this suggest? What compelled the young seagull to finally fly?
Answer:
“The sight of the food maddened him.” This suggests that the young seagull was desperate due to hunger. He had eaten nothing for 24 hours. He was afraid to fly, that is why he did not want to fly. But it was the fear of death due to fall only which made him finally to fly. When he dived and started falling headlong downwards, he screamed and opened his wings.

Question 3.
“They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly.” Why did the seagull’s father and mother threaten him and cajole him to fly?
Answer:
The young seagull did not want to fly because he felt his wings would not support him. His brothers and sister had already taken their first flight. His parents threatened him to starve. They threatened and cajoled him so that he also might take his first flight. They wanted to .remove his fear of flight.

II. The Black Aeroplane

Two Stories about Flying Part 2 Thinking about the Text

Question 1.
“I’ll take the risk.” What is the risk? Why does the narrator take it?
Answer:
He was in a risky position. There were stormy clouds in front of him and he did not have enough fuel to go around them to reach Paris. The narrator took the risk because he wanted to reach Paris to celebrate Christmas with his family.

Question 2.
Describe the narrator’s experience as he flew his aeroplane into the storm.
Answer:
The narrator experienced a frightening experience on a stormy night. He was shocked to see that the compass and other instruments were out of order. His contact with Paris Control Room was also stopped. There were stormy clouds ahead of him and there was no fuel left to move around. Then suddenly, he saw another aeroplane with no lights on its wings but surprisingly he was able to see the face of the pilot who signalled to follow him by waving his hand. He was delighted to see a helping hand. He followed that black aeroplane for about half an hour. Then suddenly he noticed he was near the runway. His happiness knew no bounds when he was on the runway with fuel hardly sufficient for ten minutes.

Question 3.
Why does the narrator say, “I landed and was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota…”?
Answer:
He was delighted to land safely out of dark stormy clouds; therefore, he was not sorry to walk away from his plane. He felt bad, when he was not able to thank his guide, his mentor who saved him from frightening situations, but he was so happy after landing that he didn’t feel sorry for not being able to thank the guide pilot.

Question 4.
What made the woman in the Control centre look at the narrator strangely?
Answer:
The woman in the control room was surprised when the narrator asked about the other aeroplane and its pilot. She said that there was no other aeroplane seen on the radar.

Question 5.
Who do you think helped the narrator to reach safely? Discuss this among yourselves and give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
As there was no aeroplane other than the narrator’s, it could not be a human help. Though the doubts and curiosity about the strange plane have not been made clear by the narrator, it seems to be his inner voice which guided him to land safely. Otherwise, how could a plane which had no lights on its wings be visible to the narrator and how could he see the face and waving hand of the pilot? Thus, it must be his inner voice only.

Two Stories about Flying Extra Questions and Answers

I. His First Flight

Two Stories about Flying Part 1 Reference-to-Context Questions

Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
The young seagull was alone on his ledge. His two brothers and his sister had already flown away the day before. He had been afraid to fly with them. Somehow when he had taken a little run forward to the brink of the ledge and attempted to flap his wings he became afraid. The great expanse of sea stretched down beneath, and it was such a long way down — miles down.

(a) The young seagull was alone on his …..
Answer:
ledge

(b) The young seagull was frightened to fly with his brothers and sisters because he was ………… of the sea.
Answer:
afraid

(c) The young seagull was on the ledge because his mother had asked him to remain there. (True/False)
Answer:
False

(d) Find the synonym of ‘edge’ from the extract.
Answer:
‘Brink’.

Question 2.
He felt certain that his wings would never support him; so he bent his head and ran away back to the little hole under the ledge where he slept at night. Even when each of his brothers and his little sister, whose wings were far shorter than his own, ran to the brink, flapped their wings, and flew away, he failed to muster up courage to take that plunge which appeared to him so desperate. His father and mother had come around calling to him shrilly, upbraiding him, threatening to let him starve on his ledge unless he flew away. But for the life of him he could not move.

(a) The young seagull ran away back to the little hole under the ………. where he slept at night.
Answer:
ledge

(b) His parents had come around calling to him shrilly, threatening him ……… on his ledge unless he flew away.
Answer:
starve

(c) For the life of him, the young seagull could not move as he was afraid of the sea. (True/False)
Answer:
True

(d) Find the synonym of ‘gather’ from the extract.
Answer:
‘Muster up’.

Question 3.
That was twenty-four hours ago. Since then nobody had come near him. The day before, all day long, he had watched his parents flying about with his brothers and sister, perfecting them in the art of flight, teaching them how to skim the waves and how to dive for fish. He had, in fact, seen his older brother catch his first herring and devour it, standing on a rock, while his parents circled around raising a proud cackle. And all the morning the whole family had walked about on the big plateau midway down the opposite cliff taunting him with his cowardice.

(a) Twenty-four hours ago, seagull’s father and mother from him.
Answer:
had flown away

(b) The young seagull’s parents were flying with his brothers and sister, perfecting them in the
Answer:
art of flight

(c) The whole family had walked about on the big plateau midway down the opposite cliff praising the young seagull’s courage. (True/False)
Answer:
False

(d) Find the meaning of the words ‘the loud noise that a bird makes’ from the extract.
Answer:
‘cackle’.

Question 4.
The sun was now ascending the sky, blazing on his ledge that faced the south. He felt the heat because he had not eaten since the previous nightfall. 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. He saw his two brothers and his sister lying on the plateau dozing with their heads sunk into their necks. His father was preening the feathers on his white back.

(а) The young seagull felt the heat because he had not eaten since the previous
Answer:
Nightfall

(b) The young seagull saw his two brothers and sister lying on the ……….. dozing with their heads sunk into their necks.
Answer:
Plateau

(c) The young seagull stepped slowly out to the midway of the ledge and stood there constantly. (True/False)
Answer:
False

(d) Find the synonym of ‘supposed’ from the extract.
Answer:
Pretended.

Question 5.
Only his mother was looking at him. She was standing on a little high hump on the plateau, her white breast thrust forward. Now and again, she tore at a piece of fish that lay at her feet and then scrapped each side of her beak on the rock. The sight of the food maddened him. How he loved to tear food that way, scrapping his beak now and again to whet it.

(a) The young seagull’s mother was standing on a little high on the plateau.
Answer:
Hump

(b) The sight of the food him.
Answer:
Maddened

(c) Now and again, the young seagull’s mother tore at a piece of fish that lay at her feet. (True/False)
Answer:
True

(d) Give a synonym of ‘sharpen’ from the extract.
Answer:
‘Whet’

Question 6.
“Ga, ga, ga,” he cried begging her to bring him some food. “Gaw-col-ah,” she screamed back derisively. But he kept calling plaintively, and after a minute or so he uttered a joyful scream. His mother had picked up a piece of the fish and was flying across to him with it. He leaned out eagerly, tapping the rock with his feet, trying to get nearer to her as she flew across. But when she was just opposite to him, she halted, her wings motionless, the piece of fish in her beak almost within the reach of his beak. He waited a moment in surprise, wondering why she did not come nearer, and then, maddened by hunger, he dived at the fish.

(a) The seagull’s mother did not pay attention to his begging for food because she wanted him to ………. on his own.
Answer:
Fly

(b) The mother of the young seagull picked up a piece of the fish and with it.
Answer:
Flew

(c) Seeing his mother coming towards him with a fish, the young seagull tried to get nearer to her as she flew across. (True/False)
Answer:
True

(d) Find the meaning of the word “sorrowfully” from the extract.
Answer:
‘Plaintively’.

Question 7.
With a loud scream he fell outwards and downwards into space. Then a monstrous terror seized him and his heart stood still. He could hear nothing. But it only lasted a minute. The next moment he felt his wings spread outwards. The wind rushed against his breast feathers, then under his stomach, and against his wings. He could feel the tips of his wings cutting through the air. He was not falling headlong now. He was soaring gradually downwards and outwards. He was no longer afraid. He just felt a bit dizzy.

(a) Maddened by the food brought by his mother, the young seagull ………… into the sea.
Answer:
Dived

(b) When the young seagull dived into the sea for the first time, his parents to motivate him.
Answer:
Screamed

(c) The young seagull was falling headlong now as he had overcome his fear of flight. (True/False)
Answer:
True

(d) Find the meaning of the word “shocking” from the extract.
Answer:
‘monstrous’.

Question 8.
Then he flapped his wings once and he soared upwards. “Ga, ga, ga, Ga, ga, ga, Gaw-col-ah,” his mother swooped past him, her wings making a loud noise. He answered her with another scream. Then his father flew over him screaming. He saw his two brothers and his sister flying around him curveting and banking and soaring and diving. Then he completely forgot that he had not always been able to fly, and commended himself to dive and soar and curve, shrieking shrilly.

(a) The young seagull’s two brothers and his sister were flying around him, soaring and
Answer:
Diving

(b) The young seagull completely forgot that he had not always been
Answer:
able to fly

(c) The young seagull commended himself to dive and soar and shrieking shrilly. (True/False)
Answer:
True

(d) Find the antonym of ‘falling/dropping’ from the extract.
Answer:
‘soaring’

Question 9.
He was near the sea now, flying straight over it, facing straight out over the ocean. He saw a vast green sea beneath him, with little ridges moving over it and he turned his beak sideways and cawed amusedly.

(a) The young seagull was near the sea now, flying over it.
Answer:
Straight

(b) The seagull saw a vast beneath him.
Answer:
Green sea

(c) When the young seagull saw a vast sea beneath him, he screamed shrilly. (iVue/False)
Answer:
False

(d) Find the antonym of ‘limited’ from the extract.
Answer:
Vast

Question 10.
His parents and his brothers and sister had landed on this green flooring ahead of him. They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly. He dropped his legs to stand on the green sea. His legs sank into it. He screamed with fright and attempted to rise again flapping his wings. But he was tired and weak with hunger and he could not rise, exhausted by the strange exercise. His feet sank into the green sea, and then his belly touched it and he sank no farther. He was floating on it, and around him his family was screaming, praising him and their beaks were offering him scraps of dog-fish. He had made his first flight.

(a) The young seagull’s brothers and sister had landed on the ahead of him.
Answer:
Green flooring

(b)At the time of landing on the sea, the young seagull was tired, weak with and unable to rise.
Answer:
Hunger

(c) As a reward, the young seagull’s parents offered him scraps of dog-fish. (True/False)
Answer:
True

(d) Find the synonym of ‘tired out’ from the extract.
Answer:
‘Exhausted’

Two Stories about Flying Part 1 Short Answer Questions

Question 1.
For how long had the seagull been alone?
Answer:
The seagull had been alone for twenty-four hours.

Question 2.
Why did the seagull not go with the rest of his family?
Answer:
The seagull did not go with the rest of his family because he was afraid to fly.

Question 3.
(i) What were the ways the seagull had thought of to join his family?
(ii) Did he try any one of them?
Answer:
(i) The seagull thought of joining his family without having to fly. He ran from one end of the ledge to the other. The ledge ended in a steep fall in precipice. He thought of walking upto them but there was a deep chasm between him and them.
(ii) No, he didn’t try anyone of them.

Question 4.
Did the seagull think the sea was like a land? Pick out the words from the text that suggest this.
Answer:
Yes, the seagull thought the sea was like a land. He landed on the sea. When his legs sank into it, he screamed with fear and tried to rise again flapping his wings. This clearly indicates that he thought the sea was like a land.

Question 5.
(i) When did the seagull’s flight begin?
(ii) Where did it end?
Answer:
(i)His flight began when he was falling outwards and downwards into space. His wings spread outwards. Now, he was not falling headlong. He was moving gradually downwards and outwards.
(ii) His flight ended floating on the sea.

Question 6.
When did the seagull get over his fear of the water?
Answer:
The seagull thought the sea was like a land. When he landed on the sea, his feet sank into it. He was seized with fear. He was too tired to rise again. His belly touched the water and he sank no further. Now, he was floating on the sea. He had got over his fear of the water.

Question 7.
Do you sympathise with the seagull? Give reasons.
Answer:
Flying is a natural instinct of birds. But the young seagull develops a fright of flight. We sympathise with him because he has to suffer a lot before he gets over his fear of flying. He has to bear the taunts of his family. He has to go without food for twenty-four hours.

Question 8.
How did the seagull express his excitement when he saw his mother bringing food for him?
Answer:
The seagull was very hungry. When he saw his mother bringing food for him, he was greatly excited. He expressed his excitement by uttering a joyful scream. He leaned out eagerly. He tapped the rock with his feet. He tried to get nearer to her as she flew across.

Question 9.
How did the young seagull’s parents teach him the art of flying?
Answer:
Birds have a natural instinct to fly. However, some birds, like the young seagull in the story are afraid to fly. Then their parents teach them how to fly. The seagull’s parents fly about with their children curveting and banking and soaring and diving and thus, perfecting them in the art of flying.

Two Stories about Flying Part 1 Long Answer Questions

Question 1.
Why did the seagull’s father and mother threaten him and persuade him to fly? How did they do it? Do you think it is a good parenting? Should the parents threaten their wards for learning?
Answer:
The young seagull was scared to fly. He was afraid of the vast exposure of the sea beneath him. His siblings were courageous and had learnt to fly. His parents constantly encouraged him to fly but he ‘ was too scared to fly. He was left alone without food. He was desperate with hunger. He expected his parents to feed him. But it was a threatening from them. He would die of hunger if he did not fly. The mother tempted him with a fish within his reach but not closer to him.

He ultimately fell to temptation and dived into the sea and finally succeeded. Yes, it was a good parenting. Parents should not pamper their kids by spoon feeding. They should make them independent. They should learn to do their work. Parents’ strictness in making a child learn a skill should not be taken as a threat. It is necessary and in favour of the child. In my opinion, without threat, the seagull would not have learnt to fly. He would have starved to death.

Question 2.
‘Spare the rod and spoil the child.’ Do you think the young seagull was not ready to fly due to lenient treatment by his family in the beginning? What made him fly later on? What is the role of motivation in learning?
Answer:
‘Spare the rod and spoil the child’. No, I don’t agree with this statement.No learning can take place under fear. It is the motivation that makes learning easy. The seagull was too scared to fly. It was a new thing for him. When he saw the vast sea, he could not take courage and fly. He was too young and was being taken care of by his parents. It was natural that his parents were feeding him. It can’t be called a lenient treatment.

He was, no doubt, threatened by his parents, but it was just to make him realise how important it was to fly. It was a question of his survival. The mother seagull tempted him with a piece of fish. He fell to temptation and dived into the vast sea. He was encouraged by his family and he learnt the art of flying. Motivation, encouragement and family support help in learning. The rod must be spared.

Question 3.
Fear and lack of confidence stop one from learning new things. Do you agree? How did these two traits of the young seagull make him coward? How did he overcome these shortcomings?
Answer:
Yes, it is true that fear and lack of confidence stop us from learning new things.
The young seagull lacked the value of courage and confidence in his character. He was the last member, in his family, to learn the art of flight. He was too scared to fly. His parents and other siblings encouraged him constantly. When it did not work, they scolded him for his cowardice. The mother seagull tricked him and tempted him with a piece of fish. He was kept hungry. His hunger and need for food forced him to dive into the sea.

Though he was not willing to learn the art of flying yet he was tricked by his family. Once he dived, his fear disappeared and he enjoyed his first flight.It is a fact that unless we try for something and overcome our fear we can’t learn anything. Confidence and motivation are two important traits that make any learning possible.

Question 4.
Does the situation of the young seagull arouse sympathy for him? Does sympathy always help? Do you think providing food to the young seagull out of sympathy would have helped him?
Answer:
The young seagull was afraid of flying. He thought that his wings could not support him. He pretended to be falling asleep and called his mother for food. He was hungry but could not muster the courage to jump down and fly. He was scared. All his family members had left him and taunted him for his cowardice. In fact, they wanted him to take his first flight. He should have overcome his fear of flight by now.

Yes, I sympathise with the seagull. It is not an easy task to take the first leap. One has to be confident and bold. All are not equally brave. The young seagull was ready to jump but he needed some time. Ultimately, he mustered the courage and overcame his fear of flight.

No, sympathy does not always help. It makes a person dependent. We should not give a fish to a hungry man out of sympathy, we should teach him how to catch a fish for food. If the young seagull had been provided food, he would never have learnt the art of flying. He would have become a crippled parasite on his family.

II. The Black Aeroplane

Two Stories about Flying Part 2 Reference-to-Context Type Questions

Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
The moon was coming up in the east, behind me, and stars were shining in the clear sky above me. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I was happy to be alone high up above the sleeping countryside. I was flying my old Dakota aeroplane over France back to England. I was dreaming of my holiday and looking forward to being with my family. I looked at my watch: one thirty in the morning.

(a) The narrator was going to
Answer:
England

(b) The narrator was dreaming of spending his holidays with .
Answer:
his family

(c) The narrator was flying his old Dakota aeroplane over Germany to Russia. (True/False)
Answer:
False

(d) Give a synonym of ‘gleaming’ from the extract.
Answer:
‘shining’

Question 2.
‘I should call Paris Control soon,’ I thought. As I looked down past the nose of the aeroplane, I saw the lights of a big city in front of me. I switched on the radio and said, “Paris Control, Dakota DS 088 here. Can you hear me? I’m on my way to England. Over.”
The voice from the radio answered me immediately: “DS 088, I can hear you. You ought to turn twelve degrees west now, DS 088. Over.”
I checked the map and the compass, switched over to my second and last fuel tank, and turned the Dakota twelve degrees west towards England. ‘I’ll be in time for breakfast,’ I thought. A good big English breakfast! Everything was going well — it was an easy flight.

(a) The narrator called the to inform about his position and seek direction.
Answer:
Paris Control Room

(b) The control room directed the narrator to turn towards England.
Answer:
Twelve degrees west

(c) After receiving the directions from the control room, the narrator did not check the map, but followed the directions of the control room. (True/False)
Answer:
False

(d) Find the synonym of ‘abruptly’ from the extract.
Answer:
Immediately.

Question 3.
Paris was about 150 kilometres behind me when I saw the clouds. Storm clouds. They were huge. They looked like black mountains standing in front of me across the sky. I knew I could not fly up and over them, and I did not 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. I wanted that breakfast.
‘I’ll take the risk,’ I thought, and flew that old
Dakota straight into the storm.

(a) While flying, the narrator suddenly faced storm clouds …………. him.
Answer:
In front of

(b) The dilemma of the narrator was to go to London or go back to
Answer:
Paris

(c) There were huge storm clouds that looked like black mountains across the sky. (True/False)
Answer:
True

(d) Give a synonymous word for ‘extremely large in size’ from the extract.
Answer:
‘huge’

Question 4.
Inside the clouds, everything was suddenly black. It was impossible to see anything outside the aeroplane. The old aeroplane jumped and twisted in the air. I looked at the compass. I couldn’t believe my eyes: the compass was turning round and round and round. It was dead. It would not work! The other instruments were suddenly dead, too. I tried the radio.“Paris Control? Paris Control? Can you hear me?” There was no answer. The radio was dead too. I had no radio, no compass, and I could not see where I was. I was lost in the storm.

(a) Inside the clouds, everything was suddenly
Answer:
Black

(b) The narrator looked at the compass and found it
Answer:
Dead

(c) The old Dakota and the pilot were lost in the storm. (True/False)
Answer:
True

(d) Find a synonym of the word ‘bent’ from the extract.
Answer:
‘Twisted’

Question 5.
Then, in the black clouds quite near me, I saw another aeroplane. It had no lights on its wings, but I could see it flying next to me through the storm. I could see the pilot’s face — turned towards me. I was very glad to see another person.
He lifted one hand and waved. “Follow me,” he was saying. “Follow me.”
‘He knows that I am lost,’ I thought. ‘He’s trying to help me.’
He turned his aeroplane 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 aeroplane like an obedient child.

(a) When the black clouds were quite near the narrator, he saw another
Answer:
Aeroplane

(b) The strange thing about another plane was that it did not have on its wings.
Answer:
lights

(c) The pilot of Dakota was unhappy to see another pilot and plane in the dark clouds. (True/False)
Answer:
False

(d) Give the synonym of ‘abnormal’ from the extract.
Answer:
‘Strange’

Question 6.
After half an hour the strange black aeroplane was still there in front of me in the clouds. Now there was only enough fuel in the old Dakota’s last tank to fly for five or ten minules more. I was starting to feel frightened again. But then he started to go down and I followed through the storm. Suddenly I came out of the clouds and saw two long straight lines of lights in front of me. It was a runway! An airport! I was safe! I turned to look for my friend in the black aeroplane, but the sky was empty. There was nothing there. The black aeroplane was gone. I could not see it anywhere.

(a) The pilot of the old Dakota lost the way in the stormy clouds and so followed to land safely.
Answer:
Black plane

(b) The pilot of the old Dakota was frightened again because there was insufficient to fly for a few minutes.
Answer:
Fuel

(c) The narrator came out of the clouds and saw two long straight lines of lights in front of him. (True/False)
Answer:
True

(d) Give a synonym of ‘afraid’ from the extract.
Answer:
Frightened.

Question 7.
I landed and was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota near the control tower. I went and asked a woman in the control centre where I was and who the other pilot was. I wanted to say ‘Thank you’.
She looked at me very strangely, and then laughed.
“Another aeroplane? Up there in this storm? No other aeroplanes were flying tonight. Yours was the only one I could see on the radar.”
So who helped me to arrive there safely without a compass or a radio, and without any more fuel in my tanks? Who was the pilot on the strange black aeroplane, flying in the storm, without lights?

(a) The narrator and was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota near the control tower.
Answer:
landed

(b) The woman looked at the narrator very strangely, and then
Answer:
laughed

(c) According to the woman, there was only one aeroplane in the air and it was the Dakota.
(True/False)
Answer:
True

(d) Find a synonym of ‘descended’ from the extract.
Answer:
‘landed’

Two Stories about Flying Part 2 Short Answer Questions

Question 1.
Why was the pilot happy? Give two reasons.
Answer:
The pilot was happy for the following two reasons:
(i) He was alone high up above the sleeping countryside.
(ii) He was dreaming of his holiday and looking forward to being with his family.

Question 2.
(i) Why did the pilot call the Paris Control the first time?
(ii) What was the advice of the Paris Control?
Answer:
(i) The first time, the pilot called the Paris Control Room to enquire about the location of the plane and the route to be followed.
(ii) The Paris Control advised him to turn twelve degrees west towards England.

Question 3.
How many fuel tanks were there in the plane? How much fuel was left?
Answer:
There were two fuel tanks in the plane. The pilot had already switched over to second and the last tank so there was enough fuel only to fly back to England.

Question 4.
What did the pilot encounter while 150 km away from Paris?
Answer:
The pilot encounterd black stormy clouds, 150 kilometres away from Paris.

Question 5.
Why did the pilot fly straight into the storm instead of returning to Paris?
Answer:
The pilot had a strong desire to get back home and have breakfast with his family. That is why, pilot took the risk and flew straight into the storm instead of going back to Paris.

Question 6.
Did the Paris Control hear the pilot, the second time he called? Why?
Answer:
No, because when the pilot tried to contact the Paris Control Room, he failed to do so as his radio was dead.

Question 7.
Describe the black clouds from the point of view of the pilot.
Answer:
When Paris was about 150 kilometres behind me, I saw the black clouds in front of me. They were huge clouds looked like black mountains standing in front of me across the sky. They were stormy and I could not fly up and over them.

Question 8.
How did the black aeroplane rescue the first pilot?
Answer:
The pilot of the black aeroplane guided the first pilot and helped him arrive safely at the airport.

Question 9.
Was the pilot of the Dakota able to meet the pilot of the black aeroplane?
Answer:
No, the pilot of the Dakota could not meet the pilot of the black aeroplane. TheTirst pilot even went to the Control Room to find who the other pilot was, but he could not find him. The black aeroplane disappeared without being seen by anyone even on the ‘radar’.

Two Stories about Flying Part 2 Long Answer Questions

Question 1.
Do you think the story ‘The Black Aeroplane’ is a mystery? Do you see some elements of supernatural power in the story? Do you believe in supernatural powers?
Answer:
The Black Aeroplane’ by Frederick Forsyth is undoubtedly a mystery. The pilot of the old Dakota plane is trapped in black stormy clouds. Nothing is visible. All the instruments of his plane also stop functioning. Suddenly from nowhere a black aeroplane appears in the cloud. The pilot of the black aeroplane guides him. The plane has no lights on its wings but its pilot is still flying at ease. The first pilot arrives safely at the airport but when he goes to thank the pilot of the black plane, the woman in the control room even denies having seen any other aeroplane on the ‘radar’. This statement leaves the mystery of the pilot of the black aeroplane unfolded. However, there is no element of supernatural power in the story. There is no ghost or spirit in the plot. I don’t believe in supernatural elements like ghosts or spirits.

Question 2.
Was it the imagination of the pilot of Dakota aeroplane or a supreme power which helped the first pilot in landing safely? Do you think that there is always a supreme power that helps us in adversity?
Answer:
The pilot of the old Dakota aeroplane was caught in the black stormy clouds. Suddenly, a black aeroplane comes to his rescue. In the modern age of science and technology some people may reject the idea of a supreme power helping a person in crisis. It may be the imagination of the Dakota pilot. When in distress, he lost all hope. Maybe his own imagination guided him to go ahead and land safely.

I support this because the statement of the woman in the control room further confirms the non-existence of any black aeroplane on the radar. So there was neither any black aeroplane nor any pilot, it was purely the imagination of the Dakota pilot.

I personally feel the presence of supreme power in our own acts. At the time of adversity our own power helps us. We may call it supreme power or something else except supernatural power.

Question 3.
The pilot wanted to thank another pilot after his safe landing. Why? What characteristics are reflected from his action?
Answer:
The pilot of the old Dakota was caught in the storm. He lost his contact with the control room. His fuel tank was also empty. The instrument also stopped working. He had lost all hopes when a black strange plane appeared from nowhere. The pilot of the black plane asked him to follow him. He landed safely. After his landing safely, he wanted to thank the pilot. When asked the lady in the control room about the pilot, he came to know that there was no pilot or plane with him. It was only his imagination. He wanted to thank the pilot to show his gratitude. He was thankful to him for saving his life.

Question 4.
Have you ever been alone, or away from home during a thunderstorm or something like that? Narrate your experience in the form of a paragraph. What helped you in that situation?
Answer:
Yes, once I was alone and away from home during a thunderstorm. In fact, I was on an educational excursion in Himachal Pradesh. We were a group of ten students. On that particular day, I was having fever and stayed locked in my tent in the base camp. All of my friends had gone to the city for shopping. Suddenly, I noticed a huge black cloud in one corner of the valley. It grew dark and started raining. It was followed by thunderstorm. I was all alone. It was really scary. I got into my tent but soon it was blown over by the wind. I was in the open. I ran towards a guest house. One of the persons in the guest house had already seen me. He ran towards me and rescued me.

NCERT Solutions for Class 6 English

A Different Kind of School NCERT Solutions for Class 6 English Honeysuckle Chapter 5

A Different Kind of School NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

A Different Kind of School Working with the text

A. Put these sentences from the story in the right order and write them out in a paragraph. Don’t refer to the text.
Answers
Let’s go for a little walk. Only you must tell me about things. I shall be so glad when today is over. The other bad days can’t be half as bad as this. Having a leg tied up and hopping about on a crutch is almost fun, I guess. I don’t think I’ll mind being deaf for a day – at least not much. But being blind is so frightening.

B. Answer the following questions.

Question 1.
Why do you think the writer visited Miss Beam’s school?
Answer:
The writer visited Miss Beam’s school because he had heard a lot about her school and how different its system of education was.

Question 2.
What was the ‘game’that every child in the school had to play?
Answer:
The game was that each term, every child had to participate in one blind day, one lame day, one deaf day, one injured day and one dumb day.

Question 3.
“Each term every child has one blind day, one lame day… ” Complete the line. Which day was the hardest? Why was it the hardest?
Answer:
.. .one deaf day, one injured day and one dumb day. The blind day is the worst and the hardest, but many children often tell Miss Beam that the dumb day is the hardest because they have to exercise their will power on that day.

Question 4.
What was the purpose of these special days?
Answer:
The purpose of these special days was to teach the students thoughtfulness—kindness to others, and being responsible citizens. By making the children appreciate and understand misfortune, the school made them share in misfortune too.

A Different Kind of School Working with language

A. Match the words and phrases with their meanings in the box below.

1. homesick: wanting to be home
2. practically: almost
3. it pains me: it hurts me
4. appreciate: understanding the difficulties
5. thoughtless: not very caring
6. exercise: test the strength of
7. relief: a welcome change
8. ghastly: terrible

B. Re-word these lines from the story:

Question 1.
I had heard a great deal about Miss Beam s school.
Answer:
I had heard a lot about Miss Beam’s school.

Question 2.
Miss Beam was all that I had expected—middle-aged, full of authority.
Answer:
Miss Beam was exactly how I had imagined her to be—middle-aged and authoritative.

Question 3.
I went to the window which overlooked a large garden.
Answer:
I approached the window which overlooked a huge garden.

Question 4.
“We cannot bandage the children s mouths, so they really have to exercise their will-power. ”
Answer:
“We cannot cover the children’s mouths, so they must have a strong will power throughout the day.”

C. Question 1.
Given below is a page from a dictionary. Look at it carefully and
i. find a word which means the same as ghastly. Write down the word and its two meanings.
ii. find a word meaning a part of the school year, in. find a word that means examination.
Answer:
i. terrible: causing fear; very bad
ii. term
iii. test

Question 2.
i. terrace; terraced; terrible; terribly; terrify; terrifying; terrified; terror; territory; territories; terrain; terrorism; terrorist
ii. five words that may follow the last word on the page, that.
iii. thank: to be grateful for something
Dictionary word: express gratitude to (someone)

A Different Kind of School Speaking and Writing

A. Make a short list of things you find difficult to do.
(Encourage the students to come up with their own answers.)
Answer:
There are many things that I find hard to do. For example, it is not an easy task for me to do a hula hoop. I think this is because it requires one to do two things at one time, and that for me, is not an easy task.

B. Look at your hands carefully. Now, write down for each finger one action for which that finger is particularly important. For example, the second (or index) finger helps to hold the knife down firmly when cutting.
Answer:

• The thumb helps us to do everything such as holding, carrying, picking things, etc. But I think the most important of all would be writing.
• Without the index finger, I would not be able to hold a glass or to play carrom.
• If I did not have a middle finger. I would not be able to snap or click sound with my fingers. I don’t think I can tie my shoelaces if I did not have a ring finger.
• Without the pinky, I will not be able to do my secret handshake with my best friend. We call it the ‘pinky swear’.

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English

Glimpses of the Past NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 3

Glimpses of the Past NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

Glimpses of the Past Comprehension check I

Question 1.
Look at picture 1 and recall the opening lines of the original song in Hindi. Who is the singer? Who else do you see in this picture?
Answer:
Lata Mangeshkar is the singer. We see our political leaders such as Pandit Jawahar Lai Nehru, Lai Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi in the picture on the top right. At the bottom, one can see pictures of Rani Lakshmi Bai, Bahadur Shah Zafar, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi.

Question 2.
In picture 2 what do you understand by the Company s “superior weapons ’’?
Answer:
The Company’s “superior weapons” are its clever strategies and tactics and support from the British Empire.

Question 3.
Who is an artisan? Why do you think the artisans suffered? (picture 3)
Answer:
An artisan is a worker in a skilled trade, especially one that involves making things by hand. Local artisans display handwoven textiles,painted ceramics, and leather goods in street markets. The artisans suffered because they had to pay huge taxes to the British government. At the same time, the British sold machine-made goods.

Question 4.
Which picture, according to you, reveals the first sparks of the fire of revolt?
Answer:
Picture 7 reveals the first sparks of the fire of revolt.

Glimpses of the Past Working with the text

Answer the following questions.

Question 1.
Do you think the Indian princes were short-sighted in their approach to the events of 175 7?
Answer:
The Indian princes were short-sighted in their approach to the events of 1757 because they helped British overthrow local rulers. In this way, they gave more power to the British inadvertently. They did not realize that by going against each other, they were paving a way for the British rule. If they were far-sighted, they would have joined hands and overthrown the East India Company together.

Question 2.
How did the East India Company subdue the Indian princes?
Answer:
The East India Company subdued the Indian princes using its superior weapons. They used the rivalries among local rulers to subdue the Indian princes one by one.

Question 3.
Quote the words used by Ram Mohan Roy to say that every religion teaches the same principles.
Answer:
The following are the words used by Ram Mohan Roy to say that every religion teaches the same principles:
“Cows are of different colours, but the colour of their milk is the same. Different teachers have different opinions but the essence of every religion is the same.”

Question 4.
In what ways did the British officers exploit Indians?
Answer:
The British officers exploit Indians in the following ways:

• They treated the Indians like slaves.
• They imposed heavy taxes on farmers, thus forcing them to abandon their fields. They put the defaulters into jail.
• The British policies ruined the expert artisans and their business.
• The East India Company’s laws began to cripple Indian industries.
• The British oppressed Indians by passing Regulation III in 1818. Under it, an Indian could be jailed without trial in a court.

Question 5.
Name these people.
i. The ruler who fought pitched battles against the British and died fighting.
ii. The person who wanted to reform the society.
iii. The person who recommended the introduction of English education in India.
iv. Two popular leaders who led the revolt (Choices may vary.)
Answer:
i. Tipu of Mysore
ii. Ram Mohan Roy
iii. Macaulay
iv. Sepoy Mangal Pande; Emperor Bahadur Shah; Tatya Tope; Kunwar Singh; Begum Hazrat Mahal; Maulvi Ahmedulla; Peshwa Nana Saheb

Question 6.
Mention the following.
i. Two examples of social practices prevailing then.
Answer:
Untouchability and child marriage

ii. Two oppressive policies of the British.
Answer:
Heavy taxes on farmers and sending defaulters to jail; Regulation III.

iii. Two ways in which common people suffered.
Answer:
They lost their jobs and they were being converted by the British.

iv. Four reasons for the discontent that led to the 1857 War of Independence.

• The following are the four reasons for the discontent that led to the 1857 War of Independence:
• The British had enslaved the Indians in their own land. They had no jobs, paid heavy taxes and could be jailed without a trial.
• The East India Company reaped all profits and destroyed Indian industries and local artisans. At the same time British officers in India drew big salaries and also made fortunes in private business. Taxes continued to ruin the peasants, who had lost their lands to the British.
• There were claims that the grease in the bullets used by the East India Company Army was made of cow and pig fat. These were prohibited for the Hindus and Muslims respectively. Besides, the Indian soldiers received a differential treatment from the British in comparison to their British counterparts.

Glimpses of the Past Working with language

1. Change the following sentences into indirect speech.
i. First man: We must educate our brothers.
Second man: And try to improve their material conditions.
Third man: For that we must convey our grievances to the British Parliament.

i. The first man said that they must educate their brothers.
The second man added that they must try to improve their material conditions.
The third man suggested that for that they must convey their grievances to the British Parliament.

ii. First soldier: The white soldier gets huge pay, mansions and servants.
Second soldier: We get a pittance and slow promotions.
Third soldier: Who are the British to abolish our customs?

The first soldier said that the white soldier got huge pay, mansions and servants.
The second soldier remarked that they got a pittance and slow promotions.
The third soldier asked who the British were to abolish their customs.

Glimpses of the Past Speaking and writing

Question 1.
Playact the role of farmers who have grievances against the policies of the government. Rewrite their ‘speech bubbles’in dialogue form first. (Encourage the students to use their creativity and formulate their own answers.)
Sample answer:

Farmer 1:1 do not trust the British at all. They are only thinking about us, and oppressing us. How can they expect us to pay such heavy taxes when there has been no rainfall in the past two years?

Farmer 2: Their men took all my crops on the pretense that I was still in arrears. What do I feed my family? I have so many mouths to feed, and this exploitation. I don’t want to go to jail. Have you observed Sukhiya’s behaviour after he returned from jail last week? He doesn’t speak to anyone; he even tried to kill himself. I don’t know what to do.

Farmer 1: Have patience, brother. The British officers will rot in hell one day.

Farmer 2:1 know, but I am at my wit’s end now. We will all die of starvation one day, and . the British will be throwing food around. I wish all this would end soon.

Farmer 1:1 hope so to, brother. Come on. Let’s go and talk to that officer over there.

Question 2.
Ask one another questions about the pictures.

(a) Where is the fox?
Answer:
The fox is in a well.

(b) How did it happen?
Answer:
It fell into the well accidentally.

(c) What is the fox thinking?
Answer:
The fox is thinking of ways of getting out of the well.

(d) Who is the visitor?
Answer:
A goat

(f) What does she want to know?
Answer:
She thinks that the fox went into the well to taste its sweet water. She wants to know from the fox if the water tastes sweet.

(g) What is the fox’s reply?
Answer:
The fox replies in affirmative, claiming that the water is so sweet that he has taken too much, and might faint.

(h) What happens next?
Answer:
The goat goes into the well to taste the sweet water.

(i) Where is the goat?
Answer:
She is in the well.

(j) Where is the fox now?
Answer:
The fox is on top of the goat.

(k) What is the goat thinking?
Answer:
The goat is thinking that she should have been wary of a stranger’s advice.

ii. Write the story in your own words. Give it a title.
(Encourage students to write in their own words.)

Question 3.
Based on this news item given in the book, write a paragraph on what you think about this new method of teaching history.
Answer:
Sample answer: In my opinion, this way of teaching history is interesting. I am sure that the teachers are able to catch the attention of the students easily through this method. The use of comic books to teach a subject that is very often considered “overwhelming” is a novel and fun concept. I wish this could be done with math as well. By having the group discussions in class, the teachers are able to teach the students how to present their opinions well. In this way, studies do not seem like a burden. This is a fun approach to learning, and I am all for it.

Question 4.
Find the chapters in your history book that correspond to the episodes and events described in this comic. Note how the information contained in a few chapters of history has been condensed to a few pages with the help ofpictures and ‘speech bubbles ’.
Answer:
(Encourage the students to find the chapters in their history book that correspond to the episodes and events described in this comic.)

Question 5.
Create a comic of your own using this story.
Once the Sun and the Wind began to quarrel, each one saying that he was stronger than the other. At last they decided to test each other’s strength. A man with a cloak around his shoulders was passing by.

The Wind boasted, “Using my strength I can make that man take off the cloak.” The Sun agreed. The Wind blew hard. The man felt so cold that he clasped his cloak round his body as tightly as possible.

Now it was the turn of the Sun which shone very hot indeed. The man felt so hot that he at once removed the cloak from his body. Seeing the man taking off the cloak, the Wind conceded defeat.
(Encourage the students to create a comic of their own using the given story.)