Weathering the Storm in Ersama

Page No: 42

1. What havoc has the super cyclone wreaked in the life of the people of Orissa?

Ans: The cyclone brought heavy rains and strong winds. As a result, majority of the houses had blown away and only the strong cement houses were  spared. Dirty water covered the land as far as the eye could see. Many people lost their lives. There were floating human bodies and bloated animal carcasses all around. Even the strongest of the trees had  been uprooted. The scenes were gruesome. Many people lost their relatives and many children had become orphans. There was shortage of food. People were sad and helpless and a pall of gloom had descended on the people all around.

2. How has Prashant, a teenager, been able to help the people of his village?

Ans: Prashant helped the people of his village by first getting a grip over himself because he was initially shocked on witnessing the after effects of the cyclone. He decided to step in as the leader of his village. He organized a group of youths and elders to  jointly pressurize the merchant to given rice for the people living in the shelter. He was successful in this task. His next task was to organize a team of youth volunteers to clean the shelter and to tend to the wounds of the people who had been injured because of the cyclone.
Prashant also brought a number of orphaned children together and constructed a polythene shelter for them. While women were  mobilized to look after them, the men secured food and other essentials for the shelter. When he realised that the women were becoming too grief-stricken, he persuaded them to start working in the food-for-work programme, which was  initiated by an NGO. He also organized sports events for children.

3. How have the people of the community helped one another? What role do the women of Kalikuda play during these days?

Ans: The people of the community got together and began to help one another under the leadership of young Prashant. Together they pressurised the merchant to part with his rice for the people in the shelter. They gathered branches from fallen trees and lit a fire, on which they cooked rice for all to eat.
When the military helicopter dropped some food parcels but did not return, the youth task force gathered empty utensils from the shelter and made the children lie in the sand with the utensils on their stomachs to communicate to the passing helicopters that they were hungry. The message went through and the helicopter made regular rounds of the shelter, airdropping food and other basic needs.
Women were  mobilized to look after the orphans, while the men secured food and materials for the shelter. Inspite of being grief stricken the women started working in the food-for-work programme started by an NGO.

4. What  do Prashant and other volunteers resist the plan to set up institutions for orphans and widows? Why alternatives do they consider?

Ans: : The plan to set up institutions for orphans and widows was resisted because it was believed that in such institutions children will grow up without love and affection and widows would suffer from stigma and loneliness. Instead, Prashant and his group suggested that the children and widows should  be resettled in their own community where they can get a homely environment. They suggested setting up of foster families made up of childless widows and children without adult care.

5. Do you think Prashant is good leader? Do you think young people can get together to help people during natural calamities?

Ans: Yes, Prashant is a very good leader. Though he himself was too grief-stricken, he got a hold of himself and decided to step in as the leader of the village. He carried out his role effectively and helped the people of his village in every possible manner.
Yes. Young people can definitely get together to help people during natural calamities and otherwise. They can use their strength and vigour to help people.

The Snake Trying

I. 1. What is the snake trying to escape from?
Ans: The snake is trying to escape from the stick.

2. Is it a harmful snake? What is its colour?

Ans: No, it is not a harmful snake. Its small size renders it harmless even to the children. The snake is green in colour.

3. The poet finds the snake beautiful. Find the words he uses to convey its beauty.

Ans: The words the poet uses to convey the snake’s beauty are “beautiful” and “graceful”.

4. What does the poet wish for the snake?

Ans: The poet wishes that the snake be left unharmed. He wants it to go over the water into the reeds to hide.

5. Where was the snake before anyone saw it and chased it away? Where does the snake disappear?

Ans: The snake was lying on the sand till someone saw it and again chased it away. The snake disappeared in the ripples of the water among the green reeds.

II. 1. Find out as much as you can about different kinds of snakes (from books in the library, or from the Internet). Are they all poisonous? Find out the names of some poisonous snakes.

Ans: No, all snakes are not poisonous. Some of the poisonous snakes are Indian Cobra, Common Krait, Russell’s Viper and Saw-scaled Viper.

On Killing a Tree

I. 1. Can a “simple jab of the knife” kill a tree? Why not?

Ans: No, a simple jab of a knife cannot kill a tree because it takes many years for a tree to grow and rise out of the earth. Moreover, only a chop cannot kill it because it will slowly rise again and grow to its original size.

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2. How has the tree grow to its full size? List the words suggestive of its life and activity.

Ans: The tree grows to its full size by absorbing years of sunlight, water, and air. It slowly grows out of the earth and sprouts leaves. The words suggestive of its life and activity are ‘grown slowly consuming the earth’, ‘rising out of it’, ‘feeding upon its crust’, ‘absorbing years of sunlight, air, water’, and ‘sprouting leaves’.

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3. What is the meaning of “bleeding bark”? What makes it bleed?

Ans: “Bleeding bark” refers to the area on the tree trunk where it has been hit with the axe. It bleeds because the wood cutter has wounded the tree by cutting and chopping it.

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4. The poet says “No” in the beginning of the third stanza. What does he mean by this?

Ans: In the beginning of the third stanza, the poet has said “No” to lay emphasis on the fact that mere chopping of the tree would not kill it. The tree would grow again and retain its original size.

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5. What is the meaning of “anchoring earth” and “earth cave”?

Ans: “Anchoring earth” refers to the roots of the tree that lie inside the earth and play the role of an anchor for the tree to grow. They ensure the security of the tree as they nourish it with water and nutrients. “Earth cave” refers to the ground on which the foundation of the tree is laid as it holds the roots and keeps the tree standing tall and protects it from adversities such as heavy rainfall or storm.

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6. What does he mean by “the strength of the tree exposed”?

Ans: The strength of the tree lies in its roots, which the poet asks to snap out in order to kill the tree. Thus, the phrase “the strength of the tree exposed” refers to the roots of the tree being exposed to sunlight and air.

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7. What finally kills the tree?

Ans: The tree is finally killed by the uprooting of its roots. When the roots, which had anchored it lying hidden in the earth for years, were dug out, the tree’s strength was exposed and this led to the death of the tree. It dried up after it had been uprooted.

The Bond of Love

Page No:119 Thinking about the Text  (do in book)
Given in the box are some headings. Find the relevant paragraphs in the text to match the headings.

Ans: An Orphaned Cub – para 3
Bruno’s Food-chart – para 6
An Accidental Case of Poisoning – para 8
Playful Baba – para 12
Pain of Separation – para 14
Joy of Reunion – para 16
A Request to the Zoo – para 18
An Island in the Courtyard – para 21

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(do in notebook)

II. Answer the following questions.

1.   “I got him for her by accident.”

(i) Who says this?
(ii) Who do ‘him’ and ‘her’ refer to?
(iii) What is the incident referred to here?

Ans: (i) Narrator said this.

(ii) Here, ‘him’ refers to the sloth bear and ‘her’ refers to the narrator’s wife.

(iii)  About two  years ago the narrator and his companions were passing through the sugarcane fields near Mysore. Suddenly, they saw a black sloth bear. One of the narrator’s companions shot it on the spot. As they saw the fallen animal, they were surprised to see that the black fur on its back moved. Then they saw that it was a baby bear that had been riding on its mother’s back. The narrator ran up to it and attempted to capture it. He finally succeeded in grabbing it and gifted it to his wife. This incident is referred to in the above statement

2. “He stood on his head in delight.”
(i) Who does ‘he’ refer to?
(ii) Why was he delighted?

Ans: (i) ‘He’ refers to the bear, Bruno.
(ii) Bruno was delighted to see the narrator’s wife after three months of separation.

 

3. “We all missed him greatly: but in a sense we were relieved.”
(i) Who does ‘we all’ stand for?
(ii) Who did they miss?
(iii) Why did they nevertheless feel relieved?

Ans: (i) ‘We all’ stands for the narrator, his wife and his son.
(ii) They missed Bruno (Baba).
(iii) They felt relieved because Baba was getting too big to be kept at home. That is why they had sent him off to a zoo.

 

III. Answer the following questions in 30 to 40 words each.

1. On two occasions Bruno ate/drank something that should not be eaten /drunk. What happened to him on these occasions?

Ans: Bruno ate some poison-barium carbonate He also vomited and breathed heavily, but was later cured. In another incident, he drank nearly a gallon of old engine oil. Fortunately, he remained unaffected.meant for the rats, which paralysed and weakened him.

2. Was Bruno a loving and playful pet? Why, then, did he have to be sent away?

Ans: Yes, Bruno was a loving and playful pet. Everybody in the family was attached to it ,especially the narrator’s wife. It had to be sent  away to a zoo because it was getting too big to be kept at home.

3. How was the problem of what to do with  Bruno finally solved?

Ans: Bruno was not happy at the zoo. Seeing its condition and its happiness at seeing the narrator’s wife, Bruno was allowed to go back to Bangalore. There, an island was made for the bear, keeping all its needs in mind.

I. 1. Find these words in the lesson. They all have ie or ei in them.(do in book)

f___ld	ingred ___nts	h ___ght	misch ___vous
fr ___nds	___ghty-seven	rel ___ved	p ___ce

Ans:

field	ingredients	height	mischievous
friends	eighty-seven	relieved	piece

2. Now here are some more words. Complete them with ei or ie. Consult a dictionary if necessary.

bel___ ve	rec ___ve	w ___rd	l ___sure	s ___ze
w ___ght	r ___gn	f ___gn	gr ___f	p ___rce

(There is a popular rule of spelling: ‘i’ before ‘e’ except after ‘c’. Check if this rule is true by looking at the words above.)
Ans:

believe	receive	weird	leisure	seize
weight	reign	feign	grief	pierce

 

II. Here are some words with silent letters. Learn their spelling. Your teacher will dictate these words to you. Write them down and underline the silent letters.

knock	wrestle	walk	wrong
knee	half	honest	daughter
hours	return	hornet	calm
could	sign	island	button

Ans:

Knock	Wrestle	Walk	Wrong
Knee	Half	Honest	Daughter
Hours	Return	Hornet	Calm
Could	Sign	Island	Button

2. Adverbs

(i) Complete the following sentences, using a suitable adverb ending in –ly.
  (in book)

(i) (a) Rana does her homework timely.
(b) It rains heavily in Mumbai in June.
(c) He does his work properly.
(d) The dog serves his master faithfully.
(ii) (a) We should never get down from a moving train.
(b) I was badly in need of support after my poor performance.
(c) Rita met with an accident. The doctor examined her immediately.

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Reach for the Top 

 Answer these questions in one or two sentences each. (The paragraph numbers within brackets provide clues to the answers.) 

1. Why was the ‘holy man’ who gave Santosh’s mother his blessings surprised? (1)

2. Give an example to show that even as a young girl Santosh was not ready to accept anything unreasonable. (2)

3. Why was Santosh sent to the local school? (3)
 4. When did she leave home for Delhi, and why? (4)
 5. Why did Santosh’s parents agree to pay for her schooling in Delhi? What mental qualities of Santosh are brought into light by this incident? (4)

Ans: 1. The ‘holy man’ was surprised because he had assumed that Santosh’s mother wanted a son. But grandmother told him that they did not want a son.

 2. Santosh, from the very beginning, lived life on her own terms. She was not content with the traditional way of life and was not ready to accept anything unreasonable. Where other girls wore traditional Indian dresses, Santosh preferred shorts.

 3. Even though Santosh’s parents could afford to send their children to the best schools, she was sent to the local village school due to the prevailing custom in the family.

 4. When she turned sixteen and was under pressure to get married, Santosh threatened her parents that she would never marry if she did not get a proper education. Therefore, she left home and got herself enrolled in a school in Delhi.

 5. When Santosh’s parents refused to pay for her education, she politely informed them of her plans to earn money by working part time to pay her school fees. Then, her parents agreed to pay for her schooling in Delhi. This shows that Santosh was a mentally-strong girl and was determined to work very hard to get herself properly educated.

 Page No: 103

 II.Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words). 

1. How did Santosh begin to climb mountains?
 2. What incidents during the Everest expedition show Santosh’s concern for her team-mates?
3. What shows her concern for the environment?
4. How does she describe her feelings at the summit of the Everest?
5. Santosh Yadav got into the record books both times she scaled Mt Everest. What were the reasons for this?

 Ans: 1. From her room in Kasturba Hostel, she watched people going up the Aravalli Hills and vanishing after a while. On investigating, she found nobody except a few mountaineers, and she asked if she could join them. They agreed and even motivated her to take to climbing and so she later accompanied them on their climbing expedition. This was how she began climbing mountains.

 2. During the Everest mission, Santosh showed immense concern for her fellow climbers. Though she was unsuccessful in saving the life of one of them, she did manage to save another climber through artificial respiration.

 3. Santosh was a fervent environmentalist. Her concern for the environment is evident from the fact that she collected and brought down 500 kilograms of garbage from the Himalayas.

 4. Santosh asserted that her feeling at the summit of the Everest was “indescribable”. Unfurling the Indian flag on the top of the world was a spiritual moment for her and she felt proud as an Indian.

 5. When Santosh Yadav first scaled Mt Everest, she became the youngest woman in the world to achieve the feat. When she scaled the Everest the second time, she became the only woman to have scaled it twice.

 (Do these Qs in the book )

 III. Complete the following statements.
 Ans: 1. From her room in Kasturba Hostel, Santosh used to watch villagers going up the hill and suddenly vanish after a while.

 2. When she finished college, Santosh had to write a letter of apology to her father because she had got herself enrolled at Uttarkashi’s Nehru Institute of Mountaineering without his permission.

 3. During the Everest expedition, her seniors in the team admired her climbing skills, physical fitness and mental strength while her concern for others and desire to work together with them endeared her to fellow climbers.

 IV. Pick out words from the text that mean the same as the following words or expressions. (Look in the paragraphs indicated.) 

 1. took to be true without proof (1)                      Assumed

 2. based on reason; sensible; reasonable (2):       Rational

3. the usual way of doing things (3):                      Custom

4. a strong desire arising from within (5):                Urge

5. the power to endure, without falling ill (7) :       Resistance