NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 7 Glimpses of India
I. A Baker from Goa
Oral Comprehension Check (Page 86)
1. What are the elders in Goa nostalgic about?
Answer: The elders in Goa are nostalgic about the good old Portuguese days and their love of bread and loaves. The writer says that the eaters of loaves have left but the bakers still exist, if not the original ones, their legacy is being continued by their sons.
2. Is bread-making still popular in Goa? How do you know?
Answer: Yes, bread making is still popular in Goa. This is evident from the existence of time-tested mixers, moulders and furnaces. The legacy of bread-makers is being continued by their sons.
3. What is the baker called?
Answer: The baker is called a pader in Goa.
4. When would the baker come everyday? Why did the children run to meet him?
Answer: The baker would come twice a day—once early in the morning to deliver the loaves and the secondly when he returned after selling his stock.
The children would run to meet him as they wanted to have bread-bangles he had made for them.
Oral Comprehension Check (Page 87)
1. Match the following. What is a must
(i) as marriage gifts? – cakes and bolinhas
(ii) for a party or a feast? – sweet bread called bol
(iii) for a daughter’s engagement? – bread
(iv) for Christmas? – sandwiches
Answer:
(i) as marriage gifts – sweet bread called bol
(ii) for a party or a feast – bread
(iii) for a daughter’s engagement – sandwiches
(iv) for Christmas – cakes and bolinhas
2. What did the bakers wear : (i) In the Portuguese days? (ii) When the author was young?
Answer: (i) The bakers were usually dressed up in a peculiar knee-length frock dress called kabai.
(ii) When the author was young, he author saw the bakers wearing a shirt and trousers which were shorter than full length ones and longer than half pants.
3. Who invites the comment – “he is dressed like a pader” Why?
Answer: Any person who is seen wearing a half pant which reaches just below the knees invites this comment. This is because the baker, known as a pader, used to dress like that.
4. Where were the monthly accounts of the baker recorded?
Answer: Monthly accounts of the baker were recorded on some wall in the house with a pencil.
5. What does a ‘jackfruit-like appearance’ mean?
Answer: It means having a plump physique, like a jackfruit. In those days, bakers had plump physique because baking was a profitable profession.
Thinking About the Text(Page 88)
1. Which of these statements are correct?
Answer:
(i) The pader was an important person in the village in old times. (Correct)
(ii) Paders still exist in Goan villages.(Correct)
(iii) The paders went away with the Portuguese. (Incorrect)
(iv) The paders continue to wear a single-piece long frock. (Incorrect)
(v) Bread and cakes were an integral part of Goan life in the old days. (Correct)
(vi) Traditional bread-baking is still a very profitable business. (Correct)
(vii) Paders and their families starve in the present times. (Incorrect)
2. Is bread an important part of Goan life? How do you know this?
Answer: Yes, bread is an important part of Goan life. It is evident from its presence at all important occasions. From sweet breads at marriages to sandwiches at engagement parties and cakes and Bolinhas at Christmas as well as other occasions, makes the presence of a baker in every village, very essential.
3. Tick the right answer. What is the tone of the author when he says the following?
Answer:
(i) The thud and the jingle of the traditional baker ‘s bamboo can still be heard in some places, (nostalgic , hopeful, sad)
(ii) Maybe the father is not alive but the son still carries on the family profession, (nostalgic, hopeful, sad)
(iii) I still recall the typical fragrance of those loaves, (nostalgic, hopeful, naughty)
(iv) The tiger never brushed his teeth. Hot tea could wash and clean up everything so nicely, after all. (naughty, angry, funny )
(v) Cakes and bolinhas are a must for Christmas as well as other festivals, (sad, hopeful, matter-of-fact )
(vi) The baker dnd his family never starved. They always looked happy and prosperous, (matter-of-fact , hopeful, sad)
II. Coorg
Thinking About The Text (Page 92)
1. Where is Coorg?
Answer: Coorg is the smallest district of Karnataka. It is situated midway between Mysore and the coastal town of Mangalore.
2. What is the story about the Kodavu people’s descent?
Answer: It is said that the people of Coorg or Kodavu are descendents of Greeks or Arabs. According to one story, a section of Alexander’s army moved South along the coast and settled there only when they were unable to return to their country. These people married among the locals.
3.What are some of the things you now know about?
(i) the people of Coorg?
(ii) the main crop of Coorg?
(iii) the sports it offers to a tourists?
(iv) the animals you are likely to see in Coorg?
(v) its distance from Bangalore and how to get there?
(i) the people of Coorg?
Answer: The people of Coorg are known to be descendants of the Greeks or the Arabs. They are independent and ferocious. They are the bravest soldiers in the Indian Army. At the same time, they are welcoming and are known for their hospitality. They have married amongst their locals and their culture is very different from what is seen in mainstream Hindus.
(ii) the main crop of Coorg?
Answer: Coffee is the main crop of Coorg. Coffee estates with colonial bungalows are abundant and even provide homestays for visitors to experience the Coorgi way of life.
(iii) the sports it offers to a tourists?
Answer: It mostly offers high -energy adventure sports which include river rafting, canoeing, rappelling, rock climbing and mountain biking. Trekking is also one of the favourite sports among tourists.
(iv) the animals you are likely to see in Coorg?
Answer: The animals likely to be seen in Coorg are macaques, Malabar squirrel, langurs, slender loris, wild elephants etc.
(v) its distance from Bangalore and how to get there?
Answer: By road, it is around 250 – 260 kilometres from Bangalore. There are two routes to Coorg from Bangalore. The route via Mysore is the most frequented one. The other route is via Neelamangal, Kunigal, Chanrayanapatna.
4. Here are six sentences with some words in italics. Find phrases from the text that have the same meaning. (Look in the paragraphs indicated)
(i) During monsoons it rains so heavily that tourists do not visit Coorg. (Para 2)
(ii) Some people say that Alexander’s army moved south along the coast and settled there. (Para 3)
(iii) The Coorg people are always ready to tell stories of their son’s and father’s valour. (Para 4)
(iv) Even people who normally lead an easy and slow life get smitten by the high energy adventure sports of Coorg. (Para 6)
(v) The theory of the Arab origin is supported by the long coat with embroidered waist-belt they wear. (Para 3)
(vi) Macaques, Malabar squirrels observe you carefully from the tree canopy. (Para 7)
Answer:
(i) to keep visitors away
(ii) As one story goes
(iii) are more than willing to recount
(iv) The most laidback individuals become converts to
(v) draws support from
(vi) keep a watchful eye
Thinking About Language (Page 93)
Collocations
Certain words ‘go together’. Such ‘word friends’ are called collocations. The collocation of a word is ‘the company it keeps’. For example, look at the paired sentences and phrases below. Which is a common collocation, and which one is odd? Strike out the odd sentence or phrase.
Questions.
(a) ‘How old are you?’ (b) a pleasant person
‘How young are you?’ a pleasant pillow
Answers:
(a) The odd sentence is ‘How young are you?’
(b) The odd phrase is ‘a pleasant pillow’.
1. Here are some nouns from the text.
‘culture’ ‘monks’ ‘surprise’ ‘experience’ ‘weather’ ‘tradition’
Work with a partner and discuss which of the nouns can collocate with which of the adjectives given below. The first one has been done for you.
‘unique’ ‘terrible’ ‘unforgettable’ ‘serious’ ‘ancient’ ‘wide’ ‘sudden’
Questions.
1. culture : unique culture, ancient culture
2. monks : _____________
3. surprise: ___________
4. experience: __________
5. weather: ___________
6. tradition: ___________
Answer:
- culture: unique culture, ancient culture
- monks: ancient monks
- surprise: Unique surprise, terrible surprise, unforgettable surprise
- experience: Unique experience, terrible experience, unforgettable experience, sudden experience
- weather: terrible weather, sudden weather
- tradition: unique tradition, ancient tradition
2. Complete the following phrases from the text. For each phrase, can you find at least one other word that would fit into the blank?
Missing Alternate word
1. tales of __________ ___________
2. coastal __________ ___________
3. a piece of __________ ___________
4. evergreen __________ ___________
5. plantations __________ ___________
6. bridge __________ ___________
7. wild ___________ ___________
Answer:
Missing Alternate word
valour bravery
town belt, village
heaven cake
rainforests jungle
coffee tea, banana
rope steel, concrete
creatures animals
III. Tea from Assam
Thinking About Language (Page 96,97)
I. 1. Look at these words: upkeep, downpour, undergo, dropout, walk-in. They are built up from a verb (keep, pour, go, drop, walk) and an adverb or a preposition (up, down, under, out, in).
Use these words appropriately in the sentences below. You may consult a dictionary.
(i) A heavy _____ has been forecast due to low pressure in the Bay of Bengal.
(ii) Rakesh will _____ major surgery tomorrow morning.
(iii) My brother is responsible for the ____ of our family property.
(iv) The ____ rate for this accountancy course is very high.
(v) She went to the Enterprise Company to attend a _____ interview.
Answer:
(i) A heavy downpour has been forecast due to low pressure in the Bay of Bengal.
(ii) Rakesh will undergo major surgery tomorrow morning.
(iii) My brother is responsible for the upkeep of our family property.
(iv) The dropout rate for this accountancy course is very high.
(v) She went to the Enterprise Company to attend a walk- in nterview.
2. Now fill in the blanks in the sentences given below by combining the verb given in brackets with one of the words from the box as appropriate.
‘over’ ‘by’ ‘through’ ‘out’ ‘up’ ‘down’
(i) The Army attempted unsuccessfully to ____ the Government, (throw)
(ii) Scientists are on the brink of a major _____ in cancer research, (break)
(iii) The State Government plans to build a ____ for Bhubaneswar to speed up traffic on the main highway, (pass)
(iv) Gautama’s ____ on life changed when he realised that the world is full of sorrow, (look)
(v) Rakesh seemed unusually _____ after the game, (cast)
Answers:
(i) The Army attempted unsuccessfully to overthrow the Government, (throw)
(ii) Scientists are on the brink of a major breakthrough in cancer research, (break)
(iii) The State Government plans to build a bypass for Bhubaneswar to speed up traffic on the main highway, (pass)
(iv) Gautama’s lookout on life changed when he realised that the world is full of sorrow, (look)
(v) Rakesh seemed unusually downcast after the game, (cast)
II. Notice how these -ing and -ed adjectives are used.
(a) Chess is an interesting game.
I am very interested in chess.
(b) Going trekking in the Himalayas this summer is an exciting idea.
We are very excited about the trek.
(c) Are all your School books this boring?
He was bored as he had no friends there.
The -ing adjectives show the qualities that chess, trekking or these books have: they cause interest, excitement, or boredom in you. The – ed /-en adjectives show your mental state or your physical state: how you feel in response to ideas, events or things.
1. Think of suitable -ing or -ed adjectives to answer the following questions. You may also use words from those given above.
How would you describe
(i) a good detective serial on television? ____
(ii) a debate on your favourite topic ‘Homework Should Be Banned’? ____
(iii) how you feel when you stay indoors due to incessant rain? ____
(iv) how you feel when you open a present? ____
(v) how you feel when you watch your favourite programme on television? ____
(vi) the look on your mother’s face as you waited in a queue? ____
(vii) how you feel when tracking a tiger in a tiger reserve forest? _____
(viii) the story you have recently read, or a film you have seen? _____
Answers:
(i) thrilling
(ii) interesting
(iii) bored
(iv) excited
(v) interested
(vi) disappointed
(vii) thrilled
(viii) thrilling/interesting/boring
2. Now use the adjectives in the exercise above, as appropriate, to write a paragraph about Coorg.
Answer: Do it yourself.
