Certainly! Here is a summary of the “Glimpses of India” chapter from the sources, along with answers to the questions provided in the text, presented in an easy-to-understand format with emojis.
Summary of “Glimpses of India”
The “Glimpses of India” chapter gives a picture of three different regions of India, showing how varied, charming, and beautiful the country is. It aims to provide rich, comprehensible inputs to learners and includes texts in a variety of genres, touching upon aspects of life relevant to adolescents, including glimpses of our country and our relationship with the natural world.
A Baker from Goa: This section looks back at the traditional bakers of Goa from the old Portuguese days. Elders are often nostalgic about this time and the famous loaves of bread. While the people who ate those loaves might be gone, the mixers, moulders, and bakers still exist, and the age-old, time-tested furnaces are still used. The traditional baker’s arrival in the morning is announced by the thud and jingle of his bamboo. Bakers were very important for the village, as bread was essential for marriage gifts (the sweet bread called ‘bol’), parties, feasts, and even for Christmas with cakes and bolinhas. The baker’s monthly accounts were recorded on a wall with a pencil. The baker and his family were generally happy and prosperous and had a plump physique, which was an open testimony to this. The son often carries on the family profession.
Coorg: Coorg, or Kodagu, is described as a piece of heaven midway between Mysore and Mangalore, a land of rolling hills inhabited by martial men, beautiful women, and wild creatures. It is the smallest district of Karnataka and is famous for its evergreen rainforests (covering thirty per cent of the district), spices, and coffee plantations. The season for visitors is from September to March, as it pours heavily during the monsoons. The people of Coorg are known as Kodavu people. They are believed to be of Arab descent, supported by the tradition of wearing a long coat with an embroidered waist-belt called a Kuppia. Coorg offers various adventure sports like river rafting, canoeing, rappelling, rock climbing, and mountain biking, as well as numerous walking trails. Visitors can see birds, bees, butterflies, macaques, Malabar squirrels, langurs, slender loris, and wild elephants. Climbing the Brahmagiri hills offers a panoramic view of the misty landscape. Nearby is India’s largest Tibetan settlement at Bylakuppe, where Buddhist monks in red, ochre, and yellow robes can be seen.
Tea from Assam: This part introduces Rajvir, a classmate of Pranjol from Assam, who visits Pranjol’s home during summer vacation. It describes the vast tea gardens of Assam, where green, green scenery stretches as far as the eye can see, with tiny tea plants dwarfed by tall shade-trees and doll-like figures moving among the rows. Tea is very popular, with over eighty crore cups drunk daily worldwide. Two legends about the discovery of tea are mentioned: one about a Chinese emperor who accidentally discovered it when tea leaves fell into his boiling water, and another about an ancient Buddhist ascetic named Bodhidharma who cut off his eyelids, from which ten tea plants grew, whose leaves banished sleep when put in hot water and drunk. Tea was first drunk in China around 2700 B.C., and words like ’tea’, ‘chai’, and ‘chini’ are from Chinese. It came to Europe in the sixteenth century and was initially drunk as medicine. The text mentions the “second-flush or sprouting period” of tea cultivation, which lasts from May to July and yields the best tea.
These sections introduce students to different geographical locations, cultures, and practices in India.
Answers to Questions from “Glimpses of India”
Here are the answers to the questions provided in the sources related to the “Glimpses of India” chapter:
A Baker from Goa
Oral Comprehension Check 1:
- What are the elders in Goa nostalgic about?
- The elders are often heard reminiscing nostalgically about the good old Portuguese days, the Portuguese and their famous loaves of bread. ππ΅πΉπ
- Is bread-making still popular in Goa? How do you know?
- Yes, bread-making is still popular in Goa. The source states that the mixers, moulders, and bakers still exist, and the age-old furnaces are still used. The thud and jingle of the baker’s bamboo can still be heard in some places. Also, the need for bread for various occasions like marriages and festivals indicates its continued popularity. β¨π₯π
- What is the baker called?
- The baker is called a pader. π§βπ³π₯
- When would the baker come everyday? Why did the children run to meet him?
- The baker would come twice a day: once in the morning on his selling round and again in the evening when returning after emptying his basket. The children ran to meet him because they longed for the bread-bangles or special sweet bread. πββοΈππ€€
- What are the elders in Goa nostalgic about?
Oral Comprehension Check 2:
- Match the following. What is a must…
- (i) as marriage gifts? β sweet bread called bol π
- (ii) for a party or a feast? β bread π
- (iii) for a daughterβs engagement? β sandwiches ππ₯ͺ
- (iv) for Christmas? β cakes and bolinhas ππ°
- What did the bakers wear: (i) in the Portuguese days? (ii) when the author was young?
- (i) In the Portuguese days, bakers wore a kabai, a single-piece long frock reaching down to the knees. π΅πΉπ
- (ii) When the author was young, bakers wore a shirt and trousers, shorter than full-length ones and longer than half-pants. ππ
- Who invites the comment β βhe is dressed like a paderβ? Why?
- Anyone wearing a half-pant which reaches just below the knees invites the comment “he is dressed like a pader”. This is because that was the specific attire worn by bakers when the author was young. π¦΅π¬
- Where were the monthly accounts of the baker recorded?
- The monthly accounts of the baker were recorded on a wall in pencil. π λ²½
- What does a βjackfruit -like appearanceβ mean?
- A βjackfruit-like appearanceβ means a plump physique or pleasantly fat body. It was an open testimony that the baker and his family never starved and always looked happy and prosperous. ππ
- Match the following. What is a must…
Thinking about the Text:
- Which of these statements are correct?
- (i) The pader was an important person in the village in old times. (Correct) π
- (ii) Paders still exist in Goan villages. (Correct) π
- (iii) The paders went away with the Portuguese. (Incorrect) π
- (iv) The paders continue to wear a single-piece long frock. (Incorrect) π
- (v) Bread and cakes were an integral part of Goan life in the old days. (Correct) π
- (vi) Traditional bread-baking is still a very profitable business. (Correct) π (The source states they never starved and looked prosperous).
- (vii) Paders and their families starve in the present times. (Incorrect) π
- Is bread an important part of Goan life? How do you know this?
- Yes, bread is a very important part of Goan life. We know this because the source mentions that marriage gifts are meaningless without the sweet bread called ‘bol’, a party or feast loses charm without bread, sandwiches are required for a daughter’s engagement, and cakes and bolinhas are a must for Christmas and other festivals. This shows its integral role in celebrations and daily life. πππ₯ͺ
- Tick the right answer. What is the tone of the author when he says the following?
- (i) The thud and the jingle of the traditional bakerβs bamboo can still be heard in some places. (nostalgic, hopeful, sad) - nostalgic ππΆ
- (ii) Maybe the father is not alive but the son still carries on the family profession. (nostalgic, hopeful, sad) - hopeful πβ¨
- (iii) I still recall the typical fragrance of those loaves. (nostalgic, hopeful, naughty) - nostalgic ππ₯π
- (iv) The tiger never brushed his teeth. Hot tea could wash and clean up everything so nicely, after all. (naughty, angry, funny) - funny ππ―β
- (v) Cakes and bolinhas are a must for Christmas as well as other festivals. (sad, hopeful, matter-of-fact) - matter-of-fact ποΈπ°
- (vi) The baker and his family never starved. They always looked happy and prosperous. (matter-of-fact, hopeful, sad) - matter-of-fact β π
- Which of these statements are correct?
Coorg
Oral Comprehension Check:
- Where is Coorg?
- Coorg, or Kodagu, is located midway between Mysore and the coastal town of Mangalore. It is the smallest district of Karnataka. ποΈπΊοΈ
- What is the story about the Kodavu peopleβs descent?
- The story is that the Kodavu people are of Arab descent. It is said that a part of Alexander’s army moved south along the coast and settled there, and their ethnic identity is possibly due to their marriage amongst the locals. Their long coat with an embroidered waist-belt called the Kuppia is said to resemble the Kuffia worn by the Arabs and Kurds, which supports this theory. π³ββοΈβοΈ
- What are some of the things you now know about…
- (i) the people of Coorg?
- They are known as Kodavu people.
- They are a proud race of martial men, beautiful women.
- They are possibly of Arab descent.
- They are always ready to tell stories of their sons’ and fathers’ valour. πͺπ©βπ¦³
- (ii) the main crop of Coorg?
- The main crop is coffee. βπΏ
- (iii) the sports it offers to tourists?
- It offers adventure sports like river rafting, canoeing, rappelling, rock climbing, and mountain biking. There are also numerous walking trails. π£ββοΈπ§ββοΈπ΄ββοΈπΆββοΈ
- (iv) the animals you are likely to see in Coorg?
- You are likely to see birds, bees, butterflies, macaques, Malabar squirrels, langurs, slender loris, and wild elephants. πππ¦πΏοΈ
- (v) its distance from Bangalore, and how to get there?
- It is about 250-260 km from Bangalore.
- You can get there by road via Mysore (most frequented route) or via Neelamangal, Kunigal, Chanrayanapatna. You can also fly to the nearest airports in Mangalore (135 km away) or Bangalore (260 km away). πβοΈ
- (i) the people of Coorg?
- Where is Coorg?
Thinking about the Text: 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) - pours enough to keep many visitors away. π§οΈ touristπ« * (ii) Some people say that Alexanderβs army moved south along the coast and settled there. (para 3) - tradition recounts a Greek descent. π¬π·πΊοΈ * (iii) The Coorg people are always ready to tell stories of their sonsβ and fathersβ valour. (para 4) - tales of valour. ποΈπ * (iv) Even people who normally lead an easy and slow life get smitten by the high-energy adventure sports of Coorg. (para 6) - life of high-energy adventure. πͺβ‘ * (v) The theory of the Arab origin is supported by the long coat with embroidered waist-belt they wear. (para 3) - draws support from the long, black kojjya (note: the text uses “Kuppia”, not “kojjya”) with an embroidered waist-belt worn by the Kodavus. π¦πͺπ§₯ * (vi) Macaques, Malabar squirrels observe you carefully from the tree canopy. (para 7) - keep a watchful eye from the tree canopy. ππ³
Tea from Assam
Oral Comprehension Check 1:
- What is the chai-garam?
- “Chai-garam” means hot tea. It is what a vendor called out to passengers on the train. βπ£οΈ
- How many cups of tea are drunk every day throughout the world?
- Over eighty crore cups of tea are drunk every day throughout the world. π cup count π
- What is the magnificent view outside the train?
- The magnificent view was green everywhere, specifically the soft green paddy fields giving way to tea bushes. It was a sea of tea bushes stretching as far as the eye could see against a backdrop of densely wooded hills, with tall sturdy shade-trees and doll-like figures moving amidst the rows of bushes. π³πΏποΈ
- What is the chai-garam?
Oral Comprehension Check 2:
- Where was Rajvir surprised to see a tea garden?
- Rajvir was surprised to see a tea garden near Mariani junction, just before the train reached the station. He cried out, “Hey, a tea garden!”. β¨π²
- What are the two legends about the origin of tea?
- Legend 1 (Chinese Emperor): A Chinese emperor discovered tea by chance. He always boiled water before drinking it. One day, a few leaves from a twig burning under the pot fell into the water, giving it a delicious flavour.
- Legend 2 (Ancient Buddhist Ascetic): An ancient Buddhist ascetic named Bodhidharma cut off his eyelids because he felt sleepy during meditations. Ten tea plants grew out of the eyelids, and the leaves of these plants, when put in hot water and drunk, banished sleep. ππ΅
- What did Rajvir tell Pranjol about the history of tea?
- Rajvir told Pranjol that tea was first drunk in China as far back as 2700 B.C.. Words like ’tea’, ‘chai’, and ‘chini’ are from Chinese. Tea came to Europe only in the sixteenth century and was initially drunk more as medicine than as a beverage. π¨π³ππ
- Where were Pranjol and Rajvir going?
- Pranjol and Rajvir were going to Assam. Rajvir was invited to visit Pranjol’s home, as Pranjol’s father is the manager of a tea-garden in Upper Assam. β‘οΈπ‘πΏ
- Where was Rajvir surprised to see a tea garden?
Thinking about the Text:
- Use these words appropriately in the sentences below. You may consult a dictionary.
- (i) A heavy downpour has been forecast due to low pressure in the Bay of Bengal. βοΈ
- (ii) Rakesh will undergo major surgery tomorrow morning. π₯
- (iii) My brother is responsible for the breakdown of our family property. (Note: The source suggests “break” combined with words like over, by, through, out, up, down. “breakdown” fits the context, although the source specifically lists examples like “throw over”, “breakthrough”, “pass by”, “lookout”, “cast down”. The provided answer key for this exercise in the source is not visible, so this answer is based on typical English usage and the provided options.) π
- (iv) The success rate for this accountancy course is very high. (Note: Similar to above, the source provides words like undergo, downpour, enterprise, success, breakdown, look, interview. Success fits the context best). β π
- (v) She went to the Enterprise Company to attend a job interview. (Note: The source provides words like undergo, downpour, enterprise, success, breakdown, look, interview. “job” is not in the list, but the sentence structure suggests a type of interview. Without the complete list of provided words from the source’s implied question, I will use “interview” as given, fitting the blank in the sentence). π’π€ (Correct word based on the list in the source should be “Enterprise”, meaning she went to attend an Enterprise interview. Or possibly “final” or “job” interview, which are not in the list). Let’s stick to words provided in the text list: undergo, downpour, enterprise, success, breakdown, look, interview.
- (i) A heavy downpour has been forecast…. βοΈ
- (ii) Rakesh will undergo major surgery…. π₯
- (iii) My brother is responsible for the breakdown of our family property. π
- (iv) The success rate for this accountancy course is very high. β π
- (v) She went to the Enterprise Company to attend an interview. π’π€
- 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.
- (i) The Army attempted unsuccessfully to throw over the Government. (throw) πΉππ«
- (ii) Scientists are on the brink of a major breakthrough in cancer research. (break) π¬π‘
- (iii) The State Government plans to build a pass by for Bhubaneswar to speed up traffic on the main highway. (pass) π£οΈππ¨ (Note: The source shows “pass” + “by” which implies something being bypassed. A “bypass” road fits the meaning).
- (iv) Gautamaβs lookout on life changed when he realised that the world is full of sorrow. (look) π€ππ (Note: The source shows “look” + “out”. “Outlook” is the word that means perspective).
- (v) Rakesh seemed unusually cast down after the game. (cast) ππ
- Use these words appropriately in the sentences below. You may consult a dictionary.
Thinking about the Text (Adjectives):
- Think of suitable -ing or -ed adjectives to answer the following questions. You may also use words from those given above.
- (i) How would you describe a good detective serial on television? - interesting / exciting π΅οΈββοΈπΊπ€©
- (ii) How would you describe a debate on your favourite topic βHomework Should Be Bannedβ? - exciting / interesting / animated π£οΈπ«ππ₯
- (iii) How you feel when you stay indoors due to incessant rain? - bored / frustrated / confined π βοΈπ©
- (iv) How you feel when you open a present? - excited / surprised / thrilled ππ₯³π
- (v) How you feel when you watch your favourite programme on television? - interested / engrossed / happy πΊπ₯°π
- (vi) The look on your motherβs face as you waited in a queue? - tired / impatient / bored πΆββοΈππ
- (vii) How you feel when tracking a tiger in a tiger reserve forest? - excited / thrilled / nervous π π³π€©π¬
- (viii) The story you have recently read, or a film you have seen? - interesting / boring / exciting / moving ππ¬π€
- Think of suitable -ing or -ed adjectives to answer the following questions. You may also use words from those given above.
I hope this comprehensive response, drawing directly from the sources with citations and emojis, helps you understand the “Glimpses of India” chapter and its associated questions more easily!