The writer contrasts Chinese art with European art by using two stories. The Tang Emperor Xuanzong commissioned the painter Wu Daozi to decorate a palace wall. When it was done the Emperor admired the scene. The painter drew the Emperor’s attention to a cave and when he clapped his hands the entrance of the cave opened. The painter entered but before Emperor could move the entrance closed and the painting vanished, along with the artist. In another story, a painter wouldn’t draw the eye of a dragon he had painted for fear it would fly out of the painting. The writerthen cites a story representative of Western painting in which a master blacksmith Quinten Metsysfell in love with a painter’s daughter. To be accepted as a son-in-law Quinten painted a fly on the painter’s latest panel. When the painter tried to swat it away he realised the truth – Quinten wastaken on as an apprentice and married his beloved.These stories reveal what each form tries to achieve. The Europeans want a perfect illusionisticlikeness while in Asia it is the essence of inner life and spirit. In the Chinese story only the artist knows the way within and he reaches his goal beyond material appearance. Unlike a Western figurative painting a classical Chinese landscape does not reproduce an actual view and one can enter it from any point and travel in it. It requires the active participation of the viewer both physically and mentally. Man becomes a means of expression of communication or ‘the eye of the landscape’.
Father to Son Extra Questions
Short Answer Type Questions
Q1. Why is the father unhappy with his son?
Ans. The father is unhappy with his son as there is no interaction between the two. They don’t understand each other and are like strangers. Though they live under the same roof, yet they have nothing common between them. Their thinking and outlook are totally different. So they remain separated from each other. So, the father is deeply troubled.
Q2. What does the father long for?
Ans. The father is much more tense and upset. He fails to see where he made a mistake. He wants to make peace with his son and keep him in the same house. He is willing to forget and forgive the boy. He is only waiting for an excuse.
Q3. Can you suggest a solution to the widening gap between father and son?
Ans. The tussle between the aged and the youth is very old and universal. Elders see young ones as their property and try to impose their will on them. As a result the son revolts. The father must try to understand and respect the demands of the son. Not rod but the language of love can bridge the gap and avert the clash.
Q4. Who do you sympathize with—the father or the son?
Ans. Being a youngster, I also often revolt against the authoritarian attitude of elders. They have ego problem. They demand total obedience from young ones. I know that the relationship between father and son is strong yet delicate as well. I would humbly advise grown-ups to be a bit more flexible and liberal in their attitude. In bending, they both will win.
Q5. How is the father’s helplessness brought out in the poem?
Ans. The father is not only sad but also angry. But he feels helpless. He is ready to patch up with the son, forgive him and bring him back home at any cost. He wonders why they have now become strangers. He is ready to overlook his son’s wasteful habits. He is extending his empty hand to get an excuse to welcome the boy into his old home. But the son looks adamant. Ego problem persists.
Q6. Why is the father unable to understand his son in Father to Son”?
Ans. The father is unable to understand his son due to generation gap. It is a psychological and emotional gap between parents or elder people and the young ones. This creates misunderstanding and lack of attachment between the parents and children. The success lies in how effectively the parents can avoid the generation gap or ignore difference with their children.
Q7. ‘I would have him prodigal’. What does the father mean by this?
Ans. Prodigal means wastefully extravagant. In the Bible there is a story, where a father inherits property and gives it to his sons. The younger son wastes a lot but returns to his father’s home. His father forgives him and takes him back home. Here in the poem the father is ready to accept his prodigal son and he may start living with him under the same roof.
Q8. What does the poet mean by `silence surrounds us?
Ans. The father is troubled because there is no interaction between them. Though they have been living under the same roof for years but they do not understand each other and live like strangers. Their outlook and temperament are different. They have a communication gap along with the generation gap. So both are unhappy and want to come closer but they can’t help it.
Long Answer Type Questions
Q1. Why in your view has a sense of distance arrived in the modern youth?
Ans. The present era has lost all its ancient moral, ethical, social and cultural values. The deep sense of joint family system is diminishing to a large extent. The newly married couple wants to lead a life to its own freedom duly away from the parents. They think that the joint family or parents living with them will put a restraint on their freedom.
They fail to understand the real worth of their parents and long to have a deeper distance from them. The media and the western civilization have surrounded their ideology. They do not care for the civility in any sense. Thus the distance is taking its deep root among the youths. They do not realize their duties for the old aged parents rather they consider it an extra burden upon them. Thus a sense of distance has become in vogue among the modern youths.
Q2. The poem reflects the realities of the modern times. The aged persons face problems and there is no end to it. How do you feel?
Ans. The breaking-up of the joint family system and the change in our value system have created serious problems for the aged persons. They are denied physical, moral, financial and emotional support because their children are grossly involved in their own affairs. A feeling that they are unwanted persons has gripped the aged. The attitude towards the aged is marked by hatred, disregard, apathy and insults. This drowns them in the fathomless chasm of depression. Above all, elderly persons having no source of income are the worst sufferers. Growing materialism is the main culprit. Blood is no longer thicker than water. An elderly person who stands between the heirs and his wealth becomes a thorn in their flesh. Many start torturing the aged to death.
The aged persons require nothing but love, affection and respect. So the children must change their attitude. They must not neglect the very source of their existence. Accept the aged happily and see the blessings of God showering in rapid succession.
Father to Son NCERT Solutions
Page No: 86
Think It Out
1. Does the poem talk of an exclusively personal experience or is it fairly universal?
Answer
The poem does talk of an exclusively personal experience. However, we can also call it fairly universal because a conflict like this is quite common in many households. It is also known as generation gap.
2. How is the father’s helplessness brought out in the poem?
Answer
The helplessness of the father is highlighted through the depiction of the emotional struggle that he undergoes. He is aware of the problem and is willing to resolve it, but is unable to do so. He regrets the lack of a strong emotional bond and proper communication with his son who is also physically distanced from him.
3. Identify the phrases and lines that indicate distance between father and son.
Answer
Phrases/lines that indicate distance between the father and the son are:
1. ‘I do not understand this child’
2. ‘I know / Nothing of him’
3. ‘We speak like strangers’
4. ‘there’s no sign/ Of understanding in the air’
5. ‘Silence surrounds us.’
4. Does the poem have a consistent rhyme scheme?
Answer
No, the poem does not follow a consistent rhyme scheme.
Silk Road NCERT Solutions
Page No: 74
Notice these expressions in the text.
Infer their meaning from the context.
ducking back
swathe
careered down
manoeuvres
cairn of rocks
salt flats
billowed
Answer
ducking back : quickly going inside and then coming out
manoeuvres : military exercises involving a large number of soldiers, ships, etc.
billowed : filled with the air and swelled out
swathe : literally: a long strip of land of something; contextually: a land stretched with snow
cairn of rocks : a pile of stones that mark a special place such as the top of a mountain or a place where somebody is buried
careered down : descending the slope
salt flats : thatched roofed houses covered with snow
Page No: 82
Understanding the Text
I. Give reasons for the following statements.
1. The article has been titled ‘Silk Road.’
Answer
The title of the article has been named on the historic silk road or routes. The network connected the Afro-Eurasian landmass. It established trade of Chinese silk, spices, teas and porcelain; Indian textiles, precious stones and pepper; and the Roman Empire’s gold, silver, fine glassware, wine, carpets and jewels. The road was named Silk Road largely because of the silk trade with China. In the chapter the author travels to Mount Kailash, exploring the Himalayan belt in Tibet. Since the author explored this region, the chapter is titled as Silk Road.
2. Tibetan mastiffs were popular in China’s imperial courts.
Answer
Tibetan mastiffs were popular in China’s imperial courts as hunting dogs. They were brought along the Silk Road in ancient times as tribute from Tibet. They were huge black dogs used as watchdogs. They explode into action like bullets. They are furious and fearless.
3. The author’s experience at Hor was in stark contrast to earlier accounts of the place.
Answer
Hor was a grim, miserable place. The dust and rocks were scattered everywhere in abundance; there was little vegetation. The place seemed unfortunate and dejected, though it sat on the shore of the Lake Manasarovar. The author was flabbergasted to realise the contrast in his experience to that of the earlier read accounts. A Japanese monk, Ekai Kawaguchi, who had arrived there in 1990, was so moved by the sanctity of the lake t hat he burst into tears. The hallowed waters had a similar effect on Sven Hedin, a Swede who was not prone to sentimental outbursts. However, for the author, when he reached Hor, first he had to get two punctures mended. The only relaxation was the tea served by a Chinese youth in the only café in the town, which was constructed from badly painted concrete and had three broken windows. The good view of the lake through one of them helped to compensate however.
4. The author was disappointed with Darchen.
Answer
The author was disappointed with Darchen. The high altitude was giving him health problems. He had a bad cold and was not able to sleep at night. Since he was one of the early arrivals there weren’t any pilgrims coming to the place. The place was dusty, partially derelict and punctuated by heaps of rubble and refuse.
5. The author thought that his positive thinking strategy worked well after all.
Answer
The author was disappointed with Darchen. He also complained of bad health. Tsetan had left for Lhasa. He was feeling rather lonely with no pilgrims around. It was then he met Norbu, a Tibetan who too wanted to visit Kailash. They would be a good team as both of them were academicians who had escaped from the library. The author started thinking positively and it gave him some delight and a new enthusiasm.
II. Briefly comment on
1. The purpose of the author’s journey to Mount Kailash.
Answer
Nick Middleton is an Oxford Professor as well as an adventurer. He follows the most difficult terrain through the Silk Road and reaches mount Kailash. He visits the holy place to complete the kora- going around the place.
2. The author’s physical condition in Darchen.
Answer
The author was not physically well when he reached Darchen. His sinuses were blocked due to the cold wind at Hor and he was not able to sleep well at night. The next day Tsetan took him to the Darchen Medical College and the doctor there gave him some medicine that gave him some relief.
3. The author’s meeting with Norbu.
Answer
The author was feeling rather lonely without Tsetan who had left for Lhasa. There weren’t any pilgrims at Darchen as he had reached the place much early in the season. It was then he Norbu who was a Tibetan and also an academician. He too was there to visit Kailash and they decided to go there together.
4. Tsetan’s support to the author during the journey.
Answer
Tsetan was a good and efficient driver. He drove the car very carefully. During the journey, he spoke to the author giving information about the places they were visiting. He was very caring. At Darchen when he found that the author was not well, he took him to the medical college and got medicine for him. He was a good Buddhist.
5. “As a Buddhist, he told me, he knew that it didn’t really matter if I passed away, but he thought it would be bad for business.”
Answer
Tsetan was a good Buddhist and believed that death was not the end of life. Kailash being a holy place it would be better for him as it would take him to heaven. Then if the author would die there, it would be bad for his business as his credibility will be at stake in looking after the tourists and later he may not get any customers.
Talking about Text
Discuss in groups of four
1.The sensitive behaviour of hill-folk.
Answer
The hill-folk are quite unsophisticated and innocent. People like Tsetan very religious and God-fearing. They are very much hospitable and take care of the visitors from out side.
2. The reasons why people willingly undergo the travails of difficult journeys.
Answer
The author was an academician, hence, he undertook the journey for the purpose of education. For him it was a learning experience. Secondly, people undertake such journeys because of the spirit of adventure. The areas covered by the author are some of the most difficult terrains in the world. The third can be a religious reason. People visit places like Mount Kailash as part of their pilgrimage.
3. The accounts of exotic places in legends and the reality.
Answer
There are many accounts of exotic places in legends and the reality. Places like Mount Kailash, Manasarovar occupy a prominent place in legends. There are many articles written about these places.
Thinking about Language
2. What do the following utterances indicate?
(i) “I told her, through Daniel …”
(ii) “It’s a cold,” he said finally through Tsetan.
Answer
(i) She was not able to follow English but Daniel translated what he told in English in the Tibetan language to her.
(ii) The doctor spoke in Tibetan language, which Tsetan translated into English for the author.
Page No: 83
3. Guess the meaning of the following words.
kora, drokba, kyang
In which language are these words found?
Answer
Kora: Walk all the way round, circumambulate
Droka: shepherd
Kyang: It is a wild Tibetan ass.
These words are found in Tibetean Language.
Working with Words
2. Explain the use of the adjectives in the following phrases.
(i) shaggy monsters
(ii) brackish lakes
(iii) rickety table
(iv) hairpin bend
(v) rudimentary general stores
Answer
(i) shaggy monsters: hairy, unkempt
(ii) Brackish lakes: salty
(iii) Rickety table: wobbly, shaky
(iv) Hairpin bend: very sharp bend
(v) rudimentary general stores: elementary.
The Adventure NCERT Solutions
Page No: 60
Notice these expressions in the text.
Infer their meaning from the context.
blow-by-blow account
de facto
morale booster
astute
relegated to
doctored accounts
political acumen
gave vent to
doctored accounts
political acumen
gave vent to
Answer
blow-by-blow account : detailed account. In the text “The Adventure” this expression occurs in the context of Gangadharpant trying to understand the outcome of the Battle of Panipat by reading a book on the topic.
morale booster : anything that serves to increase morale or confidence. The expression occurs in the text ‘Adventure’ where it is told that the Marathas emerged victorious in the Battle of Panipat which increased their morale or confidence in establishing their supremacy all over the country.
Relegated to : assigned to a lower rank or position. In the text it is said how Dadasaheb, a maratha Chieftain was assigned to a lower rank after the Battle of Panipat.
political acumen : political shrewedness with keen insight. In the text ‘The Adventure’ the expression is used to convey how Madhavrao and Vishwasrao because of their shrewedness could expand their influence all over India.
de facto : existing in fact whether with lawful authority or not. In the text ‘Adventure’ the Peshwas are regarded as de facto rulers as they kept the Mughal regime alive in Delhi.
astute : marked by practical hardheaded intelligence. In the text “The Adventure” this word is used to convey that the Peshwas were very intelligent to recognise the importance of technological age dawning in Europe.
doctored accounts : manipulation of accounts. This expression conveys that the Bakhars were not providing historical facts but manipulated account of history.
give vent to : to express one’s feelings and ideas. Professor Gaitonde expressed his ideas in the public lecture on the Battle of Panipat.
Page No: 69
Understanding the Text
I.Tick the statements that are true.
1. The story is an account of real events.
2. The story hinges on a particular historical event.
3. Rajendra Deshpande was a historian.
4. The places mentioned in the story are all imaginary.
5. The story tries to relate history to science.
Answer
1. False
2. True
3. False
4. False
5. True
II. Briefly explain the following statements from the text.
1.“You neither travelled to the past nor the future. You were in the present experiencing a different world.”
2. “You have passed through a fantastic experience: or more correctly, a catastrophic experience.”
3. Gangadharpant could not help comparing the country he knew with what he was witnessing around him.
4. “The lack of determinism in quantum theory!”
5. “You need some interaction to cause a transition.”
Answer
1. This statement was said by Rajendra to Professor Gaitonde. He made a transistion from one world to another and back again. By making a transistion, he was able to experience two worlds although one at a time. He neither travelled to the pas nor to the future. He was in the present but experiencing a different world.
2. This statement was made by Rajendra to Prof. Gaitonde in the text The Adventure by Jayant Vishnu Narlikar. Gangadhar had passed through a strange experience. He had the experience of living in two world, one he lived in now and other where he had spent two days.
3. Gangadharpant knew India which had seen the decline of Peshwas and experienced the slavery of the British. But the India he had seen in two days was completely different. It had not been subjected to slavery for the whiteman. It was self dependent and enjoyed self respect. He compared the two countries the one that he knew already and other that he was witnessing around him. Both had different histories.
4. Professor Gaitonde had decided to go to a big library at Bombay and browse through history books. Then he would find out how the present state of affairs was reached. On his return to Pune, he would have a lonk talk with Rajendra Deshpande. He hoped that Rajendra would help him undertand what had happened.
5. This bombay was under the British Raj. An Anglo-Indian in unform checked permits. Each of the blue carriages of GBMR had the tiny Union Jack painted on it. The Victoria Terminus station looked very neat and clean. The staff was mostly of Anglo-Indians and Parsee alongwith a handful fo british Officers.
Talking about the Text
1. Discuss the following statements in groups of two pairs, each pair in a group taking opposite points of view.
(i) A single event may change the course of the history of a nation.
(ii) Reality is what is directly experienced through the senses.
(iii) The methods of inquiry of history, science and philosophy are similar.
Answer
(i)
For
A single event may change the course of the history of a nation. The battle of Panipat for example is said to be the turning point in the history of India. In the Battle of Panipat, the Marathas gave in to the forces of Ahmed Shah Abdali. After this event the history of India took another turn. Gradually, the country was was overtaken by the foreign forces. In the story The Adventure it is mentioned how in the beginning Prof. Gaitonde was preparing a speech on what course the history would have taken if the Marathas had won the Battle of Panipat. This shows the importance of a single event in the history of a nation.
Against
The motion that A single event may change the course of the history of a nation is a matter of perspective only. It is a relative truth. If we apply the catastrophic theory in understanding history then we will find that there may be alternative outcomes of a single event so that we cannot proclaim that any one course of event is the reality. Since there may be alternative courses of history so debating on a single course is not fruitful. In the story the Adventure due to catastrophic phenomenon the Battle of Panipat is revealed in a different version to Prof Gaitonde. According to this version, the Marathas emerged victorious in the Battle of Panipat. After the event the Marathas extended influence over the entire country. India never fell to the alien forces. So, to argue that a single course of event may change the course of history is not tenable. There may be alternative effects following an event.
(ii)
For
Our senses , that is the senses of touch, sight, taste and hearing and smell provide us facts about the world we live in. Knowledge from experience come through these senses. The reality is what we directly experience through these senses. No other reality exists which is not revealed to the senses.
Against
Reality is not what is directly revealed to the senses. We cannot experience so many entities like atoms and molecules but these are real. We cannot even predict the behaviour of these entities accurately. This point is mooted by Rajendra in the story Adventure when he points to the discoveries made by the physicists regarding the behaviour of the atoms. We can predict the position of a bullet fired in a particular direction from a gun but we cannot predict the position of a an electron fired from a source. This proves that reality is not what is directly revealed to the senses, there can be alternative realities existing side by side.
(iii)
For
The methods of inquiry of History, Science and Philosophy are similar. In the story The Adventure one can find the perspectives of History, Philosophy and Science converging towards a focal point.
History employs the methods of observation, analysis and rationalism in understanding the course of past events. Science is based on observation, experimentation and analysis. Rationalism is the most fundamental principle that Science follows. Philosophy is thoroughly critical in methodology.
Philosophy examines everything including the assumptions and methodology of Science and other disciplines like History. In the story The Adventure History, Science and Philosophy converge. Prof. Gaitonde experienced an altogether different version of the out come of the Battle of Panipat. Contrary to the version as provided in History text books,the Marathas emerged as victorious in this battle. Prof. Gaitonde tried to understand this rationally but he failed to get any clue. In this context, Rajendra intervened to explain this phenomenon in the light of the Catastrophic theory which is being employed by Physicists in understanding the behaviour of atoms. Here we find Science and History converging. The similar perspective is seen in Philosophy that truth is relative and not absolute. In fact, the philosophical movement of post Modernism is based on this.
In other words, the methods of inquiry of History, Science and Philosophy are similar.
Against
It is a misnomer that the methods of inquiry of History,Science and Philosophy are similar.
The similarity is at superficial level and not at the core. In the story The Adventure Rajendra tried to rationalise the experience of Prof Gaitonde by applying the Catastrophic theory. But this explanation is not convincing though it convinced the professor. Catastrophic theory can best explain phenomenon of the physical world but History deals with behavioural world. It is concerned with the behaviour of society and individuals. The methods of inquiry will also vary accordingly.
The method of inquiry of Philosophy is speculative. Philosophy even questions rationalism. Philosophy is highly critical of the methods of Science and History. In other words, the methods of History, Science and Philosophy are not similar. The story The Adventure by Jayant Vishnu Narlikar is, in fact, a science fiction which is trying to show the convergence of Science History and Philosophy. In reality the three disciplines, namely, Science, History and Philosophy have to employ different methodology of inquiry vis-a-vis the subject matter.
The similarity is at superficial level and not at the core. In the story The Adventure Rajendra tried to rationalise the experience of Prof Gaitonde by applying the Catastrophic theory. But this explanation is not convincing though it convinced the professor. Catastrophic theory can best explain phenomenon of the physical world but History deals with behavioural world. It is concerned with the behaviour of society and individuals. The methods of inquiry will also vary accordingly.
The method of inquiry of Philosophy is speculative. Philosophy even questions rationalism. Philosophy is highly critical of the methods of Science and History. In other words, the methods of History, Science and Philosophy are not similar. The story The Adventure by Jayant Vishnu Narlikar is, in fact, a science fiction which is trying to show the convergence of Science History and Philosophy. In reality the three disciplines, namely, Science, History and Philosophy have to employ different methodology of inquiry vis-a-vis the subject matter.
2. (ii) Why do you think Professor Gaitonde decided never to preside over meetings again?
Answer
(ii) Professor Gaitonde was experiencing a different version of the Battle of Panipat. According to this version, the Marathas emerged victorious in the Battle and started extending influence over the entire country. His mind was actually witnessing a different version of the historical reality. Interestingly, he was also witnessing an event that was not conforming to the conventions. The event was a lecture session on the outcomes of the Battle of Panipat. In this lecture session Prof. Gaitonde observed that the chair of the President was vacant. This again was contrary to the conventions. Prof. Gaitonde rushed to occupy the chair and started explaining the need of a President in a lecture session like this. The public got angry on this point and started throwing objects on him. He had a harrowing experience. This led him to decide not to preside over meetings again.
(ii) Professor Gaitonde was experiencing a different version of the Battle of Panipat. According to this version, the Marathas emerged victorious in the Battle and started extending influence over the entire country. His mind was actually witnessing a different version of the historical reality. Interestingly, he was also witnessing an event that was not conforming to the conventions. The event was a lecture session on the outcomes of the Battle of Panipat. In this lecture session Prof. Gaitonde observed that the chair of the President was vacant. This again was contrary to the conventions. Prof. Gaitonde rushed to occupy the chair and started explaining the need of a President in a lecture session like this. The public got angry on this point and started throwing objects on him. He had a harrowing experience. This led him to decide not to preside over meetings again.
Childhood NCERT Solutions
Page No: 59
Think It Out
1. Identify the stanzas that talks of each of the following.
| Individuality rationalism hypocrisy |
Answer
Individuality- Third stanza
Rationalism- First stanza
Hypocrisy- Second stanza
2. What according to the poem is involved in the process of growing up?
Answer
According to the poem, the process of growing up involves the attainment of mental maturity. A person is said to be grown up when he has become logical, rational and is able to build his own thoughts. A grown up has the power to distinguish between reality and fantasy.
A grown up individual understands the actions of others just as the poet recognises the hiatus between the preaching and the practice of the adults. He realises the hypocrisy and the double standards maintained by the adults. A mature individual also asserts his thoughts and opinions.
3. What is the poet’s feeling towards childhood?
Answer
The poet does not appear to feel sad or upset at the loss of his childhood. He only seems to be puzzled at the disappearance of childhood and the arrival of adulthood. He expresses his confusion when he asks the questions ‘When’ and ‘Where did my childhood go’?
4. Which do you think are the most poetic lines? Why?
Answer
The lines that seem to be the most poetic are:
‘It went to some forgotten place,
That’s hidden in an infant’s face;
That’s all I know.’
These lines sum up beautifully the process of growth and the disappearance of a particular stage of life. These lines express metaphorically that an infant’s innocent face hides many things behind its smiles. Perhaps the childhood also lies hidden somewhere in the child’s consciousness.
Childhood Extra Questions
Short Answer Type Questions
Q1. How does the poem expose man and presents him in true colours?
Ans. Childhood symbolizes innocence, purity, softness and love. As a child grows, these qualities start receding. Man becomes impure, cunning, shrewd and hypocrite. Grown-ups become blatant liars. They talk of love but practice hatred. They preach brotherhood of mankind but perpetuate hatred and killing. Simplicity and honesty evaporate into thin air, the moment man crosses the threshold of innocent childhood.
Q2. What is the poet’s feeling towards the childhood?
Ans. The poet regards childhood as a period of heavenly innocence. A child sincerely feels that there is god above. He is free from all earthly evils. He believes that there is really a Heaven and a Hell. He is truly religious in his soul. A child knows no hypocrisy. He always means what he says. There is no difference between his thoughts and actions. A child is free from any sense of ego. He does not think himself to be different from or superior to others. In short, childhood is a state of heavenly innocence and purity of heart.
Q3. What according to the poem, is involved in the process of growing up?
Ans. As a person grows up, he becomes a rationalist, an egoist and a hypocrite. He accepts nothing that is not logical. He loses faith in God. He does not believe in Hell or Heaven. He becomes very conscious of his self. He wants to follow his own desires and ideas. He becomes an egoist. He talks of love and preaches of love, but is not so loving in his actions. In short, he loses all his innocence of his childhood.
Q4. How does the poet describe the process of being grown up?
Ans. The process of being grown up develops the critical thinking and analytical point of view in the person. It makes the person rationalized and abled to take his decision by virtue of his seat of reasoning.
Q5. How does the poet repent on his loss of childhood?
Ans. He expresses concern over his childhood’s disappearance. Childhood cannot be regained. It keeps our life aloof from the world of hypocrisy, bitter reality and materialism.
Q6. The poet has asked two questions one is about the time and other is about the place. Why has he used these questions?
Ans. He has used these two questions to interpret the time and place of way of going his childhood away. “When” points out the process of being rational at a particular time and “where” states the place where the innocent world of childhood resides.
Q7. What does the Hell and heaven stand for?
Ans. It stands for the world of imagination that fascinates only small children. These are nothing but the product of our imaginative mind that helps the person to escape from reality.
Q8. What contrast did he find in adult’s behaviour?
They talked of human values but did not practise in their day to day life.
The Browning Version NCERT Solutions
Page No: 50
Notice these expressions in the text. Infer their meaning from the context.
Remove
slackers
muck
kept in
got carried away
cut
sadist
shrivelled up
Answer
emove: a division in a school
emove: a division in a school
slackers: unmotivated and lazy students
muck: useless, of no practical good
kept in: grounded, detained, work after the official school hours
got carried away: to get very excited or lose control of your feelings due to strong emotions.
cut: escape, go away without permission.
sadist: a person who gets pleasure out of inflicting pain to others
shrivelled up: having no feelings
Page No: 56
1. Comment on the attitude shown by Taplow towards Crocker-Harris.
Answer
Crocker Harris is Taplow’s teacher. According to Taplow and me also; Mr. Crocker Harris is a strict disciplinarian. He was a hard working teacher and fully devoted to his duty as he called Taplow even on the last day of school to make up for his missed class. No student in his entire career has a courage to ‘cut’ Mr. Crocker Harris. He is neither partial nor biased; he will give Taplow whatever he deserves. He tries to maintain an appropriate distance from his students. He never responds the feelings shown by his students and remains shrivel. He is a man of principals and keeps the rules of the school. His students like him even after his strict behavior. His colleagues, even Frank, envy him for the effect he has on the students. He is strict but not a sadist that he seems to be.
2. Does Frank seem to encourage Taplow’s comments on Crocker-Harris?
Answer
Frank encourages Taplow to comment on Mr. Crocker Harris by cleverly askingTaplow several questions. He appreciated Taplow’s imitation of Mr. Crocker Harrisand also asks him to repeat it.
3. What do you gather about Crocker-Harris from the play?
Answer
Mr Harris is a teacher who would not compromise on the rules and regulations to suffice the sentiments of students. He believes in fair assesment of his students and is not swayed by emotions, as the man is hardly human. He is not a sadist, but strict in performance of his sduties. Even on his last day at school, when he is over busy in own affairs he does not neglect his duty towards students.
Talking about the Text
3. Reading plays is more interesting than studying science.
Answer
There is no doubt that reading plays is more interesting than studying science because reading plays makes us imaginative and provides us ideas about human life and behavior. It has good language that is helpful in building our linguistic skills. It is a source of entertainment and enjoyment. Reading science has its own merits. It provides us knowledge and fill us with modern approach. Practical that we do in laboratories are also useful in daily life. Science makes us our future growth possible.
Working with Words
1. A sadist is a person who gets pleasure out of giving pain to others.
Given below are some dictionary definitions of certain kinds of persons.
Find out the words that fit these descriptions.
1. A person who considers it very important that things should be correct or genuine e.g. in the use of language or in the arts: P…
2. A person who believes that war and violence are wrong and will not fight in a war: P…
3.A person who believes that nothing really exists: N…
4. A person who is always hopeful and expects the best in all things: O…
5. A person who follows generally accepted norms of behaviour: C…
6. A person who believes that material possessions are all that matter in life: M…
Answer
1. Perfectionist
2. Pacifist
3. Nihilist
4. Optimist
5. Conventionalist
6. Materialist
The Browning Version Extra Questions
Short Answer Type Questions
Q1. Where did Taplow meet Frank?
Ans. Taplow had been asked to do some extra work by Mr. Crocker Harris. He was waiting for the master in the school. Frank also came there and met Taplow.
Q2. What subjects does Taplow want to opt for? Why?
Ans. Taplow feels if his grades are good, he would opt for science. He feels science is more interesting than the study of classics.
Q3. What does Mr. Frank suggest Taplow to do because Mr. Crocker Harris is ten minutes late?
Ans. Frank asked Taplow not to wait for Mr. Crocker Harris and play golf but Taplow is really shocked and is afraid that Mr. Crocker Harris may follow him home or do something else.
Q4. Why does Mr. Frank envy Mr. Crocker Harris?
Ans. Mr. Frank envies Mr. Crocker Harris for the effect he has on the boys in the class. Mr. Crocker Harris does not tell the results before they are officially announced. And in spite of making students take extra work they still like Mr. Crocker Harris.
Q5. How does Mr. Crocker Harris differ from other masters in his reactions towards others?
Ans. Mr. Crocker Harris did not get pleasure out of giving pain. He was not a sadist. In fact he had no feelings. He was all dry like a nut. He seemed to hate the idea of people liking him.
Q6. Who is a sadist? Why is Taplow afraid of Mr. Crocker Harris even though the latter is not a sadist?
Ans. A sadist is a person who gets pleasure while inflicting pain on others. Taplow says that he would not be so frightened of Mr. Crocker Harris if he were a sadist. He would at least show his feelings. Mr. Crocker Harris was indifferent and was like a nut.
Q7. Which incident does Taplow narrate to prove the fact that Crocker Harris does not like ‘being liked’?
Ans. Taplow narrates the incident about one day when Mr. Crocker Harris made one of his classical jokes in the class which no one understood. Taplow laughed out of politeness. Instead of feeling thankful, Mr. Crocker Harris asked Taplow to explain the joke to the class. This incident proved that Mr. Crocker Harris did not like ‘being liked’.
Q8. What is Taplow’s attitude towards Mr. Crocker Harris?
Ans. Taplow is respectful towards Mr. Crocker Harris and likes him even though he is afraid of him and dare not cut the extra work even on the last day of the term.
Q9. Does Frank seem to encourage Taplow’s comments on Crocker Harris?
Ans. Frank encourages Taplow to comment on Mr. Crocker Harris by cleverly asking Taplow several questions. He appreciated Taplow’s imitation of Mr. Crocker Harris and also asks him to repeat it.
Q. Who was Millie Crocker Harris? What was she like?
Ans. Millie Crocker Harris was the young wife of Mr. Crocker Harris. She was a thin woman in her late 30s. She was more smartly dressed than the other school masters’ wives.
Q10. How does Millie Crocker Harris send Taplow away?
Ans. On seeing Taplow, Millie Crocker Harris points out that her husband was at the Bursar’s so he could go away for a quarter of an hour. But Taplow does not move. Millie assures him that she would take the blame. She takes out a prescription and requests him to bring some medicines from the chemist for her.
Q11. How does Taplow react to Millie’s arrival?
Ans. Taplow is nervous. He is unable to control his emotions and whispers to Frank if he thinks she has heard their conversation. Taplow feels that if she tells Mr. Crocker Harris, he would lose his form.
Q12. What do you gather about Mr. Frank from the play?
Ans. Mr. Frank is a young science teacher. He does not like the subject he teaches. He also admits that he tells the result to the students before it is officially announced by the head master. He feels envious of Crocker Harris because Taplow likes him.
Long Answer Type Questions
Q1. What do you gather about Crocker-Harris from the play?
Ans. Crocker-Harris is a very strict and disciplined teacher. It is his last day at school. He is leaving the school for good. Yet he gives extra work to Taplow who is one of his students. Taplow has missed a day during the week. Crocker wants him to make it up. So he gives him extra work. He tells Taplow that he would come and see his work. Thus we see how strict Crocker is. His students are afraid of him, but they don’t dislike him. Their fear is tinged with respect, not with hatred. He never does any favour or disfavour to a student. He gives what one deserves. He never does anything that goes against the rules of the school. We can say he is an ideal teacher.
Q2. Comment on the attitude shown by Taplow towards Crocker-Harris.
Ans. Taplow is a student of Crocker-Harris. Crocker is a very strict and disciplined teacher. But he has his ownprinciples. He is true to his duty. It is the last day of the term. Crocker is going to leave the school for good. Yet he gives Taplow some extra work to do. He does so because Taplow had missed a day during the week for being ill. Most teachers tell the students about their result before the headmaster declares it. But Crocker never does that. He is a man of principles. Taplow is a little boy. But he understands all this. He has all respect for his teacher. He is afraid of him but he does not dislike him. He loves to go and play but doesn’t dare to leave without Crocker’s permission. His fear is tinged with respect not hatred.
Q3. Does Frank seem to encourage Taplow’s comments on Crocker-Harris?
Ans. Both Frank and Crocker-Harris are teachers in Taplow’s school. Crocker is a very strict and disciplined teacher. He has his own principles. He never does any favour or disfavour to his students. He gives what one deserves. Students are scared of him but they don’t dislike him. They have deep respect for him. Frank feels jealous of Crocker. So he encourages Taplow to say things against Crocker and mock at him. But Taplow does nothing of the kind. His act of imitating Crocker is no sign of disrespect. It is simply an act of mimicry. It is only by way of humour that he does so. There is no disrespect in it. But the way Frank encourages Taplow to do it is not like a teacher. In trying to degrade Crocker-Harris, he degrades himself only.
Q4. Give a brief character-sketch of Taplow.
Ans. Taplow is a student of Mr. Crocker-Harris. He has to stay behind even on the last day of the school. Mr. Crocker-Harris has given him extra work to do because he had been ill for a day during the week and missed the class. It is already very late. Mr. Crocker-Harris has not come yet. But Taplow is afraid of Crocker. He dare not leave the class until Crocker comes. Although he is afraid of Crocker, he doesn’t dislike him. He laughs at Crocker’s poor joke only out of respect. We can say that Taplow is a very obedient student.
Q5. Give a brief character-sketch of Millie.
Ans. Millie is Mr. Crocker-Harris’s wife. She is a thin woman and is in her late thirties. She dresses herself in smart clothes. She sees Taplow imitating her husband’s voice. But she takes it lightly. She finds Taplow waiting for her husband. She can understand very well that Taplow likes to go and play like other boys. She tells him that her husband is at the Bursars. It could take him a lot of time there. Thus she indirecdy hints to Taplow that he could go and play. Even then Taplow dare not go. Then she sends Taplow to a chemist to get some medicine. Her chief purpose is not to get the medicine. She only wants to help the poor boy enjoy his freedom for some time at least. Thus we can say that Millie is a loving and intelligent woman of helping attitude.
Q6. Compare and contrast the characters of Mr. Crocker-Harris and Frank.
Ans. Crocker-Harris and Frank are both teachers in Taplow’s school. But they are poles apart in their characters. Crocker is a very strict teacher. He is a man of discipline. He has his own principles. He is true to his duty. He never does any favour or disfavour to his students. On the other hand Frank is not true to his duty. He teaches science. He himself does not like the subject he teaches, but he calls his students slackers. He is jealous of Crocker. He encourages Taplow to say things against Crocker and mock at him. It does not behave a teacher to encourage a student against another teacher. In trying to degrade Crocker-Harris he degrades himself only.
Q7. Taplow is shown to be a sincere and dedicated student. How far do you agree to it?
Ans. Taplow is a boy of sixteen. He is pure at heart. He is a boy with no whims and fancy of his own. It is his frank nature which make us appreciate him all the more. It is great to watch that even after absenting himself from school for a day, he is ready to wait the next day to meet his teacher. His patience is all the more most attractive feature. Taplow paints before us a picture of a boy with divine nature. Inspite of having many good qualities Taplow is also good at flattery. He is waiting for the teacher because he wants extra marks for the test. Still inspite of follies he behaves in a simple, innocent manner. Infact he has not been touched by modernism and has a pure, serene heart.
The Ailing Planet: the Green Movement’s Role NCERT Solutions
Page No: 43
Notice these expressions in the text. Infer their meaning from the context.
a holistic and ecological view
inter alia
sustainable development
decimated
languish
catastrophic depletion
ignominious darkness
transcending concern
Answer
a holistic and ecological view – It refers to the view that calls for the preservation of the planet. The holistic and ecological view refers to understanding the importance of earth’s resources and environment for the future generations.
sustainable development – A balanced development that meets the needs of the present while taking care of the needs of the future generations.
languish – lot of species are neglected or go unnoticed
ignominious darkness – disgraced or dishonoured as nobody has knowledge about them or is enlightened about them
inter alia – among other things
decimated – to reduce drastically in number
catastrophic depletion – a disastrous and harmful reduction in the number of something
transcending concern – a concern that surpasses generation, boundaries. It is not only about the present but also about future; not only about people but also about the planet.
Page No: 47
Understanding the Text
1. Locate the lines in text that support the title. ‘The Ailing Planet’.
Answer
The lines that support the title of the chapter are given below.
► “The earth’s vital signs reveal a patient in declining health.”
► “Are we to leave our successors a scorched planet of advancing deserts, impoverished landscapes and ailing environment?”
► “…the environment has deteriorated so badly that it is ‘critical’ in many of the eighty-eight countries investigated”.
2. What does the notice ‘The world’s most dangerous animal’ at a cage in the zoo at Lusaka, Zambia, signify?
Answer
The notice signifies that there is depletion of resources and deterioration of environment. Man is responsible for this and his own survival is threatened.
3. How are the earth’s principal biological systems being depleted?
Answer
There are four principal biological systems of the earth. These systems are fisheries, forests, grasslands and croplands. However, due to the increasing demand of human beings to such an ‘unsustainable’ extent, the productivity of these systems is being hampered. The excessive demand results in deterioration and depletion of these resources. A country where protein is consumed on a large scale, over-fishing is common, which leads to the collapse of fisheries in that area. Grasslands have been turned into deserts and production of crops is decreasing. The forests are destroyed in large proportions to obtain firewood. Depletion of tropical forests has also led to the extinction of several species.
4. Why does the author aver that the growth of world population is one of the strongest factors distorting the future of human society?
Answer
Over-population is one of the strongest factors responsible for a nation’s poverty and unemployment. It disturbs the earth’s principal biological systems leading to degradation of environment.
The author highlights the problem of over-population by pointing out the mental set-up of the poor who feel more children means more workers to earn money. They do not realise that more children only means more unemployed people. He argues that development is the best contraceptive, which includes spread of education, improvement of health and rise in income.
Spread of education leads to awareness among people, which in turn results in a fall in the ‘fertility’ rate. The author makes a comment which emphasises the never ending circle of population and poverty by asserting that “The choice is really between control of population and the perpetuation of poverty.”
Talking about the Text
1. Laws are never respected not enforced in India.
Answer
India, the biggest democracy in the world, is condemned for its easy attitude towards laws. Laws are constituted but never respected nor enforced in our country. For instance, the Indian Constitution mentions that casteism, untouchability and bonded labour shall be abolished; however, these evils flourish barefacedly even today.
The author points out that Article 48A of the Indian Constitution, propounds that “the State shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country”. However, little is done in favour of this. What we see is a near “catastrophic depletion” of forests over the last four decades. Forests are disappearing over the decades at the rate of 3.7 million acres a year. Areas that are officially designated as forest land, in reality, are treeless. The actual loss of forests is eight times the rate pointed by the government statistics.
2. “Are we to leave our successors a scorched planet of advancing deserts, impoverished landscapes and an ailing environment?”
Answer
As we learn in the text, the first Brandt Report raised the above mentioned question about the deteriorating condition of the planet. Earth is like a “patient in declining health”. The depletion of forests, grasslands, fisheries and croplands are the result of excessive demand for resources. Over-population has led to a severe strain on the health of our planet.
We must realise soon that in this “Era of Responsibility” it is solely our duty to preserve our planet. We must realise that the earth belongs as much to the future generation as much to us. Rather making it our property, we should do our best to preserve it for the generations we have “borrowed it from”.
3. “We have not inherited this earth from our forefathers; we have borrowed it from our children”.
Answer
Over the decades, a change has come in the perception of the people in respect to the planet. The human perception has shifted to a “holistic and ecological view of the world”. Earth is a living organism that has limited resources. These resources will not last forever. The earth has its metabolic needs that require to be preserved. The need of the hour is “sustainable development” which propounds the need of meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising with those of future generations.
The present problems are not necessarily fatal for us but they are a ‘passport for future’. This is the “Era of Responsibility” that calls for a responsible action from us. We must realise that the earth belongs as much to the future generation as much it belongs to us.
4. The problems of over population that directly affect our everyday life.
Answer
Over-population leads to the issues of poverty and unemployment. The vicious circle of population and poverty will continue unless the root cause i.e. population is taken care of. It hampers the development of a country. It leads to the consumption of the natural resources at a much faster rate. The fossils consumed, the resources depleted, the forests cleared, the heat produced, the global warming caused are all the repercussions of the fast-growing population.
Page No: 48
Thinking about the Language
The phrase ‘inter alia’ meaning ‘among other things’ is one of the many Latin expression commonly used in English.
Find out what these Latin phrases mean.
1.Prima face
2. ad hoc
3. in camera
4.ad infinitum
5.mutatis multanis
6.tabula rasa
Answer
prima facie means ‘at first sight, before closer inspection’
ad hoc means ‘for the specific purpose, case, or situation at hand and for no other’
in camera means ‘in secret, in private’
ad infinitum means ‘to infinity, having no end’
mutatis mutandis means ‘changing [only] those things which needs to be changed’, [only] the
necessary changes having been made
Caveat means ‘a warning or caution’
tabula rasa means ‘blank slate’, ‘without any prior experience or knowledge’
Working with Words
Locate the following words in the text and study their connotation.
1. gripped the imagination of
2. dawned upon
3. ushered in
4. passed into current coin
5. passport of the future
Answer
1. gripped the imagination of: received much attention
2. dawned upon: realised it for the first time
3. ushered in: began the new idea
4. passed into current coin: have been brought into use
5. passport of the future: a thing that makes something possible or enables one to achieve it
2. The words ‘grip’, ‘dawn’. ‘usher’, ‘coin’, ‘passport’ have a literal as well as a figurative meaning. Write pairs of sentences using each word in the literal as well as figurative sense.
Answer
1) grip:
a) She was excellent during the rock-climbing session. She has a good grip.
b) The movement of ‘India Against corruption’ has gripped the minds of Indians.
2) dawn:
a) The day dawned with a clear sky.
b) Suddenly, the idea dawned on him.
3) usher:
a) The waiter ushered them to their seats.
b) The Green Movement ushered in a new era of awareness.
4) Coin:
a) I have ten coins of Rs. 5.
b) The term was coined by a famous philosopher.
5) passport:
a) He has just got his passport made to visit his uncle in the USA.
b) Education is the passport to a bright future.
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