This post ‘Glimpses of India NCERT Solutions Class 10 English’ provides NCERT solutions for Class 10th English First Flight Chapter 5 Glimpses of India. I recommend first read the summary of Glimpses of India to understand the questions of this chapter better.
PART A: A Baker from Goa
A Baker from Goa Question Answer
Oral Comprehension Check (Page 64)
Q.1. What are the elders in Goa nostalgic about?
Ans. They fondly remember the good old Portuguese days and the famous Portuguese loaves of bread.
Q.2. Is bread-making still popular in Goa? How do you know?
Ans. Yes. The mixers, moulders and bakers are still there, the old time-tested furnaces still burn, and the sons continue their fathers’ profession. The jingling thud of the baker’s bamboo can still be heard in some places.
Q.3. What is the baker called?
Ans. He is called a pader in Goa.
Q.4. When would the baker come every day? Why did the children run to meet him?
Ans. He came at least twice a day; once in the morning on his selling round, and again after emptying his basket. The children ran to him not for the loaves, which were bought by the maid-servant, but for the bread-bangles they chose carefully, and sometimes for sweet bread of a special make.
Oral Comprehension Check (Page 65)
Q.1. Match the following
| What is a must | 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 |
Q.2. What did the bakers wear?
Ans. (i) In the Portuguese days: a peculiar dress called the kabai, a single-piece long frock reaching down to the knees.
(ii) When the author was young: a shirt and trousers that were shorter than full-length ones and longer than half pants.
Q.3. Who invites the comment — “he is dressed like a pader”? Why?
Ans. Anyone who wears a half pant reaching just below the knees, because that was the typical dress of the baker in the author’s childhood.
Q.4. Where were the monthly accounts of the baker recorded?
Ans. On some wall in the house, written in pencil.
Q.5. What does a ‘jackfruit-like appearance’ mean?
Ans. It means a plump, round, well-fed body. Bakers and their families were prosperous and never starved, so a fat person is still compared to a baker.
A Baker from Goa Thinking about the Text Question Answer
Q.1. Which of these statements are correct?
(i) The pader was an important person in the village in old times.
(ii) Paders still exist in Goan villages.
(iii) The paders went away with the Portuguese.
(iv) The paders continue to wear a single-piece long frock.
(v) Bread and cakes were an integral part of Goan life in the old days.
(vi) Traditional bread-baking is still a very profitable business.
(vii) Paders and their families starve in the present times.
Ans. Correct: (i) the pader was an important person in the village in old times; (ii) paders still exist in Goan villages; (v) bread and cakes were an integral part of Goan life in the old days.
The rest are incorrect: the paders did not go away with the Portuguese, they no longer wear the single-piece frock, traditional baking was profitable in the old days, and their families do not starve.
Q.2. Is bread an important part of Goan life? How do you know this?
Ans. Yes, it is essential. Marriage gifts are meaningless without the sweet bol; sandwiches must be made for a daughter’s engagement; cakes and bolinhas are a must at Christmas and other festivals; and a party or feast loses its charm without bread. That is why the baker’s furnace in the village is absolutely necessary.
Q.3. 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 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 and his family never starved. They always looked happy and prosperous. (matter-of-fact, hopeful, sad)
Ans.
| Statement | Tone |
|---|---|
| (i) The thud and jingle… can still be heard | nostalgic |
| (ii) Maybe the father is not alive but the son still carries on | hopeful |
| (iii) I still recall the typical fragrance of those loaves | nostalgic |
| (iv) The tiger never brushed his teeth… | naughty |
| (v) Cakes and bolinhas are a must for Christmas | matter-of-fact |
| (vi) The baker and his family never starved | matter-of-fact |
Writing
I. Complete the table
| Clues | Author’s childhood days |
|---|---|
| the way bread was baked | in age-old, time-tested wood-fired furnaces whose fire was never allowed to go out |
| the way the pader sold bread | door to door, twice a day, with a huge basket on his head, announcing his arrival with the ‘jhang, jhang’ of his bamboo staff |
| what the pader wore | a shirt and trousers shorter than full-length ones and longer than half pants (earlier, the kabai) |
| when the pader was paid | at the end of the month; the accounts were written on a wall in pencil |
| how the pader looked | plump and prosperous, with a jackfruit-like physique |
Paragraph: In the author’s childhood the village baker was a friend, companion and guide. Bread was baked in old furnaces whose fire never died, and the pader came twice a day with a huge basket on his head, announcing himself with the jingling thud of his bamboo staff. He greeted the lady of the house, handed the loaves to the servant and pushed the eager children aside with a mild rebuke but they climbed the parapet to peep into his basket for their bread-bangles. He wore a shirt and trousers of an odd length, collected his bills at the end of the month from accounts pencilled on a wall, and looked as plump and prosperous as his trade.
II.1. Compare the two pieces on Goan bakers
The facts in both are much the same: the paders have survived, and the leavened, oven-baked bread came from the Portuguese.
But the manner is completely different. The first piece is personal and nostalgic. It is written from memory, full of sounds and smells: the fire in the furnace, the thud and jingle of the bamboo and it makes us see and hear the baker. The second is impersonal and factual, written like a report; it explains how the paders survived and where their skill comes from.
So the first gives us a living picture of the baker as a person, while the second gives us information about his trade.
II.2. Writing your own account of a place
Take the plain facts from a travel brochure, then add what you saw, heard, smelt and felt: the crowd at the gate, the smell of the market, the guide’s stories, the taste of the local food. Details from personal experience turn a factual description into a picture the reader can enter.
PART B: Coorg
Coorg Question Answer
Coorg Thinking about the Text Question Answer
Q.1. Where is Coorg?
Ans. Coorg, or Kodagu, is the smallest district of Karnataka. It lies midway between Mysore and the coastal town of Mangalore.
Q.2. What is the story about the Kodavu people’s descent?
Ans. The people of Coorg are said to be of Greek or Arabic descent. One story goes that a part of Alexander’s army moved south along the coast, and when returning home became impractical, they settled here and married among the local people. Their martial traditions and their marriage and religious rites are quite distinct from the Hindu mainstream. The theory of Arab origin is supported by their long black coat with an embroidered waist-belt, the kuppia, which resembles the kuffia worn by Arabs and Kurds.
Q.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 tourists
(iv) the animals you are likely to see in Coorg?
(v) its distance from Bangalore, and how to get there?
Ans. (i) The people of Coorg: They are fiercely independent, brave and hospitable, and love to tell tales of valour about their sons and fathers. The Coorg Regiment is one of the most decorated in the Indian Army; General Cariappa, the first Chief of the Indian Army, was a Coorgi; and Kodavus are the only Indians allowed to carry firearms without a licence.
(ii) The main crop: Coffee — Coorg is coffee country, and also grows spices.
(iii) The sports it offers: river rafting, canoeing, rappelling, rock climbing, mountain biking and trekking along its many walking trails.
(iv) The animals you may see: Mahaseer fish, kingfishers, squirrels, langurs, macaques, Malabar squirrels, slender loris, elephants, birds, bees and butterflies.
(v) Distance from Bangalore and how to get there: By road it is about 250–260 km from Bangalore, by either of two routes: the popular one via Mysore, or the other via Neelamangal, Kunigal and Chanrayanapatna. The nearest airports are Mangalore (135 km) and Bangalore (260 km); the nearest railheads are Mysore, Mangalore and Hassan. Madikeri is the gateway to Coorg.
Q.4. Find phrases from the text with the same meaning
Ans.
| Given expression | Phrase in the text |
|---|---|
| (i) that tourists do not visit Coorg | it pours enough to keep many visitors away |
| (ii) Some people say that | As one story goes |
| (iii) are always ready to tell | are more than willing to recount |
| (iv) Even people who normally lead an easy and slow life get smitten by | The most laidback individuals become converts to the life of high-energy adventure |
| (v) is supported by | draws support from |
| (vi) observe you carefully | keep a watchful eye |
Coorg Thinking about Language — Collocations
Strike out the odd one: ‘How young are you?’ and ‘a pleasant pillow’.
Q.1. Nouns with adjectives
| Noun | Possible collocations |
|---|---|
| (i) culture | unique culture, ancient culture |
| (ii) monks | serious monks, ancient monks |
| (iii) surprise | sudden surprise, unforgettable surprise, terrible surprise |
| (iv) experience | unique experience, unforgettable experience, terrible experience, wide experience |
| (v) weather | terrible weather, unique weather |
| (vi) tradition | ancient tradition, unique tradition |
Q.2. Complete the phrases (with one more word that fits)
| Phrase from the text | Another word that fits |
|---|---|
| (i) tales of valour | tales of bravery / adventure / woe |
| (ii) coastal town | coastal area / region / village |
| (iii) a piece of heaven | a piece of cake / land / advice |
| (iv) evergreen rainforests | evergreen trees / memories |
| (v) coffee plantations | tea / rubber plantations |
| (vi) rope bridge | railway / suspension bridge |
| (vii) wild creatures | wild animals / flowers / grass |
PART C: Tea from Assam
Tea from Assam Question Answer
This section has no ‘Thinking about the Text’ questions in the textbook, only language exercises.
Tea from Assam Thinking about Language
I.1. Use the words appropriately
(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 interview.
I.2. Combine the verb with a word from the box
(i) The Army attempted unsuccessfully to overthrow the Government. (ii) Scientists are on the brink of a major breakthrough in cancer research. (iii) The State Government plans to build a bypass for Bhubaneswar to speed up traffic on the main highway. (iv) Gautama’s outlook on life changed when he realised that the world is full of sorrow. (v) Rakesh seemed unusually downcast after the game.
II.1. Suitable -ing / -ed adjectives
(i) a good detective serial — interesting / thrilling (ii) a debate on ‘Homework Should Be Banned’ — exciting / interesting (iii) staying indoors due to incessant rain — bored (iv) opening a present — excited / thrilled (v) watching your favourite programme — excited / interested (vi) your mother’s face in a queue — irritated / annoyed / bored (vii) tracking a tiger in a reserve forest — excited / thrilled (viii) a story or film you have seen — fascinating / interesting / boring
II.2. A paragraph about Coorg using these adjectives
Coorg is a fascinating place and a visit there is an unforgettable experience. The misty hills and evergreen rainforests are so charming that even a lazy traveller becomes excited about rafting, rappelling and mountain biking. The air is filled with the interesting smell of coffee, and one is never bored — there are trails to walk, elephants being scrubbed in the Kaveri, and the surprising sight of Buddhist monks in red and ochre robes. Nobody returns from Coorg disappointed.
Speaking and Writing — sample advertisement
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