ENGLISH CLASS- 10
CHAPTER-5
(Glimpses Of India)
Glimpses of India – A Baker from Goa
1. Which of these statements are correct?
(i) The pader was an important person in the village in old times.
Correct. The baker or pader played an important role in village life and was closely associated with social and religious occasions.
(ii) Paders still exist in Goan villages.
Correct. The traditional bakers still exist in Goa, although in a modernized form.
(iii) The paders went away with the Portuguese.
Incorrect. The Portuguese left Goa, but the tradition of bread-making and the bakers continued.
(iv) The paders continue to wear a single-piece long frock.
Incorrect. Modern bakers no longer wear the traditional long frock known as the kabai.
(v) Bread and cakes were an integral part of Goan life in the old days.
Correct. Bread and cakes were essential items in Goan households and were used during festivals, marriages, and other ceremonies.
(vi) Traditional bread-baking is still a very profitable business.
Correct. The chapter states that baking continues to be a profitable profession, and bakers appear prosperous.
(vii) Paders and their families starve in the present times.
Incorrect. The author clearly mentions that bakers and their families are well-off and have never starved.
Correct Statements:
(i), (ii), (v), and (vi)
2. Is bread an important part of Goan life? How do you know this?
Yes, bread is an important part of Goan life. The chapter shows that bread has been a staple food in Goa for generations. The baker's arrival was eagerly awaited every morning, and people regularly bought bread from him.
Bread and bakery products were essential during marriages, festivals, and religious ceremonies. Special sweets and cakes prepared by bakers were necessary for celebrations. The author also recalls the delicious fragrance of freshly baked bread, which highlights its significance in Goan culture and daily life.
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.
Answer: Nostalgic
The author fondly remembers the sounds associated with the traditional baker, recalling pleasant memories of childhood.
(ii) Maybe the father is not alive but the son still carries on the family profession.
Answer: Hopeful
The statement reflects continuity of tradition and optimism about preserving the profession.
(iii) I still recall the typical fragrance of those loaves.
Answer: Nostalgic
The author is remembering the pleasant smell of freshly baked bread from his childhood.
(iv) The tiger never brushed his teeth. Hot tea could wash and clean up everything so nicely, after all.
Answer: Funny
The statement humorously describes a child's innocent belief that tea could replace brushing teeth.
(v) Cakes and bolinhas are a must for Christmas as well as other festivals.
Answer: Matter-of-fact
The author simply states a fact about Goan customs and traditions without expressing strong emotions.
(vi) The baker and his family never starved. They always looked happy and prosperous.
Answer: Matter-of-fact
The statement objectively presents the economic condition of bakers and their families.
Glimpses of India – Coorg
1. Where is Coorg?
Coorg, also known as Kodagu, is situated midway between Mysore and the coastal town of Mangalore in the state of Karnataka. It is a beautiful hilly district famous for its evergreen forests, coffee plantations, and pleasant climate.
2. What is the story about the Kodavu people's descent?
The Kodavu people are believed to be of Greek or Arabic descent. According to one theory, a part of Alexander's army moved south along the coast and settled in Coorg when returning became impossible. These soldiers are believed to have married local women, and their descendants became the Kodavu people.
Another theory suggests that the Kodavus are of Arab origin because some of their customs, such as wearing a long black coat with an embroidered waist-belt called the kuppia, resemble those of the Arabs.
3. What are some of the things you now know about
(i) the people of Coorg?
The people of Coorg, known as Kodavus, are among the bravest people in India. They are famous for their hospitality and courage. Many of them have served in the Indian Army. The Kodavus are known for their tradition of bravery and are always willing to recount stories of their ancestors' valour.
(ii) the main crop of Coorg?
The main crop of Coorg is coffee. The region is famous for its vast coffee plantations. Coffee estates are spread across the hills, and the air is often filled with the aroma of coffee blossoms.
(iii) the sports it offers to tourists?
Coorg offers several exciting adventure sports to tourists. These include river rafting, canoeing, rappelling, rock climbing, mountain biking, and trekking. These activities attract adventure lovers from different parts of the country.
(iv) the animals you are likely to see in Coorg?
Coorg is rich in wildlife. Visitors may see macaques, Malabar squirrels, langurs, elephants, and deer. Bird lovers can also spot many species of birds, including kingfishers and other colourful birds in the forests.
(v) its distance from Bangalore, and how to get there?
Coorg is approximately 260 kilometres from Bangalore. It can be reached by road from Bangalore, Mysore, or Mangalore. The nearest railheads are Mysore and Mangalore, while the nearest airports are at Bangalore and Mangalore.
4. Here are six sentences with some words in italics. Find phrases from the text that have the same meaning.
(i) During monsoons it rains so heavily that tourists do not visit Coorg.
Phrase from the text: "kept indoors by the incessant rain"
(ii) Some people say that Alexander's army moved south along the coast and settled there.
Phrase from the text: "According to one story"
(iii) The Coorg people are always ready to tell stories of their sons' and fathers' valour.
Phrase from the text: "are more than willing to recount"
(iv) Even people who normally lead an easy and slow life get smitten by the high-energy adventure sports of Coorg.
Phrase from the text: "the most laidback individuals become converts"
(v) The theory of the Arab origin is supported by the long coat with embroidered waist-belt they wear.
Phrase from the text: "draws support from"
(vi) Macaques, Malabar squirrels observe you carefully from the tree canopy.
Phrase from the text: "keep a watchful eye"
The Trees
1. (i) Find, in the first stanza, three things that cannot happen in a treeless forest.
The three things mentioned in the first stanza that cannot happen in a treeless forest are:
• The bird can sit on its branches.
• The insect can hide in its shade.
• The sun can bury its feet in the shadow of the forest.
These activities require trees, and therefore cannot occur in a treeless forest.
1. (ii) What picture do these words create in your mind: “... sun bury its feet in shadow ...”? What could the poet mean by the sun's feet?
These words create the picture of a dense forest where the sunlight falls on the ground and is partly hidden by the shadows of trees. The image suggests a peaceful and beautiful natural scene.
By the expression “sun's feet”, the poet refers to the sun rays that reach the earth. The poet imagines the sun as a human being whose feet disappear into the cool shadows created by the trees.
2. (i) Where are the trees in the poem? What do their roots, their leaves, and their twigs do?
The trees are inside a house, probably in a greenhouse or as part of interior decoration. They have been confined indoors instead of growing freely in a forest.
Their roots work all night to separate themselves from the cracks in the veranda floor. Their leaves move towards the glass windows as if trying to reach the outside world. Their twigs become stiff and struggle forward, longing to break free from confinement.
2. (ii) What does the poet compare their branches to?
The poet compares the branches to newly discharged patients moving towards the clinic doors.
This comparison suggests that the trees have been imprisoned for a long time and are now moving out slowly and awkwardly towards freedom, just as patients leave a hospital after recovering from illness.
3. (i) How does the poet describe the moon: (a) at the beginning of the third stanza, and (b) at its end? What causes this change?
At the beginning of the third stanza, the moon is described as broken like a mirror, with its reflection appearing in the shattered glass of the window.
At the end of the stanza, the moon appears whole and shining in the open sky.
This change occurs because the trees move out of the house, allowing the poet to see the moon directly in the sky rather than through the window glass.
3. (ii) What happens to the house when the trees move out of it?
When the trees move out, the house becomes empty and silent. The rooms lose the presence and freshness that the trees had brought to them.
The poet says that the house is left with empty doors and empty windows, emphasizing the loneliness and emptiness created by the departure of the trees.
3. (iii) Why do you think the poet does not mention “the departure of the forest from the house” in her letters?
The poet does not mention this unusual event because some experiences are so strange, surprising, and difficult to explain that words seem inadequate. Such extraordinary events often leave people speechless.
The departure of an entire forest from a house is highly imaginative and symbolic. The poet chooses not to describe it directly in her letters because it is an event that must be felt and understood rather than simply reported.
4. (i) Does the poem present a conflict between man and nature? Compare it with A Tiger in the Zoo. Is the poet suggesting that plants and trees, used for ‘interior decoration’ in cities while forests are cut down, are ‘imprisoned’, and need to break out?
Yes, the poem presents a conflict between human beings and nature. Humans often cut down forests and confine plants and trees within houses and cities for decoration. The poet suggests that trees naturally belong in forests and not inside buildings.
This idea is similar to A Tiger in the Zoo, where a tiger is kept in a cage instead of living freely in the jungle. Just as the tiger longs for freedom, the trees in this poem struggle to return to their natural habitat. The poem emphasizes that all living beings have the right to live freely in their natural environment.
4. (ii) On the other hand, Adrienne Rich has been known to use trees as a metaphor for human beings; this is a recurrent image in her poetry. What new meanings emerge from the poem if you take its trees to be symbolic of human beings?
If the trees are viewed as symbols of human beings, the poem gains a deeper meaning. The trees represent people who are trapped by social restrictions, traditions, or oppressive circumstances and who long for freedom and self-expression.
Their movement towards the outside world symbolizes the human desire for independence, growth, and a meaningful life. The poem then becomes a celebration of liberation and self-discovery. It suggests that, like the trees, people cannot remain confined forever; they naturally seek freedom, dignity, and the opportunity to fulfil their true potential.