GLIMPSES OF INDIA
I. A BAKER FROM GOA
LUCIO
RODRIGUES
ORAL COMPREHENSION CHECK
1) What are the elders in Goa nostalgic about?
Ans: The writer regularly discovers his
elders pondering 'those good old days' and informing them about the renowned
breads that date back to when Portuguese governed over Goa. They contemplate
over the past and reveal to them that however the Portuguese have left Goa yet
the bakers actually exist, if not the first ones, their heritage is being
proceeded by their children.
2) Is
bread-making still popular in Goa? How do you know?
Ans: Yes, bread-making is still popular in the city
of Goa. It is apparent from the existence of time tested furnaces, mixers and
moulders. The tradition of bakers is being continued by their children. You
will discover a bakery in each Goan village as bread is a significant piece of
the Goan culture.
3) What is the baker called?
Ans: The baker is called as ‘Pader’ in the
city of Goa.
4) When would the baker come every day? Why did
the children run to meet him?
Ans: The baker would come twice a day. The
children ran to meet him when the jingle thud of his bamboo woke them up from
sleep and they ran to meet and greet him so that they would take the special
bread bangles which they chose carefully.
ORAL COMPREHENSION CHECK
1)
Match the following. What is a must
As
marriage gifts? -
cakes and bolinhas
For
a party or a feast? - sweet bread called bol
For
a daughter’s engagement? -
bread
For
Christmas? - sandwiches
Ans: i) As marriage gifts – Sweet bread called bol
ii) For a party or a feast – Bread
iii) For daughter’s
engagement – Sandwiches
iv) For Christmas – Cakes and
bolinhas
2) What did the bakers wear:
i) In
the Portuguese days?
Ans: (i) In the Portuguese
days, the bakers wore a unique knee-length frock dress typically known as
‘kabai’.
ii)
When the author was young?
Ans: (ii) In the narrator’s
childhood days, he had seen them wearing shirts and shorter than usual pants.
3) Who
invites the comment “he is dressed like a pader”? Why?
Ans: During
the writer's childhood days, the bakers had a particular dress. They wore
shirts and shorter than common pants. Hence, if somebody is seen wearing pants
of this much length, they invite the comment – "he is dressed like a
pader".
4) Where were the monthly accounts of the baker
recorded?
Ans: The monthly accounts of the baker were
recorded on some wall with a pencil.
5) What does a ‘jackfruit-like appearance’ mean?
Ans: Bakers had plump physique because baking
was a profitable profession. His family and servants never starved and were
prosperous. ‘Jackfruit-like appearance’ means a well-built or plump physique,
similar to a jackfruit.
THINKING OF THE TEXT
1) Which of these statements are correct?
i) The
pader was an important person in the village in old times.
Ans: True
ii)
Paders still exist in Goan villages.
Ans: True
iii)
The paders went away with the Portuguese.
Ans: False (they still
exist in Goan villages.)
iv)
The paders continue to wear a single-piece long frock.
Ans: False (they wear
shirts and trousers that are shorter than the usual ones and longer than the
half-pants.)
v) Bread
and cakes were an integral part of Goan life in the old days.
Ans: False (they are still
an integral part of Goan culture.)
vi)
Traditional bread-baking is still a very profitable business.
Ans: True
vii)
Paders and their families starve in the present times.
Ans: False (it is still a
very profitable business and their families are happy and prosperous.)
2) Is bread an important part of Goan life? How
do you know this?
Ans:
Yes, bread is an important part of Goan life culture. It is clear from its
essence at every important occasion. From sweet breads at marriages with
sandwiches at engagement and cakes and Bolinhas at Christmas just as different
events, makes the presence of a baker in each village, extremely essential.
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) – nostalgic
ii)
Maybe the father is not alive but the son still carries on the family
profession. (nostalgic, hopeful, sad) – nostalgic
iii)
I still recall the typical fragrance of those loaves. (nostalgic, hopeful,
naughty) – nostalgic
iv)
The tiger never brushed his teeth. Hot tea could wash and clean up everything
so nicely, after all. (naughty, angry, funny) – funny
v) Cakes
and bolinhas are a must for Christmas as well as other festivals. (sad,
hopeful, matter-of-fact) – matter –of- fact
vi)
The baker and his family never starved. They always looked happy and
prosperous. (matter-of-fact, hopeful, sad) – matter –of- fact
II. COORG
LOKESH
ABROL
1) Where is Coorg?
Ans:
Coorg / Kodagu is located somewhere midway between Mysore and coastal city of Mangalore.
2) What is the
story about the Kodavu people’s descent?
Ans:
It is said that the Kodavus are of one or the other Greek or Arabic descent. As
per one story, a part of Alexander's military couldn't get back to its country
thus, settled there. As the traditional dress of the Kodavus, Kuppia is like
the dress of the Arabs and Kurds, the Kuffia, it is said that presumably the
Kodavus are descendants of the Arabs.
3) What are some of the
things you now know about
i) The people of Coorg?
Ans: People of
Coorg are known to be descendents of the Greeks or the Arabs. This is a direct
result of their dressing style. They are free and brutal. They are the boldest
soldiers in the Indian Army. Simultaneously, they are inviting and are known
for their hospitality. They have married among their local people and their way
of life is totally different based on what is found in mainstream Hindus.
ii) The main crop of Coorg?
Ans: Coffee is the
main crop of Coorg. During the monsson season, when the climate is pleasant and
the breeze is blowing, it conveys with it the solid fragrance of coffee. Coffee
estates with colonial bungalows are bountiful and even provide home stays to
guests to experience the Coorgi lifestyle.
iii) The sports it offers
to tourists?
Ans: A variety of
high-energy adventure activities are offered to tourists like waterway boating
(rafting), paddling (canoeing), rappelling, rock climbing and mountain
trekking. Trekking is also one of the famous activities.
iv) The animals you are
likely to see in Coorg?
Ans: Fishes like Mahaseer are found in the waters of the
river Kaveri. Birds like Kingfisher and different animals like squirrels,
langurs, butterflies, honey bees go with you around here while wild elephants
can be seen bathing in the rivers. In case you are on a trek, Macaques, Malabar
squirrels, langurs and slim loris can be spotted on the trees.
v) Its distance from
Bangalore, and how to get there?
Ans: Coorg is a good ways off of 260 kms from Bangalore.
The nearest airports are Mangalore (135 km) and Bangalore (260 km). There are
flights to Mangalore from Mumbai, and to Bangalore from Ahmedabad, Chennai,
Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune. The nearest rail-heads
are at Mysore, Mangalore and Hassan. There are two routes to Coorg from
Bangalore. Both are almost a similar distance (around 250-260 km). The route via
Mysore is the most visited one. The other route is via Neelamangal, Kunigal,
Chanrayanapatna.
4) Here are six sentences with some words in
italics. Find phrases from the text that have the same meaning. (Look in the
paragraphs indicated)
i) During
monsoons it rains so heavily that tourists do not visit Coorg.
(para 2) – keep many visitors away
ii) Some people say that Alexander’s army moved south along the coast
and settled there. (para 3) – as one story goes
iii)
The Coorg people are always ready to tell stories of their
sons’ and fathers’ valour. (para 4) – 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. (para 6) –
the most laidback individuals become converts to
v) The
theory of the Arab origin is supported by the long coat with
embroidered waist-belt they wear. (para 3) – draws support from
vi)
Macaques, Malabar squirrels observe you carefully from the tree
canopy. (para 7) – keep a watchful eye
THINKING ABOUT LANGUAGE
COLLOCATIONS
Certain words ‘go together’. Such ‘word friends’ are called collocations.
The collocation of a word is ‘the company it keeps’.
For example, look at the paired sentences and phrases below. Which is a
common collocation, and which one is odd? Strike out the odd sentence or
phrase.
(a) •
‘How old are you?’ (b) • a pleasant person
• ‘How young are you?’ • a pleasant pillow
1) Here are some nouns from
the text.
(Culture, monks, surprise, experience, weather,
tradition)
Work with a partner and discuss which of the nouns can collocate with which of
the adjectives given below. The first one has been done for you.
(Unique, terrible, unforgettable,
serious, ancient, wide, sudden)
i) Culture: unique
culture, ancient culture
ii) Monks: ancient
monks
iii) Surprise: Unique
surprise, terrible surprise, unforgettable surprise
iv) Experience: Unique
experience, terrible experience, unforgettable experience, sudden experience
iv) Weather: terrible
weather, sudden weather
v) Tradition: unique
tradition, ancient tradition
2) Complete the following
phrases from the text. For each phrase, can you find at least one other word
that would fit into the blank?
i) Tales of valour
ii) Coastal town
iii) A piece of heaven
iv) Evergreen rainforests
v) Coffee plantations
vi) Rope bridge
vii) Wild animals
III. TEA FROM ASSAM
ARUP
KUMAR DATTA
THINKING OF LANGUAGE
I. 1) Look at these words: upkeep, downpour, undergo,
dropout, walk-in. They are built up from a verb (keep, pour, go, drop, walk)
and an adverb or a particle (up, down, under, out, in). 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.
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.
2) Now fill in the blanks
in the sentences given below by combining the verb given in brackets with one
of the words from the box as appropriate.
(Over,
by, through, out, up, down)
i) The Army attempted unsuccessfully to overthrow the
Government. (throw)
ii) Scientists are on the brink of a major breakthrough in
cancer research. (break)
iii) The State Government plans to build a by-pass for
Bhubaneswar to speed up traffic on the main highway. (pass)
iv) Gautama’s outlook on life changed
when he realised that the world is full of sorrow. (look)
v) Rakesh seemed unusually downcast after the
game. (cast)
II. Notice how these -ing and -ed adjectives
are used.
(a) Chess is an interesting game.
I am very interested in chess.
(b) Going trekking in the Himalayas this summer is an exciting idea.
We are very excited about the trek.
(c) Are all your school books this boring?
He was bored as he had no friends there.
The -ing adjectives
show the qualities that chess, trekking, or these books have: they cause
interest, excitement, or boredom in you. The —ed/—en adjectives
show your mental state, or your physical state: how you feel in response to
ideas, events or things.
Think of suitable -ing or
-ed adjectives to answer the following questions. You may also use words from
those given above. How would you describe
i) A good detective serial
on television?
ii) A debate on your
favourite topic ‘Homework Should Be Banned’?
iii) How you feel when you
stay indoors due to incessant rain?
iv) How you feel when you
open a present?
v) How you feel when you
watch your favourite programme on television?
vi) The look on your
mother’s face as you waited in a queue?
vii) How you feel when
tracking a tiger in a tiger reserve forest?
viii) The story you
have recently read, or a film you have seen?
ANSWERS
i) A good detective serial
on television? Interesting
ii) A debate on your
favourite topic ‘Homework Should Be Banned’? Exciting
iii) How you feel when you
stay indoors due to incessant rain? Bored
iv) How you feel when you
open a present? Excited
v) How you feel when you
watch your favourite programme on television? Interested
vi) The look on your
mother’s face as you waited in a queue? Tired
vii) How you feel when
tracking a tiger in a tiger reserve forest? Thrilled
viii) The story you
have recently read, or a film you have seen? Boring