Glimpses of India Question Answer Chapter 5 Solved PDF

1. What are the elders in Goa nostalgic about?
Answer: The elders in Goa are nostalgic about the good old Portuguese days and the famous loaves of bread made during those days.

2. Is bread-making still popular in Goa? How do you know?
Answer: Yes, bread-making is still popular in Goa. The traditional furnaces still exist, and bakers known as pader continue the family profession.

3. What is the baker called?
Answer: The baker is called a pader in Goa.

4. When would the baker come everyday? Why did the children run to meet him?
Answer: The baker came at least twice a day — once in the morning on his selling round and again when he returned after emptying his basket. The children ran to meet him because they wanted to get the bread-bangles and sometimes the sweet bread.

2. What did the bakers wear: (i) in the Portuguese days? (ii) when the author was young?
Answer: (i) In the Portuguese days, the bakers wore a single-piece long frock called the kabai. (ii) When the author was young, the bakers wore a shirt and trousers that were shorter than full-length trousers but longer than half pants.

3. Who invites the comment — "he is dressed like a pader"? Why?
Answer: A person who wears a half pant reaching just below the knees invites the comment that he is dressed like a pader.

4. Where were the monthly accounts of the baker recorded?
Answer: The monthly accounts of the baker were recorded on a wall in pencil.

5. What does a 'jackfruit-like appearance' mean?
Answer: It means a pleasantly fat or plump body.

1. Which of these statements are correct?
Answer: (i) Correct, (ii) Correct, (iii) Incorrect, (iv) Incorrect, (v) Correct, (vi) Correct, (vii) Incorrect. The statements are based on the description of Goan bakers and their profession in the chapter.

2. Is bread an important part of Goan life? How do you know this?
Answer: Yes, bread is an important part of Goan life. Bread is necessary for marriage gifts, parties, feasts, engagements and festivals. Cakes and bolinhas are also essential for Christmas and other festivals.

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

(ii) Maybe the father is not alive but the son still carries on the family profession. — Hopeful

(iii) I still recall the typical fragrance of those loaves. — Nostalgic

(iv) The tiger never brushed his teeth. Hot tea could wash and clean up everything so nicely, after all. — Naughty

(v) Cakes and bolinhas are a must for Christmas as well as other festivals. — Matter-of-fact

(vi) The baker and his family never starved. They always looked happy and prosperous. — Matter-of-fact

1. What makes the two texts so different? Are the facts the same? Do both writers give you a picture of the baker?
Answer: The two texts are different in their style and purpose. The first writer gives a personal and nostalgic picture of the baker from childhood memories, while the second gives a more factual account of Goan paders and their profession. The basic facts are similar, and both writers give information about the baker and his traditional profession.

2. Now find a travel brochure about a place you have visited. Write your own account, adding details from your own experience.
Answer: I visited a beautiful hill station with green hills, cool weather and peaceful surroundings. The winding roads passed through dense greenery, and the fresh air made the journey enjoyable. I could hear birds singing and see beautiful views from the higher places. The local people were friendly and welcoming. The natural beauty of the place made my visit memorable.

1. In groups, collect information on how bakeries bake bread now and how the process has changed over time.
Answer: Modern bakeries use machines for mixing, shaping and baking bread. In earlier times, bread was mainly prepared by hand and baked in traditional furnaces. Modern equipment has made the process faster and more convenient.

2. Pick one of the crafts. Make a group presentation about the skills required and reasons for the decline of the craft.
Answer: Pottery. Pottery requires skill in shaping clay, drying it properly and firing it carefully. The craft is declining because machine-made products are easily available and often cheaper. Pottery can be revived by promoting traditional products, providing training to young people and creating better markets for handmade pottery.

1. Where is Coorg?
Answer: Coorg, also known as Kodagu, is the smallest district of Karnataka. It lies midway between Mysore and the coastal town of Mangalore.

2. What is the story about the Kodavu people's descent?
Answer: According to one story, a part of Alexander's army moved south along the coast and settled in Coorg when returning became impossible. They married the local people and their culture became visible in the martial traditions, marriage and religious rites of Coorg. Another theory suggests an Arab origin, supported by the long black coat with an embroidered waist-belt worn by the Kodavus.

3. What are some of the things you now know about:

(i) the people of Coorg? The people of Coorg are fiercely independent, hospitable and known for their martial traditions. The Coorg Regiment is one of the most decorated regiments in the Indian Army.

(ii) the main crop of Coorg? The main crop of Coorg is coffee. Coorg is famous for its coffee plantations.

(iii) the sports it offers to tourists? Coorg offers river rafting, canoeing, rappelling, rock climbing, mountain biking and trekking.

(iv) the animals you are likely to see in Coorg? Visitors may see birds, bees, butterflies, macaques, Malabar squirrels, langurs, slender loris and wild elephants.

(v) its distance from Bangalore, and how to get there? Coorg is around 250–260 km from Bangalore. It can be reached by road through Mysore or Neelamangala, Kunigal and Channarayapatna. The nearest airports are Mangalore and Bangalore, while the nearest railheads are Mysore, Mangalore and Hassan.

4. Find phrases from the text that have the same meaning.

(i) During monsoons it rains so heavily that tourists do not visit Coorg. → "It pours enough to keep many visitors away."

(ii) Some people say that Alexander's army moved south along the coast and settled there. → "As one story goes, a part of Alexander's army moved south along the coast and settled here."

(iii) The Coorg people are always ready to tell stories of their sons' and fathers' valour. → "They are more than willing to recount numerous tales of valour related to their sons and fathers."

(iv) Even people who normally lead an easy and slow life get smitten by the high-energy adventure sports of Coorg. → "The most laidback individuals become converts to the life of high-energy adventure."

(v) The theory of the Arab origin is supported by the long coat with embroidered waist-belt they wear. → "The theory of Arab origin draws support from the long, black coat with an embroidered waist-belt worn by the Kodavus."

(vi) Macaques, Malabar squirrels observe you carefully from the tree canopy. → "Macaques, Malabar squirrels, langurs and slender loris keep a watchful eye from the tree canopy."

1. What did Rajvir see when the train entered Assam?
Answer: Rajvir saw greenery everywhere. The soft green paddy fields gradually gave way to tea bushes. He saw a magnificent view of tea plantations stretching as far as the eye could see, with tall shade-trees and tea-pluckers moving among the rows of bushes.

2. Why did Pranjol not share Rajvir's excitement?
Answer: Pranjol had been born and brought up on a tea plantation, so tea gardens were familiar to him. Therefore, he did not feel as excited as Rajvir, who was seeing them with great interest for the first time.

3. What are the two legends about the discovery of tea?
Answer: According to the first legend, a Chinese emperor was boiling water when some leaves from burning twigs fell into it and gave the water a delicious flavour. These were said to be tea leaves. The Indian legend is about Bodhidharma, an ancient Buddhist ascetic. He cut off his eyelids because he felt sleepy during meditation. Ten tea plants grew from his eyelids, and their leaves were believed to drive away sleep when put in hot water and drunk.

4. When was tea first drunk in China?
Answer: Tea was first drunk in China as far back as 2700 B.C.

5. When did tea come to Europe?
Answer: Tea came to Europe in the sixteenth century and was initially drunk more as a medicine than as a beverage.

6. What did Rajvir tell Pranjol about Assam?
Answer: Rajvir told Pranjol that Assam had the largest concentration of tea plantations in the world. He also showed that he had studied tea before visiting Assam and knew several facts and legends about it.

7. What is the second-flush or sprouting period?
Answer: The second-flush or sprouting period lasts from May to July and yields the best tea.

(i) a good detective serial on television — An interesting and exciting detective serial.

(ii) a debate on your favourite topic 'Homework Should Be Banned' — An interesting and thought-provoking debate.

(iii) how you feel when you stay indoors due to incessant rain — I feel bored and frustrated.

(iv) how you feel when you open a present — I feel excited and surprised.

(v) how you feel when you watch your favourite programme on television — I feel entertained and excited.

(vi) the look on your mother's face as you waited in a queue — She looked worried and impatient.

(vii) how you feel when tracking a tiger in a tiger reserve forest — I feel excited and thrilled.

(viii) the story you have recently read, or a film you have seen — It was interesting and entertaining.