CBSE Class 10 English Glimpses of India Important Questions Set 05

Short Answer Questions

Question 1. How do we know that Goa’s bakers are very prosperous? (CBSE 2019)
Answer: The author judges this by the fact that the baker, his family and his servants always looked happy and had a plump physique. Their plump bodies were an open testimony to their prosperity.

Question 2. Justify the opinion that the traditional practices in Goa show us how important they are in maintaining our roots.
Answer: Though the Portuguese have gone, the Goan bakers still use the age-old furnaces, and sons carry on their fathers’ profession. The baker’s jingling bamboo can still be heard, and bol, cakes and bolinhas remain essential at weddings and festivals. Such practices keep the community connected to its history and identity.

Question 3. How has the author employed vivid imagery in the story to effectively highlight the beauty of Coorg?
Answer: The author paints Coorg as a land of rolling hills, evergreen rainforests and coffee estates, where the breeze carries the fragrance of coffee. He describes birds, bees and butterflies, elephants bathing in the Kaveri, the misty view from Brahmagiri and monks in red, ochre and yellow robes. These pictures make Coorg come alive.

Question 4. How does the description of the Coorg Regiment instil a sense of pride in the community?
Refer to the given lines from the text:
The Coorg Regiment is one of the most decorated in the Indian Army, and the first Chief of the Indian Army, General Cariappa, was a Coorgi.
Answer: The lines show that Coorgis have a proud martial tradition. Their regiment has won many honours, and one of their own, General Cariappa, became the first Chief of the Indian Army. Such achievements give the community a strong sense of honour, which is why Coorgis love recounting tales of valour.

Question 5. Why was Rajvir excited to see the tea-garden? (CBSE Delhi 2014)
Answer: Visiting a tea estate in Assam excited Rajvir as he was visiting one for the first time. He had never seen vast stretches of tea bushes growing in orderly rows against the backdrop of tall, sturdy shade-trees and densely wooded hills. While Rajvir found the view splendid, Pranjol did not share his friend Rajvir’s excitement. Pranjol was born and brought up on a tea estate and was already familiar with the surroundings.

Question 6. What do the elders in Goa still love to remember? (CBSE Delhi 2017)
Answer: The elders in Goa still love to remember the good old Portuguese days. They fondly remember the authentic loaves of bread for which the Portuguese are famous. The time-tested furnaces, which still exist, are a reminder of how traditional bakers used to bake loaves of bread. Whenever the thud and jingle of the traditional baker’s bamboo is heard at times, it reminds one that this very sound heralded the arrival of the baker every morning.

Question 7. What do we learn about the financial condition of the bakers of Goa? (CBSE AI 2017)
Answer: Baking was a profitable profession in the older days. Bread used to be (and still is) an integral part of every Goan tradition and festival. Therefore, the fire in the baker’s furnace was never extinguished. As a result, the baker and his family never had to face a situation where they had to starve. Instead, the baker, his family and even the servants looked happy and prosperous.

Question 8. The author says: “The baker and his family never starved.” Why does he say so? Give reasons. (CBSE AI 2011)
Answer: Baking was a profitable profession in the older days. Bread used to be (and still is) an integral part of every Goan tradition and festival. Therefore, the fire in the baker’s furnace was never extinguished. As a result, the baker and his family never had to face a situation where they had to starve. Instead, the baker, his family and even the servants looked happy and prosperous.

Question 9. When did the baker come every day? Why did the children run to meet him? (CBSE Foreign 2017)
Answer: The baker came twice a day, once in the morning, when he set out to sell his loaves, and later, after he had sold all the loaves. Every morning, when the baker announced his arrival by making the familiar jhang jhang sound with his bamboo staff, the children ran to meet and greet him. They longed for the delicious bread-bangles, which the baker brought especially for the children. Sometimes, they were sweet bread of special make.

Question 10. What legends are associated with the origin of tea? (CBSE Delhi 2016)
Answer: There are two legends associated with the origin of tea. One of them tells us about a Chinese emperor who accidentally dropped a few leaves from the twigs used to light the fire under the pot in which he was boiling his drinking water. It made the water taste delicious. Those leaves were said to be tea leaves. The other legend is from India, in which a Buddhist ascetic named Bodhidharma cut off his eyelids to prevent himself from falling asleep during meditation. Ten tea plants grew from the eyelids. The leaves of these plants, when put in hot water and drunk, banished sleep.

Question 11. How can a baker be recognised? (CBSE Foreign 2016)
Answer: There are many ways to recognise a baker. A traditional baker always carries a bamboo staff, which he bangs on the road, creating a thud and jingle sound. It is the way he announces his arrival. Bakers can also be recognised by their traditional attire called the kabai. It is a single-piece long frock, which reaches down to the knees.

Question 12. The people of Coorg have a tradition of courage and bravery. How has it been recognised in modern India? (CBSE Delhi 2015)
Answer: The people of Coorg have a tradition of courage and bravery. Kodavus are allowed to carry firearms without a licence. Also, the Coorg Regiment is one of the most decorated in the Indian Army.

Question 13. Which season is the best to visit Coorg? (CBSE Delhi 2015)
Answer: The best time to visit Coorg is between September and March, when the weather is perfect with some showers and the air is filled with the distinct aroma of coffee.

Question 14. Describe Coorg’s weather. When is it the most pleasant for the tourists to visit Coorg? (CBSE AI 2011)
Answer: During the monsoons, it pours heavily in Coorg, which keeps many visitors away. The best time to visit Coorg is between September and March, when the weather is perfect with some showers and the air is filled with the distinct aroma of coffee.

Question 15. What proves Kodavu people’s Arab descent? (CBSE AI 2015)
Answer: The kuppia, the traditional attire worn by Kodavus, which is a long black coat with an embroidered waist-belt, is similar to the kuffia worn by the Arabs and the Kurds. It supports the theory that Kodavus are the descendants of the Arabs.

Question 16. How does Rajvir describe the tea-garden at Dhekiabari? (CBSE AI 2014)
Answer: The tea garden at Dhekiabari had acre upon acre of tea bushes stretched on both sides of the gravel road, all neatly pruned to the same height. Groups of tea-pluckers, wearing plastic aprons and carrying bamboo baskets on their backs, were plucking newly sprouted leaves as it was the second flush, or sprouting period.

Question 17. What was the peculiar dress of the bakers during the Portuguese days? (CBSE Foreign 2014)
Answer: In the good old Portuguese days, the traditional baker would wear a kabai. It appeared peculiar because it was a single-piece long frock reaching down to the knees.

Question 18. Baking was considered essential in a traditional Goan village. What reasons does the writer give to support his point? (CBSE Delhi 2013)
Answer: A Goan occasion is incomplete without bread. For instance, marriage gifts must contain the sweet bread known as the bol. Cakes and bolinhas are an integral part of Christmas as well as other festivals. On her daughter’s engagement, the lady of the house must prepare sandwiches. Therefore, baking was considered essential in a traditional Goan village.

Question 19. How is the Goan baker still an important part of the life of a Goan village? (CBSE AI 2012)
Answer: A Goan occasion is incomplete without bread. For instance, marriage gifts must contain the sweet bread known as the bol. Cakes and bolinhas are an integral part of Christmas as well as other festivals. On her daughter’s engagement, the lady of the house must prepare sandwiches. Therefore, baking was considered essential in a traditional Goan village.

Question 20. How are the tea pluckers different from the other farm labourers? (CBSE Delhi 2013)
Answer: The tea-pluckers are different from the other farm labourers as the tea-pluckers are hired labourers, whereas farm labourers can be hired or can be the owners of the land. Tea-pluckers just pluck leaves, whereas farm labourers go through the whole process, i.e., from sowing to harvesting.

Question 21. What are the two theories regarding the origin of the Kodavu people? (CBSE Delhi Com. 2013)
Answer: Regarding the origin of the Kodavu people, it is believed that they descended from either the Greeks or the Arabs. It is possible that a part of Alexander’s army moved south along the coast and settled there when return became impracticable. They married amongst the locals. The impact of their culture is evident in the Kodavu martial traditions, marriage and religious rites, as they are different from Hindu mainstream practices.
The black coat with an embroidered waist-belt worn by the Kodavus, known as the kuppia, is similar to the kuffia, which is worn by the Arabs and the Kurds. This supports the other theory, that the Kodavu people originated from the Arabs.

Question 22. What is the Chinese legend associated with the discovery of tea? (CBSE AI 2011)
Answer: According to the Chinese legend, a Chinese emperor always boiled water before drinking it. One day a few leaves of the twigs burning under the pot fell into the water, giving it a delicious flavour. It is said they were tea leaves.

Question 23. Match the following. What is a must?
(i) as marriage gifts?
(a) cakes and bolinhas
(ii) for a party or a feast?
(b) sweet bread called bol
(iii) for a daughter’s engagement?
(c) bread
(iv) for Christmas?
(d) sandwiches (NCERT)
Answer: (i)-(b), (ii)-(c), (iii)-(d), (iv)-(a)

Question 24. Which of these statements are correct?
(i) The pader was an important person in the village in old times. (NCERT)
Answer: True
(ii) Paders still exist in Goan villages. Ans. True
(iii) The paders went away with the Portuguese. Ans. False
(iv) The paders continue to wear a single-piece long frock. Ans. False
(v) Bread and cakes were an integral part of Goan life in the old days. Ans. True
(vi) Traditional bread-baking is still a very profitable business. Ans. False
(vii) Paders and their families starve in the present times. Ans. False

Question 25. 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) (NCERT)
Answer: nostalgic.
(ii) Maybe the father is not alive but the son still carries on the family profession. (nostalgic, hopeful, sad) Ans. hopeful.
(iii) I still recall the typical fragrance of those loaves. (nostalgic, hopeful, naughty) Ans. nostalgic.
(iv) The tiger never brushed his teeth. Hot tea could wash and clean up everything so nicely, after all. (naughty, angry, funny) Ans. funny.
(v) Cakes and bolinhas are a must for Christmas as well as other festivals. (sad, hopeful, matter-of-fact) Ans. matter of fact.
(vi) The baker and his family never starved. They always looked happy and prosperous. (matter-of-fact, hopeful, sad) Ans. matter of fact.

Question 26. Describe a baker in Goa with reference to the author's childhood memories.
Answer: The author recalls his childhood in Goa when the baker used to be their friend, companion and guide. He used to come at least twice a day, once, when he set out in the morning on his selling round, and then again when he returned after emptying his huge basket. The baker used to make his musical entry on the scene with the ‘jhang, jhang’ sound of his specially made bamboo staff. One hand supported the basket on his head and the other banged the bamboo on the ground. He would greet the lady of the house with “Good morning” and then place his basket on the vertical bamboo.

Question 27. Describe the attire and comment on the fortune of the paders or the bakers in the old days.
Answer: According to the author, the baker or bread-seller of those days had a peculiar dress known as the kabai which was a single piece long frock reaching down to the knees. Later on, they started wearing shirts and trousers which were shorter than full-length ones and longer than half pants. The baker usually collected his bills at the end of the month. Monthly accounts used to be recorded on some wall in pencil. Baking was indeed a profitable profession in the old days. As a result the baker and his family never starved. He along with his family and his servants always looked happy and prosperous. Their plump physique was an open testimony to this.

Question 28. 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? (NCERT)
Answer: (i) They are the only ones permitted to carry firearms.
(ii) coffee
(iii) river rafting, canoeing, rappelling, rock climbing, mountain biking and trekking.
(iv) Elephants, Macaques, Malabar squirrels, langurs, slender loris, birds, bees and butterflies.
(v) 260 kms, by road via Mysore or Neelamangala.

Question 29. What excited Rajvir? Why did Pranjol not share his excitement?
Answer: The beautiful scenery and wide range of green tea gardens excited Rajvir. Pranjol did not share his excitement since he was born and brought up in Assam, a place familiar to him.

Question 30. Why were the children fascinated by the baker? How did they show their eagerness to see him? [Board Question]
Answer: The baker or the pader used to be an essential part of the Goan’s life. He sold bread in different shapes and tastes which was a popular part of the Goan cuisine. The children were not fascinated by the baker’s jingle or by the loaves of bread he sold but attracted by the bread bangles or the special sweet bread that he sold. The children would know about his arrival from the ‘jhang, jhang’ sound of his bamboo stick. They would run to meet and greet him. They tried to surround the basket but were pushed aside until the bread was delivered to the maid. Then they were allowed to choose their bread-bangles. The bread-bangles fascinated the children and made them eager for the arrival of the baker.

Question 31. How did the baker make his presence known in the morning?
Answer: The baker came in the morning with the ‘jhang jhang’ sound of his bamboo staff. He carried his basket on his head supported with one hand and in the other hand he had the bamboo staff which he banged on the ground. This sound marked his presence in the mornings.

Question 32. Baking was considered essential in a traditional Goan village. What reasons does the writer give to support his point?
Answer: Baking was considered important and essential in a Goan village, since the time of the Portuguese. Bread is an essential item for everyday and for every occasion. Marriage gifts were considered meaningless without sweet bread and festivals and celebrations were incomplete without cakes.

Question 33. What do we learn about the financial condition of the bakers of Goa?
Answer: The bakers of Goa led a prosperous life. As bakers never starved, baking was a profitable profession in the old days. The families and servants of these bakers always looked happy and prosperous. Their plump physique is an open testimony to their prosperity.

Question 34. “... a piece of heaven that must have drifted from the kingdom of God.” Elucidate with reference to context.
Answer: In the central part between Mysore and the coastal town of Mangalore sits Coorg which according to the author is a piece of heaven that must have drifted from the kingdom of God because the land of rolling hills is home to evergreen rainforests, spices and coffee plantations. Evergreen rainforests cover thirty percent of this district. The weather is perfect, with some showers thrown in for good measure. The air breathes stimulating coffee. Coffee estates and colonial bungalows stand tucked under tree canopies in prime corners. The river, Kaveri, obtains its water from the hills and forests of Coorg. Birds, bees and butterflies, Macaques, Malabar squirrels, langurs, slender loris, wild elephants and several other wildlife are bestowed in this region. The panoramic view of the entire misty landscape of Coorg is revealed with the climb to the top of Brahmagiri hills.

Question 35. What does the author say regarding the descent of the people of Coorg?
Answer: The author described the people of Coorg as fiercely independent and brave, probably of Greek or Arabic descent. According to a tale, a part of Alexander’s army moved south along the coast and settled there when return became futile. These people got married amongst the locals and their culture is apparent in the martial traditions, marriage and religious rituals, which are different from the Hindu mainstream. Another theory of origin is drawn from the Arabs which is evident from the long, black coat with an embroidered waist-belt worn by the Kodavus, known as kuppia, which resembles the kuffia worn by the Arabs and the Kurds.

Question 36. What legends are associated with the origin of tea?
Answer: There are a few legends associated with tea. The Chinese legend describes how a few leaves of the twigs burning under the pot, fell into the boiling water and lent it some flavour. While the Indian legend describes how Bodhidharma cut off his eyelids during meditation because he felt sleepy. He threw these eyelids on the earth. Out of those eyelids grew ten tea plants, which when boiled with water and drunk, banished sleep.

Question 37. What is the Arab theory about the descent of the Kodavu people?
Answer: The Coorgis wear a coat called kuppia. It has an embroidered belt. This kuppia resembles the kuffia worn by the Arabs. Thus, it is believed that the Kodavu people are descendants of the Arabs.

Question 38. How are the tea pluckers different from the other farm labourers? [Board Question]
Answer: Tea pluckers are mostly women and hired labourers, while farm labourers are mostly males and they can be hired or can be the farm owners themselves. Tea pluckers mainly pluck the tea leaves whereas farm labourers go through the entire process of farming, right from ploughing to sowing and then to reaping.

Question 39. What is the Indian legend about the discovery of tea?
Answer: There was a Buddhist ascetic named Bodhidharma. He often fell asleep during meditation. To stop this, he cut off his eyelids. It is said that ten tea plants grew out of the eyelids. The leaves of this plant are put in hot water and drunk to banish sleep.

Question 40. State the legends that are popularly related to the discovery of tea.
Answer: Two legends follow with the discovery of tea. One states that a Chinese Emperor had the habit of drinking hot water, one day some twigs fell on the boiling water and it gave a delicious flavour. This resulted in the discovery of tea. The other Indian legend goes as once a Buddhist ascetic, who used to feel sleepy while meditating, had cut off his eyelids. Ten tea plants grew out of the eyelids and the leaves of these plants when put in hot water and drunk, banished sleep.

Question 41. “You seem to have done your homework before coming.” Who has done the homework and why is it so impressive?
Answer: Rajvir had done his homework as he was excited for his first visit to the Dhekiabari Tea estate in Assam. It was very impressive because Pranjol had grown up on that tea estate and didn't know half as much as Rajvir who surprised Pranjol's father with his in-depth knowledge about the discovery of tea.

Long Answer Questions

Question 1. ‘During our childhood in Goa, the baker used to be our friend, companion and guide’. What does this statement tell you about the character of the narrator? Are there some traits of the character of the narrator which need to be developed in you?
Answer: The narrator Lucio Rodrigues becomes nostalgic as he talked about a traditional Goan village baker who occupied a special place in the society. He referred to the baker as his friend, companion and guide. It shows that the people of Goa are rich in human values. The narrator himself has respect for all the professions. He never looks down upon anybody. The baker with his disciplined routine and the most sought after loaves of bread teaches the children the value of being punctual. Certain social values like love, compassion, empathy and a sense of cooperation are there that need to be developed. These qualities make a person a useful member of the society. Moreover, no profession should be looked down upon.

Question 2. The Portuguese still remember their good old days, the traditional bakers and their loaves of breads. This fact reflected the deep-rooted love for their culture and traditions. What lesson do you learn from their life?
Answer: The author enjoys listening to the stories of his elders about the Portuguese baker and their delicious loaves of bread. Time has changed now. Bakers are still remembered but metaphorically. If any person is seen wearing a half pant that reaches just below the knees or has a plump physique, he is called a baker. This reflects the Goan’s love and respect for their tradition and culture. Their life teaches us a valuable lesson to be connected to our roots. It helps us in maintaining our identity all over the world. We should not be influenced by Western culture. Indian tradition is well known for its unity in diversity. We have a rich legacy of culture and values. It is our duty to preserve our heritage and have love and respect for age-old traditions.