CBSE Class 10 English Madam Rides the Bus Important Questions Set 07

Answer: (a) Her wish was to ride on the bus even once.
(b) She stared at the people who got on and off the bus.
(c) They kindled longings, dreams and hopes in her.
(d) ‘Kindle’.

Teacher's Note:
1. Notice how the wish grows from ‘tiny’ to ‘overwhelming’.
2. This progression sets up the whole story.

Answer: (a) ‘Madam Rides the Bus’.
(b) It passed a bare landscape, a tiny hamlet and an odd wayside shop.
(c) They seemed to come running towards the bus and then rush away in the other direction.
(d) ‘Hamlet’.

Teacher's Note:
1. This is a child’s view of a moving bus, where the trees seem to run.
2. It uses personification in ‘Trees came running’.

Answer: (a) She was delighted to see a young cow running in front of the bus.
(b) He slowed down and sounded his horn again and again.
(c) The cow became more frightened and ran faster.
(d) ‘Galloped’.

Teacher's Note:
1. This happy scene is the contrast to the sad scene on the return trip.
2. Remember that it is the same cow.

Answer: (a) Valli, the eight-year-old girl.
(b) Sixty paise.
(c) Peppermints, toys, balloons and a ride on the merry-go-round.
(d) It shows that she was determined, thrifty and self-controlled, and good at planning.

Teacher's Note:
1. The extract gives evidence of her self-control.
2. Use it in any character-sketch answer.

Answer: Valli’s favourite pastime was standing in the front doorway of her house and watching the activity at the bus stop and the street. For her it was as enjoyable as any game other children played, as she had no playmates and her curiosity was satisfied there.

Teacher's Note:
1. Mention the doorway and the bus stop.
2. Link the pastime to her curiosity.

Answer: She listened carefully to the conversations of neighbours who used the bus and asked discreet questions. She learned the fare, the time the bus took and the places on the way, and then planned her trip.

Teacher's Note:
1. The two parts of the question are ‘what’ and ‘how’.
2. Answer both.

Answer: Valli waited until her mother took her afternoon nap. She then went quietly to the bus stop with her sixty paise and boarded the bus on her own.

Teacher's Note:
1. Mention the nap and the secrecy.
2. Her careful timing shows planning.

Answer: Valli was pleased at being treated as a grown-up. She refused any help in boarding, saying she could get on by herself, and she did not like being treated as a child.

Teacher's Note:
1. The reaction shows her self-respect.
2. Her refusal of help supports it.

Answer: The woman had big holes in her ears with ugly earrings, and she was chewing betel nut, with juice about to spill over her lips. Valli disliked the smell and the sight and did not want to talk to her.

Teacher's Note:
1. Mention two details of the woman’s appearance.
2. The betel nut is the key point.

Answer: She saw a young cow lying dead by the roadside, hit by a fast-moving vehicle. The conductor confirmed that it was the same cow that had run in front of the bus. The sight shocked her and she stopped looking out of the window.

Teacher's Note:
1. Link the death of the cow to the earlier event.
2. Her sadness is the point.

Answer: He treated Valli with respect and humour, calling her ‘madam’ and offering her a free treat, which she refused. At the end he told her she could ride the bus again whenever she wished and joined in the joke.

Teacher's Note:
1. Pick two or three actions of the conductor.
2. Do not just say ‘he was kind’.

Answer: Valli is an eight-year-old village girl who is curious, determined and independent. She plans her trip carefully, saves sixty paise by resisting peppermints, toys and the merry-go-round, and waits for her mother’s nap. She boards the bus without help and refuses the conductor’s free treat. She is mature beyond her years and has a sense of humour, as when she laughs at the cow. Her sadness at the dead cow also shows a tender heart.

Teacher's Note:
1. Cover planning, self-respect and sensitivity with examples.
2. Keep the order logical.

Answer: Valli teaches us that dreams are achieved through planning, patience and self-control. She saved coins for months, gathered details about the journey and picked the right moment. She was confident and did not depend on others. We too need clear goals, careful planning and the will to resist temptations. Enthusiasm and courage take us further, but sensible preparation makes success possible.

Teacher's Note:
1. Take two or three values and prove each from the story.
2. Relate it to real life at the end.

Answer: The bus started back and Valli enjoyed the sights again. Then she saw a young cow lying dead by the road, struck by a speeding vehicle. She asked the conductor if it was the same cow and he nodded. The cow that had been lovely and lively was now frightening, with lifeless eyes. The sight haunted her, so she sat quietly without looking out until the village came. She got down and thanked the conductor, who invited her to ride again.

Teacher's Note:
1. Describe the journey and give the reason in the same answer.
2. Mention the conductor’s invitation.

Answer: Yes, she enjoyed most of it. She was thrilled to board the bus, admired the moving scenery, felt trees rushing towards her, and laughed until tears came at the cow running in front of the bus. She felt grown-up and independent. Only the sight of the dead cow on the way back spoiled her mood, but even then she was not sorry she went, and the end of the story suggests she would ride again.

Teacher's Note:
1. Give your opinion first and then the evidence.
2. Mention both the joy and the sorrow.

Answer: Roads near villages and forests should have warning signs, speed limits and speed breakers. Drivers should slow down near animals, use the horn sparingly, and avoid night driving where animals cross. Fencing and underpasses can be built along highways in forest areas. Citizens can report accidents to animal helplines and teach children to be kind to animals. Valli’s shock shows that every life matters.

Teacher's Note:
1. Give practical steps.
2. Link to Valli’s reaction in the last line.