Maharashtra Board Class 5 English Chapter 32 Helen Keller Solutions

English Balbharati Std 5 Digest Chapter 32 Helen Keller Textbook Questions And Answers

Answer The Following Questions.

 

Question 1. How did Helen overcome her handicaps?
Answer: Helen overcame her handicaps because of her own courage and also that of her wonderful teachers from whom she learned to read, write and talk. Her determination and the support of her educators were key to her success.
In simple words: Helen overcame her challenges thanks to her own bravery and the help of her amazing teachers who taught her to read, write, and speak.

🎯 Exam Tip: When answering questions about overcoming challenges, always mention both the individual's internal qualities (like courage) and external support (like teachers). This shows a complete understanding.

 

Question 2. What part did Anne Sullivan play in Helen's life?
Answer: Anne Sullivan, herself nearly blind, taught Helen to read and write by trying the deaf-and-dumb finger alphabet method. She also taught her to feel the things, to understand the meaning of the word. Anne Sullivan was with Helen all through her time at the University, providing constant support and guidance.
In simple words: Anne Sullivan was Helen Keller's teacher and lifelong companion, teaching her to communicate and supporting her education.

🎯 Exam Tip: When asked about a person's role, describe their key contributions and the impact they had on the other person's life.

 

Question 3. How did Helen Keller help other blind people?
Answer: Throughout her life, Helen helped other blind people to find courage. She travelled all over the world inspiring everyone by her example, showing that disability does not limit potential.
In simple words: Helen Keller inspired blind people worldwide by showing them courage and what they could achieve.

🎯 Exam Tip: Focus on Helen Keller's actions and the positive influence she had on others, especially those with similar challenges.

 

Question 4. Helen Keller's life is the story of......
(a) blind woman.
(b) courage, patience and struggle.
(c) helpless, unfortunate girl.
Answer: (b) courage, patience and struggle.
In simple words: Helen Keller's life story is about her bravery, perseverance, and the challenges she overcame.

🎯 Exam Tip: When choosing the best description, look for the option that encompasses the main themes and lessons from the person's life, rather than just a single characteristic.

Activity

 

Question 1. What is meant by 'Honour the white cane'?
Answer: The people who are blind or have a partial loss of vision carry a long white cane which signifies that they are self-reliant and independent. 'Honouring the white cane' means respecting the people who are blind or visually impaired and ensuring that they don't face any difficulty in their day to day life. We should extend a helping hand to them and help them overcome the challenges they face in life and thus 'Honour the white cane', recognizing their strength and independence.
In simple words: 'Honour the white cane' means to respect visually impaired people who use a white cane for independence, and to help them navigate daily life without difficulties.

🎯 Exam Tip: Explain the symbolism of the white cane first, then elaborate on what "honouring" it entails in terms of respect and practical assistance.

 

Question 2. Find out what 'Braille' is.
Answer: Braille is a system of raised dots that can be read with the fingers by people who are blind or who have very low vision. It is a kind of code language. Each alphabet is arranged by one to six raised dots known as 'cell'. A single cell can be used to represent an alphabet letter, number, punctuation mark, even a whole word, making it a versatile communication tool.
In simple words: Braille is a special writing system for blind people, using raised dots that they feel with their fingers to read letters, numbers, and words.

🎯 Exam Tip: When describing a system like Braille, remember to mention its purpose, how it works (raised dots, fingers), and its key components (cells, representing letters/numbers).

 

Question 3. Find out the difference between the fingerspelling method, sign language and Braille.
Answer: A sign language is a language that uses body language to convey meaning through movements of the hand, arms, or body, and facial expressions to express the speaker's thoughts. It's a complete language with its own grammar. Finger spelling is the process of spelling out words by using signs using fingers that correspond to the letter of the word. Braille is a form of written language for the blind, in which characters are represented by patterns of raised dots that are felt with the fingertips.
In simple words: Sign language uses body and facial expressions for communication, fingerspelling uses finger signs for individual letters, and Braille is a written system of raised dots for blind people to read by touch.

🎯 Exam Tip: When differentiating between similar concepts, clearly define each term separately before highlighting their unique characteristics and how they differ in application.

3. Complete The Following. Example: Patient – Patience.

 

Question 1.
1. attend .......
2. enter .......
3. differ .......
Answer:
1. attend - attendance
2. enter - enterance
3. differ - difference. These words show how verbs can be changed into nouns by adding suffixes.
In simple words: This question asks you to change the given verbs into their noun forms, like changing 'attend' to 'attendance'.

🎯 Exam Tip: Pay close attention to spelling when converting words to different forms, as a single letter can change the meaning or make the word incorrect.

Answer in One Sentence

 

Question 1. When would Helen get into terrible tempers?
Answer: Helen used to get into terrible tempers when she could not explain what she meant, or understand what others wanted. This frustration was a significant challenge in her early life.
In simple words: Helen got angry when she couldn't tell people what she wanted or understand them.

🎯 Exam Tip: Focus on the cause of Helen's temper, which was her inability to communicate effectively.

 

Question 2. Who changed Helen's life?
Answer: When Helen was nearly seven, Anne Sullivan came to teach her and look after her and this clever and devoted teacher changed Helen's life. Anne Sullivan's arrival marked a turning point, bringing hope and a path to communication.
In simple words: Anne Sullivan, her teacher, changed Helen's life by teaching her to communicate.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember the name 'Anne Sullivan' as she was the pivotal figure in Helen Keller's education.

 

Question 3. According to Anne which was the only way to talk to Helen and teach her to say what she wanted?
Answer: According to Anne the only way to talk to Helen and teach her to say what she wanted was to teach her the deaf-and-dumb finger alphabets. This method provided a direct and effective means for Helen to express herself.
In simple words: Anne believed teaching Helen finger alphabets was the only way for them to communicate and for Helen to express her desires.

🎯 Exam Tip: Highlight 'finger alphabets' as the key method Anne Sullivan used to communicate with Helen.

 

Question 4. How did Helen learn to write and read?
Answer: Helen under Miss Sullivan learned to write on a special frame and ridges to keep the lines straight and began to read Braille books. These specialized tools were essential for her to overcome her visual and auditory impairments.
In simple words: Helen learned to write using a special frame and read by touching Braille books, guided by Miss Sullivan.

🎯 Exam Tip: Mention both the 'special frame' for writing and 'Braille books' for reading to get full marks.

 

Question 5. Which qualities helped Helen to talk, read and write?
Answer: Hardwork, patience and willingness to practice and above all courage, all helped Helen to talk, read and write. These virtues were instrumental in her extraordinary achievements despite her challenges.
In simple words: Helen's hard work, patience, willingness to practice, and courage helped her learn to talk, read, and write.

🎯 Exam Tip: List all the positive qualities mentioned, especially 'courage', as they are crucial for overcoming such significant obstacles.

 

Question 6. Complete the web diagram using qualities displayed by Helen Keller which make her an inspiration – a role model.
Qualities of Helen Keller:

• courage
• patience
• determination
• persistence
• hard work
• helpful
• intelligence

Answer: Helen Keller displayed qualities such as courage, patience, determination, persistence, hard work, helpfulness, and intelligence, which made her an inspiration and a role model for many. Her unwavering spirit in overcoming challenges is truly remarkable.
In simple words: Helen Keller was inspiring because she showed great courage, patience, and worked very hard, along with being determined and intelligent, despite her difficulties.

🎯 Exam Tip: When asked to complete a web diagram, list all the relevant points clearly. For qualities, use descriptive adjectives or nouns that highlight the person's character.

 

Question 7. Make sentences with the following words: patience, persistence, hard work
Answer:1. Patience: Patience and perseverance leads to success. 2. Persistence : Persistence in his efforts to reach his goal helped him break the world record. 3. Hard work: There is no substitute for hard work.
In simple words: Patience means waiting calmly, persistence means not giving up, and hard work means putting in a lot of effort. These are all important for achieving goals.

🎯 Exam Tip: When making sentences, ensure each word is used correctly in context and the sentence is grammatically sound. Aim for clear and concise sentences.

Language Study

 

Question 1. Give the noun forms of:
1. understand
2. devoted
Answer:1. understanding 2. devotion
In simple words: Noun forms are words that name a person, place, thing, or idea. For example, 'understand' is an action, but 'understanding' is the idea or state of knowing.

🎯 Exam Tip: To find the noun form of a verb or adjective, think about the 'thing' or 'idea' related to that word. Common suffixes like -ing, -tion, -ment, -ness, -ity often indicate nouns.

 

Question 2. Give the verb forms of:
1. meaning
2. straight
3. sensitive
4. inspiring
5. special
Answer: 1. mean
2. straighten
3. sensitive
4. inspire
5. specialise
Understanding the different forms of words helps in building a strong vocabulary and improving sentence construction.
In simple words: This question asks you to change words like 'meaning' (a noun) into their action forms, like 'mean' (a verb). It's about knowing how words can be used in different ways.

🎯 Exam Tip: To score full marks, remember that some words, like 'sensitive', can be both an adjective and a verb depending on context, but here we need its primary verb form. Always check for common prefixes or suffixes that indicate verb forms.

 

Question 3. Give the adjective forms of :
1. difference
2. description

 

Question 4. Match the meanings:

1. active	a. readily doing what one is told to do
2. obediently	b. completely
3. entirely	c. extremely
4. incredibly	d. one that functioned well

Answer:

1. active	d. one that functioned well
2. obediently	a. readily doing what one is told to do
3. entirely	b. completely
4. incredibly	c. extremely

In simple words: This question asks you to connect words with their correct definitions. Each word has a specific meaning that matches one of the given descriptions.

🎯 Exam Tip: For matching questions, read all words and their meanings first. Then, match the ones you are sure about, and use elimination for the remaining pairs.

Do As Directed:

 

Question 1.
1. She remembered a few words. (Rewrite the sentence beginning with : She did not ...........)
2. This clever and devoted teacher changed Helen's life. (State the part of speech of the underlined words)
3. Miss Sullivan gave Helen a doll. (Rewrite the sentence beginning with: A doll us given...)
4. She became so excited that she could hardly control herself. (Pick out the adverbs)
5. Anne Sullivan herself had been nearly blind. (Pick out the pronoun)
6. Helen had an active mind and a clever brain. (Pick out the articles)
7. The papers were set in Braille. (Form a wh question to get the underlined part as the answer)
Answer:
1. She did not forget a few words. This rewrite maintains the original meaning while using the specified starting phrase.
In simple words: To rewrite the sentence starting with "She did not," change "remembered" to "forget" to keep the meaning the same.
2. clever, devoted : Adjectives. These words describe the teacher's qualities, adding detail to the sentence.
In simple words: "Clever" and "devoted" describe the teacher, so they are adjectives.
3. A doll was given to Helen by Miss Sullivan. This is the passive voice construction of the original sentence, focusing on the recipient.
In simple words: To rewrite the sentence starting with "A doll was given," change the sentence from active to passive voice.
4. so, hardly – adverbs. These words modify verbs or other adverbs, indicating degree or manner of the action.
In simple words: Adverbs like "so" and "hardly" tell us more about how an action happened or to what extent.
5. herself - pronoun. "Herself" is a reflexive pronoun, referring back to Anne Sullivan for emphasis.
In simple words: "Herself" is a pronoun that refers back to the subject, Anne Sullivan, emphasizing her.
6. Articles: an, a. "An" is used before a vowel sound, and "a" before a consonant sound, specifying the nouns.
In simple words: "An" and "a" are articles used before nouns to specify them.
7. What were the papers set in? This question directly asks for the underlined information, making it the answer.
In simple words: To form a 'wh' question, identify the key information (Braille) and ask a question that elicits it.

🎯 Exam Tip: When rewriting sentences, ensure the meaning remains consistent. For parts of speech, identify what the word describes or modifies. For 'wh' questions, the answer should be the underlined part.

Reading Skills, Vocabulary And Grammar

Read the following extract and answer the questions given below.

 

Question 1. Arrange the following in order of occurrence.
1. Learned to write
2. Learned to type

 

3. Had long conversation with her teacher
4. Learned to talk
5. Learned to spell words
6. Began to read braille book
Answer:
1. Learned to spell words
2. Had long conversations with her teacher
3. Learned to write
4. Learned to type
5. Began to read braille book
6. Learned to talk
In simple words: This list outlines Helen's key learning achievements, starting with spelling words and progressing to reading Braille and speaking.

🎯 Exam Tip: When presented with a list of events, ensure you understand the sequence and context to arrange them correctly.

 

Question 2. What helped Helen to learn very fast?
Answer: Helen's quick brain and good memory helped her to learn very fast. She was very eager to learn new things quickly.
In simple words: Helen learned fast because she had a smart brain and remembered things well.

🎯 Exam Tip: For questions about character traits, identify the specific qualities mentioned in the text that contribute to their actions or abilities.

 

Question 3. What did Miss Sullivan do, wherever they went?
Answer: Wherever they went, Miss Sullivan described things to her and told her what people were saying. She was a constant companion and guide.
In simple words: Miss Sullivan always described surroundings and conversations to Helen, helping her understand the world.

🎯 Exam Tip: When asked about a character's actions, list all relevant activities and their purpose as described in the story.

 

Question 4. What did Helen begin to read?
Answer: Helen began to read Braille books. This opened up a new world of knowledge for her.
In simple words: Helen started reading books written in Braille, a special touch-based alphabet.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember key vocabulary like 'Braille' when discussing Helen Keller's learning journey, as it's central to her education.

 

Question 5. Who taught her to talk aloud? How?
Answer:
In simple words: This question asks about Helen's speech development and the methods used to teach her.

🎯 Exam Tip: When a question asks "How?", ensure your answer describes the process or method in detail, not just the person involved.

 

Question 6. The progress made by Helen was not an easy one. (Pick out a line to prove this statement)
Answer: All this was hard work, needing endless patience by both pupil and teacher, and long practice.
In simple words: Helen's learning was tough, requiring a lot of effort and patience from both her and her teacher over a long time.

🎯 Exam Tip: When asked to prove a statement, always quote the exact line from the text to provide direct evidence.

 

Question 7. Miss Sullivan described things to her. (Use the word 'description' and rewrite the sentence without changing its meaning)
Answer: Miss Sullivan gave her a description of things.
In simple words: Miss Sullivan explained things to Helen by giving her a detailed account of them.

🎯 Exam Tip: To rewrite a sentence using a specific word, identify the verb that can be replaced by a noun form of the given word, ensuring the meaning stays the same.

 

Question 8. Are you inspired by the life of Helen Keller? Give reasons.
Answer: Yes, I am inspired by the courage, determination, focus and persistence displayed by Helen Keller. Her ability to overcome profound disabilities to achieve greatness is truly remarkable.
In simple words: Yes, Helen Keller's life inspires me because she showed great courage and never gave up, even with her challenges.

🎯 Exam Tip: When asked for personal inspiration, always start with a clear 'Yes' or 'No' and then list specific qualities or achievements as reasons.

Writing Skills

 

Question 1. Write an essay on: Our teacher: Our inspiration
Answer: Our teacher: Our inspiration "Teachers plant seeds of wisdom which grow forever.” An ideal teacher can not only give us the right knowledge, fill us with hope, give wings to our creativity and imagination but also help us to lead our lives well- a life based on the right values and virtues. It was after Anne Sullivan's entry into Helen Keller's life that it changed her life for good. Rising above the disability if Helen achieved all that she had, it was due to the support of her devoted and loving teacher. A good teacher acts as a guiding light, helping students discover their potential and navigate life's challenges.
In simple words: Teachers are like guides who give us knowledge, hope, and help us use our imagination, leading us to live good lives with strong values, just like Anne Sullivan helped Helen Keller.

🎯 Exam Tip: When writing an essay, start with a strong opening, use examples or quotes if relevant, and ensure your points are well-structured and support the main theme.

Our former President Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam too attributes his success to the role played by his teacher, Iyadurai Solomon. He told him to desire and dream for something from the heart and assured him that if he did, his dreams would come true. And for Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam it did. Let us respect our teachers who play many roles in our lives. They selflessly impart knowledge, tell us the right from the wrong and mould us into great citizens and wonderful human beings. Aware of our strengths and weaknesses they guide us to our goals. It is rightly said: 'A society cannot rise above its teachers'.

Helen Keller Summary In English

Summary

An inspiring account of courage, strength, determination and hard work, the story of 'Helen Keller' conveys the message 'When the going gets tough, the tough get going'. At 18 months, when Helen was just beginning to talk she became terribly ill. This affected her sight and hearing too. As she was unable to hear, she could not talk. She became blind too. But with her will-power and courage, and under the able guidance of her wonderful teachers – Anne Sullivan and a special teacher – she learned to talk and write.

She went to school and college and lived a full and happy life. Throughout her life, she inspired other blind people to find courage through her own example. Helen Keller was and is an inspiration to the whole world. She showed what she could achieve through courage, patience and struggle. She lived to a ripe old age of eighty eight and passed away in 1968.

Meanings

• terribly (adv) – seriously
• recovered (u) – returned to health
• instance (n) – example

4. tempers (n) – fits of anger
5. devoted (adj) – committed (here)
6. sensitive (adj) – respond to the feelings of others
7. darted (v) – run suddenly
8. incredibly (adv) – extremely, unbelievably
9. ridges (n) – a line where two upward slopes meet
10. distinctly (adv) – clearly
11. braille (n) – A system developed to help the blind read. Letters are represented by raised dots.
12. passed away (phr) – died

English Balbharati Std 5 Answers Unit 4