NCERT Solutions for Class 4 English Chapter 11 A Journey to the Magical Mountains

Question 1. Who was Minam, and what did she enjoy to do with her grandfather?
Answer: Minam was a young girl who lived in a village at the foot of the mighty Himalayas with her grandfather. She loved to listen to stories about the mountains from her grandfather who was once a Sherpa.
In simple words: Minam was a girl who lived near the Himalayas. She liked hearing stories about mountains from her grandfather, who used to be a Sherpa.

Exam Tip: Always identify the character's name, location, and what they enjoy doing - these are the key details examiners ask for.

Question 2. What did Minam's grandfather say to her one sunny morning?
Answer: One sunny morning, Minam's grandfather told her that she had become strong and she could walk for a long distance. He told her that he would take her on a special journey to see the beauty of the Himalayas.
In simple words: Her grandfather said she was now strong enough to walk far. He promised to take her to see the beautiful Himalayan mountains.

Exam Tip: Pay attention to what the character promises or says will happen next - this often leads to the main story events.

Question 3. What items did Minam pack for her journey to the mountains?
Answer: Minam packed her bag with some rotis with achaar, two water bottles, and her favourite fruit, apples.
In simple words: Minam took rotis with achaar, two water bottles, and apples in her bag.

Exam Tip: Remember to list all items mentioned - don't miss any, as each item may be worth a mark in an exam.

Question 4. Where did Minam and her grandfather stop for lunch? What did they do there?
Answer: Minam and her grandfather stopped for lunch near a river to enjoy eating their rotis. Minam watched the fish swim and she dipped her feet in the cool water and laughed with joy while eating an apple.
In simple words: They stopped by a river for lunch. Minam played in the water, watched fish, and ate an apple happily.

Exam Tip: For questions with two parts (where and what), always answer both clearly - location first, then activities.

Question 5. What was Minam's reaction when she saw snow for the first time?
Answer: Minam had never seen so much snow before. So she laughed and played making small snowman with her grandfather.
In simple words: Minam was very happy when she saw snow. She laughed and built a small snowman with her grandfather.

Exam Tip: When asked about a character's reaction, describe their feelings and actions - use words like happy, excited, surprised.

Question 6. What did Minam promise her grandfather at the end of their journey?
Answer: At the end of their journey, Minam promised her grandfather that she would always respect and protect the mountains.
In simple words: Minam promised to take care of and respect the mountains.

Exam Tip: A character's promise at the end of a story shows what they learned - note it carefully as it's a common exam question.

Let us Think - Section B (Think and Discuss)

Question 1. Minam enjoyed learning from her grandfather during their walk. Is there someone in your family or community who teaches you special things? What have you learned from them?
Answer: This is a personal question - you need to answer it based on your own life and experiences.
In simple words: Think of a person in your family or neighbourhood who teaches you things, and write about what they teach you.

Exam Tip: For personal experience questions, write about real people you know and give specific examples of what they have taught you.

Question 2. Minam saw yaks and mountain goats helping people in the mountains. Can you think of animals or things in your surroundings that are very important to the people around you? How do they help?
Answer: Many domestic animals live in our surroundings and they are very helpful to us. Cows and buffaloes provide milk, and horses and donkeys carry heavy goods. There are many other useful animals that assist us in different ways.
In simple words: Cows give milk, horses carry things, and donkeys help carry loads. These animals are important to people around us.

Exam Tip: Always give specific examples of animals and their uses - this shows you understand how animals help people.

Question 3. Minam promised to protect the mountains. Is there something in nature around your home, school, or neighbourhood that you feel should be protected? What would you do to keep it safe?
Answer: This is a personal question - you need to answer it based on your own observations and ideas.
In simple words: Think about nature near you - trees, water, animals - and write what you would do to protect them.

Exam Tip: For environmental questions, show your awareness by naming something real in your area and suggesting practical actions you can take.

Let us Think - Section C (Match the Following)

Question. Match the following based on the story.
Answer:

Exam Tip: Read the story carefully before matching - all the answers can be found directly in the text.

Let us Learn - Section A (Use the Words to Complete Sentences)

Question. Use the words to complete these sentences.
Answer:
1. Minam saw the tall peaks of the Himalayas.
2. Her grandfather was once a Sherpa.
3. They went on a long journey to the mountains.
4. Yaks are used by mountain people to carry heavy loads.
5. They saw the snow-covered mountains. She and her grandfather made a small snowman.
6. The day created beautiful memories for Minam.
In simple words: Fill in the blanks with the words given in the box to make the sentences complete and meaningful.

Exam Tip: Always read the full sentence before choosing a word - this helps you pick the right word that fits the meaning.

Let us Learn - Section B (Solve the Crossword Puzzle)

Question. Solve the crossword puzzle using the clues given.
Answer:
Down:
1. Peak
3. Himalayas
4. Snow
6. Yak

Across:
2. Sherpa
5. Valley
7. Journey
In simple words: Use the clues to find words that go across and down in the puzzle grid.

Exam Tip: Check that your answers match both across and down - where they meet, the same letter must work for both words.

Let us Learn - Section C (Match Each Word with Its Correct Meaning)

Question. Match each word with its correct meaning.
Answer:

Exam Tip: Learn vocabulary words with their meanings - matching questions test whether you know what words mean.

Let us Learn - Section D (Match Objects with Body Parts They Are Compared To)

Question. Read these lines from the lesson. Now, it's your turn to think creatively! Match the objects below with the correct "body part" they are often compared to.
Answer:

Exam Tip: This teaches you how writers use words in creative ways - when a river has a "mouth", it's a figure of speech, not a real mouth.

Let us Write - Section A (Look Up a Dictionary and Find the Meaning of Words)

Question. Look up a dictionary and find the meaning of the words in the box. Later label the picture.
Answer:

• Plain: A large area of flat or gently rolling ground.
• Slope: The angle of a surface when measured against level ground.
• River: A natural stream of water, typically large, flowing in a channel to the sea, a lake, or another river.
• Plateau: A large, elevated, relatively flat area of ground.
• Valley: A low area of ground between hills or mountains, typically with a river or stream flowing through it.
• Hill: A natural elevation of the ground, typically smaller than a mountain.
• Mountain Range: A series of mountains that are connected or closely grouped together.
• Summit: The highest point of a hill or mountain.
• Foot: The base or lower part of a hill or mountain.

In simple words: A plain is flat ground, a valley is low ground between mountains, and a summit is the top of a mountain.

Exam Tip: Geography vocabulary - learn these terms well as they appear in maps and landscape questions.

Let us Write - Section B (Join the Sentences Using the Correct Conjunction)

Question 1. She was hungry. She ate sandwich. (or/but/because)
Answer: She ate a sandwich because she was hungry.
In simple words: "Because" shows the reason - she ate because she was hungry.

Exam Tip: "Because" joins two ideas where one is the reason for the other.

Question 2. I wanted to go out. It was too late. (or/and/but)
Answer: I wanted to go out but it was too late.
In simple words: "But" shows contrast - I wanted to go, yet I couldn't because of the time.

Exam Tip: "But" shows opposite ideas - one thing is true, yet something else stops it.

Question 3. He was happy. He got a new toy. (or/and/because)
Answer: He was happy because he got a new toy.
In simple words: The new toy is the reason he felt happy.

Exam Tip: Always pick "because" when one sentence explains the reason for the other.

Question 4. We can go to the zoo. We can go to the aquarium. (or/but/because)
Answer: We can go to the zoo or the aquarium.
In simple words: "Or" gives a choice between two options.

Exam Tip: "Or" is used when you have a choice between two or more things.

Question 5. Aman has a pen. Aman has a pencil. Aman has an eraser. (or/because/and)
Answer: Aman has a pen, pencil and an eraser.
In simple words: "And" joins things together to show he has all three items.

Exam Tip: "And" adds information - use it to combine three or more items in a list.

Question 6. Simran loves to eat mangoes. She loves bananas. (or/and/but)
Answer: Simran loves to eat mangoes and bananas.
In simple words: She likes both fruits, so we join them with "and".

Exam Tip: When two similar things are true, "and" works best to connect them.

Question 7. He ran fast. He missed the bus. (and/but/because)
Answer: He ran fast but missed the bus.
In simple words: Even though he ran fast, he still missed the bus - "but" shows this opposite result.

Exam Tip: "But" is perfect when the result goes against what you expected.

Question 8. She stayed home. She was not feeling well. (or/and/because)
Answer: She stayed at home because she was not feeling well.
In simple words: Her illness is the reason she stayed home.

Exam Tip: Look for a cause-and-effect relationship to pick "because".

Question 9. I love chocolate. I love vanilla. (and/but/or)
Answer: I love chocolate and vanilla.
In simple words: She likes both flavours equally, so "and" joins them.

Exam Tip: "And" works when both statements are equally true and positive.

Question 10. The baby is crying. He is hungry. (but/or/because)
Answer: The baby is crying because he is hungry.
In simple words: The hunger is the reason the baby is crying.

Exam Tip: Always check if one action is the reason or cause for another - that's when "because" fits.

Let us Speak (Page 123)

Question. Form your class into two groups, A and B. Each group will sit facing to each other. Follow the instructions to play the 'Sentence Completion' game.
Answer: This is an interactive speaking activity - you and your classmates should do this in pairs or groups. Take turns starting sentences and completing them. Examples:

Group A might start: "On a bright summer morning, ____________"
Group B completes: "On a bright summer morning, we went for a walk in the park."

Group B might start: "One day, a clever squirrel decided ____________"
Group A completes: "One day, a clever squirrel decided to collect all the nuts for the winter."

In simple words: One person says the start of a sentence, and another person finishes it in a fun way.

Exam Tip: For speaking activities, listen carefully to what your partner says before completing the sentence - this makes the conversation more fun and natural.

Let us Do (Page 124)

Question. Pick any one of the given mountain animal or bird. Find out details about them. You may include their picture, habitat, adaptation, life cycle and lifestyle, as well as how they survive in harsh conditions. Design a colourful chart with drawings, pictures, and captions about the animal or bird. Make a presentation and present it to the class.
Answer: This is a creative project activity - you need to do this yourself. Choose one animal such as Snow Leopard, Himalayan Tahr, Red Panda, Himalayan Brown Bear, Blood Pheasant, or Yak. Research and collect information about your chosen animal, then create a colourful chart with pictures and write about where it lives, how it has adapted to cold mountains, what it eats, and how it survives harsh winter conditions. Present your finished chart to the class and explain what you learned.
In simple words: Pick a mountain animal, find out facts about it, draw or paste pictures, and show your work to the class.

Exam Tip: For project work, include real facts about the animal, neat labelled drawings or pictures, and speak clearly when presenting to your class.

Question. Let us Explore (Page 124) - Collect pictures and facts about the first woman to climb Mount Everest twice.
Answer: The first woman to climb Mount Everest twice was Santosh Yadav, an Indian mountaineer who accomplished this remarkable feat in 1992 and 1993. Santosh Yadav holds the unique record of being the only woman in the world to reach the summit of Mount Everest twice within less than twelve months. She was born on 10 October, 1967 in Joniyawas, a small village in Rewari District in the state of Haryana, India.
In simple words: Santosh Yadav was an Indian woman who climbed Mount Everest twice - in 1992 and 1993 - and no other woman has done this so quickly.

Exam Tip: For research questions, note important facts like who, when, and what makes them special or different from others.