CBSE Class 10 English Glimpses of India Worksheet Set B

GIST
In ‘Tea from Assam’ Arup Kumar Datta describes how popular tea has become as a beverage in the world. Over 80 crore cups of tea are drunk every day throughout the world. It shows the increasing popularity of tea. The lesson gives a graphic description of the sea of tea bushes stretching as far as eyes can go in Assam. The plucking of the newly sprouted leaves by groups of tea-pluckers with bamboo baskets on their backs are vividly described in the lesson.
Pranjol belonged to Assam. He was studying in a school in Delhi. Rajvir was his classmate. Pranjol’s father was the manager of a tea-garden in Upper Assam. Pranjol invited Rajvir to visit his home during the summer vacation. Both of them travelled to Assam on a train. When the train stopped on the way at a station, a vendor called, ‘chai-garam garam-chai’. They took tea and started sipping it. Rajvir told Pranjol that over eighty crore cups of tea are drunk every day throughout the world.
Pranjol started reading his detective book again. But Rajvir looked out of the window of the moving train. There was beautiful scenery outside. Soon the soft green paddy fields were left behind and there were tea bushes everywhere. Rajvir was fascinated by the magnificent view of tea gardens. There were shade trees also. He was very excited. Pranjol didn’t share Rajvir’s excitement because he had been born and brought up on a plantation. He told Rajvir that Assam has the largest concentration of tea plantation in the world. Rajvir said that no one really knows who discovered tea. He told Pranjol that there are many legends attached to tea, to the discovery of tea. According to one story, a Chinese emperor discovered tea by chance. He always boiled water before drinking it. One day a few leaves off the twigs burning under the pot fell into the water. As a result, the boiled water got a delicious flavour. It is said they were tea leaves. According to another Indian legend, Bodhidharma, an ancient Buddhist monk, felt sleep during meditations. So he cut off his eyelids. Ten tea plants grew out of the eyelids. The leaves of these plants when put in hot water and drunk banished sleep.

Rajvir told Pranjol that tea was first drunk in China in 2700 B.C. Words like ‘chai’ and ‘chini are Chinese. Tea came to Europe in the sixteenth century. At first, it was used more as a medicine than as a beverage. Both Rajvir and Pranjol reached Mariani junction. Pranjol’s parents received them on the platform they took them in a car to Dhekiabari, the tea estate managed by Pranjol’s father. There were acres and acres of tea bushes. Women with bamboo baskets on their backs were plucking the new tea leaves, they had come there in the sprouting season. Rajvir said that this season lasts from May to July. The best tea is produced during this season. Pranjol’s father told Rajvir that he knew  many things about tea Plantations. Rajvir wanted to learn more about tea there.

Main Points of the Story
- Tea is really a very popular beverage in India.
- You can bear the vendor shouting “chai-garam-garam chai” at every railway station.
- More than eighty crores of cups of tea are drunk every day throughout the world.
- It was green, green everywhere and Rajvir had never seen so much greenery before.
- The landscape changed and tea bushes took the place of green paddy fields.
- A sea of tea-bushes stretched as far as the eyes could go.
- Assam has the largest concentration of plantations in the world.
- No one really knows who discovered tea. One Chinese legend says that a few leaves of the twigs burning under the pot fell into the boiling water.
- The leaves gave it a delicious flavour. They were tea leaves.
- Words like Thai’ and thine are from the Chinese language.
- According to an Indian legend, an ancient Buddhist ascetic cut off his eyelids because he felt sleepy during meditation.
- Ten tea plants grew out of his eyelids.
- Rajvir saw acre upon acre of tea bushes and nearly all of them were neatly pruned to the same height.
- Groups of tea-pluckers with bamboo baskets on their backs were plucking newly sprouted leaves.
- A tractor was pulling a trailer-load of leaves.
- Rajvir asked Pranjol’s father if it was the second-flush or sprouting period.
- The sprouting periods lasts from May to July and this period yields the best tea.

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow :

1. ‘Chai garam... garam chai’ a vendor called out in a high pitched voice. He came up to their window and asked,‘Chai, sa’ab’ ?
‘Give us two cups,’ Pranjol said.
They sipped the steaming hot liquid. Almost everyone in their compartment was drinking too.
‘Do you know that over 8,00,000,000 cups of tea are drunk every day all over the world’ ? Rajvir asked.

Question. Who ordered two cups of tea?
(i) Mr. Barua
(ii) Rajvir
(iii) Stranger
(iv) Pranjol
Answer.(iv) Pranjol

Question. Which word in the passage means the same as ‘drank slowly’ ?
(i) pitched
(ii) sipped
(iii) steaming
(iv) compartment
Answer.(ii) sipped

Question. Who was speaking in a high pitched voice ?
(i) Rajvir
(ii) Tea vendor
(iii) Pranjol
(iv) Mr. Barua
Answer.(ii) Tea vendor

Question. Rajvir told Pranjol that over 8,00,000,000 cups of tea are drunk ___________ all over the world.
(i) every week
(ii) every year
(iii) every day
(iv) every month
Answer.(iii) every day

2. We have an Indian legend too. Bodhidharma, an ancient Buddhist ascetic, cut off his eyelids because he felt sleepy during meditations. Ten tea plants grew out of the eyelids. The leaves of these when put in hot water and drunk, banished sleep.
‘Tea was first drunk in China’, Rajvir added, ‘as far back as 2700 B.C. In fact, words such as tea, ‘chai’ and ‘chini’ are from Chinese. Tea came to Europe only in the sixteenth century and was drunk more as medicine than as beverage.

Question. Tea was used in Europe as :
(i) drink
(ii) energizer
(iii) soft drink
(iv) medicine
Answer.(iv) medicine

Question. Which word in the passage means ‘drove away’?
(i) legend
(ii) banished
(iii) ancient
(iv) ascetic
Answer.(ii) banished

Question. Who cut off his eyelids to avoid being sleepy during the meditations ?
(i) The Priest
(ii) The Buddhist ascetic
(iii) The Monk
(iv) The Sage
Answer.(ii) The Buddhist ascetic

Question. How many tea plants grew out of the eyelids ?
(i) five
(ii) six
(iii) eight
(iv) ten
Answer.(iv) ten

3. Pranjol’s father slowed down to allow a tractor, pulling a trailer-load of tea leaves, to pass.
‘This is the second flush or sprouting period, isn’t it, Mr. Barua ?’
Rajvir asked, ‘It lasts from May to July and yields the best tea.’
‘You seem to have done your homework before coming,’ Pranjol’s father said in surprise.
‘Yes, Mr. Barua,’ Rajvir admitted. ‘But I hope to learn much more when I’m here.’ 

Question. When is tea yielded ?
(i) January to March
(ii) March to May
(iii) April to June
(iv) May to July
Answer.(iv) May to July

Question. In which tea estate city, had Rajvir visited ?
(i) Darjeeling
(ii) Assam
(iii) Kerala
(iv) Karnataka
Answer.(ii) Assam

Question. Who had done his homework before coming ?
(i) Rajvir
(ii) Pranjol
(iii) Mr. Barua
(iv) The Staff
Answer.(i) Rajvir

Question. Which word in the passage means ‘agreed’ ?
(i) flush
(ii) admitted
(iii) sprouting
(iv) slowed
Answer.(ii) admitted

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

1.We have an Indian legend too. Bodhidharma, an ancient Buddhist ascetic, cut off his eyelids because he felt sleepy during meditations. Ten tea plants grew out of the eyelids. The leaves of these plants when put in hot water and drunk banished sleep.
“Tea was first drunk in China,” Rajvir added, “as far back as 2700 BC! In fact words such as tea, ‘chai’ and ‘chini’ are from Chinese. Tea came to Europe only in the sixteenth century and was drunk more as medicine than as beverage.”

Question. How is medicine different from a beverage?
Answer.Medicine is used for treating diseases whereas beverage is used for general drinking purpose.

Question. Who was Bodhidharma?
Answer.Bodhidharma was an ancient Buddhist ascetic.

Question. When and where was tea first drunk?
Answer.Tea was first drunk in China as far back as 2700 BC.

Question. Find the word in the extract which means the same as ‘a drink’.
Answer.‘Beverage’ from the extract means ‘a drink’.

2.“Chai-garam… garam-chai,” a vendor called out in a high-pitched voice. He came up to their window and asked, “Chai, sa’ab?” “Give us two cups,” Pranjol said. They sipped the steaming hot liquid.Almost everyone in their compartment was drinking tea too.
“Do you know that over eighty crore cups of tea are drunk every day throughout the world?” Rajvir said. “Whew!” exclaimed Pranjol. “Tea really is very popular.”

Question. Who was selling the tea and where was he?
Answer.A tea vendor was selling tea and he was outside the window of the train compartment.

Question. Where were Pranjol and Rajvir when this conversation took place?
Answer.Pranjol and Rajvir were in a train when this conversation took place.

Question. How many cups of tea are drunk everyday throughout the world?
Answer.Over eighty crore cups of tea are drunk everyday throughout the world.

Question. Find the word in the extract which is an expression of astonishment.
Answer.‘Whew!’ is an expression of astonishment from the extract.

3.“Do you know that over eighty crore cups of tea are drunk every day throughout the world?” Rajvir said. “Whew!” exclaimed Pranjol. “Tea really is very popular.”
The train pulled out of the station. Pranjol buried his nose in his detective book again. Rajvir too was an ardent fan of detective stories, but at the moment he was keener on looking at the beautiful scenery.

Question. Where was Rajiv busy when train pulled out of the station?
Answer.Rajiv was busy in looking at the beautiful scenery outside the train when train pulled out of the station.

Question. Rajvir was a great fan of reading detective stories. Why didn’t he like to read at that? moment?
Answer.Rajvir didn’t like to read a detective story at that moment because he was more interested in looking at the beautiful scenery which passed by as the train moved.

Question. How do we know that tea is very popular?
Answer.We know that tea is very popular because eighty crore cups of tea are drunk every day throughout the world.

Question. Which word in the extract means the same as ‘well-liked’?
Answer.‘Popular’ from the extract means ‘well-liked’.

4. Pranjol’s father slowed down to allow a tractor, pulling a trailer-load of tea leaves, to pass. “This is the second-flush or sprouting period, isn’t it, Mr. Barua?” Rajvir asked. “It lasts from May to July and yields the best tea”. “You seem to have done your homework before coming”, Pranjol’s father said in surprise. „ “Yes, Mr. Barua”, Rajvir admitted. “But I hope to learn much more while I’m here.”

Question. What is the sprouting period of tea?
Answer.The sprouting period or the second-flush of tea lasts from May to July.

Question. How did Rajvir want to spend his stay there?
Answer.Rajvir wanted to spend his time discovering the beauty of Assam. He wanted to learn more about the tea plantations of Assam.

Question. Which word in the extract means ‘agreed’?
Answer.‘Admitted’ from the extract means ‘agreed’.

Question. Why did Mr. Barua feel surprised?
Answer.Mr Barua was surprised to know that Rajvir already knew a lot about the tea gardens of Assam.

Short Answer Questions :

Question. Why did Pranjol’s father say that Rajvir had done his homework before visiting Assam?
Answer.Rajvir was very excited about visiting the tea garden and thus, he studied a lot about it before visiting the tea garden. Thus, Pranjol’s father said that Rajvir had already done his homework before visiting Assam.

Question. ‘This is a tea country now’. Explain this with reference to Assam.
Answer.Assam has the world’s largest concentration of tea plantations in the world. A large number of tea gardens can be found there. Most of the tea grown in Assam is supplied all over the world.

Question.Where were Rajvir and Pranjol going and why?
Answer.Rajvir and Pranjol were going to Assam as Pranjol had invited Rajvir to spend summer vacation there.

Question. In what ways is China related to tea?
Answer.Tea was first drunk in China. The words ‘chai’ and ‘chini’ are from Chinese.

Question. What did Rajvir see while looking outside from the train?
Answer.Rajvir saw much greenery while looking outside from the train. He was amazed to see the soft: green paddy fields first and then the green tea bushes.

Question. Why was Pranjol not excited on seeing the tea garden?
Answer.Pranjol was born and brought up in Assam. He had been watching the tea gardens since his childhood. There was nothing new for him. So he was not excited on seeing the tea gardens.

Question. He, his family and his servants always looked happy and prosperous. Their plump physique was an open testimony to this. Even today any person with a jackfruit-like physical appearance is easily compared to a baker.
(a) Why was anyone with a jackfruit-like physical appearance compared to a baker?
(b) The bakers were prosperous people and their families always looked happy. The line seems a remnant from childhood observations. Comment.
Answer.(a) The bakers were rich people who had ample of bread to eat and enjoy. Thus, they often looked well-fed and happy. In fact, the bakers never bothered with daily money, they always maintained monthly accounts.
(b) The bakers were prosperous because they always had consumers. The bread loaves are famous and a staple for people in Goa. The sentence seems like an observation from childhood because he uses terms like “they always looked well-fed and happy”.

Question. What ‘magnificent view’ did Rajvir see outside while going in the train?
Answer.There were tea bushes here and there. Against the densely wooded hills, a sea of tea bushes spread over a vast area. Over the tiny tea plants were tall sturdy shade-trees. There were orderly tea bushes. In the distance was an ugly building. It looked odd among the tea bushes. Smoke was coming out of tall chimneys.

Question. How did the baker attract the children ?
Answer.The baker attracted the children not by his jingle or by the loaves of bread he sold but attracted the children by the bread bangles or the special sweet bread he sold, especially made for children.

Question. How did the baker make his musical entry?
Answer.The baker made his musical entry with the ‘jhang, jhang’ sound. It was made by a bamboo staff. One hand supported the basket on his head. The other banged the bamboo on the ground. He would greet the lady of the house and would place his basket on the vertical bamboo, to sell the bread.

Question. What did the bakers wear when the author was young ? 
Answer.The bakers in the Portuguese days wore a peculiar dress called the ‘Kabai’. It was a long single piece of frock reaching down to the knees. During the years when the author was young, they wore a shirt and a trouser that used to be longer than a half pant and shorter than a full pant.

Question. What did Mr. Barua, Pranjol’s father, tell about tea bushes?
Answer.Mr. Barua received both Rajvir and Pranjol at the cottage. He told Rajvir and Pranjol that it was the second-flush or sprouting period. It lasted from May to July. It gave out the best tea, said Rajvir, He told that he had done his homework before coming. He had a good knowledge about tea.

Question. What is bol? What different things were made by the ladies of the house for different occasions?
Answer.Bol is the sweet bread. It is a marriage gift and an integral part of a party. Any party loses its charm without it. The lady of the house must prepare sandwiches for the daughter’s engagement. Cakes and Bol in has are a must for Christmas and other festivals. These are traditional dishes.

Question. What do the elders in Goa still love to remember ?
What are the elders in Goa nostalgic about ? 
Answer.The elders in Goa are nostalgic about the good old Portuguese days and the Portuguese loaves of bread. The Portuguese were very famous for their bread.

Question. Describe the animals that can be seen here in Coorg.
Answer.The place is just ideal for different kinds of animals. They reside in these forests. Birds, bees and butterflies. Macaques, Malabar squirrels, langurs and slender loris can be seen any time. They keep a watchful eye over every person from the tree canopy. In addition, there are wild elephants also.

Question. Describe Coorg or Kodagu geographically.
Answer.Coorg or Kodagu is the smallest district of Karnataka. It has evergreen rain forests. These are very suitable for growing spices and coffee plantations. There is coffee flavour in its air. A lot of coffee estates and colonial bungalows stand here. They are tucked under tree canopies in main corners.

Long Answer Questions :

Question. What are the legends related to the discovery of tea?
Answer.There are many popular legends about the discovery of tea. Two of them are as follows:
A Chinese emperor was used to drinking boiled water. One day a twig from the fire fell into the pot in which water was being boiled. It gave a delicious flavour to the drink. It is said that those were tea leaves.
An Indian legend goes like this. Once there was a Buddhist ascetic who used to feel sleepy during meditations. So he cut off his eyelids. Ten tea plants grew out of the eyelids. When the leaves from these plants were put in hot water and drunk they banished sleep.

Question. According to the text, Assam is said to be ‘tea country’. Do you believe that Assam has some of the best plantations in the world that makes it a unique country?
Answer.In India, some of the best plantations like tea and coffee are grown in huge quantities. India is also a home to many spices like haldi and while Assam is home to tea, Coorg is home to coffee.Others which are grown exclusively in India and exported to various countries. These plantations make India a unique country which has not just traditional spices and beverage plants growing within it but also follows traditional agricultural practices. 

Question. How did the baker, known as pader, announce his arrival?
Answer.The baker in the author’s childhood days used to come twice a day. In the morning, he came to sell the loaves of bread and in evening, he returned after emptying his huge basket. He would come again with the ‘jhang, jhang’ sound of his special bamboo stick. One hand supported the basket on his head while the other banged the bamboo on the ground. The baker would greet everyone with ‘Good morning.’ He would place the basket on the vertical bamboo. The author and other children would peep into the basket. They loved bread-bangles. Sometimes, it was a sweet bread of special make.

Question. We kids would be pushed aside with a mild rebuke and the loaves would be delivered to the servant. But we would not give up. We would climb a bench or the parapet and peep into the basket, somehow. I can still recall the typical fragrance of those loaves.
(a) Who has brought this basket? What is special about this activity?
(b) The children would be pushed aside but they still manage to peep into the basket. What were they so eager to see?
Answer.(a) The baker (pader) has brought this basket full of fresh loaves of bread. This is a daily activity and he makes two rounds each day. The activity is special because these paders are carrying on the old Portuguese tradition. (b) The children were always eager for the bangle bread loaves that the baker would carry along with him. Sweet to taste, the bread always took the children’s fancy.

Question. Write a paragraph on Coorg.
Answer.Coorg is the smallest district in Karnataka, situated about 250 kms near Bangaluru. It is situated between Mysore and Mangalore. There are hills all around the town which appears like a piece of heaven broken down from the Kingdom of God. It is the land of the brave martial clan of the Kodavus. There are coffee plantations in the area. The Coorgis are very hospitable people. They are a brave community with the first Army Chief of our country being a Coorgi. The flora and fauna of the area is unique and one can easily encounter elephants, Malabar squirrels, langurs, loris, etc. The best time to visit Coorg is from September to March when the rains have stopped. Coorg is also a haven for adventure sport enthusiasts.